InsaneJournal

I threw the last handful of dirt into my mother’s grave before I whispered, “Goodbye.”
    My eyes were red from lack of sleep, but dry.  There were no more tears for me to shed.  I was done crying over something that couldn’t be changed.  It didn’t mean I wasn’t sad.  To say I was devastated would be an under-statement.  We were as close as a mother and daughter could be.  And now she was gone. 
    I glanced off to the side where a tall, menacing looking man was standing.  That man was my father, but I was used to calling him Alexander.  It was hard to think of him as my father when he hadn’t been around when I was growing up.  I saw him maybe a couple of days during the year, and I knew it was only because my mother had demanded that he come see me. 
    My gaze drifted to the others that were here to pay their respects.  Almost all of them were in some way related to my mother, Isobel.  There was one exception and only he could bring a faint smile upon my face when I saw him alone in the shade, underneath a very old tree. 
    Ethan was my best friend and a vampire.  It didn’t bother me that my blood was enticing to him and that, though, he did try to be good—he did have the occasions where he would give in to temptation.  Isobel hadn’t liked him at first, but her dislike wasn’t unreasonable when she found him with his fangs sunk into my wrist, drinking my blood.  While Isobel had never been fond of him, she did tolerate him for me.  Much how Ethan was here torturing himself with the allure of blood for me. 
    Thinking about my mother was like inviting melan-choly to sit beside me.  I nodded absently when some dis-tant cousin of mine said that they were sorry for my loss and if there was anything they could do, to call them.  No-body could do anything anymore for Isobel.  She was gone and she wasn’t coming back. 
    Emotion choked my throat and I stared down at the per-fectly maintained lawn.  It was easier than meeting the pity-ing eyes of my relatives.  I wished the earth would open up and swallow me right now. 
    “Hi,” Ethan said, startling me.  Just a moment before he had been standing across the field, but with his speed and lightness of feet, he had crept upon me without my aware-ness.  “Isn’t it lovely today?” 
    “Sure,” I said, although I hadn’t noticed until he said so. 
    He was right; it was a beautiful day.  There were huge, fluffy white clouds hanging in the bright blue sky.  The sun was peeking out from under one of them, shining its warmth down on us.  I quickly looked at Ethan, who had carefully positioned himself under another tree to get some needed protection from the bright sunlight. 
    “You won’t be alone.”  Ethan smiled and it was breath-taking as it always was when it was genuine.  “I’ll be going with you.” 
    His words made me incredibly happy, but there was no way he would like Three Rivers.  “Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?” I asked.  “It’s a small town, Ethan.  It has maybe two thousand people.  It doesn’t even have a high school!  I’m going to have to commute to an-other town…” 
    “I know where I’m going, Sophie,” he said sharply.  “I know it’s not going to be a big city, and I know it’s going to be an adjustment.  So what if I’m bored?”  He shrugged.  “It’s only for a year and I’ve got all the time in the world.” 
    “You don’t have to remind me how short life is.” 
    Ethan winced a little and even that didn’t mar the per-fection of his face.  His beauty was eerie with his pale skin contrasting his dark brown, almost black eyes.  He had a slim build, despite his height.  I had teased him quite a bit about having some kind of eating disorder before he told me the truth about himself.  I should have realized some-thing was different about him, after all, I knew better than most what kind of strange powers existed in this world.