One. Free Now

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There's a reason why I'm here,
It's to try to do good,
It's to try to do better.

KELLIN'S POV

A breeze flows through my black hair as I step outside.

The air is fresh. Like, really fresh. We had only been allowed to get fresh air in the prison courtyard, so this air is completely fresh. Fresher than fresh. It's free, like I am now.

Even though I was only let out of prison about five minutes ago, it feels so strange to be out. I guess when you spend a decade of your life behind bars, freedom is a stranger when you finally get it. I wonder what my friends are doing now - before prison, I lived in a small apartment in Florida on my own. My neighbours in the apartments near mine were my only friends. Justin Hills, who shared the apartment opposite mine with his boyfriend Jack Fowler, was my best friend. He always had my back, he was always positive, but I never told him my secret. I never told anyone my secret. If I call him now, he'll come pick me up and take me back to the apartments...I hope.

I take my cell phone out my pocket and go to contacts. When I've scrolled down to the H contacts, I tap on 'Justin Hills' and press 'Dial'. I hear a ringing phone noise as I hold my phone to my ear. Come on Justin, pick up your phone. Finally, I hear his voice:

"Hello?"

"Justin?" I say, relieved. "Hi man, it's me."

"Who is this?"

What...what do you mean? It's Kellin, your best friend! How can you not recognise my voice...?

Frowning slightly, I say: "It's me...it's Kellin."

"Kellin? That's really you?"

I stop frowning and start smiling. "Yeah, it's really me."

"You're out of prison?"

"Yes, Justin. I got out about five minutes ago. Can you...can you gimme a ride to the apartment block, please? You, Jack and the guys still live there, right?"

There's a pause. I can't hear anything over the phone. Justin's not talking; he's not even breathing, or that's what it seems like. I can't hear him breathing. Suddenly, I hear a long bleeeeeeep.

He hung up on me.

"Perfect," I sigh, taking my phone away from my ear. The call disappears from the screen and returns to my contact list.

Why did he hang up on me? I'm his best friend. He's always been on my side...we've been through everything together. Well, that doesn't matter now. I'll call someone else.

I call Jack. The call is short and sweet.

"Hello?" he says.

"Hi Jack," I reply. "It's Kellin."

And he hangs up.

Next I try calling Gabe Barham. He was always the joker of the group. He lived in an apartment next to mine. He'll help me out.

"Yeah?" he says, sounding bored.

"Gabe, it's me," I say. "It's Kellin."

"Kellin?!" He sounds alarmed. "When'd you get out?"

"Just now."

Pause.

"So...what do you want? Why are you calling me?"

"Can you gimme a ride to the apartments? I've tried calling Justin and Jack, but they both hung up. Will you help me out?"

Another pause.

"You really think I'm gonna help you, after what you did?"

I don't know what to say. Why is he being like this? I know I'm a criminal, but is it so bad to share a car with a criminal for a few minutes? Or is it a few hours...? I have no idea how far away the apartments are from here.

"Come on man," I beg. "I don't know what to do. I need a ride."

"Well, you're not getting one with me," he replies bitterly. "Why are you even out this early? If I was deciding your sentence time, I'd make it much longer than ten years. Do you have a 'get out of jail' card or something?"

I've heard enough.

"Never mind," I snap. "You can piss off."

"Likewise."

And with that, he hangs up.

I can feel myself getting colder. That's a bad sign, a sign I'm getting angry. I can't do that.

My last resort is calling Nick Martin, my last friend. With high hopes, I click on his name and press 'Dial'. I take deep breaths as his phone rings.

"Hello?" he says.

"Nick, it's Kellin," I say quickly. I don't want to go through all this again. "Look, can you give me a ride to the apartments? I don't know how to get back on foot."

"You're out of jail," he says blankly.

"Yeah, I'm out. Now, can you give me a ride or not?"

There's a pause, and I can hear him taking a deep breath.

"Look Kellin, you were a nice guy, I know that. But...you're a criminal, a murderer..."

"Nick," I sigh, my heart sinking. "I'm begging you, man. Please."

"I'm...I can't help you. I'm sorry."

He hangs up.

"Shit," I growl, angrily putting my phone back in my pocket.

I'm getting colder and colder. Not good, Kellin. Not good. I take out my phone again, go on the camera app and look at myself on the screen. My eyes are slowly changing...

I close my eyes and take deep breaths to calm down. When I'm calm, I feel warm again. Looking at myself, I can see my eyes are normal, a greenish-grey colour. See? That was easy enough. So why couldn't I do it on that night ten years ago? I guess I just lost control.

It's then that I realise I'm completely alone. I've got no other contacts on my phone - all I used it for was to text my friends and order pizza, and I've got no family. Now, my friends are gone. And I don't think a pizza man is gonna help me get my life back. So I'm alone. Great. I don't know my way back to the apartments, and no-one is gonna help me. If only they understood how hard it was to control myself on that fateful night. If only they knew my secret...

Well, I don't think knowing that I'm a vampire would make them any more willing to help me.

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