Within The Ash

Chapter 60

Athan's POV

We made our way into town and the stares I got was overwhelming. I rolled my eyes at their eye contact realizing that I would never completely fit in.

I have to try a lot harder to fit in if I want to be accepted. I need to act and talk like a human so for now talking is completely out of the question.

I made my way down the street and Heaven followed next to me.

She looked up at me as we walked casually.

"They are starring at you Athan" she said in a whisper to where nobody could hear.

I matched her tone while only glancing down at her.

"We're fine darling, if they suspected anything they would've already questioned it" I said casually waving at who ever stared.

I decided to respond to their stares with a friendly wave and for now it was taking the negative attention away.

I even got a few flirty smiles from a couple girls and judging by the pouty look on Heaven's face told me she noticed.

With that I pulled her closer to my side as we walked and simply smiled down at her with love.

She looked up at me with her lips puckered In attitude.

"Where ever we go, the girls are always attracted to you"

I chucked and moved the hair from her face. "What's so wrong with that" I said in a joking way.

"I don't like it that's what's wrong with it" she said rolling her eyes.

"I see, well I've noticed guys looking at you too dear" I said with a smile.

I knew the men didn't look at her, at least not that I noticed. But I wanted to make her feel better so I continued my white lie.

"Oh of course, they practically stare with passion" I said with a smile looking down at her.

She visibly relaxed more and that was my over all goal.

"Than why don't you get upset?" She asked again starring straight through my eyes as if she was trying to catch me in a lie.

I shrugged.

"I guess I'm not the jealous type" I said calmly.

She let out a sigh of relief and I noticed her little hand slowly reaching its way to mine. It was honestly cute that she thought she had to sneak to hold my hand so I made the next bold move.

With a quickness I grabbed her tiny hand in mine and squeezed it tight.

Her face turned completely red as if this meant more than when I touched her in other places.

I never actually wanted to touch her in those spots the time I did. I wanted to make her feel something other than the pain of a bite and to my surprise it actually worked. But I don't plan on being intimate with her in that way until I know for sure it's what she wants.

"Where are we staying this time" she asked as she looked around at the people with curiosity.

"Preferably somewhere inhabited by humans, for your sake, you need company as I do not"

I looked around at the different styles of people. Most of the men had their hair short and I cursed in my mind once I realized I have to cut my hair.

My hair is my strength and my whole identity. I couldn't possibly cut my hair.

I removed a rubber band from my pocket and loosely tied my hair up into a bun and continued paying attention to the styles of different men.

Some of the men I noticed wore top hats that covered either most or all of their hair and that gave me an idea.

I won't cut my hair unless I have to go for a complete identity change and for now I will cover my hair with a hat until I'm safe to let it loose.

I looked down at Heaven who seemed too quiet. Her mind was full of worry and doubt. She was anxious and tired. So I decided to tell her my plan I order to give her a sense of knowing for sure.

"My plan is to find a group of misfits, I'm not capable of following human rules even if I wanted to" i rolled my eyes at the thought of some of the most ridiculous reasons humans killed each other for.

Humans to me were completely barbaric. There are barbaric vampires as well but humans were just as monstrous, at least us vampires never kill our own kind.

We made our way into our preferred areas we looked for last time when we met Zero.

Nobody was spotted but we made our way further in when I got a weird feeling in my stomach. A feeling as if Somebody were watching me.

This feeling persisted through out the Forrest that seemed to to have the stories of every life time it's seen.

And the further we got, it seemed more as if I was reading somebody else's mind than my own.

But this wasn't somebody's normal thoughts. These were thoughts as if to be praying or meditating. There's a lot I know about humans, one being humans had outlawed the practice of free religion, and meditation was something of witches.

The voice I heard in my mind was one that could stretch across the lands.

I didn't see this person but they had to be pretty close if I was able to read his thoughts so easily and so clearly.

The moon was high in the sky when Heaven and I found ourselves standing in front of a cabin house in the way back Forrest.

The air was silent and still as we stood out side of the door and gently knocked.

Nobody answered and I wasn't about to enter somebody's house so we sat on the porch for a bit to rest from the walking we have done.

Just than a tall man with black hair and a plain black mask over his eyes came from inside the woods. His feet were bare and he had on just a black jean jacket. He stopped right in the entrance of the trees and placed his hand on the ground.

He stood tall and held his head high before speaking with a deep and loud voice.

"Who's there"

He said looking around blindly. I sensed no fear but he was definitely threatening. I spoke loudly back and held Heaven to my side.

"We are visitors from outside of town, we come in peace, sorry for disturbing your Forrest sir" I said politely.

He let down his guard and began walking over to me.

"Keep talking, I need to know where you are" he said in a powerful tone.

"My name is Caleb, and I am with women"

He was now standing right in front of me. He reached his hand out for a hand shake and I shook his hand firmly.

"My name is Drake, I am 27 years old, excuse my rudeness, I am blind"

It made sense, all of it. That's why he uses the mask.

Heaven spoke timidly and his head immediately shot downwards towards her as if her presence startled him.

"Why do you wear the face mask? If you don't mind me asking" she said looking up at him with curiosity.

He was silent for a moment as he thought out his words before he said them.

"It keeps the light out, allowing me to hear better. I'm not completely blind. I can't see anything accept for light and shapes, but more light. And the light hurts, there for the mask helps ease the pain"

I instantly wondered why he was separate from society and couldn't help but ask. "Why are you separate from society"

I could sense he was weary and he spoke carefully so that he wouldn't say too much. He was afraid of something.

"I was never, how do I say it, wanted."