Eternal Moon

CHAPTER 8

I lay in bed, unable to sleep. My mind was filled with thoughts of Meryl and the way she made me feel. Was it real? Was it all just a trick? I couldn't understand my feelings towards her. I felt guilty for leaving her there, alone. I felt so powerless against my emotions. I just wanted to understand them. I turned to the wall and wondered if I'd ever understand the way I was feeling.

I closed my eyes, trying to push away the images of Meryl dancing and her lips near my neck. I felt a chill across my skin, as if her touch was still on me. Was her cold touch a result of her mysterious identity or was my mind playing tricks on me? Suddenly, I had a thought. The strange feeling of energy as her lips grazed my skin. That cold touch, as if her lips were sapping the life and the warmth from my body. What the HELL was she?

I couldn't ignore the thought. The cold touch of her skin, the strange rush of energy in my body as her lips touched my neck. I got up from bed and grabbed my laptop and began to Google something. I looked for any explanation, any clue that could confirm or deny my suspicions. But then I stopped. What would I do if I found out she really was? The thought was terrifying.

I had to be going crazy. Meryl couldn't be who I thought she was, that stuff just shouldn't exist. But then I remembered how she never seemed to breathe. How her movements were so quick and graceful, more like a dancer than a person. The time where she climbed a tree with her bare hands, like a spider. Her vocabulary, it always felt strange. As if she was using words from another time. She barely acted like a normal teenager. My mind was filling with more questions as my heart raced.

I suddenly recalled the day we played dodgeball together. It was only a casual game in PE class but Meryl stood out. Her strength... she threw the ball so hard, it hit me in the face, completely wiping me out. I couldn't believe her immense strength. The way her hands felt, rough yet soft. The impossible perfection of her face, a beauty that couldn't exist in a normal human being. How could I have missed it for so long? My mind began to fill with fear and dread as I realized what Meryl could have been.

I sat up in bed, staring into the darkness. I refused to admit the truth about Meryl even though it was all in front of me. I didn't deserve to know about her true identity. After all, I dumped her at prom. I sighed in frustration and confusion, trying to ignore the truth of it all. I needed to get some sleep. Maybe tomorrow it would make more sense. I shut off my laptop and laid back in bed, my mind still racing. But for some reason, I couldn't sleep, not after everything that happened. I just felt too tired.

Later, I woke up to a new day and felt completely exhausted, awake with only five hours of sleep. I was annoyed that I was totally late for school. My mind was blank but my thoughts were filled with thoughts of Meryl. I went to the bathroom and saw my reflection in the mirror. All I could imagine was her standing behind me. I could hardly believe it, even though it had been staring at me the entire time. I could either be the craziest person ever, or correct about my suspicions. Moreover, the things from last night made me feel horrified to go back and face the consequences. I don't think she wants to talk to me after what happened. However, I had to face my fears. I at least owed her an enormous apology, if she would have the kindness and the heart to accept it after what I pulled off yesterday.

I quickly got ready for school, feeling nervous and anxious about having to see Meryl. Would she confront me? What would I tell her if she did? My heart raced as I made my way to school, hoping to avoid Meryl altogether. I couldn't handle facing her just yet. I couldn't handle facing her true identity just yet. Luckily, I didn't have gym or English at the moment. I'm glad it was Math instead. Getting yelled at by the strict teacher was better than having to be confronted. I truly hated being social.

As lunch rolled around, I took a deep breath and forced myself to face my fear. It was time to apologize to Meryl. I walked over to her and her friends at their lunch table in the cafeteria. My heart felt like a ball of lead in my chest. I took a deep breath and addressed her.

"Meryl, could we talk for a second?" I could see the curiosity in her eyes as her friends watched us nervously. Meryl's expression was stoic but even so, I felt a chill run through my body at her gaze.

Meryl gave a slight nod and her friends looked at her curiously. It was just the two of us now. I led her away to the back of the school, my heart racing and my head filled with confusion. Finally, we stood alone.

"Meryl, I have something to tell you. Something you deserve to know," I said in a low voice, looking down at her. Meryl looked up at me, her expression still stoic and her gaze intense. I felt the cold chill run through my body, almost as if Meryl herself was draining me of my warmth.

I looked down at Meryl's face and saw a slight softening in her expression. I didn't know what to make of it. It was enough to make my heart race even faster.

"I'm sorry for running away at prom. I was so nervous and I let everything get to me," I said in a soft voice. Meryl looked at me thoughtfully before surprising me with her response.

"It's okay Jason, I'm sorry for possibly making you uncomfortable. I never meant to do that," she said in a soft voice, her expression even softer now.

I looked up into Meryl's eyes and noticed a slight change in their color. Where before they had been a vibrant green, they now seemed darker, a strange brown color, almost burgundy in nature. I felt a chill run through my body at the sight. No, it couldn't be. There had to be another explanation. I had to get myself together, I couldn't let myself believe what I was seeing. Meryl's eyes didn't just change color on their own. Did they?

"Your eyes. They seem a little different today. Is everything okay?" I asked, looking up at her with concern. Meryl just smiled at me, her expression as beautiful as ever.

"It's nothing Jason, don't worry about it. I must have just been tired. That's all." She chuckled before patting my head lightly. Before I could reply, Meryl had already left, leaving me utterly confused and terrified by what I had just seen. Her eyes had changed. They truly had, I knew it. Suddenly, all my suspicions were confirmed.

I stood there as the wind blew in my face, trying to make sense of everything. Meryl's eye color changing, her mysterious personality, cold touch, her lack of breathing, her immense speed, and her incredible strength. It all sounded too crazy to be true, but yet here I was, thinking about it with a sickening feeling in my stomach. I could hardly believe what I was thinking. Did I really believe what my senses told me? Could I truly believe Meryl was not human? I planned on using gentle persuasion in hopes of getting answers from her. A part of me still didn't believe that any of this was true, that all of this was a hoax. Meryl seemed to know something that I don't. I needed to confront her again.

I needed to know.

(END OF CHAPTER 8)