Bloodcurse

Goodbyes

(This chapter is written from Seth's perspective. Enjoy!)

This is quickly becoming my new favorite hobby.

Maybe it's cruel to keep forcing them to talk to each other... but I don't always have to be nice, do I? Besides, this will be good for them in the end - and I don't only believe that because it provides me with the perfect opportunity to sneak away unnoticed. Sorry, guys...

Going outside without anything on you but your clothes is a funny thing. It almost feels like you're doing something wrong. No keys, no wallet, no phone... what am I running from? Or rather, where am I running to - because there is one thing you can do with none of those things on your person: go to church.

From what I can tell, vampires and religion don't exactly mix well. Much like grape soda and milk, you can mix them, but... just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Then again, it doesn't mean you shouldn't either, does it? To be honest, I feel really bad about accidentally making Father Olivier believe I'm being haunted by a demon. Now that I know the truth, or at least some of it, I should just tell him that I was wrong and that everything is fine. And I have to do it before I move, because something tells me Edward will not like the idea of me talking to a priest. I'm pretty sure he'd know, even if I tried to keep it from him.

The weather seems undecided today. The clouds tell me it might rain, but the heat and occasional bursts of sunshine say otherwise. It's a recipe for disappointment or a headache, or both. At least my clothes are finally drying... I just wish they weren't an ensemble of a dark turtleneck sweater and navy blue ankle-length pants. It's not that I have anything to complain about from a fashion perspective, it's just way too hot for this stuff. Actually, I probably look way more put-together than I ever have. Say what you will about Edward, but his taste in clothes is pretty solid.

Entering the churchyard for the second time, I'm suddenly very aware of how careful I need to be here. Even the gate makes me nervous, and I don't think they made it from repurposed silverware... but you never know. I've thought about this a lot, and as much as I love being a precious metal detector, I think I've spent my whole life underestimating just how much of it there is. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth - ha ha... - so it hasn't been much of a concern for me thus far. Now that I know, however, I feel like a raw nerve.

I'm not sure how to explain why I couldn't make it on Sunday. 'Sorry, I was knocked out by the vampire gene going crazy inside my cursed body!'... yeah, no. It's slightly ironic, but it seems you can't confess everything to a priest, after all. He'd probably impale me.

The church is agreeably chilly, providing some relief from the heat trapped in my clothes, though it still hurts my nose to be here. Luckily, the location of the hidden door is known to me already, leaving me with enough space in my mind to prepare myself whilst walking in its direction.

This is not the first time I've lied to a clergyman, I tell myself, and it will not be last. Uh, well... hopefully it will be. The point is, I'm doing this to ease his worries. On that thought, I lift up my hand to knock on the door - and it flings wide open before I even manage to graze it.

Father Olivier jumps as he sees me, the glasses he had perched on top of his head falling down with the sudden movement and only adding to his shock. He pushes them up to the bridge of his nose with wide eyes, still too startled to say anything... and I have to try not to laugh.

"Hi," I say, smiling at the way he's slowly collecting himself. "Sorry I scared you."

"Oh, no worries," he assures me, but his voice wavers a bit. After taking a deep breath, he manages to smile back. "Good morning."