Before Sundown

Trails

The next morning was ordinary. Well, sort of. I still wasn't sure if the sightings of last night were real or I was just already dreaming. I didn't hesitate too much, and got ready for my day. Even though fraught with out-of-the-ordinary events,  my days were starting to feel somewhat repetitive, in a way: waking up, going to school, encountering vampires perhaps, then going back home. As I made my way out of the house, I turned my head up towards the sky, staring at the dispersed cloud foams above, sensing that they were about to congregate and curse me with yet another rainy day in Sigswood. Don't get me wrong, it was not quite like I despised the rain entirely. It's just, the weather didn't help much with the depressing state I was already finding myself in. It all felt cold and lonely.

***

After our first two classes, I went to the restroom to freshen up. Today seemed to drag on for so long; I felt as if I'd been sitting at my desk for ages. I checked myself in the mirror and, as I stared into my own eyes, I could swear they were turning darker and darker. I flared my nostrils with trepidation, then I quickly rubbed my eyes. But they were still pitch black. I took a deep breath and rushed out of the bathroom, being certain about that fact that I was hallucinating and, most probably, going insane. As I was anxiously passing through the halls, surrounded by murmurs, some lower and some more intelligible, someone stepped out right in front of me. I raised my eyes from the ground and was met with the smirk that I could recognize anywhere, Vlad's. I stared at him for a second, wondering if he could notice the darkness in my eyes too, but he seemed unfazed. Maybe it really was all in my head. 

"How's it going today, Blair?" he began. I sighed audibly.

"I'm fine". He slightly raised his brow; that probably wasn't very convincing.

"You seem a bit shaken", he said, crossing his arms. "Did something happen?"

"I didn't sleep really well last night", I admitted after a short pause. "And today seems like it would never end...", I concluded, as I rubbed my forehead with the back of my fingers.

"I know that feeling", he continued encouragingly, as his face was lit up with a slight smile. "How about", he said on a low tone, as he got closer to my face, making my breath hitch, "we get out of here for a while?" I had to process what he said for a second. I looked at him, and he was already staring deeply into my eyes, eagerly waiting for an affirmative answer.

"Right now?", I whispered with uncertainty, narrowing my eyes.

"Yeah, have you got anything better to do here?", he asked, with obvious irritation in his voice. I pressed my lips together tightly, then shortly looked down. Maybe a little getaway wouldn't hurt. I lifted my head already smiling, and I saw Vlad's eyes visibly fill with bliss, as he realized I was going to say yes.

"That's more like it", he said joyfully, and so we made our way out of the school together.

"What do you say about a walk through the Briteledge Forest?" he asked, once we were outside. "It's one of my favorite places around." I looked at him, and I was once again met with his piercing gaze, and even if the forest wasn't necessarily a place where I wanted to be like ever, I just couldn't turn him down. We started walking together towards the forest, which was about 15 minutes away from our school; strange, last time I've been there, it seemed like a pretty long drive, let alone walk. But maybe the time seemed cut short, as I was really enjoying our conversation on the way there. I haven't seen Vlad so happy and carefree before. I know, we barely know each other, but I could tell he was different now. He was different with me. And I even managed to make him laugh genuinely, something that felt actually impossible until today.