Twilight Imagines

33.4 Vampires (Felix Volturi)

(Published October 31, 2024) 

   The wind whipped past as I twirled down the row between the gravestones.  It was one a.m. on Halloween night and most everyone was either at spooky parties or in bed.  Then you had me, the crazy insomniac who was all dressed up and dancing through a cemetery.  I just couldn't help it.  The skirt of my dress was strangely flowy, which meant it was perfect for twirling.  And so, I twirled.  

   Stopping a moment later, I gave the empty graveyard around me another glance.  It wasn't our normal night to meet, but I still couldn't help but hope Felix might appear.  He seemed to have a habit of appearing on the nights I needed his shoulder to lean on the most.  Not that I needed him tonight, but wouldn't it be fun for a quirky couple to meet in a creepy place on a spooky night?  

   I continued half walking, half dancing down the row until I came to the most important (to me) headstone in the cemetery.  My feet came to a stop before it and I gazed on it's marble front for a long moment.  There were small pockets in the sides of my skirt, one of which held a polished blue stone.  I withdrew the tiny treasure and set it on the marble base with the rest of the small rocks I had placed there on the hundreds of nights I had visited my mom's grave.  Once it was settled in between a fossil and a small chunk of quartz, I turned away and continued my walk.  

   A dark figure at the end of the row caught my eye.  My face broke into a large smile as his features registered.  Crisp and pale in the moonlight, Felix stood in his normal black attire with his arms politely clasped behind his back.  I nearly skipped to the end of the row, stopping only a few feet away from him.  His dark eyes twinkled and a soft smile appeared on his face.  

   "Dahlia, my love, was that dancing I witnessed?" 

   I curtsied playfully.  "Indeed.  Seemed like the thing to do." 

   He chuckled that deep, musical laugh I had grown to adore.  "I didn't know you danced, or I would've taken you somewhere by now." 

   "Why?  Do you dance?" 

   "I've learned some simple ballroom steps over the years." 

   "Well, you're ahead of me, then.  I know twirls, skips, and flossing.  That's about it." 

   "Flossing?  That's a dance move now?" 

   "Yeah, but it's not your kind of dancing." 

   His eyes finally travelled down to my attire, making his smirk even larger and his eyes twinkle.  I glanced down at the long dress medieval style dress I was wearing.  It was an elegant black fabric with a burgundy panel down the center of the dress that was soft to the touch.  It was snug around the waist, but the skirt and the sleeves flowed in a mystical way that gave it that extra something special.  I loved it, even though it was really too fancy for everyday wear.  Raising my gaze to his face once again, I found him gazing at me fondly.  

   "Is this a costume?" He asked in a surprisingly gentle tone.  

   "Kind of, I guess.  I wanted to be a vampire tonight, but the party store sold out of fake fangs.  I guess there's a lot of vampires out tonight." I shrugged, not really too broke up about it.  The dress worked perfectly without the fake teeth.  "I'm starting to love this dress, though.  Might use it for more than just a costume." 

   A strange expression passed over his face as I spoke.  It was almost a mix of pure delight and fear.  It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, whisking away my concern with it.  He lifted his arm out to me, and I quickly took his elbow.  This meant he wanted to stroll the cemetery, and I wasn't about to complain.  There was something old fashioned about walking around with my arm in his this way.