Gabriel (Book 1)

Life Is For Living...

April 15th, 2011

Johanna and I fought last night. I regret it. A human life is a funny thing ya know. So fragile and so short. There is no time for mistakes and no time to waste. With that being said, I decided to fix things with Johanna. Ironically enough, she comes inside just now and walks right past me without looking. A few minutes later, she comes down the stairs wearing denim shorts and a v-neck shirt. Her long, wavy blonde hair is held back in a messy braid.

She accepts a bowl from Faine and starts eating cereal.

I clear my throat, "Johanna. I am sorry for what I said to you last night." I go to sit next to her, "I care about you a lot and the last thing I would want to do is hurt you."

She nods, accepting my answers, and replies, "Its okay. But, can we please do something different today?"

She really wants to get out of this house, I see it in her eyes and her body shifts in anticipation.

"Yes." I do not want to, but I want to make her happy.

She jumps up and throws her arms around my neck.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" She yanks me out the door as I shout my good byes.

She leaps onto my back and whispers into my ear, "Take me to the ocean. Take me away."

"I'll take you to the moon and the stars," I whisper back.

She hugs me tight and I take off to the cliffs.

She climbs off my back and runs to the cliff edge. Arms outstretched, wind against her cheeks, she smiles and spins around.

The sun shines down on her making a halo around her head.

I couldn't imagine anything better than this. Than seeing her happy and....alive.

Johanna's eyes snap open with a twinkle of mischief in them.

"Johanna!!" I shout as her body falls over the cliff.

In less than a second I am leaning over with my hand grasping hers.

"Ow! My arm!" She shouts.

"Hold on, I'll get you up!"

"Gabriel- no, wait-"

"Did you fall on purpose? What were you thinking? You could die! You could-"

"Gabriel!" She interrupts, "You have to let me go."

"No, Johanna. No I don't." I argue with her.

She tries to struggle out of my grasp but...I am a vampire which means that she cannot.

"Gabriel." She stares into my eyes, "You have to."

I thought long and hard about what I should do. And, I suppose you are wondering why I would have to think about that at all! After all, it is a cliff, and I didn't know what was right below the surface of the water! Johanna could get hurt! I decided that Johanna meant that phrase metaphorically. Many people probably jump off that cliff, and they all probably survive. Johanna is right that I can't be afraid that every single little thing will kill her. If she isn't afraid...then why should I be?

I take an unnecessarily deep breath and let go. Johanna drops straight down with her arms flailing around and screaming in excitement. Immediately I shrug out of my jacket and dive in after her.

The water feels cool as it settles around me. Bubbles float around and show me which way is up. I kick to the surface where Johanna is just coming up for air.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" I yell splashing water into her face.

She laughs and runs her hand through her hair.

"Johanna!" I yell. It is really pissing me off that she can be so careless about her own life! she might as well be walking across the highway blindfolded! She completely doesn't care! It isn't even that she "lives on the wild side" its just that she doesn't care!

"Do you even care about your life?!" I ask her.

"Life is for living," she responds while looking in my eyes.

"No, no. Life is for THE living." I say peering at the cliff. It was quite the jump and I wonder how Johanna ended up not harming herself.

"Then why did you jump off that cliff too?"

"Because I needed to make sure you weren't hurt."

"That's a poor excuse, Gabriel." She says.

Before I can even get the chance to argue, there is a sail boat pulling up alongside of us.

"Well, what have we here? A couple of fish outta water, eh?"

Says an old man.

Johanna giggles.

"What do ya say ye come aboard and we can dry ya off and give ya some sailing lessons?"

Before I can refuse his offer, Johanna is climbing up a ladder and onto the ship. And of course, I follow after her.

"Here ya are, miss." The old man says draping a blanket around her shoulders.

He disappears into the cabin to find me one as well.

"Is this what you want?" I whisper to her, "Well, then you'll get it. I'll give you alive!"

The old man returns but I refuse the blanket. I take off my button down shirt and am left in my wet under shirt.

"Mind if I drive?" I ask stepping behind the wheel.

Before he can reply I have the sails open and am pulling away from the rocky shore. We fly on the wind and Johanna giggles in excitement and holds on to the mast. I let my own laughter roar out as the water splashes me in the face.

It was nice to feel that way. Nice to feel free and in control. I am in control of where we go, in charge of myself and two other people. If I wanted to continue on without them, all I would have to do is crash the boat and be done with them. But I wouldn't.....not today. Perhaps another day, but today I was in control of my desires.

About 2 hours later, the old man had had enough. He tapped me on my shoulder and, with a slightly green tint, he took over the wheel. The ship slowed drastically and I settled down next to Johanna. She still had the blanket around her shoulders but her hair was all dry.

"Well?" I ask as she settles into my arms, "What did you think?"

"I think," she says teasingly and slowly, "that you are more alive than you want to admit."

I nod my head slowly and look to the horizon.

"What is this?" Johanna shrieks, "No argument?! Who are you and what have you done with my Gabriel?!" She asks while poking and shoving me playfully.

"I have an argument. I'm just not in the mood to say it right now."

Just then the old man comes over with 2 glasses and a bottle of red wine.

We accept these things and he returns back to steering the ship.

She reaches for the bottle but I look at her accusingly.

"How old are you?" I reprimand her.

"Come on, Gabriel. This wouldn't be the first time I've had wine before."

I decide to let this slide. I pull out the cork and pour us both glasses.

"To you." I say.

"To life." She replies.

We both sip our wine and then she says, "Can you have this? I mean- with your condition and all." She uses 'condition' so the old guy doesn't learn of my vampire-ness.

I chuckle and look at the interesting liquid, "I suppose so. I rather like red wine so why not?"

"Tell me more about you. What was it like when you were a human?"

She leans against my chest and, reluctantly, I tell her my life story. That's how my day ended. Telling a horror story to a beautiful girl as we sailed into the sunset.

-Gabriel