The Town of Anton

Chapter Six

And still nothing. I felt like a nobody in a world full of somebody's, but the thought of being alone was gut-wrenching.

At night, my dreams would turn into nightmares. Bones would haunt me, even when I wasn't thinking about him. I couldn't sleep, my thoughts weren't clear, and I felt imprisoned.

But how was I imprisoned?

Deacon came to me several nights to comfort me. Nothing besides that happened, which only made me want him more. But I needed to let him go. He was much older than I was in numbers. But in age, I was going to get old and wrinkly and he would stay young forever. It wasn't going to work out and he and I both knew it.

The next morning, I had to state the facts. I needed to leave town. I couldn't tell Pansy or Deacon that I was leaving or they would try to stop me. But I couldn't stay there.

"Where are you going?" Pansy asked, walking into my room to see a bag packed. "I hope you're not planning on leaving. I just had Deacon make breakfast."

As nice as that sounded, I couldn't stay. "I'll pass."

Pansy gasped. "You're going to say no to pancakes and bacon?"

"I'm sorry."

"You've got issues, my friend."

I've got issues? I thought, taking one last look at myself in the vanity mirror. It was sometimes hard to see myself, because my reflection showed someone that wasn't me.

And then blackness. Total gloom. Like a heaven without light. I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't even fear the worst. I had no thoughts or emotions. It was peaceful here.

But then I woke up. There was a pain in the back of my head, like I was struck in the cranium with a huge object.

The area surrounding me was an enclosed cellar. Behind me was a small window with so little sunshine peeking through. It was dank and dingy and very secluded. It also smelled like rats have been dying in here for years.

To my left and right were steel chains bolted to the walls. I followed the chains closely with my eyes and noticed them cuffed around my wrists.

I started to panic.

"Don't be scared," said Deacon. "I'm right here."

"What is this place? What's happening?"

Pansy came to view. "You tried to leave."

"But why am I here? Why in the middle of nowhere?" I was trembling in all areas of my body, but after pulling at the chains, I couldn't escape its hold on me.

"Because there's a full moon tonight," said Pansy, trying her best not to laugh. Her hidden smirks weren't so much hidden as she saw my failed attempts to remove the chains. "And you, being what you are, only makes this fun."

There's nothing fun about this.

"We're only trying to protect you, Saige." His calm voice almost made me believe that things were okay until I saw the sunlight starting to fade behind me.

I massaged the bump on my head. "How long was I out for?"

Pansy smirked. "For eight hours."

After they left, I still had the gut-wrenching thought of being alone. I felt the loneliness from all four corners of this room, and it terrified me. How could I feel so bare?

I remained silent as a tear fell from my cheek. My heart remained steady, my mind almost empty, and my eyes were closed. I was calm like a bird and then the strangest thing happened. I thought of the chains disappearing, and when I opened my eyes, they were gone.

Deacon and Pansy were nowhere to be seen as I raced to the door. It was sealed shut with a padlock on the outside ---a padlock that wouldn't open no matter what I did.

Backing away from the door, I began to scream.

I screamed so loud that the birds outside flapped their wings and flew away. But as far as I was concerned, I just hope they didn't leave any of their babies behind.

The sound of keys jingling approached my ears. It sent heat waves of adrenaline through my veins, making my blood burn. That was until I saw his face.

"I brought you food."

"Just let me go!" I couldn't stay in that cellar much longer. Its musty smell had a horrible vibe to it, like Bones after he killed that innocent man in the alley. He may have tried to hurt me, but that was no way for someone to die.

"As much as I want to, I can't."

"Why can't you?" Why did it feel like he was hiding something from me? He looked so obvious with his lack of eye contact; his hands gripping the plate of food like he had seen a ghost. It seemed like he wasn't there, like he was somewhere else. It worried me.

"It's a full moon tonight," he replied, sympathetically. It was a vague answer that only left more questions.

"Everybody keeps saying that, but what does that even mean?"

"We're just trying to-"

I interrupted him. "Protect me, right?"

"It's my job."

As if he couldn't be more obvious. "Well, I don't need protecting! You and Pansy, you're just here under business and I-"

He cut me off and said, "I'm not just here to protect you."

My knees went weak. Those luscious dark locks in his hair made me surrender, and I knew my feelings for him returned the minute he stepped in the door. But why was I so weak?

I continued to speak. "It doesn't matter why you're here. The fact that you two will have yourselves killed for me is all the more reason I should leave. It's too dangerous."

"Then leave," he replied, choking on his words. "The door's right there."

I slowly walked passed him, sensing his cold presence. It was everything about him that had me shivering in my own skin. But the way he softly spoke when we first met proved I could trust him. It was the reason I couldn't walk away just yet. So I turned around to face him. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

There was a moment of silence.

And then he answered, "I'm not ready to say goodbye to you. It would be one of the hardest things I ever do in my thirty-one years as a vampire."

I was weak again.

Did he feel the same way I did?

Was this fate?

I ignored all the crazy thoughts in my head. Our eyes met like magic. I couldn't hold my feelings back as I rushed towards him, pressing my lips passionately against his. They were icy and tender like I had described before. Only this time I was experiencing its touch. I wanted nothing to ruin this perfect moment, but something did. It was my crazy thoughts that pulled me away. My eyes opened to the idea of wanting him when I knew in fact that I couldn't have him. I wasn't ready to have him. I removed myself from his touch; my lips numb from the chills.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

  "Neither was I."