The Eyes

The Girl

-Julie-

There was an intense pain in my left eye. I yawned as I sat up rubbing it, but the pain intensified and I didn't feel my skin. I felt fabric. I opened my eyes, but I only saw from the right side. I furrowed my brows and pulled at the fabric. Pain shot like fire in my head again and I jerked my hand away.

Then I remembered what happened. Viktor had ripped my eye out with his bare hands. He clawed and yanked until it was out, all while he had a smile on his face. I felt tears sting my eye. I felt tears try to form in the other one, but the water only burned the gaping hole where my eye should have been. I pushed back my tears and decided to cry later, when it wouldn't hurt so much.

I looked around. I wasn't in a hospital where I should have been. I was in a small cramped apartment that smelled bad and needed cleaning desperately. Clutter consumed every surface, pizza boxes and soda cans littered the floor, dirty clothes were strewn about. I had the intense urge to get up and clean, but before I could, someone walked in. He was wearing old jeans and a faded shirt. His hair was in a black mess and his eyes. . .

It was Viktor. I screamed and jumped off the bed. I grabbed the closest thing to me, which happened to be some weird, thick, leather bound book with symbols on the front. I held it in front of me, the only weapon I had. "You stay away!" I yelled. "I'll call the police!"

Viktor held up his hands. "Hey now, please don't wake the neighbors."

That didn't seem like something Viktor would do. It was so humbling. Viktor was far from humble. I looked closer, really looking for the first time. He only looked like Viktor. His voice was deeper and he was shorter than him. I still held up the book defensively. "Who are you?" Even though it wasn't Viktor, who I was sure should have killed me, I still didn't know who this was.

"I'm Vincent." He took a cautious step towards me. I knew he wasn't afraid of me, he was trying to show that he wasn't a threat. I still stood, ready to bolt at any second.

"Why am I here? Viktor ripped out my eye, why am I not in a hospital?" I demanded. I glared into his eyes with my one. I could see him staring back, a little amazed by the color of my eye. Everyone always was awed at them. Now I hated that fact. Look what it got me: a homicidal boyfriend, a missing eye, and strange surroundings, not to mention this new guy. I didn't trust him. He had the same stormy grey eyes that Viktor had.

"Okay, you might have to sit down, girly." When I didn't move, he sighed and continued anyway. "I heard you scream and I came to save you from Viktor. I'm the only reason you're alive now. I had to bring you here or else Viktor would have found you. And the hospital would have wanted a story. I couldn't tell them about Viktor."

I interrupted him. "Why the hell not? He deserves to rot in prison for what he did!" I snapped.

Vincent sat on the near by chair and rubbed his face. "I couldn't have done that. Viktor. . . isn't human."

I froze. Not human? I gave a harsh laugh. "This isn't a syfy film, you ass. I'm going to call the police and you'll be arrested, and so will Viktor."

He looked at me. "You think this is a game? You call the cops, they'll come here. They will arrest me and then they'll start the search for Viktor. That'll only give Viktor your location, and mine. He'll kill us both before I even have time to escape jail. You don't understand what you'd do."

I ground my teeth. Who does this guy think I am? "Listen here, you must take me for a fool if you think-"

"I do take you for a fool. You listen. Viktor is a dark thing, a demon, a leach. He feeds off humans. The whole family had to move into the human realm all for him. I saved you from getting your other eye ripped out and you ending up dead." His face was red, from anger or frustration I couldn't tell. He was gripping the arm of the couch so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked down, averting his eyes. "Just, if you want to live, you have to listen to me, okay?"

I lowered the book and nodded slightly. If he was telling the truth, I owed him everything I owned. "I'm sorry. . ." I could believe he saved me, but the demon thing is far fetched. I'd humor this guy for now.

Vincent stood up and held his hand out. I paused, not understanding for a minute, then realized he wanted the book. I handed it to him and he opened it. "If you can touch this book, then you're obviously not mortal. Well, at least not all mortal. We need to find out what you are and why Viktor wanted your eyes do bad."

What I was? I was human, wasn't I? I was only more and more confused, but I tiff myself I'd humor the nut job so I just went with it. I peeked over the book's pages to see what was in it. It looked like it was written in some strange symbols, like the ones on the front. "Will this book tell you? Can you actually read that?"

He gave a shrug. His muscles rippled under his skin with the movement. "More or less. And I doubt the book can tell us what you are."

I looked back up at his face. He had a few scars, I noted. I wonder what they were from. "How will we find out then?" I asked.

"We have to ask Grandmother."