Something New Revealed

Chapter 2

I wake up late; it’s noon.  I jump to my feet to go get my late breakfast: my leftover baklava.  I go to the place in the pantry where I left it but it’s gone.  What happened to it?  Did someone get in the house?  Or did I eat it already?  I shrug and grab my bag.  I was going to go to the marketplace and buy some new clothes so I don’t have to where my bloody ones.  I run out the door, go down the steep stairway, and start my walk to town. 

            First, I end up getting my breakfast/lunch at a café.  I get a gyro.  I carry around my gyro to a shop selling jewelry. 

            “Xωρίς φαγητό, εδώ!  Bγείτε έξω!” shouts the man who owns the shop, translated as “No food in here!  Get out!” 

            “Συγγνώμη…” I say (“Sorry…”).  I step out of the shop and finish my gyro, then go back inside the shop.  The man glares at me.

            I browse the shelves, then end up finding some matching pieces I really liked.  I  find an “evil-eye” bracelet and a matching necklace and ring.  I look around one last time to make sure that’s what I wanted, then go to the cashier.

            Next I go to the clothing store.  I start in the front, making my way to the back.  I find a few things.  A shawl, some capris and shorts, and tank tops.  I ring all my items up and go to the one place I really wanted to see: the bookshop.

            I step inside.  I would have to say this was one of the best bookshops I’ve been to.  The wooden floor has been worn down.  Draperies hang in the glass windows.  There’s a spiral staircase that goes up to a small second floor.  The first floor has rows and rows of bookshelves, hundreds of books on each shelf.  But I’m really curious about what’s upstairs.  So that’s where I go first. 

            It’s amazing.  On one side there are several chairs and a velvet couch.  On all the walls, bookshelves are pressed against one another, hugging their shelves of books.  I go over to the shelves and browse.  Today I decide to just get one book and come back another day. 

I’m the kind of person who likes the older books.  Books from the 1800’s and such.  I pull Les Misérables from a shelf and immediately stick my nose in the book.  I walk over to the lounge area and sit down.  That’s when I realize I actually sat on someone else, not the actual couch.

“Θεέ μου! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”  I look to see who it is.  “Peter?!  What the hell?!”

“Ha ha.”  I glare at him.  “It’s okay, you can sit on my lap, I don’t mind.”

“Very funny…”  I shake my head, sit down in the correct seat, and go back to reading. 

“You read too much,” Peter says.

“Well that’s your problem,” I retort.

“Hmm.  Someone’s getting grumpy.”  I look up.  Peter’s eyes grow wide.

“What?” I ask impatiently.

“Umm… your eyes… they’re… a bright yellow.”

“Ha ha, yeah.  You’re funny.  Ya know I came here for a quiet, peaceful day.  Not a day where some guy I met twenty-four hours ago shows up and interrupts my day of serenity.”  I start my way downstairs and go to the counter to pay for my book.  Peter follows.

“Look, I’m not trying to ruin your day, but can’t you just listen to me?”  I ignore him, tell the cashier thank you, and walk out the door.  I start running toward the grotto.  I don’t want Peter to follow me.  My speed seems faster than usual.  I keep my footing easier.  Quicker than usual, I turn the corner and run into the grotto.  There’s a daybed and several bookshelves on one side.  Toward the back there’s a little deep pool of water, 5x5 foot.  Lanterns are strung up on the wall with a thin rope, and they’re lit with actual candles that seem to magically keep burning and never go out.  On the side opposite from the side with the daybed, there’s a vanity. 

I go over to the vanity and sit on the stool.  Peter was right, my eyes had changed colors, but they’re not bright yellow anymore; they’re electric blue, and they were glowing.  Damn, what’s happening?

“Hello?”  Peter’s voice echoes through the grotto. 

“Get out,” I say, but it sounds more like a low growl than my voice.  I look in the mirror again.  My eyes look like cat’s eyes and they’re bright yellow.  And shit, my canines!  I’m not a frickin’ vampire!  But apparently my body thinks I am.

“Oh my God, Nita, are you okay?”  I breathe heavily.

“Not really.  As you can see, look at me!”

“Uhh…”  He starts walking over to me.  I lash out at him.

“I said.  Get.  Out.”

“No.  I’m not going to leave until you tell me what’s going on.”

“Did you ever think about how I feel about this?”  I look at Peter.  He sighs.

“No, I never did.  But I want to help you through… this,” he says, gesturing to me.  I roll my eyes.  “Just… calm down.  Maybe it will tune off.”  I nod and try to focus on calming down.  But it’s so hard.  I can’t.  “Here,” he says, “look at me.”  He sits on his knees in front of me, looking up into my yellow eyes, and I look back into his normal blue eyes.  I inhale slowly through my nose, and exhale slowly through my mouth. 

“Is it working?” I ask quietly.

“It’s going down,” he says with a smile.  I smile too, but try not to get too excited. 

“It’s back to normal green,” Peter says a minute later.

“Awesome,” I say.  I hug Peter, wrapping my arms around his neck and he presses the small of my back in closer to him.  “Thank you.”

“Hey, no problem.  I’ll be around, but don’t get too wound up.  Want me to stay here for a while?” he asks.

“Sure.”  Peter nods, then looks around the room.  His eyes land on my daybed, where my laptop lays. 

“May I watch TV on here?” he asks.

“Sure, but go on the over side of the grotto ‘cause I’m gonna read.  Right here,” I say, gesturing to the daybed.  

“All right.” 

I crash on the daybed and Peter walks over to the opposite wall and turns on my laptop.  I flip open my book and start reading.

Several hours later I’m still reading.  I get upset with the book, so I mark my place and throw it across the floor.  ‘

“Man, this book is incredibly heartbreaking,” I say to myself.  Peter turns around and looks at the book on the floor.  He raises an eyebrow.

“Should I ask?”

“No,” I say sternly.  I sigh and make a duck face.  Peter gets up and comes to sit by me. 

“You okay?” he asks.  I shake my head.

“No.”  I look at him.  “What’s happening to me?” I say through tears, half from Les Misérables, half from the… things that have happened today.  He shakes his head slightly and sighs.

“I don’t know, Nita.  I guess all of us have changed over time, especially after yesterday.  I think everything changed because of yesterday.”

“Even this?” I say, pointing to my eyes.  I raise my eyebrows as if to ask, “What color are they now?”  Peter shows empathy in his eyes.

“Very, very, pale blue,” he replies.  I groan and fall against Peter’s shoulder. 

“You’re gonna have to help me out.  Even if both of us don’t know what’s happening,” I say.

“Of course.  I’ll be here when you need me.”  I smile a little.  I’m glad Peter’s here for me.  Whenever I need him.  Heck, right now he’s probably my only friend. 

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Hey guys! This is my new story, just wanted to give a little message.

You might think that I'm extraordinary because I type so fast, but I had already written most of this story on Microsoft Word, and I'm just copying and pasting. I know this story is really weird, I've read most of it... But bare with me. Enjoy!

And here's Peter ---->