The Vampire Roommate

Chapter 3

The following morning my room was empty. The mysterious yet freaky person was gone. I wasn’t too surprised though, it was probably just some crazy dream I had. But today Trudy said it was mission clean up, so everyone was assigned different jobs to help ‘spruce up’ the place.

Lovely.

So Trudy was I the kitchen unpacking and cleaning, Dave was mowing the lawn with a lawnmower he picked up in town, John was gutting out the front fountain, and my job was to do some serious dusting on all three floors. It made me happy to know that John wouldn’t be around me. I decided to start from the top floor and work my way down. And it was taking forever!

But deciding to take a break I wandered into the kitchen. Trudy was scrubbing at the oven and swearing when she ‘broke a nail’. Quietly I snuck past her and out the door. It led to the backyard, which was a relief for me. I didn’t want to run into John.

Instantly I was greeted by a jungle-like yard. I sighed. Dave was still up front battling the endless weeds, wide-branched trees, strong ivy vines and thick, over-grown bushes; it’d take him forever to get to this! Shaking my head I wandered off. The sound of the mower out front started to fade as I moved. Maybe there were some interesting things here. A smile peeked onto my face. I felt like a little kid in search of treasure.

Wandering on through the tall grass I looked around at the trees. The vibrant green leaves were somewhat of a comfort. But sadly the sky was covered in a thick veil of clouds. It felt as if at any moment if would start to pour. However, seeing how my life was spent almost entirely in the city, it almost seemed relaxing to be away from all the noise. Even with the weather so dreary.

Crack. I froze. Snap. Then the ground below me disappeared. My journal flew from my hands and landed some feet away. I cried out as I fell, feeling something scrape and dig hard against my skin. As my head slipped into the darkness, a hand grasped my wrist. I gasped as they pulled me up carefully, trying to avoid the sharp objects that were clawing at me.

Arms wrapped around my waist, hoisted me out the rest of the way, then placed me on the ground. I shook my head, breathing hard. What on earth just happened?

“You must be the biggest idiot on the planet!” Someone growled. I opened my eyes to see a guy about my age, maybe a little bit older, towering over me. He was scowling at me.

“Well thanks,” I grumbled, starting to get up. I cried out and collapsed back onto my butt and looked at my legs. My jeans had been torn through and were blood stained in spots. “What the hell?!”

“You fell through an old well,” The guy said matter-of-factly, “The only one on the whole property, and you manage to find it. Nice.”

I ignored him and looked at where I had emerged from. There was a jagged, gaping hole where a wooden cover used to be. It seemed the rotted and would have collapsed anyway. Turning to the cuts on my legs, I carefully rolled the fabric up to look at the damage. Splinters caught in both the skin and the jeans leg tugged sharply at me.

“Ow!” I cried.

He let out a dramatic sigh. Plopping down beside me he picked up my leg roughly and placed it in his lap. “Ouch! Easy!” I growled. He rolled his eyes and started to slowly pick out the splinters.

“So you never told me why you’re living here.” He said quietly, concentrating on my leg. His fingers moved quickly and efficiently.

My skin paled.

That wasn’t a dream?

“Um…uh…”

He glanced up at me.

“Is that all you ever say?”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Sorry if I’m a bit caught off guard, but you’re some stranger showing up in my room and now in my backyard! What do you expect me to say?!”

“Thank you.”

I frowned.

“What?”

“Say thank you, I’m done.”

I looked down at my leg. All the tiny shards of wood were removed, and it seemed the blood came to a halt. Only minor scratches and gouges, nothing serious.

“Oh,” I blinked, “Um thank you.”

I looked over his face. His dark hair was cut short in the back but hung over his eyes slightly in the front. The bark blue orbs he had for eyes were absolutely stunning. Basically his whole face and his physique made him look like a god. But in his eyes they seemed so gentle… He nodded and tossed my leg out of his lap abruptly.

Apparently not.

I sighed and stumbled to get up. “So what do you want?” I grumbled, dusting myself off.

He stood up flawlessly.

“Walk with me.” He said blankly and started off towards another end off the property.

 *****                                    

 I walked on through the tall grass. The rustling noise of the trees, the soft sound of birds chirping in the distance felt amazing. A strong smell of the earth below my feet made me crack a small smile. The feel of the light wind on my face and flowing smoothly through my hair, it was all so peaceful.

Until now.

Glancing back I couldn’t help but scowl. The very sight of it made me confused, annoyed, and very angry. All because of that girl.

She stumbled behind a few paces behind, her eyes combing the ground for anything ‘harmful’. Clearly the incident with the well made her much more wary of the ground beneath her. But I had no worry of it. I knew these grounds better than the air I breathed.

“Hurry up!” I growled.

“I’m trying!” She hissed right back.

The tiniest peak of curiosity sparked in me. Her behavior was very interesting; I couldn’t help but admit that. She seemed that her mind was at war though, with her glancing back to the house and frowning.

 Looking forward I came to a dead halt. Taking a deep breath I inhaled the strong scent of the secluded area. My eyes drifted to the flowering trees, bushes, and small plants around me. All the colors were so beautiful. Most of them consisted of light blues and pinks, but there were the occasional yellow flowers. Some seemed almost green in color and hues.  We were far into the woods and away from the clearing of the mansion’s backyard. Closing my eyes I felt memories return from the depths of my dark mind. This is where I wanted to be. Far from the other intruders, and far enough that if it came to it, no screams could be heard.