Solstice

Chapter 12

            “Valerie,” Alice said. We were getting ready for Solstice 21st June that was tonight at twelve in the morning on Sunday. I went to church this morning with Val. Val tried to spend every minute with her mother. This was the first time she said other than Richard’s name. I stared at Alice. Finally, Alice’s consciousness had arrived just in time before we meet our deaths. Val quickly went to her side, holding her hand. “Don’t go. Please, don’t leave me alone.”

            I went to my room upstairs to retrieve my guns and knives and to leave them alone. It must be hard for Val because we might never return. I checked whether my gun was filled with bullets. Pierre was on my bed. He looked up at me, jumped to his feet and walked up to me. I kissed his nose. He chased his own tail that made me laughed.

            “Are you ready?” a voice asked me. I twirled to face the stranger. Sam was in my room. He must have come in through the window because it was wide opened. He picked up Pierre and Pierre licked him.

            “Yes, a bit nervous because I had never experience Solstice before. What if everything went the wrong way?”

            He pulled me to sit on my bed, this might probably the last time I’ll ever sit on my bed. “We will do what we’re supposed to do then everything will go as planned. Before we do this, I wanted to tell you this for a very long time but I didn’t have the courage to do so.” He cradled my face, stroking my face as he stare into my eyes. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. I looked into his blue eyes.

            I put my arms around his neck and locked my fingers tightly. He kissed me. His lips were warm and soft. I didn’t know how long time passed until he pulled away from me.

            “I’ve always wanted to do that,” he murmured, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’ll see you later.”

            I was still stunned by what had happened. He was closer to the window until I walked up to him. Hungry for more, I kissed him. It must be time for him to leave so I let him go. He gave me a quick kiss before jumping down from my window.

            I never kissed a boy before in my life. My mind kept repeating the scene over and over, how it felt like to kiss his lips, his jaws. All those times in the meadow, I never knew that he would want to kiss me there. We danced in this very room on my birthday; we danced in his house in front of his friends on the day I found out about Jamie’s death. He was more than my best friend.

            What did this mean? Had a Hunter and a sabre-toothed tiger ever fall in love in history? I didn’t think so. It was impossible but it was happening at this very moment. If I choose Sam, Val had to get married someday. Val was closer to Daniel every day. Would she end up like me? If I say goodbye to Sam but still be friends, I will never be happy. I would never be in his arms again.

            I snapped to reality. No, now was not the time to think of all this. I sling the gun into the cover on my belt, arranged the knives in my hidden jacket under the cloak and a few pocket knives hidden in my boots. Food, water and iPhone were in my small leather bag just in case if I had to run away. I took a on my jacket first. Then strapped the bag behind me and put on a cloak to cover my bag and jacket. I let the hood fall so later I would put it on. Finally, I wore my boots.