The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Six - Part Two

"Are we ready?" Tidus said, and the screen door closed again. He was standing next to Claudia now, looking down at me with his hands in his pockets again, impatient.

"Ask her." I replied.

"Yeah, we are." Claudia said, standing now too. "Bottoms up."

Tidus and I watched Claudia as she quickly drained the mug, burped, and wiped her arm across her mouth. Meanwhile, my heart began to thud as I grew nervous again. I trembled to even think of what she might possibly have to say of her next vision.

"This might take a while." she said, with a yawn, and re-took her seat again, setting the mug on the edge of the table. "Make yourselves comfortable..."

Claudia's head drooped, and her shoulders hunched, as she leaned backwards into the seat cushion. And at the same time, Tidus used his lightning speed to zoom forward and catch her mug, before it could fall and break.

"That was close." I said in approval.

"Could have been closer." He replied, with a smirk, returning to his standing position by the wall.

Meanwhile, Claudia lay - content and seemingly asleep - for several seconds, until her chin suddenly lifted from her chest, and her eyes opened, unblinking. They were gray no longer, but now a shiny, spotless white instead, reminding me of the eerie glow of television sets that have no signal.

"Have you ever seen her do this before?" I asked.

"No," Tidus said, and shook his head.

"Because, honestly, this is crazy. I mean, magic? I can hardly believe it exists."

"Well, you exist, don't you? Aren't you from the same... fairytales?"

I ducked my head a little, feeling heat rising in my face. Of course he had heard - weren't Vampires considered just as famous for their heightened senses?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean -"

"I know you didn't." he assured. "And the answer is yes - we do deal with the bloodlust. It's part of the curse."

"Curse?"

"Yes, the curse of vampirism. Because that's what it is - a perversion of nature and life... so they say."

"Wait a minute." I said, with my heart beginning to beat almost painfully hard within my chest.

"I know some of the history behind what we are. Your family, and mine are descendants of the first two people to be turned. They were brothers - one became Vampire and the other a Werewolf. So if Vampirism is a curse... then that means so is Lycanism. Right?

"Correct," he said simply.

"But, I don't understand. I don't feel cursed. I don't feel like what I am is wrong..."

"Maybe, but you don't feel right either, do you, Naomi? When you observe the complicated yet blissfully shallow world of the Humans, or when you feel your bones snap as you start the change - well, has any of that ever felt truly right to you?"

I stared at Tidus. It were as if he had plucked feelings from down within my soul to hold them outstretched for me to see. Was my story written in ink across my face for the whole world to view? Or was I just that easy for him to read?

"No," I said quietly, looking away. "I guess you're right."

"Well, there are some things about Supernaturals that you won't be able to find out from the Internet..."

"Hey, screw you ok?" I said, throwing myself back in my chair, with arms crossed petulantly over my chest. "The majority of what I know about being a werewolf, I found out the hard way. I didn't have my family around to hold my hand and walk me through the process."