Beloved

To The Club

"Ymir!!! My little one, I missed you!" My dad said as he gave me a bone-crushing hug and rocked side-to-side. "Its nice to see you too, papa!" I say as we let each other go and he stares at me. "Let me get a good look at you! Hm, you need to eat more and your skin is getting a little light. You should invest in some sunlight... Ymir Stella, how have you been?" His playful tone disappeared and left behind a serious face. I shook my head and he pulled me close to him. "Do not fear, Ymir, I will always protect you. You'll never experience that type of vulnerability again. Here, let's take a seat and you can tell me all about what's going on. Tal, make sure that Michael gets the bags." He yelled outside and Talyn yelled "OK" back.

We made our way over to the couch and sat down. He held my hand and urged me to speak. "Well, one night a few days ago. I saw a man being attacked by an animal in the alley across the street. I scared it away and helped the man as much as I could until the ambulance got there. The animal had these... These glowing red eyes that seemed to stare into my soul and I saw them again outside my bedroom window. And T then my professor seemed a little too interested in me and-" "Wait wait wait! Too interested? Did he... Try anything?" I shook my head at papa's question as Talyn ushered Mitzi, our dog, into the house and Michael carried the bags in. Michael was my father's "body guard" but I knew that they were more than that. He's actually another reason that papa left my mother but that's another story.

"Hmm, continue." He said and I kept going. "I saw the eyes again, but on a person this time, at the store. I know I was hallucinating but it creeped me out so I'm kinda scared for him to call me. And then last night, there was a voice with the eyes! It knew my name, and it said I would be with it even if I didn't want to be. I think I'm going crazy papa!" I said and he chuckled. "I don't think so, young one. Once, before I was discharged, I saved a beast from a cage in the enemy hideout. The beast had glowing red eyes as well and, it took a few bullets for me without even limping! It later huffed off into the night and I called it a beast of wonders. A miracle beast even! I don't know about the voice, but maybe the beast has some sort of connection with you." Papa smiled brightly and it made me feel better. "Maybe so, but it can at least stop stalking me." I said jokingly and we laughed together before being joined by Michael and Talyn.

"What's up pops!" Talyn said and Michael spoke to me from across the room. "Hey Ymir, long time no see." He said and I waved back. "I know right, you guys should visit more often." Michael smiled and picked up his phone. My own phone rang and I got nervous before picking it up. Then, my nervousness changed to fear. It wasn't the mystery guy calling... It was my mother!

I jumped off of the sofa and ran into my room before answering. "... Hi mom." I said uneasily and she spoke. "Ymir how are you sweets?" She asked and I heard a car door close. "Oh I'm fine." She chuckled before speaking again. "Good, now come and get my bags out of the car. I'm outside."

"What?!" I hung up the phone before running back to the living room. "Mom's outside!!!" I whisper-yelled and my father's eyes gleamed with mischief. Talyn frowned before following me outside. She was standing in the driveway in a black dress with a big black hat and some shades. "Oh my baby!" She pulled me into a hug and I asked why she had on all black.

"Oh, I just left a funeral. My assistant was transferring jobs so we held him a funeral because he's dead to us now." She said and I believed it. It sounded like a petty thing she would do. Talyn and I grabbed the bags with my mom following us. She was probably going to freak when she saw papa, and Michael. We all came in and she stopped and stared at them. "What do you have on, Barry? Its truly horrifying! Just kidding, Barry its been ages!!!" They were hugging... This turned out way better than I expected it to. I set up my mother's stuff in the room across from my fathers before returning to the living room.

"Where is everyone going?" I asked and they all turned to me. "Oh shit, right. You are twenty-one, come come. We're going to get drunk!"

********

"What a surprise, never thought I'd see you here tonight!" We were at a club and I was sitting at the bar. My parents and Michael went to dance and Talyn was kissing some girl last time I looked to my right. I was just sitting here when the bartenders had come back from break, and its the guy that I gave my number to. "Oh yeah, never thought I'd see myself here either." I said before sipping the vodka that I ordered. He was serving and talking to me at the same time. " So, uh, sorry I haven't called or texted but as you can see... I've been busy!" I waited for him to come back before speaking again. "Its fine, take your time." He stopped and put his hands on the counter.

"Hey, what's got you down, cutie?" I smiled and he smiled before laughing. "Uh, I've just got a lot going on right now. Hey um, what's your name, I never caught it." I said and he pointed to his uniform. "Sorry, cursive's a bust for me!" I laughed nervously and he laughed hard. "Its... Its... Jake!" I downed my vodka and spoke again. "Could I get Bourbon on the rocks please? And I'm-" "Ymir? Did I say it correctly?"

"No, its Ymir(ih-mere) not Ymir (ya-mere)! But how did you know?" I asked and he tapped his chest. Your name tag at your job, it isn't in cursive." We continued to joke with each other for awhile before he stopped by again.

"Hey, wanna dance?" "But don't you-"

"My shift ends in like, two minutes."

"Oh... OK, sure!" I said and he went into the back for a few minutes as another bartender took his place. He came back out with a tucked in shirt and some slacks. The shirt wasn't even buttoned the entire way but he was great to look at.

He pulled me out onto the dance floor in the crowd of bodies and we danced together. While dancing, I saw multiple of those eyes but I didn't care. I was having fun and nothing would stop that.