Michael walked away up the stairs and past me. It’s as if I wasn’t even there the way he didn’t stop to look at me. Everyone gave me odd looks, sighed and went their own ways. Soon, the lights were off and I was standing on a dark staircase. I turned around and went up back to the hall. I followed the lights. Instead of going to my room, I saw a door cracked open that I’d never seen open before. It was a small hall with stairs, leading up to another level. Dark, and timidly lit with dark orange lights and candles. I heard something in one room and followed it. It was glass clanking. I peeked through and saw a bedroom of dark shades. I saw Michael staring at me. His face was blank but told a story that he was beaten. It made me angry. I opened the door and he went to a dark brown leather couch sitting in front of a fireplace.
Michael didn’t object when I walked in. He fall back onto the seats and let his legs hang off the arm. I looked around. There were paintings, a stash of blood in a drawer he left open, and the abnormal settings of a vampire. The fire glowed onto Michael’s flawless face. The sinters of the fire danced up and down, cracking. I went over to him at the back of the couch. I leaned my head over. He didn’t look at me. Only held one cup of blood in his hand and the other, his whole arm was bent behind his head as a cushion.
Silent. The only noise I heard in the fire lit room was the crackling of it. That and the wind blowing against the castle. True. I had only just found out that Michael had been going to the town constantly. And of course, the bruises indicate a beating on him and his friends of some kind. But what did it mean? I wouldn’t let him get away with not telling me. There was no way.
I bent over and turned his face to mine. The stare I would give him should help me deduce the answer I was looking for. He looked at my hand and his mouth opened a little like he was really confused. I was trying to give him a big sister stare. He can’t fool me or anything.
“Michael? I know you’ve been going to town.”
His face was still and observant of mine. His arm went out from under his head and onto his stomach. He didn’t comment, he didn’t insult. He only stared. The shadows on his face danced from his cheeks onto my hand. I pulled it away and leaned down a touch.
“Mind telling me where?”
I was in control. Until his hand without the glass of blood slowly lifted up to the back of my head. I felt a weight fall onto my clip, then he opened it and my long, long black hair, which seemed to have life and felt like silk, slid from my shoulders and fell onto his stomach and chest and partially draped the couch.
He gave a sigh of amazement, admiration. I saw a smile in his eyes and then they grew glossy. Some of my hair dipped into his cup. I pulled away and I felt myself start to shake. Michael sat up and looked at me.
“Why do you clip it back all the time? Ever since I met you. Why?” His face was a mix between child and teenager. I turned away. My long hair almost reached above my knees. It had grown since we’d first met. I don’t know why I have long hair. I don’t know why I’m ashamed or scared to show it. I heard Michael sigh and I heard him lie back down, most likely looking at the fire.
“We’ve been going to the town because there have been other vampires, not from the backyard of your home, but in the same alliance as them, around these areas. We’ve been hunting them.” His voice was calm but lively at the same time. It must have been his young mind flowing out of his throat and being shown in his voice. I forgot about my embarrassment and turned to him.
