Lucky 13

Chapter 19: Going for a walk

Lily's POV

They stayed the whole evening. They even stayed for dinner, and they talked about how they'd kill each and every one of them. I was there laughing, playing along but I was disgusted. I wasn't agreeing with them anymore, and I don't know why. Why had my beliefs suddenly changed? Why couldn't I look my own father in the eyes anymore when he talked to me? Why?

And so as they left, I couldn't bear to stay with my parents any longer. I needed to be alone, I needed to breathe. I felt like I was holding my breath for hours now.

My parents didn't mind, they let me go upstairs. They probably thought I was tired, and I let them believe that. It's easier that way.

I got into my room and closed the door. I walked to my bed and let myself fall back on it. Sighing, resting, my eyes closed. I felt the world around me slowly stop. Finally the spinning had stopped. And there was peace.

I opened my eyes again. I should put on pajamas, I thought, before I fall asleep.

And so I quickly changed into pajamas and went back, straight to bed. Though when I was seated, I noticed something at my window.

I sat up and looked at it. It was a piece of cloth or a leaf. Maybe.

I got up and walked to my window, to have a closer look at it. Upon closer inspection, I noticed the cloth was moving. Was it windy outside?

I opened my window and then jolted back by the bat that suddenly flew towards me. Though it stopped at the opening of my window. And I knew enough.

I slowly walked closer, knowing very well that this was one of them. I saw my window, I could close it again easily, though I knew this one was here for a reason, obviously.

I gulped, trying to swallow every piece of fear I felt. "Who are you?"

The bat flew to the opening of the window, only the land there. It looked up at me. And those eyes... Those eyes... I knew those eyes.

"Catherine?"

The bat then disappeared and, out of nowhere, Catherine appeared. "Hello Lily." She smiled confidently. I guess she was feeling fine showing off her true self.

I looked at the door of my room, it wasn't locked. My parents could walk in here... I hurried to it and locked it immediately. I then slowly walked back to Catherine, who was still seated at my window, in a pretty awkward position. I'm guessing because she can't enter my house.

"Can I come in?" There you have it, the 'innocent' question.

I gave her a look. "What do you think?"

She nodded. "Fine," She rearranged the way she was seated and then looked at me again. "I guess we'll do it like this then."

I nodded and took a chair too, sitting right in front of her. "Why are you here?" I noticed the moon behind her. "Now, at this time?"

"I needed to speak to you." She paused, looking for the right words. "We're sorry. Esmee and I. We wanted to protect you."

"Protect me?" I crossed my arms.

"Yes," She wanted to reach for me, but couldn't. I wasn't close enough. She looked down instead, she seemed visibly sad. "We had no choice."

I slowly uncrossed my arms but didn't say a word.

"We had to let you go," She looked up at me. "You're your father's child, we were worried you'd hate us if you stayed with us." She looked so worried then.

"Really? Did you two really think I'd hate you?"

She nodded. "We're your mortal enemies, aren't we?" She sighed, looking away. "So we let you go. To protect you."

I looked away before looking at her again. "Can we go for a walk?"

She looked back at me, surprised to say the least. "A-are you sure?" She motioned to the outside. "It's dark, they're outside."

I nodded. "I have you."

She smiled. "Ok," She got up slowly and backed off for me to get out as well. She helped me get down easily and safely. "So where are we going?"

"Anywhere," I looked around. "I haven't really been outside after curfew."

She smiled. "I'll show you the place to be." She took my hand and pulled me with her.

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We arrived at this lookout. It was at the side of the town, on higher ground, the edge of the forest. Dad always told me to never go here because they hung out here. And tonight didn't seem to be an exception.

"Wow..." I looked at the town, filled with lights yet no life was visibly seen. It looked peaceful yet terrifyingly lonely. "It's beautiful."

"Yes," Catherine smiled. "It is."

I smiled as well as I looked around at the town, trying to take in as much as possible. "It's sad to know that no one else can see this."

Catherine cleared her throat and suddenly wrapped both her arms around me.

I looked at her and saw she had changed. Teeth were out, nails as well, her facial expression looked angry. I gulped, realizing I was in the hands of a human-eating predator.

"Human!"

I looked to my left and noticed them, two of them. They were coming awfully close to us, Catherine pulled me closer to her. "She's mine."

The two guys looked at Catherine, and nodded. "A potential?" One of them asked. His teeth were bloody, his breath smelled terrible. I don't even want to know what he had eaten.

"Yes," Catherine pulled me closer to her, impossibly close. "Leave us."

The two guys nodded and left immediately, without even fighting her. Something I hadn't seen before. I always thought they might fight against each other to gain more food or reputation, but I was wrong.

As soon as the guys were out of sight, Catherine released me. "I'm sorry I had to do that," Her teeth, nails and terrible facial expression were all gone. "They had to believe you were my pray."

I nodded.

We sat down on the ground and just watched over the town. Though I couldn't help but glance over at Catherine a few times, and noticed she had been glancing at me as well. I blushed. She blushed.

"Catherine," I looked away from her, back to the town. "What's a potential?" I looked back at her only to see her go stiff. "You know, those guys said it."

She gulped, this was clearly a subject I wasn't supposed to know about. "That's what we call our humans," She smiled. "Our special friends."

"Oh..." I then realized what she meant. "Oh..." I looked away, blushing. She liked me. For the remainder of the time, we just sat there, in comfortable silence. It was great.