Midnight: A Collection of Short Stories

Darker Colors*

Everybody has secrets, right?

Everybody has something to hide.

Everybody has a side to them that they don't want others to see.

For some people, it's something small like a password or bad habit. For others, it's a bit worse than that...

Human beings are sinful creatures. We cannot help but commit crimes. I used to be naive, I used to know that people were bad but I didn't fully understand it. I didn't realize how bad they could be.

When someone is born, they have milkwhite blood running through their veins. It gets darker with every crime you commit. Most people, like me, have bright red blood—we're average citizens. We're not saints but we're not sinners either.

I always assumed the best of people, and of course, I assumed even better of my best friend (and, as I'd later learn) soulmate. I figured her blood was pink, or maybe red. I never thought... I never thought otherwise.

—

"Are you okay?" I gasped. I rushed over to Analise's side. She was always so careful, so graceful, it was actually uncanny for me to watch her hurt herself so carelessly.

She groaned.

I gently lifted her up and examined her. She was bleeding, and the blood wasn't red.

It was black.

My face paled as I stared at my best friend. "Ana?" I whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced down at her arm, which had a huge gash. It looked like ink was dripping down her arm. She took a step towards me. She moved her blood-covered hand behind her back. A crowd had started to gather.

She winced. "Quinn, I..." Without thinking, she reached for a lock of her hair with her right hand, smearing black on her pretty red hair.

I pulled a roll of bandages out of my bag. "Are you okay?" I repeated. Even though she was surely a criminal, she was still my best friend.

She hung her head as a wrapped her arm in bandages. After I had cleaned up all the blood, I stood up. I tried to keep my face expressionless, to submerge my emotions until we could talk in private.

I offered her a hand. I pulled her to her feet and we walked back to my car. Wordlessly, we got in and sat down. The mood between us was heavy and somber.

I took her hand, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. I leaned forward, letting my braid fall over my shoulder. I didn't look her in the eyes.

I heard a small gasp. Tears were falling from her face in a quiet, haunting, sob. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"What did you do?"