A Pact for Eternity

Oh, So You Think I am Stable?

The early morning sun was creeping up over massive birch trees. Already, the air was uncomfortably warm. It looked vastly different than it usually did in the winter. The grass was well cut, pink and blue flowers were flowing over pots, an old tire swing hung onto a tree branch, and an unraveled garden hose laid on the steep driveway. The Lancasters sure kept their outside appearances normal.

My eyes focused in on a hummingbird buzzing around a bundle of pink flowers. Its body shimmered with varied shades of green and pink hues crested around its neck. Every feather seemed to have an outline. Beady black eyes darted every possible way. The sound of rapidly beating wings filled the air around it.

Looking at the hummingbird was mesmerizing. Hummingbirds usually moved too fast for human eyes to pick apart every detail about them. However, I'm not exactly human anymore. I felt like my eyes could almost see down to the very atoms that made up the little bird. For the first time, I saw a positive about what had happened to me.

The thick wooden door of the house opened to reveal a startled, if not a little concerned, Finn. I looked away from the hummingbird with a small smile, slightly turning the corners of my mouth.

"I think we both deserve each other some apologies." He sat down in a wicker chair beside me.

I kept looking straight ahead at the sun that had now made its way above the trees. "You go first."

He joined me in looking over the porch. "Yeah, you're probably right. " He rubbed his palm to the back of his neck, "I should have told you about everything a long time ago. If I had, then you wouldn't have struggled so much. I also should have never turned you without you knowing."

I trailed my hands down the front of my thighs. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes." He stopped as if to make sure he didn't want to say the wrong words, "I've always wanted to tell you. When I was little, I came close to doing it so many times. Then, I got worried about what you would think about me. So, I decided that I would tell you after graduation. I was even going to give you the option of being turned."

I caught his eyes in my gaze. "What would you have done if I freaked out on you?"

He sighed. "Let you go."

"Well, that's melodramatic." The thought of it made my chest squeeze tight, but I brushed it off with a lighthearted smirk.

Silence consumed the air. We weren't insulting each other as we had for the past month or so. Finn wasn't introducing otherwordly concepts to me. We sat together like we were normal again. The silence wasn't awkward- it was comfortable.

I wanted it to stay like this forever. Nothing could go wrong with silence. However, I had things I needed to say.

"Thank you." The words came out before I knew what I was trying to say.

Finn looked back at me to show that he was listening.

I cleared my throat and straightened my back. "You didn't let me die. Well, not for real. I can't blame you for what you did. I would have done it too."

Finn began to say something, but there was more I needed to say.

"You kept helping me, even when I called you a soulless masochist. There are others, but let's just keep it at that. " My fingers drummed against my thigh, "I am sorry."

Finn wiped a thin band of sweat off his forehead. "I'll be honest. You did make me want to layout in the middle of the road. Not that it would kill me, but you get the point. " He sighed, "However, you had the right to be upset. "