Hunt

Chapter 10: Liminal

We got caught behind some stubborn red lights coming back into school and by the time we had returned lunch was already over and our final class had begun. Reyna insisted on going to class and bid me farewell as I kept debating my choices in the parking lot, getting as far as the exterior doors to the school. As I'm reaching out towards the doors I hesitate before turning on my heels, striding back to my car. Pulling the back door open I gaze upon the interior. With a heavy sigh I accept that I had quite a mess to clean. With some luck there wouldn't be any permanent staining, but it would take some time and elbow grease to get rid of it.

A door slam behind me causes me to jump, slamming my head into the roof of the car. "Dammit!" I grumble as I turn around, nursing the bump beginning to rise on my head. Heather's car had just pulled in, occupying the space directly behind me.

"Ahem." A familiar voice to my right catches my ear, "I surely hope you're not skipping school." Turning I see Heather's familiar scowl, looking not all that worse for wear.

"It's technically not skipping if I never even went." I reply, rubbing the back of my head I shut my car's door. crossing my arms, we stand in the space between our two cars, a standoff, waiting for someone to make the first move. "And you? Skipping class?" She just shrugs in response, but I could see that behind her bored expression there was something eating at her.

She opens her mouth, closes it, crosses her arms and drops her gaze, "I saw you earlier. With that new girl. Reyna? You seemed broken, not like yourself. What was that all about?"

If I grit my teeth any tighter I'd break a tooth. "I had a bit of an episode," I finally grumble. "It's been a rough couple of nights, we've all done some stuff we regret." I say, motioning to her leg with my bandaged arm. Even though I had been careful not to disturb the gashes they still had been slowly bleeding since cleaning my arm. Blood having slowly soaked through the cloth. "Any deeper and I could've bled out last night too. You nearly hit something very vital."

There was a visual reaction from Heather when I hold my arm up. She takes a step back, leaning back further against her car with hands clasped tightly together in front of her. "I'm sorry. I-I can't control it sometimes, I don't know my own strength." Her eyes were darting around nervously, looking for an escape. It's clearly been some time since she's had blood, and a hungry vampire is a dangerous thing.

"Well you better learn to control it. I'd hate for someone else getting hurt because you lost control." I turn and walk back around to the driver side, slipping into the seat and roll down the passenger window. "Hey Heather." She turns back, "I am sorry for shooting you."

She leans down to the passenger window. "Apology accepted."

"I really gotta go." I say as I begin rolling the window up.

"Going home?" Heather asks as the glass closes.

I shake my head and roll the window back down, just enough so I wouldn't have to shout for her to hear me. "No. Not yet. I just need to drive for a while."

I speed away. Leaving the school parking lot before flooring it. Not taking the left towards home like usual but going right. Going out on the open road. Cranking the stereo up before rolling all the windows down. I let the warm spring air whip through the vehicle, throwing every loose paper in the car up into the air. I knew where I was going. It was a long time coming. I had to go pay my respects.

I can't believe it's only been a year... I thought I had some more time. Damnit I'm distracted...

"Unusually warm for late April, highs in the 70s with clear skies well into next week..." The radio had been talking about this heat wave for days, I wasn't complaining. After a winter of nothing but cold and rainy weather it was a much needed change. I switch the radio station, I needed some music. Not really caring about what was being played. But something with bass to keep my mind occupied.