Silenced in the Shadows Part 5

Ethan had gone down stairs with his brothers and was playing a game of pool.  

"Ooh yea!  We're winning Big E.!" Michael yelped as another solid left the pool table.

"...actually we're not... Rich has got us beat by two so far..." Ethan replied smacking Michael over the head playfully, "I think you bleached your hair one too many times dude, seriously."

"You're just jealous!" Michael snapped sticking his tongue out.

"Will you two fools cut the bull and play?" Richard said almost irritated.  Richard was twenty-five, two years older than Ethan and 3 years older than Michael, he had been taking care of his brothers for ten years now.  He was almost like their fatherly figure, yet the cool big brother at the same time.

"Yea, yea, grumpy..." Michael responded as he hit the pool ball and missed his shot.

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Jaime was standing in the park.
The wind was fierce, the air was bitter.
She could sense that moment... the mood was dreary just as it had been that night...
It wasn't dark, but the sun was going down.

She looked around her; down at her hands...
Like a ghost but... blood
Red streams glistening on her hands.
Tears rolling down her cheeks.
She looked down to wipe the blood on her jeans.

It didn't come off,...just smudged...
She looked up; she heard something...
She saw him...
She tried to scream, no sound came out...
She turned to run,...It was too late.
He stood behind her, hand around her throat...

She couldn't fight back... his grip was strong.
If she moved his fingers could easily slip and kill her...

She tossed and turned in her sleep... crying softly...

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"So,... Ethan,... what's up with the Jaime chick?" Richard asked scratching his head and combing through his messy black hair with his fingers.

"Nothing's 'up' with her... what do you mean?" Ethan questioned nervously, searching his brother's icy blue eyes for a clue that he might suspect something of Jaime.  Richard looked just like their father.  His blue eyes, dark hair, five foot 7... their dad was a mellow guy.  Richard was alot like him.  Sometimes he couldn't look at Richard for fear of a breakdown.  

"Nothing's up with her!?!  I know what's up with her!  She's..." Michael was cut off by Richard.

"Michael, shut-up!  Nah, I don't mean anything.  Just asking about her." Richard mumbled.

Michael laughed.  He was the joker out of the three.  He was a complete rebel.  His hair was bleach blonde, almost white.  He had basically fried his hair with all the dying he did.  He had their mom's personality; before the alcohol.  He had her eyes too, brown and filled with emotion.  He was happy; his eyes gleamed.  "I won't say it!" Michael announced, "I'll keep it all to myself!"  He laughed and winked at Ethan.

"Michael, have you never seen a chick in our house before?  Is it really that exciting?"  Richard asked.

"No!  And yes!  It is that exciting!  When was the last time something living was in our house other than us!?!"  Michael blurted out in response.

"You two need to cut it," Ethan said when he had a second to put a few words in, "and you guys need to chill with the joking around her.  I know you guys are all excited and curious about her but she is pretty self-reserved; let her tell you what she wants to tell you.  Don't ask so many questions."  

"...Alright... she seemed okay with talking to us earlier.  Did she say something?  Or are you just being over-protective?  And, wait... we didn't even ask her any questions really..."  Richard said looking at Ethan.

Ethan's body language always gave away what he was feeling.  He was looking down at his feet, hands in his pockets.

"Yea, whatchu talkin' bout?" Michael asked punching Ethan playfully.

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He whispered "I have no desire to kill you..." and smiled that awful smile...
Her heart sank, she couldn't speak,
She was almost choking...

He loosened his grip, "I'm dying, you see..."
She could speak now, she could breathe, she just listened.
"I need to pass on my... traits... understand?" he said with an eerie smile.
"Understand?" he asked again without the smile, now angrily.

"I... I... I understand...b-b-but..." his eyes put her in awe... red...orange... yellow... like fire.
"Good..." he laughed and the sound pierced her ears.

She was motionless... with the hand not on her throat he pushed her messy brown hair away from her neck.
He laughed again and whispered "Close your eyes and it won't hurt a bit."

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"Nothing.  I'm not talking about anything in particular.  She just gets uncomfortable easy, I don't want you guys scaring her off."  Ethan said in reply to his brothers' inquiries.

"Alright I guess... How old is she anyways?"  Richard asked taking his turn at the pool table.

"Yea!  How old?"  Michael repeated like a parrot.

Ethan ran his fingers through the little bit of brown hair on top of his head.  He felt bad for how young Jaime was but how much she has to endure everyday.  His green eyes looked sad, they had a gloomy haze over them.  "She's nineteen."  Ethan replied dully.

"Nineteen?"  Michael screeched.

"That's what he said.  What's up Ethan, something is up with you."  Richard said walking over to Ethan.

"Eh, nothing.  Just thinking; a lot on my mind."  Ethan said avoiding eye contact with his brother.

"I know that look, I know that tone.  That's not nothing, but I'm not gonna bug you about it.  You know you can tell me anything bro."  Richard said nodding to the pool table for Michael to take his turn.

"I know, I know..."  Ethan said looking up and at his brother, letting him know not to worry.

"Okay..."  Richard said giving Ethan a pat on the back, "Let's get back to playing!"

"Yea!  That's what I'm talkin 'bout!"  Michael yelped, he was relieved that the emotional part of the conversation was over.  Things could get pretty out of hand sometimes.  

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Before she realized what was going on he flashed a pair of... fangs...and her blood was now his too...

She screamed, she couldn't wake up.
He didn't kill her...
He turned her...
She heard his eerie laugh, saw his sickly smile... face covered in blood... the pain was excruciating...

She woke up frantic, tears streaming down her face... her translucent grey eyes were filled with pain and tears...

She got up out of the bed, washed her face.  She looked in the mirror, she was deathly pale.  Her brown hair seemed so out of place.  She had worn eyeliner for so many years it looked as if it were tatooed there.  Her pale pink lips scarred from accidental cuts from her own fangs.  
She couldn't look at herself... she walked out of the bathroom and sat back on the bed.
She was shaky... to see it happen... all over again... the feelings were just like they had been that day...

He had left her there, in pain, confused, and a new turned monster...
She survived... it had been a year since then, but it taunts her... his smile, his laugh... they torture her over and over again in her sleep.