The Storm

An Adventure into the New World

After a shower and changing into a long sleeve white cotton shirt and a pair of soft black leggings I found some fuzzy socks. I even found that all the undergarments fit. I couldn't sleep. I decided to go out and explore. The only light from a night light in each room, so I only made out silhouettes. I read the clock on the stove, four thirty two. I think about what they eat. I make my way to the fridge. There's butter, meat, cheese. But bottles of red liquid, I'm assuming is blood. I shut the door. I keep the mental note that clearly he eats. The cupboards are stocked with bread and snacks and there a water bottles in the next one. The freezer has only kce, which was odd. "Hungry?" "What the hell!?" I scream. He laughs. "Sorry. I'm guessing my lovely brother didn't mention me. I'm Luca." I can make out his fair skin and brown hair. "I'm Aria." He steps closer. "You're human." He says matter of factly. "So I've been told." "How did you get here?" "Tell me if you figure it out." He laughs. "What the hell?" A sleepy Alex walls put. He's shirtless and his hair is rustled. He flicks on a light and I groan and close.my eyes. "Luca?" "Hello to you to. I came for our morning run." "It's five a.m already?" "Yeah. Dude.you didn't mention you had a human in the house." I didn't like his tone. Like I was an object. A vase or something. I cross my arms in an attempt to hide my body. Both ages of eyes land on me. "She's a visitor Luca. Nothing more." Luca hums. "Okay then. I'm guessing our run is cancelled?" "Yes. We will go tomorrow." He nods.."goodbye Aria." He stares a little longer than I'd like and leaves. "Don't mind Luca..he...is very familiar with women." I blush. "Oh." "He's harmless." "Look, k need to get home soon. My mother...she will be upset I'm gone." "How old are you Ariella?" "Would you mind calling me anything but that." I say with a shirt laugh. "Aria then." I nod. "I'm eighteen." "So you are old enough to make your own decisions then?" "It's complicated." He nods. "You haven't slept." "No." I admit. "Why?" "I…" "you can tell me. Ask me anything." "Why do you feel so familiar? I know we've never met." He sighs. "sit down." We sat side by side on the couch. "Vampires have mates. Usually other vampires, sometimes other creatures, but hardly ever humans. You are feeling a bind. And I've been thinking, maybe that's how you got here. This island can only be accessed if you are connected to the island or something or someone on it." "Then you feel it. This...strange feeling. As if I'd known you for my whole life." He nods. "Mates usually change into vampires if there human, if they choose." I panic. "But it's not required. And plenty of people don't." "There is an approval or rejection option. If you reject me, or vice versa, there will be this...pain. a hurt of the bond breaking. It's not forever, but it's a longing for a while. And if we ever meet again. Vampires feel ten times more than humans, including emotions." "You want to reject me?" He shakes his head.."on the contrary. I wish you accept you." He's waiting for me to tell him the same. "I have a boyfriend." I blurt. He smirks. "How convenient." "It's…" "Does he make you feel like this?" He touches my cheek. Tingles hit me along my skin. I suck in a breath. "or this." His lips touch mine. "Or this?" He pulls me into his lap. "This feels wrong. To be so close when I met you hours ago " "mates...don't need time." He kisses me. I kiss back. I feel lost but like I've finally been found as well. "I accept you Aria. I need the same commitment." "What happens if we reject one another after accepting each other." "It's a different pain. A forever longing. But it's survivable." "I accept you." I whisper. This all feels like a dream, and part of me would hate to wake up. 

I brush my hair and teeth and slip on some tennis shoes before tying my long blonde hair up. I hated that he made me feel self conscious. He was gorgeous. Muscular. I wasn't fat but I wasn't skinny. I was curvy but I felt off. "You're beautiful." He says from the kitchen. I raise a brow. "your feeling self conscious. I can tell." "Vampire thing?" "Mate thing. But yes also vampire thing " "it's always dark here?" "On this part of the island. Vampires can be in the sun, but it's something that hurts our eyes and it's easier this way." If I met him at home, I would not be able to guess he's not normal. His skin is pale, but nothing like the movies. He's muscular with tattoos and blue eyes not scary red. "Tell me about your family." He says sitting at the table. I join in and take a deep breath. "My father lives an hour away from his job. Writing about supernatural creatures. I...haven't seen him in a while. My mother got sole custody and was very strict. She doesn't have a job, Dave her husband, is a doctor." The words come out bitter. "I graduated last year and planned on moving this summer. Last night was my last swim out by the ocean, I was moving this weekend." He nods. "I had a job. Paid cash. Under the table. Waitress as Lenny's." I say as if he knows what it is. "I got a one bedroom apartment across the state, but no amount of distance could keep my mother and Dave from trying to control me." "They seem to be unkind then?" "My mother wasn't always. But she met Dave...and he made.me out to be horrible. I say he's a doctor, but he's a psychiatrist." "He diagnosed you with something?" "Schizophrenia. Bipolar. Depression." He was right about one of those. "I doubt any of them. You can see our psychology professor. She's great at what she does. She'll tell you he's wrong." "What If this is all in my head?" He laughs. "it's not. If it was, it wouldn't feel this real." I hope he's right.