Shadows Of Eden

Maze

We Fell In Love In October- Girl In Red

A week passed.

The year ascended into Autumn, pulling Halloween closer. Each day was rainy and cold, crunchy leaves blew at night. Soups and hot beverages were indulged in daily. The Halloween enthusiasts were growing more and more excited as the days passed.

Eve and Freya often found themselves at the boys' house, stopping home only to recharge their social batteries and visit pets. The front door of the home was a revolving door, between work shifts and six people's daily traffic.

Almost immediately, an unspoken routine had become prevalent. The individuals came and went during the day, either working, recording, or gallavanting around the small city. By night, the group (or the majority) would get together and usually pop in a horror movie while they ate dinner. Turns out, Camren loved cooking just as much as Aron. It made sense that Camren would enjoy the most human-esque activities; gardening, cooking, taking isolated walks outside, he even slept on occasion. Just for the hell of it. His soft aura was always such a nice presence to have in the home, though not to be mistaken as weak.

Eve and Camren had become quite close. It was similar to a sibling bond, but siblings who actually enjoyed each other's company. Eve found Camren very easy to talk to, despite being an immortal creature. Camren found Eve to be warm and comfortable. She was very open-minded, they could talk about almost anything with ease. The conversations flowed naturally.

Eve would often forget she was watching a vampire cook in the kitchen. He'd accidentally grab a glass too quickly, shattering it with his strength upon touch. Sometimes he'd accidentally bend knives by using too much pressure, or shove things into the oven too quickly. The old appliances in the house were outdated and definitely not equipped to keep up with super-human speed.

"It's so interesting that you don't eat food naturally, yet you love cooking."

Eve sat on the countertop, watching Camren whisk eggs effortlessly, his hands turning into a blur. He chuckled under his breath.

"I was a chef in my human life. Head chef, to be exact. I have to give myself credit.. many decades were dedicated to feeding those around me."

"And now you can't enjoy food the same."

"I can still enjoy food. It tastes the same as it used to, but, it really doesn't do much to satisfy hunger. It would be like you eating one single peanut each hour. Almost futile."

"So.. why do you still do it?" She prodded. This was the first mention of his human life she'd received.

"To me, it's an art form. It's also a necessity for our favorite guests." He smiled at her softly and shrugged, alternating between four sizzling pans on the stove.

Freya had sweetly requested breakfast for dinner. Camren usually asked the girls what they were craving, what they wanted, and him or Aron always delivered. Though Camren was always a bit more eager to get in the kitchen, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

"You could also chalk it up to habit, maybe. Like I said, this was my life's purpose." He barely paid attention to his hands as they moved, yet he was cooking perfectly. Eve nodded at him.

"I started cooking very young. Cooking with scraps to feed my mother. She was very ill, so I had to provide meals for her. It was almost a game to see if I could make something out of nothing. I frequently stole lettuce, breads, things of the sort from food carts in the town square. I'd take them home and whip something up for her.. and often, I'd go hungry. But, that didn't matter to me."

Eve's heart dropped.

"She passed away when I was still a boy. I like to think my meals kept her alive longer than she would have been if she was malnourished. I tried my hardest. And once she passed, I was completely alone. I worked my way up from Escuelerie to Head Chef throughout the years. You'd be surprised how many recipes you can learn and memorize over time."