Touch Me ✔

Chapter Five

Theo's trip fell short the second I stepped outside. There was a flurry of snowflakes drifting throughout the air lazily in the darkness, painting the ground in an ocean of white. I stood on the steps in front of the mansion in my oversized outfit, mismatched socks, and absent of any other footwear or protection towards the cold. It wasn't a wonder why I'd been freezing within his room as of late. It was winter.

I froze at the thought of placing my feet into that blanket of ice.

"What's your problem?" Theo called, finally having noticed my absence. He stalked towards the steps in irritation. When I didn't answer, he sighed. "I'm not a mind reader. I'm not human. And I haven't been human for a very long time. Speak your mind."

"I-it's cold," I pointed out the obvious. Theo paused, looking around him as if only just noticing the snowflakes that were beginning to collect on his shoulders. Could he really be that oblivious? Or was he making a show of it in order to further mock me?

"Fine," He sighed again, moving towards me determinedly. I backed up quickly, but paused when he bent over in front of me. He quickly removed his shoes from his own feet, placing them in front of me pointedly.

"Feet. In." He demanded sharply when I hesitated. I quickly placed my feet within the oversized shoes, but they were just small enough for him to be able to tighten the shoestrings so that they wouldn't completely fall off... just so long as I stepped carefully. Even being small sized for men's shoes, they still appeared like clown shoes on me. He proceeded to remove his buttoned down shirt, leaving him in a sleeveless white undershirt, and offered it to me as though it wouldn't look even more insane over my sweater. "Better?"

I nodded quickly and Theo once again moved into the night, shoeless and sleeveless. At least we both looked insane. The thought was a curious one that for some reason drew a smirk across my face. I bounced after him, hopping occasionally in order to keep my feet within my clown shoes. It was still freezing, but it was better than nothing.

We ended up in a car rather than on feet as Oliver had done when he delivered me here. I sat uncomfortably in my seat, shifting constantly in the cold as Theo failed to turn any type of heat on. A part of me wished I had his ability: the ability to just not feel cold. My teeth chattered as the car drove across an empty road into the night.

Theo glanced at me momentarily during the ride.

"Do you have something to say?" He addressed me sharply, clear irritation painting his words. I didn't understand what he had to be irritated about. He wasn't the one freezing to death and heading to an unknown place. "I'm not going to do anything for you until you learn how to speak."

I hesitated uncertainly. "But you said not to speak," I responded pointedly.

"Oh, I see. You're some mindless doll," Theo stated simply. A spark of frustration ignited within me, not that it would help me any. It wasn't like I could allow myself to become angry, attack a vampire, and expect to somehow survive. "In that case, jump out the car."

For a moment I didn't hear him. Then I frowned. "What?"

"I said, jump out of this car, now," He demanded sharply, reaching over to unlock the passenger door. I glanced at the window where trees were passing by at a dizzying rate. If I leaped from a moving vehicle, I would be seriously injured if not killed. Who knew what I'd land on or against? Was he mad?

"I don't want to," I answered, frightened.

"What does it matter what you want? You don't technically prefer anything, do you? You have no personality, no food preferences, no taste in music, no feelings... I'm surprise you can even feel the cold. What's the point of existing? Just be a good puppet and jump," Theo was apathetic, as if he could care less if I disappeared off the face of the Earth. I set my jaw in irritation. I didn't know what food I preferred, but I knew I didn't like oats. I'd never heard music before this night, but I knew I enjoyed the slow melody he had created. And I most definitely had feelings. I wasn't sure why I existed, but I wasn't a puppet.