Enlightenment

Part 35

Hello! I just want to say thankyou so much if you have read this far! I really appreciate your support :)

I would love to know what you think so please feel free to comment and maybe vote? :) I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve :)

sorry I took so long to upload but I went and spent a week in the village I was writing about, so that really helped me with the descriptions!

anyway enough of my rambling, here is the next part! xx

            When we awoke the next morning pale sunlight filtered through the curtains, looking out I noticed that the snow from the night before had mostly disappeared, with only a few slushy pools left here and there. A fine layer of frost coated the tree outside my window.

            Jamie just groaned and rolled over so I went into the bathroom to use the shower and get ready. Once I was done I drank a couple of bags of blood whilst he went in the shower. Even though I knew he had seen me drink blood many times I still felt better without an audience.

            He came out of the bathroom fully dressed and looked at me sitting on the bed,

“So where do you want to go first?”

I hesitated for a moment, “I’m not sure… I suppose the graveyard would be the easiest option.”

            The village was so small that we chose to leave the car and walk. The cold weather gave me an excuse to cover as much of my skin as possible from the sun, which thankfully had disappeared behind the thick clouds. My dark sunglasses earned me a few strange looks from the occasional passerby, but it didn’t stop people from wishing us good morning as we passed.

            The church stood on the top of a hill, giving us a good view of the rough sea as we approached, I frowned,

“Why are there always crows in graveyards?”

Jamie shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe it’s because there are plenty of places for them to sit?” I glared at him, “Or maybe because there is always loads of trees?”

            I paused at the gate, one hand resting on the cold metal. Jamie’s warm hand found mine and he drew me closer, “it will be ok,”

Neither of us knew what would be ok but it didn’t matter, it was his support that counted. With renewed strength I straightened and resolutely pushed open the gate, before leading him into the grounds.

            We walked past all of the new graves without a glance, continuing right to the very back, where the grass grew wilder and the stones older. I had only ever visited my mother’s grave once, when I was a child. My father didn’t want me and my sister to go there, saying we should remember her as she was when she was alive. My memory of the day was distant and vague.

            I found her gravestone right at the very back in front of a crumbling wall, an elderly tree stood guard overhead. The writing was barely legible in the heavily weathered stone, but I could just about make out her name. The next stone along made me release a harsh laugh;

Jadeine Elizabeth Montgomery 1567 – 1585

“Makes sense that he told everyone I was dead. He certainly treated me like it.”

Jamie looked at me questionably, “what do you mean?”

I sighed, “After William changed me… I went to visit my Father. William warned me against it but I didn’t listen, we faked my death but I couldn’t stand to see his grief so I… went to visit him.”

“He didn’t accept you?” he guessed,

“That’s a nice way to put it yes; he took one look at me and started screaming.” I gave a broken laugh, “tried to chase me from the house with a cross and a bible. He was very religious, so when he saw me, so cold and pale… my eyes must have turned silver because he thought I was a demon… ahh, the look of horror on his face…”

“What did you do?”

“My control was very weak at the time, I might have killed him if William didn’t turn up and drag me from the house. After that we left town and I never saw him again… it’s lucky I decided to visit when Beatrice was out.”

“Yes… I’m sorry for what you went through.”

“Don’t be, it was my own actions that caused the events.”

He shook his head about to protest when his eyes focused on something, I followed his gaze.

I drew in a sharp breath as I looked to the left; the name of my father jumped out at me;

Garyson Nelson Montgomery 1543 – 1587

              I shook my head, “No… no!”

Jamie’s arms quickly encircled me, “Jade! What’s wrong?” I was still shaking my head, unable to speak; he spun me around to face him, “tell me what’s wrong,”

“My father… he- he died just two years after I left! I left to keep him safe from me and my world! How- how could he-?”

              His hand was rubbing soothing circles on my back, but he remained silent. There was nothing to say to something like that. Guilt consumed me; I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was somehow my fault that he died so early. Why else would his life come to such an abrupt end? Other than unnatural causes? Suddenly Jamie interrupted my thoughts;

“Jade, I- I think I’ve found your sister.” His voice was hesitant as if he didn’t want me to look, so of course I instantly followed his line of sight. The faded inscription instantly caught my eye;

Beatrice Scarlett Montgomery 1568 - 1587

              I stared at it in disbelief; surely it wasn’t possible that they both could have died in the same year? She would have been 19… just 19. She didn’t even get married…

“What?” Jamie’s soft voice startled me; I didn’t realize I had spoken out loud;

“I said that she didn’t even get married! All these years I assumed that she must have grown up, met someone, had a family… or whatever! But she didn’t even live to be twenty!” I hit the tree in frustration, causing it to shake alarmingly. Suddenly it seemed as if all the energy had fled from my limbs so I sank to the ground, ignoring the dampness. After a moment his comforting arms slipped around me softly.

“I think there might be one other possibility that you may have to consider, even though it seems unlikely… what if she became a vampire?”

              I froze, was it possible? If so I wasn’t sure if I could decide which was worse; her dying at the lowly, insignificant age of 19… or her becoming a vampire.

              A random thought occurred to me; I frowned at Jamie accusingly,

“Why have you have changed your viewpoint now? Last night you were quite quick to convince me it wasn’t possible.”

He sighed; “last night I assumed we would come here, or to the records office and find that she had lived a nice long life, maybe had some children etc. Now… you have to look at the evidence in front of us. As much as I hate to say it… the circumstances seem kind of suspicious.”

               I sighed and pushed my hair back from my face, we both knew that it was possible that they had both died of some disease, or had a terrible accident… but now there was no way my mind would be at rest until I knew for certain.