Crimson Eyes and Family Lies

Letters Galore

Non-stop the letters have been coming. My parents knew nothing about them, but I couldn't tell them even if I wanted to. A man I had killed shouldn't be able to send me letters. Already the stack at the back of my closet was becoming bigger and bigger, I was surprised my mother hadn't seen it yet.

    Nathaniel kept telling me I had to burn them, but I knew I had to keep evidence that someone was stalking me. Nathaniel has been my partner in crime for about five months, ever since I had gone to him to help save my best friend. His father had targeted me a few months ago, according to him I was stealing Nathaniel away from his master plan to decode death.

     I originally thought Nathaniel kept in contact with me was because of his father, until he had come with me to my school dance and kissed me when we found out his father had kidnapped my friends. Turns out he actually had feelings for me, and I had developed feelings for him.

    Ever since the letters started coming, however, he's grown more distant and hasn't answered my calls in a few weeks. It made me worry if he would ever come back again.

    I sighed as I closed my closet door and threw myself onto my bed. I checked my phone for any new messages, but when I found I had none I threw my phone onto my desk and turned off the light. It was summer vacation, but I still was in the habit of going to bed early because of my usual lack of sleep.

    I closed my eyes, for once immediately falling asleep. But this sleep did not last forever, not when my nightmare started. It would start off as the memory of shooting Nathaniel's father. I could become covered in his blood, and his body would fall limply to the ground. But he suddenly would sit up, a gapping hole oozed blood out of his head.

     "Murderer!" He would scream. "You're a murderer! What would your friends think of you? Your parents must despise you!"

  I would try to run away, but he would appear in front of me no matter where I would go. "You can't escape what you have done Natalie! You're no different then me. You're a murderer!"

    A tapping noise jolted me out of my sleep. I frowned and looked at my clock, it was three in the morning. I groaned and put my pillow over my head, when the tapping became louder. I sighed and walked over to the window to find Nathaniel outside. I opened the window, letting the cool summer night air inside. "Nathaniel? What are you doing here?"

    He crawled silently inside, smiling slyly at me as he studied my room. "I've never seen your room." He observed. I narrowed my eyes and commented, "No really? I hadn't noticed."

   He grinned and sat down on my bed, starting a chain reaction of overreacting thoughts through my head. He couldn't be here, my parents could come in here at any second! I know they must assume that we are dating, but I didn't think they would approve of sneaking him into my room in the middle of the night.

   He frowned and cocked his head to the side, his brown eyes staring at me in wonder. "Why don't you sit?"

    I rubbed my arm nervously, feeling my face turning red. "I, I don't think it would be a good idea."

  He grinned devilishly, holding a hand to me as he jested, "Come on, I won't bite."

 Every nerve in my body told me I had to get him out of here, but my lips failed me as I smiled and moved next to him. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my temple, making me giggle like a love-struck school-girl. He smiled and put his chin on my shoulder as he asked, "Did you hear from any new colleges?"

   I frowned, thinking back to earlier today. I had been receiving lots of those freaky letters I would forget to see if I had any college letters. I had sent applications the last few months of school, but so far no responses.

   "Sadly no, but I'm trying to stay optimistic." I answered. His eyes widened as he lifted his head to face me. "You being optimistic means the end of the world as we know it."

   I elbowed him lightly in his ribs, rewarding myself with a laugh. "Shut up it is not! I just, I've been thinking and I realized that I need to try and relax more."

   I waited for a comment, but when I didn't get one I looked at him and noticed him beaming at me. His eyes shone with a new appreciation as he kissed my cheek. "I'm glad to hear you say that." He muttered into my ear. Suddenly he yawned and rubbed at his eye, which was becoming red and irritated. I grinned and poked at his side. "Someone looks drowsy."

    He smiled shyly, glancing at my alarm clock. "It is late. I should probably get going."

   He moved to leave, but I impulsively took his arm to stop him. He froze in surprise, glancing at my hand with wide eyes. I let him go, tucking my hair nervously behind my ears. "Um, sorry I just thought... maybe you could stay for a little while longer?"

  It was true I didnt want him to leave. For weeks I havent heard from him, afraid he was avoiding me for some strange reason. But now that he was here, I didnt want him to go. Even if my parents walked in right now I didnt care, I wanted him to stay.

    He was silent for a moment, studying me with a strange look in his eye. He suddenly looked me in the eye with a simper grin, moved to my side and lay down next to me. I impulsively shoved the recent letter underneath my pillow, hoping he wouldnt notice.