Mermaids and Vampires

31: Alone in Company

~~~~OLIVIA~~~~

I cross my arms in the back of the car, waiting. My eyes scan the trees but I can see nothing past them. No sign of Adam or the grassy patch in which he stands.

The sky is overcast and it feels like rain is imminent.

I pull at the little lock on the car door, locking and unlocking it. I'm trying to distract myself.

"Would you stop that." Charlotte snaps.

She had been so quiet I had almost forgotten she was in the car.

I sigh.

"Honestly, today is bad enough, I don't need a reminder that you're in it." She huffs, refusing to look back at me.

I bite my lip. There would be no point in arguing with her. And it doesn't surprise me that she's a little more bitchy than usual today. After all, he was her brother.

I sit as silently as possible as the time ticks past, agonizing second by agonizing second. I wish this would just hurry up and be over so that I could try to forget about it. Somehow every bad memory and guilt ridden emotion is vying for the attention of my mind right now. I keep picturing my parents. How sad they were...

Adam opens the driver's side door. He gets in, puts the key into the ignition, dirt on his hands.

"It's done." is all he says.

We start moving.

After a long silence I break the tension with a soft spoken question, "Did you mark the spot?"

"No." Adam replies.

My mouth gapes.

"But how will we find him?"

"We won't. That's the point. Move on, forget about it."

"Forget? Adam, I thought we could still go back for him. If we wanted to find him, or if anyone wanted to come back and dig him up again.."

"Olivia, please. It doesn't work like that. He dead, gone. Forever."

My eyes start watering. The sliver of hope I had is shattered.

"Where are we going?" Charlotte asks with a hardened voice.

"To Meta" Adam states. "We'll be safer there."

"With her?" Charlotte questions.

Adam glances back at me. "I'll look after her."

"What's Meta?" I ask.

Charlotte rolls her eyes in the rear view mirror.

"A vampire city." She says. "They'll all be drooling over you."

My stomach tightens as we drive on and I can feel my heart rate intensify. Something about the tone of her voice was frightening.