THREE VEINS [H.S.]

| 3 | FADING

||| EVELYN |||

Rays of sunlight enter my bedroom the next morning, casting a glowy radiance on my late start to the day.

I reach over to my nightstand to grab a drink of water, but the moment I see my arm outstretched toward the glass, the warmth of the room turns frigid cold.

"What the hell..." I whisper aloud, tired eyes becoming more awake by the second. "No. No. No..."

The first branding on my left wrist. No longer stark black. No longer identical to the rest.

"How in the-"

My eyes scan the underside of my left wrist, the branding closest to my palm searing into a dull, glowing orange. I graze my fingers over the Veins, warmer to the touch than usual. There's no way.

There's no way this is happening to me. This is a dream. No, a nightmare.

My first Vein has started to fade. This means I'm losing one of three lifelines. I'm dying?

Technically, I'm dying.

There's no pain to the fading, but the stark contrast of orange against the other two unharmed, black Veins is enough to send me into a panic out of bed, pacing back and forth like a mad man. Even pinching my arms and slapping my face.

I may have skipped a few vitamins or drank too much for my liver's liking in my day, but what could possibly explain this? What did I even do to constitute dying? Was there something in my drink last night?

This shit doesn't happen for no reason. There's no such thing as a faulty Vein. You are born with Veins, you carry the Veins and live until they're gone, then die. Or you go the extreme route and purpose putting yourself in harm's way until your three resurrections are up, then die.

When it comes to Veins, there's no in-between. No limbo. 

Unless...

I keep to a routine that allows for a good balance of work, play, and rest. Bookstore. Home. Sleep. The occasional outing with Cici. The occasional bartending shift. Home. Repeat. It's predictable. Structured.

Is it foolish to think the one instance I let spontaneity guide me, with an attractive, book-hunting stranger at that, I end up with a fading Vein?

My first lifeline, destined to eventually disappear, fades because of a chance meeting with a stranger? The stranger did invite me to coffee. Was the fucking latte poisoned? Was the barista out for blood?

Absolutely foolish, Evelyn. Impossible.

My hysteria and pulse are both heightened by a fast knocking at my bedroom door combined with Cici's voice. I nearly let out a yelp.

"Ev, get up! I wanted to make breakfast for us before you go to work!" She announces, dramatically hitting her palm against the wood. "I got home late... did you run errands last night?"

Fuck. Errands. They must have slipped my mind yesterday once I got home.

Fucking strangers with tattoos and nice smiles and accents and ribbon-tied books.

I curse under my breath as I head to the door, quickly wrapping my bathrobe around my body like a shield. I'm wildly careful not to expose anything... especially my left wrist.

I barely open the door a crack and Cici's palm is already outstretched against the surface, showing off her neon manicured nails and persistence.

"Montelli, are you hiding from me? At eight in the morning?" She interrogates, reading my cagy vibe faster than I can hide it.