Bitten – Episode 40

Chapter 40(final)

Vivi! Vivi! Hurry! Hurry!”

The young boy in front of me yanked roughly on my hand, causing my wrist to protest in pain. It took all I had not to rip it back and throw the brunet halfway across the field. “William,” I snapped at him, “calm down. The graves aren’t going anywhere.”

William turned to stick his pink tongue out at me. As his eyes opened, my breath caught in my throat like it usually did. He really did have Sebastian’s eyes. It was too bad no one was around to save Emily’s… Shaking my head, I shoved all those thoughts away. Emily was crystal clear in my memory and that was enough. I would never forget her doe eyes or shiny blonde hair. Her voice still echoed through my ears as well as the sound of her heartbeat. I could never forget someone like her.

“I have to tell Aunty Emily what happened at school today!” William urged me, pulling on my hand again. “Vivi, hurry! ”

“Don’t call me Vivi! It’s Vincent!”

“Vivi!”

“You brat,” I growled, trying to grab his hair.

He giggled, easily ducking out of my grasp. “You can’t catch me, old man.”

Scowling at him, I didn’t even attempt to retort. He was a simple little boy still stuck with a, in human years, ten year old’s body. One day when he was older I could take out all my frustrations out on him. However, at the moment, he was too young. Fiona would have my head if I laid a finger on him…

I shuddered at the idea. Mothers were scary.

“Ah! Here’s Aunty Emily’s grave! And Dad’s!” William called excitedly and I looked forward to see he’d already raced to the far edge of the cemetery where the two mentioned were buried.

A slight smile crossed my face when I realized the red rose bushes we’d planted at Emily’s burial were still alive and well— not that it was too surprising. They’d been alive and well yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that too… It still was a pleasant sight though. If graves could be beautiful (and I actually used the word beautiful), these graves would be the ones.

“Uncle Vivi! The flowers! The flowers!” William chanted excitedly when I finally caught up to him.

“I’ll put them on,” I told him, kneeling down besides Emily’s grave. “William, why don’t you go grab those white roses from the rose bush we planted near the entrance?”

“Ah, but—”

“No buts. Go.”

“Fine!” he cried, pouting slightly. “I’ll be back in a few minutes then.”

Sighing, I waited until he was out of earshot before placing the blue flowers on Emily’s grave. “I know you won’t know what kind of flowers these are today because you’re stupid, so I’ll tell you. They’re rhododendrons. Fiona’s been helping me out recently. As it turns out, I only knew about a few thousand different flowers…” Did that sound unmanly? Living a long life made one surprisingly knowledgeable… “You’ve been gone for awhile now, so I may have to stare repeating flowers. Or maybe I could start with cactuses…” I snickered at the thought.

A light gust of wind ruffled the back of my hair and I frowned, trying to smooth it out. It still felt a little awkward talking to a grave, but I’d grown used to it over the years. Suddenly the familiar pang of pain shot through my chest. I clenched my teeth, trying to ignore it. Why was this still happening? It’d been over years since Emily had passed away and yet every time I stopped at her grave it was like she was gone again for the first time. It was so damn frustrating!

Swallowing hard, I stood up. “I made the right choice, right? You never wanted to be a vampire, right? You were just desperate, right?” The words were falling out of my mouth without my permission, just like many times before. I could never be sure. Whenever I was around her grave, I always questioned myself. Did I make the right choice? Emily was scared at the

time. She never wanted to be a vampire. Her thinking was out of wack. She didn’t know what she was saying… right?

“I miss you,” I muttered. “And I still feel stupid saying this out loud to a rock.”

Sighing, I squatted back down. “Yesterday Fiona met a guy. Turns out he used to be friends with Sebastian. Small world, isn’t it? It seems they hit it off great. I’m not sure what’ll lead to… Fiona’s been pretty unromantic after Sebastian left us. I’m sure she wants him to be happy though.”

I paused for a second. “I wonder if you want me to be happy… Probably. I am though, so don’t worry. I don’t need someone anyway. Everyone’s boring. You were the only interesting girl…”

I lightly rapped my knuckles against my face. What was I doing? I needed to stop being so damn sappy! Emily wouldn’t like that. Or maybe she would. I didn’t even know what she liked or didn’t like anymore!

“Emily, I…”

“Vivi!”

“I hate that brat,” I finished harshly as William tried to tackle me to the ground. “Get off me you little runt!”

“I found the roses!” he cried excitedly, dropping a few onto Emily’s grave. “Here Aunty Em! I brought them for you! My flowers are prettier than Vivi’s, aren’t they? Yesterday…”

I stopped listening then, not bothering to hear the little brat’s annoying story. If Emily was listening though, I bet she’d be interested. As long as it was about my family, she probably wouldn’t care. I glanced over at Sebastian’s grave, buried right next to hers. “You’re kid’s just like you,” I told it. “Annoying.”

“Hey!” William protested, apparently hearing me. “My dad was awesome!”

“Your dad kidnapped little children and ate them.”

“He did not!”

“Did too.”

“Did not!”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to ask Mom!”

“Do it,” I challenged stubbornly.

He huffed. “I will! Right now! I’m leaving without you! Dad, I’ll come back later! You too, Aunty Emily! Wait for me.”

Rolling my eyes, I watched as the young boy started sprinting across the graveyard back to the manor. Fiona was going to yell at me later. Letting out the third sigh of the evening, I rested my head against Emily’s tombstone. “I guess I’ll head back too. Nothing much to say. Stay well. You too, Seb,” I added, tossing glance at my brother’s headstone. “Keep keeping an eye on Fiona. She’s crazy.”

After one last lingering gaze on Emily’s name, I turned my back on the stone. One day we’d be together again. I knew that. For now though, I’d continue living life just like she’d want me to. When my time was up, we’d be together. For eternity.

That was the dream I had three days ago i can’t let emily die.

Tbc