About 900 years earlier

It was a late night. I had snuck out and met my beloved. I loved him. I couldn’t think of anything else except for him all day. I was forbidden to love him, but I couldn’t help it.

Something about him had always drawn me to him, ever since we had been little. Even as a child I knew I loved him. I wasn’t supposed to be in love with a rival of our family but we didn’t care. We never cared.

I was waiting in the field, next to a patch of woods. I knew it was dangerous, but I had been out there with him before. I knew with him there that I was safe. This time was a little odd though he was late; he was never late before. I heard a noise coming out of the woods; I turned around to try to find where it was coming from.

I stepped in the woods and I didn’t have to walk far until I found a pregnant woman. I walked up to her and she turned to me and she was smiling, but she had blood coming from her mouth. “Come here, child.”

I walked slowly to her, but stopped, I don’t know why. I was scared so I started to back away and that’s when she jumped up and grabbed me by the shoulder. Her grip was strong and I couldn't shake her off. She pulled me closer then bit my neck. I screamed then, I fell to the ground.

I passed out, and when I woke up I was back on fields. I stood up then touched my neck nothing was there. It was a dream, I thought. I saw my beloved waiting there for me. As soon as he looked at me I forgot all about my strange dream.

I was happy, laughing and smiling. I was with my beloved, Lain. He was so beautiful, high cheekbones with a sharp jaw line. The most enchanting purple eyes they sparkled brighter than any star. His soft tan skin was so warm next to my body. I felt content as he laid his head on my lap to look at the stars. I looked up at them they shined bright tonight.

His eyes closed as I leaned down and brushed my lips against his, I melted above him. Only he could make me melt away and leave the world behind. Nothing mattered when I was with him, just him and me. I opened my eyes and looked back down at him. His throat was torn open, a long jagged line with two small perfectly round holes at the top. His once glowing eyes full of life were now open staring at me with the specs of his dark red blood on them. I could hear his raspy voice trying to form words.

Just then two hot tears rolled down my face onto my top lip. I cupped his beautiful face, and then he spoke, in a voice so low I had to lean down to hear him. “I’ll always be with you Nina”

As he spoke his last words he raised his hand and touched my skin right above my heart, his hand fell down leaving his blood smeared on my chest. He died then, I licked my lips expecting to taste my salty tears, but instead all I tasted was a sweet substance, I realized then it was Lain’s blood. I looked at the sky and repeated. “Always.”







Present day

Tonight was a slow day at the bar I work at, a few regulars and a couple of tourists looking for directions. None really worth talking to. I cleared off the tables and swept the floors. I set a rag I had been using to wipe the mugs down with behind the bar. As I went to put the cup up, a man walked in. He looked so familiar it was scary. “Sorry, we’re closing up for the night,” I said without hesitation.

He looked at me like he was confused. He started mumbling about something but I couldn’t hear him. “Hello? We are closing for the night I’m going to have to tell you to leave, so leave.”

He still just stood there I started to tell him to leave again when he spoke. “Oh, sorry. Can I ask you a question...Nina?” He questioned.

“How do you know my name, and who are you?” . There was something unnaturally familiar about him. I just couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Your name is on your nametag.” He pointed to my shirt. Then pointed to himself. “My name Is Jay.”

Who did he remind me of? Lain. I though to myself. Then it dawned on me. Those eyes, the same dull purple with the dark red specs, and the dark red spots on his eyelids and eyelashes just like the night Lain had died.

“You have some amazing eyes. Jay, was it?” I choked.

“Really? You are the only one who has said that, thank you.”

He looked at me for a moment. “They used to be a bright purple when I was younger, but after-“, he paused. “Never mind. This is a nice little place you’ve got here.” He turned his head, to look around, showing the side of his neck. It was a long jagged scar and at the top there was two small perfect round scars side-by-side. He turned his head back to look at me. The red stain of Lain’s blood over my heart started pounding and then I felt as if I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t realize until then I was holding the glass so tight until it broke and dug into my hands. I looked down and there was blood and glass on the floor. He rushed over and took the glass from my hands. He set it down on the counter and picked my up and carried me to the bar. He got the rag from behind the bar and wet it then he started wiping my hands clean. “Are you always this clumsy?” He laughed and looked up at me then back down to my hands.

The whole time I couldn’t take my eyes off him the more I looked at him the more he started looking like Lain. The same creamy face, high cheekbones, but something was different. Jay looked like an older Lain, he looked about 22 or so. My Lain was only 19. I looked at his body the way his muscles rippled under his shirt as he gently wrapped my hands in gauze.

I looked back to his face and touched my hands to it. He raised his head until his eyes met mine. I leaned forward kissed him. He scooted me closer as he kissed back harder. I felt his hands run down my spine to the middle of my back. “Oh, my bad. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” a new voice said.

Then he stopped and pulled away. He looked towards the voice then back at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

He let go of me and backed up. He turned and walked away looking back only once. When he had left I looked towards the red-headed girl the voice had come from. “Patricia!“

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were in here sucking face. By the way does he have a twin?, because he is sexy! Go girl, is he in college? He looks too old to be in high school. What happened to your hands?”

I looked towards the door, and jumped down from the bar to clean up the mess I had made. “First of all, I don’t know him so if you want to know if he’s single or taken, ask him. I think he is in college, and I was not sucking face with him. My hands are fine I kind of broke a glass but I'm fine.”

“Yea so is he, anyways you get going home I will close up tonight, since I ruined your tongue hockey session.” She winked at me and pushed me out the door.

With my keys in my hand I started to unlock my car door, when I heard a familiar voice. “Nina! Nina! Wait up!”

I turned around and out of the shadows stepped Ryan and another boy. Ryan was I guess in some sense like a boyfriend. “Oh, hey Ryan. What are you doing here and who’s your friend?”

“Him?” I nodded “This is Drake, he’s new to the area. Drake meet Nina. Nina meet Drake.”

“Hey Drake, how’s it hanging?” I said cheerfully.

“Hey Nina. I like that name.” Drake said.

“Yea? It’s an old name.” I said.

“Oh. I was wondering if we could come home with you? Just for the night, we will be gone before you wake up." Ryan interrupted.

“Yea, sure babe.” I said as I hung my arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on his cheek. Then he pulled me closer and kissed me on my lips. I kissed him back getting as close as possible. Strangely even as I kissed Ryan all that was running through my head was Jay. He was mysterious and so much like Lain it was scary, and in that short kiss it had made her melt and pushed out the world, just as Lain always had, but I could just be paranoid.

He pulled back and looked at me as if he was puzzled but before he could say anything I hopped in the car. “Come on boys! It’s late and I'm ready to get home.”

On the way there Drake had seemed distant and he kept staring at me. I tried to start conversation but I received was one word answers. Ryan on the other hand wouldn’t stop talking even though I couldn't hear him over the blasting music. When we arrived at my apartment I walked up to the door and opened it up. Ryan walked right in and made himself comfortable on my couch. I smiled and laughed at how he stretched out his feet and knocking over my coffee table. Then scrambling around to try to fix it before I noticed. Drake stood at the door looking in. “Are your parents okay with us staying?” He asked.

“My parents?” I challenged.

“Yeah, your parents.”

“They are dead. They got killed when I was younger, so yeah. Their okay with it”

“Oh, I’m S-,” he started

“Don’t. I’m fine I really don’t want a sympathy vote, and no I'm not trying to be too cool for death. I’m just trying to forget the fact they got murdered.” I didn’t add the part where I was the one who killed them. It seemed so long ago, but the screams would haunt me forever. All of them except my little brother had screamed. I am so sorry Élan.

“So where can we park?” Ryan interrupted clearly uncomfortable on where the conversation was moving.

“Um...Drake you can have the guestroom, and Ryan you can choose the couch,” I pointed to it. ,“or my bedroom?” Then I pointed down the hall. In less than a blink of an eye Drake was setting up his stuff in the spare room, and Ryan was laid out on my bed.

“Now how about scooting over for me to lie down.” I asked him in my best pouty voice. He moved over and I went and sat on the bed beside him. He pulled me down to were I was lying under his big body pinning my upper body to the bed. I pretend to struggle as I squirmed and wiggled beneath him. He loved the thought of me being helpless against him.

“Uncle!” I shouted.

He laughed and shook his head, then pointed to himself. “Ryan.”

I laughed and stopped moving I looked up to him. “Well Ryan get your big butt off me.”

He didn’t move, instead he looked behind him. “Is my butt that big? I got to lay off the greens.” Then he looked back down at me and nuzzled my neck.

“Please. I’m sleepy and you are too warm. Ryan?” I looked up at him hopeful. He was adorable, but I couldn’t sleep with him on top of me.

He smiled then climbed off me and laid next to me. “Now you can sleep. My ‘big butt’ is off of you”

“That’s better,” I teased. “goodnight.” He pulled me close with those big muscles, and wrapped me in his arms. I could feel his heartbeat against my back and his breath against my neck. I smiled at the coziness. How adorable just like my own big fluffy teddy bear. Well, except cuter and less fluffy, but just as huggable.

I thought about my family. My mom and dad, but I thought about my brother. He was such a little thing only four, and I killed him. He was so innocent, his rosy cheeks and soft light brown hair. It was just like mine and his eyes the same color as my dark green eyes. I thought about the night I killed them all, two hot pink tears rolled onto my pillow.

I hadn’t even thought about them until Jay had shown up. Who was he, and why had I kissed him. I felt slightly hungry so I crept out of bed and went into my storage room. I kept extra bags of blood there. I put one into the microwave.

I looked into my living room and there was some blood drops on my table. “Did I do that Oh Goddess Nina, you have become so jaded these days.” I thought out loud The microwave went off.

I popped the bag with my teeth and then drank it then threw it away. I turned around expecting someone to be there. No one was ,so I walked back into my room and laid down the went to sleep.


When I woke up the next morning I was alone in my bed. I sniffed the air, then got out of bed to follow the aroma to the kitchen. When I walked in my kitchen I expected to see Ryan or Drake or really both of them but instead, it was Jay. He was there, in my kitchen, in the morning making some coffee. I stood there for a moment. Did Drake or Ryan let you in? Did you break in my house for coffee? Why were you so at ease when you were in my apartment? I thought.

He turned around and looked at me, gently smiling holding out a cup of coffee. I looked at him and took the coffee from his hand, and walked to the kitchen table and sat down. “How...how did you get in here?” I stuttered.

“I...I walked,” he mocked.

“Okay, why are you in my apartment when I clearly did not let you in?”

“Oh, that’s easy. I wanted to come see you.”

“Uh huh and um,” I paused as I slowly scratched the back of my head, “So, you. What do want from me?” I asked my patience running out.

He smiled bigger, and then drew his face blank. “Do I or do I not look like some one you knew a long time ago?”

“What?” I asked him.

He repeated with the same face. “Do I or do I not look like some one you knew a long time ago? Don‘t lie either I need to know the truth.”

I thought about what he said. What did he mean by that. I looked back at him. “Okay, Yes.”

“Yes what?” He asked sounding confused.

“You look like some one I used to know, a long time ago” I felt a sharp stab of pain in my chest is felt as if some one was covering my mouth and stabbing me in my chest. “Why do you ask?”

“Was his name Lain?” He asked moving closer to me

I was frozen. How did he know Lain’s name? It scared me. “Y...Yes.”

He leaned closer and brushed my lips. I melted against his body. I couldn’t feel my legs anymore. The world seemed to fade away. His hands slid around my waist and pulled me closer. He trailed kisses from my lips to my neck and back up again. I wrapped my arms and legs around hi body as he stood and carried me to my room. He hovered above the bed as I let go and flopped into its tangled sheets. I looked up at him as he walked out of my room. I sat up and waited for him to come back.

It had at least been twenty minutes or so, I went into my bathroom and primped some more waiting for him to get back with his mysterious something. I laid in the bed waiting and waiting it seemed like eternity, I drifted off to sleep.

It was dark when I awoke. I looked around I was still in my room. I stepped out of bed. I sniffed the air, blood. I opened my door and went into my living room there laid Ryan, bleeding from his neck, dead. Had I killed him? I wondered as I stepped closer and closer to him.

As soon as I did I saw Drake standing there smiling at me. “Oh, so glad you could join me, dear sister. Oh, don’t be scared, you must not recognize me. Well, I wouldn’t expect you to. I was what four when you killed our parents and left me for dead. Do you wonder why I don’t look four?”

“But...how? I...I...bit you. You wouldn‘t move. ” I screamed in his direction. Either this was really happening or I was at war with my mind, and I was losing.

“Oh, no. See sister, but you didn’t. I am alive and well! How is your life?” His smile got bigger offering his hand out to me. I wanted to take it and believe him, but I couldn’t.

“Why...why don’t you look four??” I said stumbling trying to force the words out.

“Did you always have a stuttering problem. After you fed on our dear mother and father, a young women found me. She bit me as you had, but when I woke up I looked at least 20 years old. I spent a long time with her. I loved her, but sometime in the 1800’s they burned her and called her a witch.

“I was heartbroken but then I saw you one day, you passed me in a store I yelled your name and you turned right towards me but I was so scared I hid. I set out to find you.” He looked as if he was on the verge of tears. All this time I had thought I killed my family, but he was here. I remembered back to the last time that I saw him.

“Élan, come here I got a surprise for you.” I told him.

“You give me surprise?” He had asked

“Yea come here.”

“Okay, Okay. Now surprise.” He held out his little hand.

I grabbed him and started kissing him all over his chubby little face. I don’t know what happened. He was laughing then he just stopped moving and making any noise. I looked down at him and his neck was bleeding, blood was just running down and covering his small lifeless body.

“Élan! Élan! Oh, no. Oh, no! No! Please get up Élan, it’s okay no more surprise it was a joke. Élan? Élan!” I cried out.

“Nina? Are you okay? Nina?” I heard a familiar voice but it wasn’t Élan’s. It was Jay’s. He was in my house. I am going to have to teach him some manners on walking into peoples houses uninvited. I thought.

“Jay?”

“I'm here. Oh, so I see that you and your brother have gotten acquainted.”

“You knew he was my brother?”

“Yes, and I need to tell you something Nina.”

I looked at Élan he was playing with the remote for my sound system. “What do you need to tell me Jay?”

“I...I am Lain. When I saw you the first day I panicked. I didn’t know if you would believe me, but after you bit me and I died. I later came back to life, I don’t know how but then I found your brother and we set out to find you.”

At that moment he bent down and kissed me. I forgot about the whole world except for me and him. That’s all that mattered, that’s all that had ever mattered. When I looked back at him his eyes were bright sparkling purple. He touched the skin right above my heart

“Lain? It‘s really you?”

“Yes Nina.”

“Lain, I need you to do me one favor.”

“Anything.”

“Tell me you will always be with you.”

“Always.” He said as he looked down at me then he smiled.