Fallen (Fallen 1)

I gulped. “Me too.”

“You go first,” he said with a swish of his hand.

“No, that’s okay. You can go first,” I said trying to talk myself out of having said anything.

“Ladies first, I insist,” He said being polite. I bit the inside of my cheek. This had to be the only time I cursed Jonathon for his good manners.

I took a breath of air. I stalled trying to get my thoughts together.

“Jonathon I have to tell you something that is very difficult to say,” I gulped. His eyes seemed to become a shade darker. “I want you to know that I love you. I love you with every inch of my being,” I said putting all my love into my words. “But…” I took another deep breath preparing myself for what I was about to say. Preparing myself to hurt him. “But Jonathon I don’t want to be a vampire,” I saw him about to say something but I barreled on. “I don’t want you to mistake what I am saying. I love you and only you and I want to spend all my life with you but I don’t want to spend it as a vampire. I want to stay human. You and your family are so normal; so human. But I’ve seen a true vampire and I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want immortality or the flying or the special powers I just want to be me.” I said whispering the last word.

He looked haunted, empty. “She got to you didn’t she? She scared you or said something to convince you that we’re all like her. But we’re not. She may be the stereotypical vampire but most of us aren’t like that. I promise. Please don’t do this to me,” He said pleading. I could see his pain in his eyes his longing to have me forever and now here I was denying it to him; breaking his heart like so many others had in his past.

“Yes, Selena spoke to me. And yes she scared me. But I think I came to this conclusion earlier and I just hadn’t realized it yet. I’m sorry if I’m causing you pain. I don’t want that. I do want to spend my life with you. I want you to know that. I just want to spend it as a mortal.”

“I’ve never heard of someone refusing to become immortal after they meet their soul mate. Usually you want to live with them forever,” he said his face becoming dark and brooding. His eyes dilated to complete blackness except for a silver line around the outside of it. For the first time Jonathon looked like a vampire. For the first time I was scared of him.

He turned towards the wall and did something. I realized with a start that he had opened the ancient window without a sound. I thought of the window at my house that Selena had come and left through.

“Well if that’s the way you feel,” he said climbing onto the window ledge in a crouch.

Before I had time to react or say anything he fell from the window and out of my life.

Chapter Twenty: The End

“No. . . No . . . No Jonathon! Come back! Don’t do this to me! Jonathon!” I screamed into the silent night shaking my head back and forth. Tears came pouring from my eyes and just as suddenly as the tears had come anger replaced it. Pure anger. I saw a dark figure dart out of the yard and over the old stone fence. I watched him leave me. “Damn you Jonathon!” I screamed as loud as I could into the night. “Damn you for the rest of your miserable life!” I screamed. I put my leg on the ledge to jump after him.I felt cold, stone hard arms come around my shoulders. I pushed feebly against them. Sadness replaced my anger. “Jonathon…” I croaked, my voice raw from my yelling.

I kept pulling at the arms that encompassed me. I only wanted Jonathon’s arms around me. The arms pulled me back away from the open window.

“Get off. Get off of me,” My struggles were useless so instead I turned into dead weight.

I looked into the eyes of the person holding me. It was Joseph. Diana was behind him.

“Kylie, he’s gone.”

“No! He can’t be! Let go of me!” I said spitting on Joseph’s white shirt. He didn’t even flinch. My struggles were starting up again.

“Kylie, Jonathon is a dramatic creature. Let him come around,” Diana said in her most calming voice. Almost too calming.

“Don’t you dare use your mind tricks on me! It’s my fault he’s gone! I have to go get him!” I screamed in her face. “Let me go!” I screamed in Joseph’s face; spit flying onto him in my anger.

Diana went over and closed the window locking it.

“I’ll let you go if you stop fighting me,” said Joseph. I instantly went limp. He let go after a minute’s hesitation.

“We have to go get him!” I yelled to both of them. My hand pointing to the window. They both had their arms crossed over their chests and were shaking their heads back and forth. They really looked like brother and sister.

“I have to find him… It’s all my fault… I have to find him. I have to,” I said sitting on the edge of the bed. I put my arms around myself like I was holding myself together. “This can’t be the end. It just can’t,” I mumbled hysterically. The tears were coming faster and heavier now. They sat down by me. Joseph on my right and Diana on my left. “How could he?” I sobbed. “How could he do this to me?” I sobbed again. Diana put her arms around me laying my head on her shoulder.

“I don’t know Kylie. I honestly don’t know. But it’s okay to cry.” And I did. I sat there just the three of us a long time. Diana held me and Joseph rubbed my back.

“Why are you guys being so nice to me? He’s your brother.”

“Yes, but you’ve become like our sister. We love you,” said Diana tears in her eyes that she could not shed.

“We don’t want to lose you Kylie,” added Joseph.

“Thanks you guys,” I said.