Free Chasing Shadows by Rebbeca Stoddard

pushed the hopeful thoughts away. I knew deep down that I would always be the object of students’ cruelty. Nothing, not even Sebastian, could change that.
    The embers had died completely, leaving me cold and alone. I got up and walked into the house. Scooping up a heap of sleeping kitten, I took the stairs two at a time and crawled into bed. Helios didn’t wake up, just snored and purred as I shifted him around. My sheets were cool against my skin, and I shivered as I got comfortable. A soft glow from the moon came in through the window and landed on my floor. Every muscle and nerve ending in my body felt alive at that moment. As I tossed and turned, my sheets tangled with my legs, Helios grumbled and jumped down. There was no comfort for my body, and no sleep was coming. After trying to force my eyes shut for an hour, I gave up and lay there, staring at the ceiling, hoping for some sort of reprieve. With a loud huff, I got up and paced the room. Birds chirped in the distance, large cats hunted in the trees nearby, ripples of water crashed and sloshed against the dock and sand, fires crackled and people laughed. Every sound came crashing through, slicing into my ears, begging to be heard. I felt overwhelmed and reached for my phone to call Sebastian for help. He answered immediately and told me he would be there soon. I watched out my window, waiting to see his sleek car pull up, but it never did. I jumped when something touched my shoulder. When I turned around to see who it was, I saw his windblown hair and flushed cheeks. Sebastian had run from where he was to me. A worried line creased his perfect forehead, and his green eyes were full of deep concern. He grabbed my hand and led me outside, down to the sandy shore of Waldo Lake.
    As always, I let my toes sink into the soft grains. Shivers ran down my spine. Embarrassed, I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked down. In an instant, black leather hung around my shoulders, soft heat started to warm my skin, and I smiled my thanks. Sebastian and I stood and walked along the shore; his long legs took shorter strides to keep pace with me. He didn’t probe me for answers, just waited patiently for me to explain. We stopped just before a small island of sand and rock. Taking a few steps back, Sebastian looked at me with a gleam in his eye and took a leap over the cool water, landing on the island. I knew he wouldn’t come back for me, and he didn’t, he stayed there, daring me with a look to jump over the water too. Cautiously, I took ten steps back for a running start. Closing my eyes for the jump, I felt sand hit the balls of my feet and then freezing-cold water lap at my heels. Squealing, I hopped toward the center of the small area. My nose bumped Sebastian’s strong chest, and I stumbled backwards. His laughter was loud and beautiful. I smiled at him.
    I sat down on a rock and picked up a small potato bug that crawled around in the sand. As I let its feet tickle my hands, I explained that every noise around me seemed to attack my ears. Sebastian understood completely. Even though he had never told me what he was, I knew the answer. He was a vampire, immortal and everything else that came with it.
    We both knew that I was part vampire. Clamora had even said I was. The thought of it was strange. Curious, I asked him what it was like to be a vampire. With a tilt of his head and a sad smile on his lips, he explained it to me. “There are perks, as well as not so nice things that come with it. You can happily eat normal food, seeing as you are also part witch and fairy. But for me, well, it is different. I can go to out in the sun. It can be uncomfortable, but bearable. Normal food doesn’t make me sick; it just tastes different now versus from when I was human. So I generally stay away from it. Some books and movies get it totally wrong. I have longer canines, not fangs, and animal blood can work, but it is very difficult to handle. It tastes like dirt and raw eggs, too