Chapter 11: The Vampire Pirate's Daughter by Lynette Ferreira
A week later, Carmine insists I go with them to the dam. I tell her I will meet her there and while I get dressed, I keep debating with myself whether I should just stay away. It is not as if she will miss me.
Amanda eventually convinces me to go and I drive past the mall, across the bridge and down the hill to the dam. When I drive over the little hill, I can see the water of the dam shimmer through the trees. The sun dances on the water and it looks peacefully surrounded by a nature reserve.
Nostalgia intrudes my mind. If it were not for all those vampires sacrificing themselves all those many years ago, I would now be huddled in a corner somewhere, too afraid to walk out into the sun. I remember listening to the stories about the vampires, now regarded as heroes, who gave up their lives so all the other vampires could live as normal human beings, without having to hide away from civilisation. If I forgot even one day to take my pill, amusingly referred to as vitamins, and I walked out into the sun, I would disperse in the wind.
I remember Shayne telling me what happened to my real father. He saved my mother from a burning house, the château I grew up in, after the man I always thought of as my father tried to kill my mother. William, my biological father, jumped out of the window with my mother in his arms. Moments later and he would have been okay, but the sun was still hovering on the horizon. When the rays touched his skin, he scattered in the breeze. He was gone, just like that.
I shiver involuntarily.
Driving slowly along the dirt road into the dam area, I see my classmates ahead of me. I slow down even further and then I pull into a vacant parking spot. I pick up my straw hat and beach bag on the seat next to me and I get out of the car.
Carmine notices me immediately and she rushes to me. She is like a toddler with too much energy and I grit my teeth. I reprimand myself to enjoy myself and to fit in. Immersed in their lives, and although so predictable, it amuses me and breaks the continuous monotony. I have done perky, I have done cheerleader, I have been Goth many times, I have been the nerd, the science genius, name it and I have played the role. Now, with this group, I want to fall in love. I want to experience that feeling of falling, to put my trust, as limited as it may be, into another person. In addition, I have this unexplained yearning for Andrew. I often wonder how it would feel if he touched me softly or how it would feel to kiss him.
Carmine reaches me. Her golden, blonde curls bouncing all over her head. “Susie, I am glad you decided to come after all.”
I smile friendly and feeling the sun on my shoulders, I think I feel happy. “It is such a nice day and I could not stay indoors or just go the mall,” I answer.
She takes me by the hand. “Come.” She pulls me with her to the group of people. I immediately notice Andrew standing across from me, but when he looks at me, a frown creases his brow. The rest of the group greets me friendly.
I look around for somewhere to put my bag and I notice a blanket spread out on the ground a distance away. I turn away from the group and walk to the blanket. When I reach the blanket and the grouping of bags on the ground, I bend down, and I put my bag on the ground as well.
Carmine calls, “If you have your swimming costume on, take off your clothes. We are going swimming.”
I hesitantly pull my shirt over my head and then bending down I slide my shorts down my legs. I fold up my clothes and then leave it in a pile next to my bag.
Wrapping a towel around my waist, I walk back to the group seeing the boys looking at me, but regretfully Andrew ignores me. Already when I think of Andrew, I feel agony.
Carmine holds onto my hand and then yanking at my hand, she starts running to the water. I run with her, dropping my towel and I start to feel a slight inkling of being mortal, to live for the moment and make it count. This is one of the main reasons I surround myself with humans. I can imagine their mortality and for a moment, I can experience it.
The water splashes up and over us as we run into the shallow water, deeper into the darker water.
I fall onto my back purposefully and feel the cold water immerse me. I come up and the water drips from my face.
Duncan swims to me. I have noticed him a few times before in class. He has his fawn coloured hair clipped short all over his head, he has steel-blue eyes and he is extremely muscular. He leaps at me and with his one arm around my shoulders and his other hand on my head he tries to submerge me under the water.
I do not resist, not wanting to start a rumour regarding my strength. I pretend to fight back and then I let my head sink under the water. He lets me go and I come up laughing.
I see Andrew glance in my direction. I know I have a serious crush on him, according to movies and music videos, but I wish that where he was concerned, I did not have tunnel vision, looking for approval from him in everything I do.
Duncan asks, “How well do you swim?”
I smile. “Well enough. You want to challenge me?”
He laughs boisterously. “You up for it?”
Enquiringly I ask, “To the other side?”
Continue reading Chapter 12/23
Comments
Post a Comment