Beginning of the End

The sun was just dipping low and painted the skies in a mirth of colors. The yard of Asile-aux-Falaises really was the best place in the whole city to watch the sun setting. Green grass under her bare feet, the sound of water crashing down below the cliff they stood, and the night was bringing a soft cool breeze with it.

They were both in their mid-teens, she older by a few years, but he still stood over her by two or three inches still. His skin a sun-bronzed compared to her softer sun-kissed, and his milk chocolate hair cut short and left unruly. He was one of those boys who caught the eyes of the girls at school with just a smile, which meant that she got a lot of hate due to the fact she was always in his presence. What did they expect? They were BFFs!

It had been a fun day full of swimming, just spending the warm spring day just being kids, and dodging chores. That was why his fidgeting drew her attention almost instantly. It was out of the norm and the way he kept glancing her way then to his hands made her all the more curious.

?Hey?? He finally spoke up.

?Yeah??

?Are you cold? We can go inside. I bet ma can make us some hot chocolate.? He leaned a little closer as he spoke, attempting to share his warmth.

She giggled, tucking a few strains of pink hair back, ?Is that why you are all fidgety? You want to go in and get your sugar fix??

He laughed, ?No! I just,? he paused as he looked down to his bare feet.

It wasn?t like him to be nervous and she could have swore he was blushing. Reaching over she gently pinched his sleeve to give it a little tug. ?You just what??

?We?ve known each other for a long time, right??

?Mhm.?

He turned to face her with that boyish smile of his, ?Do you want to come to prom with me??

Ohhh! That was the reason? ?Of course! Would be kind of weird for you to go without me right??

?I don?t mean as friends,? he had quickly added.

It was then she realized that he WAS blushing! ?You mean like? like a date??

?Yeah,? His answer was short but to the point, ?a date.?

?E-?

Before she could give him an answer he leaned to her and pressed his lips to hers in a lingering kiss. It was her first kiss and while she always had a bit of a secret crush on him she never expected her first kiss to be with him. It was a moment that couldn't take back. Her face felt so warm and her stomach felt like it was turning. Butterflies, as they say.

?Shit!? he exclaimed as he yanked away suddenly and dropped down to the ground like some fish,rolling to the left then right. There were brilliant flames eating at the fabric and threatening to consume.

She didn't know where the flames came from but at the same time didn?t care. Panicking, she dropped to her knees and reached out in attempt to aid him but his movements made it hard. In the end she helped tear off his shirt, sent it flying off the cliff?s edge with a flick of her wrist. ?What just happened??

?I don?t know! One second I was kissing you and the next I was think how hot it was.? He realized his own words and his face went red.

She couldn?t help but laugh at that moment. Poorly chosen words and yet so fitting at the same time. ?I am glad you are all right.? Reaching out she softly touched the center of his chest, palm flat against his skin. Her hand was barely there for seconds when his expression changed. It went from a boyish smile to confusion then horror - he looked at her with such a terrified expression before he screamed out. Flames licked at the skin from that joint point of skin and out over his chest but before she could even react she found herself yanked from her spot and tossed into the air. She had landed dangerously close to the edge of the cliffside but quickly scrambled to her knees, bewildered but scared for the young man. What she saw made me stop where she was.

Standing by him was his parents, his father busy collecting him while his mother - who I always found to be terrifying - loomed with lips drawn like a tiger baring its teeth. Her bright green eyes glared at like shining glass, slicing its way into the young girl?s already quickly beating heart.

As scary as she was, she didn?t care. She wanted to make sure he was okay! ?Is-?

?Stay away!? his mother warned. ?Go home. Right now!?

?But!?

?GO HOME!? his mother roared and only seemed to calm when her husband leaned over to whisper to her ear.

She could see from my spot that her best friend was unconscious in his father?s arms, which only aided to her fear and caused her worry to go wildly out of control. Quickly finding her footing she started to move to them but stopped when she saw the burning imprint of her hand on his chest, bleeding and raw. It was the first time she had thought to look down but when she did she found pieces of his burnt flesh clinging to her fingers. She could barely see it through the tears that quickly began to fill her eyes. ?I didn?t mean to hurt him. Is...Is he okay?? she asked, her voice trembling.

?Go home.? his father coaxed quietly. There was sadness in his eyes that was unmistakable.

She did as she was told and when she got there my parents were waiting for her. That is when everything changed. Her parents weren?t angry but concerned. They wouldn?t answer her questions about the young man, in fact they seemed to avoided it all together. Instead they kept asking her questions, ones that she couldn?t even begin to answer. Still shaken by what happened, they sat down and talked. They told her about her bloodlines and what she was but she simply didn?t care. They spoke, she listened, but there was only one care on her mind and heart. One she would not be able to get an answer for even as the hours dragged on.

Finally they relented and she was allowed to go to her room to sleep. She restless but by the time she hit the pillows out like a light.

That first night was the start of the nightmares. His screams and the way he looked at her would haunt her from that day forward.