Said The King To The River

Said The King To The River

[Ember]

Woods are supposed to be mysterious and wonderful. Standing there with the wind flowing through your hair making it dance. The trees hovering over you listening quietly to your heart beat. They may be silent but sure they are there, listening and waiting. They’re there to protect us and shield us. I can remember that night, running through the woods with my friends. It was graduation night and we were setting up a Bon Fire. I remembered the faces of all of my friends, grinning and spilling beer on each other drunkenly laughing as if there was no care in the world. You could feel the warmth from the happiness everyone produced, it was beautiful. There was magic there. Of course, I thought I’d be going off to college and meet a guy maybe marry him, finish school and have a family I thought of all the possibilities. Standing there watching the fire lick the wood it burned and flickered, shivering with heated delight. I watched it, and I imagined my future right before me, knowing this was how my life would be. Perfect. I’m not naïve, I know there would be some obstacles but they were obsolete at the moment. Jack headed towards me, Jack was my boyfriend at the time and standing next to me he caught me in a daze. His charming smile meeting my gaze; he had dimples and a beauty mark near the corner of his moss green eyes. His hair was mousey brown and thick and he was 6’4 and lean. I mean after all I was dating the captain of the lacrosse team who just so happen to be going to Yale that following fall. Even though we had plans to go to different colleges we knew we’d stay connected no matter what. He took me by the hand, cupping his beer with the other speaking to me softly about memories we shared. I smiled at him and blush at particular bits of the tale, especially at some that involved the both of our bare bodies touching. He knew how to make me cower, feel coy, feel like the only girl in the world. Jack was a ladies man, smooth talker and a sophisticated boy. We walked through the woods, away from the camping site and towards a lake, the moon reflected off of it and it only made the romantic tension between us stronger. He commented on the aestheticism of the gleaming moon, how the reflection reminded him of how narcissistic the moon can be, flaunting her figure within any form of mirror she can find. He stopped at the edge to face me. “You’re much more beautiful than the moon.” I nodded, blushing and covering my pink cheeks. Trembling at his words, he always knew how to sweep me off my feet even if it was a copy of a famous play. He ran a finger across the right side of my face, looking at me with hazy eyes and a quivering bottom lip. I could feel the heat rise from his chest, aching to have more of me. I swore my heart was beating so loud that night because things took a turn I didn’t expect. My chest heaved, trying to control my breathing looking up into his green eyes, parting my lips as he drew closer towards my face. Everything around us seemed to disappear, until I saw from the corner of my eye a hand reach up and grab Jack by the throat. It was pale, white and translucent. The finger nails on the creature seemed to be worn down; I noticed this due to his fingers digging into Jack’s throat, pushing away the blood under them. The hand gripped his throat tightly, preventing air entering his lungs and air escaping. My eyes widen as Jack was thrown to the ground before me with such force that was humanly impossible. A man stood there, he wasn’t a man he was more than that. I could say I was mortified but truth be told I was in total shock, stunned by this man. He hunched over jacked and grinned a malicious smile and winked. “Number four says he likes the ring on your finger, it’d be polite to give him it.” Jack tried scrambling to his feet. “Fuck off you fucking freak!” He bellowed and looked to me. The marble like creature straightened his posture, losing the giddy expression before swiftly reaching towards Jack’s Class ring and breaking the entire finger off with one move as a blood curling scream leap out of his throat and into the night’s sky. I stumbled backwards, finally regaining consciousness. He looked to me, eyes focusing on my face, he snorted before breaking Jack’s neck. Leaving my boyfriend there dead on the cold dirt ground. All I could do was look at Jack, the man giggled. He had natural red hair and a wicked goofy grin I’d never forget, especially after he advanced on me saying in a drunken slur. “He shouldn’t have said that to number four.” His eyes went cross eyed, and he staggered towards me almost as if he was intoxicated. I blinked at him. I couldn’t speak, my mouth was dry and all I could do was shake violently like a skittish dog. He took one more step towards me. “I’m hungry, and I’m feeling pretty experimental tonight.”  That night the woods didn’t protect me, Jack failed to protect me, and my future plans were given up on. Instead, I was to live a life being a blood sucking fiend and a father’s disappointment. I always hear him mumble sometimes, “Should have had a vampire abortion.”