The FORBITTEN Promise

Chapter 5 - Charles

I became enraged. I walked to this boy named Erick and grabbed him by his jacket. I can feel my body shaking in anger. It took me everything, so my fangs weren’t visible and my eyes the color of blood. I can hear the cracks on the walls and floors.

How dare he call her – I should beat him! Beat him to the ground and teach him respect!

“Get the hell away from me!”

“Apologize.” I said through clenched teeth, feeling my fangs grow as I became angrier. How dare he! “Apologize to Lilith.”

“Hey,” I heard a voice. I looked beside me, on my left, to see three other boys. “I think, you should let go of my friend there.”

“Shut it Jose, and get lost. This isn’t your problem.” Lilith said. I looked at her, she walked in front of the boys and she stood with her back straight, her hands in tight fists at her sides, took a deep breath and she lowered her voice so no one could hear, but it was loud enough that I could still hear. “Or should I tell your girlfriends about your other girlfriends.” The boy named Jose looks stunned.

“How do –” Lilith looked at the boy on the right, ignoring him.

“What about you, Jorge? Want me to tell the coach, what you’ve been using?” Jorge turned pale and looked away. “And you David? Want me to tell everyone what you do in the girls’ locker room when no one’s around?” The other boy turned red with shock and embarrassment written all over his face. “I didn’t think so. Now, get lost or everyone in school will hear your little secrets.” They looked at each other then Erick.

“Sorry, man.” Jose said then they turned and walked away.

“Hey, nah, man! Get back here and get his ass off me!” Erick yelled after them.

I watched Lilith as she turned towards us, her body tense and her hands shaking in tight fists as she stalked towards us, her face scrunched up in anger and her eyes sharp as a predator.

When her sister, Ariel, walked in front of her then they started talking or more like Ariel was. Lilith’s face turned red and scrunched up even more – which I thought wasn’t even possible but seems like it is, at least for Lilith. Lilith’s jaw tighten, and the more Ariel talked, the more I saw her become angrier and she kept clenching and unclenching her fists. Lilith shook her head and walked past Ariel but Ariel grabbed Lilith’s arm with her hands and started pulling her back. Lilith let herself be pulled to the other side of the hall, just across from me and Erick. Ariel was talking while Lilith was pacing back and forth, her body tense like a wild animal in a cage.

“I’m not doing that!” Lilith said loudly, her voice rough and barely legible as she spoke.

But Ariel kept talking and Lilith, like a wild animal, pounce on her by slamming her hands on either side of Ariel’s shoulder on the wall, which caused her to let out a small scream as Lilith let out a loud animalistic snarl that was louder than her scream and had echoed throughout the halls. Lilith’s face was filled with so much fury, she was baring her teeth, clenching them so tightly I’m surprised they weren’t bleeding and I can see, from where I’m at, her left canine was looking sharp and long.

Then Lilith’s face gone from red to pink as she ran her hand up her face into her hair and nodded her head. Ariel looked a little relieved but still scared. Lilith then walked towards me a-nd Erick, shaking her head. When she reached us, her eyes were hard, cold, and was burning a reddish color. She stared at Erick then looked at me.

“Charles,” she said. “I need you to let go of Erick.”

My blood began to boil again. “Why should I?” I snapped.

“Because I’m telling you too!” She paused, looking away for a while as she took a big deep breath through her nose then looked back at me. “Sorry, please, let go of Erick.” she said more softly, but the struggle in her voice was there as she tried controlling her anger, so she could be polite to me. Even if I didn’t want to, my body reacted on its’ own. I released Erick but not before I shoved him against the wall as Lilith looked towards Ariel. “Remember, one chance and that’s it.” She looked at Erick and with such speed, she grabbed and started squeezing his throat. “Be thankful to my sister that I didn’t do anything to you. But remember what I said about your ball-s because you’re not going to get another chance, tu hijo de perra!”

Lilith hit the back of Erick’s head against the wall as the bell rang and walked away towards the long flight of stairs and picked up her bag from the floor.

“I’m sorry,” I turned my head to see Ariel standing beside me. “about my sister and that she dragged you into this. She’s a bit overprotective of me.” I looked at Ariel, she looked almost like Lilith, but the difference is very visible.

Ariel’s skin is darker than Lilith’s, her eyes are dark brown like chocolate and her hair is shoulder length and straight with light brown and streaks of dark brown. Her body figure is smaller than Lilith’s. There’s also a mischievous look in her eyes and her voice is lighter, high-pinch, and carefree while Lilith’s is low, controlled, and commanding, a bit in an angry way, but I can tell she tries to hide it or alters her voice a bit to not sound like she is angry when she’s not.

“It’s okay. I got myself involved without really thinking about the consequence I was getting into.” I said as I looked at Lilith.

Lilith was leaning against the railing with her hands in her pants pocket and there was a look in her eyes that was fierce, that sends my heart racing. The look was so fierce, it felt like she was ready to kill someone. I kept looking at her eyes and then noticed she was staring beside me. I looked beside me. Ariel was staring at me, or more like checking me out. She was looking up and down at me, then a mischievous smile came across her face, she looked up at me and the smile was replaced with a more sweet, innocent smile.

“Charles,” I looked at Lilith who was, now, standing next to the railing, but she was staring at Ariel with a much fiercer stare. “we need to head to our next class before we’re late.”

“Oh, yeah.” I said and walked towards Lilith.

“See you later, Charles.” Ariel called after me. I looked back at her and smiled then started to walk down the stairs.

“You too, Ariel. Get to class.” Lilith ordered, then started to walk down the stairs.

“Lilith, wait!” Ariel called. We both stopped, I was only a step away from Lilith when Ariel came to the steps and looked at Lilith. “You were going to have an attack again, weren’t you?”

Lilith took a deep breath. “I’m fine. I’m not– wasn’t going to have an attack.” She said.

“An attack?” I asked, staring at Lilith and realized, even if Lilith looked healthy on the outside, she could still be sick in the inside. Lilith looked at me.

“It’s nothing,” she said to me then looked at Ariel “I’m fine, now get to class before you’re late.” She turned away from us and continued walking down the stairs, I was about to follow her when Ariel stopped me.

“Do me a favor and keep an eye on her, my sister can be really stubborn about her health.” I nodded my head and quickly walked down the stairs to catch up to Lilith.

It was still raining once we walked out of the building, but I noticed something about Lilith. Her breathing was heavy as if she was having trouble breathing, puffs of white thick clouds being blown away from the wind every time she exhales, and her hand was on her chest clench-ing her shirt while rubbing her knuckles on her chest. I quickly walked in front of her, grabbed her shoulders, and looked her in the eye.

“What are you doing?” She asked but I didn’t answer, I stared at her in surprise. Her eye color were different, they weren’t reddish-brown. They were changing from red to crimson and I realized the attacks they were talking about, could actually be part of the change to a – Lilith push-ed me away and looked at me, her eyes going back to reddish-brown.

Lilith

            It was still raining when we walked out of the building, but Ariel was right. I was close to having an attack. For some reason, I only have attacks whenever I become angry but I don’t see that them as attacks, I see them as warning signs. I would’ve had a nose bleed if the fight went on longer but the good thing is, it didn’t.

I can’t let myself get a nosebleed that would be bad for me and really bad for the person I fight with. After the nosebleed, it all goes downhill. Man, I really was saved by the bell and by Ariel... I really hope She doesn’t come out again.

I was breathing heavily, blowing big puffs of white clouds in the cold air, my chest hurting. I was clenching my hand on my shirt, rubbing my knuckles on my chest and my teeth were killing me, it feels like I need to bite something … or someone. Before I knew it Charles was in front of me, grabbing me by my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

“What are you doing?” I asked, but he kept staring at me with a surprised look on his face. I pushed him away from me and looked at him. “What are you doing?” I asked again.

“Were you about to have an attack?” he asked.

My mouth hung a bit in surprise. How did he… Did he just guess I was having an attack?

“Th-That is none of your business.” I said and walked past him. He quickly walked beside me.

“How long have you been having these attacks?” He asked.

“Why does it matter to you?” I asked.

“Because it matters and… your sister asked me to keep an eye on you.” He said. I can feel my anger boiling again as I clenched my teeth tightly.

Ariel, of course! We were about to walk up the outside stairs to the library but I stopped two steps in front of Charles so I could look down at him. I looked at him straight in the eye. Now, it looks like he’s starting to get interested in her. Well, that’s nothing new with almost every guy I meet go from me to her!

 “The only person that needs to have their eyes kept on is my sister, not me!” I said angrily. I’m nothing but a doormat that says; ‘Welcome! Come in and meet my twin sister, don’t forget to rub your feet on my heart and face when you leave with her!’ “Keep out of my business, my attacks have nothing to do with you!”

Once I said that there was a sharp pain in my chest as if someone stabbed a needle into my heart. My breath caught in my throat as if I forgot how to breathe. I quickly grabbed the railing before I, almost, fell to my knees and clenched my shirt.

“Lilith?” Charles took a step towards me but I shook my head. I took deep, deep breathes through my mouth.

“I’m fine.” I gasped then the bell rang. “Damn, we’re late.” I quickly got up by pushing myself back and turned around while, slowly, I walked up the stairs still clenching my shirt and the railing.

“Lilith, we should go to the nurse’s office.” Charles said behind me. I gave him a hard stare.

“I’m fine. I’ve been through this for years and I don’t need you or anyone to worry about me.”

I’ve been having this for years, but for some reason, today my chest pain has become much more painful, much sharper towards my heart. But, also my teeth have been aching. I can’t explain it, but there’s a deep feeling inside me that has a powerful need to bite… Like that time years ago…

“For years! For how many years?” he asked. I let out a breath, feeling my chest pain going dull and starting to feel annoyed with Charles. I hate people asking me questions.

“Since you’ll probably won’t drop it.” I said. “For about the past six and a half years.”

“Six and half years!” Charles actually yelled in my ear.

“Any louder?” I asked and walked faster into the building than into the library.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” He said.

“Lily,” Miss. Leng said behind the desk. “Why are you late?” I didn’t bother to answer. I walked behind the desk and pointed my thumb at Charles.

“We have a new student for this period.” I said.

I placed my backpack on the counter to grab my reading glasses from the small pocket then dropped my backpack on the floor next to the other backpacks, behind the counter, and walked to the cart of books.

 “Charles, each of my students has their own section of shelves to put away their books.” Leng said placing Charles’s schedule on the desk. “I’ll have to give you your own self but in the meantime, Lilith can show you the ropes.” Great. “Lilith,” I looked at Leng. “do you mind showing Charles how things work around here?”

Yeah, I do mind. “Sure thing, miss.” I said as Charles walked towards me. I grabbed my ten or so books and walked to my shelf. My shelves are from Mye – Por and because of lately with the movies, the Twilight series have been popular on my selves for the past two months.

“Here let me help you.”  Charles said, taking most of my books from my hands.

“Thanks.” I said. I grabbed my glasses from my sweater pocket and looked at the shelves for the first three-letter and placed the books where they belonged.

Charles

            The more I looked at Lilith, the more I could hardly believe that for the past six and half years she’s been fighting the change. But the one thing that bothers me is what is the cause of her change? Lilith looked at me over the bridges of her glasses, under her lashes, making her eyes seem more intense and... exhilarating.

“Let me show you, how to put away the books.” She grabbed a book from the stack I was holding and showed me the spine. “The three letters are the first three letters of the author’s last name, so you’ll have to look at the spines of the books and when you find books with the same initial you’ll have to check if it’s the same author.” She looks at the spine, then looked at the self. She let out a breath. “Can you put this book up there?” she asked, giving me the book.

“Sure.” I said and she took the books I was holding for her.

I looked at the spine, then looked up at the selves, I found the initials and was about to push the book in between two other books when Lilith hit my arm with a book. I looked at her.

“Make sure it’s the same author.” She said and I looked at the book title, ‘Time of the Witches’ by Anna Myers. I looked up at the self and saw I was going to put the book between, ‘Slam!’ by Walter Dean Myers.

“How– ” I began but Lilith was already down the other end of the shelves putting away the last of the books. I searched for the author on the top shelve but I didn’t find her until I looked at the bottom shelf where I saw her name. I put the book away and walked to Lilith. “That book belonged on the bottom shelf, not on the top.”

“I know.” she said.

“Then why did you tell me it was on the top?” I asked.

“You’re going to have to do this and so I tested you, to see if you can correct my error of telling you where the book belonged.” She separated two books and placed the last of the books in between. “And you failed.”

What a great way to teach people who never done this in their life. I thought bitterly.

“Hey, Lilith.” I heard a voice say behind me.

I turned around to see a boy with blond short hair and blue eyes, wearing a black CSULA sweater, under his sweater, I can see the top of a black shirt and he was wearing blue jeans.

“Yeah.” Lilith said as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “What’s up, Javi?”

“I need help with this one book on my shelf.” He said and handed her the book, he looked at me, nodded his head then back at Lilith. Lilith walked to the other side of the bookshelves, me and Javi(?) followed her. She was looking up and down the shelves then she placed a finger on a book and looked at Javi.

“It goes right here.” She said before tapping him on the head with the book. “You suck at putti-ng away books, let alone pulling cards.” She said and gave him the book then she looked at me. “Also, this is Charles. He’s going to be having service with us. Charles, this is Javier.” Javier looked at me and laughed.

I frowned, feeling myself wanting to growl at him. Is something funny?

“Wow. Good luck man.” he said then he grabbed a stack of books that were on the floor and started going down the shelves.

“What did he mean by that?” I asked.

“You’re going to find out,” Lilith said and walked past me, patting my back. “soon.” She walked back to her shelves, going to the cart then the front desk.

            Lilith told and taught me a few things on how to pull out cards, shelving books, and how to organize books on the cart. There was still twenty minutes before class ended and now I have a chance to talk to her and figure out the cause of her change. The last time I saw her was that she grabbed a book from her backpack and went behind the shelves just opposite of hers. I walked behind her shelves and found her laying on one of the two purple couches, her back towards me.

“Lilith?” She didn’t turn around. “Lilith?” I called her name again and walked towards her then realized she’s asleep.

She fell asleep with the book in her hand and with her glasses still on. I took the book out of her hand and placed the bookmarker where she left off then looked at the book she was reading. ‘Twice Bitten’ by Chloe Neill, A Chicagoland Vampires Novel.  So she enjoys reading vampire books. Well, that’s a big surprise maybe it won’t be so hard after all. I looked at her and carefully took off her glasses then realized she was pale, paler than before and her lips look a bit blue. I sat down beside her, touching her face and she felt cold, really cold.

“Lilith?” I shook her shoulder and her head rolled to the side, unresponsive. “Lilith! Lilith, wake up! Come on, wake up!” I hissed.

I was about to press my ear against her chest to see if I can hear her heartbeat when I heard a groan – no, not a groan, a growl. She growled and her eyes opened, I sat there shocked. Her eyes were crimson, like blood. She slowly sat up, looked into my eyes, and smiled. Her canines sharp. I suddenly got this bad feeling.

“Charles.” She said. I felt my throat vibrate as if I wanted to growl… or purr.

“Lilith?” Lilith pressed her finger against my lips, it sent a shiver down my spine. I could barely feel her body heat.

“Shhh, soon. We will be with you soon.” We? “She’s pretty strong, to be fighting for so long but, then again, I have been helping her from time to time.”

 “What do you mean?” I asked. “I don’t understand.”

“You need to change us soon or give us some of your blood or else you will lose us. She’s, no, we are getting weaker.” She let out a small dark chuckle. “Well, in your term weaker but I’m surprised we made it this long but we can’t survive much longer without your blood.” She said, rubbing her right eye. “I don’t have time to tell you.” then I realized her right eye is a reddish-brown eye while her left is crimson. “She’s coming back, but it was nice meeting you again, Charles. Even if she did forget about you.” She grabbed my shirt, pulling me towards her, and kissed me. I sat there shocked, Lilith’s lips were still a bit cold but I can, now, feel her body heat rising. When she moved away from me, both her eyes were back to reddish-brown.

“What the –” she pushed me and backed up against the couch and sat there shocked and surpr-ised, her face turning pink than red.