Blood and Silver: First Bite

Crimson

The rest of the week seemed the to blur into one. It was school, diner, sleep, repeat. Hannah joined her a couple of times, and Jackson never came.

Abigail’s disappointment put her into a depression. She felt heartbroken and rejected - he knew where to find her, so why hadn’t he come to see her? She didn’t even care about her phone, she just wanted to see his handsome face and feel the flutters again.

Hannah came to the house on Saturday night and dragged her out shopping. She told Laura it was a sleepover and promised to not let Abigail out of her sight.

They went to the mall, where Hannah bought Abigail a new phone since it seemed like she wasn’t getting hers back, and a couple of outfits, hoping it would cheer her up, but she could tell that her friend was not okay.

‘Maybe he’s busy? What does he do for work?’ Hannah asked.

Abigail suddenly realised she didn’t even know. She knew nothing about this man yet she was pining after him!

‘I don’t even know Han!’ She said with an incredulous laugh. ‘Like why am I missing him so much, I don’t even know the guy!’

Hannah linked arms with her.

‘I dunno babe, maybe ‘cause he looks like a male model, but you know those ridiculously hot guys are all jerks. You’re better off without him. Now let’s get some ice cream. If that doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will!’

They went to the local ice cream parlour, sat down and ordered waffles and ice cream. Hannah filled Abigail in on her blossoming relationship with Jared. He was in the middle of exams so couldn’t see her, but he messaged and phoned her several times a day. It seemed like the real deal, and Abigail was happy to see her best friend with such a bright, happy glow.

‘Hey, what did you say Jackson’s surname was?’ Ask Hannah suddenly, whipping out her phone. She was having one of her lightbulb moments.

‘I think the sheriff called him Jackson Gray?’ Abigail replied.

Hannah immediately started looking him up on social media and business accounts. ‘Jackson Gray, where are you hiding?’ She said to herself as she scrolled through search results.

The waiter had arrived with their milkshakes, but neither girl noticed him and continued their social media search.

‘There’s nothing babe, it’s like he’s a ghost. Who doesn’t have Insta?’ Said Hannah.

‘Your milkshakes!’ Said the waiter, clearing his throat awkwardly. The poor guy had been standing and waiting for them to look up and make space in the table for at least a couple of minutes.

‘Oh, sorry!’ Said Abigail, clearing a space in front of her.

The waiter smiled and set the milkshakes down. As he got back to the he counter took out his phone, surreptitiously took a picture of Abigail and Hannah and typed a message, before returning his phone to his pocket.

The girls were still deep in conversation and hadn’t noticed him do this, which was probably in his best interests, as Hannah did not take kindly to being photographed without her permission.

‘I don’t get it, maybe I was imagining him flirting with me? Ugh I’m so stupid. First guy I ever like and this happens. I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything.’ Sighed Abigail.

‘Babe’ said Hannah, holding Abigail’s hand and rubbing it with her thumb. ‘You are worth so much better. It’s his loss, you’re f*****g hot, smart and the sweetest person in the world. So you got ghosted, it’s a reflection on him, not you! Any guy would be lucky to get as close to you as he did. He’s an i***t, that’s not your fault.’

Abigail smiled gratefully. They paid the bill and headed back to Hannah’s house.

They walked into Hannah’s room, where Hannah flipped onto the bed and Abigail looked around.

‘Oh yeah, my necklace!’ Abigail said. ‘I forgot I left it here! Do you know where it is?’

Hannah went to her nightstand.

‘It’s not here, one of the cleaners must’ve put it away.’ She said. She walked over to her jewellery box. ‘Here it is!’ She said, handing it back to Abigail, who gratefully placed the chain over her head and back around her neck.

‘I’ve felt naked without it!’ She laughed, clutching the pendant. ‘I’ve worn it for so long, I honestly felt like a piece of me was missing!’

She looked down at it, and her smile went away. The white pendant had a small red dot on it, that looked like a drop of blood. She tried to wipe it off with her thumb, but she saw the red dot swirl and grow, until the whole pendant was a deep crimson.

Hannah reached out to Abigail.

‘Oh cool, I didn’t know it could do that!’ She said, staring at the necklace.

‘Yeah.’ Replied Abigail, absentmindedly. ‘I’ve gotta go home.’ She suddenly said.

‘Ah come on! I wanted to you to come out with me tonight! Jared is taking a break from his paper and he said he could bring a friend to keep you company!’ Said Hannah.

‘I’m sorry, there’s just something I need to do tonight Han. Rain check? I’ll come with you the next time.’

‘Okay,’ sighed Hannah, disappointed. ‘But you have to let me take you home.’

Abigail nodded and smirked. Any excuse for Hannah to drive her shiny new red Porsche coupe.

‘I see that look babe. My parents got me my dream car for my birthday, I intend to show them I grateful I am by using it every day!’ She said gleefully.

Abigail never felt jealous of Hannah. After all, it was largely due to Hannah and her family that her life had improved so dramatically. But she couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat unfair that Hannah never had to work for anything, and it was always handed to her on a silver platter. She had tutors and extra lessons which helped her to maintain her status as a straight A student. Abigail was smarter academically and her grades were equal to or better than Hannah’s, but she had to work on it herself and didn’t have the luxury of having someone else to simplify and help her understand everything.

Hannah took Abigail home, and they said their goodbyes.

Abigail went inside the house and headed straight for the garage. She found the pile of old boxes that she was looking for, and after moving things around she finally found the box marked ‘For Abigail’.

Mrs Smirnova had passed away 4 years ago. Abigail and Laura had headed back to their old town and attended her funeral. Apart from a home care worker who had assisted her in her last year, Abigail and Laura were the only people who attended.

After the service, the home carer approached them and asked if one of them was Abigail. Abigail nodded.

The carer told them that Mrs Smirnova had still been a grumpy old woman, but in her final days she’d become increasingly confused and would call her by Abigail’s name and tell her not to change the channel. Abigail had laughed at the time.

The carer went to the boot of her car and took out the box with Abigail’s name on it, and handed it over.

‘She made me promise to make sure that you got this.’ She had said.

In the box had been some books and journals, some strange drawings and a jar of toffees. Abigail had eaten the toffees but wasn’t interested in anything else at the time. Until now.

She wanted to know why her necklace had changed. Since Mrs Smirnova wasn’t around to tell her, she hoped that something she had left for her would have the answers.

She carried the box to her room and started laying the books out on her bed, not knowing where to start. As she turned to put the empty box on the floor, she knocked one off the journals on the floor, where it flipped open to a page which had a simplistic drawing of a beast like creature. On the page the words were written:

Child has volkolak blood. She will be safe as long as she is never bitten. I am making talisman to protect child but she must never remove.

Abigail’s mind flashed to the party, where she’d removed the necklace. And the woods where she was sure that something had bitten her. But safe? Safe from what?

She took out her phone and entered the word volkolak into her search bar. She scrunched up her face in confusion and she scrolled through the results.

It was the Russian word for Werewolf.