Ravenswynd Legends

Invitation (part 2)

“Do you want to stop home with me later so I can ask Lindy?” I snickered. “I hope she doesn’t think we’ve gone completely mad!”

Fiona was not at all surprised by my choice to ask my twin. But she looked at me with a question in her eyes, and then she frowned like a child caught in the act of making up a story.

“Lizzy, you do believe me, don’t you? I mean, about the legends and all. It really is true. You’ll see.”

“Fiona, all I know for sure is that I’ve agreed to go out on Friday night. I have no idea where, or who else will be there other than you and my sister if she says she’s even interested. And that I plan to have some fun.” I felt like I had succeeded in avoiding the question quite well, but then I saw the look of hurt come across Fiona’s face. Her eyes became moist with tears, and I thought she’d lose the battle to hold them back if I didn’t add anything more. I reached across the table and touched her pale hand.

“Oh Fiona, I think you’ve wanted the legends to be true for so long that, to you, they are. Don’t get me wrong. I think it would be cool if they were true. I’m just not so sure I can have as much faith in the legends as you do, but I’m willing to find out first hand. That’s got to mean something, right?”

With a heavy uneasiness, I flipped my hair behind my shoulder. I hated to hurt people’s feelings more than anything.

“I knew all along you didn’t believe me, Lizzy,” she sighed. “But you’ll see. You’ll finally find out for yourself. I don’t know about you, but if some of the other stories are even remotely true,” she said lowering her voice, “I mean the stories about being able to ask one of the vampires to change me. Well, I’m planning to ask!” Her face, usually the shade of paper, became pinkish around the edges –alive, and more determined than I’d ever seen her. Her freckles all but disappeared completely with this new color in her cheeks. It was quite becoming. I had always wondered why she didn’t try just a little makeup but, for some reason, she refused to even consider it. Just a tad of blush would go a long way on so pale a face.

During my musings about her cheek color, her statement struck me like a lightning bolt. She wanted to become a vampire! I was at once completely appalled and, at the same time, fascinated with such a thought. Being immortal? I had never seriously considered such a thing. Immortality only happened in movies or pertained to angels or something akin to God. I wasn’t able to wrap my brain around the whole idea of it. I blinked back the ever-increasing sense of darkness as my mind wandered toward the meaning behind these thoughts of living forever: Immortality – life without end.

“Did you hear me, Lizzy?”

“I...um... yes, I did hear you.” I had turned into a stammering fool. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

Dumbfounded at both her statement and my sudden and unbelievably agreeable impression of the very idea of it all, I could barely breathe. It seemed like such a wonderful concept. I had no idea I wanted to live forever. I never imagined it could be possible. Why now? Was it just the truth behind my red-headed friend’s face, or could there be something lurking in my family history that I never was aware of until this exact moment in time? My heart jumped as though given a shot of adrenalin, and then began to hammer so hard and fast I thought it would burst. As the pounding increased I started to freak out, and I had to force myself to take some deep breaths…in and out… in and out - in a slow, methodical way. It didn’t help. I put my hand on my chest and was even more alarmed when I could feel the pounding!

“What’s wrong, Lizzy? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. You’re as pale as me!”

Fiona’s words echoed in the back of my mind. My ears started to ring and then plugged up as if stuffed with cotton, muffling Fiona’s words. My head spun. My vision blurred. Everything evaporated into blackness. The next thing I knew, Fiona’s frightened and now bright red face loomed above me as I opened my eyes.

“Lizzy! Lizzy, are you okay? Oh my God, what happened to you? I thought I lost you for a second!” she said, as her hands fluttered from my cheeks to my forehead feeling for a temperature. “Can you get up yet? I think you fainted!”

Fiona helped me sit upright with a soft hand on my back. Immediately feeling self-conscious, I looked around to see if there were other people still in the general area. My sigh sounded more like a moan. Someone in a black hooded sweatshirt had just gone out through the glass door leaving The Café nearly empty, except for one flannel-clad individual slouched in the corner facing away from us. I felt my head for bumps or blood. There was none.

“I think I’m okay,” I said in a mumble, and smoothed out my hair.

My heart rate had slowed considerably while I sat on the floor for a few more minutes and then took Fiona’s hand. She helped me stand back up and ease myself onto the chair. I glanced up at the clock and realized I had already missed half of my next class.

“Oh, flaming hell!”

Fiona’s eyes followed mine to the clock, understanding at once what I meant. “Sorry, Lizzy. I guess it’s my fault.”

“No, that’s okay. I don’t know what that was about, but I’m guessing maybe I’m a bit anxious about Friday night, is all. I mean, if you’re right, and the legends are true, we would be taking quite a risk, wouldn’t we? Who’s to say they just don’t lure us weak-minded humans to their so-called party, pretending all is fine for a few hours, just so they can do whatever they want to do with - and to us?”

“I know,” she sighed, “I’ve thought of that too, but a part of me totally believes the legends, and that’s what I’m clinging to. I don’t want to spend my life wondering if it was real, only to end up like my foster mother. Old and lonely. If it is true, I plan to be twenty-two forever. And, with any kind of luck at all, I will meet my soul-mate.” Fiona raised her eyebrows and gave me a quick smile before going on.

“I heard that if you meet your perfect someone at one of these parties, you’ll be together forever...for all eternity...just like all the silly fairy tales we heard when we were little...happily-ever-after. Only, in this life here as humans, happily-ever-after is more like hardly-ever-happens. And, even if it does, it only means you’ll have but a few years here on earth with your loved ones, and then bang, you’re gone.” She shook her head back and forth so slow and sad; it made me want to cry.

I took another deep breath, mulling over what she’d said. “Well, let’s hope it is true then. Since you’ve painted such a bleak picture of my future, I have to hope you’re right.” I studied her thoughtfully and then smiled. “Now, let’s go ask my sister if she’d like to go to the only party I know of where you get to have your cake and eat it too, eternally speaking.”

Fiona laughed at what I knew was my feeble attempt to be funny. But I could tell it was a nervous laugh, and I assumed it had to be due to her increasing fear of my brand new ability to faint without any known reason. Most likely her fear centered on me fainting again and hitting my head once we were outside, thereby making me unavailable to enter the realm of the secret world of vampires she so hoped to witness. I had to chuckle at my own crazy musings now as we buttoned up to head out into the early winter breezes. It surprised me when Fiona held my arm and carried my backpack. She was truly worried for me.

All of a sudden I was struck with another question for my nutty vegetarian friend. I was sure she’d already have an answer for this, and although the cold wind whipping in our faces made it hard to breathe, much less talk, I still had to ask.

“Fiona,” I started with caution. “How in the world can you consider becoming a creature who consumes blood when all these years you’ve refused to eat meat in any form?”

“That’s an easy one, Lizzy,” she snickered and put her hand on her chest as she continued, “No animals will be harmed in the making of this vampire!”

I had a good chuckle at that one too. “Imagine that,” I giggled. “You may become the first vegetarian vampire! Oh!” I said in a quick shout. “I’ll make you a new bumper sticker to put over your animal rights one. Instead of P.E.T.A. we can replace the P with a V.” All but in hysterics now, I could barely spit it out, and then finally between snickers and snorts I said, “Vampires for the Ethical Treatment of Animals!”

Fiona scowled at me and my silliness as I continued to laugh at what I thought to be quite witty.

“Whatever you say, Lizzy,” she said shaking her head as she pulled me toward the sidewalk.

When I saw the determined look on Fiona’s face I realized again just how serious she was about this. The sudden chill crawling up my spine coupled with her sober look ended my laughter with an abrupt snort. I could see that she had made up her mind, and no amount of teasing would sway her. In the midst of an unsettling shudder, I realized that drinking human blood wasn’t going to bother her in the least.

We eventually made it to my building without any negative happenings, other than the fact that my face was frozen and I could barely move my lips.

When we walked into Sweet Hall in silence, Fiona was still clutching my arm, apparently not taking any chances with me. I was deep in thought about the upcoming weekend and what it might entail; Fiona was probably sending up silent prayers that nothing would prevent us from going through with our plans.

Rubbing a sore spot on my head, I hoped that my sister didn’t have the same reaction as I had. My plan was to talk to her while she sat on the bed, pillows all around us, just in case.