Crescent • A Twilight Story

The Boys

I ignored the guys questions and jeers, heading home right after practice. Pulling my SUV in beside his truck, a faint remnant of the girl's scent clung inside.

The desire surged once more, every atom in my body surging to find her and end it. I swallowed it down, fire burning in the base of my throat as I walked inside.

Mom was on the phone in the kitchen, dad sitting at the table with his lap top.

"I'll call you back. Yes, I'll tell him." She hung up, tossing me an apple.

"Alright. Talk." I plopped down on a bar stool, as she stirred some things on the stove. "I got your cryptic messages."

"I thought it was pretty straight-forward." Dad closed his computer, shrugging. "We have a guest."

"And?" Mom kept her back to me, though it turned rigid as he did all the talking.

"The short of it. Things took a bad turn." A sharp sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "And the girl saw."

My hands went clammy.

"We're chalking it up to shock. But the risk of exposure is high."

"So you brought her to Casa de Freak show?"

"What would you rather do? Have her stuck at the station, then shipped off to a group home?"

"Well, no. But,"

"Her mom was the imprint of my," He shook his head. "There's a responsibility here."

"And you think this is the safest place for her? What happens when our extended family comes by for a visit? Or worse." I immediately regretted saying it, his palm hitting the table.

"This is a wrong I don't know how to set right any other way." His chair scraped the hardwood. "There's a girl out back who needs someone in her corner. Maybe think about that."

But that was exactly who I was thinking about. He had no idea just how dangerous it was, having her here.

Dad bounded out the front door, slamming it behind him. When I was sure he was out of ear shot, I turned to Mom.

She kept her back to me, and I willed myself to come clean. To say the truth. The horrible, gruesome truth.

"Mom,"

"I'm not happy with it either." Her shoulders rolled back. "For now, this seems like the right thing. We'll just have to be careful."

Easier said than done.

She reached over, showing me the girl from her point of view. Weak and shriveled, sickly almost.

And shaking with fear.

"I understand." Though it would be impossible to bear.

"Go get a shower, Ward. You reek." I figured as much, my hair still damp between sweat and rain.

"And then I want to hear all about your trip with the guys and your first day."

I groaned, taking the stairs four at a time. I started up the shower, spotting the cottage from the bathroom window. Tuning in, light drifted from the bedroom.

A few raspy breaths, some sniffles here and there. I instantly felt guilt, guilt for selfishly wanting her to leave. Guilt for wanting her so badly, in the worst way imaginable.

The vision came back, the field. A familiar voice crying out. I shivered in the warm flow of water.

She didn't join us for dinner, allowing us to talk like a normal family, sharing in each other's days.  Pretending everything was fine.that dad wasn't still upset, mom wasn't still nervous, and I wasn't bloodthirsty.