Post
by Galen » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:52 am
-----
“We can’t stay here, can we?” Oskar spoke only when he heard the door to the bedroom click shut.
He realized this when Emma simply wouldn’t leave them alone. The older couple seemed nice enough, but that was the problem. How many times had they suggested calling the police?
“No, probably not. Not even for the daytime tomorrow.” Eli confirmed it... no, it was worse, not even a whole day? He was still exhausted.
That’s right, the daytime -- they had to hide, all day, and sleep.
“Not unless,” Eli’s head tilted to one side, lips pressed forward in a frown.
“No.” Oskar instinctively refused, “No, definitely not.” No, he liked Emma, or so he'd decided just then. But he knew exactly what Eli meant, somehow those thoughts were already on his mind.
Eli nodded, and it looked like that was going to be that. Good. But then,
“Oskar... You’re not out of the woods yet.” Eli placed a hand on Oskar’s thigh.
“What?” He heard a warning in Eli’s voice.
“You said you weren’t hungry. You will be, and soon. Hungrier than you can possibly imagine.”
“Ok, I get it.” He didn’t, but Oskar wanted to. He wanted to be alright with it, to be able to handle it -- his new life. He did, he decided, he felt strong, so strong.
“I understand not wanting to...” Eli looked over a shoulder, toward the bedroom door, still shut, “Especially because they are nice. But,”
Oskar felt his stomach tremble a bit, it spread into his back. It wasn’t hunger -- it was nervousness.
“She reminds me of my mom.” She was probably about the same age, he figured. Oskar just missed his mother, already.
Mentioning his mother how Eli fed in the same conversation made him feel sick. He didn’t want to think about that, but now he couldn’t stop himself.
Eli merely stared at him. He’d seen this look before, on the jungle gym, telling him to strike back at... they were dead now, he was gone, it didn’t matter.
“If you don’t, it will make you.” Eli’s other hand went to Oskar’s chest, rubbing up and down. “In there. It will force you to, and you won’t be able to stop it, you won’t even know who you are, or what you are doing.”
Oskar looked down to Eli’s hand, then back up to those eyes. He could feel that spot in his chest, feel what was inside of him, growing, taking over even still. He swallowed, couldn’t get it all down, and felt his stomach pull up in fear.
“It will take you, make you its own. Maybe, maybe a hundred years ago you could live like that, but now.” Eli shook his head, “We wouldn’t last a week, it would get you killed.”
Of course.
Oskar had a realization. Modern society made being a vampire, no, being like Eli, difficult. They weren’t going to be vampires, as cool as that sounded to him. He shivered some more, his teeth chattering.
Hearing Eli speak as though a hundred years ago was a time so easily understood only served to make him more nervous; nervous of being so close to Eli -- he moved back a bit -- away. Eli felt so old to him all of a sudden.
“But worst of all, you wouldn’t be you. You wouldn’t be my Oskar.” Those last few words barely made their way out of Eli’s lips; they’d gotten caught in the throat. Eli’s eyes teared up, “And to you, I wouldn't be your Eli.”
Oskar took slow breath through his mouth, trying to calm himself and control that shivering. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Eli.
“I won’t let it take me -- I won’t let it break us apart.” He’d do what was necessary, he thought. One day.
“You can’t promise that, you’re not strong enough.” Eli rested his head against Oskar’s chest, who immediately pulled him close.
“I won’t let it.”
He felt Eli tremble in his arms, just as he was. Eli had been strong for him, now he had to be, just in a different way.
Oskar felt a rumble in his stomach. Was he starting to feel hungry already? Or was it just this conversation playing a trick on his mind?
“I will go out, in a bit.” Eli’s fingertips tapped on his chest, “If you feed it a lot, it will listen to you more. It will give you... trust. I can help you with this.”
Oskar had been quiet, unsure if he fully understood, if he even wanted to. Their embrace broke and Eli turned to the side, letting the covers fall off in order to retrieve some of the discarded clothing.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll bring some food for you.” Eli had used familiar, disturbing words. The old guy -- the supposed father of the little girl Eli -- had gone out for food, he’d been told. Oskar didn’t want to know everything it would mean. It was probably better to think of their needs in a very normal way, both for his own conscience, and in case anyone happened to be eavesdropping.
“And then, we need to move. Before dawn.”
“Right.” Oskar mirrored Eli. “Should I come with you? I don’t want you to have to go alone.” He didn’t want to though, not really.
“No. No, not yet. Don’t worry about me. I’m strong right now. I’ve had a lot recently, and I’m good at this.”
Oskar watched as Eli pulled on some pants, his eyes on the pale skin of his closest friend. There, on his back, small bumps -- scars? He reached out and touched Eli with his fingertips in that area. Was that where that large wound was?
Eli twisted at the waist so fast it made Oskar jump, but then a smile made its way onto his lips, and Oskar grinned right back.
“Ok, I’ll just... wait here.”
Eli nodded and finished getting dressed.
Oskar bit his lips, nervous about being left. His whole life had been turned upside down. He didn’t know how to survive like this, not by himself. What if something happened to Eli and he was truly alone? It was more and more terrifying to think about by the second.
He was in an apartment of two adults he didn’t know. The twelve, almost thirteen year old in him was positive this was a horrible idea, and yet to Eli, it seemed entirely natural to be living in a stranger’s house. He’d done this before, a lot, probably. Then he realized these adults were the ones who had to be afraid, not the other way around.
“And I should probably hurry, before you...” Eli’s words snapped Oskar out of his inner thoughts, he looked up.
“Nevermind, just, stay here. Try to sleep a little, if you can. I promise to be back before... before long.” Eli looked unsure, apologetic.
“OK.” Oskar simply stared back at Eli, not liking that look.
Without warning, Eli leaned toward him and pressed their lips together, eyes closed while wrapping his arms around Oskar’s neck, hugging him close.
Oskar’s eyes opened wide at first, surprised, then settled into the feeling. Maybe one day it wouldn’t be such a startling thing to be kissed by Eli, but he hoped not.
In seconds, not minutes, the moment was over. Eli was fully dressed and out of the room, into the kitchen, on a mission. There was some clanking of pots, silverware and other random kitchenware before Eli appeared again. He began rummaging through the older couple’s things as though they simply belonged to him, and snatched a shoulder bag.
Oskar got a quick smile and a wave before Eli left out of view. The door to the apartment opened, and closed, and he was alone. He swallowed hard, it was so sudden.
He sighed. What to do?
It felt like the trunk was staring at him, so he looked over his shoulder at it. This was the entirety of his belongings now. It wasn’t really a big deal -- he didn’t have much before -- and he didn’t need anything now. Still, it was an odd feeling to not have a home to go to. Taking a bit of inspiration from Eli, he began looking through what was now both of their things with little regard to Eli’s privacy.