Afterlife by Isabella Kruger Page B

night wondering if he was still alive, but nothing not even my dreams could ease a gnawing feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right. Martha and Oscar knew something was up with me, but had eventually described it as another teenage faze that they had to endure. The truth was this wasn't really just another teenage faze or rebellion it was what I had become.
     
    I could hardly sleep or eat and when I slept his face was everywhere, in my dreams, in my work. Everytime a customer opened the door, every time I walked into town and saw someone vaguely resembling, I wished that it would be him. I had to see him and then I decided to plan it all out.
     
    That night I dreamed that I was screaming and shouting at him letting him know how much his absence annoyed me. I woke up in a cold sweat from the nightmare.
     
    The next morning I made some lame excuse that I had read all my books and needed to go to the library. Giving me a knowing look, Martha knew not to comment and allowed me to go after giving me a gentle hug and telling me to be careful on my own. I ran as fast as my legs would allow me, ducking away as I changed direction towards the foot hills and into the forest. I ran until I was lost again, hoping that he would save me the way he did before.
     
    I could sense his smell, his heart beating.
     
    “I know you’re out there” I screamed. “Daniel don't be a girl, come out here and face me!”
     
    My voice echoed and I was starting to sound ridicules. He was never coming back. I stared at the world around me it, was empty as empty as my heart. How could he do this to me? I felt tears well up and collapsed on a log of wood. I felt like a little girl again, rejected, left alone, but the only difference was that I was now longing for someone I hardly knew.
     
    Then out of nowhere I felt a hand on my shoulder and an excited shiver ran down my spine. There was only one person it could belong to - Daniel. I can't remember the amount of minutes or seconds that we sat there, but it seemed like an eternity, I broke the silence by turning around and locking my eyes into his golden eyes. I hated not being able to contain myself around him, everything was out of order and out of place. My hair, my clothes and I felt like all I wanted was to please him, to make sure that he never left again.
     
    “Why did you leave me so abruptly?” I asked after an eternity of silence.
     
    “You wouldn’t understand.”
     
    “Why do you always say that?  Daniel you can't keep doing this. If you’re having trouble...”
     
     “I lied to you” he said numbly.
     
     “I don't fight vampires.”
     
    “What does this have to do …?”
     
    “Everything Fleur, everything.”  He grabbed me by both arms and his stare intensified. “If you knew the real me you wouldn't stay. You were right to chase me away the other night.”
     
    A stubborn look came across my face.  A staring game developed between us, both of us wanted to say something but we couldn't find the words. He took my hand and pushed me down to the stump again. His hand touching my face, his eyes examining me. I could feel a rush of excitement and want welling up inside of me.
     
    “If only you knew how much I want you, how ...” He pushed himself away from me. “Why did he always end up doing this to me?” Maybe it was fate that kept pushing us away and then pulling us in again like some sort of cosmic joke.
     
    I picked up my bag fuming and started walking away, because I had suddenly had enough of his games. I was over it. 
     
    He grabbed me around my waist and I could feel myself flying my head spinning. I had no idea what was happening. Daniel held me close and jumped onto a tree. “You can fly?” I asked worriedly feeling him closely. “No I'm just fast,” he said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “So am I Daniel, but I don't fly up trees.” He pushed me against the tree stump “Shut up already,” he said belting out a