A Glitch in Perfection

A Glitch In Perfection

            I woke to the sound of shadows moving over me, swift and silent.  I immediately felt my walls of protection slide away as my eyes stared through the darkness of my room, desperate to see.  The familiar neon green numbers that usually beamed boldly at me were not there—my alarm clock had been unplugged.  Bravely, I sat up.  I fixed my eyes on the far corner of my room, where my tall wardrobe stood.  The shadow there was misshapen and unusual…something wasn’t right.  Burning fear rose up my neck and face.  I closed my eyes and swallowed, beginning to adjust to the idea of reaching over and turning the light on.  This would involve stretching my exposed arm across one whole foot of open space where something could easily snatch it up and pull me…Well, I never really imagined further than that.  It had always been a childhood fear of mine that some formidable creature would grab hold of me if I ever moved outside the perimeter of my bed at night.  Even now, sixteen years old, and I’m afraid to turn the light on.  I shook myself.  Then, very slowly, I reached over and switched the light on. 
         Click.  I frowned and tried again.  Click, click, click, click.  Nothing; my light would not turn on.  I jerked my hand back and snuggled under the covers.  Maybe the power was out.
         There was a rustle of movement from the corner of suspicion and I sat up again, hardly breathing.  That’s when I could swear my heart stopped, because the shadow that was once lurking silently between my wall and my wardrobe was now moving toward me in the unmistakable shape of a human.
         I couldn’t move.  I couldn’t blink.  I couldn’t breathe.  I could hardly even think.  But when the figure came right next to my bed, its hand extending in my direction, my senses slammed into me.
         “Who are you?” I cried, my hands clenched in terror.
         The shadow-figure’s hand slowly lowered.  What if I’d angered him—her.  Whoever it was. 
         “Please,” I whispered, “Don’t—don’t hurt me.”
         The figure laughed a low, quiet chuckle.  It was a man.  “So this is how you react?  Begging for mercy?  I thought you were braver than that, Serena.”
         I held back my surprised gasp.  “How do you know me?  How did you get here?  Who are you?”  My tone was hard and angry, proving that I wasn’t the coward he assumed me to be.
         The man stepped toward me again, reaching his hand out.  I was just about to block it with my arm, but he was too quick.  His hand was over my mouth, pulling me toward him.  I tried to scream, but my voice was muffled, so I kicked and threw my arms about, trying to hit him.  But he quickly wrapped his other around my torso, pinioning my arms to my sides.
         “Listen!” he whispered urgently in my ear, and I shuddered at the tickle of his voice against my skin.  “I do not wish to harm you, Serena, you must hear me.”
         I quickly nodded my okay, mostly out of fear.  When he next spoke, I could feel his lips move against my ear, delivering an insistence, sharp message that never had a chance to be finished.
         “If you are ever told or tempted to go to the Castle of Immortality, you must—”
         There was a sudden pulse of electricity that passed over my room, and my lamp flickered to life.  The man let go of me and I twisted around to face him, but he had already turned and made for my door, a cloak of midnight billowing behind him.
         “Wait!” I called, my hand stretched out in his direction.  I don’t even know why I said that, why I offered some stranger the chance to stay longer, why I had this unfamiliar, unexpected feeling somewhere deep inside me…  Either way, he didn’t stop.  But just before he slipped away, he glanced over his shoulder his eyes meeting mine.
         And I swear those eyes could have killed a person.  They were the most vivid blue I’d ever seen, with such an intoxicating potency in them that I didn’t have the words to call after him again before he was gone. 
         A long while later I fell back to sleep, my alarm clock in working order once again.  A minute past midnight, it informed me.  You are due to be at school in approximately seven hours and twenty-four minutes.

                                            

         When you live in a small town known for its distant, cold community and daily skies of black clouds, things such as “Castle of Immortality” are both common and slightly appealing to the bored adolescents who live there.  I quickly discovered this when I moved to Darques Town only a few months ago.  However, when I was notified about this particular castle the next day at school, I was interested for more reasons than just a cure for boredom.  The person who informed me about it was one who despised me almost as much as I did her.
         “So, Serena.  Ever heard of the Castle of Immortality?  I bet you’d just love it.”
         Now, when I first heard those three words Castle of Immortality come out of Myra’s mouth, my first reaction was to leap out of my seat and shake the girl, all the while badgering her with questions.  But then I had to remind myself that this was Myra.  Myra Flisteere.  Myra had instantly hated me almost the moment I had stepped into the classroom on my first day of school at Darques High.  I sighed, putting my pencil down carefully on my desk, and leaned back in my chair, stretching.
         “What do you want, Myra?” I said lazily.
         Myra’s eyes narrowed.  She placed her hands on either side of the desk and stooped over me, her glaring face inches from mine.
         “The Castle of Immortality, Serena, happens to be a building not too far from here, with something—someone who wishes to see you.”
         It was almost like I knew she was going to say that.
         “Right.  Like I’m going to believe that.  Now get out of the way, I’m trying to copy the notes on the board.”  I made a shooing motion with hand and peered over her shoulder, my pencil in hand once again.  But really, I did believe her.  Because there was also this one other tiny detail about my mysterious visitor last night:  I already knew him. Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose.  For years, I’ve always had this mental image of my perfect dream guy.  Beautiful beyond belief, with black curling hair and electrifying blue eyes.  Charming, romantic, passionate—an all around wonderful man.  After I’d dreamt about him for so long, I began to think to myself, if this guy was really real, really here on this very earth somewhere…Would he know me?  Would he think about me like I do him?  If I saw him in the street one day would he recognize me?  Talk to me?  What if he didn’t know me, didn’t understand my shock at the sight of him?  What if he wanted nothing to do with me?  What if…  I had so many thoughts and I began to worry for myself.  This had to be some kind of sickness.  I tried to forget about him; to purge him from my mind forever and live my life freely.  How else was I supposed to last, always critiquing guys because they didn’t look or act like my ideal man?
         So last night, when he came…I knew.  And I was afraid—so afraid—about what Myra might say about this so-called castle.
         “I’m not stupid, Serena,” Myra glowered at me, but shook her head, “Here’s the address.”  Sarcastically, she added, “Where all your dreams come true!”  Laughing, she walked away, leaving a little slip of paper on my desk staring up at me boldly.

                                                

         “Hey, Serena, wait up!”  Sydney raced down the hall after me.  When he caught up, he dropped his hand on my shoulder in a concerned gesture.  “Did you forget about me or something?  The second the bell rang, you were out of there so quick, I—are you all right?  You look flustered.  You’re not sick, are you?”
         I pushed the little piece of paper farther down in my pocket and threw on a smile.  “No, I’m fine.  Myra just—well, you know Myra.”
         Sydney’s apprehensive frown faded and he smiled back.  “I saw her talking to you.  What did she say?”
         “Oh, nothing, just being her usual self.”
         Sydney slipped his arm around my waist and leaned his head on mine.  “Well, moving away from unpleasant subjects, what are you doing this Saturday I was thinking maybe we could hang out.”
         “Sure. How about you come over to my house around seven and we have a movie night or something.”
         Sydney grinned and kissed my cheek.  “Sounds great.  See you then.”

                                                    

         It was Saturday night and the air was crisp and cool with an occasional, unexpected whipping wind.  The moment Sydney had left, a sudden feeling of anxiety swept over me.  I paced my room, straightening things on my dresser tops and on my bed.  I even changed clothes a couple times.  After a few minutes of this, I walked over to my window and pulled back the curtains.  I gasped, feeling my breath slip away at the sight. Moonlight flooded my dark room, silver-white and full of desire.  I felt something inside me flutter and twist, then finally collapse.  I took a step back, putting my foot down on something crinkly…I bent down to find a familiar slip of paper with long, slanted letters…
         That was it.  I had to do it.  I shoved the crumpled paper into my pocket, grabbed a jacket, and was soon on my way to the Castle of Immortality.

                                                        

         The weather was getting worse.  Clouds frequently passed in front of the moon and distant thunder sporadically shook the ground.  I looked down at the paper, thinking hard.  This castle sure was proving difficult to find.  Hadn’t Myra said it wasn’t too far away?
         I walked along the road that had led me a good ways out of the town by now.  The trees were getting thicker and the dirt road began to twist.  I could hear owls hooting through the whistling wind and I shivered, pulling my jacket tighter around me.  After a while, I came to a fork in the road.  There was an old, rotting sign stuck in the ground amongst waist high weeds, pointing in the two directions.  One of the indicators’ words had been brutally scratched out with some sort of red ink, it seemed, but the other clearly read, “CASTLE OF IMMORTALITY”.  It was aimed to the right.  I sighed, shaking my head.  I couldn’t believe I was actually doing this.  Just as I had begun to turn, someone stepped out of the trees.  Startled, I jumped back a few feet, repressing my scream.
         “Jumpy aren’t you?”  It was only Myra.  The wind lashed her black hair across her face, giving her a dangerous appearance that I had never seen on her before.  I mean, I knew she was vulgar and haughty and that she hated me, but this look was just…unnerving.  I backed away.
         “Myra…what are you doing here?”
         Myra stepped toward me, her eyes cold and merciless.  “I’ve come to show you the way to the castle.  It seems you’re having trouble.” Her tone was mocking.
         “Actually,” I shot back, “There’s a sign right there that tells me exactly where to go.  So, thank you, but I don’t need you’re help.”
         Myra smirked and strutted over to the sign.  She placed her hand on it and gave it a quick flip, so that the side that read, “CASTLE OF IMMORTALITY” was now facing the left.  She tilted her head, still simpering.
         “What’ll it be now, Serena?  Left or right?”  When I didn’t answer, she walked back over to me, now glaring.  “Did it ever occur to you to ask me how I found out about this castle?  Did you ever think to maybe, oh, I don’t know—bring someone with you just in case?”
         I stepped away, dread rising somewhere from my stomach.  “Just in case what?”
         Myra’s cold smile grew wider, her teeth flashing.  “Just in case I wasn’t what you think I am.”
         I stumbled in surprise and fell to the ground.  I tried to get back to my feet, but Myra had grabbed me by the collar of my jacket and lifted me off the ground.  Then I was slammed against a tree, the rough bark raking into my back.  I cried out, clawing the air frantically.  Myra was just laughing.  Laughing and laughing and laughing.  And that’s when I saw it.  That’s when I knew what she meant.  Because Myra’s face was now by my neck, her teeth bared and hungry.  Myra wasn’t human.  Myra was a vampyre.

                                                        

         For a while, I could hardly recall what happened after that.  I know he came.  He stopped Myra and he was angry.  They yelled at each other, their words only noises to me at the time; I was slumped at the foot of the tree where Myra had left me.  Then he came over and carefully picked me up…that’s when everything went black.  When I opened my eyes again, I thought I was still asleep it was so dark.  But then I saw his electric eyes shining through the shadows.
         “I tried to warn you not to come, Serena.  I tried to warn you.”  His voice was low and powerful.
         I was lying on cold stone and my head was throbbing.  I could feel my blood rushing through my veins and I grabbed my neck at the thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t come.  Then I sat up, finding myself in a corner.  I crept further into it, still afraid of what I couldn’t see through the dim light.
         “Where am I?” I demanded.
         He sighed.  “The Castle of Immortality.”
         I rose to my feet, using the two walls to support me; my limbs were shaking uncontrollably.  “I can’t see.  Turn on a light so I can see your face.”
         There was a scraping noise and then a flickering flame from a torch he had lit.  And there he was.  His glistening dark hair curled around his face and neck and his vivid eyes glowed with energy such as I had never seen.  He wore clothes of a different century; a navy tunic and black breeches.  He was tall and muscular, but slender.  Not over-buff like the football players on the Darques High football team.  I stepped toward him, tears coming to my eyes.  This was him.  This was him and he knew it.
         “I…I…What’s your name?” I managed to say.  My voice was hardly a whisper as I tried to suppress my tears of joy and sadness.  I wanted to run to him and let him hold me and tell me that he had been waiting so long for me to realize.  But when I reached out to him, he drew away.
         “Serena, don’t.  You don’t want this, it’s not what you think.”  He was looking away from my face, trying so hard to be distant.
         I dropped my hand.  “At least tell me your name,” I said softly, my tears gathering.
         He glanced up and I felt a stab of electricity rip through my heart.  “Sarthan,” he said, “My name is Sarthan.”  He looked away again.
         Then the tears began to fall from my eyes in quick, silver drops.  “Sarthan,” I declared, feeling his name against my tongue.
         There was a scream and a crash from somewhere below and I jumped.
         “Listen to me, Serena,” Sarthan said, his eyes worried and his words urgent, “Myra is bound downstairs, but she can break free any minute now.  You have a choice to—”
         I took a step back.  “Myra is a vampyre, Sarthan.  She almost…she almost bit me.”
         A look of complete distress and sorrow fell upon Sarthan’s features.  “Oh, Serena.  You haven’t realized it yet, have you?”
         There was another crash from below.  “Serena!”  It was a man’s voice.
         I gasped and looked to the door of the room we were in.  It was Sydney.  I jerked the door and stepped into the dank hallway of the castle. 
         “Sydney,” I cried, looking down and over the railing where the entrance hall was.  The doors of the castle were open and I could see him silhouetted against the raging storm outside.  I turned to go down the sweeping stairs toward him, but Sarthan grabbed me from behind.  He pushed me against the rail, my arms in his tight grasp.  His eyes stared into mine as a final bang sounded and Myra came stumbling into the entrance hall.
         “Serena!” Sydney called.  I tried to turn and look at him, but Sarthan held me tighter. 
         “Let me go, Sarthan, please,” I pleaded.
         “I can’t let you go, Serena.”  Lightning ripped through the sky and when I looked at Sarthan’s face, he was smiling.  I screamed.  I screamed and kicked and fought.  But then I was crying.  I was trying to rid myself of what I had seen, trying to make it not so.  Because now I knew.  Now I knew that the one I was supposed to love, the one I had always dreamed about, the one that was supposed to be perfect had just one glitch.  He was a vampyre.