We signed up for this mission with four other people. Neither of us had a life to live over here so why not. It started 7 years ago when we both told our parents.

7 years ago:

Ty: Come on we cannot hide it anymore.

John: We have known each other for 7 years and we have hidden it the whole time. I agree there is no more hiding it. Which family first?

Ty: Why not both at the same time?

John: Then we can just get it over with. I agree.

Ty: We can make dinner for them tonight and then tell them.

John: What if it does not go well?

Ty: You will still have me.

John: And you will have me.

Ty reaches over and kisses me. This was our hiding spot, the area where there was nothing to hide. We walked hand and hand back to our houses making sure to let go when we got close. Keeping this secret was hard for both of us. When we go to our homes, we decided dinner could be made at mine because my parents let me cook anyways. Dinner would be chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. Very simple, but perfect.

Ty: Hey, mom. We are going to play video games. Dinner will be ready in an hour and John's family is coming over to eat.

Ty's mother: Okay, sweetie. I will set the table for an extra three people.

Ty: Thanks.

See she loves us now. John took my hand, when everyone was out of sight, and took me to my room. We turned on the television but never picked up the controllers. My hands were shaking too bad. His hands were also shaking, neither of us liked not knowing the future. For one thing, the future involved us together whether it was without our families or whether it included them. The next hour was slow, but it was over and everyone started to arrive. He packed an emergency bag and he kissed me on more time before headed down. With the emergency bag placed by the door, we all sat down to eat. Halfway through dinner, John squeezed my leg and I knew it was time. We both stood with our hands linked.

Ty: We have something to tell you all. Something very important.

(In a quiet voice) John: Just shut up and kiss me. It will get the message across.

That is exactly what I did. I turned to him and kissed him. Our families looked at us not with love but with hatred. They began to throw food at us. An apple hit me in the head. They we also shouting and screaming.

Ty's Father: I thought you liked to play football. What about your scholarship!?

John's Father: I never want you to step foot in my home again!

Ty's mother and John's mother: Just get out!

We turned and ran out the door with our bag on my back. The only place we had to go to was the abandoned junkyard, our hiding spot. There was a bus we could hide out in and neither of our parents even know about the area. Snow began to fall as we approached the old, rusty bus. Both of us were covered in food and in tears. That was the opposite of what we wanted to happen. Inside the bus, we wipe off the food with bottles of water and old rags. It reavealed red marks and some cuts from the cutlery they threw. I turned on our battery powered heater and we just sit there.

John: Well, I guess this home for now.

Ty: I guess so.

John: We need to go back to school one more time to gather the things in our lockers. Remember the things we put in there just in case this happened.

Ty: Yeah I do remember. We can go tomorrow and never turn back.

John: We have to stick together because one of our parents, probably one of our mothers, will come to get us.

Ty: We have the same classes so that is pretty easy.

John: Okay, plans set. All we have to do now, is make it through the night.

We ended up sleeping on a bed we made of bus seats and in the morning we got ready for school. We had to make everything look normal in order to get through the rest of the day without anyone noticing a change. He took my hand and we walked to school. Luckily, we made it right before the first bell for homeroom and we slipped inside. All the kids were whispering but when we came near they stopped. Instead of trying to talk, we just went into the hall til the bell rung. We went to our lockers and grabbed our things. The rest of the day was fine until we reached fifth period. John got called down to the office, so I took his hand and we walked together. Before we reached it though we stopped because his mother was sitting there. We turned to walk out of the school and she got up to follow, we went faster. She started to chase us and we ran faster. Now, she was shouting something. Something like, "We can fix it. I got help!" We just kept running and running being careful not to lead her to our bus home. Eventually we lost her and went back to our bus making sure to cover our tracks.

Ty: We can never go back.

John: I know.

Still 7 years ago:

It frightened us that we could never go back. We could not learn anymore, our families will find us at school. At 15 years old, we are on our own and living in an abandoned bus. I mean it could be much worse. We could be alone and living on the streets.

John: Well, where do we go from here?

Ty: Take it a day at a time.

John: Smart idea.

Ty: What do we do today?

John: Let's travel a little while to a store where neither of our families go and some food with our money.

Ty: Okay, I know a place.

We set off through the woods and avoided the roads. I do believe our mothers are looking but I do not believe that they care. All they want is to "fix" us. Never going happen. John took my hand as we skipped over fallen logs and as we slipped on wet leaves. Deer walked right past us and birds land inches from us. Nothing seemed to fear us, they all came near us. We walked took about two hours and we ended up in a small convenience store and bought a few bits. By the time we were walking back to our bus, it was turning night time and snow still continued to fall. It was the middle of December, my birthday is tomorrow on the 14th and I would be 16. We made it back and created a sort of shelving system to put everything on it. Then back to bed on the bus seat, which was kinda comfortable. Ty woke up before me and had some breakfast cooked.

John: Morning, happy birthday!

Ty: Morning, and it's just another day.

John: Nope not going to happen today.

Ty: What’s not going to happen and why?

John: I have known you for a while and you never celebrate your birthday so today we are going to celebrate.

Ty: Remember we only have a limited amount of money.

John: I got most of this with my mother before.

Ty: Okay.

John: Present first.

He handed me a box wrapped in gold paper, it made a slight rattling sound when it moved. Inside was a small silver chain with a small blue heart.

John: Aw, don't cry. Come here.

I walked over to him and sat down. He wiped off my tears and helped me put my necklace on.

Ty: I love it. Thank you.

John: Glad you like it.

Ty: How will I ever make this up to you on your birthday?

John: Don't worry about it. You are still crying, this is not how I wanted to start the day. We have a whole day planned.

He turned toward me to wipe the tears off my face again and gave me a kiss.

John: Let's eat before it gets cold.

Ty: It looks pretty good.

We sat down at our little table made of a bus seat for the chair and another bus seat propped up on a log for the table. John was really good at cooking or at least much better than me so breakfast tasted amazing.

John: Follow me. I found something amazing.

He takes my hand and drags me a couple feet to a pile of cars. Nothing that I could see was amazing.

John: Close your eyes and follow me.

Ty: I am scared.

John: Don't worry, I got you.

He leads me into an area with a lot of light and when he tells me to open my eyes we are in a massive room.

John: Do you like it?

Ty: I . . . I love it. How does it have power?

John: Solar panels, I had them installed here a few months ago.

Ty: Amazing.

John: This is our home now. I was planning on sneaking into our homes and taking some things.

Ty: At night?

John: Yep, your bed rolls up so we could take that and maybe a few other things.

Ty: Maybe we should do it in a few nights?

John: They might catch on and keep an eye out.

Ty: True we have only one night.

John: Tonight at eleven sound good?

Ty: Yes, but what if we get caught?

John: We run.

Ty: Okay.

I know he could hear the uneasiness in my voice because he wrapped me in a big hug and told me that we are going to be fine.

John: It's still your birthday let's not worry anymore. I have something else for you. Follow me again.

Ty: You do too much.

John: Like I said, most of this was done before.

He takes my hand and leads me to the little lake with the wooden bridge. On the bridge was a small cake lit up by four teal colored candles. We walked up and I blew out the candles. I made a wish and hopefully it comes true. The rest of the day was spent exploring the woods and gathering things to place in our new home. By the time we finished, stars were starting to show and we grab the wagons and head toward my house. It is a bit of a walk to get there but when we do the lights are still on.

Ty: What do we do now?

John: We wait. Maybe around the side of the house where I would usually climb up to meet you. I think the ladder is still there.

Ty: It is still there. They should go to bed soon.

John: We can wait as long as we need.

Turns out, we only waited two hours and I had fallen asleep during that time. We started to climb the ladder and made it into the unlocked window. John rolled up the mattress while I grabbed some clothes and a few other things such as pictures, my laptop, blankets, and pillows. After we grabbed everything, we had to carefully descend the ladder. I threw everything into a bag and loaded up the wagon.

John: My house, even though it is not home anymore, is next and that should give us enough time before the sun rises.

Ty: Just a few streets away.

John: Sure you got everything?

Ty: Yep.

We travel to his house and since his room is on the first floor, it was much easier. He grabbed his clothes, some pictures, fairy lights, and even his small television. We load up the wagons and put bags over our shoulder and headed back to the junkyard aka home. Once we got there we dropped our stuff off inside the house and went back to the bus to go to bed.

Ty: Morning.

John: Hello. Ready to chop some trees.

Ty: Yes, and why?

John: For tables and a bed frame.

Ty: Yeah, down to cut some trees.

John: Let's eat and head out.

We eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast head out with our saw to cut some trees. He spotted the perfect tree so we cut it down and drug it back to our home. Both of us work hard to cut it in even pieces and soon enough we made a bed frame with the tree and with a flatter piece of wood we had laying around. Next, we made a table with a big base and a nailed in flat piece of wood. We decided to clear out the bus in case anyone started to look for us and make a little door for our home so no one knew it was in there because now it looks like a pile of broken cars with random junk tossed onto it. Inside we rolled out the bed and nailed shelves to the walls for storage. He hung up fairy lights while I taped pictures to the wall.

Ty: Do you want to check the news and see if we are on it?

John: Yeah.

I open my laptop and search for news in our area. Two new stories. One about two boys who ran away from home and the other about a burglary in two homes. Both stories are about us. John starts to read the first story.

"Two boys have escaped their homes and education at the age of 15. The parents are worried desperately and just want their children back, they say they have programs to help them. Search parties will be sent out on 15th of December starting at three in the afternoon. If caught, they may be dangerous. . . ."

I started to fade out as he read this. How can we be dangerous and our fathers cannot be worried? Also, the search party could come here.

John: Ty, Ty. Hello.

Ty: Oh, sorry. Just zoned out.

John: Yeah, I can tell. What were you thinking?

Ty: Just that they can come here and drag us off. How could they think we are dangerous?

John: I cannot answer that. And we have to stay here, they can catch us in the woods. We will just have to boarder up the doorway with car parts and clear all trace of us outside.

Ty: Let's do it right now.

John: Agree.

We go out and erase all trace of us and go back in to close off our home. Before we knew it, it was three and we were waiting. And waiting. And soon they were here. We could hear heavy footsteps and lighter ones outside walking around and tapping things. John turns to me and we slowly slide to the floor. He takes my hand and whispers something I barely heard.

John: Just be quiet and they won't even notice we are.

Ty: Got it.

We sat there and waited. It felt like forever but eventually we heard them trail off. We waited some more to confirm it and then we could get up.

Once we were sure they were gone, we got up from the floor and went outside. Our muscles ached from sitting on the floor that long. They must have been here for an hour or two. Our area was scattered with missing posters and footprints in the dirt.

John: Can we take them down? I don't like them.

Ty: Of course. I don't like them either.

John: Do you think they care?

Ty: Not at all. You saw how they acted. We cannot go back they will split us up and you know that?

John: I do.

We took down the posters and buried them. I could tell he was upset but I think he also knew that we had to be here. For our lunch we ate a piece of leftover birthday cake from yesterday.

Ty: How long are we going to be here?

John: I have no idea.

Ty: We will not have enough money to last us more than a year or two.

John: Well, we could always get a job.

Ty: What if they find us?

John: We run and we hide.

Ty: I'm scared.

John: I know, we both are.

He gave me a kiss and we went back onto the bus. I wanted to feel safe, I wanted enjoy life but I'm scared and I have to always look over my shoulder. I looked up to see John studying my face to find out what I'm thinking.

Ty: What?

John: You just look upset and scared.

Ty: I am both of those.

John: I would never let anything happen to you. You know that. I love you and I would protect you will my life.

Ty: I would do the same for you.

John: See you are fine. No reason to worry.

Ty: What if they take you away?

John: You would never let that happen and if it did, I would escape to get back to you. I would do everything see you again. But I will never get caught. Feel better?

Ty: Kind of. Thanks.

John: Come sit over here by me.

I take a seat next to him and lay my head on his shoulder. He kissed the middle of my head and placed his hand on my leg. This is where I felt safe. Being right next to him took away all of my worries. We sat there for an hour talking about the future and about what we wanted to do with the week. We sat there until the stars came out and even sat there a bit longer. I fell asleep of the seat of the bus and woke up on the mattress inside little home. I guess he took me there because I do not remember walking over. We both wake up pretty late in the morning about 11 o’clock.

Ty: Hey.

John: Hi, you were sleepy last night.

Ty: Sorry about that.

John: No problem, I did not care. One moment I was talking to you and the next you were snoring.

Ty: I do not snore.

John: You sure about? I can get proof.

Ty: I'm sure you can.

John: Alright I will, and I will prove that you snore.

Ty: Oh, I'm not going to deny it.

John: You just were. Hey your scars on your neck are red.

Ty: Impossible, I got that injury five years ago and it has been healed ever since.

John: Well, its gushing blood. We need to put pressure on it quickly.

John Point of View:

I lay him on the ground and apply pressure to his neck. I could not stop the bleeding. How is this even possible? These two circular marks on his neck healed years ago. We cannot go to a doctor and I am not one.

John: I don't know what to do.

Ty: Just keep doing what you're doing. Maybe try ice, I think that may help stop it. There should be some at the pond.

John: That will take me a couple of minutes. Can you apply the pressure?

Ty: Yep.

I rush out to the pond and frantically break the ice. It numbs my hands but I could not feel it. I go back it and place it on his neck. He stiffens up from the cold but the blood was slowing down.

John: It’s stopping.

Ty: Thank you.

John: You have lost a lot of blood.

Ty: Like how much is a lot?

John: Look around.

He looks around and see a blood puddle that has formed next to his body. His skin was a pale white and I watched his expression change when he noticed how much blood was gone. He tries to sit up but could not. I scoot over to him and embrace him. We are both covered in blood and still have no idea.

John: Wait, the lady who sold me the necklace I got you said if we needed anything to call her. I have her number.

Ty: Can we trust her?

John: Do we have a choice?

Ty: No.

John: I will call her right now.

She answered the phone right away and arrived here in fifteen minutes. I brought him to the bus before so nobody new about our secret home.

John: Hello miss, you were the only person I could call.

Dixie: Sweetie call me Dixie and I know. You two have been on the news.

Ty: Oh god, please don't give us up.

Dixie: I would never.

John: Can you help us?

Dixie: Yes, I knew you would need my help ever since I saw that photo of him that you showed me. That's why I gave you the necklace made of lapis lazuli.

John: How did you know we would need your help?

Dixie: He is special, but that’s for another time. Right now my priority it help you two. How much blood has lost? I swear in all my years I have not seen anything that pale.

John: He has lost a lot.

Dixie: Let me help. This might burn a lot.

I take his hand as she dumps a solution on his neck and then a white powder. He screams and screams but I had to muffle them with a pillow so we are not spotted. He squeezes my hand so hard that I think he may have broken it. She continues to dump things on it and he continues to scream. I wish I could take away all his pain because it hurt me to see him like this. She finishes and he is not conscious.

Dixie: I'm done and he needs to rest now. I will come back tomorrow to explain everything.

John: Thanks.

She walks away and I carry Ty back to our home. I place him on the bed and grab a rag to clean up the floor with my one good hand. He most definitely broke the other.

John's Point of View

He slept peacefully throughout the next few hours and he slowly started to wake up around four in the afternoon. I shut my laptop and helped him up.

Ty: Your hand. Did I do it?

John: Well, kind of.

Ty: Oh my, I'm so sorry. Let me help.

John: You really shouldn't.

Ty: I insist.

I watch him get up and hug the wall as he walked. He is trying to ignore his pain and focus on something different. That is how Ty is, he really does not like attention on him. He comes back over with a few shirts and starts to make a make-shift cast around my hand. It hurt a bit but I was not going to stop him because he just wants to make me feel better and I think by doing that it made him feel better.

Ty: I am so sorry.

John: It is not your fault, you had no idea.

Ty: I still did it though and I never want to hurt you.

John: I know that and you had no control over anything when Dixie was doing that. Listen to me, I am not blaming you and I would never be mad at you.

Ty: Okay. She is coming back tomorrow, right?

John: Yeah she will return tomorrow and explain everything but for now she wanted you to rest.

Ty: What is happening to me?

John: I wish I knew.

Ty: What if you leave me because of what she says?

John: I would never. I have known seven years ever since you were nine, well almost nine. Trust me, we have gone through a lot together and no matter what I will always be there and always helping you through.

Ty: That calmed me a bit, but my heart is unusual. Feel it.

I lay my head on his chest and his heart is racing like more than a marathon runner. He has been laying for almost three hours so his heart should be at a resting pace. His skin was also ice cold but he was feeling hot. His mouth started to ache also.

John: That cannot be normal. She said you were special and when I showed her the photo, her eyes lit up. What makes you special?

Ty: I thought special in many ways.

John: Not like that and I know that you’re special but why in her circumstance.

Ty: I don't know. Am I gaining any color back in my skin?

John: None at all.

Ty: I feel so ill.

John: Just go back to bed, I will still be here when you wake.

Ty: Make sure you get sleep.

He closed his eyes and went back into his peaceful sleep. Ty sleeps so peacefully and I look like a mess when I go to bed. I felt his forehead and it felt like I put my hand in fire. My instincts told me to take his temperature and when I did it was reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Something is not right, his skin is ice cold. I decided to call Dixie again because she seemed to know a lot. She said she would be right over and there was no chance I was moving him so she will see our home. I walk out and wait for her.

Dixie: Hi, dear.

John: Hey, sorry for calling again.

Dixie: I need to tell you something, please take a seat.

I went inside the bus and she followed. She started to explain a little.

Dixie: Five years ago I caught a vampire saying he bit a little kid. The vampire said the kid was about eleven and he gave me a good description. And when you showed me the photo, I knew it was him. Listen, the vampire who bit him was the alpha and the most powerful. His powers have transferred to your Ty.

John: Are you saying that he is a vampire?

Dixie: I know, it’s a lot to take in. They usually turn around the age of sixteen and that’s how I knew to give you that necklace. It’s made of lapis lazuli to protect him from the sun.

John: Hold on, I still need a second. I cannot wrap my head around this.

Dixie: I know but I need to need to tell you first. His powers are unpredictable and I have no clue how strong he actually is. My time is running short and I need you to keep this information safe. I don't want him knowing all this yet. Power can go to his head.

John: I have never lied to him.

Dixie: Dearie, it’s just a small lie to protect him.

John: Can you help him?

Dixie: I can look at him. You may also want to know that I am a witch and I am starting to fade.

John: Follow me but do not tell a soul where we are.

Dixie: I can be trusted.

I lead her through the maze of car parts and inside. She takes a look at him and waves her hand over his head.

Dixie: My magic cannot fix him. How is that possible? He is much stronger than I thought.

John: What does that mean?

Dixie: I cannot make him better and I have never seen a transformation like this. I have only seen a couple before but something is different. All I can say is just be with him and try to treat it like a normal cold. Make sure his temperature goes down.

John: Okay, thanks.

Dixie: I will be gone now, my time in this world is over.

John: Wait, do you have anything else to tell me?

Dixie: You will make the discoveries. Bye.

She fades off and I take my place next to Ty. How was I ever going to explain to him? He wakes up again and I decide it’s better to do it now. When he spoke, he sounded so drained and so sick.

John: I have something to tell you. I spoke to Dixie.

Ty: And.

John: You will not believe me but you are a vampire. You were bitten five years ago and just started to turn.

Ty: Not that bad.

John: You believe me.

Ty: You never lied before so I had no reason not to.

John: How are you feeling?

Ty: Awful.

John: Can I take your temperature?

Ty: Yeah.

I take his temperature again and it rose to 105 degrees. Ty notices the worry on my face and starts to worry himself. I do not think that his temperature should be that high.

Ty: Is it that bad?

John: No, nothing to worry about.

Ty: I can tell your lying to protect me, do not be afraid to tell me.

John: Your temperature is at 105 degrees.

Ty: I see now why you wanted to not tell me.

John: I think I am going to go grab some ice.

I walk to that frozen pond and grab a piece of ice to place on his head and hopefully lower his temperature. He had fallen back asleep by the time I got back so I just placed the ice on his head and took my place next to him. I just laid next to him and started to read the many news articles. You would think that our families would know that we are never coming back. I continue to read them until the sun goes down and I look over to see Ty reading too. Did not even know he woke up.

John: When did you wake up?

Ty: About fifteen minutes ago.

John: You’re quiet.

Ty: I know.

John: Feel any better?

Ty: Kind of, my head stopped spinning and my stomach calmed down.

John: That’s good, what about your temperature?

Ty: I don't know.

I take his temperature again and it has sunk to 102 degrees. Still high but lower than before.

Ty: Thank you.

John: No problem, that’s why I'm here.

Ty: Could you tell me more?

John: Yeah, but I only have a bit.

I sit there and explain how he was bitten and what Dixie said but I made sure to leave out his powers. He agreed to everything I said and he had no questions for me. I watched him try and sit up but he failed.

John: Let me help, you are weak right now.

Ty: Thanks, I thought we could go for an evening stroll but I don't know if I am able.

John: We can always try.

Ty: True.

John: Take my hand and I will lead you into the night.

He took my hand and we slowly walked out and into the night. His legs wobbled with every step we took but I seemed to keep him standing. By the end of the night, when we went down for bed his temperature rose again to 104 degrees. Nothing was going to keep it down. I stayed awake all night watching him and keeping ice on his head to keep his temperature down.

All throughout the night his temperature rose and fell. No matter what I tried nothing could keep it down and nothing could get me to bed. I stayed awake worrying about him, I did not want to be asleep if he woke up. He actually woke up around three in the morning.

Ty: Why are you not asleep?

John: Could not shut my eyes.

Ty: You could shut them now.

John: I'm not tired though.

Ty: You have not slept in forever and at some point you will need to sleep.

John: I know but . . .

Ty: Come on, let's go to bed. Give me the laptop.

John: Okay.

I gave him the laptop which he put it on the floor. He wrapped his arm around me and we fell asleep. Even though, my mind was not asleep, it was racing with thoughts. Thinking of Ty, I pushed away the thoughts and allowed everything to rest. I woke up first in the morning and careful not Ty, I got out of bed to make some breakfast. When I checked his temperature, it was still 104 degrees and not lowering. I decided on getting some more ice before I started to cook. The pond during the winter was the perfect place for ice but you do have to hit it a few times before a piece breaks off. Eventually, I broke a piece off and brought it back to place on his head. Inside, he was actually awake and sitting up.

John: Good Morning!

Ty: Morning, is that more ice?

John: Yep, your temperature is still really high.

Ty: Thanks, what are we doing today?

John: Nothing if you don't feel any better.

Ty: I am not going to let that stop me.

John: No, but I am going to stop you.

Ty: Why? I feel like I am useless.

John: Ty, I know you want to get up and work because that is the person you are. The person who stops at nothing but this time you need to stop and you need to rest up.

Ty: Please, I feel even worse when I have to sit in here watching you do things.

John: Fine, but not too much.

Ty: Thank you.

I placed the ice on his head and started to make some breakfast.

Ty: This ice is giving me a head-ache.

John: Without it you would be burning up.

Ty: True but now my head is spinning.

John: You cannot die from your head spinning but you will die if your temperature rises again.

Ty: True again. What’s for breakfast?

John: Eggs on toast.

Ty: Sounds good.

We sit on the bed, not at the table, and eat our breakfast whilst he still has ice on his head. I think it might be hard to eat while trying to keep some ice on your head. Ty seemed to be doing alright with it, the ice never fell.

John: One more thing, promise me to keep the necklace on when you’re outside.

Ty: Why?

John: You will burn remember.

Ty: Now I want to test it.

John: Um, I do not know how to treat a burn.

Ty: Nor do I but I am curious.

John: No more than three seconds.

Ty: Fine, can you help me again? I do not know how weak I am still.

John: Can do.

I put one arm around him and he puts one around me and we walk outside. He turns to me and says.

Ty: Ready?

John: Nope.

Ty: I will be alright.

He removes his necklace and the sun rays hit him. Ty fell to the ground with a cry of pain and placed his necklace back on. Quickly, I grab him off the ground and bring him back inside.

Ty: Don't say it.

John: I told you not to go in the sun and this is why.

Ty: I know, you were right.

John: Let's see what you burned.

Most of his skin was covered with clothing so it was not that bad. There was a few minor ones on his hands along with a few cuts from falling on the ground. He also had a terrible burn on the tip of his nose. I think we have a first-aid kit with something for burns so I go and grab it. Inside was some cream and some bandages but I doubt they will work for his nose.

John: Next time listen to what I say.

Ty: I got it.

John: There you go and your nose is the worst.

Ty: Okay. My mouth still hurts.

John: Probably growing fangs. Let’s see.

He opens his mouth and I see two slightly sharp teeth on either side of his mouth. I guess they grew in real quick. Ty did spot the fear I had in my eyes.

Ty: You're scared.

John: Yeah.

Ty: Don't be. I would never hurt you and you know that. I know I am a freak but I cannot help it.

John: I do know that you would never hurt me but I still am frightened. I never even knew vampires exist and now I am dating one.

Ty: Just forget the fact that I am one. I don't look any different and I will not act any different. Come over here, I would come to you but every bit of strength was taken out of me.

John: O . . . okay.

Ty: Please don't be scared of me that is last thing I want.

Tears start to stream down his face which he covers with his hands. He stands up with support of the wall and walks out of the building. I had no idea of where he was going but I think he wanted his space so I let him go. He walked out about thirty minutes ago and now I go out to find him. The first place I checked was the bus which I found empty. Then I just searched around and wherever I searched he was not there. I walked around the corner and saw the abandoned truck but now with a hole that was made from the inside. It also had a few streams of blood dripping out from the hole. Instead of backing away, I opened the truck to find Ty laying there with a tear streaked face. His hand was bleeding and from what I could see it had a few bits of metal in it. He punch a hole in the metal part of the car. I took a seat next to him, he sat up and looked at me. I wiped away his tears and kissed his forehead. His forehead was still burning hot.

John: How?

Ty: I . . . I don't know. I did not want to lose you so I came in here to think and punched the truck a few times and my hand went through.

John: I want you to know that I would never leave you. Yes, I'm fearful but I would never leave.

Ty: You were acting like you did not want to be near me.

John: I was acting out mind and out of shock.

Ty: Which you have every right to.

John: Now that is settled, your hand is kind of in trouble.

Ty: It's not that bad.

John: Um, Ty not to worry you but it is extremely bad. There is pieces of the splintered metal in it and I am positive you may have broken at least a few fingers.

Ty: This is my good hand.

John: You should have thought of that before you punched the metal truck.

Ty: Sorry, I cannot control my anger, not that I get angry a lot, but you know what I'm like when I am out of mind.

John: I do, come on lets go back inside and take care of this. It is getting pretty chilly out here and I think it is going to snow.

Ty: Not again.

We jump out of the truck and walk back to our house as the temperature starts to drop outside. We made it inside just as the first snowflakes start to fall. I sat him down and started to remove the metal from his hand. He winced with every piece I removed and he jumped at the last one. The last one caused a slight issue because it was pushed in the farthest, it was pushed so far that it was almost pierced the other side of his hand. I start to pull it out but I stop, his hand started to bleed.

Ty: Keep going.

John: I don't know.

Ty: Go on, I'm fine.

I continue to pull it out and when I do the piece of metal was four inches long. His hand his dripping in dark blood. It does not look normal, it is much darker than mine.

John: Look at your blood.

Ty: Um, that’s scary.

John: Look outside.

Ty: That is also scary.

John: Can we go out after fixing your hand?

Ty: Yep.

I grab the kit from the corner and stich a few stiches into the top of his hand. Probably not the best but it will do. I wrapped his hand and then I have to fix his fingers which we slightly displaced.

John: I have to put this one back into place.

Ty: Hey, you have a broken hand and I have many broken fingers.

John: Ready? I don’t want to hurt you but . . .

Ty: But you have to in order to help me.

John: Yep, ready?

Ty: Nope but go ahead.

It made a popping sound as I bring his finger back into place. I had to do this with one other finger and the rest I just wrapped up. We put on the warmest clothes we have. He took my hand with his good one and we walked out into the snow. Before we touched any snow, a path was being made in front of us as we walked.

John: Are you doing that?

Ty: I don't know, let me try.

He lets go of my and steps forward. The snow moves at the same pace as him. If he runs the snow runs, if he stops the snow stops. When I walk, the snow does nothing.

Ty: Take my hand, don't be scared. I will lead the way.

John: You sure?

Ty: Positive, come on. I know your scared because it defies everything you have been taught and I know that you are unsure but I can make things different.

John: I will try.

Ty: I will take that as a yes.

He takes my hand and starts to run with the snow staying in front of him. Ty was laughing as he was having a lot of fun and it did take me a couple of minutes to laugh. He lets go of my hand for a second and lifts both of his. The snow went up into the air and landed back down into a pile. He walked forward creating a hole and when he was done there was a snow fort.

Ty: You good now until something else pops up?

John: Yes, I really enjoyed this.

Ty: Me too.

John: Do you feel any better?

Ty: Yeah, all accept my head. It feels like fire.

John: I know.

Ty: Here I made you something.

He showed me a snowman man that had little heart pieces of ice for button. Apparently he can carve ice now.

John: I love it, thank you.

Ty: Glad you are no longer scared.

John: I am a bit of your fangs.

Ty: I am too. I am worried I am going to bite my tongue off.

John: Me too.

He leaned over to kiss me and we sat inside for a bit before the snow started to pick up and the temperatures sank. We had to run back inside to protect ourselves. Our building does not have heating or insulation so whatever temperature it was outside was whatever it was inside. We wrapped up in blankets, piled on clothes, and huddled together but nothing was keeping us warm. The temperature has dropped below zero and the winds were howling.

Ty: I think the bus might be our best shot. It still has some gas so I might be able to put the heater on.

John: How would we get over there? It is deathly cold.

Ty: Trust me.

John: Got it.

He takes my hand and runs out. We run to the bus and immediately shut everything inside. He goes to the front of the bus and tries to hotwire it. At the first few tries there’s nothing but after a little trying he was able to start the bus and turn on the heater.

John: You got it.

Ty: I don't know how much gas we have though.

John: That's alright. Let's stay together.

Ty: Agree, that’s the only way we will survive the night.

He huddles close to be as we sit on our home-made bed made out of bus seats. He leaned over and kissed me as the snow continued to pile up around the bus. He whispers in my ear," We're alright." And I knew I was safe.

The windows were starting to freeze up and the temperature continued to drop outside. Snow was layering up quickly and before we knew it the bus was completely covered. The heater was still working fine but we don't think there is enough gas to last the night.

John: What are we going to do when the gas runs out?

Ty: Let's not worry about that right now. Do you want some hot chocolate?

John: I would love some.

He pours water into two mugs and heats it for a few minutes. Then, he dumps two packets of mix in and puts a few marshmallows on top. He handed one to me and sat back down with his own.

John: Thank you.

Ty: Not a problem. Maybe it will warm you up.

John: Hopefully.

He scooted even closer to me and we are now huddled together extremely close. Both of us were warmer and happier this way. The bus was now so dark that you could only see and inch ahead of you.

John: I have a fear of the dark.

Ty: I am next to you so you’re alright. Don't be afraid.

John: Trying not to, but the images in my head tell me something different.

Ty: Push them away. Think of our walks in the woods or when we would sneak off to this bus so we could be together.

John: Got it. Do you know when the snow will stop?

Ty: Do we have the laptop?

John: Yeah, I shoved it in my coat.

Ty: Can I see it for a moment?

John: Yeah.

I hand over the laptop which is a bit slower because our box is in the house. He went to the weather site where there was an alert. This alert said that the temperature and snow is dropping alarmingly fast. It said to stay inside, keep warm, and if you have to go out wear warm clothing because frostbite is common.

John: Well I don't think we are safe.

Ty: Me neither.

John: What do we do?

Ty: We have to stay, it would be more dangerous if we tried to leave.

John: Why am I always scared?

Ty: Just who you are and it gives me a reason to be closer to you.

John: You don't need a reason to do that, you just do it.

Ty: True. I do believe that this bus will run out of gas soon and we might have to run back to our home. And I have a feeling my power will not work in this snow.

Just as he said this the bus's power went out and the heater stopped. We felt the chill start to creep in.

John: Ty?

Ty: I guess the time is now.

John: No, Ty I cannot do this, the snow has to be at least three feet high and the winds have to drop the temperature even lower.

Ty: You know we have to because we will freeze in here. Take my hand and we can run there in two minutes.

John: I am slower than you, so you run ahead of me.

Ty: I don't think I could do that.

John: Keep your head down and keep your hands in your pockets.

Ty: Can do, ready?

John: No, but let’s go.

I saw him open the doors of the bus, a blast of cold wind hit so hard it knocked up down. Ty began to run and I was a few steps behind him before I tripped and fell. The snow toppled down on my body. Icey chills sent up my whole body, my legs and head were numb.

Ty Point of view:

I made it the entrance but John is not behind me. Maybe he stayed at the bus or maybe he got stuck. My legs are going numb but there is no way I will sit and warm up until he is sitting next to me. I turn around and scream his name to which I got no answer and I knew something was not right. Retracing my steps I found a pile of snow that was blocking the path and the more I looked I noticed his shoes. Not caring how cold my hands are I start throwing the snow to uncover his unconscious, frozen body. Quickly, I race back to our home and block up the door. And I try to heat the place up by boiling some water. John was covered in frost and everything was cold. I tried to find a pulse but there was not one, he was dead. I held him and just cried. He was the only person I could tell everything to and the only person I ever loved. A tear of mine hit his face and John sat up with a big breath. I hugged him tighter than I ever have and I never wanted to let go. Nothing could explain what just happen, he was dead and now I am sitting looking at his bright blue eyes staring at me.

John: You might want to loosen your grip on me, I think you may break a rib or two.

Ty: Sorry, I thought you were dead.

John: Clearly not, you would not loose me that easy.

We sit there trying to keep warm and nothing could take my grip off him. I did not want to lose him again. His body is still ice cold so I put rags dipped with warm water on him. I kissed his ice cold lips and we sit there trying to survive the night.

Throughout the night temperatures continued to drop and snow continued to fall. Our little concrete home was not keeping us warm but the bit of boiling water kept us warm enough to survive the night. John was still freezing, his body was still not warming up. We ended up falling asleep hoping that it would be warm enough because we could not keep our eyes open one moment longer. Everything was piled on us to try and keep us warm. We woke up shaking from the cold.

John: T . . . Ty it is so cold.

Ty: I know, what else are we going to do though.

John: Nothing. Ty my legs are still numb and it does not feel right.

Ty: Let me see.

He lifts up his pants, his legs were a pale blue and frozen. This was something I did not know how fix or how to solve it.

Ty: I am not going to lie. That is bad and I don't know how to help. The only thing I could think of was to warm them up.

John: Don't you think they would have warmed up over night?

Ty: I thought you would warm up but I was proved wrong but I am not going to let you die again.

John: Again?

Ty: Remember you died last night and you were somehow brought back to life.

John: No, I did not remember dying and I do believe that would be something I would remember.

Ty: Okay, I think you may have been unconscious. Anyways, what would you like to do today? The snow has stopped falling.

John: Let’s go explore.

Ty: I'm down with that. We should probably eat something first.

This time I got up to cook breakfast because I was unsure of his stability at the moment. We ended up eating eggs on toast which John said tasted pretty good. All of our warm clothing was thrown on before we went out. John stood up and sat back down.

John: My legs are burning.

Ty: I think they might be adjusting.

John: Well, I don't like it.

Ty: Come on, stand up and you might get used to it. I mean I hate to see you in pain but this I do believe will help you.

I pulled him up off the bed to which I grabbed his hands and started to walk him around slowly. He started to get better at moving so I think he was getting used to the feeling or his legs were starting to return to normal.

Ty: See, much better.

John: It is still numb but I am able to push it back.

Ty: Great, we will not go too fast then.

John: Thanks.

He takes my hand and we walk outside into the winter wonderland. Snow is piled high, icicles hang from every possible surface, and there was a cold nip in the air. From what I could see this was beautiful. Deadly but beautiful. It was still freezing out, still below zero but the winds have slowed down. My power was not working on snow this high so we are digging our way through.

Ty: Hey, tell me if you need a break.

John: I will do that. Can we go to the bridge over the pond?

Ty: Yeah, it might take a little while to get over there.

John: Let me help you dig. It might take less time.

Ty: Did you get your strength back? Last night all of the strength was taken out of your body. You were literally frozen.

John: We will never know until we test it.

Ty: Careful.

I moved him next to me and we tried to move the snow. He was not moving any of the snow. I guess that he did lose everything.

Ty: I guess that means that I will lead the way.

John: I guess so, sorry.

Ty: Don't apologized, it's not your fault.

John: I was the one who tripped and fell, letting the snow pile on top of me.

Ty: Still not your fault. We should be getting closer to the bridge.

John: Okay.

I continued to dig through the snow and after 15 minutes we made it to the bridge over the pond. The pond was frozen, nothing could break that ice right now. Icicles hung on all the branches of the bare trees in the woods.

John: It's so pretty.

Ty: I agree, can we ice skate?

John: Sure, please be careful.

Ty: Take my hand, I will lead the way.

John: My turn to lead the way.

Ty: Okay, give me your hand.

He giggled and ran onto the ice. He was sliding all over the place and taking me with him. We both had a huge smile on our faces as we were sliding back and forth on this frozen lake. John was the first on to fall and when he fell, he pulled me with him. We both landed on the frozen water with a laugh.

John: Oops.

Ty: I knew we would fall at some point.

John: Me too, I just did not know when. You alright?

Ty: Yeah, I think just a few bruises. You alright?

John: Same, just a few bruises. Can we take a break?

Ty: Let's sit on the bridge so we don't get too cold.

I help him up and take him to the bridge. We sit and look over the pond which was now marked with our footprints. I could tell John was not feeling great because of little things like his facial expressions or the way he talked. I just ignored it though.

John: What are we doing next?

Ty: Let’s take a stroll around.

John: Sounds nice.

We do sit there for a bit longer and then we get up to head back for a stroll.

Ty: Let’s go get some gas at the gas station for the bus.

John: Will someone see us?

Ty: Probably not.

John: Fine with me.

Ty: Let’s grab the container and head over. When we are done, we can explore a bit more.

We walk over, grab the red can, and walk toward the edge of the woods. The snow storm knocked down some trees and massive branches. It looked almost impossible to get past the debris but I started to climb. John was following behind but very slowly.

Ty: Come on, slowpoke.

John: Trying.

Ty: Take my hand and I will take you faster.

John: I don't think I can. My legs are burning.

Ty: Then, we can walk slowly together.

I take his hand and we carefully step over the fallen debris. It did take us about thirty minutes about double what it normally takes us. John has a worried look as cars drove by. We had not left the junkyard, except for the little store, since we ran. More missing posters were taped everywhere and flapping in the cool wind.

John: Someone is bound to notice us. I don't want to go back.

Ty: We will never go back and if someone notices us, we run.

John: Okay.

He takes my hand and we cross the busy road to the empty gas station. Since we don't have a card we have to give the employee the money so he can hook us up to a gas pump. We paid for two gallons and bought another red container to hold the other gallon.

Ty: See easy as that.

John: I guess.

Just then a crazed woman that we barely recognized started screaming. His mother.

Woman: Hey you! Someone help me.

We had to stay for our gas.

Ty: Take my hand, we have to wait.

John: Why?

Ty: Trust me, take my hand.

He listens and takes my hand. The woman stops screaming and looks around. She does not see us anymore. It looks like there is a clear bubble over us.

John: How?

Ty: I think you can guess.

John: She cannot see us.

Ty: Correct.

John: She cannot here us.

Ty: Correct. Your voice is trembling, you’re scared.

John: I know, it’s a habit. It is just very strange for anything like this to happen.

Ty: Let's head back, can you carry one of these? I know you are not strong but one of my hands has to be connected to yours in order for us both to be hidden.

John: I will do my best.

John tries to lift it up but at first he was unsuccessful. Eventually, he got it and we walked back to the bus. Our hands were linked together to hide our presence.

We continued to walk back to our place unnoticed. Only when I let go of his hand did we become visible. I began to put a gallon into the bus and then I placed the other in a nearby shed. John was waiting by the bus, just like I asked. Most of his strength was gone but he still managed to have a smile on his face. We went onto the bus to have a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Ty: Here you go.

John: Thank you. How in the world did you do that?

Ty: I think we both know the answer to that.

John: Sort of.

Ty: Understandable to be a bit confused.

John: At least it was helpful.

Ty: I would never use it for harm.

John: True.

Ty: You still scared? You have no reason to be. Have I ever gave you one?

John: Yes, I am a little scared and it is not because of you.

Ty: Good to know, I do not want you to be frightened of me.

John: I will never be scared of you, I will be scared of what you are doing.

I scoot closer to him and we sit there drinking our hot chocolate in the warmth of the bus heater. Daylight was going to run out in a few hours so tomorrow I decided that we could take a walk in the woods. We finished our drinks and walked back to our home as the sun started to set. When the sun sets, the temperature drops. Tonight was not as cold as the others but it still gave you a nip.

Ty: Morning.

John: Good morning.

Ty: Still looks like your sleeping.

John: I think I am.

Ty: It is 9:30.

John: Okay, I am up.

Ty: I thought we could take a walk in the woods.

John: After some breakfast.

Ty: Here you go.

John: Thank you and when we leave pack a bag with supplies just in case.

We finished eating breakfast and packing a bag. I thought it was crazy what he was packing but I guess he has a reason. I threw the bag on my back, took his hand, and began to walk towards the woods on the other side of the pond. We walked a little bit into the woods and stopped at a clearing to look at the rapid water below. While we were looking, John tumbled forward and rolled down the hill smacking his legs and head off the ground and rocks. Then, I was push and rolled the hill. The last thing I saw before falling into the icy water was a dark figure running off. The cold water immersed my body and the rapids were winning. My mind went black and fuzzy. I woke again on a bank coughing water trying to breathe. John was next to me doing the same. His leg was bent at an unusual angel. We both were covered head to toe in bruises and it cuts.

John: I think my legs are broken but they are too numb to feel.

Ty: Let me see.

John: I have to take off my jeans.

Ty: Okay, they are probably colder than the actual weather.

John: That is correct.

He took off his jeans revealing that his legs we indeed very misshapen and discolored. I placed my hands over them and they started to get in place. His bones cracked and snapped back in place. His legs were taking a normal shape again.

John: Ty, do you know how you told not be scared? Well, now I am ten times more scared than I was before.

Ty: Me, too. Does it hurt? Can you move them?

John: It does not hurt and I can move them.

Ty: Let me help you up.

I pull him up and he could stand. His legs were still discolored though.

John: My back is on fire.

Ty: Let me see.

John: I am going to be almost naked in the woods.

Ty: It’s better than being half naked in the public and it’s only me around.

John: That is a good point.

He took off his coat and then took off his shirt. Burned into his shirt and on his back were two handprints which I cannot heal them.

Ty: Not to freak you out, but you have two burns on your back.

John: Now I am going to freak out.

Ty: I said not to.

John: Well, I do not listen. Do you have any?

Ty: I do not think so but you can check.

I removed my shirt and he found nothing. The sunlight hit me through the trees and my face began to burn. I was not wearing my necklace. Maybe I dropped it on the ground it was not there. John searched in my pockets while I was trying to hide from the sun. He found it in one of my pockets along with a small piece of paper. Quickly, I placed the necklace back on my body.

Ty: How did it get there?

John: I could not tell you. How is your face?

Ty: Burning.

I turned to him and he said that a whole side of my face was burned. Yet again, my power would not work. I read the slip of paper.

I just wanted you to match your little friend here. Burn up.

Ty: John this is when you can truly be terrified.

John: Thanks. How did he know to take off your necklace? And when did he?

Ty: Two questions I do not have an answer to.

John: We will figure it out later. Please hand me a towel in that bag?

Ty: Won't it be wet?

John: Waterproof bag.

Ty: Smart.

I handed him a towel which he wrapped around his waist and we began to walk in a direction we thought was correct. We spotted smoke up in the distance, chimney smoke.

Ty: Come on.

John: This looks dangerous.

Ty: We are freezing and this place has a fire. Take my hand, I won't let go.

John: Okay.

He took my hand and we walked up the dirt path leading to a wooden gate. The gate made a loud creaking sound as we opened it and a gray-haired lady stepped out of the front door.

Ty: Sorry to disturb you mam but we seem to be stuck out here.

Grim: Dearie call me Grim. You two look freezing come on in.

Ty: Thank you Grim. I am Ty and this is John.

Grim: That is a gorgeous necklace you have.

Ty: Yes it is. A wonderful gift given to me from him.

John shot me a look to which I replied with a hand squeeze. We were led inside cabin. On the outside, it was small but on the inside it was a bit bigger.

Grim: His legs were broken.

Ty: How did you know?

Grim: Just look. You fixed it, right?

Ty: Yeah. I think we might need to go.

Grim: I think not, you need my help.

Ty: How?

Grim: He has two handprints on his back, they will not heal on their own.

Ty: I'm listening.

Grim: You might want to take a seat.

We took a seat by the fire. Me and John on one side and Grim on the other.

Grim: You were bitten five years ago but only turned recently.

Ty: You have me captivated.

Grim: It was my grandson. I always taught him not to bite but if he did to catch his prey. Sorry about that.

Ty: Are you a vampire?

Grim: No my daughter-in-law is. I am a witch and so is my son. That is how Melvin got so strong. He came to me five years ago saying he bit a little child. We had to lock him up because of that.

Ty: How does any of this help him?

Grim: Give me a second. Since you are like this, someone has marked you. The mark will not work on a vampire so they mark the nearest thing which so happened to be John. This mark is nearly impossible to get off, I would know Melvin was marked. Yes, I did say vampires were not allowed to be marked but he was only half. They marked one hand. I tried everything to get it off and finally I found something. A spell you could say. Without removing it, they can track you and kill you.

Ty: Who is they?

Grim: I cannot say. Do you want it gone?

Ty: Yeah.

Grim: It is extremely painful. Almost killed the last person. Feels like someone is burning off your skin.

John: J . . . just do it. I okay it. We need to be protected.

Grim: I have to get prepared, give me an hour.

Ty: Thank you.

Grim went off to get ready and John just sat there in silence. I cannot believe any of this is happening.

Ty: This is my fault, sorry.

John: No it’s not your fault. You did not choose for this to happen.

Ty: Just don't die on me.

John: I will try not to.

I kissed him and we just waited by the fire. Grim came back with a bunch of items. Including various bottles of liquid, a few towels, some duct tape, and some herbs.

Grim: Sorry to do this but you have to put this in your mouth.

John: I understand why. Ty will you do it.

We went to a different room where I gave him another kiss and put the towel in his mouth and tied it at the back of his head. Grim watched us carefully almost creepy in a way. He laid down flat on a metal table. Under the table was a few drains so that worried me. She handed me gloves and started to tape around the handprints.

Grim: We need to stop everything from going onto his actual skin. Those hand prints are no longer skin.

Ty: I guess that is a good idea.

Grim: We need to weaken it with an acid.

Ty: Acid?

Grim: Yes. Again I am so sorry.

She began to rub the acid on the handprints. John began to move around and scream from the pain.

Grim: Tie him down.

Ty: I can't watch this.

Grim: You did this to him.

I hesitantly tied him down as she continued to put things on him. His body shook with everything she put on. It did not seem like this was helping at all.

Grim: There, I'm done.

Ty: Is he alright?

Grim: Should be. Can I see your necklace?

Ty: You can see it right here. I will not take it off.

She tried to rip it off my neck after I told her that. I no longer wanted to be in this place, it feels like something is off. I scoop up his unconscious body and try to walk out. Ever since everything started, I was able to have better strength.

Grim: Where do you think you are going?

Ty: Home. This place feels unwelcoming.

Grim: Please do stay.

Ty: Sorry but I have to leave.

Grim: After I have helped you.

Ty: Thank you.

I tried to leave but she grabbed my arm. Her grip was tighter than it should be for her age. She was whispering something. Quickly, I spun around taking her arm off me and snapped my fingers. The old woman turned into a pile of dust before my eyes. I ran out of there, I was frightened by what I just did. I ran until I could not run anymore and collapsed next to a tree stump along the rapid water. My entire body was shaking and tears were streaming down my face as I just realized what I did.

John: You had to.

Ty: Did you see?

John: Yeah, I did.

Ty: I did not mean to.

John: You did what you had to do.

Ty: Okay, sorry about what she did to you. She said it was all my fault. We should really wrap it up.

John: I do not want you believing it is you fault and yes I would love for this to be wrapped up. You cannot wrap it up if your hands are shaking this bad. You had to do it she was going to kill us or trap us.

He took both of my hands in his own and tried to calm me down. I just killed someone so I would imagine that it is not the easiest to calm me down. It did take a while but he manage to help me. I took the tape off his back and wrapped it up in a lot of gauze. We decided to not sleep tonight and just walk along the water. Things were moving around in the darkness. We walked close together because it was cold out and we both were missing clothing. By daylight, we still did not reach home and we had no clue where home is.

John: Can we take a break? My back is aching.

Ty: Not a problem, there is a rock over there.

John: Thanks.

We walk over and sat on the cold, gray rock. There were bits of ice where the water splashed up. Both of us barely fit on this rock. His back was covered in white gauze turning pink as the blood was seeping through. Dried blood was sticking out at the bottom of his back. There is miles of woods ahead of us. I wonder how far the rapids carried us.

The water rushed up the rock covering our legs with ice cold water. We got up and continued to walk forward. By now, it seemed like we have walked forever. There was nothing in sight. The only thing around was some deer and trees. It was getting chilly outside as the day went on.

John: I'm starting to think that the water carried us miles away.

Ty: I think that too.

John: Only if the rapids could carry us back.

Ty: Unfortunally they only carry us one way but I can carry you both.

John: No.

Within a second I scooped him off the ground and it felt like he was as light as a feather. I moved around playfully as we both were laughing and mud was splattering up my pants.

Ty: What about now?

John: Maybe you can carry me for a little bit.

Ty: That’s what I thought.

John: I don’t want to hurt you so tell me when you cannot take it anymore.

Ty: I do not even feel you. You’re weightless. I can carry you until I want to stop.

John: Alright.

I continued to walk through the woods along the water. We talked about past memories and laughed a good bit along with shedding a few tears. While the sun was setting, I looked down to see him sound asleep and I guess that is the end of that conversation. He looked so calm sleeping so I just walked throughout the night. Honestly, I do not know what kept me standing and awake all night because my body was aching all over and I was more tired than anything. As John slowly began to wake up, I slowed down my walk to almost nothing. I actually took a seat in a grassy area a few feet from the water. He sat up with a yawn, looked at me, and laid back down on my chest. I could not help but smile when he looked up at me with a smile and kissed my neck.

John: Is it much later?

Ty: Yeah, the next day to be exact.

John: Thanks, Ty. You need to sleep.

Ty: I will. Actually, I could right here. It is so peaceful and I love it.

John: I know. I enjoy being stuck in the woods.

Ty: Why?

John: I believe it is safer. Yes, our area is safe and all but this location is unknown on the maps. Unknown to anyone but us. It’s quiet and there is no one judging.

Ty: I agree. Not to change the subject but I think I am getting a cold.

John: That changes nothing.

Ty: I just don’t want you to get sick.

John: Thanks but I will be fine.

Ty: I think I do want to sleep for a bit.

John: Lay your head here. It’s now your turn to sleep.

I placed my head on his shoulder and drifted off. I felt light kisses on the top of my head before I fell into a deeper sleep. A little while later, I woke up but did not open my eyes though as I just wanted to listen to the rushing water and the rustling leaves. His chest rose and fell and I felt his warm breathes on my face. Everything was silent but the little things. I slowly open my eyes to see the sun still shinning and John with his hand linked with mine.

Ty: Hello.

John: Hey. You feel better now that you slept?

Ty: Kind of. I still am a bit achy and sore. And my head is slightly pounding.

John: My mother works at a spa so I might be able to help you with one thing but your headache I do not think I can do anything for that.

Ty: Alright.

John: It’s extremely cold.

Ty: Probably because you have no shirt and it is like twenty degrees out here.

John: I also lost my jeans due to the icy water.

Ty: Put your coat on. You cannot help me if you are frozen and I also do not want you frozen.

John: But your warm and I love laying here.

Ty: Then I will get up. I also love to lay here but you are literally going to freeze.

I sat up to fish the jacket out of the bag. Once found, I laid back down and threw the jacket at his face playfully. He sat up, which threw me onto his lap, and put the jacket on. Laying on the grass with him could be nothing but perfect.

John: Thanks. My turn to help you. Take off you jacket.

I did what he said and also rolled over as I have done this before. He sat on top of me and began to knead my back. If his mother did not disown him, he could easily take over her job as I think he is doing better and is growing in knowledge. As I sat up, John started to mess around with some knot he found in my shoulder. We laid back down as we just decided that we will continue in the morning. There is no rush to get back.

Ty: Now part of my upper half feels better. Thanks.

John: Not a problem. Can I do something to your hand?

Ty: I mean you already have both so sure.

He started to massage my hand which made it feel a bit better. I started to have a small coughing fit the made it hard for me to breathe. Soon enough, it stopped and I was able to lay back down.

John: You hungry? I think I have some granola bars in the bag.

Ty: Nah.

John: You know I think we should continue to walk towards home. I love this spot and all but it is very cold.

Ty: I agree. You can eat your granola bar while we walk.

John: Can we come back sometime?

Ty: Absolutely.

Turns out we only had to walk another two hours to get back. As we really do not have a shower, John heated up some water and we both cleaned ourselves. Then we just slept on our comfortable bed. Over the next week my health deteriorated. I was not eating a thing, every five minutes I would have a serious coughing fit, my chest had sharp pains, and I had a fever. My skin looked sickly and felt clammy. My weight was dropping as I had not eaten anything in a week. With some serious thinking and talking John and I decided it would be best for me to go back to my parents to try and get medical help. I would have to lie a lot to tell them that I made the wrong decision. As soon as I get better, I will escape again and come back here.

Ty: Remember I have to lie, do not listen to anything I say.

John: I know that. Leave the ladder there so I can visit you tomorrow on Christmas. And we can celebrate together when you get back.

Ty: Okay.

John: Come on, I will walk you over.

He kissed my forehead and we slowly began walking to the house.

It was a slow dreaded walk to the place that we disliked.

John: Be careful and leave you window unlocked. Also do not forget to hide your fangs. They will most definitely scare anyone who sees them.

Ty: I can do that. Love you.

John: Same to you.

He then hid inside a bush near the door and I rang the doorbell. My mother answered the doorbell and my father showed up next.

Ty: I apologize as I realize I made a massive error in my choices. I would love to go back to school and earn my football scholarship.

Ty’s mother: What about John?

Ty: He’s gone. Lost him more than a week ago.

Ty’s father: We will have to get back to training but first you sound awful. Let’s get that checked out.

Ty’s mother: Your stuff was also stolen so we will need to buy you more.

Ty: Thanks for understanding.

Ty’s father: We knew you would come back.

They took me to their car so I could get some help. John was still sitting in the bushes as we drove away. So many tests were taken and some medication was given. Apparently, my parents also forced me to go to some therapy that had to end short due to my condition. We also went to the stores to grab a new mattress and a few other things that were stolen, unknown to them that it was me who stole those items. They drove around town talking about the things I missed while I was gone and how stupid I was. By the time we got back home, I was on the verge of tears. Both my parents, set up the new things in my room. My father called off work so they could spend some time with me and try to convince me even more to stay. My mother was very understanding and accepted me back now that I was ‘normal’. On the other hand, my father was not understanding at all. He thought that he would beat sense into me. I could also tell he had had a few drinks.

Ty: I think I am going to lay down.

Ty’s father: As soon as you wake I want you down here.

I turned to walk away and he grabbed my arm harshly. I pulled away and ran up to my room locking the door. All the yelling caused a massive headache and having massive coughing fits and a headache is not the greatest thing to have. My arm was literally pulsating because he grabbed it with all his strength and he has not done that in a while. As I laid in my bed, a knock came at the window and John hopped in. I was comfortable to cry around him so I let out everything I was holding in. He knows what my father is capable of but he does not know that he did it again. It was nice to have his comforting

hand. I tried to explain through my tears.

Ty: He did it again.

John: Not again. Where? I can see one of your face.

Ty: Let me show you.

I painfully removed my shirt revealing the risen, red hand-marks of my father and the red marks of random objects that were thrown my way. My arm was now shades of purple, black, and blue. You could see exactly how he grabbed it.

John: You need to put ice onto that.

Ty: I know.

John: Go down to get some. Just walk right past them and ignore them. Pretend like you are half asleep.

Ty: Okay, stay hidden.

John: Clean up your face first and put your shirt back on.

He wiped off my tears and went into my closet. I put on my shirt and went downstairs. My father was not anywhere in sight and my mother was sitting in the living room. So I snuck past her to grab some ice and maybe some food for John. My mother noticed me and stood up to meet me in the kitchen.

Ty’s mother: You finally eating?

Ty: Kind of. I just wanted to take some food up so it can eat a bit know and maybe some later.

Ty’s mother: I really am glad you’re back and just in time to celebrate Christmas with you.

Ty: Me too. I am going to go lay down and take a shower. See you in the morning.

Ty’s mother: Okay sweetie. Get a good night’s rest so we can all celebrate in the morning.

I grab the ice, a drink, and some food. Back inside my room, I locked the door and sat down with everything. With the door locked, John knew it was safe to come back out. He took a seat on the left side of the bed and patted my leg.

John: The ice should make that feel better.

Ty: Physically.

John: Ty, I did not expect him to do that.

Ty: Nor did I. Here I brought you something to eat.

John: Almost like your mind reader.

Ty: I am going to hop in the shower.

John: I will stay here silent as a mouse.

Using an actual shower felt amazing. I left it running so he could get one without my mother realizing. He got in the shower shortly after I got out. We sat there cuddling in only flannel pajama bottoms with a Christmas movie in the background. A light knock was heard on the door ruined this moment. John threw himself under the bed and I got up to answer the door still not wearing anything by flannel pants and my necklace.

Ty’s mother: Your father and I wanted to give you an early present. And your next dose of medicine.

Ty: Alright.

Ty’s mother: May we come in?

Ty’s father: Just go in. What’s with the necklace?

Ty: A gift.

Ty’s father: From who?

Ty: Don’t worry about it.

Ty’s father: Whatever.

He pushed past me knocking me into my desk and onto the floor. I mean if they came up here to give me a gift, pushing me should not be a part of it. They sat down with a box wrapped in Christmas paper and left me almost laying on my desk. I sat next to them and opened the box. Inside was a bunch of gear for football but little do they know I hated that sport.

Ty: Thank you.

Ty’s father: Now you can work in the New Year.

Ty: Alright.

Ty’s father: I mean it.

Ty: Alright.

Ty’s father: Do not raise your voice to me.

Ty: Alright.

Ty’s mother: Okay we are leaving as this is supposed to be a happy time.

They got up and left. I got up and locked the door. John got up and sat on the bed studying me picking up the things that were knocked off my desk.

John: Just ignore him. The sooner you get better the sooner you can get out of here again.

Ty: True. Do you want to finish the movie?

John: Sure.

I got up to switch off the lights and then crawled back into bed next to him. We finished the movie and laid here in the darkness. It was extremely silent. All I could hear was my parents wrapping and talking downstairs.

John: Your parents are horrible.

Ty: They were not always like that.

John: For four of the seven years I have known you, they were.

Ty: It started before I even met you. It mostly happened behind a closed door. Nobody knew and I was too ashamed to tell. You only know what I have chosen to tell you. Good times with them especially my father are often scarce or faint memories.

John: That is terribly saddening.

Ty: Back then it was but now I’m happy. Well, kind of. I will be when I get out of here again.

I moved my head to kiss him and he did the same. He then held me in a way that made me feel safe, protected, and happy. I never wanted to move but I knew that somehow I would have to move. Maybe an hour later after we had both fallen asleep John had woken me up after hearing a knock on the door. I left him laying bed and I got up to answer the door. When I answered the door, I had to hide my body behind it.

Ty: What?

Ty’s father: Your mother told me to me to apologize.

Ty: At this early in the morning.

Ty’s father: Why don’t you come out from the door so I can talk to you face to face?

Ty: I am barely dressed.

Ty’s father: You’re used to it. Oh wait I’m wrong. You made the wrong decision.

Ty: I want to talk in the morning.

Ty’s father: No you will talk now and there is no other option.

Ty: Can I at least have five seconds to put a robe on?

Ty’s father: Yes.

I closed the door and relocked it. My robe was in the bathroom so I walked over there to get it. John motioned me over and gave me a kiss to help me through the conversation. I left him lying in bed buried under several blankets unable to be seen by my father.

Ty: What do you want to talk about?

Ty’s father: Everything.

Ty: It is too early for me to try and comprehend what you are saying to me.

He reached up and rammed his fist into my cheek. That actually knocked me backwards and caused blood to pour out of my mouth.

Ty’s father: Can you comprehend now?

Ty: Wait five seconds for the spinning to stop and then yes.

Ty’s father: Good. I will keep it short. Your mother told to apologize so I apologize. Then I need to tell you that you are walking on thin ice. I have so many things set up if you break the ice. Watch yourself. This is the only warning you will get. Now go grab some ice before your mother kills me.

Ty: I will in a second.

He went back downstairs and I stood there for a moment before heading down to get some ice. When I came back up, I locked the door, switched on the light, and sat in silence for a second with the ice on my face. He really did hit me hard. The side of my lip was swelling along with the side of my face.