I also don't own the song Franklin, that is featured in this chapter. That honour belongs to Paramore.
Could You Remind Me of the Time When We Were So Alive?
“Star,
the sun's coming up, get inside the cave.” She stretched out her bare
legs across the cool rocks in the warm rainfall, ignoring Marko's
warning. The sun's rays wouldn't hurt her as badly as they did the boys,
and she wasn't about to leave this little paradise she'd found.
Besides, she was still angry with David and couldn't see why her staying
up past her “bedtime” was anyone’s concern.
“Where is she?” She heard David ask Marko just as the first of the
rays burst over the horizon. Marko mumbled something she couldn't hear,
but she soon felt David glaring at her from the cave entrance.“Star, what are you doing?”
“Enjoying the sunrise.”
“Get in. The cave. NOW!” She laughed and turned to face him.
“Why don't you come out and get me?” She challenged. Marko sighed heavily, and went back inside. David, however, turned up the collar on his coat, stormed out of the entrance, scooped her up and carried her back into the cave. Although the rays hadn't been prominent enough for him to burst into flames, they had been sufficiently strong to scald his skin.
He dumped her unceremoniously onto the love-seat, his fury surging down on her. They glowered at each other for some time, neither of them giving in to the other. As soon as the thought of them staying like this all day entered her head, David sighed and walked off in the direction of the boys' room.
“If you want to go out and catch a tan, go ahead.” She hadn't expected him to give up so easily, maybe it was because they were both as stubborn as each other. As soon as he'd gone, she wrapped herself up in her shawl and left the cave. She'd never liked being told what to do and to leave one controlling family for another almost didn't seem fair. If she was fated to become a vampire, she was going to have just one last day to savour what it was like to be human.
Star made her way to the beach and a shady patch of shore under the pier, dipping her toes into the cool water. She enjoyed the sensation of the wet sand enveloping around the soles of her feet and then washing away as the sluggish waves lapped at them half-heartedly. She occasionally watched the day-workers picking up trash from along the beach, but mostly she watched the ocean. The Sun's rays grew stronger as the hours passed, she began to feel more lethargic. She didn't want to be asleep on the beach all day and the cave was too far away, so she decided to visit the gypsy camp and say good-bye to her family.
“Star?! Where have you been? We feared something terrible had happened to you.” Her mother embraced her tenderly, tears welling up behind her eyes.
“I'm okay, Mama. I just...I couldn't marry him.”
“Shh, we'll talk about it later. Come and see the family, first.” She followed her deeper into the camp towards their trailer. She opened the door, and the sweet smell of cinnamon wafted out. She was about the follow her in, when she was knocked back. She shook her head and looked into her mother's fearful eyes. The spells and wards that had protected us for so long, had now shown her family what she had become.
“Demon!” her mother whispered, terrified.
“No, mama, it's me, Star. I won't hurt you. I just wanted to come see you.”
“DEMON!” She screamed, alerting the entire camp to Star's presence. They came running to see what had her mother so upset.
“I'm not a demon.” She tried to reassure them, but just then someone splashed a gypsy equivalent to holy water over her. She screamed in pain and shock as her skin bubbled up and began to melt where the water had splashed her.
“Cast out the demon!” Someone shouted.
“Please don't do this! I don't want to hurt any of you.” Before she knew what was happening, she had been restrained and knocked to the floor.
When we get home, I know we won't be home at all
This place we live
It is not where we belong,
And I miss who we were
And the town that we could call our own
Going back to get away after everything has changed
Cause you remind me of the time when we were so alive
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
(Everything has changed)
Could you help me push aside all that I have left behind
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
This place we live
It is not where we belong,
And I miss who we were
And the town that we could call our own
Going back to get away after everything has changed
Cause you remind me of the time when we were so alive
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
(Everything has changed)
Could you help me push aside all that I have left behind
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
Franklin - Paramore
oOo
She gingerly opened her eyes to darkness,
unable to move any of her limbs. Blinking away stinging tears, she
could just make out the Gypsies stacking firewood onto a large bonfire.
Although she no longer needed to breathe, the thick smoke drifted down
her throat and clutched tightly at her lungs, making her choke. Panic
took hold of her as she realised they truly meant to “cleanse” her soul
and rid her of the “demon” that had entered her body.
“Please, you can't do this.” Her plea turned into a yelp as one of the Gypsy Elders chastised her with the Holy Water.“Quiet, Demon!” She turned to the rest of the Gypsies gathered around her in fear. “Do not listen to its lies!” Once the Gypsy Elder was satisfied with the bonfire and that all was prepared, she turned to address the camp.
“My family, tonight is a sad one as we bid farewell to our daughter, Star. Let us burn her body so this demon may no longer haunt her shell.”
She tried to wriggle free from her restraints, but they held fast. The board she was tied to was hoisted into the air and carried towards the fire. She screamed and convulsed violently. The board bounced free from the hands who held it and onto the hard ground, where it broke in half. Star untangled herself from the loosened ropes and stood up to face her captors.
The ropes bit into her skin, leaving deep lacerations all over her body. Some of the rope had fused into her skin where she had been splashed with the Holy Water. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Gypsies advancing on her with all manner of vampire deterrents. Using her other senses she could tell she was trapped. If she wanted to get out, she'd need to become the monster, she had sworn to them that she wasn't.
“If you want a demon...” She whispered. “...then I'll give you a demon...”
Her fangs elongated; eyes turned amber rimmed with red and her facial muscles morphed into her vampire-self. Drawing on strength and courage, she prepared herself to fight those she had once called family.
So we stand here now,
And no one knows us at all
I won't get used to this,
I won't get used to being gone
And going back won't feel the same if we aren't staying
And going back to get away after everything has changed
Cause you remind me of the time when we were so alive
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
(Everything has changed)
Could you help me push aside all that I have left behind
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
And no one knows us at all
I won't get used to this,
I won't get used to being gone
And going back won't feel the same if we aren't staying
And going back to get away after everything has changed
Cause you remind me of the time when we were so alive
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
(Everything has changed)
Could you help me push aside all that I have left behind
(Everything has changed)
Do you remember that?
Franklin - Paramore
As she became a blur of fangs and fists, all she could think about was getting back to the boys. Gypsy law said that once married, you “belonged” to your new family; and you were to leave your old one behind. So for all intents and purposes Star had married into David's "family." However; fighting her old family to get back to her new one, still seemed wrong, and she froze when she came fang to face with her father. Morphing into her human-face, she dropped to her knees. As she looked up into his eyes for forgiveness, the sound of wings filled the air and cold metal plunged through her chest.
“David...” She whispered, before falling face down onto the soft grass.
Taking up our time...
It's taking up our time...
It's taking up our time.
We can't go back, we can't go back at all
It's taking up our time
Taking up our time...
Franklin - Paramore
The Lost Boys came for her, protecting their new sister from all who may harm her. Screams and growls deafened her, while blood, fear and anger hung bitterly in her nostrils. She was scooped up and dragged away from the chaos.
“I'm...sorry...”
“Not now. Just hold onto me. Boys let go!"
Pain shot through her body as David lifted her off the ground and launched into the air. She passed out during the flight back to the cave, and woke up on the tattered couch. All four boys were staring down at her, but she couldn't work out if they were looks of pity or annoyance.
“Are you okay?” David blinked at her, not giving away any emotion on his face. She struggled to sit up, wincing at the pain in her stomach from the stab wound and trying not to throw up.
“I think so...”
“Should heal okay, didn't hit anything major; I don't think.” Dwayne confirmed, as he helped Star take a drink. His “I don't think” hadn't reassured her. She almost spat out the liquid coursing down her throat, when she realised it was blood, however, the strength it gave her quelled any desire to.
“What were you doing, Star?” David asked her; his voice controlled.
“I just...” Star sighed as she realised what she was about to say sounded stupid, but it was the only thing she could think of to justify her actions; if anything could. “...I just wanted to say good-bye to them.”
“To your family who hate vampires? Smart.” Paul laughed, although no one laughed with him.
“Boys, why don't you go out and hunt. I need to talk with Star.” Slowly, Dwayne, Paul and Marko left. She reluctantly looked up at David, who appeared to be preparing to repeat a speech she'd heard countless times in her youth from her parents. The old – “I'm not angry, just disappointed.”
“That's not what I was going to say, Star.”
“How did you— ”
“ —I know why you went back to them, Star. However, you need to understand, that by your choice or not, that part of your life is over now. I know that you're having trouble...adjusting— ”
“ —Adjusting, is that what you call it?! You mean adjusting to becoming a killer?” He held his hand up, to prevent her from saying anything further.
“Your actions put all of us in danger. My family, Star. Whether you want to join us or not is irrelevant, though I assure you, you will. The next time you expose my family to a threat like that, I will— ”
“ —You'll what? Kill me? Go on, put me out of my misery, like you should have done the first time we met!” His hand was around her throat so fast, she hadn't seen his arm move.
“Don't. Test. Me.” He said in a controlled voice, his eyes glittering with specks of hate. She was pushing him over the edge, and she didn't want an enraged vampire in her face.
“I'm going out to hunt. Do what you want.” He let go of her and walked out of the cave, leaving her in a crumpled heap on the love-seat. Star's breath came in shallow bursts as she tried to calm herself down. She felt a spasm of pain, and she wasn't sure if it was from her stab wound, or if it truly hurt to have him leave her like that. She made her way over to her bed and lay down, giving her wounds time to heal and time to think about what she really wanted.
oOo
Marko was the first to come back, waiting
for Star to notice him standing politely by the entrance to her "room."
She liked Marko. Out of the other boys, he was the only one that she
could hold a conversation with besides David. Paul couldn't be serious
for more than a minute at best, and she got the feeling that Dwayne
didn't like her unbalancing the stable home-life the pack had.
“Come in, Marko.” She sighed when she felt his presence.“I brought you something.”
“What is it?” She asked intrigued. He pulled a black bag from behind him and dumped it in front of her.
“I thought maybe you were missing home a little, so I snuck back to the gypsy camp and brought you some things.”
“Thank you, but how did you get in there without being seen?”
“Oh they weren't actually in the camp. I figured they tossed them out after we left. Cleansing and all that bullshit.”
“Right...” Star sighed sadly. She smiled gratefully at Marko, taking the bag from him and looking through it. Clothes, shawls, cushions and a teddy bear she'd had since she was little. She took out the teddy bear carefully and held it close to her chest, earning her a childish grin from Marko.
“No teasing.” She smiled, playfully. He held his hands up and shook his head.
“How long since you left your family?” Star asked him. Even with his vampiric style, she could tell he had at one time belonged to her brethren. That he was once a gypsy too.
“Long time ago.”
“Has David got a thing for gypsies?” Marko laughed.
“Not at all. Paul was a runaway, and I'm not sure where Dwayne came from. He and David were already Brothers when they came to Santa Carla.”
“How do you do it, Marko? Killing night after night?”
“We don't hunt every night, Star. And believe me, it does get easier.”
“That's the thing. I'm not sure I want it to get easier.”
“There's no going back, Star. And the longer you resist, the harder it's going to be.”
“You guys must really hate me, huh? Coming in here and upsetting everything.”
“You're having a tough time adjusting; it happens. I think we just feel uncomfortable around you, because you remind us of how hard it was for us”
“Did you have trouble too?”
“Everyone has doubts at the beginning, no matter what David says. It all depends on how long it takes you to accept what you are.”
“Thank you, Marko. For everything.”
“Your welcome.” He winked at her, and made his way to his own room. Star cuddled up with her bear and drifted into sleep.
She woke up in the middle of the day,
still clutching the worn bear to her chest. She smiled to herself,
knowing her decision was made. Gingerly getting out of bed she made her
way to David's room, hoping that he had chosen his own room to sleep in
today. She peered into his room and found his sleeping form on the bed;
arms crossed over his chest. It amused her to see how innocent he looked
when he slept, almost child-like. Part of her wanted to let sleeping
vampires lie, but Star knew if she didn't tell him now, she would change
her mind.
“David?” She whispered, blowing softly on his cheek.“Hmm?” He stirred.
“I think I'm ready.” He turned over and smiled at her, still half-asleep.
“You're certain?"
“I'm sure.”
He held out his hand, inviting her to lay with him. As she joined him, he kissed her forehead and a sigh of approval escaped his lips. Nothing was said, but Star knew she belonged to him now. Before sleep completely took hold of her, she watched David's cold, calculating eyes withdraw behind lids that reverted him back into the child-like repose she had witnessed earlier. It unnerved her. When you know something is that dangerous you want it to act that way. You don't want to see what might have been before, no matter how distorted the image.
Cause you remind me of a time
When we were so alive
Do you remember that?
Do you remember that?
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