Shadows of Departure

It had been almost a minute and he didn't stop staring, until it looked like he couldn't any longer, his skin had begun to flare so he pulled back the curtains and didn't look out again.

Within a minute Pasquale heard voices in the house and rushed downstairs, they were back. Malcolm and the others.

"where in God's name have you guy's been?" Pasquale aggressively asked, with tremors in his voice as he spoke stuttering and mispronouncing words.

"watch your tone! We went to get some cloths and foodstuffs while you slept." Malcolm replied him with a tone of finality.

"what the fuck's gotten into him?" Bianca whispered to Matteo as they stood in the corner behind the door. Matteo gestured, "I don't know." They both looked up at him surprised at his unwelcoming behavior and surprising rudeness. He was aware he'd done wrong.

"I'm sorry!" Pasquale apologized and pulled Malcolm to the side. "there's a problem. I was reading when I felt someone watching me, I looked through the window and there was a man staring from the neighbor's house. Malcolm, I think it's a vampire."

" No! It can't be, I would have noticed, we've been neighbors for the past four years, I'd know if they were vampires." They both whispered, leaving Bianca and Matteo out of the conversation and wondering what the issue was.

"You don't seem surprised. So vampires really do exist?" Pasquale yelled out this time, completely breaking the news to Matteo and Bianca.

"What!" they exclaimed in unity.

"Give us a minute guys." Malcolm asked them to excuse the room, but Matteo insisted on remaining for the conversation. "not this time old man, tell us what's going on."

"alright, Pasquale, what was the color of his eyes? Describe who you saw to me." He asked, finally showing a bit of interest in Pasquale's concern.

"He had a stupid grin on his face, the kind that say's 'I want to watch you suffer before you die', and he has red eyes, his pupils were red."

"wait! Red eyes? Like crimson fire?"

"Yeah, I've never been good with colors, but I'm sure his eyes were red. And his skin started to flare after staring at the sun for a minute."

"listen to me, if what you say is true. We need to leave and we need to leave now! That's no ordinary vampire, it's a high born. They are like royal knights and second in strength only to the vampire king and his captains." his racing heartbeat caused his chest to hurt, the shakiness in his limbs made him out to be clumsy and drop what he was holding.

"Malcolm, you're trembling. Do you want to shed more light on this?" Pasquale asked, curious as to what has gotten Malcolm so scared at the mention of red eyes.

"There's no time. I'll explain some other time, but know, If we wait till dawn, we'll be done for. I can't take him as I am now."

It took Malcolm a while to get them together, but within the hour, they were out of the house and on their way, without being noticed by the neighbors.

"So where are we going? Malcolm." Matteo asked him as the moved through the woods.

"Well first we get to the train station and then to New Orleans."

"What's in New Orleans? And why didn't you take your car?" The young lad asked his questions as they both walked ahead of Bianca and Pasquale.

"Well, if we take the car, we would be drawing attention to ourselves leaving the neighborhood now wouldn't we? And as for New Orleans, that is where it all began and I'm hoping it'll have the answer to our problems."

"Okay! I've never been to any other city before, but I hear new Orleans is a great city." Matteo replied, Malcolm was already swamped with his questioning, but it wasn't as awkward as it was with Pasquale and Bianca walking behind and it remained that way, till they got to the train station, they walked in awkward silence and occasional side smiles.

"Hey! What do you think those two are being weird about?" Matteo whispered to Malcolm as they walked.

With a cheeky smile and a proud look, he replied Matteo, "I don't know, but it probably has something to do with last night."

"Oh, we're all pretty shaken up. I can't wait to read father's letter, at least I'll get to hear his voice in my head as I read through. Memory's gift in grief." Matteo said as he got sentimental and began to tear up.

*

From the time it was built in the 1930's, the train station had seen many come and go: heartwarming goodbyes, farewells, thefts, heartbreaks, separations, leaving home, but in all of those coming and goings, it'll never remember the day we came through, we were just one more event, but we would. Leaving our home behind wasn't the easiest thing to do. If only we had more options, even a first class ticket couldn't make it as memorable, but at least it might make it a better journey.

With that, it was Bianca and I in a compartment all by ourselves again. The couple next to us of course weren't pleased, they asked to be moved to another compartment, but they weren't regarded.

"How could she even afford to ride first class. I bet she must have stolen the money from her master or something." The lady said to her husband as they raged on and bickered about their bitter life.

The look on Anca's face; she wouldn't say anything, but I could see it, she was grinding on her teeth, her nostrils were flaring, I had never seen her eyes so cold and flinty. I was not aware that was how she was treated every time in public, but I was definitely not going to sit back and let them talk smack about her. So I walked up to their compartment, Malcolm wanted us to just sit down and take it, Matteo was focused on his letter, but the look in her eyes, something inside of her wanted to snap.

"Excuse me, I'd appreciate it if you would keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself." I said to the lady, then turned to her husband and said, "sir, if you don't mind would you please ask your wife to not speak so ill of my girl over there?" I had no idea what to refer to her as, a friend? She'd definitely attack me for that.

"Your girl? That black whore is your girl? I could've sworn I've seen her parading a brothel before? Shouldn't she be in the fields or something and not parading around your cock?" The self glorifying prude said as I was on my way back to my seat. Now, I did give them a chance to have their opinion but not share them, though it's a free world I guess. So he spat in my face, and as he spoke something snapped within me, this time it wasn't because of the look on her face, no! I wasn't even looking at her.

One moment I was a few steps away from my seat and the next my fists were buried in the face of this gentleman. I felt my feet move faster than they've ever and my fists hit just as hard on his face as his head hit back against the headrest. He lost consciousness and a few teeth in an instant, and I my seat, but it was worth it. No one should have to listen to such cruel words about them, especially not Bianca, not with everything she'd been through.

I was taken to the back of an empty railcar, to be separated from the scene and diffuse the situation. If only they were moved sooner, maybe the incident would have been avoided.

As I sat restless and alone in the compartment, Bianca approached and sat next to me.

"I didn't ask for your help you know." With a grin on her face.

"I know, but I couldn't just sit back and hear him talk shit all through the ride." While I spoke she leaned in towards me, her face came up to mine, so close I could smell the pulling fragrance of the drink she'd had. Her eyes exuded love and gratitude, I could only think 'O my God, she's going to kiss me', she pressed her lips gently against mine, our noses touching each others cheeks, her lips were soft and gentle, caressing mine with the slightest of movements. I ran my hands through her hair as I held her by the nape of her neck. I didn't want to let go, but we were in a public train. Not there, we had to take a breather.

She smiled and held my hands before saying, "Thank you! But next time please don't punch anyone."

"I'm making no promises." I replied, with a smile, knowing fully well I'd take down the next man to look at her for more than a minute.

"I'll excuse you now, I know how much you love the silence." She offered, but this time it was different.

As she spoke I couldn't help but wonder, 'how different would life be if there was no shooting, I wouldn't have to be running away from vampires, something I thought only existed in our books and myths, but again I wouldn't have gotten the chance to kiss the lady I long for, but is that really worth all the loss?' as she stood to leave, I came back to it and said…

"Actually, I'd love it if you remained here with me before we arrive Orleans. I'd appreciate the company."

She smiled at me and sat back down and tucked into my arms. That was when I realized it doesn't really take much to be happy, but it hurt how much I had to sacrifice to realize that. A feeling that lasted only a heartbeat, as we arrived new Orleans.

I could feel it when we went off the train, there was so much more to this city than what I could see, from the busy traffic in the train station to the streets of New Orleans, the sweet aroma of street food, the colorful beauty of the city in both buildings and people, I was sure Bianca would fit right in and feel accepted, but I couldn't shake the feeling, that the city had so much in stall for us and our lives were only just beginning.