FicWad

He lived with his eyes over his shoulder over the next few days. The dark creeping up on him making it feel like he was being watched, followed even. He hated the fear that seemed to take hold of him, he wanted to banish it as if it were as simple as that. It was all because of those words that Shannon had spoken. Those cryptic words that he replayed in his head over and over until he began to hear them even when he didn’t want to. It was the confidence in Shannon’s voice that led him to believe that nothing at all around him was safe anymore.

Amidst the fear however something had happened. He felt something shift that first night but it had taken several more for him to finally realize what it was exactly. And when the realization hit him everything inside of him felt alive.

It started when he felt a chill crawl up his spine when he was walking one night. It felt strange, a sensation he couldn’t quite explain. And then came the feeling of the wind dancing across his face. It was cold. He had felt the cold. He grew afraid suddenly, unsure what to do with what was happening. And so he rushed home, crawled into bed and tried to tell himself it was all a dream. But he could feel the bedding beneath him, he could feel the wind coming from the window, he could feel his own skin. He wanted to scream, wanted to cry out with the fear that now overtook him. He had been unable to feel for decades and now here was it again. Like a miracle had taken place scaring the hell out of him.

It settled in him, the realization was followed by an inexpressible joy that he couldn’t contain. This was what he had dreamed of for so long, this lost sense that had flitted away from him like he had never possessed it.

It was freezing outside but he didn’t care. He went out onto the streets without a coat, basking in the icy wind that whipped across skin. He took showers, cold and hot and felt it all. He touched his hand to everything felt different types of surfaces. He cried over it, feeling the tears that slid down his cheeks. He wasn’t sure where it had all come from but damn it it was the most beautiful thing he had ever been given.

He came inside his apartment once the sun went down, still able to feel the warm rays of sun on his face, and shut the door behind him. He sat on his bed, gripping the sheets in his grasp and smiling to himself. He knew that people looked at him like he was crazy and perhaps he was. He was warranted a little craziness with what was happening to him. This was a gift and he would cherish it like he had never done before.

His attention was stolen when a knock sounded on the door. Again he smiled and rose to his feet. He took the door knob in his hand and lingered, letting the brass touch cool in his palm. He pulled open the door and with a gasp he lost every breath inside.

Scarlett looked up at him. The hypnotic light of her eyes waned somewhat, the fulness of her lips slightly less alluring, and the fullness of her hair dampened over her small shoulders. She looked him over and instantly knew something was different. She looked away as if what she saw was disappointing, wasn’t supposed to happen.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded, trying not to let his voice waver. Sure he had been angry at her but the intense feeling of intoxication whenever he was in her presence never went away.

“I need to talk to you.” She replied, her voice burdened.

He looked behind himself, and then returned his eyes to her with a release of breath before opening the door and allowing her in. She walked past him and he smelled the gentle lilac of perfume, the soft scent of her hair. He looked away from her, wanting so much to detach himself from the moment.

He closed the door and looked at her. She stood a few feet from him and although inside he told himself he was much too far from her he knew he should keep his distance.

“Jared, something happened to you.” She said, noticing so much that was different about him. The blue of his eyes were much clearer, gentler. Every detail of his face seemed more alive, his movements were more sure. He was almost different man.

A smile came onto his face at the realization that she had noticed. He closed the space between him and nodded. “Something has, Scarlett. Everything has.”

“I know…” But she stopped. She didn’t want to continue, something in his eyes that were expressing an infinite amount of sudden euphoria urged her not to go on.

He didn’t say anything to that. He held her eyes a long moment and then he reached out and took hold of her hands. The warmth of her skin sank into his and generated a hypnotic wave to come alive inside of him. It was like a flame had been set in his palm and everything within was now subjected to it.

He didn’t stop there, he raised his hand and touched her face. He brought her closer to him, touching his fingers to the silk of her lips, the delicate skin of her neck and then finally he let his lips meet hers. She sighed against his kiss and everything inside of him was overwhelmed by her. Her kiss consumed him, withdrew every breath from him and entranced him to the point of weakness. He began to feel eager as he pulled her closer to him, her body so small in his arms. But she stopped him. Her hand lightly pushed against his chest and she shook her head.

“I’m sorry…” He whispered, tasting the remnants of her kiss on his lips.

She took a breath and looked up into his eyes. She remembered that first night she had seen him. He seemed fatally doomed, every part of him that was supposed to be alive had fallen exposed to nothingness. He was living for nothing, subjected to lifelessness. And now here he was, beautifully alive in every way. She lifted her hand and touched the warmth of his face, the softness of his lips and then she moved from him.

“What is it?” He gently demanded, his mind still lost in that kiss that he now felt enslaved to.

She sucked in her breath. She lowered her eyes then looked back to him.

“You’re going to die.”