The Clearing

The circle clearing was surrounded by a wall of trees that were connected by a vine that held pale pink and white flowers in a hedge like fashion. Light filtered in through the leaves of the trees. The grass under my bare feet was long and somehow soft. Petals from the flowers drifted down like snow on to the grass making the clearing look more like a fairytale every second I stood there.

Jackson pressed his lips gently to my jaw to grab my attention. In an attempt to lengthen the kisses I threw my hands around his neck –accidentally smacking him in the back of the head with a loud thwack, not that would have hurt him… just me. He chuckled as I yelped grabbing my hand in pain.
“I hurt myself!” I shrieked as I took deep breaths in until the pain subsided and looked up. Jackson had his hand cupped over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing. He didn’t succeed he laughed uncontrollably. I had run out of undamaged hands, so I settled for the least painful one to run over his neck and he stopped laughing almost instantly, He pressed his lips to mine in an apologetic fashion.
“You’re forgiven” I said when he let me breath
“That’s good I thought you would have hated me for the rest of our lives, now let me have a look” he laughed, his cool fingers trailed along my hand applying gentle pressure and acting like a cold compress which help the pain “it’s just a bruise you’ll be fine, not so hard next time…Hopefully there won’t be a next time, I hate seeing you in pain”
He kissed me and my fingered laced into his black hair. He picked my up gently by my waist so he wouldn’t have to bend and I would have to stretch. He continued kissing me until I moved my very shaky hands to the top button he abruptly stopped his kisses. He putted my feet back on the ground, caught both my wrists in one hand and fastened the buttons I managed to undo with the other.
“No” he ordered me “And you know why not so don’t make me the bad guy”
I pushed my bottom lip into a pout and he laughed again.
“Caught up in the moment… I guess,” I mumbled
The breeze pushed the long soft grass sideways and it tickled my legs. He placed both hands on the sides of my face and ran his thumb over my lip and I sucked it back to normal.

“Not until you’re more like a diamond than glass, I’m sorry but I just can’t bear the thought—” He shuddered delicately and looked me straight in the eyes. I was unsure if it was part of his plan but I instantly forgot what my plan was five minutes ago as I stared into his purple eyes.

I kissed his throat and sighed, “What did you need to tell me?”
He drew in a deep breath and I saw him wince slightly and his muscles tighten as the scent of my blood sent fire down his throat. I rested my hand on my chest; I could feel my heartbeat under my hand so I pulled his hand off my waist and rested it on my chest. I felt the muscles in his arm slowly relax; at that exact moment the sun broke through the leaves sending gold light in every direction. I sighed as the sunlight reached my skin sending a tingle all over my body. I looked at Jackson, blinked twice and held my hand up in front of my face to shield my eyes from his beautiful twinkle, I blinked again and the soft grass disappeared from beneath my feet.
My eyes flew open –which I regret them doing—instinctively as the trees whizzed by and the deafening whoosh of wind rushing past my ears. I snapped my eyes shut again and didn’t open them until I felt his cold fingers trail gently along my jaw. I looked up at him and smiled.
“Lenete knows we are together, she has just been waiting for you to say something before she said anything, Lilly and Nafron are proud of me for finally finding what I have been looking for” he smiled.
“So what do we do?”
“Well I think it’s time we told her, I don’t know about you but I think that’s our best option”
“Did you ever think of what she would do to me if we told her? Or worse what she would do to you?” I panicked hysterically until his cold fingertips traced along my face.
“Calm down Daisi” I took deep breaths all the while his palm gently but firmly caressed my cheek “The only thing you need to worry about is… well nothing really, She would never hurt the first friend she has acquired since becoming vampire and as for me, she would never - could never hurt me” he smiled and kissed my forehead and I immediately relaxed.
“I think… tell… no…. um I can’t” Jackson hushed me and pulled me into his chest, I felt safe, free… alive. We lay in silence on the grass not saying a word mind or voice, we didn’t need to I could read everything in his eyes and I guessed he could read everything in mine.
“Dis Lenete will be expecting us home in half an hour” he said gently “have you figured anything out?” I glanced at my watch he was right, we had been laying here silently for two and a half hours I pressed my face into his shoulder and felt him stand up and start running. I left my eyes closed until I felt his cool arms disappear from beneath me and the bed take their spot.
“I don’t think I will be able to say anything,” I mumbled after several minutes of watching him pack my boxes at vampire speed. He stopped and looked at me, His purple eyes softened and he was at my side instantly holding me into his chest and I buried my face into his shoulder again, fighting the tears that were welling up because I was to chicken to face the friend I had been lying to for a year.
“She won’t do anything love, I promise plus I will be there, I won’t let anything touch you”
A choking sound was made in the back of my throat and Jackson kissed my forehead. I suddenly felt strong enough; I pulled away from Jackson as I started packing my clothes while he packed the rest of my room at his speed.
“ Don’t pack to many clothes, Lenete has already given you an entire new wardrobe” I groan, Jackson chuckled as he picked me up again and set me on my bed while he packed clothes he thought necessary - he after all had seen my room and all my new belongings.
“All set?” I nodded and started towards the stairs, I felt a rush of wind as Jackson carried two boxes down to his car. Another as he came back up and another as he took more boxes down. It was at that point I realised I hadn’t moved from the top step.
“Are you okay?” he asked worryingly, I nodded
“Just shocked… I guess, how could she know?”
He hesitated “oh I think she’s known for quite a while”
“What did you do?” I asked
“Nothing, I promise”
I started down the stairs and out the door Jackson was at the passenger side door holding it open. He kissed my forehead as I passed and helped me slide into the car, I buckled my seatbelt and the car started and back onto the road. We sat silently I heard Jackson going over what he as going to say to Lenete in our heads but I wasn‘t paying attention to the words. He looked at me when he finished.
“Is that okay?”
“Is what okay?”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I nodded as he unbuckled my seat belt and pulled me across the seat and hugged me tight against his side. I heard and felt the car change from the bitumen to damp earth of the Greene’s driveway he drove up the driveway, making the twists and turns easily. I saw Lenete sitting on the front steps her chin in her hands. She stood up when Jackson parked the car in front of her. They both carried all my boxes up stairs in one trip. I wondered over to the furthest lounge of the hallway and sat down staring out the window. The lounge shuffled either side of me, a felt Lenete’s arms wrapped around my shoulders and Jackson’s eyes staring at me.
“It’s okay Dis I know all about it” I looked at her, she was smiling wider than I have ever seen her smile before “Jackson has found what he has been looking for, and I will too”
“I’m sorry Lenny I should have told you” I looked at my hands
“Daisi, Daisi calm down I’m not mad at you, I promise” she hugged me tighter and Jackson clasped my hand in his and kissed the top of my head.
“I truly promise I’m not mad at you or Jackson, Daisi look at me” I looked up at her she was still smiling “if you don’t stop feeling guilty I will be mad at you, I’m happy okay, I’m glad that Jackson found you”
“But you always told me you didn’t want me dating-”
“Anybody else, don’t you see Daisi I wanted you to be with my brother, from the first day he said you smelt better, more luscious than other humans when you didn‘t smell like that to anyone else, I knew it was his love for you”
“So there is nothing wrong with your power you’ve seen it all, you just haven’t said anything”
“Yes” I glared at her
“All this time you have made me think there was something wrong with you, I have been worried out of my brains that there was something wrong” she shrugged
“Well I guess you want to see your room unless you don’t want to move in anymore”
“I am to still moving in, I’m just… I don’t know, I guess I’m not mad or anything at least now I don’t have to lie to you any more, or keep my love for Jackson secret” I smiled devilishly and remembered our most passionate kiss.
“Would. You. Stop!” she yelled, “I so don’t want to see my best friend and my brother doing that” Jackson and I laughed out loud as he pulled me in for a kiss.
“Nothing will ever touch you,” he whispered into my ear as Lenete grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs.

I stopped as I realised there were still only seven doors in the long hallway, Lenete jerked on my arm again and pulled me forward.
“Lenete I thought Lilly was putting in another room for me?”
She smiled angelically and stopped me in front of Jackson’s door.
“Welcome home” she said with a smile
“That sound nice” I didn’t move as she opened the door, I didn’t even look into the room, her welcome home remark had spark something in me and I didn’t know what it was.
“Are you going to look?” I snapped out of my dream and looked into the room that was now mine and Jackson‘s. I heard Lenete sigh and pull me into the room.

The room I had not seen before until now, like the other rooms was all glass apart from the hallway wall, the glass doors leading out to the balcony which contained a small table setting containing two chairs, a table, vases on the table, pot plants and trees in every spare space and like Lenete an IPod speaker shaped like a rock. From where I was standing I had a good view of the entire room, I walked down the three steps to the floor and spun around in a slow circle all the while I was aware of Lenete and Jackson’s eyes on me. To the left was a set of French doors exactly like Lenete’s I stared at them curiously.
“It’s our wardrobe” Lenete said I could hear her smile “walk straight through there and you’ll be in my room, I figured since were the same size we could share a wardrobe” I nodded as I absorbed the rest of the room, the was a bed against the right wall it was bigger than Lenete’s bed, two desks in the corner, holding two laptops a printer and a bin, in the other corner there was a love seat facing inwards to the room. The boxes containing my belongings were at my feet and I didn’t realise until I kicked one accidentally.

I yelp and sat on the floor rubbing my foot, I felt Jackson’s arms wrap around my waist as he sat on the floor next to me and I heard Lenete’s quiet laughter from the doorway.
“Lenete be quiet… and help Daisi down stairs, get her some food for the love of European cars” I chuckled at his choice of words so did Lenete; I took one look at her and we both dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“O.k.” she managed to breath between giggles. She was instantly standing in front of me with her hand out stretched, I took it and she pulled me to my feet and slung me on to her back.
“I’ll join you soon, I’m going to finish unpacking” I heard Jackson state
“No I’ll do it-” I started but Lenete was already running down the stairs
“You really shouldn’t bet against us Dissy, we’ll always beat you” Lenete said as she put me back on the ground and motioned towards a high stool at the kitchen bench where all our meals were eaten. I looked at her to find her smiling mischievously
“You do realise that moving in with us” she was talking as she cooked rarely looking at the pot, something everyone in the Greene family did “means that you’ll have to move when we do”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“ Look at me Daisi” she said motioning to her body “ you have seen our family photo’s none of us have changed in appearance for over three and a half centuries, we don’t change in appearance people get suspicious when we stay in one area for to long and we don’t age”
“Oh”
“This is our last year in the area, we stay for about five years on average after graduation then we pick up, leave and start all over again but we want to relocate earlier this time ‘round, Jackson and I start at sixteen, Lilly starts at 30 and Nafron at 34, we always say that Jackson and I are adopted by Lilly and Nafron” she said with a smile
“And what will happen with me?” I saw Lenete’s eyebrows mash together in a look of concentration.
“Lilly and Nafron will decide what we will do with you” I felt Jackson’s hands around my waist before I heard him.
“Do with me? You make me sound like a pet” I smiled spinning around in his arms to face him
“You… a pet, I don’t think so love, your part of the family,” he stated with a kiss on the top of my head.
“Ah stop it, just ‘cause I know you are together now doesn’t mean you can fill in every spare moment with loving dovey stuff” Lenete whinged wrinkling her nose.
Jackson and I laughed and pressed our lips together
“Fine! I’m leaving!” she stormed out of the room, her high heels clicking on the polished floor, leaving her unfinished cooking on the stove.
“I’d… better finish that” I let go of Jackson and walked over to the stove stirring the contents of the boiling pot. The room went so quiet I could hear Lenete’s heels clicking on the floor above, the birds singing in the back yard and more significantly the piano being played upstairs soft and gently upstairs i turned around to find Jackson gone, he must be playing. I smiled and began singing absent minded, I was so absorbed I barely heard Lenete yelling at me until she hit me- not hard enough for it to hurt, just hard enough for me to snap out of my daydream.
“Daisi what the hell are you doing… Your burning the food that’s what you’re doing!”
“What?” I winced as I felt the sting in my face “Jackson” I called knowing he would hear me even though he was upstairs at the piano.
“Lenete you do know that’s going to leave a bruise on her beautiful face” he said placing a hand on my face soothing the pain.
“Sorry Daisi but you would have set the house on fire, what’s wrong with you today?”
“I… I don’t know I was standing here then I forgot that I was, I was somewhere else,” I mumbled
“I think we should have Lilly and Nafron see what’s going on, this strangely reminds me of that thing that happened awhile back”
It was at that point that I faintly heard the door quietly open and close and I heard the faint tapping of shoes on the floor.
“Mum, dad we need to talk” Lenete’s voice rung around the kitchen “it’s about Daisi”
“What is it?” Lilly appeared and was hugging my shoulders more motherly than my own mother “are you okay?”
“We don’t know mum, she’s been acting funny all day it really has me worried” Jackson murmured
“Jackson calm down you’ll give your self a heart attack” Lilly smiled “what sort of weird stuff?”
And so a whole recap of my day, my weird behaviour and my sudden memory loss. Without a word to me Lilly and Nafron walked upstairs and began a private conversation.
Lenete went up stairs with out another word leaving Jackson and I standing in the kitchen.
“Would you please get that look off your face, its heart breaking?”
I buried my face into is chest.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing is wrong with you, we’ll figure this out I promise”
“I’m scared Jackson-”
“Please don’t be, you have nothing to worry about, Nafron will see anything” with that he gently pulled me tighter in his grip then let go after a second, he held out his hand and I took it as he lead the way up to the library.

He sat down at the piano and began playing a new tune, and unheard tune, Lenete danced her way in, her shoes clicking annoyingly against the floor and squashed me into Jackson so she could sit next to me.
“What a lovely tune” she said quietly before heading over to the violin and picking up the tune from Jackson’s thoughts and playing along, I wrapped my arms around Jackson’s waist and hugged him tight afraid to let him go. The tune came to a slow end; Jackson’s arms picked me up and were soon replaced with a bed. The bed shifted next to me and I was still conscious enough to feel has arms drape across my waist pulling me tight into his chest as I slipped into unconsciousness.

The ringing was still loud in my ears from my scream; I could not remember what I had dreamt about, just that I woke up screaming like I was being tortured. My screams instantly stopped when I felt a set of cool arms around my waist, another set around my shoulders and cool gentle hands cupping my face, all with a feather touch.

“Daisi? Daisi? Are you okay what is it?” Jackson’s panicked voice made me feel worse, but no words would come out off my mouth to ease his panic. I crushed my face into Jackson’s chest breathing in his relaxing scent.
“Daisi can you tell us what happened?” Nafron asked from the doorway as his medical training kicked in. I knew I couldn’t hide in Jackson’s chest forever so I disappointingly pulled away from the safe closure of his chest.
“I… can’t remember anything I only remember waking up screaming,” I was crying and the tears were staining Jackson’s shirt “Lilly please tell me… what’s going on”
“I…I don’t exactly know Dis, but I promise to look into it when I finish work”
“Please don’t be worried about anything” Lenete and Jackson said at the same time
“I mean you are probably the best protected person in Treshone, what with 24/7 protection by vampires” Lenete finished smugly
“I know but what ever is happening to me, is getting past you” I stated
“I’m offended, if anything really bad was to happen, Nafron would have seen it” Lenete scoffed
“He doesn’t see anything happening to me and look what’s happening to me!” Jackson tightened his arms around my waist and kissed my cheek lightly
“Sleep Daisi, you’ll feel better”
“You think I could sleep with what just happened!” I shrieked at him before collapsing into his chest “sorry, I don’t know what came over me” Jackson ran a hand over my hair before scooping me up and carrying me down stairs.
“Do you want to eat?” his panic made me feel even worse I shook my head “I wonder if your life would have been better if you never met me?”
“But I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now…minus the weird stuff”
“I couldn’t agree more”
His lips trailed along my jaw line and I felt him smile against my skin for a brief moment before planting his lips on mine.

The days continued in that matter, I stayed awake with the rest of the family the whole night scared to sleep in case I had another unknown dream; I attended school, sleep deprived and zombie like.

“Good afternoon Daisi how was school?” Nafron asked as he hugged me, I noticed his eyes glaze over but he didn’t pull away, Jackson growled, Lenete gasped, Nafron’s grip tightened around my shoulders and became uncomfortable, I pushed against his arm but he wouldn’t budge. Lilly came up behind him lacing her fingers into his and pulled him away. I gasped at the air.

“Nafron what is it?” Lilly asked worried, no one answered, no one spoke to me, all everyone did was disappeared upstairs, and I couldn’t even hear a conversation. I could no long hold my eyelids open; I felt the wind on my face as I collapsed into the couch in the hallway.


The light was getting duller and duller until I could no longer see it, I tried to scream but all sounds were gurgled by the rush of water into my lungs, my visions became hazy as I tried to swim for air, but the harder I tried to push myself towards the surface the darker it became. My lungs were screaming for air, my mouth opened flooding my lungs with more water, I felt myself slipping, and I heard an angel’s voice.
“Daisi, come back to me” his voice worried, panicked, stressed and most obvious sadness, I screamed for him to help but more water rushed into my body.
“Daisi, please come back…please” his voice became more distant, Wait I wanted to scream, stay with me please. Everything went black
“Daisi I love you, come back to me”
I screamed high-pitched, I welcomed the ringing in my ears, It told me I was alive; I had listened to my angel.

“Daisi. Daisi are you okay?” his arms lifted me into his chest the only words that would escape my mouth were ‘come back my angel’
“I’m right here Daisi, unless I’m not your angel” I felt his smile against my forehead
“Oh my, Daisi are you okay?” Lilly’s panic was barely audible to my ears, which were still ringing, the words kept spilling out of my mouth; I had no control over what I said and what I didn’t.

My vision clouded and my hearing blocked, I had passed out and I knew I had only this time no dreams came to me.

When I woke my head throbbed, every bone in my body was aching and an uncomfortable burn was in my throat but I welcomed the pain, I was still alive and I wouldn’t be causing the Greene’s grief over my death. I rolled over and found Jackson’s face inches from mine.
“Good evening beautiful, are you feeling okay?” I nodded
“Just a little sore, bet I have some bruises too” he nodded with a grimace on his face
“One from where Lenete hit you and the others well they came from you” my face fell as I jumped from the bed and ran to the mirror. My skin was painted faintly with bruises, my left hand had another bandage added to the one I already had, and it covered half of my forearm. I stared at it dumbfound.
“What happened to my arm?” I stuttered, Jackson shrugged and leant against the wall next to the mirror.
“You fractured it… you did some pretty severe thrashing while you were out, do you know how long you have been out for?” I shook my head not taking my eyes off the battered girl in the mirror
“About two days, you missed both days of school and you haven’t received a phone call from your mother yet so” he shrugged again
“Two days? Severe thrashing? What do you mean?”
“What were you dreaming about?”
“Nothing, no pictures, no sounds, nothing!”
“Hmm… unusual, come on lets get you some food,” he kissed me lightly before cradling me into his arms and carrying me down stairs where Nafron and Lilly were waiting.
“Feeling well Daisi?”
“Can’t complain I suppose, just unsure of why I am bashing myself up” I laughed and began eating the cereal placed in front of me.
“Speaking about that subject, I would like to examine your injuries when you have finished eating” I had known well enough that all injuries made by me are checked by Nafron as soon as I get them.
“Yep sure” I chuckled with my mouth full of food

My arms were stretched out to my sides Lenete held one up and Lilly held the other one up - my muscles hurt too much for me to hold them up on my own. While Jackson hovered around Nafron’s shoulder trying to protect me and he complained every time I winced or made a face, but I constantly told him I was fine. Nafron lightly pressed every bruise and scrape with his cool fingertips and x-rayed every bone checking for any damage I caused myself. I got off lightly - a fracture in my left wrist, a deep tissue bruise in my right thigh and minor cuts and bruises painted all over my body.

I spent a whole week off school to prevent rumours going around about my new family, my bruises slowly disappeared and I had made my story for my fractured wrist it was very simple, I had tripped and a table got in the way of my fall. I stifled a laugh as Jackson wrapped his arms around my shoulders - being careful of my bruises. I shook my head in response to the puzzled look on his face.