Thristy for us

Day falls back over campus as my eyes shoot open from the sunlight coming through the curtains. It feels so painful that I close the curtains right away. With a growl, I lay back down in my bed, exhausted, and worn out like I've been walking all night.

“It's Parents' Day today!” Shouts Merina enthusiastically when she sees me walking down the hallway. My thoughts only turn to how her behavior toward me has been lately. Normally she reacted whether we were enemies. Is this another game of hers, or did I not feel the shift of her magic this time? So I just play the game of her, “Oh, nice.” Of course, I don't mean this, my father is with my sister who knows where, and I have never had a good relationship with my sister or father. So whether they don't come now wouldn't even matter to me.

Deep inside, it did matter, but I could not stand to be forgotten again by my father. My sister I knew was too busy to come with her new life and shit about her house. People are streaming on campus, which makes it more packed than it normally is.

“This is going to be a problem,” I hear a voice whisper in my ear, taking me out of my state of thoughts. I am still seated on the stairs, looking at all the students hugging their parents.

“Why? Nobody will notice anything in this crowd.” He laughs, which makes my hair breeze away from his lips. “Poor Avery, if you know parents are coming, you know mine also come.” I don't see the issue as he sees them. “They are still these beasts. They haven't changed.” My heart beats when he is suddenly gone, leaving me alone in the cold.

His parents aren't changed with the curse broken, how can that be? Did this witch trick us, just like she is tricking us every month with these start overs?

“Enjoy the fun, Avery, tonight is the night.” A voice comes into my head, but nobody is there all do I know this voice, it's Merina.

About what is she talking about, what would she want from me more than she already has?

Later that day it's almost as if there is a storm of bees on campus, so many voices and so loud. This is going to be hard to notice someone who I know in this crowd. Dinner is just over what I did have outside so I don't have to be with all these people.

Wyat I didn't see all do, probably because his family is with him, and he didn't want to get me in danger. Do they know what I am, or better say what I was?

“Avery, can we speak?” I hear a voice lifting me from the stairs with his two strong arms. “What do we have to talk about, Colten?” I ask him when we stand almost nose versus nose to each other. “You know about what I want to talk about.” I nod Indeed, knowing what he wants to know. “The spell worked on us at first, then suddenly we stood up this morning with a hunger and all the memories back as no day passed.” I swallow hard with the fear of what is happening today. Varnic did say something about it, and I heard Merina also talk about something tonight. “Your memory restored?” He smiles and nods to me, coming still closer. “I kissed you, the thought we can be bound to each other, not you and Varnic anymore.” It's like he likes to take the place of his brother. Is he this schizophrenic? What when the witch is sick of us and turns us back to the monsters we were, I would eat him without any doubt.

“Brogh, do you really want me to be your marked one?” I smile at the thought alone. If I thought he was joking with me, I was hardly wrong when his lips touched mine. “What are you doing!” I snarl as I step away from him, scared.

“Avery, did I not make it clear that I like you?” My heart is pounding loud, not from desire, but from my body that wants to run. Only running is no option with everyone looking around to find familiar faces or just some family members.

“Avery, please just listen, I promise I will not kiss you for now,” Brogh begged me with his hand taking mine out of my pants. “I am not that monster anymore Brogh, I can't eat you or be marked to you.” He laughs like he has this all planned from the beginning.

“That's the point why I am here, again. Varnic can make me leave every time, but not now. Merina is losing power and now is the time to beg her,” Brogh said like a psycho with Stockholm syndrome, like he wants me to be this monster to have some kind of kick about it. Didn't he warn Varnic about me the first time? He was the one who treated me that time? What has changed?

Suddenly he drags me to the other side of the campus where we stand in a corner alone. The heartbeats I was already feeling, it's now like I will have a stroke. “I am not here to hurt you, Avery, by now you must know.” He takes his shirt off just enough to let me see a faint mark that strangely looks like what I had. “Do you see, you are marking me,” He again looks at it as if it's a joke and not someone's life that's in great danger. How can I even mark him when I don't have my powers or my curse to give him?

“Come to the hanging tree in the backyard of college,” I hear again the voice of Merina calling me. “You hear her too, not?” Brogh asks me when he lets his shirt loose and his body is out of my sight, but his mark is still carved in my head.