been leading a double life since the day I met her, always making up excuses for my strange behavior and lifestyle. For most people the odd occurrences would have been too much. Their dislike for such frequent incidents would have ended the relationship long before. But she never judged me. I knew she was aware of my lies. Sometimes she doubted me. I could see it. And every time I think she would tell me to confess or never come around again, she let it go, trusting me.
The kind of betrayal she would feel once I told her the truth was incomprehensible. I felt we were cheated, our future happiness jeopardized because of my parents’ decision.
I could protect her, fight for her, lie for her, to her, and I had more power than most people dreamt of. But I couldn’t make her want to be with me.
Did I have the strength to let her go?
When this was over, when we were out of danger, could I set aside my own wants? Be selfless enough to walk out of her life forever? That is, if she didn’t want me anymore because of the deceit?
I’m not sure, but I would do anything to make her happy, and to make up for everything I’d done, even though it wasn’t really my fault.
I kicked off my shoes and sent them flying into the closet and grabbed the remote to the TV hanging on the wall over the fireplace. I eyed the chair in the corner of the room, but decided against it and sat on the bed next to Venna. She was still out cold.
It was about fifteen minutes later when she started murmuring in her sleep.
It wasn’t anything important. A few times she said my name, and that brought a smile to my face. Though one time she did call out for her mum.
My heart hurt for her.
I had no idea what she was remembering, but I had a feeling it wasn’t all pleasant.
Chapter 15
Venna
“ Venna,” my mom called. “It’s time to come inside.”
I dusted my shorts off and ran down the beach, looking for my new friend. I’d only known him for a few days, but he was pretty cool. He was really good at making sandcastles too.
“ Henry?” I shouted. “Where did you go?”
“ Over here!” he popped up from behind one of the large rocks on the shore. “Look at what I found.”
I ran toward him and squealed as he stepped out from behind the rock. “Yuck, put it back.”
“ It’s a jelly fish.” He was holding a stick out. A gooey creature hung off the end of it. “Hey, don’t touch it! It might sting you.”
I stepped back and wrinkled my nose. “Is it dead?”
“ Yeah, super dead. I think the sun fried it.” With a grunt, he flung the stick into the rolling surf. “I’m hungry.”
“ My mom said she would make hot dogs and macaroni.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me down the beach.
“ Yes!” he pumped his fist in the air. “Think she’ll let us have cake too?”
It was my little brother’s birthday. He was four now, and kind of annoying because he hated taking baths, and wearing clothes. “I think so.”
“ Want to race?” Henry let go of my hand and grinned.
I nodded. “But no powers. You always win with them.”
“ Fine,” he sighed. “Ready?”
“ All set.”
“ Go!”
I ran, pumping my legs as hard as I could. Henry tripped in the sand and I passed him, giggling so hard I almost bumped into my father. “Sorry.”
“ It’s alright.”
I gasped and backed up. It wasn’t my father. The man was tall and skinny. He had a hooked nose like a big, ugly bird and a long, black ponytail.
“ Venna, get away from him!” Henry shouted.
I turned to look at my friend. “What’s wrong?”
Henry ran, tripping over his bare feet. When he reached my side he stepped in front of me and held his hands up like he did when he used his powers. His palms were facing the man, and I knew that wasn’t a good thing. “He’s got black eyes, Venna. All the bad men have black eyes.”
I looked up at the stranger. Sure enough, his eyes were black as night. “Are you bad?”
The man smiled and
The kind of betrayal she would feel once I told her the truth was incomprehensible. I felt we were cheated, our future happiness jeopardized because of my parents’ decision.
I could protect her, fight for her, lie for her, to her, and I had more power than most people dreamt of. But I couldn’t make her want to be with me.
Did I have the strength to let her go?
When this was over, when we were out of danger, could I set aside my own wants? Be selfless enough to walk out of her life forever? That is, if she didn’t want me anymore because of the deceit?
I’m not sure, but I would do anything to make her happy, and to make up for everything I’d done, even though it wasn’t really my fault.
I kicked off my shoes and sent them flying into the closet and grabbed the remote to the TV hanging on the wall over the fireplace. I eyed the chair in the corner of the room, but decided against it and sat on the bed next to Venna. She was still out cold.
It was about fifteen minutes later when she started murmuring in her sleep.
It wasn’t anything important. A few times she said my name, and that brought a smile to my face. Though one time she did call out for her mum.
My heart hurt for her.
I had no idea what she was remembering, but I had a feeling it wasn’t all pleasant.
Chapter 15
Venna
“ Venna,” my mom called. “It’s time to come inside.”
I dusted my shorts off and ran down the beach, looking for my new friend. I’d only known him for a few days, but he was pretty cool. He was really good at making sandcastles too.
“ Henry?” I shouted. “Where did you go?”
“ Over here!” he popped up from behind one of the large rocks on the shore. “Look at what I found.”
I ran toward him and squealed as he stepped out from behind the rock. “Yuck, put it back.”
“ It’s a jelly fish.” He was holding a stick out. A gooey creature hung off the end of it. “Hey, don’t touch it! It might sting you.”
I stepped back and wrinkled my nose. “Is it dead?”
“ Yeah, super dead. I think the sun fried it.” With a grunt, he flung the stick into the rolling surf. “I’m hungry.”
“ My mom said she would make hot dogs and macaroni.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me down the beach.
“ Yes!” he pumped his fist in the air. “Think she’ll let us have cake too?”
It was my little brother’s birthday. He was four now, and kind of annoying because he hated taking baths, and wearing clothes. “I think so.”
“ Want to race?” Henry let go of my hand and grinned.
I nodded. “But no powers. You always win with them.”
“ Fine,” he sighed. “Ready?”
“ All set.”
“ Go!”
I ran, pumping my legs as hard as I could. Henry tripped in the sand and I passed him, giggling so hard I almost bumped into my father. “Sorry.”
“ It’s alright.”
I gasped and backed up. It wasn’t my father. The man was tall and skinny. He had a hooked nose like a big, ugly bird and a long, black ponytail.
“ Venna, get away from him!” Henry shouted.
I turned to look at my friend. “What’s wrong?”
Henry ran, tripping over his bare feet. When he reached my side he stepped in front of me and held his hands up like he did when he used his powers. His palms were facing the man, and I knew that wasn’t a good thing. “He’s got black eyes, Venna. All the bad men have black eyes.”
I looked up at the stranger. Sure enough, his eyes were black as night. “Are you bad?”
The man smiled and
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