Chapter 4 The Party
I slept most of the day dreaming of him on and off – different types of dreams but all of him. I woke up sometime in the early evening and went straight to the window to looked in his spot but he was not there. I wanted to talk to him, I wanted to know he was OK. I also wanted to know why the Eagle did not like him. I had hundreds of things I wanted to say to him. I heard Collette gently knock on the door and ask if I was awake, I said yes and she came in. She looked at my head again and said again that is was no more than a scratch but the bruise was bad but makeup would cover it up and it should be almost gone by the time of the party. We went downstairs and I could hear the Eagles squealing a parent must have made a food drop. ” I love hearing them but if I had to hear them everyday all day I think it would drive me crazy ” she laughed. It was true but I knew they were happy so that made me happy.
I worked up enough nerve to ask her again. ” Are you sure you saw no one else around ” ” No the bird just swooped away from you and there was no one else around, it just attacked you for no reason maybe you should not be so friendly with them all the time ” I looked out the window, I knew why he did it, but the question still remained – why ?. I decided to quickly change the subject as I knew her feelings about the Eagles was changing because of what she saw. I asked her how many people that she knew for certain were coming to the party. She told me 35 plus a few possible extras they may bring along, she also mentioned that a few would be arriving sooner than the start of the part to help a bit. They would be more her friends than mine as she was one of the few friends I had. Then with other people here surely someone else will see him I thought. Or would they.
They would be arriving tomorrow afternoon sometime she told me. We spent most of the evening catching up, she asked me several times about him but I was beginning to think it best to keep it to myself, so I tried to avoid conversation about him. The next day we would spend doing the last of the decorating and by the afternoon the other’s would have arrived and surely this time I knew it, someone else would see him and know he was here and then I would know he was real and not someone I had made up or just a dream. Even though I knew he was real I wanted someone else to see him here, standing in the Ocean.
Collette had retired to her room about midnight and I went to my room and paced the floor back and forth for many hours thinking about everything that had happened. Looking back across the years of my life I almost wondered if he had always been there, but that was impossible, but why he was about the same age as I was, but what did he want and what was he doing here and why did he look the way he did ? Something about him was wrong, he was too pale, he was too strong, why couldn’t I catch his scent when he walked past me, how could he just vanish into thin air and get here before a boat could get here when I knew he was still on the Wharf ? Though even knowing all this and the millions of other questions I had, I still had to realize that for some reason I was falling in love with him. How though I knew nothing about him, he was just a phantom to me. At about dawn I got a particular warm soft feeling of him and found myself wandering over to the window to look down at his spot and he was there. As before just standing in the Ocean facing the sunrise with his hand in front of his eyes and no shirt on.
I was going to run downstairs but I knew by the time I got there he would be gone. He turned so slightly, he knew I was watching him. He was alright but how I could not understand but then that was just something else to add to the confusion. He turned all the way and looked right at me, I gasped a bit. How could this be happening and why. The light was coming fast and I knew he was never in the full light – why ? I closed my eyes and put my face in my hands, I looked again and he was gone. At least though I knew he was alright. Tears began falling down my face again. Anger, frustration and fear was catching up with me. I heard the Eagles and just for a moment everything was all OK.
I went downstairs to get some coffee and found Collette already had made coffee and was already putting together the house for the party. She had made some extra food as well for those coming this afternoon. I got some coffee and she came and looked again at my head and said it looked much better all the time. I got some coffee and wandered out down onto the beach to his spot, still no evidence of him being there at all. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and breathed in deeply the smell of the Ocean, I would love to see him in the full sunlight. The tears began again, then I felt the warm soft feeling of him again. I heard the Eagles screaming again and turned and looked deep in the shadows of the hills and he was there. I dropped my cup in the sand and just stared at him. He must have watched me come all the way down and had been watching me. Why was he doing this ? I knew he would not be there long enough for me to get anywhere near him.
I heard a few feet away from me a strong loud hiss from something and I looked quickly and saw just a flash of something vanish into the dark shadows, it must have been an Island Fox looking for breakfast. I knew there were several around with Eagle babies around. A while ago an Island Fox took the “Onlychild” from a nest near the other side of the Island. I looked again back up to him and he was gone. I put my hands over my face and shook my head back and forth. Was he always going to be a part of my life as just a shadow ? Why ?
I went back inside and Collette asked me what was wrong. I did not know what to say, I thought again to try to tell her about him, but could not bring myself to do it. I told her I was just tired, she was busy and I asked her what I could do to help. She told me to set the table for the ones arriving soon. I went into the dining room to get the dishes out and I could hear the Eagles making such loud and unusual noises. They were both flying around this time. They seemed furious.
I finished setting out dishes around the front room, I had not wanted to make a full dinner out of this just a party type. Collette began to put some food on them and kept looking at me, she knew I was holding something back. She did not press the matter though. For which I was thankful.
I heard the first boat arrive a little after noon and many people I did not know came up to the house, she knew them all and they all greeted me and asked me about the Eagles { they seem to be pretty popular }, they went to work putting up the last of the decorations and putting out the last of the food and going around and making sure the doors that were to be closed were indeed locked. Even if I had wanted to talk with any of them I would not know how or where to start. I knew what they would think, if I did not know me I would think it surely.
By the very late afternoon the house was ready and the Eagles had been carrying on and on all day, I don’t think they liked “visitors” too much, most of the people were now sitting down either by the beach or sitting outside the dining room on the terrace. I went to my room to get ready. I got out the dress that I had gotten the other day and laid it out on the bed and looked over at the window, wondering if I would ever be able to not want to look out at his spot. I went over and looked out the window and saw nothing, not that I had expected to with all these people here. I wondered where did he go during the day. The first of the guests began arriving just before dark and everyone seemed to know everyone but me. I expected that though, they did not make me feel left out just an outsider.
I took my last glance out in his spot and saw several people out there and wished they were not there.
The party was going well all evening everyone was having such a good time. Collette had mentioned to me that less had come than she expected, she knew everyone there except the man standing in the door now. I turned and looked at the door, it was him. I could not quite believe it was him, she had seen him though, other’s were seeing him I knew that for certain now. He was real and now others knew it and I know they knew it. That means everything was real, all of it.
He came in and mingled around the room and was soon covered it seemed by the single women there, to me that was no surprise. A few men took the time to talk with him as it seemed no one knew him at all – he was the stranger. Collette asked me if I knew him, I asked her ” You have not seen him at the Wharf?” She said no. He looked at me a few times and as always had such a beautiful smile. I walked over to the far corner trying to get myself together up against the wall and trying not to show the cold clammy feeling that was overtaking me, my nose had even gone cold. I was facing the wall trying to hold a glass of water and trying to see my reflection in the picture but it was too small and the candles were too bright.
” You look fine Christine ” I started shaking. He again answered my question before I even asked it, not that I would have. I had no choice but to turn around and face him though I did not want to. I did though and he smiled at me fully and I saw clearly his odd-shaped teeth, his fangs. I tried to speak but couldn’t I did not know what to say. I knew the stories about the Vampires around but that was all just legend and stories for children, but who was this standing in front of me, other’s though knew he was there, so he was real, but then what was he. Then he simply turned around and left me standing there.
I went quickly into the dining room and closed the door behind me.
I worked up enough nerve to ask her again. ” Are you sure you saw no one else around ” ” No the bird just swooped away from you and there was no one else around, it just attacked you for no reason maybe you should not be so friendly with them all the time ” I looked out the window, I knew why he did it, but the question still remained – why ?. I decided to quickly change the subject as I knew her feelings about the Eagles was changing because of what she saw. I asked her how many people that she knew for certain were coming to the party. She told me 35 plus a few possible extras they may bring along, she also mentioned that a few would be arriving sooner than the start of the part to help a bit. They would be more her friends than mine as she was one of the few friends I had. Then with other people here surely someone else will see him I thought. Or would they.
They would be arriving tomorrow afternoon sometime she told me. We spent most of the evening catching up, she asked me several times about him but I was beginning to think it best to keep it to myself, so I tried to avoid conversation about him. The next day we would spend doing the last of the decorating and by the afternoon the other’s would have arrived and surely this time I knew it, someone else would see him and know he was here and then I would know he was real and not someone I had made up or just a dream. Even though I knew he was real I wanted someone else to see him here, standing in the Ocean.
Collette had retired to her room about midnight and I went to my room and paced the floor back and forth for many hours thinking about everything that had happened. Looking back across the years of my life I almost wondered if he had always been there, but that was impossible, but why he was about the same age as I was, but what did he want and what was he doing here and why did he look the way he did ? Something about him was wrong, he was too pale, he was too strong, why couldn’t I catch his scent when he walked past me, how could he just vanish into thin air and get here before a boat could get here when I knew he was still on the Wharf ? Though even knowing all this and the millions of other questions I had, I still had to realize that for some reason I was falling in love with him. How though I knew nothing about him, he was just a phantom to me. At about dawn I got a particular warm soft feeling of him and found myself wandering over to the window to look down at his spot and he was there. As before just standing in the Ocean facing the sunrise with his hand in front of his eyes and no shirt on.
I was going to run downstairs but I knew by the time I got there he would be gone. He turned so slightly, he knew I was watching him. He was alright but how I could not understand but then that was just something else to add to the confusion. He turned all the way and looked right at me, I gasped a bit. How could this be happening and why. The light was coming fast and I knew he was never in the full light – why ? I closed my eyes and put my face in my hands, I looked again and he was gone. At least though I knew he was alright. Tears began falling down my face again. Anger, frustration and fear was catching up with me. I heard the Eagles and just for a moment everything was all OK.
I went downstairs to get some coffee and found Collette already had made coffee and was already putting together the house for the party. She had made some extra food as well for those coming this afternoon. I got some coffee and she came and looked again at my head and said it looked much better all the time. I got some coffee and wandered out down onto the beach to his spot, still no evidence of him being there at all. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and breathed in deeply the smell of the Ocean, I would love to see him in the full sunlight. The tears began again, then I felt the warm soft feeling of him again. I heard the Eagles screaming again and turned and looked deep in the shadows of the hills and he was there. I dropped my cup in the sand and just stared at him. He must have watched me come all the way down and had been watching me. Why was he doing this ? I knew he would not be there long enough for me to get anywhere near him.
I heard a few feet away from me a strong loud hiss from something and I looked quickly and saw just a flash of something vanish into the dark shadows, it must have been an Island Fox looking for breakfast. I knew there were several around with Eagle babies around. A while ago an Island Fox took the “Onlychild” from a nest near the other side of the Island. I looked again back up to him and he was gone. I put my hands over my face and shook my head back and forth. Was he always going to be a part of my life as just a shadow ? Why ?
I went back inside and Collette asked me what was wrong. I did not know what to say, I thought again to try to tell her about him, but could not bring myself to do it. I told her I was just tired, she was busy and I asked her what I could do to help. She told me to set the table for the ones arriving soon. I went into the dining room to get the dishes out and I could hear the Eagles making such loud and unusual noises. They were both flying around this time. They seemed furious.
I finished setting out dishes around the front room, I had not wanted to make a full dinner out of this just a party type. Collette began to put some food on them and kept looking at me, she knew I was holding something back. She did not press the matter though. For which I was thankful.
I heard the first boat arrive a little after noon and many people I did not know came up to the house, she knew them all and they all greeted me and asked me about the Eagles { they seem to be pretty popular }, they went to work putting up the last of the decorations and putting out the last of the food and going around and making sure the doors that were to be closed were indeed locked. Even if I had wanted to talk with any of them I would not know how or where to start. I knew what they would think, if I did not know me I would think it surely.
By the very late afternoon the house was ready and the Eagles had been carrying on and on all day, I don’t think they liked “visitors” too much, most of the people were now sitting down either by the beach or sitting outside the dining room on the terrace. I went to my room to get ready. I got out the dress that I had gotten the other day and laid it out on the bed and looked over at the window, wondering if I would ever be able to not want to look out at his spot. I went over and looked out the window and saw nothing, not that I had expected to with all these people here. I wondered where did he go during the day. The first of the guests began arriving just before dark and everyone seemed to know everyone but me. I expected that though, they did not make me feel left out just an outsider.
I took my last glance out in his spot and saw several people out there and wished they were not there.
The party was going well all evening everyone was having such a good time. Collette had mentioned to me that less had come than she expected, she knew everyone there except the man standing in the door now. I turned and looked at the door, it was him. I could not quite believe it was him, she had seen him though, other’s were seeing him I knew that for certain now. He was real and now others knew it and I know they knew it. That means everything was real, all of it.
He came in and mingled around the room and was soon covered it seemed by the single women there, to me that was no surprise. A few men took the time to talk with him as it seemed no one knew him at all – he was the stranger. Collette asked me if I knew him, I asked her ” You have not seen him at the Wharf?” She said no. He looked at me a few times and as always had such a beautiful smile. I walked over to the far corner trying to get myself together up against the wall and trying not to show the cold clammy feeling that was overtaking me, my nose had even gone cold. I was facing the wall trying to hold a glass of water and trying to see my reflection in the picture but it was too small and the candles were too bright.
” You look fine Christine ” I started shaking. He again answered my question before I even asked it, not that I would have. I had no choice but to turn around and face him though I did not want to. I did though and he smiled at me fully and I saw clearly his odd-shaped teeth, his fangs. I tried to speak but couldn’t I did not know what to say. I knew the stories about the Vampires around but that was all just legend and stories for children, but who was this standing in front of me, other’s though knew he was there, so he was real, but then what was he. Then he simply turned around and left me standing there.
I went quickly into the dining room and closed the door behind me.