Eternal Changes (Mikah) Read online

  “If they did, one would think they’d stop it so we wouldn’t be able to locate it,” Jaymes responded as they flew up into the night. “We’ll head further east after we’ve finished feeding.”

  “I think Tulsa will be a great place to quench our appetites,” Ophelia said as she flew beside him. “It’s the forty-seventh largest city in the United States which means a plethora of food to choose from.”

  Jaymes's mouth was almost salivating as hunger made his stomach clench. “Sold,” he hissed as he increased his speed. He could hear Ophelia laughing as she quickly followed him.

  They soon arrived at the city. Jaymes took the lead and landed on a roof near the Blue Dome District. The people below had no idea what had just arrived in their city. He dissipated and solidified in a dark corner below. It wasn’t long before Ophelia appeared right beside him.

  Jaymes was thoroughly enjoying the nightlife scene he was looking down upon. The streets were flooded with people out looking for a good time. He could smell the variety of blood he had at his disposal and he grinned at Ophelia.

  “Excellent choice,” Jaymes said.

  “Bon Appetit,” Ophelia said as she sashayed away from him and blended into the crowd.

  Jaymes delved into the streets. He was in the mood for something a little more fun than just an ordinary kill tonight. His skin itched from the impatience humming within him as he investigated the area. There was nothing here that really piqued his interest. It was time to go exploring elsewhere.

  He dissipated and solidified in the sky. Jaymes flew up near the clouds as he looked down below. The lights lit up the city like a well decorated Christmas tree. He flew around anticipating the moment that something or someone would catch his eye. All of a sudden, in the far off distance, he caught the sound of people screaming. He looked towards where the sound was coming from. That’s when he saw it: a large contraption spinning in the air. Jaymes smiled to himself as he turned and flew that direction. There’s nothing more entertaining than a county fair.

  Jaymes landed in the shadows before traipsing onto the fair grounds. He sauntered towards the contraption that was spinning people in what looked like individual cages. There was a line of people waiting to get on. It was then that he heard what it was called: the zipper.

  A woman slid by Jaymes with a seductive smile on her face as she looked over at him. Her daisy duke shorts showed off her trim, too tan legs. Her bleach blonde hair was a stark contrast to the darkness of her skin. Jaymes smiled as he called her over to him.

  “Whatcha want sugar,” the woman purred as walked up to him and ran her fake nail down his chest.

  Jaymes’s lowered his voice as he pulled her towards him. “How’d you like to go on a rough ride with me?”

  The woman’s eyes lit up with excitement as she glanced from him to the zipper. “Be my pleasure.”

  Jaymes smiled as he compelled the people in the front of the line to leave. He refused to wait.

  “Looks like you’re next buddy,” the carney said.

  Jaymes went to move towards the cage when a hand stopped him. He glowered down at the carney that was holding him.

  “I just need your ticket,” the carney said as he recoiled.

  Jaymes looked into the carney’s eyes as Jaymes compelled him. “I don’t need a ticket and it’s such a tragedy that you’re going to shoot yourself in the head tonight.”

  A blank stare came over the carney’s pock marked face. “Yes, such a tragedy.”

  “Whoa,” the woman said as she attempted to tug free. “What’s all that about?”

  “Nothing,” Jaymes told her as he lifted her up and placed her in the cage. He climbed in and shut the door behind him. The woman opened her mouth to scream, but Jaymes cut it off with his hand. He leaned into her making it look like they were just a couple who were enjoying each other’s company.

  “Shhhh,” Jaymes whispered into her ear. “You and I are going to have a little fun.”

  The ride started and the cage swung back and forth as he took his hand off of her mouth. She began screaming, but it was too late. Everyone else on the ride was screaming too. She scrambled to get away from him, but there was nowhere to go. Her fingers clutched to the metal as she shook it vigorously. The cage swung even more sporadically.

  “Let me out!” She screamed, tears streaming down her dark cheeks.

  “Don’t you like the ride?” Jaymes asked as he touched her arm.

  She jerked away from his touch. The fear permeated through her skin. Jaymes closed his eyes as he enjoyed the scent. If they had this scent in a candle, he would buy every last one of them. He opened his eyes. They were no longer black, but bright red as the bloodlust consumed him.

  “Please, don’t,” she begged as Jaymes inched towards her.

  Jaymes didn’t bother responding as he launched himself on top of her. He ripped open her neck as she screamed and he feasted on her blood. Not much blood pooled beneath his feet as he savored his meal. Her glorious blood flowed down his throat in thick waves. The screams soon stopped and all that could be heard was the gurgling of blood as it filled her throat. The body slowly went limp and Jaymes let it drop to the floor.

  He bent down over her as his fingernail elongated. His nail cut through her neck and her head bounced onto the floor once it was free. There was something about mutilating the bodies that thrilled him. He took one last look at his artwork before he dissipated into thin air.

  Jaymes arrived at the cavern and noticed that Ophelia was already waiting for him.

  “What took you so long?” Ophelia asked as she glided towards him.

  “Nothing,” Jaymes said. “I just like to enjoy my meals,”

  Ophelia circled Jaymes before stopping in front of him. She grabbed his shirt as she pulled him in to her. Jaymes stared down at her with heat building in his eyes. Jaymes could deny that he didn’t want her, but he couldn’t fool her. His body language spoke volumes. Ophelia latched onto his mouth taking what she wanted.

  Jaymes grabbed Ophelia by her hair and pulled her head back, making her release her mouth from his.

  “You wanted it, you got it,” Jaymes hissed right before he bit into her neck.

  “Yesss,” Ophelia moaned.

  Jaymes ripped away from Ophelia as he realized he was playing into the palm of her hand.

  His voice rose as he threw her away from him. “Enough! We don’t have time for this.”

  “There’s always time for this,” Ophelia denied as she stood up glaring at him.

  “We need to move further east before sunrise,” Jaymes told her before dissipating.

  “This isn’t over, Jaymes,” Ophelia whispered

  Chapter 8

  The last few days had been absolute chaos for Lucy. How did her life got so messed up within only a year’s time? She’d somehow managed to avoid Ashton and Michael during the last day of the school week. She really didn’t want to face either one of them after what happened during the track tryouts.

  Lucy sat down by the bay window in her bedroom and took in the view outside. The trees seemed to dance as they swayed back and forth in the wind. The sun dazzled as its rays were soaked up by the various plants and flowers that were painted on the ground below.

  Lucy thought about Michael and Ashton, and attempted to unravel her feelings about them. Michael made her feel so alive. He was always laughing or smiling. And then there was Ashton. He was always quiet and calm, but he made Lucy’s heart skip when he was anywhere near her. When he held her, she felt at peace. She felt like she belonged. For the first time in her life, Lucy felt like she was understood without having to utter a single word.

  The knock on Lucy’s bedroom door disrupted her thoughts. “You can come in,” she said as she grabbed the book she had intended to start reading before she’d gone scattered brain.

  “Didn’t you hear me calling you from downstairs?” her mom asked as she opened the door. “There’s a young man here to see you.”

  “C
an you stall him for me for a few minutes?” Lucy asked as she gave her mom puppy dog eyes. She knew her mom couldn’t resist them.

  “No problem-o. Just remember, you need to mow the lawn before you go anywhere. I think you’ll love the riding lawn mower I invested in since we now have this ridiculously huge yard. I’ll go pick his brain while you get dressed,” Jean informed her as she left her room.

  Lucy ran over to her closest and swung the door open. The only thing that looked back at her was a closet full of empty hangers. She glanced over at all of the unpacked boxes that contained most of her clothes.

  Lucy dove into the pile of dirty clothes sitting in the middle of her floor. By some miracle, she managed to find a pair of shorts that smelled somewhat clean. If nothing else, they looked clean. She kept digging and eventually found a grey tank top with pink stripes. Lucy took a whiff and almost shouted with joy. It didn’t have an odor to it. Victory was sweet.

  Lucy changed her clothes and glanced at herself in the oak dresser mirror. Her hair was atrocious. Some of it was sticking straight up and some of it was matted to her head. She grabbed a brush and went to work.

  Lucy blew out a puff of air in frustration as she gave up a losing battle and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

  She paused at the top of the stairs before walking down. Slow and easy. Lucy did a cursory glance at her outfit and then headed down the stairs. She started to take a step when her feet somehow got tangled up with each other. Lucy arms flailed to the side as she tried to grab the railing, but it was too late. She hit her butt on the stairs and went bouncing down like a runaway train. Lucy landed at the bottom of the stairs with a loud smack.

  Jean and Michael came running around the corner to see what the commotion was all about.

  Lucy looked up, as red as a beet. “Hey, Michael,” she murmured as she blew a piece of hair out of her face. The tumble had freed almost all of her hair from her ponytail.

  Michael smiled as he looked down at her. “Let me help you up. I didn’t realize I was going to come over here and have you fall for me,” he stated as he started chuckling.

  Lucy tried to give him a stern frown, but his laughter was contagious. She felt her traitorous mouth slowly tug into a smile. “I really haven’t always been this clumsy. I feel like I keep telling everyone that and then I do something even clumsier the next time around,” she told Michael as she let him help her to her feet.

  “I kinda like it when you’re clumsy. It keeps me on my toes and they say that laughter’s good for the soul,” Michael said.

  Lucy glanced over at her mom, who was leaning against the wall and eyeing Michael with a silly grin on her face. She knew her mom was happy with her supposed matchmaking skills.

  “I wanted to stop by to see if you’d be interested in seeing my family’s farm. I think you’ll love it,” Michael said.

  “I’d like that, but I need to mow the lawn before I go anywhere. It shouldn’t take too long since my mom bought a new riding lawn mower,” Lucy said as she looked over at her mom. “Do you mind?”

  Jean moved away from the wall. “I don’t mind one bit. It’s Saturday and you don’t have school tomorrow. Just make sure you are home by eleven tonight. Deal?”

  “Deal,” Lucy agreed. “Now, where’s the lawn mower at?”

  “It’s in the shed to the right of the house. You can’t miss it. It’s the only thing besides the weed eater that’s in there. The key’s already in the ignition,” Jean said as she walked Michael and Lucy to the front door. “You’ll have tons of fun.”

  “Mmmm hmmm, riiiight. Really not my idea of a good time,” Lucy retorted as she walked outside. The sun tickled her skin as it shone down on her. She headed for the small rundown shed with Michael right beside her as she put her hair up in a ponytail.

  “Have you ever used a riding lawnmower before?” Michael asked as he struggled to open the dull metal door. His muscles bulged as the flimsy metal finally scraped across the ground.

  Lucy grimaced as she looked inside the shed. Spider webs shimmered as the sunlight grazed across them. They were the size of doilies and plastered in every corner. “No, but how hard can it be?” she asked as she trudged forward. The lawn mower couldn’t be missed. Its cherry red coat shone even in the shadows. “Turn the ignition, hit the gas, and go. Not too complicated.”

  Michael smiled. “Mmmm hmmm.” He grabbed the weed eater that was leaning against the wall. “I’ll let you master the mower and I’ll weed eat. Then I can be in your momma’s good graces.”

  “I think you’re already in my mom’s good graces, but knock yourself out,” Lucy said as she looked at the lawnmower sitting in front of her. Her mom was nice enough to set the manual on the black seat. Lucy picked up the manual and tossed it onto the floor. She shook her head as she climbed onto the mower. Who needs instructions?

  Lucy glanced down at the various gadgets staring up at her. The silver lever, next to the black steering wheel, had an outline of a small rabbit as well as an outline of a small turtle. Simple enough. She glanced over at the key in the ignition and took a deep breath. Here we go…

  The engine whined as it turned over. “Come on,” Lucy moaned. A loud roaring sound filled the air as the engine came to life. “Yes!” Lucy exclaimed as she pushed the black gas pedal in gently. The mower jerked forward before a loud clanking sound pierced the ear and then utter silence. Lucy stared down at the contraption in complete disbelief. She turned the key, trying to get it to start again, but the same thing happened. What the heck? She tried four more times without any success.

  Lucy glared down at the manual sitting on the dirt floor as she climbed off the mower. “Stupid man made contraption,” she muttered as she grudgingly flipped through the pages.

  Lucy followed the directions and moved the lever to the top to where it said choke. She started the engine and then moved the lever to the position next to the image of the rabbit. The engine purred as she started it. Lucy held her breath as the lawn mower lurched forward. A satisfied smile lit up her face as the mower continued to glide forward.

  She stopped once she was out of the shed to let the mower blade down. The earsplitting roar floated through the air as Lucy let her foot off the brake and let the mower do its job. She scanned the area. The weeds that had been creeping up the front of her house were now lying on the ground like small fallen trees. She glided forward on the mower and headed towards the backyard.

  Lucy jerked as something lightly smacked against her cheek before falling to her leg. She looked down as something pricked against her skin. A grasshopper rubbed its scrawny green legs together as it stared up at her with beady black eyes. “Ewww!” Lucy screamed as she swatted the nasty creature off her leg. She barely knocked it off before another bug flew up at her. She swatted her hands back and forth in an attempt to fight them off. Several swats later, Lucy sighed and admitted defeat. She shook her head in disgust. It was futile to avoid being hit by the nasty little creatures.

  Lucy glanced over her shoulder. Michael was leaning up against the house as he laughed at her. She stuck out her tongue and kept mowing.

  A sigh escaped her lips as she looked around the yard. The grass seemed to dance as a light breeze flowed through it. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the sun as it kissed her skin. Her eyes flew open as the mower jerked to a stop. What in the world? Lucy glanced down. The mower was stuck in a muddy patch of grass. “That’s odd,” she murmured to herself. She pressed down lightly on the gas pedal. The wheels spun and the mower didn’t budge. “Come on,” Lucy murmured as she pressed the gas pedal down to the floor.

  A small gasp left Lucy’s mouth as mud flew up and splattered across her. She took her foot off the gas and stopped the engine as she tried to wipe the mud from her face with her forearm.

  Laughter rung through the air. Lucy looked over at Michael. He was holding the weed eater as he laughed hysterically. His whole body quaked as he fell to his knees on the grass. The weed eater dropped bes
ide him. Lucy was about to give him a good lecture when she noticed a horrendous smell.

  Where in the world was it coming from? She stared down at the mud splattered on her arms. She lifted an arm to her nose and took a small whiff. Revulsion flooded through her as she shook her head in denial. This can’t be happening.

  Lucy jumped off the lawnmower and cringed as her foot sunk down into the wet, gooey pile. She shuddered as she looked down. She stepped forward and a loud sucking noise filled the air as the mud claimed her shoe.

  “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Lucy muttered as she looked at the pink Nike emblem barely peeking out of the mud. She closed her eyes as she bent down, grabbed onto the shoe, and pulled it out.

  Lucy hobbled towards the front of the house. She glared over at Michael as she passed by him. He was still on the ground, laughing.