Raven's Pov

A rather intense and noticeable sigh escaped my cold lips as I drove my Porsche down the deserted and muddy road towards school.

Yet another day pretending I wasn't a monster, but a regular teenager attending a normal educational facility. My tongue still graced over my venom coated teeth and attempted to reminisce over the delicious, taste of the two deers I drank two days ago. Though it was refreshing and mind clearing, I couldn't help, but protest and obscure in the mystery of it all.

In the past few months or rather, years, I began to question more frequently why I did what I did. Why I chose to continue this hollow and unfulfilling life. This abominable existence grew more tiresome with each passing day. The hours grew to be longer, even a day seemed like centuries to me. It was as if the goddesses of time were mocking me, and deliberately slowed each beat of the clock to an equivalent of an hour. It was times like these I wished the Spanish Influenza had finished its devouring pilgrimage in my body, and had allowed me to pass on.

Garnet noticed my gloomy state and decided as always to respond thusly.

"You need a new hobby bro." He chuckled with taunting lights in the whites of his eyes. I had hoped that my black and annoyed glare in the rearview mirror would silence his unsuccessful humor, but instead, it only fueled it.

"Seriously though, what is it that you do these days? All the sulking and the preferred leave me alone speeches are really getting old." I gripped my steering wheel tighter and noticed the leather screeching beneath my fingers, but paid it no mind.

Sometimes, I dazzled over whether or not Garnet only existed to irritate the very life out of me, if there was any left. He sat in the back of the car with Luna nestled next to him cuddled up to his chest. Her long reddish locks fell gently over her marble countenance, and tried to hide her appeasing smile at Garnet's statement, though without success.

Gnash sat next to Luna and stared blankly out the window at the apparent coming storm clouds.

The sky always seems so dangerous here. Like something evil resides here that puts the weather in a foul mood. It looks so reaching and always goes further and further into the distance, like trying to catch up to its own shadow.

Gnash, the hopeless philosopher though bringer of serenity and peace within the family. His mind always seemed the easiest and most calming to look into when there was nowhere else to reside. I tried to give him and the others as much space as my generosity and control could master.

'Telepathy' I thought disgusted. Yet another testament to my 2 centuries worth of pain, wonderment, and apparently, fate's cruel attempt to joke at my expense. As if the spoken word wasn't horrific enough at times; I had to hear them mentally too.
Of course it had to be an ongoing vendetta, and there seemed to be no way to tune it down completely. God knows I tried.

Garnet was still quietly laughing at my infuriated expression and cradled Luna closer in his arms. They always seemed so care free. It always appeared like there were a million possibilities for them, and that they could go and do anything they pleased. In a sense of course that wasn't untrue, though they seemed so much more free that myself. Sometimes I felt like there are these chains binding me to the very Earth by the blood of those I considered unworthy in decades past. They dug deep into the Earth and literally dragged me with them into a sea of dirt and shame.

'You're thinking too much.'

I noticed the high pitched and soprano voice of Scarlet echoing in my head. I had to admit that next to Clemente, Scarlet was the only other person that could insinuate the growing and deluding complexity of my old mind.

She sat next to me in the passenger seat and gave it her best endeavor to show me a reassuring smile. A silent part of me wanted to respond, though all I could manage was a roll of my eyes.

'You're bored. I can tell, but you know you shouldn't take it out on the others. I'm sorry for your growing tensions and apparent issues, but at least try to make an effort for Chalice. She is worried about you, and has been for the past few months. Please Rave?'

Another sigh flew through my quenched teeth. Chalice was a lovable and sweet person who was much too worthy of an ungrateful son like me. I could discern Scarlet's innuendos, but I grew tiresome to pretend a harmonious atmosphere that could for one be easily detected and broken through by Gnash. Not only that, but why should I always do things to please others, and never myself? I wanted happiness, and prosperity for my coven, but lately, I seemed to travel further and further away from what they were together; a family.

I pulled into the parking lot at school and stopped at our usual parking space. I turned off the old radio that had just begun to play acceptable music after torturous pieces from the seventies.

"Go figure," I whispered underneath my breath and took a hopeful glance over the parking lot. Hope for something new, exciting, and just for once; change. Though everything remained the same, and nothing had changed. Students were rushing from their rusty vehicles to their morning classes, girls were gossiping at the corners about handsome boys, the jocks were punching each other in the arms and retold heroic soccer stories. Their scents all intermingled with each other, and were sweetened by the drizzling rain that summoned forth a festival of aphrodisiacs. An Eden of endless fragrances and mouthwatering tastes that will forever remain shrouded in mystery to me.

Of one thing I was certain; never again will I destroy a human life. It doesn't matter if it is a life of evil or good.

'Try to relax, Rave. You really are becoming a grouch. Scarlet sees a pretty decent size thunderstorm moving in tonight. Perhaps a good game of ball will help your nerves. It's been a while since we've played.'

Gnash attempts to illuminate my dark mood were unsuccessful although the idea of a good game of ball did seem pretty interesting. I left the others to go about their classes and made my way into the building, dodging the sometimes inappropriate thoughts of lustful and plotting young women. My first class of the day would be World History. It was a subject that I had studied from a variety of aspects including the ancient Egyptians, Minoans, and numerous other ancient cults.

As predicted, the class was a complete and total failure when it came to satiate my hunger for enlightening advancement. The topic was the sixth millennium B.C.E and the rise of the Greek colonies along the coast of Sicily. I had already undergone study on the subject so I decided to focus my view for the remainder on the class on the dark storm clouds outside.

'Raven always looks so serious and mature. Oh if only he'd asked me to the Homecoming dance.'

'I wonder if he's into blondes. Brunettes don't do it for him apparently. I might just dye my hair blond next time. Maybe I'll catch Raven's attention then'

Oh for the love of everything that's sacred. Will it ever end? My hand reached up to my face and I slowly traced my fingertips down my face in complete and total torment.

By lunch, I was already sitting in the back of the cafeteria with my props that were human food. French fries with cheese tossed over them. How very, very... there are now words for this. The others finally made their way over to the table with props of their own, and seemed already excited and focused on the apparent upcoming baseball game that would be held tonight. Scarlet verified her last vision and saw a rather large system moving in that was like a pedestal for vampire baseball. Garnet seemed overly pleased over the fact that he would get to test his new secret weapons on Gnash. After his last humiliation in the sport I was sure that his new tactics wouldn't be without merit.

"Scarlet says that we might be getting visitors soon." Luna settled herself in the seat next to her lover and locked eyes with me, annoyed.

"According to her, it's not anybody that we know, four of them though, and merely passing through. I thought that you might want to know," Luna severely infected my patience. She had always been somewhat vain, and cold hearted, no pun intended. Especially around me. So I wasn't interested in her all those decades ago, though I'm sure that my lack of interest didn't pertain to her hollowness, although at least she had a good reason to be.

Scarlet sat next to me. Her foreshadowing attempts seemed to dwindle with the upcoming future. In her own realm of possibility she tried to reason with her visions and pinpoint wheter or not there would be an encounter with our visitors.

Lunch had come and gone as always. Yet again pretending to do something that I wasn't in reality doing. I couldn't recall the taste of food from my human years, and judging by what was sitting in front of me, I wasn't entirely sure that I wished to remember.

The next two hours had of course pass so slow that it seemed we had reached another dark age. Advanced Calculus was bad enough, but Spanish? It was like I was sitting in a room with somebody that was trying to teach me the English language. Spanish wasn't difficult to neither decipher nor speak. My eyes as always traveled to the ever building clouds outside this hell like establishment that was High School. I was a two hundred and nine year old man and still had to learn my ABC's. I wasn't able to fathom what could be more pathetic that this. At least the clouds seemed somewhat... clearing.

As soon as the bell uttered it's very first chime, I was out of my seat and hastened through the door without even bothering to hear the teacher's last minute assignment. I quickly rushed through the now filling halls, and hoped I could evade as many pondering minds that I could. Luckily, I was out of the building and breathing in the clear air of the coming rain before I heard anything to unnerving.

The parking lot was empty and still unpopulated, and there were no minds in the immediate area so it only took one step to cross it and open my car door. I left the door open so I could enjoy more of the soothing air before it would become polluted with the all too delicious scent of human blood. I decided to tune into my favorite radio station that only seemed to play the most classic of music. Like the classics of classics. Once I was lucky to catch Clair de Lune on the air. Right now it was repeating an old song from a 1950's band called The Spinners.

It takes a fool to learn that love don't love nobody.

"You're telling me," I whispered to myself and with that turned the radio off. A song like that was the last thing I needed right now.

Eventually, my brothers and sisters finally reached the car. They didn't have the pleasure to travel at regular vampire speed like I had, but instead had to gallop in a somewhat human pace and avoid the crowded masses.

As soon as they shut their doors, I put the car in drive and sped like Schumacher out of the parking lot and away from what felt like purgatory. The drive home was a little garrulous. Gnash and Garnet began to bet who would hit the most home runs, or who would throw the most strike outs. Luna stared amused and bewildered at Garnet's cute expression, in her mind, facial expressions whenever Gnash bets went to an all time new high.

My interest was Scarlet. She was still ineffectively trying to determine the outcome from tonight's small festivities. She saw us all in our regular clearing playing, and having a good time. Even I had a crooked smile on my lips. This future was certain but what would happen after was still confounding her. She saw us leaving early to avoid our visitors or even staying and confronting them head on. As Luna had mentioned earlier, there were four. Three males of which one was olive skinned and dark haired, the other is pale and had a blond hair while the other was light haired and muscular. There was another as well, a female with hair that seemed like it was on fire.

I see four distinct outcomes, all peaceful thankfully but there is that other one. The fifth possibility is so dark and clouded in mists. Like something is intervening and rearranging my visions so chaotically.

That was a first. There were certain things that always seemed crystal clear to Scarlet like the weather, but of course it was only reasonable to assume that other things such as unpredictable actions of humans or vampires would be more difficult to foresee. However, she seemed a little more tense than usual. Perhaps with a little more time she'll see around the mists and will be able to cement a more secure future into her thoughts.

We had just pulled into our driveway when Gnash and Garnet both jumped out of the car and headed for the garage for their gear. I didn't understand their hurry though, we still had at least five hours until the storm would hit. Luna followed them in a more relaxed manner and Scarlet hastily made her way to her bedroom for a wardrobe change while still attempting to see the future.

While looking at my feet I walked forward and reached the front door only to be stopped by Chalice. I looked and saw her golden amber like eyes glistening with worry. I returned her gaze and easily pulled my lips up into a hopefully satisfactory smile that would give her some relive. She had been worrying a lot about me lately.

"Scarlet predicts a storm tonight so the others want to play ball. I'm sure you and Clemente would like to join in on the fun," Chalice eyes immediately lit up with cheerful flames of joy.

Maybe that's just what he needs. He always seems so much more active and alive every time we play.

I chuckled at chalice's optimistic thoughts. I leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before continuing my original path to my room.

"I think I'll go read a bit before we go. We still have five hours."

"Okay," Chalice replied surprised.

"But make sure you're good and ready when its time. You'll want to outrun the others like you always do, Rave." There were small hints of laughter in her voice.
I turned around and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Will do." With that I headed for the stairs and to my room. I hoped to get some alone time even though it seemed I got more and more of that when I saw Clemente standing in my room and looking out the window that held a view of the majestic forest.

As soon as I entered, Clemente turned around to face me with a loving and caring smile that he has had for all the years that I have known the man.

"Raven, How was your day?" His eyes seemed hopeful for a positive response though I don't think I would give it an effort to lie to him.

"I don't think I have the strength to lie to you right now, Clem," I admitted the obvious answer.

He nodded smiling and picked the conversation back up.

"I heard about the foretold baseball game tonight. I'm sure it will be pleasing and comforting for all of us." Clem always wanted only the best for our family.

"Scar sees some company coming our way as well."

Clem's eyes immediately shot back up to meet mine. I guess Scar didn't get the opportunity to mention that to him. He immediately went into his protective father-like mode.

"She says that there won't be any trouble. Just some nomads passing through." I tried to comfort him but didn't feel it necessary to mention Scar's yet to be unidentified unclearness. Clem seemed to be nodding more to himself than to me. Even though Scar's predictions turn out peaceful, he thought that we should still be on alert. It was always a good idea to be careful especially around our kind.

I passed Clem's and went to sit on my black leather couch. There was a reason Clem was up here in my room. He looked at me patiently and unsure at first. He knew that I knew what he wanted to discuss. My apparent lack of happiness and increased measurement of boredom seemed to concern him. Then again, it had always concerned him. He joined me on the couch and seemed a bit hesitant at first, but eventually took the courage to proceed.

"It might sound horrible, Rave, but sometimes, I wonder if I made the right decision by giving you this life. Maybe you were too young or simply not right for this lifestyle. I just... I..." I didn't experience him often in such a state of unrest.

"You had the best intentions in mind Clem." I knew my words though honest wouldn't extinguish the fires of doubt burning lively in his thoughts. He responded with a wary look on his face.

"Some of the best intentions in the world had catastrophic consequences, Raven. You are anything, however, I still can't help, but wonder at times. Of course all of us had a hard time dealing with immortality and still do but at least the others..." he veered off course and didn't finish his sentence though I knew what he was about to say even without this dreadful talent of mine.

At least the others have somebody very close to them.

"You worry too much about me, Clem. Though I have to admit that I do get somewhat tedious of my own actions and behavior at times, but please understand that if you hadn't done what you did, then I wouldn't be even be here right now. I'm sure though that although you don't like to confess to it yourself, you think all vampires would be better off dead than rather being what they are," I explained. He just smiled sadly.

"Sometimes, you seem more to read the soul of a person rather than just their thoughts, my son." My small smile faltered at his statement.

A soul... I wasn't even sure that mine was still intact.

"Well, I best leave you to your thoughts. I know you want your silence here lately, but do me a favor and have some fun tonight, Rave. It would be quite blissful to me and Chalice to see you invoke some of that peace that I know is buried within you." He smiled at me and got up and proceeded to walk out the door to leave me be.

"Really Clem, don't worry about me. Besides, to finish your previous statement; I don't need anybody, but my family to keep me happy."

He smiled somewhat astonished and delighted, but not convinced and closed the door behind him with a more satisfied mind than he would have admitted to.

I got up of the couch and took a look out the window to see the green and alien like forest covered in silver satin like layers of mist. From my window, I could see the large balcony attached to the back of our house and observed Scar also staring at the forest. Her mind was overflowing with worry and other unknown emotions that she herself couldn't put her finger on quite yet.

Something is coming...

Scar's immediate vision fell to the sky. It was radiating with a foreign aura of almost unnatural tension and intimidation. The sky itself to Scar seemed nervous.

Something is coming, and I don't think it's just our visitors...

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➡️Raven on the multimedia⬅️