Undead Confessions

• Shenae Gartside, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2015

“No… No! It can’t be true! It is not true!” Lyla screamed, punctuating each word more than the last. There was no way what Jay was saying was true, this kind of stuff wasn’t real. Vampires weren’t real…
“It is.” Jay told her, repeating his former statement. His British accent was coming off stronger than usual, one of the first signs that he was about to lose himself to his emotions. They had been together almost four years and now he was deciding to pull a stunt like this. Yes, his mother had just died and the two were very close but Jay had no right to play with Lyla’s emotions like this. “I died last year. I died on that hospital bed after my heart surgery but I was one of the lucky ones.” The man took a step closer to her and Lyla took two more back. She was coming terrifyingly close to the edge of the roof.
“Don’t.” Lyla warned him, holding her arm out to keep him away. She took a deep breath and looked down at her feet, “Jay, you’re not a vampire. Vampires don’t exist.” Lyla had always been a very stubborn and close-minded person, it was hard to sway her after her mind was made up. This was often a task that Jay embarked on but this was ridiculous.
Suddenly Jay’s two large hands were gently but desperately cupping her cheeks, startling her greatly, “Lyla, listen to me!” He yelled, staring into her eyes. She had no choice but to stare back, his hands holding her head in place. Lyla moved her foot back again, to take another step, discovering that there was no roof left. She felt her face slip from Jay’s hands and her body began to fall, cold wind whistling in her ears and engulfing her body. She could see Jay’s face peering down at her as she stared up at the sky.
Lyla closed her eyes, bracing herself for the painful and sudden impact of her body hitting the concrete below. She waited, and waited but it never came. She realised that she could no longer hear the wind or the sensation of falling. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted as the bright light from the city lamp shone above her. A blackened face was above her, the arms belonging to it wrapped around her waist. She could tell it was Jay from the outline of his defined face, “How-“
“If I put you down are you going to run from me again?” He whispered, cutting her off. Lyla shook her head, “Are you afraid of me?” He asked, his usually confident voice breaking. She thought for a moment before shaking her head, not completely sure of her answer. Jay slowly placed her down, holding onto her shoulders to keep her steady.
Lyla gazed up at him, not sure if she was ready for a proper explanation. This had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real… right?