Eternal Test of Time (4 page)

In the blink of an eye, it felt like two months had come. Though it had barely been a month still I came home one night to find my porch light out and a dark figure leaning against the post of my front steps. As I got closer I saw blond strands of hair dark slacks and a loose fitting dark colored dress shirt.

“Rome!” I couldn’t hold back on my outburst. He came back early.

“I couldn’t stay away from you any longer.”

The way he held me in his arms, the smoothness of his marble skin
, how tender he touched my arms, my face.

I threw my arms around his neck embracing him tightly. “Rome don’t ever leave me again.”

I met Rome at the park last night. We had a lot to talk about.

“I am here.”

He stepped away from the bench by the fountain where we first sat and talked in the middle of the night. Rome had cut his blond strands of hair above his ears. The blue dress shirt he wore made the hue of his eyes more intense. He stared at me with hunger in his eyes the first intense gaze he gave me in the beginning of this time. Only now I know it meant he was fighting to keep his thirst under control.

His alluring glance brought me to my final thought. Rome would be ecstatic about my final decision.

“I change my mind. It was stupid of me to think that I could live any kind of life without you.” Rome ran fingers through his blond hair letting out a breath.

“Are you sure? Cause Aly it is a relief to hear you say that. The reason I came back was to tell you it wasn’
t fair to make you choose the way I did.”

It was my turn to put my finger to his lips. I wrapped my arms around his cool neck slowly pressing his lips to mine. This is what I dream about. Moments like this with Rome.

“I’m sure.”

We left the park and headed in the opposite direction of downtown. Rome came to a halt at a house hidden behind trees, you almost miss the house. This is where he lives. The front gate was covered in ivy. The home was straight out of an old century movie hidden in the forest. This home hid behind a few trees surrounded in the growing small town. I wondered how long he has lived here and if he never left and was here the whole time we were apart.

“I love you Aly.”

I smile, “I love you Rome.”

He gave me one last sweet kiss.
Before we headed inside.

Inside the house
,
it w
as hard to see. On the table sat
a silver candelabrum
a divine center piece. Rome lit each candle one by one. There were portraits
covering the walls. Rome stood behind me as I looked at the huge portrait above the mantle of the fire place.

“That is us.”

“Yes.”

In awe I turned to examine each portrait individually. Some were of only Rome. Others of us posing together. It was weird staring at myself in a distant time and place
with a pale face wearing the clothes of a predominant wealthy daughter. Beauty that had no expression of words. Even as a vampire the painter still added a slight flush to my cheeks.

In the kitchen a small table sat in the corner with no windows and no place for light to touch. The fifties style refrigerator was full of cups and packets of red liquid. Walking into the bedroom
,
I stopped with a bit of surprise. He didn’t sleep in a coffin; he slept in a regular bed. Why it surprised me
,
I’m not sure. Considering Rome and I were together for two and half centuries. We didn’t exactly sleep in comfortable beds most of the time we were always on the move. Going from town to town, though this place was always home. It makes sense for Rome to return to the last place we were together without any life threatening dangers.

With the lights out in the main room
of the house, Rome lit a couple candles creating a romantic setting. Not intentionally of course. While the sun doesn’t affect vampires, the older ones prefer to stay inside during the day. In fact
,
according to Rome in my re-education of vampires, the older ones from the beginning preferred to stay out of the sun
and in hiding
not because it would burn them to dust, but simply out of fear. Though as pale as vampires are
,
the sun irritates their pale skin with discomfort, but a tolerable discomfort.

Rome wanted to show me what it means to be a vampire in the modern world. He showed me how today’s vampire has evolved and thrives. A new way for vampires to exist under the radar of humans.

His way of giving me one last chance to back out. My mind is made up.

I want to be a vampire again.

I want to spend eternity with my vampire love.

Late in the night we gazed at each other. He leaned in giving me a goodbye kiss.

He sealed the goodbye with an eternal kiss.

Thank you to my friends and family that have supported me through
the
process
and for the encouragement to not give up. Thank you to Judy for creating an amazing cover, I would not have been able to on my own.

Sarah Vistica lives is a California native with a creative imagination
. When she is not writing
, browsing bookstores,
or
studying the Victorian Era, Sarah’s pursuing her passions which include acting and photographic art. She lives near the capital on Sacramento.

Eternal Test of Time is her first short story.

Facebook.com/officialsarahvistica