The Light of Oriah : Burning Jungle - Part One (3 page)

There in the clearing stood an almighty yew tree, gnarly and
ancient, domineering its part of the forest. Beside the tree was a
lake, its surface smooth and unrippled, exuding tranquillity. I
wished I could soak up some of its calmness, I needed it right now.
The beautiful boy turned his back on the lake, facing me at
last.

“You followed, I hoped you would,” he said, the words coming
so quietly, as if they would draw me in. It worked. Involuntarily I
took a step forward.

“Who are you? What are you?” I demanded, my voice wavering as
I hid my shaking hands in my pockets.

“My name is Sebastian,” he said simply, his green eyes
piercing into my own. “I'm the same as you.”

My heart thudded in panic and I watched his face, trying to
decide if he had heard it skip a beat. “I don't understand, how do
you know me? What do you think I am?”

“Oriah, I can hear your heart, it's the same as
mine.”

I startled at his use of my name. “Can you?” I whispered,
though I didn't dare to believe it.

“It's okay, really, you are safe with me, I promise you
that,” he spoke gently.

“What are you?” I insisted, a test for him. I still wasn't
certain he knew my secret, how could he? I was the only one of my
kind, and I would have bet my life that my parents had never shared
my existence with any outsider.

“I'm a Child of Venus of course, just as you are,” he smiled,
shrugging in confusion at my questioning.

“A what?”

“Oriah, don't you know what you are?”

“Yes of course. I...” I hesitated, not wanting to reveal the
truth to this stranger, yet feeling oddly compelled to tell him
every little thing about me, to share my every dream, every secret
with him. It was very unsettling. I took a breath and let the words
spill forward. “I'm not actually sure there is a name for what I
am,” I confessed. “My mother used to call me a M
é
lange and it seemed fitting, she
said it meant a mixture. I think she made it up though.” He burst
into laughter and for a moment I felt totally exposed beneath his
scrutiny. “What is so funny about that?” I demanded
angrily.

“Oriah, your mother didn't make it up, she must have learned
it somewhere. She was right of course, but that word is so
outdated, no-one uses it anymore!” he laughed. “You are a Child of
Venus, just as I am.”

“And what does that mean?” I asked, crossing my arms
defensively.

“A Child of Venus is someone like you or I. There are many
like us the world over as it happens; So named after the first
recorded case of a baby surviving his mother being envenomated by a
Vampire during her pregnancy, which just so happened to occur
during a transit of Venus,” he explained concisely.

This cleared
up any worry surrounding his claims – he knew what I was alright.
How strange to find another of my kind. And how interesting this
term he used to describe us was. “A transit of Venus?” I
queried.

“Yes – it's
very rare. It's when Venus passes right between the sun and the
earth. I rather prefer it to
M
é
langes
, don't you?” he
smiled.

I nodded,
considering it. “Yes, I think I do too – it's pretty.” He laughed
merrily, looking like a mischievous child.
“So
I'm still confused. How did you find me? Did you know I would be on
that bus?” I stepped even closer to him, as if pulled by an
invisible force, I couldn't seem to help myself. I had a strong
urge to touch his face, which I pushed down deep inside me, shaking
my head in an attempt to clear my mind, forcing myself to
concentrate. He didn't take his eyes from mine as he
answered.

“Well, it's a bit of a strange story actually, I'm not sure
you'll believe me...” he paused, leaning against the yew. I took
another step towards him.

“Try me.”

“I don’t know where to start,” he sighed, moving forward
bridging the gap between us, near enough to touch now. I felt my
heart stutter at his close proximity, feeling suddenly very
awkward, and looked down unable to meet his eyes. He seemed to
sense my discomfort and stepped back, turning towards the lake. “Do
I frighten you?” he asked looking hurt.

“No,” I replied honestly. Strangely, I actually felt
incredibly safe despite the unusual circumstances.

He continued to stare at the lake, waiting for me to speak
again, I supposed. As he watched the water silently, he seemed to
emit an aura of quiet confidence. He didn't look round as I moved
to stand beside him. Nervously, and feeling totally unsure of
myself I took a tiny step closer, taking a deep steeling breath as
our shoulders brushed against one another, the backs of our fingers
grazing lightly together. His skin was just as I had imagined,
smooth and hot, and my heart thudded loudly as I built up the
confidence to move closer still.

I felt him tense, and heard his own heart thump unevenly as
he continued to stare at the mirror of the lake. I looked down,
momentarily distracted from my thoughts by his reflection staring
up at me. Our eyes met and I felt pure electricity running through
my veins. His fingers twitched against the back of my hand, sending
shivers one after another through me, raising the tiny hairs on my
arm in anticipation. I had no idea what I was doing or why, but I
knew that if I didn't grab his hand right then I would likely
explode. Not taking my eyes from his perfect reflection I summoned
my courage, and in one quick motion moved my hand to sit in his hot
palm, shutting my eyes and exhaling at the incredible sensation
that washed over me. I half expected him to pull back, to tell me
to get off of him, and for a fraction of a second, he didn't
respond. But then he was squeezing back, a heartbreakingly
beautiful smile breaking across his features as he tried to calm
his own breathing. I felt lost in the swirl of my emotions
–
elation, confusion,
joy and a new one which I could only assume to be desire filling my
mind and body.

We laughed in unison as he looked at me tenderly. How could I
explain this feeling that I knew him, that his very being was a
part of me? It was so sudden and unexpected, yet being here with
this person who was no more than a stranger to me, felt like the
missing puzzle piece.

“So,” I spoke quietly, “are you going to finish telling me
how you found me... or start I should say,” I laughed.

He nodded,
looking back towards the lake.
“Okay, well, here
goes...” he sighed, “I dreamed you, actually.”

“You... dreamed me?” I repeated.

“Yes,” he nodded, “for months, you filled my dreams, I saw
your face every time I closed my eyes. At first it was just you,
but then I began to see more. I saw a battle, you were all alone,
lost and I knew I had to find you. It's going to sound strange I
expect, but I began to instruct my dreams, focus more, trying to
figure out where you could be. I saw so much jungle, the sun was so
bright and then this week it all changed. I saw you get on a plane,
saw grey skies, I recognised the land and then I knew you were
coming to England. I dreamed your Aunt Ivy here in Hampshire, and
knew at last that I would find you,” he paused looking at me for my
reaction, but I couldn't speak. “I dreamed you Oriah, and I had to
find you. Didn't you dream me too?”

No!
I wanted to say, but I realised
it was a lie. I had dreamed him, only I didn't know what I was
seeing. Not a face, just a feeling. So many times I had woken
feeling panicked, eager, like something I had lost, something so
important, a part of myself was waiting for me to discover it. I
looked at his wary smile and realised that it had been him I had
been waiting for all this time. “Yes,” I said, a smile spreading
over my lips. “I dreamed you too.”

I wanted to reach out, to touch his face and see if it really
was as smooth as it looked. I wanted to lay my head on his chest
and hear his heartbeat so close, listen to the way it mirrored my
own, but I settled for holding his hand in mine. It was enough for
now.

“We have so much to say,” he said.

“Yes,”

“But an eternity to say it in I suppose,” he laughed, his
eyes crinkling.

“Well, not an eternity, but a lifetime at least,” I replied,
feeling like a bubble was growing and growing ready to burst inside
me.

“What do you mean a lifetime? We are immortal my darling,” he
said, looking questioningly at me. I flinched at the word,
“
darling.
”
The last time I had been called that was as my mother was running
to her death.

“We are M
é
langes! Sorry – Children of Venus,” I corrected myself. “Our
hearts beat, our veins pump blood, we are not immortal Sebastian,”
I said in confusion. “Our bodies will give out after a lifetime,
just like the humans. Surely you realise this?”

“Oriah, I am one hundred and fifty three years old and going
strong,” he smiled, shaking his head like he was talking to a five
year old. “You really have no idea about what you are, do
you?”

“Of course I do,” I whispered, shaken. “Part mortal, part
Vampire, just like you?” I said uncertainly. “I don't understand,
how is your heart still beating?”

“It never gets old. I matured at seventeen, just as you will,
and since then my body has been constantly renewing itself. As I
sleep, my body is regenerated. It will go on forever. We are as
immortal as any Vampire Oriah.”

I released his hand and slumped down onto the damp moss,
confused at his words. My parents had been quite clear on this, I
had an expiry date, my mortal side would win in the end. But here
was Sebastian, one hundred and fifty three years old, and still
clearly alive and well, telling me I would live forever. It was too
much to take in. He was next to me in a second, folding himself to
the ground beside me and gently taking back my hands. My heart was
in my mouth as his fingers coiled around my own. I looked up into
his beautiful eyes and smiled. “I'm sorry, it's a lot to take in.
You just handed me immortality, I'm feeling a bit
overwhelmed.”

He ran a finger over the back of my hand, looking serious.
“Oriah, I have more I have to tell you that you don’t
know.”

“Go for it, I don’t think you can surprise me more than you
already have.”

“Well, it's about your mother.”

My eyes snapped up to meet his. “What about her?” I demanded,
defensive now. What could he know about my mother that I didn’t
know? I was willing to bet it was very little.

He hesitated, looking up at the sky. “She's alive. Well, if
that’s the term you would give to a Vampire...” he shrugged,
looking back to my face to gauge my reaction. I was up on my feet
and backing away from him in under a second. How dare he trick me
like this, what was wrong with him!

“No Sebastian, you're wrong. My mother is dead.”

“No
you
are wrong Oriah, she is alive.
Please
hear me out.” I tried to
ignore what he was telling me as his words spilled out. I started
to shake, I could no longer focus on his perfect green eyes,
instead tearing my gaze away to glare at the lake. His words broke
through me, shattering everything I thought was true.
First he tells me I am immortal, now he tells me
that my mother is still alive, that she has intentionally left
me.
I
couldn’t
believe it, she wouldn’t.

The lake began to swirl as I stared at it, anger swelling in
my belly, I couldn't seem to regain my composure. I watched with
vague interest as a funnel of revolving water began to grow and
rise out of the freezing inky lake. The fire in my belly was out of
control now and I could no longer hear Sebastian’s voice, just a
low ringing in my ears. I had never felt so furious. The swirling
vortex was growing fast. Twenty foot, thirty. I absently wondered
how big it could get. I had never created anything so huge
before.

I felt powerful and lost all at once, so focused on the lake
that his sudden touch startled me, breaking me from my trance. The
water came hurtling down in a split second, with an almighty crash.
I turned to face his worried expression, water dripping from his
soaked black hair, down his cheeks, forming tiny droplets on his
full lips. I stared uncomprehendingly at him for a fraction of a
second, before turning on my heels and running, leaving him
standing alone under the yew tree. I couldn't look back.

By the time I had stopped running it was pitch black, the
huge glowing moon already high, lighting everything it touched. I
slowed to a walk, still stamping my feet in an attempt to disperse
some of the tension that was gnawing away at my insides. I was
furious, no that was the wrong word – I was
livid
with Sebastian. Who the
hell was he to seek me out, lead me on, and then make up such
outrageous lies! What was his motive? A life with no end might
become boring at some point, I supposed, perhaps this was the kind
of thing he did for fun.
Well, maybe his
life will come to an end much sooner than he had expected,
I thought angrily, shaking off the idea as soon
as it popped into my head. Violence wasn't the way to solve this, I
told myself, pushing down the uncomfortable thoughts which were
emerging that told me that even if I were a violent person, which I
was not, there would have been no way I could ever knowingly harm
him. That doing so would only hurt me so much more.