Blue Sacrifice (Blue Davison) (5 page)

By the time I washed my hair and slopped a pile of
conditioner on it, I had decided to forget about the blood and death my family
was known for. I wouldn’t think about jumping into a cold river, but instead
enjoy a beautiful boy’s attentions.

The bathroom mirrors were fogged up when I exited
the shower, but once I tipped over to wrap my hair in a towel, I found the
mirrors had cleared. Immediately my stomach leapt and chest hurt.

The whispering began and I pulled my orange robe
tighter around me. They wanted me to die, that’s all they ever wanted. Whisper,
whisper, whisper, their words almost incoherent, but I always understood.
Afraid to look in the mirrors, I turned away ready to bolt for the door. Before
I made my escape, I saw my mother.

Rhiannon Davison was ravishing like a goddess. Her
red hair flowing, her blue eyes always twinkling, her pale skin so soft under
my fingertips, I loved everything about my mother. She was funny and warm. She
loved to cuddle and laugh and every Christmas was like a magical wonderland in
our house, complete with more lights than even a mansion needed. She read to me
constantly from the classics to naughty books. She wanted me to know life
because she understood how I wouldn’t be able to live as much of it as I
wanted.

If I had one complaint about my mom, it was that
she made me watch her die.

“I didn’t think you’d be here tonight, Blue,” Mom
said, sitting in the bathtub just like she did the night she bled out. “I
thought you’d be with me by now.”

“I wanted to, but someone stopped me.”

“Did this someone tell on you?”

“No.”

“Good. You need to hurry. The voices are so loud.
I try to keep them from you, but it’s difficult now. The sacrifice must be made
very soon.”

“I will.”

“Promise,” Mom said, reaching out to hold my hand
with her cold one.

“I promise.”

“It’s your purpose. It’s the only reason we exist.
Promise you’ll die tomorrow.”

The voices grew louder and I feared turning
towards the mirror and finding the awful faces waiting for me. The demons of Lily Falls, as I called them, loved to show me such horrible things so I kept my gaze on my
mother who tightened her grip.

“I know it’s difficult. I didn’t want to leave my
angel behind when you were so young, but a sacrifice must be made and it’s our
blood that must be spilt. Promise for me, Blue.”

“I promise.”

“Tomorrow.”

Nodding, I slipped my hand out of my mother’s and
wished she wouldn’t show me what she looked like at the end. Sometimes she
would come to me like she was in life, but lately she would only show me the
bloody dying woman of my nightmares.

“Tomorrow,” I told her. “I promise it’ll be
tomorrow.”

With this promise, the voices fell silent and the
bathroom warmed. My mother smiled at me and I wanted to wipe the blood from her
lips.

“I’ll hold you soon, angel. I promise.”

My mother’s image didn’t fade, instead
disappearing with a blink of the eye. Hurrying out of the bathroom, I looked at
Vixen who hissed at me. I hissed back at her and thought to shoo her out of my
room, but I didn’t want to be alone.

Crying now, I tossed aside my normal pajamas and
retrieved my most prized possession from the bottom drawer in my dresser.
Sliding on the dark gray cashmere pajamas, I felt like I was wearing heaven. Or
a warm embrace like the kind my mother gave me before she sacrificed herself
for Lily Falls.

Cuddled under my blankets, I caressed the pajama
top and tried to feel comforted by its softness. When I received the pajamas as
a gift, I hadn’t known how to thank Tyson. He was like family in some ways, but
a stranger in others. I thought he was sexy, smart, and sophisticated. I
thought he was everything, but he refused to admit he felt anything more for me
than friendship.

The dinner out for my sixteenth birthday was his
way to let poor Blue enjoy a taste of the good life. I didn’t pamper myself, Tyson
said.

Tyson showed not a single bit of romantic
intentions, yet the dinner was amazing and he treated me like a queen. Then he
handed me a box with the pajamas inside and I knew they cost a lot and I wasn’t
sure what was going on with him. Once he gave me a goodnight kiss to end all
goodnight kisses, I thought I understood, but he never kissed me again.

Yet for that one night, I hadn’t remembered I was
a Davison. I didn’t once think about my mother bleeding out before my eyes. I
didn’t think about how few tomorrows I had in front of me. For that one night,
I felt like I was someone special and I had a long wonderful life awaiting me.

Tyson gave me that night and he gave me those
wonderfully soft pajamas. Whenever I put them on, I felt like I was back with
him just being a girl. Even tonight when the voices and my mother reminded me how
I was merely a sacrifice, those pajamas provided me a sweet reprieve from the
darkness.

Walking to the bridge was more difficult this
time. My feet felt heavier and the urge to cry was stronger. Even though I
hadn’t wanted to die yesterday, I’d accepted the time had come.

Meeting Flynn changed everything and not because
he was a beautiful guy who liked me. Instead he represented a future. I hadn’t
thought of the potential of my life in a long time, but with Flynn I could
almost picture visiting the places he described and eating the foods he loved.

There would be no traveling and no weekend fun
with Flynn. I had hoped he was a sign I could live longer, but the voices and
my mother made it crystal clear I was fooling myself. If I didn’t spill my
blood soon, the town would find another way to get its sacrifice.

Standing at where the bridge met the road, I
forced myself to think of my mother’s face from the night before. Having
promised her I would die today, I knew I had also promised Flynn I would live.
My promise to my mother took priority and besides my death was the only reason
I existed.

Yet the first step onto the bridge felt like a
burden. The second step wasn’t much easier. Staring at the spot where I stood
the day before, I tried to feel as clearheaded and prepared as I had then.
Instead I felt heavyhearted and flustered by the short distance between me and
where my life would end. Unable to take the next step, I glanced up at the
bright morning and allowed the sun to warm my chilled face.

“It’s a lovely day, isn’t it?” Flynn said to my
right.

Refusing to look at him, I just sighed. “The
bridge really isn’t on your way to school.”

“Nor yours, Blue,” he said, stepping closer. “I
guess we both desired the scenic route this morning.”

Finally looking at him, I saw he was more
beautiful than I remembered. Of course I did spend most of my morning
convincing myself he wasn’t special at all.

“Did you bring your bike?” he asked, taking my
hand.

“No.”

“My car is nice and warm,” he said, tugging me to
where his Lexus was parked on the nearby road. “What’s your first class?”

“Calculus.”

“Mine is Chemistry. Are they anywhere near each
other?”

“Not really.”

Flynn nodded then opened the door for me. His car
really was warm and I wondered why it felt so toasty. Watching him once he
joined me in the car, I noticed a rather passive expression on his beautiful
face.

“I woke early this morning and decided to visit
the place where I met a lovely sad redheaded girl. Once again, our paths meet.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wishing I could just
explain my situation so he wouldn’t take it personally.

“Don’t be. We all do what we think is best. We’re
often wrong though. Today is just one of those days, but it’s already looking
up, don’t you think?”

Nodding, I smiled slightly because I had worried
he would be angry or give me a lecture. It was still possible he might rat me
out to an adult, but I doubted Flynn would. Besides the adults in Lily Falls were on autopilot and a suicidal Davison girl wouldn’t even make a dent in their
indifference.

Flynn said nothing during the ride to school. At
every light and stop sign, he glanced at me and smiled. I smiled back at him,
relieved to have been interrupted again. Even knowing I was only prolonging the
inevitable, I wanted more time. Just until Monday. That way I could enjoy Flynn
and get a taste of romance and excitement.

“I don’t have money for last night, but I could
pay for dinner tonight,” I said, watching him.

Flynn never even glanced at me. He just smiled and
shook his head. “If you don’t have money for last night, how will you have
money for tonight?”

“I’ll ask Gretchen.”

Nodding, Flynn pulled into the busy school parking
lot. Once he parked, he turned to me and smiled wider.

“Where should we eat?”

“You like exotic food and there are many ethnic
restaurants in Lily Falls. What are you in the mood for?”

Flynn gave me a mischievous wink then opened his
door. Soon my hand was in his and we were walking through a swarm of students.
If I had a mental checklist of things I wanted to do before I died, holding a
beautiful boy’s hand at school was on it. Checked that item off as we strolled
to my Calculus class.

“Ask your friend if I can join you at lunch,” he
said, leaning forward to kiss my cheek.

Flynn was a strange creature. Arrogant, yet
somehow reserved. No matter how he became the interesting man before me, I was
impressed by how much passion he put into a simple kiss on the cheek.

“I won’t give her a choice,” I said as he stepped
back. “Thank you for the ride.”

With his green eyes studying me, Flynn nodded. “I
just can’t stop thinking of my redheaded girl. I doubt I’ll learn a single
thing this whole day.”

“I’m not surprised. I’m a well-known bad influence,”
I said, tugging at his black tee.

Backing away, Flynn gave me a big sexy grin. “You
tease me too much. My poor heart.”

Laughing, I watched him disappear into the crowd
before I finally walked into my class. After a quick text to Lacey, I tried to
care about the words spilling from the teacher’s mouth. Instead I thought about
Flynn and whether he was an angel meant to save me from ending my life?

Remembering my mom’s visit from the night before, my
giddiness about Flynn quickly ended. No guesswork involved. I had to die, but
not yet. Even after promising Mom, I planned to enjoy my weekend. Or I’d relax
at least until Saturday morning when I could avoid Flynn.

Yet I was more than a sacrifice. I was also a
teenage girl with a new lust object and a best friend who was so beautiful in
certain lighting that I’ve been known to hate her a little. They were going to
meet at lunch and I suspected Lacey would swoon for Flynn. He was gorgeous and
interesting and she was always talking about how ugly and dull the boys were in
Lily Falls.

I should have felt reassured by Flynn’s interest
in me, but I couldn’t give into the fantasy completely. He was my white knight
saving the damsel, but we didn’t really have anything in common. I’d rarely
left Lily Falls and mainly did so to visit the nearby hospital where Aunt Penny
lived. Lacey had been to every continent except for Antarctica (nowhere to
shop). She and Flynn made sense and I had them instantly in heat the moment
their eyes met. I could picture them together as clearly as I saw the cowlick
on the kid sitting in front of me.

Finally lunch arrived and I was resigned to how
Flynn would want Lacey. He wouldn’t come out and admit it though. How could Flynn
when he was playing white knight? Dumping the depressed chick wasn’t very chivalrous.

As I fixed my windblown hair and considered a
ponytail, an annoyed Lacey found me.

“Are you jumping or not?”

“Flynn showed up again and I couldn’t exactly do
it with him standing there.”

Frown fading, Lacey glanced around, suddenly going
for subtlety, instead of announcing my suicide plans to the whole lunch room. “Could
be a sign from God you don’t have to do it now. Because of how none of the
others had to do it so young. Most of them were in their twenties or thirties,
sometimes older.”

“There were more of us in the past.”

Nodding, Lacey pulled at her shiny ponytail. “I
still think it’s a sign, and you should wait a few days to see what happens.”

“The voices are telling me I have to do it now,” I
said then whispered, “And my mom said so too.”

Expression softening, Lacey sighed. “I still think
you should ignore them and see what happens. Test things out before you do
something so, you know, permanent.”

“I was thinking I should talk with Aunt Penny and
see what she thought?”

“I’ll drive you tomorrow. Until then, don’t do
anything. Okay?”

Nodding at Lacey, I spotted Flynn heading our way
while getting chatted up by a pretty blonde formally from Texas. This weird
feeling came over me as I watched Flynn with Emily. All my confidence was just
gone because if I lived and Flynn eventually accepted I wouldn’t jump, I
couldn’t keep him. For some reason, I figured him with Lacey wouldn’t be awful.
Yet seeing him with every pretty girl in school would feel like something
precious to me was stolen away.