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THE JOURNEY BEGINS
I tossed and turned under my covers that night. I was feeling hopeless andfrustrated. Plus, the fact that I had slept all day meant that I was wide awake. Atfirst I closed my eyes in the hope that maybe I could escape reality and seeDamien’s face again. Become lost in his gaze and wrap my arms around himforgetting everything. But it was all to no avail. I saw nothing. Like my mind wasforbidding revealing anything more to me. I was desperate to dream. Carry onfrom where I left off at the hotel. Damien had assured me that he wasn’t avampire. Well what was he then? If this Lugat creature drank blood, than surelythat was the only explanation.‘So, what now?’ I sighed to myself. I had a longing ache in my heart for Damien;I missed him in such a weird way. The only way I could be with him was when Iwas asleep, and now I couldn’t even do that. But knowing that he was out there,real and very much alive drove me crazy. I wanted to be with him in person. Iwhimpered in despair at myself. There was nothing I could do, and that fact waseating away at me piece by tiny piece. A tiny voice sounded in my mind ‘Maybeyou should just stop trying Talia’ it whispered.“No!” I growled back at the voice louder than I intended. A few moments laterthere was a quiet rap at the door. I knew I shouldn’t give myself away but thedespair I felt earlier for my mother had just washed away into anger now.“What?” I called coldly. My body tensed as the door opened and my mum poppedher head around the door, smiling sheepishly at me.“Hey honey” she murmured. I just continued to glare at her. That ‘hey honey’crap wouldn’t work with me now. As I glared at her I realised that I had alreadymade my choice between her and Damien. There was no dilemma anymore. There never had been, deep down in my heart I always knew it would be him.She walked towards my bed awkwardly, everything about her screamed guiltybut I had to keep calm. Keep a poker face.“What’s wrong mum?” I asked, pretending to sound anxious. Even though I wasputting it on, I still clenched my jaw at having to go to so much effort. I couldtaste the anger on my tongue but I held it back.Her eyes widened with false innocence and patted my hand as she sat downbeside me.“Nothing” she smiled. My hand became stiff under her touch and I had anintense impulse to rip it away but I clenched my teeth and kept it where it was.“I thought I heard you say something and decided to see how you were” she wasstill smiling at me innocently.“Hm” I said curtly. “Well I’m fine so” I hinted at her to leave me alone, but Icould see my attitude was feeding her suspicions and forced myself to tone itdown a bit. I sighed deeply before forcing a smile on my face“Sorry, I’m just stressing. Mr heath has given us this huge English essay aboutthe themes of world war one, and I have no idea how to start it” I rolled my eyes,feigning an irritated expression.Her face relaxed and she seemed to buy my story. She patted my hand again.“Well, try to get some sleep, you’re not getting off of school tomorrow” shelaughed and I reluctantly joined in before she said good night and left the room.I woke up the next morning in a bad mood. My dream still hadn’t picked up fromwhere it had left off, and I still didn’t see his face. I was frustrated to admit that Ididn’t dream at all. I got in the shower, losing my self in the stream of hot waterthat swept over me, easing the stiffness in my limbs. I stood there limply anddazed. My body felt numb, and after a while I stopped noticing the wateraltogether. I felt like I was drowning, with no hope of escape at all. I was vaguely
 
aware of tears spreading down my cheeks, melting in with the water from theshower when I heard a knock on the door.“Talia? Other people have to bathe as well you know” Mark sniggered on theother side of the door. I turned off the shower and hitched a towel firmly aroundme. My hair sat on my shoulders dripping as I opened the door with a glower onmy face“Finally” He scoffed. I just stood there, continuing to glare at him. After a whilehe noticed my stare and his eyes narrowed in response. He peeked over hisshoulder quickly before turning back and leaning his face towards me.“You may have your mother fooled. But it’s not gonna work on me kiddo” hehissed menacingly through unmoving lips. The venom in his voice had no effecton me. His words had no effect on me. I still felt numb as if nothing could bringabout a reaction from me. I cocked my head to the side slightly. “I have no ideawhat you’re talking about” I replied uncaringHis eyes narrowed even further, and I smiled a smug smile before I pushed pasthim and sauntered down the hallway.I got dressed in a slow daze. I felt like I wasn’t inside of me anymore, like I waswatching myself from far away. I tugged a brush through my hair, trying tostraighten out the waves. I didn’t care whether it dried or not. And I didn’t havetime for the hair dryer. I stumbled down the stairs slowly, and walked past mymum and Mark in the kitchen. I could feel their stare on my back but I paid noattention.“Honey aren’t you going to have some break-”I had walked out the front door before she had the chance to finish hersentence.It was lightly drizzling outside. So it wouldn’t have mattered if I had dried my hairanyway. I trudged through the rain feeling isolated from the outside world. I couldfeel strands of my hair sticking to my face from the rain but I had no desire tomove them. The rain was coming down harder now, dripping from my lips andnose, whilst I stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus to approach. I staredunseeingly at the floor. I couldn’t comprehend how empty I felt. Hollow, like therewas nothing left in me. I spotted a flash of red as the bus became more visible asit drove up the hill. I automatically stuck my arm out indicating for it to stop. Itreached the stop and the doors wheezed open. I showed him my pass and mademy way onto the bus, pushing past the different standing passengers. Onewoman stood firmly, not letting me pass. I looked up slowly and glared at her. Myexpression must not have been friendly, because she raised her eyebrows, andgrudgingly moved out of the way, tutting under her breath.I arrived at my form room three minutes before the bell. I dropped my bag on thefloor and collapsed on my chair robotically. I just stared at the whiteboard in frontof me as the rest of my class bustled about and chattered noisily. Had it onlybeen two days since I was here last? So much had happened in my mind sincethen; it felt like a lifetime had passed.“Hey!” Shalanda exclaimed, bouncing down on her seat and tossing her hair overher shoulders unthinkingly. “You’re in today”“Yeah” I mumbled “I was ill yesterday”“Huh” was her response, before she sighed and mentioned something aboutGary. Her babbling turned into background noise as I curled my hand under mychin and continued staring unseeingly at the whiteboard.
 
“So what do you think?” Shalanda nudged me slightly in the side. My headsnapped up to look at her face, she was frowning at me and her lips were poutedslightly.“Errr...” I ran through my mind trying to remember what she had been talkingabout before the bell rang. I breathed a sigh of relief and got up making my wayto my first class. It was maths, and it was on the first floor. I mindlessly climbedthe stairs before something caught my attention. The door to an empty I.T. room.Before I knew it my legs had unthinkingly carried me through the door and toone of the computers. I sat down on the swivel chair, and moved the mouse. Thescreen flickered to life and I opened up the Google search engine. My fingerswere already typing before I knew what I was supposed to be searching for. The Lunar HotelI jabbed the enter button, and tapped my fingers impatiently on the desk waitingfor the page to load.Nothing of significance came up. Books and different forms of lunar architecture,hotels in space etc. I decided to rephrase my words. The Lunar Hotel, Terrence GravelI jabbed enter again, and like before, impatiently waited for the results page toload. When it did I froze, catching my breath. There was only one result, providedby Google maps. I woodenly moved the mouse and clicked on the link. Anaddress came up The Lunar Hotel144 Flatfields DriveAylsefieldKentI groaned as I read the address. Kent was where we had moved from. It washundreds of miles away, and getting there would take me hours.‘But it’s the only way’ that smaller part of my mind voiced inside my head.I closed the page and raised from the chair, grabbing my bag. As I opened thedoor my form tutor walked past. He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.“And why are you not in class Talia?” he asked. Firm instruction in his voice.“Umm” I stammered “I’m just on my way sir” I pushed past him towards mymath class and slowly walked down the corridor feeling his stare on my back. Ipeeked behind me just before I reached the door of my class to see him enteringthe staff room. I spun round and ran the way I had come, past the staff room anddown the stairs, jumping two at a time, before racing out into the car park. Myeyes darted around me nervously, desperately trying to spot any sign of direction to the train station. Mercifully I saw the railway sign followed by anarrow pointing north, I raced towards it quickly picking up pace. I had theunshakeable feeling that I was being watched, and every couple of seconds Ilooked over my shoulder. I saw the entrance to the railway station, andpurchased a ticket from my lunch money.I had to wait three minutes before the train departed. I paced up and down thewaiting room, feeling edgy. I still felt like I was being watched and was growingmore and more uneasy by the second. I glanced at the clock. One minute left. Idecided to get some fresh air to calm myself down, but regretted the decisionalmost immediately. Across the road, waiting for the traffic lights to change wasmum and Mark. Either they had followed me or my teacher had told them that I
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