At this hour a blue cast faded up over every white surface. The brick buildings hardly altered in colour, keeping their dour mien though the white curtain backs switched to the sober electric blue of dawn.
“Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Not in the same way. I close my eyes, I open them and time has passed.”
Immortals sometimes slept but didn’t really need to, except to pass the time. Rest certainly, every living body needed time to recuperate, even those that could regenerate at will. Maybe more so. Some vampires hibernated for decades on end. Perhaps that was out of boredom she thought to herself. Elena could understand that. Go to sleep for a century and wake up in a new world.
“And dreams?”
“No.”
“Do you miss being human?‘
“In a way. Do you miss being a child? An infant?”
“I don’t know. Not exactly.”
“It’s a bit like that. I can remember being human, but only as a feeling.” They sat for a while in stillness, her toying with his hair.
“So is that how you see us? As children who can’t grow up?”
Elena laughed, mussed his hair and bent closer to press her nose to his.
“Mostly we just think of you as food.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything my pet.”
“Why won’t you raise me?”
“Oh.” If she was going to be honest, which she wasn’t going to, it was because it had never crossed her mind. And because the only person she’d ever raised had been her brother, which hadn’t turned out that well. “I wouldn’t want to lose you.”
“You mean you wouldn’t want to lose your pet.”
“A little bit. I like you. I like you as my pet because I like you, but not everyone survives the gift. Most don’t.”
He was sullen. “I just wanted to be with you more. Be more like you. You say you wouldn’t choose to be human again if you could, so you can see why I want to be like you?”
“Because you love me?”
“Yes.”
“I think it’s because you are afraid of dying. And growing old. And cancer and consequences. You want to escape human weakness.”
“Is that so strange? Isn’t that why you became a vampire?”
“I said don’t call me that.”
“I apologise.”
Seconds persisted. “I didn’t choose. I didn’t know what was happening.” For the first time in a century she was on the verge of tears, “Just because I wouldn’t go back, doesn’t mean if I had the choice that I would take it.”
“So you won’t try?”
“You could die. I don’t want to risk it. Please don’t ask me again.”
“Okay.” Christian subsided and both pretended to sleep.
“Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Not in the same way. I close my eyes, I open them and time has passed.”
Immortals sometimes slept but didn’t really need to, except to pass the time. Rest certainly, every living body needed time to recuperate, even those that could regenerate at will. Maybe more so. Some vampires hibernated for decades on end. Perhaps that was out of boredom she thought to herself. Elena could understand that. Go to sleep for a century and wake up in a new world.
“And dreams?”
“No.”
“Do you miss being human?‘
“In a way. Do you miss being a child? An infant?”
“I don’t know. Not exactly.”
“It’s a bit like that. I can remember being human, but only as a feeling.” They sat for a while in stillness, her toying with his hair.
“So is that how you see us? As children who can’t grow up?”
Elena laughed, mussed his hair and bent closer to press her nose to his.
“Mostly we just think of you as food.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything my pet.”
“Why won’t you raise me?”
“Oh.” If she was going to be honest, which she wasn’t going to, it was because it had never crossed her mind. And because the only person she’d ever raised had been her brother, which hadn’t turned out that well. “I wouldn’t want to lose you.”
“You mean you wouldn’t want to lose your pet.”
“A little bit. I like you. I like you as my pet because I like you, but not everyone survives the gift. Most don’t.”
He was sullen. “I just wanted to be with you more. Be more like you. You say you wouldn’t choose to be human again if you could, so you can see why I want to be like you?”
“Because you love me?”
“Yes.”
“I think it’s because you are afraid of dying. And growing old. And cancer and consequences. You want to escape human weakness.”
“Is that so strange? Isn’t that why you became a vampire?”
“I said don’t call me that.”
“I apologise.”
Seconds persisted. “I didn’t choose. I didn’t know what was happening.” For the first time in a century she was on the verge of tears, “Just because I wouldn’t go back, doesn’t mean if I had the choice that I would take it.”
“So you won’t try?”
“You could die. I don’t want to risk it. Please don’t ask me again.”
“Okay.” Christian subsided and both pretended to sleep.
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