Music of Souls

Connor responded with a dejected, "Hi."

"I brought you some coffee."

"Thanks. Oh, and thanks for the pot-roast. It was delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it." After an awkward moment, she said, "I hope you know that I would never do anything to hurt you."

"What do you call deceiving me for two and a half months?"

"I am so sorry about that, but you never would have given me a chance if you knew from the beginning."

"Exactly, and I wouldn't be going through a living hell now, would I?"

"No, but we also wouldn't have had all the wonderful times either."

"You mean the lies. None of it was real. You lied to me the whole time. Did you have fun playing with the weak human?"

Jackson clenched and unclenched his fists. He would not let this go on much longer.

Sarah took on a tone of desperation. "It's not like that at all. I truly love you. Do you think I want to be this way?"

"I have no idea what you want."

"I want you; I want us to be together."

"Were you born this way?"

"No, someone made me this way, against my will." Neither of them could bear to say the word vampire.

"Jackson said you could make me forget about you."

"If that's what you want, yes."

"Can you just make me forget yesterday and today?"

"I can, but I won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I need you to accept what I am if we are to have a future together."

"Can you make me accept what you are?"

"Yes, but I won't do that either, for the same reason."

"So I've got two choices, take it or leave it, huh?"

Sarah shrugged. "Well, I guess, but I hope you will at least try for a while."

"So if I tried for a week or two and then decided I couldn't handle it, you'd still make me forget."

"Of course."

"How?"

"I would make eye contact with you, and then influence you to do what I want."

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "Is that what you did to make me love you? How can I ever believe anything I feel for you is real?"

Sarah couldn't hold up any longer. She sobbed, "I would never do that to you. I swear, I have never used influence on you for any reason, never!"

Jackson had taken a step forward, ready to enter the room, but stopped when Connor's voice quieted. "All right, I believe you, please don't cry."

They were both quiet for a moment, and then Sarah said, "Will you please give me a chance to prove that this isn't as bad as you think."