Page 39 of Norah

"But I don’t feel that way now. Frederick said something; that you and I could do great things together, and I think he’s right. We can do so much more, be more, because now time isn’t a concern. I feel kind of… stupid. That I was so scared. Because I’m realizing this is actually something really wonderful for us.”

The breath I was holding comes out in a rush. How did I get this lucky? Leaning down, I capture Norah’s flushed lips with mine, savoring her small moans as I explore her mouth. Her tiny body, with its perfect curves, presses against me, and her hands brush against my chest as she pulls herself further into our embrace. She feels so right in my arms, and a surge of sheer joy hits me, making me feel like I could soar into space.I never have to let her go. Ever.

The Fall

NORAH

What was I thinking when I agreed to this?As I glance over at Ethan, his wide grin is a far cry from my dubious expression.

We’re parked at a trailhead in the Catskills, no other cars in sight. Probably because there are two feet of snow on the ground, and no one else would be crazy enough to go hiking. I’m not a hiker, more of a city person, but fortunately we’re not here for hiking. We’re here because Ethan wants to test out his new abilities.

Since he changed into a vampire, he’s been itching to find out the extent of his power. When he asked me how fast I could run a mile, I just looked at him blankly.Why would I want to know that?He asked how else would I know my running speed, but apparentlyfastisn’t a suitable answer. So we’re in the mountains in February, ready to do some speed trials through the snow.

Ethan’s got his new ultra-outdoor-adventuring-shoes on, that he spent ages searching for at EMS. I asked why he couldn’t wear regular boots, and he went off on a lengthy explanation about breathability and cushioning and moisture wicking. I bought some plain hiking boots off the clearance rack. When Ethan saw them, I could tell he wanted to comment, but held his tongue.Smart man.

“Are you ready to head out?” Ethan is standing by the trailhead marker, two lightweight backpacks in his hands. I walk over to him, crunching through the snow, and he hands a pack to me. Sliding it over my shoulders, I shift around until it falls to the center of my back. He reaches over and pulls the waist straps around me and snaps them together with a click. Repeating the motions with his own pack, he shoots me an eager grin and takes my gloved hand in his.

Tugging me forward, he outlines our plan. “So, I’m thinking that we’ll head a mile or so up the trail- there’s a level area there. We can do some timed runs. Past that, we can move off the trail and do some tests using trees and boulders.”

His enthusiasm is contagious, and I get a little excited myself. It might be fun to find out the extent of my abilities. In the years since Frederick changed me, I never wanted to accept what I was, so I avoided doing anything that would remind me I wasn’t human anymore. Except for blood, of course.

I knew I had enhanced speed and strength, but it was all abstract to me. I never attempted to test myself; only using the abilities reluctantly. Or when it’s life or death, like when Ethan almost got hit by a car.

Maybe I could help more if I knew what I was doing. I’ve been thinking of late that my denial has been a hindrance, not a help. When Frederick told me that Ethan and I could do great things, it stuck. I realized that being a vampire might not be a curse. Maybe it’s a blessing cloaked in darkness, that requires effort to reveal.Maybe it’s time for me to stop hiding who I am.

I’ve been walking in silence for several minutes, caught up in my thoughts, so I don’t notice our surroundings until we stop. It’sbeautiful. A thick blanket of white covers the trees, the sun reflecting off the snow, creating thousands of sparks of light. The sounds of birds break the silence, creaks of trees shifting in the wind, and light rustles in the surrounding forest.

Being the only two people for miles around feels like a jarring contrast from life in the city. I wonder what it would be like to live somewhere like this. Uncomplicated and pure. I glance over at Ethan and see the same expression of appreciation in his eyes, and I hug him tightly.

He grunts from the intensity of my embrace. “Oof! What was that for?”

“It’s just so beautiful here. I never imagined how it could be. I didn’t want to come, but I’m glad I did. Thanks for making me.”

His lips capture mine, warming them with a kiss. Then he flashes me a devilish smile. “You might not be thanking me when I’m beating you in every race.”

“Ha! So says the new vampire. So cocky.”

“We’ll see.” Ethan pulls out his phone and opens the stopwatch app. “To the tall pine over there.” He points to a tall tree about a half mile away. “Time me there and back.”

I take the phone and get ready to start the timer. “OK, roadrunner, get ready.” Finger over the start, I raise my arm like I have a flag in hand. “And… go!”

“I’m back.” Before I can even look up from the phone, there’s a crunching sound in front of me, accompanied by whoosh of air. My finger taps the stop button, and I blink at it in shock. “So, what was my time?” Ethan’s standing in front of me, not even winded, bright-cheeked from the cold and wind.

“Um… it was five seconds. Onlyfiveseconds.” I shake my head in disbelief. “How is that possible?”

Teeth gleam as Ethan preens, yes preens, at me. “I told you I was fast.” His eyes are sparkling with laughter. “Now, you go.”

I hand off the phone and try to remember everything my high school PE teacher said when we had our track and field unit.Something about leaning in to increase speed? Or leaning down?Or… oh, whatever. I’m just doing it.I wait for Ethan to prep the timer, watch his hand drop, and run.

It seems pretty fast, but I have no frame of reference until I come skidding to a stop. A small spray of snow kicks up, coating Ethan in white. He shakes it off with a laugh and looks down at the screen.

“Twenty seconds, not bad. That’s forty seconds per mile. You could smoke all the runners at the Olympics.”

Nothing like the speed Ethan ran, though. That was…insane. We do five more runs, getting around the same time for each run. I’m in shock at Ethan’s incredible speed. Then we head off the trail for a while, until we come to a spot overlooking a cliff, with lots of large rocks and boulders.

The rocks are great for throwing; We fling the larger ones off the cliff to see how far they go. It feels like an extreme form of shot put. By now, I’m not surprised to see that Ethan can throw them easily twice as far as I can, well past the ravine we’re above. I start to worry about unsuspecting animals getting caught in the crossfire, so we switch to boulder lifting instead.

“How much do you think this one weighs?” He’s holding a giant rock-boulder, one-armed, without breaking a sweat. I can’t even estimate its weight, other than heavy. “I’m thinking maybe a ton? Here, you try to lift it.”

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