From Sunset to Nightfall by Shawna Whalen (best mobile ebook reader txt) 📕

was four o’clock. Billy would be up soon and that meant, I would see Daniel soon too. I tried to go back to sleep, unsuccessfully. I closed my eyes and when I opened them the foggy sun was outside my window. I glanced at my clock, seven o’clock, it read. I dressed quickly and hurried downstairs. I went to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast: cereal.
I poured my bowl, sat down and started to chow down. I finished my bowl quickly, shoveling in mouthfuls. I rinsed my bowl and put it away. I looked at the microwave; it read seven thirty-two. I wondered when he’d be here. Just then there was a light knock at the door, I ran for it. I was panting by the time I was at the door. I had to calm myself quickly. There was another light knock on the other side of the door. My heart stuttered and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I reached for the handle and opened the door.

Chapter 7-Explanations

Daniel was standing gracefully, elegantly, and beautiful at my doorway. I stood speechless for a moment then brought myself back to reality. Daniel was dressed in his normal button up t-shirt and casual jeans. I, on the other hand, went all out. Wearing a skirt-which I never did, never-flats, and a short sleeved shirt. I wasn’t expecting much…till now.
Daniel looked me over a couple of times. Smiling to himself occasionally. I blushed and ducked my head. I had a feeling that I was just a tad over-dressed. I stepped back from the door. “Would you like to come in,” I asked him, keeping my eyes on the floor under my feet. Daniel laughed at my expression and accepted. He stepped one foot in the door then the other.
Daniel told me about our plans for today, which meant I would have to change. I hurried upstairs and found my quickest pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie for later. Daniel was waiting for me at the foot of the stairs when I came rushing down the stairs. I stopped as soon as he came into view. Daniel laughed at me a lot, but I was used to it. I asked if Daniel wanted anything to eat before we left he said no, thank you though. I’ll explain why later. Then he muttered something that sounded like if you’d still want to hear. I grabbed a couple waters anyway.
We took my truck although it was sort of slow. Daniel minded, but I told him Billy might get suspicious. Daniel muttered to himself about how long it would take for us to get there, wherever that was.
We drove for what seemed to be a long time, but soon enough he told me to pull over. We got out and started going through the woods. I wasn’t sure it was safe to be out here, for me that is. I was never a nature girl. In fact it wasn’t that I didn’t like nature. Nature didn’t like me. I was always tripping over rocks, twigs, and my own feet. Especially when I was young, Sharon and Billy would take me out to the beaches and I would fall into the tide poles, a lot. Never went back.
Daniel was never impatient with me. Whenever I would get too slow, he would stop and wait. He never got tired of my slowness either. I tried to tell him that nature and I had our differences but he wouldn’t listen. He kept saying something about needing to show me something and how this would affect everything. It was weird, but I liked Daniel; a lot. And I hoped he liked me a lot too, at least it’d seemed that way.
I sighed once more because I knew I was slowing him down. Once I thought I heard him sigh but I wasn’t sure. So I tried to speed up and that didn’t help; I tripped often.
“We’re almost there,” Daniel said turning his head to the side to tell me, again. He’d probably said that at least more than once, sometimes I heard him, others I didn’t only because I was distracted by his beauty. I wondered if he knew how beautiful he was. Sometimes I’d catch myself staring at him for more and more periods of time during the day.
“We’re here, Liz.” Daniel called to me. I was about twenty feet behind him, but catching up. Daniel waited for me. While I was trudging along to get up to Daniel I was thinking about yesterday’s kiss in calculus. It was sensual but wild. I was still wondering if he was ever thinking about it. I also wondered if he would want it to happen again. The fire was amazing, I hoped he’d felt it too and maybe that was why he was with me, still. I knew I wasn’t interesting.
I finally caught up to Daniel, but not soon enough. I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen. Daniel looked at me, cautioning. I was confused, why? Daniel looked at my expression and answered it. “I’m different and I want you to know, Liz. I don’t know if I can stay away from you anymore, but I want-no need you to know what I am.” What was he talking about? I was lost. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue; he didn’t. I stepped up to him carefully. I said slowly, “I don’t understand.”
Daniel shook his head. He sighed heavily, “You have to. What if I told you I was different than you, different than everyone at school, different from everyone period?” I thought carefully and hard. I glanced at the ground then back to his face. I said in a stern, determined voice, “I would say, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care if you’re different. We’re all different.” He was already shaking his head before I finished. “No, you don’t understand. I-I’m…not human,” he whispered, lowering his head. I thought about what he was trying to say, he wasn’t human; check. I clarified, “Okay, and?” He jerked his head upright. “What? I’m telling you I’m not human, that I’m a monster and-and that I’m dangerous.” His voice was low but his intent was clear.
I looked at him, not seeing someone who wasn’t human. “Well, if you’re not human, th-then what are you?” I tried to keep my voice as firm as his, but I slipped up. He turned and started walking again, showing me what he was. He walked into the sunlight and beams of the light reflected off of his body. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt-I now saw the purpose of it- and opened it so more like could show. I gasped aloud.
It wasn’t a frighten gasp, it was a he’s so beautiful gasp.
Minutes had passed and I was still staring at Daniel’s beautiful flesh. He started to button up his shirt and turned around. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Soon enough they would betray me and fall over the edges. I blinked and they started to fall down my cheeks. While he was still turned I quickly wiped them away with my sleeve.
I was breathing heavily as he turned back around to look at me. “Do you believe me now?” Daniel’s voice was quiet and hidden, but serious. I didn’t stop staring but I nodded.
Obviously he wasn’t human, but what could he be? Would he hurt me? No, that was even more obvious. Would he hurt others? That was undecided. Hundreds of questions like these ran through my head over and over again. It was hard to concentrate as he walked toward me.
I wasn’t scared but he stayed fifteen or so feet back from me, giving me space; I didn’t like that. As I started to close the space between us, he stepped back more. “I-I don’t care,” I whispered when I noticed he’d moved. “I don’t-it doesn’t matter to me.” The tears were even more noticeable now. “What?” Daniel asked, incredulously. “It doesn’t matter to me…what you are,” I added. “It doesn’t matter?” I thought about, “No. I don’t care what you are.” “You don’t care that I’m a monster? That I could kill you within seconds?” Daniel asked strained.
I understood what he was saying. He was dangerous and was trying to restrain. A tickle ran down my spine making me shudder as he said that. I inhaled and in an audacious tone I said, “No,” then exhaled.

Chapter 8-Final Love

Daniel started walking again, I followed; he knew I would. I would do anything for him. I was in love with him and I didn’t care if he wasn’t human or if he was dangerous, I loved him.
He walked through trees and bushes, occasionally looking behind to see if I was still following. Suddenly he halted to a stop. I finally caught up to him. He turned his head to look down at me. He calmly said, “This is where I come to think.”
Daniel put his pale white hands on both sides of the big, green bushes and pulled them apart, holding it open for me. I looked at him then stepped through the hedge, ducking. As I stepped through the hole, my eyes slowly rose from the ground. I looked around and saw thousands of tiny flowers. Some lying on the forest floor, others growing tall. There were a bunch of trees surrounding this little circle of flowers and grass.
Daniel stepped around my still body and sat down in the middle of the small circle. He folded his legs and put his arms in his lap. I stood at the entrance for a few seconds that seemed to be minutes. I looked behind me to see that there was no entrance, just more trees. I whipped my head back around to where Daniel was, sitting peacefully on the ground. I walked over to where he was a sat next to him.
I folded my legs and put my arms in my lap now. I looked around at the beautiful meadow surrounding me and this beautiful non-human. That got me thinking, he never did say what he was, but that didn’t matter; I didn’t care.
“What are you thinking about?” Daniel asked as I went over our last conversation in my head. I cleared my throat, “I-if you’re not human, then what are you? Will you tell me, please?” My voice was low but not higher than a whisper. He didn’t raise his voice any higher than a whisper either when he answered. “I’m afraid you’ll run away if I tell you,” he said, looking down then glancing at me. He was scared that I would run from him? “Never. Nothing could ever make me run away from you, Daniel,” I sighed, “Y-you’re too important to me.” I looked up at his face.
Daniel looked up at me under his eyelashes. “Are you sure you want to know?” I nodded slowly. “What is one mythical creature you’d never thought would ever exist?” I thought about this carefully. There were so many ‘mythical creatures’ out there. Zombies, werewolves, vampires, aliens, goblins, etc. but which one did I believe in the most? Which one was the most logical? Zombies are brought back to life; Daniel didn’t even look like he had ever died. Just the thought of his dying had me shuddering. Werewolf? Was I crazy? Werewolves didn’t have beams of light shining off of them in the sun? At least not from the movies I’ve seen. A vampire? That was logical, I suppose. Movies and books say that they can’t come out in the daytime, if Daniel is vampire, then how is he outside?
I was trying to go over all of the things I’d read or seen in movies about all of these mythical creatures, but none