Connie Shum
Mr. Mitchell
AP English
7 February 2014
Marked
“Let’s go on the Ferris Wheel!” Anna exclaimed and her friend only shrugged. Excitedly, she grabbed Claire’s sleeve and dragged her along, weaving through the thick masses of people. It wasn’t hard considering Claire was a tiny little thing, small and petite. In fact, she was often referred to as a pixie or sometimes a fairy because of her short stature, much to her displeasure.
Claire followed obediently, though reluctantly, knowing there was no stopping Anna. When Anna wanted something, she got it, through whatever means necessary.
The line for the Ferris Wheel was long, extending all the way back and wrapping around the ticket booth. It was also mainly made up of couples holding hands and snuggled together Claire noticed. A hollow feeling resonated in her chest and the corner of her lips tugged downwards for a second, but no one saw. Everyone was too caught up in enjoying their own night at the carnival. Even Anna didn’t notice her unusual aloof behavior though they had been friends since third grade.
They waited in line and talked-Anna providing most of the conversation. Claire absently nodded, her eyes wandering around; she couldn’t wait for the night to be over.
Finally, they had reached the front of the line and were ushered into their seats. The ride soon started up again and they rose until they were high enough to look down on all the twinkling lights and wandering people that closely resembled ants. Their compartment reached the very top and proceeded to bring them down before it stopped, swinging a bit thanks to Newton’s First Law of Motion, to let others on.
Claire looked down, waiting for the familiar drop in her stomach from being so high up, but there was nothing. Just a vague sense of detachment and of not belonging. Her eyes caught onto something, a mess of dark black hair. Nothing unusual, and yet… it bothered her.
The figure turned slightly and she gasped. It can’t be. She leaned over the side of their compartment more, wanting to-needing to get a better look at the black-haired boy that so closely resembled her past. Just when she convinced herself it wasn’t him, he turned to her, and while she was high up in the air, his piercing blue eyes found hers easily. He winked at her, much like he had when they first met, and turned his back on her, disappearing into the dark woods surrounding the carnival, untouched by the tinkering lights.
“Claire?” She blinked and turned back to her friend, suddenly remembering she wasn’t alone.
“Sorry Anna. What’d you say?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I know you don’t like talking about him, it’s just…” She gesticulated, as if her hands would help convey her thoughts, and clapped them together before splaying them out, palms facing upwards. And while the flustered motions had no meaning to others, to Claire it did.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” She sighed lowly, her breath leaving her lips in a hushed whoosh.
The Ferris Wheel started again, jolting her out of her thoughts and down to face the boy she no longer wanted anything to do with.

“Are you sure you don’t need a ride home?” Anna held up her keys and shook them, the sound of metal against metal rang between them. It was tempting, Anna’s offer to take her home, away from the bright lights of the carnival. To take her away from the dark ominous woods where she knew he would be. She wanted so badly to accept the offer and to place as much distance between her and that demon as possible, but she knew she couldn’t even before a burning sensation in her wrist started up.
“I’m sure. I’ll see you later Anna,” Claire smiled though the sincerity was false.
“Okay then, I’ll see you later.” And just like that, she was alone. She let out a shaky sigh and rubbed at her wrist as the burning intensified. She pulled back the sleeve a little to see what was wrong, but there was nothing, save for her smooth unmarked skin.
She pulled her sleeve back down and, against her better judgment, walked off towards to woods where she knew he would be.
He knew I was coming, she reasoned. He had to. Why else would he be here?
She saw him then, leaning against a tree not too far from her.
“Claire,” he greeted.
“Why…why are you here?” She hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, scared and shaky. She wanted to sound strong and sure of herself. To not resemble a fairy for once.
He shrugged and stepped towards her, no longer leaning against the tree. “Why not?”
“You need to leave.” The words were out of her mouth before she could even process them, though they came out stronger this time, if somewhat urgent.
“Aren’t you happy to see me Claire? Didn’t you miss me?” She ignored his teasing.
“Michael.”
“Claire,” he mocked, a smile coming onto his face. For a moment, it was like they had gone back in time, before everything had gone wrong. Before the truth had been found out. Standing in front of her with that smile, he looked so much like her Michael that it hurt. Though he looked the same, the demon in front of her wasn’t the Michael she knew, the Michael she had played and grown up with. That Michael was gone. She kept telling herself that, but looking at the boyish grin on his face, she couldn’t help but hope she was wrong.
This time when he took a step forwards, she took a step back.
“Michael, I’m serious. What if someone sees you?”
“No one’s going to see us Claire.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know that.”
“We’re in the woods Claire. Only idiots go into the woods at night.”
He smiled at her though not in a friendly manner and it suddenly dawned on her. They were alone. In the woods. And no one knew. No one would come looking for her, or even know to look for her.
She was completely on her own and at the mercy of the demon in front of her.
Her heartbeat quickened and his smile grew as if he could hear it. Maybe he could, it seemed to be beating loud enough, like it would burst out of her chest at any moment now.
“I’ve missed you Claire.” He began walking towards her and, for every step he took, she took one backwards. “We were good together remember?” Claire gasped as her back collided with a tree.
Suddenly, he was in front of her, leaning in until his face was leveled with hers and she could feel his breath on her face. Her heart was beating erratically now and her breathing was labored, coming out in short little puffs of air. She tried to back away and choked back a sob when she couldn’t.
“Michael.” His name rolled off her tongue easily. She wanted to scream at him, to shout at him to back off and to leave her alone but her body was betraying her. Her heart skipped a beat at his close proximity and her voice came out as a sigh and she was overcome with the urge to just touch him, to reach out to him. She dug her nails into her palm, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white.
“Stop it.”
“Stop what?” he asked. He was playing with her. Making her feel things she didn’t want to feel.
She hated it.
“Why…”
He leaned in more, until she could feel his breath on her face and she shut her eyes. Her fists tightened until her nails drew blood.
“Why what Claire?”
“Why are you doing this to me? Why me?”
“Why not?” He backed up a little and she opened her eyes. “But that’s not what you wanted to know. Go on Claire, ask. I won’t bite.” He smiled again, but this time she was close enough to see them. His eyes, which were once a clear vibrant blue, were now completely black, like voids into nothing- they didn’t reflect any light, not like human eyes. His smile widened at her reaction, her heart pounding twice as fast in her chest, her pupils dilated and wide with fear and just the tiniest bit of amazement.
“How?” she eventually gasped out.
He shrugged nonchalantly, as if the situation was entirely normal and mundane. “Who knows?”
She always knew there was something about him, something different, but now confronted with proof that he was something inhuman, she had no idea how to react. A part of her still wanted to swoon, though she had no idea why. The rest of her, though, was overcome with paralyzing fear.
“You…you’re a demon,” she gasped out.
“Demon?” he echoed. “I can’t say I haven’t heard that before, though it has been a while.” His lips curled downwards. “Much better than vampire though, that’s for sure.” His smile was back. He leaned in closer and caressed her cheek with his hand. Claire flinched, but otherwise didn’t move. “Oh Claire, there’s no name for what we are.”
“I…I’m not like you.” Her voice was low. The mark on her wrist burned, searing her skin with nonexistent flames that fired her nerves.
“But you could be.”
“N-no.”
He smiled at her, cruel and mocking. “That’s too bad Claire.” His hand wrapped around her wrist and lifted in up between them. Acting on instinct, she jerked her arm back trying to break free, but his grip tightened to the point where she could no longer move without hurting herself.
And her wrist was burning, she realized. Even more so than it had been earlier in the night. How?
He pulled back her sleeve revealing her wrist. Oh God, what is that!
Her wrist was bubbling with some type of black substance. It moved across her skin slowly, languidly, as it settled into place.
“That,” he ran his thumb lightly over what looked like a black tattoo, slightly calming the burning that had brought tears to her eyes, “is my mark.”
“You belong to me Claire.”