After just a week, it dawned on me that the children were meant to teach others around them the real meaning of love and compassion. The children had no sin, no guile, no secrets, and no second agendas. They were pure-in-heart and spirit, and they reached out silently, hoping others would see past their outward disabilities to their beauty within. Their love was unconditional and held no boundaries.
The children changed my whole outlook on life and, for the first time, I felt what I could only describe as joy. I was excited to see the children each day and share in their happiness when they accomplished even the smallest task. But when the children went on outings, I was hurt by how many people looked right past them, failing to notice what they were trying to teach the world. Their adult hearts were closed to things they felt they couldn’t understand. It made me sad to see how they were all missing what I now considered to be the most beautiful things on earth.
When I wasn’t at the Academy, I was with Sarah. She introduced me to her friends and took me all over the city. She even invited me to go work in the soup kitchen serving the homeless every Sunday morning. My relationship with her was very different from how it had been with Liane, and after some time, I was able to recognize it as a true friendship.
After a few short weeks of working at the Academy and hanging out with Sarah, I experienced another first: I went to sleep with a smile on my face and dreamt—not of darkness or monsters, not even of myself.
I was standing a few inches above a dark and murky water. The pungency of seawater and rotten fish stung my nose. The sliver moon shined just enough for me to see a wood dock protruding out into what appeared to be a lake, but because of a thick mist, I couldn’t see any structures beyond.
A lone figure, tall and erect, stood motionless at the end of the dock. I squinted, trying to see who it was. My heart stopped beating when I realized it was the vampire who’d saved me from Alarica. He held completely still, as if a guardian statue built to protect land from the monsters of the sea, but every once in a while, his body shifted, betraying his identity.
He wore loose fitting jeans and a dark jacket that hung just below his waist. His short dark brown hair was less than a quarter of an inch past his scalp, and his hooded eyes were drawn tightly together. Whatever held his attention appeared to be causing him pain.
I moved toward him, wanting to get a closer look. Suddenly, his eyes shifted in my direction. I stiffened and sucked in air. His eyes scanned the area, but passed over me. I was invisible to him.
He jerked his head to the left as if he’d heard a sound. He glanced back in my direction one last time before he turned around and disappeared into the fog.
I woke and sat up in bed, heart racing, as the early morning sun spilled into my room. Inexplicably, I was certain of one thing: Whatever had just happened, it wasn’t a dream.
Chapter 34
After working at the school, I stopped by Charlie’s office. Dark circles slung under his eyes, but he managed a smile and said, “Hey, you. It’s been awhile.”
“I’ve been busy at the Academy.” I slid into the nearest chair. “How have you been? You look tired.”
“Nothing I can’t handle. Have you met Skinner’s daughter yet?”
“His daughter? Does she work at the Academy?”
He shook his head. “She’s a student, a fourteen-year-old girl named Madeline.”
“Maddie? I had no idea.”
“The picture in his office is of Maddie when she was four,” he said.
I tilted my head back, surprised. “Maddie is the most talented piano player I’ve ever heard. I’m surprised Dr. Skinner didn’t mention her.”
“It was Maddie who made him the man he is today. Before she was born, he was a Psychiatrist in a ritzy mental hospital that only cared about patients as long as they came with a high referral fee. Maddie changed her father’s outlook on life; whether it was a gift she gave him or whether it just happened, he became a new person.”
“There is something special about her,” I agreed. “Hey, are you available tonight? I want to talk to you about something.”
He blinked a couple of times, practically staring right through me, before saying, “Sure. Let’s do it over dinner. I’ll come get you when I’m off.”
“That will be nice.”
Charlie opened his mouth as if to say something more, but seemed to think better of it. He returned his attention to the computer on his desk. “I’ll see you tonight then.”
***
For dinner, Charlie took me to a pizza parlor. At first I thought it was an odd choice, but a few minutes in, I was grateful for the family atmosphere of children’s voices and clanking dishes. It made what I wanted to talk to Charlie about seem less serious.