"How come you don’t have any clothes on?” She asked, running her hand
through her hair, attempting to get it back in place. The eye never wavered, but
he shrugged a shoulder. “And why don’t you smell like you? You took a shower
when you came in this morning, already. You never do that.”
Slowly, he turned over, pulling a sheet over himself, “I don’t know. I just
got in early and I felt like it.”
“Your hair is all sticking up and stuff.” She said, reaching over and
pressing it down against his head, only for it to jump back up.
“Yeah?” He said, sleepily.
“Yeah.” She answered. She watched him as he sat up, stretching his long
arms. He then got out of the bed, still pulling the sheet along with him. “Why
are you covering up? It’s not like I haven’t seen it. And felt it.” She
said, feeling like he was trying to keep something from her.
He stiffened, “You know,” he said, turning, “I’ve told you over and over
I was sorry for that. And I really am. But, I also didn’t really mean to do
it. I’d just been killed a few days earlier, remember?”
She looked down at the bed, touching a non existent ball of lint, “Yeah, I
remember. I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad or anything…”
“Well, you sure did a good job of it.” He said, walking towards the closet.
On the floor, a pair of jeans lay, wadded up where he’d thrown them days
previous. He picked them up, quickly inspected them and then pulled them on,
letting the sheet drop. He then walked back over to her, placing his finger
under her chin and making her look at him, “Let’s do something fun. Don’t
go off and leave me tonight.” He then leaned in and placed his lips over hers.
Sitting on the bed, he pulled her closer, watching her violet eyes look back at
him.
“Well, what do you want to do?” She asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t want any vampires around besides us. I’m sick
of people judging my every move. My parents are hundreds of miles away and I
like it that way.” He grinned at her.
Her face broke out into a smile, “Ha! You’re so full of shit, Taylor.”
“I know. But, since I don’t get the good stuff, like home cooked meals and
kisses from my Mom, I shouldn’t have to put up with the crap. Don’t you
think?” He said, his eyebrows raised.
“Definitely.” She said.
“Good. Then let’s like, get on the subway, and go someplace different.
Lets…” He stopped, thinking, “let’s go someplace where all the tourists
will be. Maybe we can find somebody that tastes different. Maybe their blood
will be full of spices or something. Like, curry.”
“We could go to the Empire State Building, or Grand Central Station!” She
said, getting excited.
“Yeah, maybe Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks will be there!” He laughed.
“Okay,” she said, jumping down from the bed, “but I get her. She’s
sexier than he is.”
“I like Tom Hanks!” Taylor said, sliding off the bed.
“You would.” She said, strolling out into the hallway.
~~~~~
Michelle looked out the window at the trees. She could see nothing but green
with deep blue sky behind it. Unlike New York where the little bit of green was
backed by gray skyscrapers and the sun seemed to set an hour earlier than every
place else. She turned away from the window and looked at the room around her.
Taylor’s things were everywhere. On the walls, pictures of his friends and
family and awards he’d won with his brothers; his smiling face looking back at
her standing next to Willie Nelson and another with David Bowie. She sighed,
walking over to his desk. CD’s lay there, music he had listened to and
recorded. The fan in her wanted to listen, but the girl who was still grieving
his death couldn’t do it. She never thought she’d find herself standing in
Taylor Hanson’s bedroom, and certainly not like this. She felt like she was
trespassing. Diana had told her she’d bring up her JC Penney catalog and
they’d shop for new curtains and bedspreads and such for the room; to make it
her own. But she wasn’t sure she really wanted to change anything. She
hadn’t really gotten to know her babies’ father in life, and being in his
room, she hoped to get to know him a little now. Besides, she wasn’t sure she
really could just move in with them. Not only did it just not feel right to her,
but she knew how Zac and Isaac obviously felt about her, they’d made no effort
to hide it. Suddenly, she was hit with a wave of exhaustion. It happened now and
then, but after two days of driving and then the long day she’d endured, she
just couldn’t stand another moment. She made her way over to the bed, pulling
back the comforter and the sheets. As she sat on the bed, she ran her hand over
the smooth material, wondering if he’d slept on them. She shook her head
thinking, of course not—he’d been dead for more than seven months, they
would have changed the sheets. With a sigh, she lay down and put her face on the
pillow. The smell of Downy reminded her of her grandmother. Her last thoughts
before she closed her eyes were about the faces of the two tiny babies she was
carrying and how she would deal with the responsibility of them.
~~~~~
Mr. Jones sat at the kitchen table with Diana and Walker, drinking a cup of
coffee. Kirk stood as well, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over
his chest, listening to the conversation. “Well, we must do the best we can,
that’s all.” Mr. Jones stated.
Diana shook her head, “There is no way I’m not taking her somewhere if
something happens!” She hissed.
“There’s no reason to believe anything will go wrong. The girl is healthy.
According to you, the babies are healthy. Women have been having children since
the dawn of time, and it is only in this last 50 years that suddenly the medical
profession has become involved. It’s all about the male power trip and the
money involved.” Mr. Jones said, standing and placing his cup in the sink.
“That may be true,” Walker said, “but the infant mortality rate was much
higher before as well.”
Mr. Jones sighed and looked at Kirk for a moment, then back to the man and woman
in front of him. “I realize that. But that is simply the chance we take. If
you can’t agree with this, the girl will be taken somewhere else.”
Kirk watched anger spark in Diana’s eyes, “She will not. She is not some
monkey in a cage that you can just transport wherever you think it’s most
convenient.”
He stepped over to the table, “No, she isn’t. But she is carrying the
offspring of a vampire. If modern science discovers anything strange about those
children, not only will they be taken from you, but so will Michelle. And you
put Taylor’s life at stake as well as all the others.” He stopped, pausing
to find the right words. “I wish I could make you understand. I know you’ve
heard this before, but the Lady and her kind exist only because humans do not
know they exist. And if the elders knew anything of this, the lives of Taylor,
Michelle and their children would be forfeit. It is imperative that no one find
a reason to look at those infants too closely. Once they are born, I will see
that they are researched by me or someone I trust.”
Walker furrowed his brow, reminding Mr. Jones immediately of Taylor, “What do
you mean “research”—I don’t think I like the sound of that.”
“Well then you must agree with me!” He replied, “I only mean taking a
blood sample, DNA and such. But if anyone in the outside world gets involved,
I’m sure we’d all disapprove of their methods.”
Diana and Walker looked at each other. With a sigh, she looked back at him,
“Alright, whatever. Once again, it looks like we have no choice but to just go
along with orders.”
“And once again,” Mr. Jones said, “the Lady has risked a great deal for
Taylor. She does love him, I believe. And while you may have lost a son, you
have gained two grandchildren.”
Walker smiled at her, “How weird does that sound?”
“Very.” She said. “I just pray to God everything works out okay.”
~~~~~
Camille stopped and Taylor ran into the back of her. “Don’t stop like that,
I almost plowed you down!” Taylor said, holding her up. He then looked up to
see what she was looking at. There on the couch, sitting across from Beatriz and
Sonya was, not only Robert, but his three companions; the same girls who’d
attacked Taylor and his brothers.
“Well,” Robert said, looking down at his watch, “it’s about time you
awakened.” He then stood and walked up to the two, “You’ll need to work on
that. You don’t want the elders to just be able to come up here and kill you
in your sleep.”
“How the heck am I supposed to do anything about that?” Taylor asked,
wishing he had a shirt on. Camille pressed herself up against him, putting
herself between him and Robert.
Robert looked at her, “Don’t worry your little head, I’m not going to do
anything to him.” He then turned his gaze on Taylor, “Ever hear of an alarm
clock?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it would work.” Taylor said.
Beatriz stood, “Taylor, go put some clothes on.” She said.
For a moment, he looked at her, then he turned to go back to his room, stopping
to point to the girls on the couch, “Didn’t I just see you in an episode of
Buffy?” He said, furrowing his brow.
“Fuck you.” He heard in his mind, though none of them had said a word.
He wrinkled his nose, “Mmm, I don’t think so.” He said with a shiver, then
he went on back to his room.
While he was gone, the discussion continued. “You know, Beatriz, you do need
to make him awaken earlier. Your mind can enter his and –“
“Yes, I’m sure you’re right, Roberto. I had just hoped that we had time to
let him become more aware of his powers on his own. He’s still a child,
really.” She said, picking a rose from the large vase of flowers in front of
her.
“Yes, and an easy to kill one.” He said, as the girls all smiled.
Beatriz raised an eyebrow, “Do you think?” She asked, looking at them. “I
seem to remember a time when the three of you together weren’t able to take
him down completely, and that was some seven months ago.”
“We weren’t trying to kill him.” The girl in the middle stated.
Beatriz smelled the rose, “Of course you weren’t.” She said, her eyes
shimmering. She turned to Camille, “Why don’t you and Melanie go on out.
Taylor will join you later.” She said.
“But, we were gonna—“she started, but she stopped when Beatriz turned
toward her. With a sigh, the girl went on to her own room, throwing a look back
at the three women.
Sonya sat, watching it all, her face emotionless. Beatriz stepped around the
couch and sat on the back of it behind her. “What’s this about?”
Sonya asked her, silently.
“I believe Roberto is about to speed things up a bit. Perhaps his visit from
the elders frightened him?” Beatriz replied, running the rose over her own
cheek.
Sonya looked at the others. Roberto had stepped over to the mirror and was
inspecting his own reflection, as the girls sat, dressed in black, looking like
crows on a wire. “I don’t trust him.” She said.
“That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to.” Beatriz returned.
Roberto turned to face them, “What is taking him so long?” He asked.
“How do I know?” Beatriz said, her voice becoming sharp. She stood and
tossed the rose onto the table, “Why are you here, really?”
Robert raised an eyebrow, “Lady, I think you need to distance yourself a
little. He’s being trained by women, when he is a male. What happens when
he’s attacked by a male who’s stronger than him? What happens when he takes
another blow to the head and his brain can’t throw out all that psychic shit
you’ve all filled it with?”
Beatriz smiled, “Are you going to fight him?”
Robert smiled back, “Fight, is such an ugly word.” He said, “I prefer the
word test.”
Sonya sighed, “I think he’s been tested by you quite enough.” She stood
and began to walk down the hall to Taylor’s room.
When she got there, Taylor wasn’t in his room. She stepped farther in, feeling
him there. In the bathroom, he stood at the sink, the water running and a
toothbrush in his hand, unused. “What are you doing?” She asked, gently.
“Brushing my teeth.” He said, not looking up.
She stepped up behind him, placing her arms around his waist, “Whatever it is
they’re here for, I’m sure you can handle it.” She said.
He sighed, “I don’t want to do this. I just want to live my life,
y’know?”
She laid her cheek against his back, “I know.” She thought about his family
and what they were going through at that moment. She knew he would love to be
there with them, getting ready to see the two babies soon to enter the world.
“I think, if you just go with them on this…” she paused. “Just do the
best you can. Everything you do now, it’s just a learning experience.” She
pulled away from him and stepped around to face him, “Someday, you’ll
rule them. Then you can do what you want.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want that.”
“It’s a means to an end.” She said. “If all this plays out quickly, you
may be able to see your family again.” She said, placing her hand on his
cheek.
His eyes showed his pain at her words, “I don’t ever want them near me. I
can’t ever take that chance again.” He said.
“I understand.” She said, reaching down and turning off the water. “Now,
hurry. They’re waiting.”
~~~~~
Avery knocked gently on Taylor’s door. Actually, she thought, it was no longer
Taylor’s room, but Michelle’s. She didn’t hear anything, so she quietly
pushed the door open a little, to peek inside. There, Michelle lay on the bed,
one pillow pulled down to support her stomach and another under her head. Her
eyes were closed and her breathing even. Carefully, she went in, pushing the
door to behind her. All the girl’s possessions fit in one backpack, and one
small purse, which now lay on the floor beside the bed. She stood for a moment,
just looking at her, imagining her being served to her brother on a silver
platter, for his dining pleasure. A shiver went down her spine. As hard as it
was, quite often, she was able to put it out of her mind. But then, something
would bring it back. She knew she’d never be able to forget the sight of
Sonya, drinking from him; murdering him, her teeth wet with his blood. And now,
she knew that Taylor did the same thing. But, for some reason, he hadn’t
wanted to do it to this girl. Maybe she was special, she thought. Slowly, she
stooped down beside the bed and placed her hand very gently on Michelle’s
swollen belly. The babies weren’t kicking at that moment, but she could feel
their presence nonetheless. She smiled, remembering when Zoë was born, all the
excitement. This time, it would be twice as exciting.
~~~~~
When Taylor and Sonya stepped back into the room, Robert huffed, looking down at
his watch again. “Dude,” Taylor said, “you live forever. Why are you so
worried about the time?”
Robert looked back at him, “You sleep half the day away, why aren’t
you worried about it?”
“I don’t know.” He answered. “If I’d known you were coming, I would
have tried to be more…awake.” Taylor said.
“I’m sure you would have.” Robert said. He then turned to Beatriz, “I
assume you have a room here with no breakables?” He asked.
“Of course.” She said.
Taylor’s eyes widened, “What, you have a danger room?” He asked. He was
met with looks of confusion. “Never mind, I guess nobody here reads X-Men.”
“Actually, I have.” Robert said. “Consider it whatever you want. I just
don’t want any of Beatriz’ trinkets to be broken, since any one of them
would probably buy a half a year’s rent for the girls.”
Beatriz stood, and walked toward the elevator, “Hard work. That’s all it
takes.” She said, pushing the button to go down. “I’m sure when they are
as old as I am, they shall have whatever in life they want, just as I do.” She
said, looking at Taylor, her eyes sparkling.
He smiled at her, but it faded when he was surrounded by the three women as they
stood up from the sofa. Quickly, he joined Beatriz. Within moments, Camille and
Melanie came running down the hall, “Wait for us!” Camille called. They both
came to a stop, close enough to throw looks at the girls and get looks returned.
Taylor suddenly felt as if he were in a room full of cats. Sonya walked up as
well, her green eyes looking to Camille and Melanie.
Beatriz smiled, “So, Roberto, what did you have in mind? We seem to have
opposing teams here, yet we fight for the same things.”
As the door slid open, he placed his hand on the door, keeping it open for them
all to step inside, “Well, I only care to see Taylor’s weaknesses. Anyone
else,” he said, looking at Melanie and Camille, “are just observers.”
Sonya backed into the corner, “Surely you don’t think we’re just going to
let the four of you beat the hell out of him?” She asked.
Taylor turned, “They’re gonna beat me?!” He exclaimed, getting closer to
Beatriz.
She took his hand in hers, “I sincerely doubt that.” She said.
“But, they just came here to see if they can kill me?” He said, alarm in his
voice.
Robert spoke, “Of course not! Why would I want to kill you?” He said,
seeming genuine. “I want to make sure you are able to defend yourself,
that’s all.”
Taylor took a little comfort, but glancing at the smiles on the girls’ faces,
he wasn’t totally convinced. “Well, why are they here?” He asked.
“Only to observe. As you know, we males don’t have quite the mind powers
that the females do, so they are here to sort of…inform me when you are
cheating.” Robert replied.
Beatriz raised an eyebrow, “All’s fair in love and war.” She stated.
“We’ll see.” Robert said back.
Taylor watched the numbers on the panel go down. “Where are we going?
There’s a jillion floors in this place.”
“The basement.” She said.
Sonya let out a sigh that let everyone there know she wasn’t comfortable with
the situation and Camille looked nervously from face to face. Taylor was
obviously frightened, as he should be. Beatriz showed no emotion which let her
know that she was watching everything very closely, probably listening in on
every person’s thoughts. Robert seemed to be looking forward to whatever he
had planned for Taylor and the three girls looked like the cats that they were,
hoping to get a chance at a rematch. She looked over at Melanie; her eyes were
narrowed, never leaving the trio. Camille smiled, it was a fairly even playing
field.
~~~~~
When Michelle came down for dinner, she walked into a room full of people. The
kitchen table was set with two extra plates; one for her and one for Mr. Jones.
Kirk wasn’t there and she wondered if he’d gone back to New York, but she
wasn’t comfortable enough to just start asking questions. In fact, if Jessica
hadn’t come up and forced her to, she would have just stayed in Taylor’s
room and crept down later to try and find something to eat when his family was
busy doing other things. “Did you have a nice nap?” Diana asked, pulling a
chair out next to her.
“Um, yeah, actually. I didn’t really mean to, but suddenly, I just felt like
I was going to fall over if I didn’t close my eyes.” She said, placing
herself in the seat and getting as close to the table as her body would allow.
Walker stepped out into the hallway, “Boys! It’s on the table, get down
here!” He called up the stairs. He then walked back over to the table and
began filling glasses with milk. Within moments, feet were heard on the stairs
and Zac and Isaac came into the room and filled the last two seats. Sitting the
milk jug down, everyone took the hand of the person next to them, and Michelle
listened as he said grace, her fingers entwined with Taylor’s mother on one
side, and his baby sister on the other.
~~~~~
When the elevator door slid open Taylor peered out into the darkness. It smelled
old and dark and wet. “I don’t like this place.” He said.
Camille stepped over to him, “Me neither.” She said.
“It’s not as bad as all that.” Beatriz said, stepping out and following
the others.
“Do we have to do this?” Taylor voiced to her.
Her eyes were soft and she took his hand, “I’m here with you. You’ll do
fine.”
With a sigh, he allowed her to pull him out of the comfort of the elevator and
into the musty basement he’d only heard about. Camille followed them, holding
onto the back of Taylor’s shirt.
Beatriz led them down a hallway, its walls bare and damp, their footsteps
echoing. As they passed a door way, Taylor looked inside to see chains on the
wall, reminding him of Frankenstein or some other late night horror movie.
“What’s that for?” He whispered to Beatriz.
“Bad people. Be good and you’ll never have to see the inside of that
room.” She said back, loud enough for everyone to hear. Camille and Melanie
shot looks at one another, both having been threatened with “the basement”
before.
They continued walking and in another room, Taylor spotted a shiny black coffin.
Beatriz felt his hand tighten on hers and she sensed the fear that had begun to
build up in him. “Taylor, that’s just a prop. For parties or whatever.”
She said.
“That’s not what Benjamin told me.” Robert said smugly.
“Benjamin needed to be taught a lesson.” Beatriz said back. She thought she
actually heard a whimper come from Taylor, so quiet she was the only one to
hear, but there all the same. “We’re almost there.” She said, squeezing
his hand, then letting go of it. She stopped and took a key from her pocket and
put it in the lock of a door. Once inside, she flipped a light on revealing a
very clean looking room. Painted white, the floor of newly poured concrete
gleamed and the walls were concrete as well, also a pristine looking white.
There were supports here and there and the usual exposed beams in the ceiling.
One by one, the group stepped into the room.
“Wow,” Melanie said, “how come we haven’t gotten to come down here
before?”
Beatriz shrugged, “There’s been no need of you coming down here. There are
other rooms in this building that are similar, if you want to be alone or
workout, as the humans would call it. But really, vampires have no need to work
out.” She said.
“I disagree.” Robert said.
“Yes, well, that is your right.” Beatriz answered, leaning up against the
wall, her black suit standing out against the white. “Let’s get this over
with. Taylor is about to stress himself silly.”
The three girls laughed as they looked over at him. Melanie would have, but she
didn’t want to agree with them on anything. “You know,” she said, “I
think it’s so funny that he’s only like seventeen, yet he whipped your fifty
year old asses right there in the street where everybody could see it.”
“Far from it.” One of them said. “We weren’t trying to damage the little
Prince, just see what he was made of.” Another added.
Camille smirked, “Yeah, I’m sure.” She said.
Beatriz held up her hand, “That’s enough. I’m tiring of you already. If
you want to watch this, then I want silence and no interfering. This is not some
sporting event where we need cheerleaders or a heckling audience. Pay attention,
and perhaps you will all learn something.”
Robert stepped into the middle of the room, looking about at the walls and the
ceiling as Taylor stepped closer to Sonya. “What am I supposed to do?”
He asked her.
“Only what you have to.” She answered.
“Ah, ah—no secrets over there.” Robert said, motioning for Taylor to join
him. Sonya placed her hand on his back, giving him a nudge, and he walked over
to stand in front of the man. “Now, protect your head, alright? If I
understand you, that is where your powers lie.”
“Oka—“Taylor started, but before he could utter an okay, Robert had
punched him in the face, leaving him on the floor looking up at the ceiling and
a cut on his cheekbone.
Robert looked down at him, his eyebrow raised, “Your face is a part of your
head, is it not?” Against the wall, Camille was outraged, but a look from
Beatriz stopped her from protesting the unfairness of it. Taylor just looked up
at him and Robert took him by his shirt and lifted him up like a toddler who’d
just taken a tumble. He then licked his thumb and ran it across the cut,
“Can’t have you losing any blood now, can we?” He said.
“I guess—“he said, but again, before he could finish answering the
question, he found himself doubling over from the blow he’d just taken to his
stomach.
“That’s not fair!!” Camille shouted with a stomp of her foot.
“Of course it’s not.” Robert said, turning to face her. “That’s the
point. Do you think the elders are going to be concerned about how fair they are
when they execute him? Or whether or not they use good sportsmanship when they
lure him into some trap?” He then turned back to Taylor who was now on his
knees, fairly certain all his ribs were broken. “You heal very quickly,
don’t waste time on pain.” He said. He then placed his hands under
Taylor’s arms, lifting him up. “Hasn’t Kirk ever worked with you?” He
asked.
Taylor stumbled backwards, away from him, “Yeah, some.” He said.
Robert smiled, “See? It only took twice for you to learn that lesson. Manners
are not needed in a fight. Just because someone asks you a question, does not
mean you need to answer, nor even listen to it. This is not the movies, no one
is going to tell you their plan before they carry it out. If they intend to kill
you, they will.” Taylor nodded, taking in a breath and standing up straight.
“Hmm…” Robert said, stepping towards him, “If Kirk worked with you,
I’d bet you he was trying not to hurt you. He’s very physical, but he’s
also very soft hearted.”
Taylor snorted, remembering the beating he’d taken at Kirk’s hands.
“Whatever.” He said. This time, when Robert swung at his face, he was able
to move out of the way enough to only get grazed on his other cheek.
“Ah, better.” Robert said and he took the blow Taylor threw back at him with
just a snap of his head. “Well, you have good aim, but that didn’t hurt very
much.” He said, looking into Taylor’s eyes. “Don’t hold back, even if
that is what your mother hens told you to do. Because, I’m not going to.” He
said, softly. He then slung Taylor into one of the steel pillars that held the
building over their heads, watching the boy crumple to the floor.
Sonya was getting angry, watching it, yet, she understood that Taylor had never
really used anything other than his mind to fight, or take victims. Sometimes he
and the girls would play, but she knew he was afraid to hurt them and so, he’d
always been easy with them. Probably something instilled in him from having
three younger sisters and parents who, no doubt, would not look kindly on older
brothers hurting them. And she also knew that she and Beatriz had coddled him,
and that had been fine until now, when the elders were beginning to take notice
of him, and a disliking as well. “Is he going to kill him?” Sonya
asked, knowing he wasn’t, but wanting Beatriz to know she disapproved.
“Well, I’d say no except our Taylor is not very good at fighting back.” Beatriz
answered. “I was hoping not to have to step in, as I know he is capable,
but I won’t allow him to be killed, don’t worry.”
Camille had crossed her arms over her chest, now and then covering her face as
she watched Robert drag Taylor up again and then throw him across the floor, his
body skidding to a stop just before hitting another piece of steel coming out of
the floor. She sighed in relief, knowing he was finally getting his mind to
work. He pulled himself up and put the heavy thing between him and his
aggressor. “What the hell is he doing?” Melanie shook her head. “He
punches me whenever he feels like it, why doesn’t he do it to him?”
She said, getting exasperated.
One of the dark sisters chuckled, “Because you are weak. He obviously only
beats up girls.” She said.
“Was I talking to you?” Melanie said, anger boiling up at the situation.
She’d thought it would be funny to see Taylor get a whipping, but it was
turning out to be a painful thing to watch. His shirt was ripped in the back and
she could see the red whelp from where he’d hit the pillar. Just as she was
about to call to him and tell him to stop getting the shit beat out of him, she
watched his hand fly out in front of him and Robert found himself against one of
the same steel beams. He hadn’t expected it, and before he recovered, Taylor
had kicked him in his leg in much the same way Kirk had done to him. He hoped at
least, to slow things down a bit, and for a moment it worked.
“Oh, you’re going to pay for that!” Robert spat. He then swung out again,
hitting Taylor squarely in the temple. “I guess I’ll have to take that
little gift of yours out of the equation.” He said, and he came toward him.
Though his head was throbbing, Taylor knew he had to keep his wits about him.
Robert had told him he wasn’t going to hold back, and he wasn’t. He was
limping though, which was a good thing. Shaking his head for a second, Taylor
stepped back behind the pillar. But Robert’s long arm snaked around and pulled
him into a strangling hold against the metal. “You’re much less of a foe
than I’d thought, little one.” He said into his ear. Taylor was seeing spots
before his eyes, but he also found himself getting very angry. He’d done
nothing to warrant getting a beating like he was taking. Sonya had told him not
to give up too much to the man, but he wasn’t sure she really wanted him to be
a glob of guts left on the floor, either.
“God bless, he’s getting the crap beat out of him, Sonya!” Melanie spat.
Camille stood watching, a tear rolling down her cheek.
“I can see that. What exactly am I supposed to do about it?” Sonya said,
looking over at Beatriz. She smiled, prompting both of them to look back to
where Taylor was being hugged to death by a six foot five inch vampire and a
very large, steel beam jutting up out of the floor.
They watched as Robert jumped back, “That is forbidden!” He yelled,
clutching his arm as blood stained his sweater.
Taylor backed away from him, his teeth bared and blood on his chin. “Screw
you—it’s probably forbidden for you to plan a bunch of shit behind the
elders’ backs too.” He said, licking the blood from his mouth. He then hit
the man with his fist, moving so quickly, even Beatriz hardly saw him.
Robert now was the one to slide across the floor, but he was on his feet before
he’d even come to a stop. Without a word, he charged Taylor, this time into
the cold white wall behind him, punching whatever he could before the boy could
fight back. Taylor again went down, but this time, he grabbed Robert’s leg,
sinking his teeth into it again and punching his knee repeatedly. “Ow! You
little piss ant!” The man cried, trying to shake him off. Once Taylor managed
to get on top of him, he began to hit him—pelting him with blows to his face
as well as his body.
For a moment, everyone watching thought things had turned around, but Robert
soon used his longer arms and hit Taylor in the head again. Two hard blows and
the boy fell back onto the slick floor, still. Beatriz was beside him within
moments, glaring at Robert. “Are you satisfied?” She said, her hand stroking
Taylor’s forehead.
The man stood up, wincing as he put his weight down on his leg. “Not
really.” He said. As Sonya and Camille joined them, he looked at all three of
them. “I know that you all told him to keep his powers secret or something.
You think I’m bluffing about that tape I told you I had, but I’m not. I’ve
seen it and I’ve seen what he is capable of. If you don’t make sure he can
defend himself against the elders, they’re going to take him and torture and
kill him, and then they’ll find out about us, and they’ll come after us as
well.” He said, catching his breath and holding his ribs. He stood up stiffly,
and began to walk toward the three girls. None of them had made a move to help
him, or to see how badly he was hurt. He turned back to see Beatriz, pulling
Taylor to his feet and Sonya taking the other side. “So,” he said, looking
at Melanie, “what’s he really capable of, because I obviously didn’t see
it here today.”
She looked back at him, “He’s good. But, he can’t always control his
powers.” She turned to Camille. “Are you alright?” She asked her.
“I guess.” She said wiping her face. “We were gonna go out and have some
fun tonight.” She looked up at Robert, “But I’ll just go out by myself
again.”
“I’ll go with you.” Melanie said, placing her arm around the girl’s
shoulder, “And maybe we’ll bring the jerk somebody to drink.” Camille
nodded, and watched as Sonya and Beatriz walked Taylor up to join them.
“Just give him a little time, he’ll be fine. He can go with you.” Beatriz
said, prompting Camille to raise an eyebrow. They filed out of the room, Taylor
very slowly brought up the rear, and Beatriz locked the door behind them. When
they got to the elevator, again they all went in and she pressed the button for
the Penthouse.
~~~~~
“Hey, Michelle,” Jessica said, as they made their way into the living room
after dinner, “we went to the video store yesterday and we got “Tommy
Boy”, for the gazillionth time,” she said, looking over at Zac, and we got
“Moulin Rouge”. Which one would you rather watch?”
As everyone sat on the couch, or chairs here and there to watch the movie, they
all looked at her. “Um, well, I’ve seen both of them, so, you know, whatever
you all like is fine with me.” She said.
“Here,” Mackenzie said, sliding off the couch, “you better sit up here. If
you sit on the floor, it might take Dad and Ike to getcha up again.”
“Mac!” Jessica exclaimed.
“Well, it’s true.” He said, he then looked back at Michelle, “Sorry if I
hurt your feelings.” He said softly.
She smiled back at him, “Oh, that’s okay—it’s not like I haven’t seen
a mirror lately or anything.” She eyed the empty seat on the sofa, next to
Zac.
“You may as well sit or your ankles are gonna swell up like Mom’s always
did.” Zac said, looking towards the kitchen where his mother was putting the
leftover food away, “It is not a pretty sight, let me tell ya.” He
whispered.
Slowly, she stepped over the kids on the floor and the feet that hung off the
couch, and sat between Jessica and Zac. “Thanks.” She said, leaning as far
as she could towards the little boy.
“No problem.” Mackenzie answered. “Now, what movie do you want to see?”
Again, they all looked to her, “Well, really, “Moulin Rouge” didn’t do
much for me.” She said, “But “Tommy Boy” was hilarious. So, really, if I
had to pick I’d pick that.”
Zac looked at her with a newfound respect, as Jessica and Avery shook their
heads. Mackenzie gave a victory dance and jumped up to place the disc in the DVD
player. “Yeah!” He crowed, “Now maybe the girls won’t win every vote
anymore!”
Michelle laughed, “I don’t know about that. If you’d had “Titanic”, it
might have gone the other way.”
The boys pooh-poohed and the girls began to wax poetic about the charms of Leo
DiCaprio as Diana and Walker watched from the hallway, smiles on their faces,
both praying their family would feel whole again someday.
~~~~~
Taylor watched the numbers go up with the elevator. Robert continued to tell him
why he needed to learn more. Why he needed to practice more. Why he needed to
get in better shape, feed more, and rely less on his psychic powers and more on
his body. Stop playing around so much and get down to business. His back ached
and his head throbbed. Finally, they reached their destination and began to walk
into Beatriz’ apartment. Taylor was the last out and he started toward his
room, wanting to take a shower, wash the blood off his face and change his
clothes.
“Taylor, we need to continue this.” Robert said, crossing his arms over his
chest. He looked disheveled as well, his usual perfectly groomed clothing now
bloodstained and his pants torn where he’d been bitten.
Taylor stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes. Camille turned her head toward
him, her senses tingling. She then began to back away from them, putting
distance between her and the rest of the group. Melanie saw and a smile touched
her lips. “Why?” Taylor said, his voice sounding tired.
“Because I don’t think you understand—“Robert started. Standing behind
him, the three sisters smiled.
“I understand perfectly.” Taylor said, standing up straight. “I understand
that once again, I get humiliated in front of everyone for their entertainment
in the name of learning.” He said, the word sounding like it smelled
bad to him. “I understand that once again, nobody gives a fuck that I want
nothing to do with your big plan.” Robert narrowed his eyes, but said
nothing. Taylor sighed, then shook his head. He looked at Beatriz, “Why do my
feelings about all this just get ignored? I don’t want to rule anybody,
anymore than I want to be ruled. Particularly by you all.” He said, looking
from her to Robert.
“It’s too late for that. It’s already begun and you have no choice now.”
Robert said.
The fire that rose in Taylor’s eyes was unmistakable and Melanie nearly
laughed as she ran over to join Camille against the wall. “What do you mean now!?”
He spat. “Nobody ever gave me a fucking choice about anything,
ever!!” His voice rose in volume and his hand cut the air in front of him
sending the vase full of flowers from the table directly at the man’s head.
Porcelain shattered against bone and blood and water ran down his shocked face.
Taking a step forward, Taylor’s hand shot out again, this time causing the
coffee table to suddenly fly towards Robert, the glass shattering into a million
pieces against the marble floor, showering he and the three girls in crystalline
shards of anger.
Camille ran toward her room, knowing full well what Taylor was capable of when
he was really and truly angry. Beatriz just stood, unmoving, watching. Sonya was
the only one to make a move, “Taylor!” She said, running towards him,
“Stop!” She said aloud, but in his mind he heard her words, comforting and
understanding, like his mother might have used. When she reached him, she took
his face in her hands, forcing his eyes away from the others, watching as the
green fire in them went out and the cool blue returned. “You have to stop.”
She said.
Robert held his hands out, keeping the girls from lashing out at the boy. The
three of them brushed glass off their clothes, shooting looks toward first
Taylor, and then Melanie who no longer hid her amusement, “Man! We’re gonna
have to stop with the glass furniture! I’d say we should get wood, but that
shit hurts like hell when it gets in you!”
“That is what I was expecting.” Robert said, wiping his forehead with
the sleeve of his sweater. “That is what you need to harness.” He
said, looking down at his arm. “You’ve managed to ruin my outfit as well as
bite me, you little brat.”
Taylor looked back at him now, not quite sure what had just happened. “I’m
sorry.” He said.
“Don’t be.” The man replied. “Just please tell me your legs are longer
than your body so that I might make it back home without being stared at for
wearing pants above my ankles.”
Still looking confused, Taylor muttered, “Yeah, actually, I have a hard time
finding them long enough. I hate high waters.” He then turned back toward his
room, this time with no one stopping him.
Robert followed, but stopped in front of Sonya, “He’s got the power, he just
needs the focus. You must work with him. It’s the only chance he’s
going to have. There’s no turning back now. You know that.”
She nodded, then she sighed, “I will. We are.” She said, “But you have to
remember, he is so very young.”
“I know that.” He said.
“I don’t think you do. And I don’t think Beatriz does either. You are
centuries old. So is she. Taylor is seventeen.” She looked into his
eyes, “He’d still be living with his parents if he were human. He’d be
going to school and dating girls and surfing and playing music with his brothers
in their basement.” She paused. “He left something he loved very much—not
only his family who simply doted on him,” She said, with a shake of her
head and a roll of her eyes, “but music. And that is something that maybe you
can understand. No one made you stop painting, or drawing or seeing things the
way you always have. But he’s had to stop performing and playing for those
girls who loved him. He’s had to take that away from his brothers as well.”
She saw a tiny bit of understanding there, “He’s complicated. And frankly,
he’s brain damaged, so don’t expect too much too soon.”
“That I can believe.” He snorted, “Fine. At least now, I know a
little more what we’re dealing with. We’ll just have to come up with
something that works for us all, including the little prince.” He said,
heading down the hall to replace his torn clothes.
Melanie had walked back over and flopped down on the couch. She turned her gaze
on the three girls, still picking little bits of glass out of their clothes and
their hair, “You should just be glad he didn’t spring a leak.” They looked
back at her, “When that blood starts dripping down his lip or like, out of
here?” She said, putting her finger in her ear, “Well, you saw Camille take
off, didn’t you?” She smiled again, loving the little bits of fear coming
off them. “Hey, ya wanna go out with us tonight?” She asked.
“No, thank you.” The tallest said, distastefully. “We’d rather not go
out on the town with a psycho nutball headcase.”
Melanie raised an eyebrow as Beatriz stepped over to them. For a moment, she
just looked at the three of them, her dark eyes cold looking. Then she turned to
Melanie, “You know, that was quite enjoyable to watch, wasn’t it? I mean,
Taylor getting his ass kicked, and everything.”
Melanie shrugged, “Well, not that he doesn’t deserve it, but it wasn’t as
fun as I thought it would be.”
Beatriz cocked her head, “Really?” She said, returning her gaze on the three
girls in front of her, “Well, I think I know how to make it more fun the next
time.” She leaned in very close to them, her fangs growing and her eyes taking
on a golden hue, “Next time, let’s do these three against me.”
“Oh yeah!” Melanie shouted, clapping her hands as Beatriz turned and went
toward Taylor’s room. “God, I love this place sometimes…” She said,
shaking her head and relishing the looks on the faces of the weird sisters.
