“Oh man!”
Taylor cried, standing. He
threw his arms around Kirk’s neck, “Why didn’t you take me?!
I’ve been bored to death here for like, a month!”
He exclaimed. He began to
sniff the man’s shoulders as Kirk and Beatriz’ eyes met.
“It was just business
stuff—probably much more boring than it was here.”
Kirk answered, “Messages delivered and stuff.”
“You still smell like them.”
Taylor stated, pulling back with a sad smile on his face.
Kirk laughed, “I’m tellin’ ya,
you scare me.” He said, shaking
his head. “That was like, two
days ago.”
Taylor went back to the box, “Yeah, but I’ll bet you were wearing
that shirt, weren’t you?”
Kirk looked down at the striped
shirt he wore over his t-shirt, “Yep, I was.”
He answered.
“How were they?”
Taylor asked, looking up.
“Kirk pulled a chair over and spun
it around to face him and sat, “Fine, as far as I could tell.”
He answered. “Do you know
some girl named Kelly?” He asked,
a glint in his eye.
Taylor furrowed his brow, “Reddish
brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, real pretty?”
Kirk nodded.
“Yeah, she went to our church.”
“Yeah?
Well, your brother and her were getting jiggy when I was there.”
Kirk answered salaciously.
Taylor’s eyes widened, “Ike!?”
Kirk nodded. “Ha!
I guess she forgave him for sticking that dead mouse in her backpack.
That must be who I’m smelling on you. You
didn’t bite her, did you?”
“Naaaw, she musta just left something behind when we shook hands.”
Kirk said, eyeing Beatriz.
Taylor
pulled the clothes up to his nose, relishing in the familiar scent and feel of
them. “Thanks, man.”
He said to Kirk.
“You’re welcome.
Hey—“Kirk said, standing and reaching into his pocket, “here’s a
letter from your folks.” He
handed a thick envelope to the boy.
Taylor didn’t drop the clothes,
but he stood and took it with his hand and silently turned and went down the
hall to his room, the door shutting with a click behind him.
“I’ll
meet you at your apartment at 3 a.m.—be there.”
Beatriz sent to Kirk.
He nodded and stood, walking
back to the elevator, “Tell Taylor maybe we can hang out tomorrow
night…maybe catch Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows’ swim team going home from
practice.” He smiled as Beatriz
shook her head.
~~~~~
“Do you ever feel like we’re being watched?”
Kelly asked.
Beside her on his bed, Isaac had his eyes shut, but he
wasn’t sleeping.
“All the time.
There are eleven people in this house now, you know.”
He said softly. He looked
down at her then, “Zac and Michelle are downstairs watching some stupid movie
though. The babies are asleep,
thank God. We’re technically
alone right now, strangely enough.” He
smiled and kissed her on her lips.
“Yeah, it’s nice.” She
said back. “I can’t believe you
got your Mom and Dad to go to the drive-in.
Heck, I didn’t even know there was one still open.”
She said, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.
“Well, it won’t be open much longer.
School starts next week.” He
answered. “And really, the best thing about it is, it’s very far away.”
He said, slyly.
He rolled over and looked down into her eyes.
She smiled up at him, “You’re a
genius.” She said, and she
reached up to put her arms around his neck.
“God, I can’t believe it’s almost September.
I gotta go back to school on the 8th.”
She said, sadly. “I’m
going to miss you.”
“I know.”
He said, “I’m gonna miss you, too.”
~~~~~
Camille watched as Taylor pulled clothes out of the box on his bed.
He held a pair of blue jeans up against his legs, “What about these?
Have you seen these before?”
“Yeah, you wore those in
Louisville; I’d remember that goofy patch on the knee anywhere.”
She said, leaning back on his bed.
Taylor’s face fell, “How the
heck do you remember that kind of stuff?”
He asked. She shrugged, and
he looked back down at the jeans, “What if I take the patch off?”
He said.
“That would probably work, but
then you’d have a hole in the knee.” She
reasoned.
He smiled, “Who cares?”
He said, tossing them toward the closet.
“I do.”
Mr. Jones said from the doorway, where he stood with his arms crossed
over his chest.
He walked into the room and looked at the clothes scattered
haphazardly on the floor and the furniture.
He picked up a white, button down shirt, “This is the only thing you
can keep. The rest of this not only
screams out Dead Hanson, but it’s just…Good Will quality.”
Camille smiled, knowing Taylor would eventually win, but knowing she’d
love to watch them duke it out. “Look
here, Designer Dan—not only are these clothes extremely cool, they’re all
broken in perfectly, and they smell wonderful, and all your taste is in your
mouth anyway.” Taylor spat,
snatching the shirt away from the man.
“I’ve seen photos of you wearing some of these.
Unless you are going to shave your head, get a tan and start wearing
those contacts again, you absolutely cannot leave this place wearing them.”
Mr. Jones retorted.
Taylor sighed, “I’m not stupid.
That’s what the pile over there is.
I’m gonna have those donated to like, HansonHotel or something and they
can raffle ‘em off for the charities that the girls like.”
His face turned into a pout, “Camille knows what to do with those.”
Mr. Jones cocked his head, “Very well.
But I’ll need to see the ones you have in your “keep” pile once
this is over.”
“Yes, Daddy.” Taylor
groused. “You know, all those
funky clothes you put in my closet, I almost never wear any of them.”
He said smugly.
“I realize that.
That is why you always look like a street urchin and that is why the Lady
doesn’t take you out more often.” The
man returned.
Camille watched Taylor’s face to see if he was affected by the remark.
“She takes me out.” He
said back.
Mr. Jones was pleased with the
results of his jab. “Of course
she does. Why, just last week she
took you to that little club in the Village, didn’t she?”
“Yeah.”
Taylor said, narrowing his eyes. “What’s
your point?” He said, his hands
going to his hips.
“Well, the point is, she went out every night, but she only chose to
have you accompany her when she went to a sort of…a dive.”
Mr. Jones said, looking at his fingernails.
“It wasn’t a dive!”
Taylor protested.
He looked back at Camille, “It wasn’t a dive.”
He said. She put her hands
up, knowing she’d be better off staying out of the discussion.
“Well, we’ll just ask her.” Taylor
said marching passed the man.
“Fine.”
Mr. Jones said, following him. Camille
followed as well, sitting down beside Melanie and Sonya on the couch.
“Do I embarrass you?”
Taylor said, walking up to Beatriz.
She closed the book she was writing
in, and turned in her chair to face him. Over
his shoulder, she could see the entire clan there watching.
“Of course not.” She
answered.
“See?”
He said, turning to Mr. Jones.
“I see nothing.
Just because you do not embarrass her doesn’t mean she likes to be seen
with you in public.” The man
stated.
“Do you like my clothes?”
Taylor asked her.
“Generally, yes.
Some more than others, naturally.”
She answered. “Taylor,”
she said, standing, “why do you allow yourself to be baited into these silly
arguments?”
“It’s not silly.
He says you don’t take me places with you because of the way I
dress.” He said.
Beatriz looked at him. The
diet of a vampire had left his skin flawless and his hair shiny and healthy.
His eyes shone a beautiful shade of blue at that moment, probably due to
the green shirt he was wearing. It had a silhouette of a cat and a dog and the
words, ‘animals, it’s their world too’. She smiled at him, “I
don’t take you with me usually because I feel you would be bored.
And you are the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen, Taylor.
You’d look lovely whether you were wearing a toga, a tuxedo, or a
garbage bag.” She put her finger
to her lip, “Though, I hope never to see you in a garbage bag, because you
would probably be in pieces and that would simply break my heart.”
She said, looking at Sonya, who nodded her agreement, while trying her
best to keep a straight face.
Taylor just stood there, blinking. He
looked over at Camille. She and
Melanie nodded as well. “What do
you mean pieces?”
He said, his eyebrows coming together as he stepped back from
her just a little.
Beatriz stepped over and pushed
Melanie’s feet off the coffee table, “Well, even a vampire’s body must be
disposed of upon their demise.” She
said, looking back at him, her dark eyes glittering.
“That reminds me; perhaps you’d like to accompany me tonight?”
She said. “I have a
meeting with some of the elders.”
“You do?” He said. “Do
I have to go? They won’t be mean to me, will they?”
He asked.
She stepped over closer to him and ran her thumb along his chin and
looked reassuringly into his eyes, “Be sure and shave.”
She said. Then
she went back to her chair and picked up her pen and opened the book, “And
wear whatever you’d like.” She
said to Taylor, looking over at Mr. Jones and scolding him with her eyes.
He smiled, then bowed to her,
“Lady, I shall be retiring for the evening, if that is alright with you.”
“Of course, Mr. Jones.
I shall see you in the morning.” She
said, resuming her writing.
She looked up to see Taylor rushing
after the man, “Hey,” He whispered, “what should I wear to go see them?
Will I have to do anything, ya think?”
Once they’d left the room, she
looked at the other three on the couch, “How boring life would be without him
here.” She mused.
Sonya smiled, Melanie rolled her eyes and Camille nodded her head and
looked at the t-shirt in her hand, its gothic lettering spelling out the words
“hysteria bloody hysteria”. That
was one she’d be keeping for herself.
~~~~~
Zac laughed at the antics going on in front of him as the movie played.
He looked over at Michelle to see if she was laughing as well, but her
face was emotionless.
“Hey, if you’re tired, we can just finish this
tomorrow.” He said.
She looked at him and smiled,
“Sorry. I guess I just haven’t
gotten a lot of sleep this past month.” She
lay her head back on the sofa cushion and sighed.
“Make that this past summer. I
can’t believe it’s almost over.”
Zac hit the remote, stopping the
movie, “Yeah, I know.”
He agreed.
“All my friends have already
started back to school.”
She said.
“Yeah?
I guess they have.” He
said. “What grade would you be
in?”
“Junior.”
She answered.
For a moment,
silence enveloped them as both of them let the information sink in.
“What about you?”
She asked.
“Oh,
actually, I’ve had so much extra time on my hands this past year, I
technically graduated.” He
answered.
“Man,
that’s amazing. You must be a
genius or something.” She poked
him with her toe.
“Ha,
far from it.” He said. “I’d
just rather do it and get it out of the way.
Ike just sort of stayed the course—finished up right when he was
supposed to.” He smiled, “I
don’t know if Taylor ever would have graduated.
He just put off everything ‘til Mom threatened his life.”
She
watched his face as the smile faded, “Well, I bet he probably sort of thought
his life was already figured out, y’know?
Like, he figured he had the music and he didn’t really need algebra to
write songs and stuff.”
“Well,
you’d pretty much be right, then.” He
said. “We all sort of thought
that. Taylor just lived it.”
Again,
silence descended. “Do you miss
him a lot?” She asked, already
knowing the answer to the question.
“Oh
yeah…” he said, softly. Before
either of them could say another word, the sound of a baby crying was heard.
Zac looked up at the ceiling, listening.
“That would be Isabella.” He
said, looking over at her. As the
second little voice chimed in, he shook his head, “And that would be Lijah.”
With
a sigh, Michelle sat up, “God, I just feel so old sometimes.”
She said.
“Stay
here and I’ll bring ‘em down.” Zac
said, standing. She nodded and sat
back, trying desperately to keep the tears that had suddenly sprung to her eyes
under control.
He
came back with both babies in his arms. Isabella
continued to fuss, but Elijah seemed content to just be awake and tended to.
He handed the little girl to Michelle and immediately the child began to
search for the breast and the milk she needed to sustain her.
Taking
the little boy with him, Zac went to the kitchen and made a bottle up for him.
When it was half gone, he’d trade with Michelle so both of them would
have mother’s milk as well as formula. He
looked at the boy’s face as the microwave let him know the twenty seconds was
up. “What are you looking at Mr.
Big Eyes?” He said to the child.
In answer, Elijah stuffed his fist in his mouth and continued to lock
eyes with his uncle. “How come
you’re not a crybaby like your sister? You
just plug up your mouth and wait, and she gets all demanding and stuff.”
He looked into the living room, then back to the baby and whispered,
“That’s a woman for ya…”
He said, and he went back down and sat on the couch next to
the girls.
Michelle
gazed down at the child as she fed. Her
hair was going to be wavy, and it was dark like hers.
Just as Diana had said, Elijah had retained his blue eyes and
his hair was going to be silky and blonde—at least for now.
Isabella opened her own eyes and looked up at her mother for a moment.
They were nearly black they were so dark.
“How did they turn out so different from one another?”
She asked Zac as he settled in beside her and began to feed
his nephew.
“Genetics
are a wonderful thing. I mean, look
at all of us.” He said, wiping
the smelly formula off the baby’s face as it ran from the side of his mouth.
“Swallow, would ya?” He
said to the boy. His blue eyes
opened for a moment, then closed again.
“Well,
there’s actually a very strong resemblance between you and your siblings, I
think.” Michelle said.
“These two are like, night and day.”
“That’s
because you and Taylor were like night and day.”
He thought it ironic that the dark one was so much more
synonymous with day, but he couldn’t voice that observation to her.
Oftentimes he found himself almost saying something about Taylor that
Michelle wouldn’t have understood whatsoever.
“My Mom and Dad aren’t all that
different physically. Well,
actually, they sort of are, aren’t they?”
He sat the bottle down on the table in front of him, and lifted the
little boy up onto his shoulder and began to pat his back.
In no time, he was rewarded with a satisfying burp from the child.
Michelle
shook her head, “You all are so good at all this stuff, I swear.”
She said, chuckling.
Zac
picked the bottle back up and continued to feed Elijah.
“You’d be good at it too if you had six brothers and sisters.
We won’t even go into all the cousins and stuff.”
He said. “Besides,
you’re doing pretty good yourself.” He
said.
Her
face fell, “I’m trying. But
sometimes, Zac, I just…I don’t know. I
feel like I don’t have any idea what I’m doing, and I just want to go home
and go to school and stress over math and see my friends and stuff.”
“Well,
it won’t be long and we can all go out more.
I guess you feel pretty cooped up here.
That’s sort of a luxury for us, but for you, it’s probably a pain in
the ass.”
Michelle
pulled the child away from her breast, wincing.
“Boy can she get a grip on there…”
She said, handing her over to Zac.
Before
she could fuss again, Zac popped the bottle in her mouth, smiling as she let out
a little sound. “She knows the
difference, doesn’t she?” He
said. He then looked back at
Michelle. She did look tired to
him. “Have you called your
folks?”
She
furrowed her brow as she settled Elijah on the other side of her, “No.
Why would I bother to do that?”
“Because
you miss them.” He answered.
“They
didn’t want me, Zac. They
couldn’t handle my…imperfection. They
couldn’t be there for me when I needed them, and they wouldn’t believe me
when I told them what had happened.” She
said bitterly.
“But
they might be over it now. Sometimes,
people just overreact at first.” He
said.
She
shook her head. “You couldn’t
understand, Zac. Your family is
different. My God, they just took
me in like I wasn’t some stranger
off the street.”
Zac
wondered for a moment if they would have if Kirk hadn’t been there to assure
them beyond a shadow of a doubt that the child she carried was Taylor’s.
Fame had a way of making them all distrust many people they came in
contact with. “Well, Kirk and
Sonya may have had a little to do with that.”
“Well,
my parents didn’t believe their own daughter.”
She said. He couldn’t
argue with that. Both of them
turned their eyes to the babies. “I
just…I’m just really glad that these two will always have you all.”
She said softly.
Isabella
drank the last of the bottle and Zac placed her on his shoulder like he had her
brother. “Well, it’s a bit of a
miracle to us, that we actually have a piece of Taylor still.”
He smiled, “Two pieces, actually.”
A loud burp from the girl let him pull her back down to look at her.
As he looked at her, her little mouth curled up at the edges as well.
“Look, she’s smiling!” He
gushed. “Maybe she’s not gonna
be as much of a bitch as I thought.” He
laughed.
Michelle
swatted him on the arm, “Don’t you call her that!”
She said, but she was laughing, knowing that the little girl
was definitely less calm than her sleeping brother.
She lay Elijah down on her lap and fastened her blouse shut.
Brushing his soft hair away from his forehead, she smiled down at him.
Then she looked around the room, “You know, I don’t know what I
thought it was going to be like here…I think I still keep expecting to see
Taylor walk through the door or something…”
She said wistfully.
Zac
sighed, still looking into the eyes of Taylor’s daughter, “I know, me
too.” He said.
“But, it’s been long enough now, I guess I know it’s not gonna
happen.”
“No,
I guess it’s not.” Michelle
said, blinking back her tears. She
smiled at Zac then, “I have a feeling though, this one’s gonna look so much
like him, it might seem like it.”
Zac
looked over at the child. His lips
were pursed and his eyes fluttered open for a moment before shutting again as he
fell deeper into slumber, “Yeah, I think you’re right. He’s gonna be a
looker like his father…” He
mused.
~~~~~
Taylor
looked in the mirror. He’d
showered and shaved and combed his hair, not wanting to give any of the elders
any reason to dislike him, whether it be a scent or any reason to think him
disrespectful of them. While
they’d goaded him into regrettable remarks now and then, for the first time,
he’d be on their turf and he didn’t want to do or say anything that might
get him into trouble with them or Beatriz.
He hoped to leave there with his head still attached to his body.
“You
look good enough to eat.” Camille
said, stepping into the room.
“Don’t
even joke about that.” He said
buttoning the white shirt he wore; white seemed safe for some reason.
“Make
sure you wear that pendant of Beatriz’. Don’t
want them to forget that you belong to her.”
She said, pushing his bangs out of his eyes.
“God
bless, how did I get into this mess, anyway?”
He said, tucking the shirt into dark pants.
Camille
looked up at him, her blue eyes dreamy, “I don’t know.
But, just be careful.”
She said softly. “I’m
sure Beatriz will protect you.” She
said, stepping back and lying down on his bed.
“Yeah
right.” He said.
“How is she gonna protect me against all of them?”
He asked, picking up the silver cross pendant from the table next to
them.
“Because
they’re stupid and have never understood that she has power that they never
could.” She answered.
“Hmmm…”
He said, fastening the chain around his neck.
“How come I’ve never seen it?”
Camille
leaned up on her elbow and ran her fingers along the bedspread, “Because you
don’t need to.” She said.
He
rolled his eyes, “Whatever.” He
said, sitting on the bed and pulling on his shoes.
“I
guess you’ve forgotten what she did to you in Alabama.”
Camille said, leaning over and placing her arms around his
shoulders. “She could do that to
the elders, too.” She whispered.
Taylor
turned his head and their eyes met, “What makes you think that?”
He asked.
“I
just know it.” She said, smelling
his ear. “Everybody does.”
He
turned and looked into her face. Her
dark eyelashes and her dark blue eyes were lovely.
She wore a cranberry coloured, lacy blouse that matched her lips.
He pushed her hair behind her ear and looked at the diamond earring she
wore. “Where’d you get that?”
He asked.
“From
some lady on 52nd Street. I
think she was there to see “Cats”. But
instead, she saw me.”
She said, her eyes glinting and her mouth spreading into a grin.
“You
shouldn’t steal from them.” Taylor
admonished her. But the look on his
face let her know he found it amusing. “You
don’t have to pay rent here. Or
buy food.”
“Well,
I share with my friends. I gave the
other one to Nikki, and she’s gonna pay her rent with it.
What difference does it make, Taylor?
That lady had more money than sense or she wouldn’t have
been wearing great big diamonds on the streets of New York.”
He
turned around to face her, “Yeah, yeah. Whatever
gets you through the night.” He
said, looking down at her lips. She
leaned back on the bed and he leaned over her.
He reached up to push her hair off her forehead.
He touched her chin with the tip of his tongue and she stretched her neck
out, closing her eyes. Now he ran
it across her throat and down between her breasts.
“You know, I think I’m gonna keep you…”
He said, teasing.
She
opened her eyes and looked down into his. The
moon was rising and it caught in the depths of them.
“I could say the same thing.”
She said. “And, as much as
I’m enjoying this, I don’t really want Beatriz to come in here and rip out
my liver.” She said, sliding out
from under him.
“Beatriz
knows everything that goes on here—you’ve said it yourself.”
He said, grinning.
She
raised an eyebrow, “Yes, and we’ve all seen what she does when she gets
pissed. Besides, you need to finish
getting ready. Why don’t you get
Melanie to trim your hair?” She
asked, standing.
“’Cause
I like it long.” He said with a
sigh. Then, he too stood.
“Besides, I can sort of hide behind it y’know?
I can watch people and they don’t know it.”
“That’s
what sunglasses are for.” Camille
said walking towards the door.
“Yeah,
well, I feel like a goof wearing sunglasses when it’s dark outside.”
He said. As he followed her
out into the hallway, he began to sing the song from a time when both of them
were babies.
Camille
laughed and plopped down in the chair. “You are much hotter than Corey Hart
ever was.” She said.
“Who’s
Corey Hart?” Melanie asked, as
she walked in, stretching.
“Some
guy from the eighties. Man, you
slept late!” Camille said.
Melanie
smiled, “I know. This guy last
night just about killed me.” She
exclaimed, looking at Taylor. “You
would have loved it. He fought back
like a champ!”
“Sounds
like fun.” Taylor said, sitting
on the couch next to Camille.
Camille
turned to him, “You get on me about stealing from my victims, but you and Mel
like to scare the bejeesus out of them. I
think that’s worse than lifting an earring or two.”
Melanie
waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, “Pfft, he always just wipes their mind
out before he let’s ‘em go. They
don’t even know it happened. Personally,
I’d rather they have nightmares about it for years to come, but you know, I
guess we sort of got in trouble for that the last time.”
She grinned at Taylor.
“Don’t
remind me, please.” He said,
picking up Camille’s hand and turning the ring on her finger around.
“Hey,
Mel, why don’t you give Taylor a haircut?”
She said, changing the subject.
Melanie
looked at the two of them, wondering what was up, “His ears are too big.
It looks better long. Especially
since he doesn’t have to hide so much now.
How soon they forget…” She
said, teasing him.
Taylor
looked at Camille, “See? I told
you.” He then looked at Melanie,
“And they haven’t forgotten yet.” He
smirked, “Have you seen my gravesite in Tulsa?
It’s just covered with flowers and presents and stuff.”
He said. He turned
thoughtful, “I wonder what they think I’m gonna do with all that when I’m
like, dead?”
“The
same thing you did with it all when you were alive:
nothing. Somebody will stick
it in a warehouse and someday, some of it will turn up in the Hanson Museum,
right next to the Garth Brooks memorial.”
“Garth
Brooks isn’t dead.” Taylor
said.
“No,
but he will be by the time they build a Hanson Museum.”
Melanie laughed.
~~~~~
Kirk stepped into his apartment,
relieved to finally be home again. He
quickly removed his shirt, tossing it onto the pile of dirty clothes already
lying in front of the closet containing his stacked washer and dryer.
He wanted to kick himself for not taking into consideration Taylor’s
spectacular olfactory senses when he’d thrown the shirt on that morning,
particularly since they were so like his own; it was one of the few advantages
the males had over the females in the world of vampires.
He then sat on his couch and reached for his guitar as he
clicked the remote, turning on the television.
As his eyes took in the latest episode of Dawson’s Creek, his fingers
picked out notes from the instrument in his lap.
He smiled, remembering playing in the Hanson’s basement
studio with Taylor’s brothers. He
shook his head then, setting it aside and standing and heading towards his tiny
bathroom to take a shower. He
thought maybe if he washed away the smell of Taylor’s family, Beatriz would be
less likely to disembowel him for nearly allowing Taylor to detect the smell of
not only Michelle, but Isabella and Elijah as well.
~~~~~
“Can I drive?” Taylor
asked Beatriz as they walked toward the shiny black Jaguar parked in the spot
closest to the elevator.
“Hmm…why not?”
Beatriz said, tossing the keys to him.
He grinned, “Oh man, I haven’t
driven in so long, and this car is so amazing!”
He said, his eyes lighting up.
“Just be careful, after all these
years, I’d hate to meet my end in a car wreck.”
She said, opening the door and pulling her long legs into the car.
She wore a short black skirt with a matching black blazer, but with no
blouse underneath. It was all
Taylor could do to keep his eyes off her and onto the controls of the car.
He closed his eyes as he turned the key and the car started, it’s
perfectly tuned engine a quiet hum before the stereo kicked in.
He looked at her and smiled as the sounds of “Heartbreak Hotel”
poured out of the speakers.
“I didn’t know you were an Elvis
fan.” He teased, easing the car
out of its spot.
“You never asked.”
She said, licking her finger and wiping dust from the toe of the high
heeled shoe she wore. “Besides,
I’m certain there are a great many things you do not know about me.”
“Did you scream when you went to
see him?” He asked, chuckling at
the thought of it.
Beatriz’ dark eyes glittered in
the artificial lighting of the garage as they made their way toward the street,
“No, but he did.”
She smiled, her fangs glinting in the light.
It was a sight Taylor didn’t often
see and it totally took the humour out of the situation for him.
“Really?” He asked, his
eyes wide.
“Just drive.”
She said, shaking her head and turning back toward the window.
“Take a left when you get to the street.”
He did as he was told and soon, with
a few more turns, he found himself navigating through the congested traffic of
Times Square. “Good grief, how
does anyone get anywhere in this city?” He
growled.
“They walk or take the subway, don’t you know that by now?”
Beatriz answered.
“Well, are we going far?
I mean, we’re not gonna be late, are we?”
He asked nervously.
“No, we are not going to be late,
stop worrying.” She said gently.
She reached over and pushed his hair behind his ear.
For a while, they drove in silence,
then Taylor asked, “How many elders are there?”
Beatriz looked over at him.
His face showed his worry. “In
the world, or just here in the city?” She
asked.
“I don’t know, both I guess.”
He said, stopping again for a red light.
“In the world, there are many.
Here with us, just five.” She
answered.
“Five?”
He said, his voice tinged with surprise.
“Yes, and you’ve met most of
them so there’s no need to be concerned.”
She said.
“Ha!
That’s easy for you to say.” Taylor
replied.
“Just mind your manners, remember
you are a guest and act accordingly. Also,
shield your thoughts and do not try to communicate with me.
They’d sense it and it would drive them mad.”
She advised him.
“He looked at her, “Am I
supposed to bow or anything like that?” He
asked.
“Just be respectful.
Bow if you are bowed to. Just
like humans, vampires come from many cultures—it’s hard to keep up with it
all, so just use your instincts.” She
placed her hand on his shoulder, “Taylor, I wouldn’t bring you here if I
thought any harm would come to you. But,
I do want to remind them that you belong to me.
And, I want you to see where and how they live, so that you understand
what someday you will find yourself up against.”
“I wish you wouldn’t say I
“belong” to you. It makes me
feel like a cow or something.”
Taylor grumbled.
“Cows are sacred in India.”
She reasoned. A look from
him made her laugh, “Taylor, vampires used to be split into tribes, or clans.
As time and technology progressed, we were able to rely on each other and
on trusted humans less. My point
being, because I am old, I still go by some of the old ways.
You belong to me because you are in my…family group.”
She explained. “The
pendant is a bit like…a coat of arms or something of that nature.
It lets others of our kind know you are connected to me, just
as Sonya is, and Roberto. That fact
gives you some protection from those that would harm or attempt to use you.
And,” she said, raising an
eyebrow, “it keeps the other females away.
Never underestimate them, just as in your human life, you don’t want to
become a meal ticket or a trophy.”
“So, I’m not a trophy for
you?” He asked.
“Of course not, you are far too
young to be considered a trophy for me.”
She said with a wave of her hand.
“Hmmm…I think I feel a little insulted.”
He mused. Then he became
serious, “How old are they?” He
asked. He noticed the traffic
thinning a little as he turned down the street she pointed at.
“I don’t believe anyone knows
that.” She said.
“Even you?”
He said, his eyes going back to her.
The streetlights glinted off the gold chain around her neck and the large
golden earrings in her ears. They
looked to be ancient.
“Even me, Taylor.
I do not know everything there is to know.”
She answered.
“Well, Camille thinks you do.”
He said.
“Good.”
She answered.
“Are
you afraid of them?” He asked.
“Of course.
They are the elders after all.” She
said.
“But why?”
He said. “You’re
more powerful than them, aren’t you?”
“In some ways, yes.”
She answered softly.
“Then why don’t you just kill them and get it over with?
Why all the intrigue and planning and crap?”
He said, getting exasperated.
She directed him down another street
and he saw rows of faceless buildings come into view.
“If they were easy to kill, Taylor, they would have been dead ages
ago.” She spoke as if she was
afraid of being overheard. “They
are powerful as all males are, only more so, and they are clever as only the old
can be.”
She looked down the street, “Turn at that red light and go
to the end of the street. Park
wherever you want to.” She said.
Then she lowered her voice again, “These men seek out and eliminate any
threat to them, that is how they’ve remained in control of us for so long;
either by fear or force.
Women in particular, they view as a threat.
That is why there are so few of us who get old.”
She said, looking out the window.
“Well, there’s a lot more of us
than there are of them, why are they still around?
Why doesn’t everyone just ignore them?”
He asked, turning down the dark street.
“Our society could not survive anarchy, Taylor.
Rules and laws are there for a reason.
If vampires just ran the streets, following their natural inclinations
and feeding like savages, we’d be found out immediately and exterminated.
When this regime fails, another will take its place, without the
humiliation and brutality I’d hope, but whatever it takes to control the
young, is what will be done.”
Taylor pulled the car alongside the
curb. For a moment he just sat
there, letting her words sink in. “Where’s
the building?” He asked looking
out the window into what looked like a deserted warehouse.
No streetlights illuminated the place and he didn’t see another soul,
living or dead.
“This is the building.” She
answered, opening her door. “Remember, shield your thoughts.”
She sent.
He looked at her, letting her know he’d heard.
“They live here?” He
said, looking around at the old wood and concrete buildings.
“Don’t judge a book by its
cover, my darling.” She said.
As they began to walk, Taylor felt the hair stand up on the back of his
neck. They stepped into the shadows
between two of the buildings and he was startled to suddenly find two men
standing on either side of him.
“Lady.” The first said,
respectfully.
“Yes?”
She answered, turning to face them and looking very regal and unafraid;
something Taylor had to admire at that moment, as he was certain if he’d been
able, he’d have just wet his pants.
“Was it cleared for you to bring a
companion?” One asked.
“No, it wasn’t.
It was a last moment decision.” She
said.
He looked at her and Taylor, then
spoke quietly into his collar.
“Very secret service…”
Taylor whispered to Beatriz.
“Indeed.”
She said.
“Alright, Lady Beatriz, Daniel has
said you are responsible for the boy. Do
you want to proceed?” He said,
looking Taylor up and down.
“I shall take full
responsibility.” She agreed.
“Very well, come along.”
He said, and he led them to a non-descript looking door among many other
non-descript looking doors, as the other man walked behind them.
Once it was opened, Taylor found himself in a very hi-tech room.
It had surveillance cameras on the walls and he assumed other such
devices to keep the elders from being taken unawares.
He turned to look behind him and found himself face to face with a very
powerful looking man. It was all he
could do to keep from jumping in front of Beatriz for protection.
Instead, he looked away and calmed himself by reciting the child’s
prayer, Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray
the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul
to take…” It also served to
help him shield his thoughts from them, a trick he’d learned from Sonya and
something he knew he’d need to do that evening.
At the very least, he didn’t want them to know just how
frightened they made him feel.
A heavy door slid open and they were
led into a hallway with walls of black marble and elevators at one end.
“Two coming up.” The
first man said to whoever was listening on the other end of the tiny microphone
he wore. He nodded in deference to
Beatriz and gestured for her to pass and she made her way to the elevator,
placing her hand on Taylor’s arm and guiding him along with her.
“You know,” she said as the
elevator doors shut behind them, “a Hail Mary would probably be a little more
appropriate at such a time.”
“But, I’m not Catholic.”
He answered, looking at the buttons on the wall.
“So sorry.”
She said, as if the statement warranted her pity.
“Stop worrying, if you end up in the dungeon, I shall come visit you
and keep you company.”
“Oh, that’s very comforting!”
He exclaimed, wiping his hands on his pants.
“I’m only kidding.”
She said smiling, and she kissed him on the lips as the door opened.
“That will be the last we see of that tonight.”
A voice broke the moment.
“Yes, yes.”
Beatriz said stepping out. For
a moment, Taylor stayed where he was, amazed by the sight before him.
A large room opened in front of him, one wall equipped with every
technical and electronic gadget that he could imagine.
And being a red blooded American male, he could imagine quite a lot.
“Beatriz, tell your little pup to
come out of his kennel, we’re not going to whip him.”
The voice belonged to Daniel.
“Could you please keep the remarks
to a minimum?” Beatriz asked as
Taylor stepped up beside her.
“We have plans this evening and to keep from being late, I
asked Taylor to accompany me here. If
that is a problem, I’ll come back another time.”
She said.
“That won’t be necessary.”
Daniel replied to her. He
then looked at Taylor, “I apologize. You
are a guest here and I should treat you as such.”
He walked closer to them and gestured towards a chair.
“Please, sit down and make yourself at home.
Have you fed yet, this evening?”
“We have.”
Beatriz answered for him.
Taylor looked at her, wondering why
she’d lied. Now
I lay me down to sleep…
“Well then, let’s get down to
business.” He said, pushing a
button on the wall, “Please tell the others the Lady Beatriz, and Taylor are
here.” He said.
Soon they were joined by four other men.
Taylor recognized Victor and Joshua, but the other two were new faces to
him. He quickly stood as they
approached.
“Remain seated, child.”
Said a man, appearing to be middle aged.
His gray eyes searched Taylor’s making him even more uncomfortable.
…I pray the Lord my
soul to keep… Taylor sat.
“This is Nicholai.”
Daniel said.
“I’m Taylor.”
He said to the man.
“Yes, I’ve heard a bit about
you.” Nicholai replied.
“I’m eager to see what you make of yourself.”
He said. …If
I should die…
“Daniel laughed, “Give him a few
hundred years, and who knows?” He said. …before
I wake… “This is Balthazar.”
He said as a very young looking man walked up to him.
…I pray the Lord…
He was much shorter than Taylor and
looked to be no older than Camille. “So,
this is the rock star.” He said,
eyeing Taylor. …my soul to take… Taylor
didn’t know how to respond to that so he looked over at Beatriz.
“He is an ex-rock star.”
Beatriz said, stepping up next to Taylor and putting her hand on his
shoulder. “We are all present,
can we begin now?” She asked.
“Can he be trusted?”
The young man asked.
“I wouldn’t have brought him
here if he couldn’t.”
Beatriz spoke up. “But
if you’d be more comfortable, I’m sure Taylor wouldn’t mind seeing the
Library or the Music Room.”
As much as the thought of seeing
these people’s music room piqued Taylor’s interest, the thought of being
separated from Beatriz was entirely too frightening to entertain.
Oh God…Hail Mary full of…shit,
what’s the next line!?
He felt Beatriz’ hand tighten on
his shoulder. Daniel looked at him,
his eyes showing his amusement as Taylor felt sweat break out on his forehead.
“I’m sure he can be trusted because he has been told by the Lady here
what will happen to him if he breaks any of our trust.
Isn’t that right, Taylor?” He
asked.
“Yes, sir.”
Taylor said quietly.
“Very well.”
Daniel said, turning back to the others.
Each of the men sat except for Joshua and he picked up what looked like a
gloriously complicated remote control and pointed it at something on the wall.
He pressed a button and all the screens went black except for
a few far down the wall; these showed views of the outside of the building.
“Beatriz, we seem to have a bit of a problem with one of your young
ones.” Balthazar stated, looking
over at her with eyes that could have been green or gray, Taylor wasn’t sure.
“Is that so?”
She asked, emotionless.
“Yes, it’s so.”
He answered.
“And what has he or she done?” She
questioned, “I have kept a very tight rein on my group.
I’ve even placed them in my home.”
She said, her voice getting a little testy sounding.
“This is one of the others.”
Daniel said. “You know all
the young belong to you.” He
smiled and looked at Taylor, “Why, this one even wears your tag.”
She nearly rolled her eyes,
“Sometimes, it’s hard for me to believe that you are one of the old ones.”
She stated. “If he were
yours, wouldn’t you want it to be known to those around him?
Look at him.” She said,
looking at Taylor as if he were the stripper at a bachelorette party.
“Yes, I probably would.” The
man answered. Taylor was beginning
to feel extremely uncomfortable. All
in the room had taken her words as a command and were looking at him.
“Um…maybe I will
go and look at that library.” Taylor
said, attempting to stand, but Beatriz’ hand was like iron on his shoulder.
“Nonsense.
I trust those in this room less than anyone else out there.”
She then leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Trust no one.”
She said, making sure they all heard her as she gazed up into their eyes.
She then stood up straight again, “The time is getting late, please,
can we just get to the point?”
“Of course, my Lady.”
Victor said in his mysterious accent.
“One of your young ones has become sloppy.
This evening, she left a body, severely drained, and lying in an alley
right in the middle of the city. I’m
certain if those in the building had just looked out their windows, they could
have seen quite the spectacle.”
“Did they?”
Beatriz asked.
“Well someone
called the authorities. They must
have seen something.” Daniel
said.
Beatriz sighed, “Sonya and Kirk can go through the building and find
whoever it was.” She said,
opening her bag for her cell phone.
“That’s not really the problem…”
Victor said, nodding to Joshua. When
he pushed the button on the remote, a screen lit up, and there before them was a
scratchy black and white surveillance video.
A girl was seen within moments, dragging a struggling man into the
shadows. Taylor’s eyes widened
and he felt Beatriz in his mind even before the gasp could leave his lips.
“Yes, you know her, don’t
you?” Daniel said, sliding his
eyes to Taylor’s face. Taylor
said nothing and in his mind he began to sing Jesus
loves me this I know…
Daniel smiled, “You make me laugh,
child.” He said.
“I too, know her. You
won’t be tattling on your friend. Nikki
has been troublesome in the past and so, this is no surprise.”
“As you know,” Joshua said,
looking at Taylor, “vampires are not allowed to be on television.”
Taylor’s eyes slid over to the monitors where he could clearly see the
girl pulling her victim into the alley. For the bible tells me so…
Daniel chuckled, “Unless of
course, their death is documented in the same medium very
soon afterwards.” Now Taylor
looked back at him. “We’re not
nearly so blind as they all think, Taylor my boy.
Humans may mistake the shine in the eyes of a young rock God for lust,
but we know the hunger when we see it.”
“Sorry about that—“Taylor
started.
Daniel waved his hand, “No harm
done. Your witch lover took care of
it. Didn’t you Beatriz?”
“I did.”
She said. Taylor looked at
her, not sure he liked the look on her face, “But I’m no witch.”
She retorted.
Daniel cocked an eyebrow then looked
at Taylor, “Yes, well, on to the problem at hand.”
Hand,
H-A-N-D…Taylor thought. He
then began to look about the room. Like
Beatriz’ home, the various tables and nooks held art and objects that were
obviously very old. It made for an
odd mix in the room with the hi-tech, the classical, and the primitive, side by
side. He watched as Balthazar
pulled over a chair and sat, crossing his arms as well as his legs.
“Yes, the problem.”
He said. Problem,
P-R-O-B-L-E-M…
Joshua
stood up straight, “It’s time this problem was dealt with, once and for
all.” For
all, F-O-R-A-L-L…
Looks
were exchanged between Beatriz and the elders.
Taylor watched as she sighed and reached over to push his hair behind his
ear. “You know what to do.”
Victor announced, and he seemed to wait for some answer.
Beatriz
turned to face him, “Is that all?” She
asked.
“That
is all.” He answered, and he
turned and walked out of the room as Taylor watched.
Balthazar
stood and walked closer to the couple, looking coldly at both of them,
“We’ll need the usual proof.” He
said. He then held his hand out to
Taylor, “It was nice to meet you.” He
said. Disingenuous,
D-I-S-I-N-G-E-N-U-O-U-S…
Taylor
stood as well, now looking down at the smaller man.
He actually looked to be younger than Taylor himself, “It was nice to
meet you too.” Fuck you asshole, A-S-S-H-O-L-E…
Letting
go of Taylor’s hand, Balthazar stood for a moment, just looking at him.
“You’ve got more than the other males.
Why is that?”
“I
don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Taylor stated.
The
man smiled, “Of course, you don’t.” He
said. Then he turned to Daniel,
“Our Beatriz has become quite powerful, hasn’t she?”
He said.
“Indeed,
she has. And, she’s choosing her mates more carefully.”
Daniel answered, glancing at Taylor.
Beatriz
sighed, then spoke, “May we take our leave?”
Victor
and Balthazar exchanged looks. Nicholai continued to watch and Daniel
bowed to her and gestured towards the door, “Yes, of course.
You’re free to go. You do
have a job to do, after all.” He answered.
“Yes.”
She said, taking Taylor’s hand. It
was so cold, he flinched. Their
escorts appeared and soon they found themselves in the same parking lot, once
again, feeling deserted.
Taylor
took a deep breath and wiped his hand across his forehead, “God, I’ve never
been so glad to get out of a place in my life.”
He stated, walking towards the car.
“Yes,
I can imagine you would be.” Beatriz
said, quietly. Imagine, I-M-A-G-I-N-E…
This
time, Beatriz sat in the driver’s seat, and Taylor didn’t protest.
He was sure his hands were shaking too much to work the stick shift
anyway. “So, where are we going now?” He
asked.
“To
the Living End.” She replied. End, E-N-D… “You can stop doing that now.”
Beatriz said, glancing over at him.
He looked shaken.
“Oh,
sorry. When I start doing that,
it’s hard to stop.” He said,
biting his bottom lip and looking out the window at the city as it began to
become light and friendly again. “So,
is that where Nikki is?”
“Probably.”
Beatriz answered.
“So,
why do they get all freaked out about a surveillance video?
I mean, it’s not like it was that obvious who she was.”
Taylor asked.
Beatriz
looked over at him, the innocent look in his eyes almost heartbreaking.
“Taylor, there are eight million people here in the city.
Most of them watch the nightly news.
You recognized her, and so will many of them.
Vampires’ faces can’t be seen on television, or milk cartons, or
wanted posters at the Post Office. Do
you know what happens when you’re arrested?”
She asked. Then she laughed,
“No, of course you don’t.”
“How
do you know I don’t?” He asked.
Her
dark eyes looked at him in a way that was making him uncomfortable, “Because I
know you. Because I can read your
mind.” She said.
She turned her eyes back to the road, “When you’re arrested, they
take your fingerprints, pictures of you, sometimes blood tests and things of
that nature.”
“So
what?” He spat, “It’s not like she’s gonna let them arrest her.”
“You
don’t know that.” Beatriz said.
“It is the elders’ job to make sure that our world goes on
undetected, so naturally, when someone puts the rest of us in jeopardy, they
notice.”
“Whatever.
I think they’re just a bunch of jerks and they’re always looking for
a reason to get pissed off at the rest of us.”
He said.
“Spoken
like a true teenager. Your parents
would never punish you because you needed to learn a lesson, would they?
They just don’t want you to have any fun, right?”
She said back.
He
shook his head, and looked absently out the window again, noticing the wind
beginning to whip the leaves of the trees around.
“Whatever. We’ll just
have to agree to disagree here.”
“Done.”
She said, and they drove the rest of the way in silence.
~~~~~
Melanie
sat alone. Kirk had come home
finally, but had been mysteriously sent away by Beatriz.
Camille had gone out again, not having filled her stomach to her
satisfaction yet that evening. Taylor
and Beatriz had gone out together, to see the elders.
She looked out the window.
It was going to rain any second now.
She was actually finding herself worried about him.
As much as she wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, she’d become fond of
Taylor. He’d become the brother
she’d never had, which of course, accounted for most of the altercations they
had. Camille never fought with him,
because she was head over heels in love with him.
Well, the kind of love a fifteen year old girl thinks is love.
Sonya loved him like a son, and some other slightly odd something or
other she had yet to put her finger on. As she pondered the lifes and loves of
Taylor, her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of lightning.
On the street, she watched as people began to hurry their steps, hoping
to get where they were going before the rain caught them.
Her eyes caught tiny splashes on the pavement as drops began
to fall from the sky. Another flash
of lightning and she watched Beatriz’ black car pull up and the passenger door
open. Taylor got out of the car,
but unlike the humans rushing passed him, he walked slowly towards the door of
the place. He didn’t turn back as
the car pulled away from the curb, and by the time he stepped in the door, the
white shirt he wore had gray splats of wetness on it.
He immediately looked to her and joined her at the table.
“What happened?”
She asked.
He
shook his head and wiped the rain from his face, and pushed his bangs out of his
eyes. “Nothing, really.”
He answered.
He then looked into her eyes, “Is
Nikki here?” He asked
silently.
Melanie
turned and looked around the room, seeing who was there before she answered.
“No, I haven’t seen her
tonight.”
Taylor
sighed. He then whispered, “I
think she’s in trouble.”
“Don’t
talk out loud here. Is that what
the elders wanted?” She sent.
Again, her eyes went around the room.
It had been an unusually quiet evening in her opinion.
There were people there, all vampires, and all from different groups, but
they’d seemed subdued.
Rain typically kept humans at a minimum, but it didn’t
usually affect their kind. They
didn’t feel the same discomforts that humans did.
“Yeah.
She killed somebody.” Taylor
said. He stood then, and walked
over to the bar. “Hey Sam,”
He said, “could I get a water?”
He asked the man.
“Sure
thing.” The man answered.
“Cold?” Taylor nodded
and the man smiled, “You’re the only one that likes it that way…”
he said as he handed him a bottle from the tiny fridge under the bar.
Taylor smiled back and reached in his pocket for money.
He lay a twenty on the bar and Sam shook his head.
“Y’all don’t have to pay. You
know that.”
He said.
“Take
it anyway. It’s worth it for the
sweat on this bottle.” Taylor
answered, touching it to his forehead.
“Tough
day?” Sam asked.
“It’s
hardly started, but yeah, you could call it that.”
Taylor walked back to the table as Sam pocketed the money.
Melanie watched as he sat back in front of her and twisted the cap off
the bottle. He turned up the blue
bottle and downed most of it in one long drink.
“Alright,
tell.”
She said. “I
heard something about it, but I thought maybe it was just a rumour.”
“She
got caught on video and it was on television.”
Taylor said. He watched
Melanie close her eyes for a moment. “I guess Beatriz is gonna warn her or something, because she’s
coming back here to wait for her.”
“Taylor—“
Melanie started. But she
stopped as Beatriz walked in the door, prompting a momentary silence in the
place.
“What
can I get for you, Lady?” Sam
asked.
Beatriz
looked over at Melanie and Taylor, then around the room.
She then walked over to the bar.
The click of her heels on the floor loud in the quiet of the room.
She stepped around the back of the bar and bent down.
Still being watched, she stood back up again and leaned on the bar.
“How about…” she said, as if she were thinking.
“…the usual.”
She said. Sam
picked up a glass, polished it with a white towel, filled it with water from a
tap and handed it to her. “Thank
you.” She said, and she continued
to just look about the room. “Taylor,
how about some music?” She said.
Now,
all eyes went to him. He stood and
went to the jukebox. He put a
quarter in the slot, wishing it were a new one that he could have put a five
dollar bill in. The quiet was
beginning to unnerve him. The voice
of Elvis Presley soon filled the place, and he and Beatriz exchanged a look.
He then walked up to the bar, “Hey Sam, how about some change?”
He asked, handing the man a dollar.
“You’re
very funny.” Beatriz said to him.
He
looked at her out the side of his eye, “Well, I thought it might bring back
some memories.” He said.
“Oh,
it does.” She said, sipping her
water.
“Why
did you tell them that we’d fed already?”
He asked her.
“Because
they may have offered up something for us, like good hosts and I don’t trust
them.” She answered.
“You know, I thought perhaps you’d sing a song for us.”
“I
don’t feel much like singing. Besides,
the last time I was here, Daniel told me I still wasn’t supposed to be singing
in public. Just for him.
Or them. Or whatever he
meant.” Taylor said.
A
sad smile crossed her face, “I’m sorry about that.
It’s not fair, is it?”
He
shrugged, “I guess that’s just the way it is.
No spaghetti and no singing.” He
joked, but she could tell it was actually painful for him to hold in his
tendencies. He’d already begun to
sing along to the song without even knowing he was doing it.
“Heartbreak Hotel” seemed to be the theme of the evening for the two.
He then turned and added more money to the machine and punched in his
selections. Returning to the table,
he looked at Melanie. “I’m
getting hungry.” He said.
“You
haven’t fed yet?” She asked.
“Nope.”
He said. “Where’s
Camille?” He asked.
“You
just missed her—she went back out.” She
answered.
“Hmmm….maybe
I can catch up with her.” He
said, standing. “Get me some
horny old man food tonight…” He
said.
“Gross.”
She said back.
“I
don’t feel like running.” He
retorted and he picked up the bottle and downed the rest of it.
“If you see her, tell her I’m looking for her.”
“Alright.”
Melanie answered, then her eyes went to the door.
Nikki stood, her hair and clothes wet.
Unlike Beatriz, her clothes didn’t keep their shape in the rain and her
shaggy hair hung in clumps as it dripped on her shoulders.
“Hey.”
She said, looking over at Melanie and Taylor.
Taylor
didn’t say anything, but sat back down and Melanie waved back at her. She
made her way over and sat down, setting her bag down beside the table.
In her ear, Taylor noticed the matching diamond to the one Camille wore
that evening. “I thought you were
going to sell that.” He said,
pointing to it.
“Aw,
the guy at the place was trying to cheat me.
He acted like it was a cheapie. I
gotta shop around.” She said,
picking up his empty bottle. “Dang,
ya coulda left me some.” She
said, setting it back down.
“Sorry.”
Taylor said.
Nikki
looked over at him, “Oh, I thought it was Mel’s.
No prob.” She said
respectfully.
Taylor
looked up. Behind the girl, Beatriz
now stood. “What did you do last
night?” She spoke quietly.
Nikki’s
face froze. Her eyes went to
Melanie’s. “Um, just what I
usually do. Same ol’ same ol.”
She answered. Those
around them struggled to hear without being obvious, but with the music playing,
it wasn’t easy, even for their vampire ears.
“Hmm,
is that so?” Beatriz said back
and she placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Then how did your face end
up on the noon report on channels eleven, three, thirty-six—need I go on?”
Nikki
closed her eyes and Taylor watched a tear make its way down her already wet
cheek. He hoped Beatriz wouldn’t
be too hard on her.
Beatriz
continued, “Do you remember a talk I had with you last May?”
Nikki
nodded.
“Do
you remember what I told you would happen if you continued to do the things
we’d talked about?”
Again,
a nod.
Even
Taylor’s eyes were hard put to catch the motion as Beatriz slit the girl’s
throat with a shiny dagger she’d held at her side.
But he saw the blood. Blood
was everywhere, spilling over the table and into his lap.
Melanie backed up as it came across the table towards her,
dripping off the side onto the floor. The
body slumped forward, leaving the head in Beatriz’ hand.
She turned and walked toward the bar and handed the knife to Sam,
“Thank you, Sam, could you take care of this for me?”
She said, as he handed her a black plastic garbage bag.
She placed the head inside and wrapped it around itself.
Blood had run down her leg, marring the perfection of her black
stockings. She sat her morbid pack
down on the bar and picked up the white towel, carefully wiping the stains from
her suit. She still retained a dark
streak down her leg, though it was no longer bright red.
“I trust you can take care of this?”
She said, handing the towel back to the man.
“Yes,
Lady.” Sam answered.
“Thank
you.” She said, and she turned
and went back to the table. No one
had done or said anything other than Melanie as she’d stood and backed up
against the wall. Taylor remained
in his spot as the sleeve of his shirt soaked up the red from the table.
“Are you alright?” Beatriz
asked him. He actually looked as
though he was in shock, his eyes still glued to the horror in front of him.
His family didn’t even hunt, he’d never seen an animal beheaded, let
alone a person.
“I…”
was all he said.
Beatriz
turned to Melanie, “I have places to go.
Can you take care of him?” She
asked. Melanie nodded and Beatriz
turned and went out the door, leaving those behind to deal with the situation.
It
was only moments before Sam came over with a stack of towels and lay them on top
of the puddles of blood. Though
Taylor had killed a man himself, he’d been in a state that had left him with
no real memory of it. And Nikki was
someone he’d considered a friend. He
looked up at Sam as he wiped the table, “How could she do that?”
He asked.
“It’s
her job.” Sam said.
He tossed the rags into a garbage can one of the others had pulled out
from behind the bar.
“I
mean, she just…” Taylor said,
his eyes wide. He didn’t finish
the sentence, still not sure he believed what was right in front of him.
Beatriz had threatened them many times, himself included, but
he’d never thought she’d do any of the things she said she would.
“Oh,
she’ll do it. And don’t you
ever think otherwise.” Melanie said as she walked over to him.
“She just…” He began.
“She
just killed her. I know, I was
sitting right here.” She said as
she began to unbutton his shirt. “Stand
up, we gotta get this cleaned up. Don’t
want any people coming in here to get out of the rain and seeing this nice
thing, huh?” She said, glancing
over at the body that still leaned over onto the table.
Taylor continued to look over her shoulder as a woman he only knew as
Maria threw a garbage bag over the body, then pulled it from the chair and onto
the floor, where a male was doing the same with her legs.
Melanie pulled his chin over to look at her, “Stop looking at it,
it’ll drive you mad.”
“How
could she fucking do that!?”
He said, tears in his eyes.
“She
does what she’s told.” Melanie
said, pulling his shirt down over his shoulders.
“Unbutton the cuffs.” She
said, but he ignored her. She was
careful not to let blood get on the undershirt he wore.
She didn’t think she had an extra shirt in her bag.
“God, look at your pants, you just sat there and let it get on you.”
“Don’t
you even care about her? Wasn’t
she your friend?” He asked
Melanie. Sam had brought out a
length of rope now and handed it to the man who was helping Maria.
“Yeah,
she was.” Melanie said, wiping
his pants leg with a towel Sam handed her.
She handed it to Taylor, but he didn’t do anything with it.
Reaching for Nikki’s bag, she picked it up and searched inside,
“Damn, I was sure she’d have another shirt in here, maybe something long
enough to cover that big mess on your pants…”
She said as she searched. Shaking
her head, she placed it back down on the floor, then looked out the window.
“Well, it’s raining hard enough, we can just run and probably, no one
will notice it.”
Taylor
flinched when, with a screech, someone pulled the table across the concrete
floor as others wiped the blood that had seeped under the table legs away.
“She just…she just cut her head off. How
can you even do that? I mean,
doesn’t it take an axe or something?”
Melanie
roughly pulled him away from the place, “Taylor, how old is Beatriz?”
“I
don’t know, hundreds and hundreds of years or something.”
He answered.
“Well,
now you know why.”
She said, angrily. “It
doesn’t take an axe, it takes a very strong woman and a very sharp knife and
an order from the elders. That’s
all it takes.”
“But,
she was helping us. I thought we
were just gonna warn her or something.” He
said, his voice sounding child-like.
The
table was slid back into place, the garbage was emptied into bigger, stronger
bags, the floor was splashed with a strong smelling solution and the place
looked as it had before a murder had occurred.
Some of the patrons had begun to listen.
“She was warned last May. It
was on television for crying out loud, Taylor.
Humans all over the city are looking for her now.”
“I
was on television—“
“And
Beatriz killed you for it!” Melanie
said.
“Well,
why didn’t she do the same thing to Nikki?”
Taylor reasoned.
Melanie
sighed, and Taylor was shocked to see water standing in her eyes, “You were
famous, she wasn’t. She could
have killed her like that, but no one would have cared.
There would be no show to record, no fans to mourn, no family
who gave a shit. Don’t you
see?” She said, her voice
wavering.
Taylor
didn’t answer, only looked over at the now empty table.
Melanie took his arm, “Let’s go.”
She said, and she pulled him out into the pouring rain.
~~~~~
Just
as she’d said, Beatriz rung Kirk’s doorbell at 3 a.m.
He opened the door to see her standing there.
She was wet and had an air about her that frightened him.
She didn’t wait to be invited inside, she just walked passed him and
sat down on the couch.
“I hope you got rid of that shirt that our little
bloodhound friend found so interesting.”
She said.
“Washed
and dried.” He said, still
standing by the door.
“Come
over here, I’m not going to do anything to you.”
She said, pulling her shoes off her feet.
Kirk did as he was told and sat in the chair in front of her,
the coffee table between them. “Tell
me something nice. How were things
in Tulsa?” She asked.
“Well,
um, at first, they were a bit skeptical, of course.”
He said.
“Of
course.” She said.
“But,
then, when they got to know her and stuff, and they realized that she really was
pregnant with Taylor’s baby—“He said.
“And
how did that occur? I’m sure
there are many women who’d like to claim that, and probably have.”
She said, pulling the clasp from her hair and letting it
fall.
“Well,
Sonya wrote or called or something, and talked to Diana.
And I told them what I’d felt and stuff.
And you know, Avery is pretty freaky when it comes to Taylor.
If I felt him, she probably did too.”
He said.
“She’s
a strange child.” Beatriz said.
“Yeah,
but in a good way.” Kirk
answered.
Beatriz
waved her hand, “Yes, I suppose.” She
said. For a moment, they were
quiet, Kirk not knowing exactly what she was wanting.
“Did you bring pictures? Mr.
Jones sent a few that first day, but that was all.”
Standing,
Kirk walked over to his jacket in the corner and pulled a CD from the pocket,
“Yeah, Ike made a disc.” He
said and he then walked over to the small desk and turned on the computer.
His nervousness was increasing as the computer started and began its set
up. There was some sort of feeling
he was getting from Beatriz and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
He’d expected her to come in, angry with him about everything.
Finally, a picture showed up on the screen; Isaac holding
Isabella, her dark hair combed to the side and a tiny pink bow holding a wisp on
top of her head.
Beatriz
stood and walked over to sit in the seat and get a closer view.
“Oh, look at her…” she said softly.
“She’s
a beauty.” He said.
He reached over and went to the next picture.
“That’s Elijah.” He
said as a picture of Zac holding the boy appeared, practically nose to nose with
him. Beatriz smiled.
Picture after picture of the family, all holding one or both babies;
Diana proudly holding both in a rocking chair; Walker in front of the fireplace,
Isabella in his arms; Avery sitting on the couch with both of them in her lap,
and many more, sometimes eleven people in one picture.
When the disc was done, Beatriz stood.
“Show this to Sonya, she’ll love it.”
She said. She then walked
back to the couch and picked up her shoes.
“Kirk, I need you to avoid Taylor as much as possible.
I know you’ve become friends, but until your thoughts are a little less
on his family, and in particular, on his children…well, I’m sure you
understand.” He nodded.
“He’s very good at getting into thoughts when he wants to.”
She said, walking toward the door. “I
suppose I’ve forgiven you for not coming to me when you found out about this,
but I guess I can’t blame you. Still,
as you know, it’s very important that things don’t get complicated right
now. The elders, I believe, are
testing us. And they’d love
nothing better than to find out about something like this.
It would give them an excuse to kill us all.”
She said, bitterly. She
opened the door, “So, stay away from everyone that you can, really.
At least for a while.” And
she walked back down the hall, barefoot and silent.
Closing the door, he shook his head, still wondering exactly what was
happening.
