Taylor smiled salaciously, “It
doesn’t bother me.” He stated,
admiring long legs under a short skirt.
“Shut up, please.
I don’t want to know anything about your habits.”
She said, pulling him toward her as he came perilously close to the wall
beside him.
“I wouldn’t call it a habit,
more like…a treat!” He
exclaimed.
Sonya squeezed his arm as hard
as she could, eliciting a hiss from him, “Please don’t draw attention to
yourself right now, my friend.
We’ll be in the park in a matter of seconds and you can be
as gross as you want to be.” She
stopped and looked both ways and pulled Taylor with her into the street, towards
the entrance to Central Park. He
stumbled in the middle and fell onto one knee.
She quickly pulled him to his feet, knowing if he didn’t feed soon, his
drunken stupor would turn into something much more lethal.
He hadn’t gone so long without feeding since the first days of his life
as a vampire and she knew his instincts now were even stronger.
His skin was pale and the dark areas around his eyes were deepening.
She was certain those watching them thought he was an addict needing a
fix, which technically, she supposed, he was.
Once on the path, she hurriedly pulled him farther into the park and when
the opportunity arose, into the trees where they could watch the comings and
goings of the humans without being seen. She looked over at him; the tiny amount
of light coming through the trees was reflecting in his eyes and his nostrils
flared when he breathed as he took in all the scents around him.
His lips were parted and she could see the tips of his canines.
She looked up to see the moon high over them
It was probably well after midnight, late enough for the park to not be
crowded, but early enough that it wasn’t deserted.
Suddenly, the space beside her became empty as Taylor went after his
prey.
Within moments, his long legs had
carried him right into the middle of a gaggle of drunken females.
Laughter abounded as the girls saw the handsome boy in their midst.
“Hey, you look like that kid that died at that show down south!”
One of them pointed out.
“I hear that ALL the time!”
Taylor exclaimed, smacking the girl lightly on her shoulder.
“Oh my God!
He does!” Another added,
laughing.
Taylor
shook his head in amusement. “Yeah,
that was a pretty tragic thing to happen to such a young guy, huh?”
They all agreed, still stumbling down the path.
“Hey, who wants to get bitten by me first?”
He asked with a smile.
Sonya’s
eyes got huge, This is not happening… Five
hands all shot up and more laughter as Taylor explained he could only hold so
much in one evening. A few
onlookers rolled their eyes at the obviously drunken group.
Taylor had grabbed one girl’s hand and was pulling her off the path as
her friends looked on with only the tiniest bit of concern on their faces.
Sonya sighed as the girl suddenly appeared next to her with Taylor right
behind her. “Hey, who are you?”
The girl asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I’m
his wife.” Sonya replied.
Taylor
laughed and put his arms around the girl, pressing his face into the soft flesh
of her throat and drawing in a deep breath, “Mmm, this is gonna be so
good…” He said softly, not
noticing that she was now trying to push him away as Sonya watched them.
“Oh
my God, you’re married?!” She
said, before he pressed his hand over her mouth.
“No,
I’m dead. I can’t be
married.” He said, his brow
furrowed and giving her a look usually reserved for a little child.
He then leaned in and buried his fangs into her neck.
Sonya turned her eyes to the girl’s friends who’d decided that maybe
they’d better check on her.
“Brandy?”
One called, as they slowly made their way through the bushes.
Sonya closed her eyes and held out her hand.
The girl shook her head, and went back towards her friends,
“Let’s just go home, she’s fine.” She
said. And without further ado, they
stepped back onto the path and stumbled back in the direction they’d been
heading when Taylor crashed their little party.
Taylor
looked up, blood dripping down his chin, “Hey, where’d they go?
I was gonna take some from all of them…”
He mused.
Sonya’s
eyes were stormy, “I don’t think that’s smart.
You and Melanie got a little bit of a talking to for just that, didn’t
you?”
He
snorted, “Just me. You know, she’s the one that let’s them get away all scared and
knowing.”
“Well,
you’re the idiot that took all the blame.”
Sonya said.
He
looked down at the girl in his arms; her eyes were locked on his face.
With a sigh, he brushed her hair from her face, “You know, you
shouldn’t be getting all shit faced and then going into the park.
What if I’d been a rapist?” He
said.
Sonya
rolled her eyes. Once again, he
avoided the issue at hand. “Are
you finished? That can’t possibly
be enough. You haven’t fed for
days.” She said.
He
looked at her and got closer to her face, “That’s why I had five of them
lined up!”
He exclaimed.
“Well,
just take more from this one and you won’t have to have a harem.”
She reasoned. “And wipe
your mouth, you’re going to get blood on your shirt.”
Taylor
looked down at the girl and slowly removed his hand from her mouth, “Would
that be alright with you? If I took
just a little more?” Her eyes
took on a dreamy look as they gazed at one another.
“Thanks, you’re a peach.” He
said, and Sonya looked around the area as Taylor once again pressed sharp fangs
into the soft flesh of her creamy neck. A
few people walked by, but they took no notice of them, hidden in the shadows of
the trees and bushes that made up the precious green in the sea of concrete that
was New York City.
~~~~~
Isaac
shut his eyes again. He’d tried
to go to sleep now for an hour, but his mind just wouldn’t shut off.
Sitting up in bed, he threw his legs over the side and put his feet on
the cool floor. Turning his head he
looked out into the dark night. Stars
had appeared in the Oklahoma sky and a light breeze blew through the leaves of
the large tree in front of their house. He’d
felt uneasy for some reason lately.
Quietly, he padded across the carpet and into the hallway.
Doors to the bedrooms of all his siblings lined the hall.
As he walked, he found nothing but silence.
He gently opened Zac’s door, hoping to see him lying in his bed with
headphones as was often the case, but his brother was still and his breathing
even. He closed the door and went
to the next one; Taylor’s.
The door was open a crack and he could see Michelle, her face
towards the window and the curtains fluttering as the breeze came in through the
screen. Goosebumps danced across
his skin at the thought of the unlocked window.
He went in and stepped up to it, easing it down and turning
the lock, silencing the summer sounds of crickets in the grass.
Fall was almost here anyway and he wondered if that was what he was
sensing.
Carefully,
he walked across the room to look into the crib.
Elijah slept, curled up into a ball, his thumb tucked into his perfect
little mouth. Next to him, Isabella
lay on her back, the covers having been kicked off earlier.
Her lips pursed and for a moment, Isaac thought she might cry.
But she didn’t.
In fact, within moments, a tiny smile curled her lips on the
edges and her dark eyes opened to land on the face of her uncle.
“You
better go back to sleep.” Isaac
whispered and he took the little blanket and spread it across both of them.
“Oh
God, is she awake again?” He heard Michelle’s sleepy voice from across the
room.
Now
the tiny girl stretched, again kicking the covers off her bare legs.
Isaac shook his head, “Well, I hate to tell you, but yes, she is.”
He said softly.
Michelle
slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, “I just fed her.”
She complained.
“Well,
she’s not crying. She’s just
looking around.” He answered.
“I
thought babies were supposed to sleep.” She
said. “She is going to be the
nosiest person ever.”
Isaac
chuckled, “Second nosiest. Don’t
forget her father.”
Michelle
smiled, “How could anyone forget him?”
She yawned, “But, I still don’t see how he could have anything on
her. She’s constantly watching
everything, or she’s hungry, or she’s bored, or fussy.
It’s very tiring.”
“I’m
bored too. Or something. I can’t
sleep.”
He said reaching his hand down and letting the little girl
take his finger.
“Hmmm,
well, I wish I wasn’t sleepy.”
She yawned again.
“Go
back to sleep.” Isaac smiled as
he pulled the rocking chair over next to the crib.
He picked up the little girl, and kissed her forehead before sitting down
in the chair. “I’ll hang out
with her for a while.”
Michelle
smiled back, “You guys have her so spoiled.
She doesn’t even have to cry and you pick her up.”
She looked out the window, then back to Isaac, “You sure you don’t
mind if I go back to sleep? I feel
like a bad mother or something.”
Isaac
dismissed her, “Why, ‘cause you’re tired?
Get some sleep, me and Izzy will just keep each other company for a
while.” He said, using his toe to gently rock back and forth.
Michelle
lay back down and shut her eyes uttering, “Don’t you dare
start calling her Izzy…”
~~~~~
Sonya
and Taylor made their way down the street.
Taylor wouldn’t leave the girl in the park so they’d caught
up with her friends and put her in their care.
She’d been teased for not being able to hold her liquor and
when they’d parted, she’d watched Taylor walk away from her until he was out
of sight. The rest of the evening,
she’d ignore her friends’ teasing comments, wishing she were still in his
arms, even if he did have a wife standing right there watching.
“You
could have taken more, you know.” Sonya
commented, picking up a flower from the stand they walked passed.
“You’re
gonna get arrested, stealing flowers and stuff…” He smiled at her.
She
pressed the fragrant thing to her nose, “This coming from a guy that just
attacked five women in the park.”
“I
didn’t attack anyone. I asked,
she offered, all’s well that ends well.”
He answered.
She
rolled her eyes and put the flower back into its little bucket of water.
“Taylor, you seem to see through different eyes.”
He
cocked an eyebrow, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He asked.
She
shook her head, “It just means, you always look at things differently than the
rest of us.” She looked up at
him, brushing the hair from his eyes, “Something happened when we made you.
You’re just…different.”
She said.
He
sighed, “Whatever you say.”
“Taylor,
you’re special and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to make the best of it.
Kick some ass. Drink
from the most beautiful women and men. Have
fun.” She smiled.
He
looked at the lights of the city coming on around him, then back to her,
“Yeah, cuz you never know when someone’s gonna lop off your head, huh?”
“No,
you don’t.” She said, kissing
his lips. “Are you feeling
better?” She asked, as they began
to walk again.
“Yeah,
I guess so.” He answered.
“I don’t think my blood is rushing out of the fissure in
the back of my head anymore.”
“Fissure?”
She laughed.
“Yes!”
He answered, indignantly.
“He hit me square in the back of the head with a two by four!
And it hurt like a motherfucker.”
“Taylor,
don’t be common.” She said.
Rolling
his eyes, he looked back at her, “You say worse than that.”
“When
you’re two hundred years old, you can curse too.”
She answered. “Now, come
along, you should probably head back home.”
He
wrinkled his face, “I don’t feel like going back there.”
“Taylor,
it’s your home. You live there,
you belong there. You and Beatriz
will forget any of this happened before you know it.”
She said. “Where are you
taking us?” She asked, following
him around the corner.
“Ha,
I don’t think Beatriz is getting over anything anytime soon.”
He smiled back at her, almost sadly, “In
fact, I think I’ve been sent on my merry way.”
Sonya
snorted, “You think so?” She
asked.
“Yep.
I may not come home tonight.
Maybe I’ll find me a nice little apartment and just live by myself.”
He stopped. “Wow, I’ve
never done that before.” He
mused.
Sonya
reached up and touched the back of his head and gazed into his face,
“Apartments aren’t that easy to find in New York City, Taylor.
Besides, I’m sure you’d perish living alone.
I think you thrive on having others around you.”
Satisfied the wound was closing up, she pulled her hand away, then showed
it to him, “Look, your fissure is fused.”
She smiled.
“Good,
cuz I hate fucking unfused fissures.” He
smiled back as her face became stern again.
“You
know, underneath that beautiful exterior, you’re just a little horny trash
mouth.” She said.
“Fuck.”
He said, smiling again at her face.
He stepped closer to her, “You know, Sonya, you and Melanie
are the only girls in the house I haven’t been with…”
He pushed her up against the brick wall behind them.
“And Melanie scares me, so she’s out of the question.”
He touched her cheek and pushed her blonde bangs away from her green
eyes.
“So?
What makes you think that any female living there needs to be
fucked by you?” She said.
“I
knew I could make you say that word.” He
said softly.
“I
say that word all the time, it doesn’t mean I like to hear it coming out of
your mouth though. It’s crass.”
She retorted.
“What’s
“crass”?” He asked, cocking
his head.
She
smiled, “You are a silly boy.” She
pushed him away from her and began to walk again.
When he caught up to her, she spoke again, “Besides, I have a feeling
you’ll be feeling the effects of the last twenty four hours for days.
No stiffies for Taylor for a while.”
“Well,
I didn’t say I was going to do it to you tonight.”
He said back.
She
stopped and looked at him, shaking her head, “Do
it to me?”
She
watched a blush creep across his face, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I’m
sure you didn’t.” She huffed.
Again, she walked away from him. “Any
woman who would have sex with a man who described it like that should have her
head examined.”
“Aw,
Sonya, I didn’t mean it like that and you know it.”
He said.
She
looked over at him out of the corner of her eye.
His hair blew in the wind and his face was flushed from taking in fresh
blood within the last hour and from his discomfort at how his playfulness with
her had backfired. “I know.
Sometimes, it feels like you’re older than I am, and then you do or say
something and I remember you’re just a child.”
“I
wouldn’t go that far.” He said,
his eyebrows furrowing.
“Prove
me wrong, then.” She said,
softly.
“I
will.”
He smiled.
She
looked over his shoulder across the street, “I can’t believe you’re
wanting to come back here after what happened yesterday.”
She said, looking at the dim purple neon sign stating the place was The
Living End.
He
turned his head, “Well, I figured since I ended up looking like a pussy
yesterday, I should come back today and face the music.”
“There
you go again.” She scolded him.
She sighed, “I suppose you’re right—they’d love
nothing better than to see a weakness in you.”
“Yeah.
Oh, sorry about the P word.”
He said.
“That’s
alright.” She replied, as they
crossed the street.
Opening
the door, he turned to her, “I would have said “cunt”, but it just
doesn’t have quite the same meaning, you know?”
The
push that he felt slammed him into the door, causing him to stumble into the
place, eliciting plenty of looks from the patrons.
He never figured out if she’d done it with her mind, or her hand…
Taylor
made his way over to the corner table. Sitting,
down, he twisted his neck around until he heard it pop.
“Very nice.” Sonya
commented, throwing her bag down on the table.
“I’m
pretty sure my neck is broken.” He
said, nodding to the girl who waved at him from across the room.
“Aw,
do you want me to take you to the emergency room?”
Sonya asked.
“I
thought that was forbidden.” Taylor
said, glancing from table to table. Around
them, people were beginning to look over and notice their future leader.
“It
is.”
She said, standing. “Do
you want something to drink?”
“Yeah,
A Negative, on the rocks, please.” He
smiled.
Sonya
put her hand on her hip, “That would be convenient, but it wouldn’t do you
much good. Was that girl high or
something? You’re very…frisky
this evening.” She said raising
an eyebrow.
“Hmmm,
maybe that’s it.” He said,
catching the eye of three girls in the opposite corner.
“Oh man, the weird sisters are here.”
Sonya
cocked her head, “Yes. Didn’t
you smell them when you walked in?” She
asked.
“No.”
He answered, not taking his eyes off them.
Sonya
leaned in close, “Well, you should
have.
I swear, Taylor, one of these days, I’m going to be
scraping your remains up off the sidewalk if you don’t learn to pay attention
to what’s around you.” She
said, and then she walked away to the bar, leaving him alone.
“Hello,
Little Prince…” He
heard in his mind. It drove him mad
because he could never tell which one of them was talking.
He turned away, watching Sonya speak to Sam.
When
she returned, she handed him a bottle of water, which he placed against his
forehead. “Just ignore them.”
She said, twisting the cap off and taking a sip.
“Yuk.
Why do you like it cold?”
She said, her face twisting as if she were drinking pickle juice.
He
sighed, “It just feels good.” He
answered.
He looked up as Robert walked out from the back room.
“Wonderful, is he gonna kick my ass again?”
Sonya
smiled, “I think you forget who won your little fight today.”
“It
doesn’t make my headache go away.” Taylor
answered. He watched as Robert
walked toward them.
“It
will.
You’ve fed. Your
body will begin to do its job soon.” She
said, scooting her chair closer to Taylor.
Robert
walked up to their table, “Good evening.”
He said. He looked at
Taylor, “Glad to see you’ve recovered so nicely.”
He sat down, “Wish I could say the same…”
He said, rubbing his temples.
“Whatever.”
Taylor snorted.
“If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
Robert
looked over at him as he downed half the bottle of water, “I will.”
He stated. “Why aren’t you wearing the pendant?”
He asked.
“I
don’t feel like it.” Taylor
answered, finishing the water and tossing the bottle in the garbage can.
“Don’t you people recycle?” He
said, his eyes meeting Robert’s.
Robert
sighed, and looked at Sonya. “How
old is he, again?”
She
sat her water on the table, “Um well, he’s 18 in human years, and close to
10 months or something like that in our reckoning.”
Robert
shook his head, “It’s just not right.”
He muttered. “I hope we
get a few years to work with him before anything actually happens.”
“I’m
sitting right here, y’know.” Taylor
said, glaring at them. “And I
hope nothing ever happens and I just spend my life minding my own business and
you all find some other freak to antagonize.”
He then stood and went to the bar, leaving them behind.
Sonya
smiled, “Good luck.” She said.
“Oh,
I’m done with that. There’s
nothing for me to teach him, he’s just going to have to learn control, and
that can’t be taught. It’s in
Beatriz’ hands now.” Robert
said, crossing one leg over the other and watching the comings and goings of the
place.
“Hmmm,
well, we’ll see then.” She
said, turning her head towards the three girls.
“What are they up to?” She
asked.
Robert
shook his head, “Easy prey probably. I’m
sure they’re as unaware as I was that your Taylor is a little dynamo.”
“Oh,
I think they’ve felt his wrath a time or two.”
Sonya declared.
“I
believe though, that someone had
advised our young one to hold back a bit. No
one knows yet what he’s capable of.” He
said.
“True,
true.” She said, finishing her
water and tossing the bottle on top of Taylor’s.
She watched as the three girls stood and walked to the bar.
~~~~~
“Why
are you here tonight?” “We
thought you’d still be in the arms of your queen being comforted.”
“Is
Sonya the next to be executed? That’s
why you come here, isn’t it?”
“Excuse
me, Sam.” Taylor said, turning
toward them. “Why can’t you all
speak out loud? I mean, is that
supposed to throw me off or something, not knowing which of you is talking to
me?”
“We
just choose not to.” One
answered.
“Okay,
well, I choose not to listen then.” Taylor
said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Why
is there blood in your hair and on your clothes?”
Taylor didn’t
reply.
“And
it’s your blood, not the blood of a victim.”
Reaching into his pocket, he
pulled out a quarter and stepped away from them, to the jukebox.
Patsy Cline’s voice filled the air, and he walked back to the table.
“I’m
leaving. Those freaks drive me
crazy with their witchy crap.” He
said.
“Alright,
just watch yourself. Feed again.”
Sonya said.
“I
will.”
He said and he turned toward the door, “If you follow me, I’ll kill you.”
He said to the girls as he walked out.
~~~~~
When
Isabelle had decided to have a snack around midnight, Isaac had taken her
downstairs and made her a bottle. Michelle
needed sleep more than the baby needed more breast milk, he reasoned.
The swing on the front porch was the perfect spot for the two of them to
get away from the other people who lived in the house.
After a few weeks of welcome solitude, Isaac was beginning to get
restless. Fewer and fewer fans
seemed to be keeping vigil outside their gates or to approach them in
restaurants and stores, but still, it happened.
Already, the little girl had downed half the bottle.
He tucked the bib under her chin again, hoping to keep formula off her
gown.
“Michelle freaks out when you ruin your clothes,
y’know.” He said softly,
watching as her eyes opened and looked back at him.
He snorted, “It’s not like there’s not thirty five boxes of baby
clothes upstairs in the attic…” He
muttered, putting her up on his shoulder and patting her back to burp her.
He looked at Taylor’s car in the driveway, a “for Sale” sign in its
window. “Gosh, Izzy, I wonder how
many offers we’ll get on your Daddy’s pride and joy sitting back here in the
driveway when no one can even come in the gate?”
He was answered with a belch from the baby and a nice bit of
spit up on his shoulder. He pulled
her back and looked in her face, “Why thank you, nobody’s thrown up on me
for ages.” She smiled, a
toothless grin and he smiled back. “I
think Mom doesn’t really want to sell that car.”
He said, leaning her against his chest and swinging them back and forth.
The wind blew the trees again, making a soft sound that caused Isaac to
lay his head back on the swing as Isabelle pulled her little arms under her and
fell asleep listening to the sound of his heart beating in his chest.
~~~~~
Taylor
walked quickly, feeling lonely once he’d left Sonya behind.
Out of habit, he reached up to finger the pendant around his neck, but it
wasn’t there. Looking up, he
could see the glare from Times Square though he was quite far from it.
He knew there was always a crowd there.
He smiled thinking perhaps he’d pay the MTV Studios a
visit, but the smile faded. Even
the thought of pissing in Carson Daly’s personal water cooler didn’t cheer
him up at the moment. In fact, it
only reminded him that he couldn’t do it if he wanted to, since vampires
don’t piss.
~~~~~
“Should
you let him go off by himself?” Robert
asked Sonya.
She
shrugged, “Why not? He’s a big
boy—he does what he pleases.” She
looked over at him, “Besides, don’t you think he can handle himself?”
Robert
returned the look, “Yes, if he gets the chance.”
He said. “But, your boy is
blissfully walking around believing he is still a human.
He doesn’t give a second’s thought to the possibility that someone
could want him dead. He allows
others to get the first blow in 100% of the time.”
Sonya
rolled her eyes, “I thought you were washing your hands of him.”
“I
am.
But it doesn’t mean I want him to fall victim to some other
evil vamp out there.” He
retorted.
Sonya
laughed, “I love that you said “other”
evil vamp—at least you make no bones about your own evil nature.”
Robert
looked offended. “I have only his
best interests at heart. If I do
well because of his success, so be it, but I’m telling you, he’s a victim
walking around out there.”
Now
Sonya got serious, “Don’t you think I know that?!”
She spat. “We’re all
victimizing him right this very moment. He’s
our ticket to the top, where we won’t have to do what we’re told by people
we despise. We know that he won’t
rule us, but the weight of our world will rest on his shoulders.
I’m not stupid.”
“Then
why do you allow it? You’re his
sire.”
Robert asked.
Tears
filled her eyes, “What am I going to do about it?
It’s a bit out of my hands now. Taylor
is not a little child—he lived a lifetime of experience before he ever came to
us. Yet, he’s still so young.
He has such a void in him. He’s
never had to be on his own…” She
stopped and wiped her eyes quickly. “Maybe
this is the best thing for him. Let
him go out there and make his own way.” She
looked back at him, “If Beatriz has truly pushed him out of her nest, he’ll either make
it, or fall to his death.”
~~~~~
Taylor
almost wished he had sunglasses as the neon of the buildings and the windows
flashed into the night. His
sensitive pupils had become as tiny as they could.
He smiled, it was probably as close to sunlight as he was going to get.
Cell phones and eateries, movies, underwear, toys, television shows; all of them
competing for the few seconds that the human eye would be caught and perhaps,
commit to memory that their product was out there and was needed for ongoing
existence. He leaned back against a
plate glass window to take it all in. Tourists
looked up in awe as merchants lured them into their establishments.
He remembered how he’d felt the first time he’d experienced New York
City. Zac had been eleven and
they’d lost him in the huge toy store. He
smiled, seeing it across the street, it’s indoor ferris wheel spinning in a
myriad of glowing colour. “Taylor
Hanson!”
He turned to see a
young girl, his age, “Yeah?” He
smiled.
“Oh
my God, you’re him…” She
sputtered.
Too
late, he realized what he’d done. “What?
No.” He said,
smiling. “You must be
mistaken.” He’d responded to
her thoughts. She’d thought he
looked like him, but she’d known he was dead.
But his voice and his eyes told her it was him.
“Yes,
you are. You’re him.
Why did you do it?” She
asked, her eyes large and looking into his soul.
A
man passing by had on a Mets cap and Taylor took it off his head.
When the man turned, Taylor merely thanked him, and to her amazement, the
man simply continued on his way. “Where
were you going?” He asked the
girl.
“Home.
I just left work.” She
said.
“Can
we go somewhere?” He asked.
“I mean, you’re not married or anything, right?”
She
laughed, “No. I’m not
married.”
“Parents?”
He asked.
“Why?
Are you planning on killing me or something?”
She said, only half joking.
“No,
I’m not planning on killing you.” He
said, smiling. “I just, don’t
want a bunch of people around.” He
said.
“Well,
there’s a great little bookstore around the corner and in the back, they serve
this killer coffee…” She
started.
He
grabbed her arm, “Perfect.” He
said, and the two of them walked out of the bright lights and into the smell of
old paper and coffee and muffins from that morning.
~~~~~
Isaac
looked down at the sleeping child on his chest.
He’d begun to feel tired now, but he didn’t want her to wake up.
The breeze had kicked up a little and he wished he’d brought a blanket
down for her. He sighed and sat up,
holding his arm over her, trying not to move her.
Standing carefully, he took one last look around the yard and
down the driveway. The moonlight
made shadows fall on the grass and cast odd colors on everything.
He looked at Taylor’s car again and found himself longing for a crowded
hotel or a tourbus packed with his family and crew.
Maybe it was time to do music again, he thought.
There were fans that still wanted it and he himself still wanted it.
It would just be different now.
Just he and Zac. That was,
if Zac even wanted to do it. It was
hard to tell sometimes with him. A
cool wind blew and pushed his hair away from his face.
He glanced over at the big tree in front of the house, watching the
leaves whip against each other and he felt the hair rise on the back of his
neck. Sometimes, he got a weird
feeling. He wasn’t sure if it was
because he was thinking of Taylor, or just his own mind playing tricks on him,
and nothing ever came of it. Still,
it was there. He turned and opened
the door with his foot and went inside the house.
He locked the door and felt a sense of relief. As he went up the steps,
he shot a look at the picture of his brother on the wall, wishing he hadn’t
done whatever it was he’d done to him that night in New York.
He may have thought it would be helpful to Isaac, but he wondered if it
wasn’t driving him mad…
~~~~~
“So,
why did you do it? Were you tired
of the fame?” The girl asked
Taylor as they sat down in the old chairs and looked at each other across a tiny
wooden table. Around them, books
were shelved to the ceiling, old and new.
He
shook his head, “It’s complicated…”
He started.
A
woman walked up to them to see if they wanted coffee and the girl said, “Yes,
please, two sugars.”
She
looked at Taylor. He could smell it
brewing over on the little counter. “Um,
how about a small, black.” He
said. Then, as she turned to go, he
stopped her, “Hey, do you have like, mocha or something like that?”
She nodded, “How about that then?”
he said, his eyes sparkling at the thought.
“You
got it.” She said, and she walked
away.
“The
girl smiled at him, “So, it’s true.”
“What?”
he said, his eyes meeting hers.
“Your
coffee fetish.” She said.
He
closed his eyes for a moment, then he spoke, “Actually, I haven’t had any
coffee for…I guess like seven or eight months or something like that.”
He said.
She
raised an eyebrow, “Really?”
His
smile faded, “Really.” The
woman walked back over then and sat two cups of coffee down in front of them.
Taylor’s had a chocolate covered spoon sitting on the saucer.
“Oh, god…” He said,
looking down at it.
Sipping
her own cup, the girl watched him, her brow furrowed, “Are you alright?”
She asked.
He
looked back at her, “Yeah.” He
then picked up the spoon and dipped it in the hot coffee.
Bringing it slowly to his lips, he opened his mouth and touched his
tongue to the edge of the spoon and licked the melting chocolate off.
His eyes nearly rolled up in his head and the girl couldn’t help but
stare. It was as if he’d never
tasted chocolate before.
“Um…”
It was all she could think of to say.
He
seemed to come back to his senses, “I’m sorry.”
He said, gazing into her eyes.
“It’s
alright. I mean, you’re not still
sick, are you? Or was that all just
an act to throw us off?” She
said.
He
sighed, “It wasn’t an act. I
was sick. I am
sick.” He said, the ghost of a
chuckle somewhere in the back of his words.
She
was beginning to look frustrated, “But, the whole world thinks you’re
dead.”
He
leaned in closer to her, his eyes taking in every detail about her.
“Can I tell you a secret?” He
said.
Something
about him made her want to back away, but she just couldn’t.
He was Taylor Hanson. She’d
loved his music since she’d discovered it when she was a junior in high
school. She’d loved his face from
the moment she’d seen it on a small television screen in her room.
“Is it a secret no one knows?”
She said, surprising herself.
He
smiled, “Yeah, actually, it is.” He
picked up the coffee and took a sip, not really even enough to swallow, but he
could taste it.
“Well,
then by all means, tell me.” She
said folding her arms on the table.
“I
actually died months before that whole television thing.
I was killed on our tour bus. I
bled to death, right there in front of the couch where me and Zac would play
video games. Isaac saw it, but he didn’t believe it.”
He said it like he was telling her that their new album would be out in
December.
Now
she leaned back in her chair, and put her crossed arms across her chest.
“Okay.” She said,
blinking her eyes. “So, what are
you, the messiah?” She spat.
He
laughed, “Not even a little.” He
said. “More like…the anti-Christ.”
He said, brightly.
“Right.”
She said. “So,
back when we thought you were sick, you were really dead.”
“Yep.”
He said, picking up his chocolate spoon again.
“And
you’re the anti-Christ.” She
said.
He
licked the spoon, savoring the bittersweet taste, “Mmm…no, not really.
I was just pulling your leg when I said that.”
She
smiled, but she really wasn’t amused. He
was obviously, high or insane. “Alright,
you’ve had your fun. Now, what
really happened?” She asked.
“Well,
after they killed me, they took my body to Tulsa—“
“Wait,
wait, wait—you said you were pulling my leg about that.”
She was getting frustrated.
“Oh,
yeah—just about being the anti-Christ. They
really did kill me. Um, that was in
St. Louis.” He said, dropping the
spoon and leaning back in his chair.
She
was tempted to stand up and walk away. But,
he was Taylor Hanson after all, even if he had lost his mind. “Should
I be writing this down? I mean,
we’re playing ‘Interview With the Vampire’, right?”
She said, irritation in her voice.
He
froze for a moment, then a grin broke out across his face.
“Funny you should say that…” and he proceeded to tell her his
story.
~~~~~
The
woman watched Isaac stand, and then go inside the house, locking the door.
She looked over at the man beside her.
“Very interesting. I’d
say he’s been bitten at one time or another.”
She said, her eyes catching the moonlight as she turned her head.
“I
think I’d have to agree.” He
said, lying back on the branch. “I
swear, I’m feeling like a squirrel or something.
I wonder if she’s going to let us in on the story here?”
He said, gracefully placing a foot on the trunk of the tree.
The
woman shook her head, “Don’t hold your breath.”
She said, watching the window as Isaac stepped into the dark room and put
the child in the crib with her brother.
“Hmmm…”
the man mused. “We have a
mysterious, pregnant female who’s brought here by a vampire from New York
City. The Lady’s right hand man,
if you will.”
“Yes.”
She said, following Isaac’s figure back to the door, where
he went back out of the room and shut the door behind him.
“We
have an older brother of the Prince who would appear, at least to you and I, to
have been bitten by someone. We
have a younger brother to the Prince who seems to have quite an attachment to
the two children born to the girl. Do
you suppose he is the father?” He
asked.
“Well,
he’s awfully young, but it’s certainly a common enough occurrence with
humans.”
She replied.
“He
doesn’t appear to have any relationship with the girl, though.
No kissing or hand holding—that sort of human show of love.”
He reasoned.
“True.
But, sex does not always mean love.
Just because he may have had sex with her doesn’t
necessarily mean he’s in love with her.”
She retorted.
“Humans
are strange creatures.” He said.
She
looked into the window again. All
was quiet inside the house. She
leaned back and relaxed, “Yes, they are.”
She said. And they began
their watch that would last until the sun rose.
~~~~~
“So,
you’re telling me, that you are a vampire?”
The girl said.
Now
Taylor was the one becoming frustrated. “Yes!
That’s what I’m telling you.”
“Is
Isaac a vampire? Because…gosh, I
can’t believe I’m going to tell you this—but, I’ve really always been an
Ike Girl.” She decided she’d
play along, but not in the way he was obviously wanting.
He
wrinkled up his nose, “Haven’t you been listening?
I said, he’s in Tulsa with everyone else.
I never said anything about him being a vampire.”
“Well,
couldn’t he be a vampire in Tulsa? Do
vampires burst into flames if they go to Tulsa?”
She asked, her eyes wide.
He pursed his lips, “You’re
making fun of me, aren’t you?”
He said.
“Well, what do you expect?
You don’t mind if I write this up and post it on my site, do you?
I was going to just shut it down, since you were dead and everything, but
damn, this is good stuff! This
could blow the doors off Hanson World as we know it!”
She said, smiling, even though she was trying not to.
He looked at her for a moment, then
he smiled back. “That’s cool.
You don’t believe me. I
wouldn’t believe me either.” He
looked at her face. She had eyes
that looked knowing and a wide smile. She looked like a Hanson Girl.
“What’s your name?” He
asked.
“Laura.
What’s yours?”
She retorted.
“It’s still Taylor.”
He answered.
“Well, you know what?
That, I believe. I’ve
been a fan since ’97 and I think I’d know Taylor when I saw him.
And you appear to be Taylor.”
She said, her eyes sparkling.
He just looked at her a moment.
He’d never thought he’d miss the fans, but he did.
He missed their excitement at just seeing him.
He missed that crazy love they threw at them.
He didn’t think he missed their incessant commentary on everything he
did or wore or said, but maybe he even missed that.
He crossed one leg over the other and she almost jumped for joy; it was a
very Taylor thing to do. “So,
you’re an Ike Girl, huh? What
makes you like him more than me?” He
asked, feigning arrogance.
She actually blushed, “I don’t
know. I’ve always thought he was
underrated. He’s a great
singer.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
Taylor said, his face taking on an air of excitement just getting to talk
about Hanson again.
“Oh, yeah.
And he’s got great hands—“She went on.
He slapped his hands on the table in
front of her, “I’ve got great hands!”
He protested.
She looked at him with a little bit
of pity, “They’re just so…big.”
“You’d hold the size of my hands
against me?” He said.
He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to truly be insulted.
“There’s nothing wrong with your
hands. It’s just that his are so
beautiful, and so talented.”
She said, her voice taking on a dreamy texture.
“This is just all about sex,
isn’t it? You dream of him
running his hands over your body the same way he lays them on the strings of a
guitar.” He raised an eyebrow.
“All about the music, my ass. You
guys are such hypocrites.” He
accused.
She looked at him.
He was smiling, but he meant it. “It’s
all a part of the package. And in
many ways, it is just about the music. There’s
plenty of guys out there with nice hands. There’s
plenty of guys with beautiful faces. Even
good singers. But Hanson is the
whole package.” She sighed,
“You know, we’d love to be able to get you out of our heads.
We’ve tried to stop loving you, but we always come back.
It’s addictive and I don’t know why other bands can’t affect us the
way you do.” A sad look crossed
her face, “Or did.” She paused.
“How could you leave like that? You
don’t know what that did to us.” Her
eyes were filling with tears, though she tried to hold them back.
He leaned forward again,
“Laura, death is the only thing that could keep me from doing music.”
As he spoke, he felt his canines extend.
He locked eyes with her, willing her not to panic, or make a scene.
He smiled, and it was sexy.
“So, I know you’re an Ike Girl and all…but, how about making a
little whoopee with me?” He
scooted over to the seat next to her, his body now nearly touching hers.
She didn’t know what came over
her, but for some reason, she felt like it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience
before her, so she wasn’t going to let it slip past her.
“Well, just because I’m an Ike Girl, doesn’t mean I can’t
appreciate the perfection that is Taylor.”
She knew she should have been afraid, but the fangs weren’t frightening
as long as those azure eyes were there.
He smiled and his eyes got those
familiar laugh lines around them, “Perfection?
Hardly.” He said, moving
in a little closer and smelling her perfume.
“No, you’re perfect.
I think that’s another reason not to love you.”
She said softly.
He leaned over and kissed her long
neck. “Love me.”
He whispered into her ear. His
eyes went across the room. The girl
who worked there was behind the counter, her eyes glued to the book she was
reading.
Gently, he pulled her up from the chair and over behind the
wall of books. He placed one hand
on her bare shoulder and the other on the small of her back.
“I need this…” He
said, running his hand up to her throat and pushing her head back with his
thumb. The smell of her blood was
now almost intoxicating. Before he
bit her, he kissed her mouth, a long slow kiss, his tongue running across her
slick white teeth and over the expensive lipstick that tinted her lips.
In her mind, she was admitting to her long repressed love of the lead
singer. Hearing his voice inside
her head only made it harder to resist.
Treat
me like a fool,
Treat me mean and cruel,
But love me.
Wring my faithful heart,
Tear it all apart,
But love me.”
~~~~~
Outside the store, three women
watched, the wind blowing their long dark hair in tendrils around their faces.
“What’s he doing?” One
asked.
“He’s biting her.”
Another said.
“Well, he’s got balls
anyway.” A third observed.
And they waited.
They waited until Taylor led the girl out of the store after paying for
their drinks. “It’s sad but,
you know you’re gonna have to kill her now.”
The first girl said to him.
“I think I told you that I’d
kill you if you followed me.
Remember that?” He said,
holding onto his victim protectively. “Besides,
once I know their name, I can wipe out anything I want.”
“Yeah, if they’re an idiot.
What makes you think she’s an idiot?
Oh wait, she’s a fan, isn’t she?”
The tallest of the three stepped in front of him.
“She’s far from an idiot.”
He said, looking down at the girl in his arms.
He’d taken a lot. He’d
taken so much from her body he actually felt like he didn’t need to take
anything from her mind. She was
smart enough that she’d believe she’d had an odd dream the night before when
she awakened in the morning. She’d
probably be late for work, but she’d deal.
“Now if you’ll excuse us…” He
said. “Please don’t make me
kill you right here in the middle of the street where people are watching.”
He stepped around the girl and went in the direction of Laura’s
apartment. For a moment, he
considered going the other way, not wanting the girls to know where she lived,
but he knew they didn’t dare do anything to her.
They were too frightened of him to do that.
They followed him, just as he knew
they would and when he came back down from her apartment, they were there
waiting for him. He leaned on the
brick wall and crossed his arms, “Now, if anything unnatural happens to her,
I’ll know and I’ll make you pay, so don’t get any ideas.”
“I think something unnatural has
already occurred. You just told her
that you were a vampire.”
One said.
“And do you think she believed
it?” He asked.
A second girl stepped up to him
“Well, she may not have to begin with, but when you bit her, she probably
figured you were telling the truth.”
“She’s going to believe
that she had too much to drink last night and made out with a guy she’d just
met, which is something she doesn’t normally do, so she’ll put it out of her
mind.” He said.
“So, are you triplets?” He
said, not so subtly changing the subject.
“No.”
One answered.
“Well, who’s the oldest?”
He asked. None of them answered. “Okay,
what are your names then?”
“Do you think we’re stupid?”
Another asked. “You’ve
just told us that you have power over that girl because you know her name.”
“Alright then.
I’ll just call you One, Two, and Three.”
He retorted, and he started to walk.
“Hey, One, do you know where a place called ‘The Palace’ is?”
“Of course, all our kind know
where it is.” She answered,
walking just behind him.
“Well, I’ve been there, but only
in a cab. How about you telling me
where it is? You owe me that much
‘cause you just ruined my date.”
He said, turning and walking backwards so he could face them.
“So, are you Muslim or something?
You always wear dark clothes and this whole walking behind thing—“
“Do some research and I think
you’ll find many cultures do that.” She
answered.
“Well, the way you avoided the
question, I’m assuming you are.”
He said. “Come
on and walk up here next to me so I don’t have to do this.
I’m gonna bust my ass.”
He said.
“We shall stay behind, together.
We wouldn’t want Beatriz to think we were with
you in any way.” She answered.
“You know, Two and Three, you all
don’t say much. Is she like, your
leader or something? She must be
the oldest.” He said.
“Is your brother your leader?”
She asked.
“Sometimes.”
He said.
“Who hurt you this evening?”
She asked.
“Your leader.”
He answered.
“I do not have a leader.
If you are speaking of Robert, then why did he do that?”
She asked.
“You know, your voice is sort
of…monotone. You should work on
that. It sort of makes it hard to
talk to you. I feel like I’m
drifting off or something.” His
eyes brightened, “Ha! That’s
the idea, isn’t it? You like, try
to hypnotize people by talking to them like that!
Does it work? Oh man, I’ll
have to try that…” He said.
“You didn’t answer the
question.” She said.
“Why should I?
You never answer any of mine.” He
sighed. He wondered what Beatriz
was doing. “So, are you taking me
to the Palace, or what?
You know what?” He
said, standing very straight, “As your future leader, I demand that you take
me there.” He smiled.
“I told you, I do not have a
leader, nor will I ever have.
And neither do my sisters.”
She said.
“Yeah, my brothers and I
used to say that too—but we all knew who called the shots.”
He said, nudging her. She
looked at him as if he’d just spit on her.
“Oops, sorry. I forgot how
some of you don’t like to be touched.”
And he rolled his eyes. “So,
are you taking me or not!” He was
tiring of the game.
“It’s right there.
All you need to do is turn around.”
The second girl said.
He spun on his heel and stopped,
seeing the neon against the night sky, “Well, thank you number Two, I’ll
always remember you for being so nice to me.”
He said.
“Why are you going there?
Isn’t it a little out of your league?”
The first girl asked.
“Excuse me.
I’ve been there before. It’s
just a hoity toity restaurant. Cross
their palms with silver and you’re in.”
He said.
“Oh, that’s right.
I almost forgot that you were a millionaire even before Beatriz let you
have a share of her wealth.” One
said dryly.
“Whatever.”
He snorted. “You
coming?” He asked, walking away
from them. They all three stood
with their arms crossed over their chests.
“Alright, then. At least
I’m rid of you.” He called as
he left them behind.
When he stepped into the place, he
was met with the eyes of the man in the suit.
“Sir,” he said, walking toward him.
“We have a dress code. Perhaps
you’d rather dine at one of the other establishments in the area.
“Is Beatriz here?”
Taylor asked, looking over the man’s shoulder.
His head had cleared and he cracked his neck again, feeling it adjust
with a satisfying pop.
“Sir.”
The man said.
“What?
I’ve been here before. I
came with Beatriz.” He said,
giving the man a glare back.
“You seem to have had an accident
this evening, perhaps it would be better if you left.
Our patrons don’t care to eat with anything distracting them.”
The man said, putting his hand on Taylor’s arm.
“I didn’t have an
accident.” Taylor said
indignantly.
“Well, you have blood on your
jacket and in your hair—“
Taylor huffed.
He really hadn’t wanted to make a scene.
“Is she here? If you tell
her I’m here—I mean, I’ll wait outside.
Would you tell her I’m here?” He
asked.
The man looked over to the side and
two men walked over to them.
“We don’t like to disturb our diners.
Now, if you’ll just leave, please…”
Taylor
narrowed his eyes, and yanked his arm away from the man. “Fine.”
He spat. “See if I ever
come here again.” And he turned,
flanked by the two men and walked back out the door.
There
he was met with three sets of eyes, “How did it go?”
One asked, a smirk on her face.
“What
the hell is up with that?” He
said.
“You’re
not an elder.” The second
answered.
“So?
Neither is Beatriz.” He
reasoned, sitting down on the bench outside the place and taking off his jacket.
He threw it in the garbage can next to him and twisted his neck around,
“Is there blood on my shirt? Or
just the jacket.”
The
third girl spoke, “It seems to have run down your hair and onto your collar,
though not as noticeably as on the jacket.”
“That
sucks.” He said, lounging back on
the bench.
“Where
is the pendant?” The first girl
asked.
“What
is your all’s deal with that thing? I
took it off. It didn’t match my
outfit.” He answered.
“I
think you and the Lady have had a falling out.
Is that why you came here? To
make up?” The second girl asked.
“Mind
your own business, Two.” He said.
“You’re
very brave to venture out into our world without her protection.”
The third said, a smile on her face and her fangs showing.
“I
don’t need her protection. The
worst thing that happens to me is I’m killed by rogue vampires and I don’t
have to deal with the shit that is my life anymore.
At least I’d die knowing that Beatriz would probably
cut their heads off. Or some other
horrible thing I’m sure she’s good at.”
He said back, leaning his head back against the building.
“There
are things worse than death, my young friend.”
The first said, looking down at him.
“I’m
sure there are…” He said.
Just then, his senses fired and Beatriz walked out the door, a handsome
young man beside her. A vampire.
Taylor
stood. “What are you doing
here?” She asked.
Now
he felt stupid. “I was just in
the area and I thought I’d see if you were here.”
He said, stepping a little closer to the girl beside him.
Beatriz
looked over at the three, then back to him.
“Interesting company you’re keeping this evening.”
Taylor
looked at her companion. “Hi,
I’m Taylor.” He said, holding
his hand out to shake and being met with a look.
“Oh, I keep forgetting. Vampires
are rude.” He said, dropping his
hand back to his side.
Beatriz
smiled, “Well, if you don’t need anything, I suppose we’ll be on our
way.”
Taylor
narrowed his eyes, the eighteen year old male coming to the surface, “No, I
don’t need anything.” He
growled.
“Alright
then, I’ll see you at home.” She
smiled, ignoring his tone and the look on his face.
“Yeah,
right.” He said.
He decided then that even if he had to sleep in a dumpster, he wouldn’t
go home that night. At least not to
her home. She turned and got into a
cab as the man waited for her. Not
able to help himself, Taylor flung the garbage can over and trash flew across
the sidewalk around the man’s feet. Anyone
watching would have thought a sudden strong wind had come through as he hadn’t
touched a thing. Beatriz threw a
look at him, but he ignored her and turned and walked back the way he’d come.
He
sighed as the cab pulled away from the curb and drove on past them.
“Where did Nikki live?” He
asked the girls.
“In
a rat trap not fit for one of your stature.”
The first girl answered.
“I
don’t have a stature.” He said.
“I just need a place to stay for the night.”
The
girl looked at him. “Well, since
we’d all like our own heads to stay where they are, I believe we shall have to
insist that you come and stay with us. I
think the punishment for allowing you to sleep alone in a tenement where
you’ll be nibbled upon by rats would be worse than the one we may get for
letting you stay in our hole.”
“You
live in a hole?” He asked.
“You’ll
probably think so.” She said.
“I
should have stayed with Laura. She
says she’s an Ike Girl, but I know a Taylor Girl when I see one…”
He said soflty, causing them all to look at one another, wondering what
he was talking about.
The
third girl spoke, “Oh, you can’t stay with a human.
When you go down for the day, they want to call an ambulance.
And you know that’s not a good thing.”
“In
fact,” said the second, “it’s worthy of death in this world.”
Taylor
shook his head, “Is there anything not worthy of death to us?”
They
all three looked at each other, “Well, you haven’t been killed yet.
And I’d bet you’ve done a few things you shouldn’t have.”
The first said to him.
“Yeah,
well, that’s because they think they need me for some reason.”
He said. “So, where do you
live, anyway?” He asked.
And he became the follower as they led him to their home.
