by Mae Baum
The dark circles under her eyes became deeper every day. She wasn’t sleeping well. Every night she woke in a cold sweat, dreaming of the locked room. She should wait. Louis was coming home soon and then she could ask him what was there.
Despite the lack of sleep, the headaches were less frequent now and her energy increased. She still hadn’t logged into her library classes, but she’d read several books.
Still, the door worried her. The coldness was weird, but it was just a door, right? When she woke up from the nightmare, for the third time in one night, she decided to go and see what was there.
She put on a T-shirt and jeans, and they felt like armor compared to the gauzy nightgown. The jeans were from before Louis, jagged rips along the knees where they had worn out long before she got them at the thrift store. Pulling her long hair into a ponytail, she felt more like herself than she had in a long while.
The moon outside was full, and the light lit up her bedroom. The now familiar shapes looked spooky in the odd light. She reached for her cell phone, but it wasn’t on her nightstand. She frowned. That’s where she’d always left it.
Her mind had still been cloudy lately. Maybe she had lost her purpose since she stopped going to classes on campus. She needed to be around other students. That would get her back on track. She reached for her purse and dug around in it, pulling out her phone. It only had a quarter of a charge; when had she last plugged it in? Gina shook her head.
The soft carpeting sank under her feet as she crossed the room. She pulled the keys from the drawer of her desk, wrapping them in the bottom of her T-shirt so they wouldn’t clank. Not that the servants would hear her at this time of night. She peered at the clock on her nightstand. Two in the morning, and yet she felt wide awake.
She opened the door and peered into the dim hallway. There wasn’t much light to see by so she clicked on the flashlight on her cell phone. Even though there didn’t seem to be anyone about, she closed the door as silently as she could and then laughed at herself. It was her house now too. She should be able to go anywhere she wanted no matter the time.
Making her way through the halls, she wondered if she would even recognize the door. Then it was in front of her, and there was no mistaking it. She touched it and a cold shiver slid up her arm and down her spine.
Unrolling her T-shirt, Gina pulled out the keys and flipped through to the one on a red ribbon. She took a deep breath and slid the key into the lock. To her surprise, it turned easily. The wooden door swung open on well-oiled hinges despite its weight. A cold breeze and foul smell wafted over her from the depths of the room.
Gina brought up her cell phone, flashlight first, and stepped into the room. The floor was bare wood planks. A large metal tub lay in the center of the room. She held the back of her forearm against her nose and mouth and then crept forward.
The light from her phone bounced around the room as she moved, shadows appearing and disappearing on the plain walls. When she neared the tub, she closed her eyes briefly. Then, she peered over the edge. A dead goat lay in the tub, stuck with tubes that seemed to be pumping fluid out of it and carrying it across the room. Bile rose in her throat and she coughed.
Gina held her breath and followed the direction of the tubing to a large box laid out on the floor. Walking around it, she traced the shape and frowned. It was a coffin! Flipping her light up, she peered across the room. Seven coffins in a line and tubes of goat’s blood pumping into each one. She shuddered.
Was this just another dream? Was she going crazy? She gulped the stale air. Maybe it was an experiment. Or maybe her husband was a killer?
Gina walked around each of the coffins and inspected them. Some seemed older than others, the wood darkened with age, but they were all in great condition.
They had been well cared for.
Her light glinted off something metal on the top of the current casket and she looked closer. It was a nameplate: Isabella DeLuce. She checked each of the seven caskets, and each one had a different woman’s name and Louis’s last name—Margareta, Colette, Isabella, Francine, Emily, Kathrine, and Jane. Were they sisters?
Did Louis keep his dead family members here in this room, instead of in a mausoleum? It wasn’t like Atlanta was going underwater any time soon. Why would he keep them above ground? And what was with the goat’s blood?
Trailing a hand along the edge of Colette’s coffin, Gina bit her lip. Did she dare open it? She glanced toward the tub with the goat. It couldn’t be any grosser than that, could it?
He told her not to come here. Her mouth was dry. She swallowed several times trying to wet it. What secret was he hiding in these coffins?
Curiosity burned in her gut. Pushing her questions back down, she flipped the latch on Colette’s coffin. Lifting the lid, she shined her light down on the corpse. An emaciated female lay in the casket, wearing a long dress, a veiled hat, and gloves. The tube fed directly into her mouth and her eyes were open and staring.
Gina smothered a scream. Impossible. Vampires weren’t real. She closed her eyes. Was she having some sort of hallucination? Holding her breath, she inspected the body.
Colette wasn’t moving and didn’t appear aware. Although Gina’s eyes watered at the musty smell of old clothes, there wasn’t any scent of decay. Mostly the woman seemed dried out, like a piece of beef jerky.
Modern fluorescent lighting flickered to life and exposed the whole room. Gina jumped and scraped her hand on the edge of the casket. Blinking, she turned and stared at Mrs. Peterson, whose portly form filled the doorway.
“Now, dearie, what are you doing in here?”
“Um…” Gina stuttered, her gaze darting to the large kitchen knife in Mrs. Peterson’s hands. “Who are they?”
“The Master’s wives.” Mrs. Peterson smiled. Her grin seemed oddly vacant.
“Louis is a vampire?” Gina blushed at the squeak in her voice.
“Of course, but I don’t think…” Her smile faltered. “The Master will be unhappy.” Mrs. Peterson advanced across the wooden floor. The blade of the knife glinted.
Gina backed along the edge of Colette’s coffin as slowly as she could. Her hands raised palms out in front of her. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to be in here.”
“No, you are not. The Master told you.”
Gina flinched. “I know, and I’m sorry. I truly am.”
Mrs. Peterson raised the knife and charged at her.
Gina stepped back quickly and tripped over the decorative side of the coffin. Flailing her arms, she barely managed to stay on her feet.
The old lady swung, but Gina was younger and faster. She dodged the blow. Then, Gina shoved her shoulder into Mrs. Peterson’s side. The woman toppled into the open coffin.
Gina watched in horror as the dried-out hands curled around Mrs. Peterson, holding her in place. A slurping sound echoed in the room, competing with the angry buzz of the fluorescents. Gina’s breath came fast and heavy. She wanted to scream, but she couldn’t get the sound to come out.
Mrs. Peterson didn’t scream either. Her limbs thrashed as she fought the vampire, the knife dropping from her grip. Her eyes were wide and round in their sockets.
Gina’s heart tripped as the woman ceased struggling and a beauteous smile crossed Mrs. Peterson’s face. Gina knew she should run, but she couldn’t seem to get her legs to move. The lividity drained away from the old woman’s face and hands. The feeding seemed to go on forever.
Then Mrs. Peterson’s body was released and a young woman rose from the coffin, her skin pale and long black curls streaming behind her. The woman’s bright eyes stared at Gina. “Hungry,” she whispered.
Gina gasped, backing toward the door. Her eyes darted to the knife, but she didn’t think she could get it fast enough.
The vampire stepped over Mrs. Peterson’s corpse toward Gina.
“Stop right there, Colette.” Terrified, Gina waved her hands in front of her. “I’m not a meal.”
The vampire cocked h
er head to the side and frowned. “You wear his ring.” Reaching out, Colette caught Gina’s arm and stared at the wedding ring. “You married him?”
Gina gulped, staring at the diamond. “Yeah.”
Colette smiled sadly. “Then you’ll soon be one of us.”
“No way.” What had Mrs. Peterson called them? The Master’s wives. Had Louis been married before? Had Louis somehow made all these vampires? Gina’s heart ached.
Gesturing to the coffins behind her, Colette said, “We are all Louis’s wives.”
“No.” Seven times, he’d been married. Gina swiped her hand across her wet eyes. But Louis was different. He was kind and loving and…just as much a liar as her mother’s bar hookups. Every one of them told Momma that they loved her and this time would be different, then they walked away as soon as they got what they wanted.
Colette patted Gina’s shoulder awkwardly. “Je suis désolé.”
Louis was a vampire. She didn’t want to believe it, but the headaches, the cloudy thoughts, and the bruises ran through her head. “There’s no way I’m gonna be a vampire.”
Colette’s delicate eyebrows drew together. “But you are just a puny human. He’s centuries old and strong.”
“But what if we wake them up?” Gina looked around the room. “Then there’s seven, er, eight of us. Some of you are old too, right?” This wasn’t the first time she’d had to fight for herself, but now she had to do it for all of them too.
“But we are starved.” She frowned, her hands stroking the front of her ragged gown. “Louis has kept us locked up for so long.”
Gina smiled. “I have an idea about that.”
* * *
Tummies full of all the sleazy barflies Momma could provide, the now pink-cheeked vampires had raided the full closets of the mansion for fresh clothes. Now they were waiting less than patiently for Louis’s return in the early hours before dawn.
Gina called out when his limo pulled around, and the vampires trooped upstairs to hide. Smoothing her dress, Gina pasted a smile on her face and tried to act normal. Colette assured her that Louis wouldn’t have expected his enchantment to have faded.
The butler opened the door, and Louis strode in. “Gina, my love,” he said, pecking her cheek.
“Oh, Louis, I’ve missed you.” She injected her voice with as much syrup as she dared. “Mr. James has a lovely breakfast prepared for us.” Gina led him toward the stairs.
He paused mid-step. “Mr. James? He’s never cooked a day in his life.”
No kidding. The taste of half-cooked eggs and burnt toast rose in the back of her throat. Gina maintained the insipid smile on her face.
“Where’s Mrs. Peterson?”
Trying to keep her heartbeat steady, Gina swallowed. “She’s not feeling well.”
Louis sniffed the air, and then he rounded on Gina, glaring. “There is much blood in this place.”
“Did Mr. James cut himself?” Gina squeaked. The energy of his fury rolled over her, and she panted. Now that she knew what he was, she didn’t know how she could ever have thought he was human.
Narrowing his eyes, Louis grabbed her forearm.
Gina cried out, “Don’t bite me!”
He inhaled. “You’re frightened.”
“Y-yes.”
“You’ve been in the forbidden room.” He sneered. His teeth glinted in the low light, and Gina looked for fangs but didn’t see any.
She nodded, trembling.
Louis opened his mouth wider, and his fangs descended. “Is this what you were looking for?”
Her whole body shook. It was real. Her Louis was a bloodsucker. “You’ve been feeding on me.”
“Stupid humans can’t follow simple directions.” Louis’s voice was thick with irritation. “Now, I’m going to have to kill you.”
Her eyes darted around the foyer. The others were upstairs, and Mr. James was hiding in the kitchen. She yanked on her arm, but his grip was unbreakable.
“Why do you keep them?”
“My brides?” Louis pulled her against him.
Gina gasped. “Yes.”
“To keep me company in my old age.” Louis laughed.
She shuddered at the harsh sound. Gina glanced up the stairs and caught Colette’s eyes as she peeked around the corner. Help, Gina mouthed.
Stall, Colette mouthed back.
Gina sighed. “Will you make me one too? Will I get a coffin?”
Louis leered. “Little Gina from the trailer park? No, my dear, you are just a snack.”
“What?” Her lungs constricted and she couldn’t catch her breath. A snack? Spots erupted in her vision and she bowed her head. She’d loved him, and she’d thought he’d loved her. But she hadn’t meant anything to him.
Stiffly, Gina looked up. The color drained from her face at his amused expression. He was toying with his food.
“Maybe if we had had more time together, you would have made a fine addition to my collection.” He traced the curve of her cheek. “But you’ve ruined that.”
“Some collection, starving in a pine box.” Colette strolled down the stairs.
“Mon trésor,” Louis said, opening his arms. “You look ravishing as always.”
Colette raised a perfect eyebrow.
His eyes perused her form. “Mrs. Peterson seems to have been quite a meal to restore you to your former beauty.”
Colette laughed, like the tittering of champagne glasses. “As sharp as ever.”
Gina looked back and forth between them. Her chest burned. There was so much history here. Little Gina from the trailer park could never hope to compete. Gina blinked. Not that she wanted to. He wanted to eat her.
Louis gripped Gina’s shoulder. “Would you like to join me for a taste of little Gina?”
Colette smiled and came down the last few steps to stand in front of them. “Oui, mon amour.”
Had Colette abandoned her? Gina’s heart raced. She couldn’t fight off one vampire, let alone two. She gazed at the sky, through the wide windows above. The sun had risen and its light filtered through. Had she fought her way out of the trailer park, only to die here?
Louis tilted Gina’s head to the side. “A fragrant bouquet.”
Colette leaned down, sniffing Gina. Her eyes on Louis, and her hand pushing against Gina. Colette shoved a small, rectangular box into Gina’s fingers.
Tracing the edges, Gina forced her brain to think with these two predators leaning over her. A lighter.
“She smells delicious,” Colette said, stepping back into a curtsey. “But you must have the first taste, my lord.”
Trying to keep her body still, Gina flipped the lighter around in her fingers and opened the latch. She squashed a scream as Louis’s teeth bit into her neck and her blood pulsed.
Pushing her thumb along the spark wheel, Gina held the flame against Louis’s shirt. The heat burned her thumb but she didn’t let go until the clothing caught fire.
Louis’s teeth released her neck, and he pushed her away. Staring down at the tiny flames, Louis chuckled. “Silk doesn’t burn well, you idiots.”
The other wives rushed down the stairs. Colette grabbed a decanter from one of them and opened it, tossing the brandy over Louis. “But alcohol does.”
Raising an eyebrow, Louis smirked. His shirt was soaked, clinging to the muscle beneath, but there were no flames.
Gina’s stomach dropped. They were all dead, well, deader. There had to be something. Her eyes surveyed the room. If only they’d thought bigger. The empty hearth mocked her.
Then she had it. It was the only chance. Gina willed Colette to look at her and, when she did, motioned her head slightly to the right.
Colette nodded.
“Come on, my dears,” Louis said, stepping toward them. “Time to return to your coffins.”
The vampire wives rushed him, pushing him back across the room. Louis stumbled in the wave, and they carried him along. Their hands grasped his limbs and lifted his body.
“Stop. Put me down,” he commanded, his eyes widening.
The group wavered, but they pushed on. Their sheer desperation overrode his magic.
Louis growled.
Gina sprinted for the door. Closing her hand on the brass knob, she yanked it open.
Not even pausing at the doorway, the vampire wives swept Louis out into the sunshine. Gina gasped. She’d thought they would throw him, not immolate themselves.
Screams burst from their throats as their skin blistered and fell away. They writhed in pain but held their course. Louis flailed against them, and Colette wrapped her arms and legs around him like a lover. She glanced back at Gina, her hair aflame around her head, and smiled.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mae Baum grew up among the snow and birch trees of upstate New York, but now makes her home in the urban jungle of Atlanta with her husband, daughter, and two cats. Always to be found with her nose in a book, she enjoyed exploring fantastical worlds and now loves making up her own.