Remembrance

by Avery Kloss

“Yes, if I can ask a few myself.”

  “And, I have your word you won’t murder me?”

  “I watched you skydive from a two-story balcony. I brought you back. Now you’re worried about being murdered?”

  “I was a different person then.”

  He snorted, shaking his head. “Get out of the car, Brie,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “I’m doing this against my better judgment. If I die, I swear I’ll come back and make your life a living hell.”

  “It already is.”

  I did not have a response to that, my fingers on the door handle. Stepping from the vehicle, I faced him. I could always disappear again if he tried anything funny. “I’m out. Happy?”

  “Ecstatic,” he muttered, motioning for the woods. “Let’s walk.”

  “I don’t want to go there. It’s dark and scary.”

  “You can more than protect yourself. You’ll be fine.”

  “With you?” I giggled nervously. “Right.”

  He drew near, his footsteps soundless, while my boots crunched over the rocks. I had to lift my chin to look at him, swallowing uneasily.

  “You’re very different from the girl I … rescued the other night.”

  “I agree. I’m … changed.”

  “I’d like to know how.” He indicated a path. “After you.”

  “Okay fine, but you better not kill me.”

  “We’ve already covered this.”

  I stepped into the trees, feeling the cool air of the forest, while a blood-hungry vampire trailed after me, his footfalls absolutely soundless.

  I did not anticipate being in the great outdoors for any length of time, and I shivered, the jacket not thick enough. I did not really think Gabe would attack me, because the man had already saved me several times now, but could you really trust a vampire? His actions that night had changed my life, but now I worried over what the future held, and why I had suddenly crossed paths with a creature of the undead.

  “You’re cold,” Gabe said.

  “Yep.” I wrapped my arms around my chest, stumbling over a root, although I caught myself before I fell. “I can’t see anything! You might have night vision, but I don’t.”

  “Let’s stop up here. We’ve gone far enough.”

  “Far enough so people won’t hear me scream?” I shivered again, but not from the cold.

  “No, you silly woman. Stop.”

  I turned around to face him, alarmed by how pale he appeared in the moonlight, which streamed down through the branches devoid of leaves.

  “I’ll be back.”

  “W-where are you going? You’re not gonna just leave me out here, are you?” Panic laced my tone. “Gabe?” He disappeared, silently melding into the trees like a ghost. “Gabe?” I waited a minute or so, shivering and miserable, struggling to remember which way we came. “Mr. Vampire?”

  He appeared then, a bundle of wood in his arms. “You make enough noise to wake the dead.” Dropping the wood, which landed in a heap, he scrambled quickly to find rocks, leaving them in a circle. “You should be a little more careful around these parts.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Rubbing two sticks together, they caught fire an instant later. “These are hunting grounds, always have been.”

  “People don’t shoot deer in the dark.” Flames leapt around the wood, the feeling of heat emerging.

  He took his jacket off, laying it out. “Sit, please. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “Aren’t you cold?”

  He gave me a look.

  “Ah, never mind.”

  “Sit.” He lowered to the edge of the jacket waiting for me.

  I joined him, holding out my hands, feeling the warmth. “Thank you.”

  Resting his forearms on his knees, he gazed at me unblinkingly. “You’re beautiful, Brie.”

  Being praised in this moment caught me off-guard. “Uh, um … thanks.”

  “Unearthly beautiful.”

  “Huh?”

  “There’s something … not human about you.”

  I snorted, laughing, “What are you talking about?”

  “People don’t just disappear into thin air. I remember you very well from the night you dove off the balcony. I’d been watching you for a while anyway, but I never expected to see you up close. You were pretty then, but something’s changed. The vampire blood should’ve worn off after two days or so. It doesn’t last. I gave you enough to heal your wounds, and there were plenty of them. That fall was fatal.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m beginning to believe that.”

  “Before we were so rudely interrupted in my office, you were going to tell me about that second accident, another fall from the balcony.”

  “Oh, that.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “This is gonna sound crazy, but, then again, I didn’t believe vampires were real either, so maybe this won’t be so crazy after all.”

  “And?”

  “There’s a ghost in my house. The house is more than a hundred years old, so it’s to be expected, I guess. You’ve been around for a while too, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Anyway, there’s a ghost, and I’ve seen her.”

  “What does it look like?”

  “Pretty and blonde. It’s a woman. I think I’m in her room.”

  He sat very still, his features bland. “Go on.”

  “She’s been sending me little messages and stuff. She’s responsible for the second balcony ... incident. She pushed me, actually.” I held up a hand. “After she gave me this ring.”

  He glanced at it. “Let me see.”

  “This plain gold ring.”

  Grasping me, his fingers felt cold. “I’ll be damned.”

  “What?”

  “I know who your ghost is. I suspected as much.”

  “So do I.”

  An eyebrow shot up. “You do?”

  “Suzie.”

  “Yes.”

  “She used to live in my house back in the day.”

  “In the mid 70’s.”

  “You knew her?”

  “I did.”

  “Have you been in town all this time?”

  “I come and go. I stay away as long as I can, then I’m back again.” He pursed his lips, clearly annoyed by something. “Ravon Manor. I vacillate between wishing they’d tear the damn place down to wanting to preserve it forever. Or I should just burn it to the ground myself.”

  “Why?”

  “Memories,” he murmured, his attention on the fire. “Too many memories.”

  22

  “You’ve seen this ring before.”

  “Suzie was obsessed with the people who first lived in the house. Lloyd Ravon built it in the late 1880’s. His wife, Margaret, came from England. There were—”

  “Oh, my God! Did you meet them? Were you alive then?” I found the prospect of such an idea thrilling.

  He appeared annoyed. “I was not, and would you let me finish?”

  “Sorry.”

  “As I was saying, they were the first family in the place. Mrs. Ravon, being obsessed with all things mystical and magical, liked to pretend she was … touched.”

  “Touched?”

  “Like psychic or something to that end.”

  “Was she a witch?”

  “She might’ve hoped to be, but I doubt it. She collected all sorts of things in her travels: books and artifacts and small trinkets.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Suzie found a box hidden away in a false wall of the closet.”

  “Oh.”

  “Books on mythology and magic. One of the things she found was that ring. There were necklaces as well; made of stone, as I recall, but I don’t know what happened to them. That ring was in an envelope with a note inside. It said who made the ring and what sort of gold it was, special Welsh gold.”

  “It is pretty.”

  “Suzie always thought it held power.”

  �
�Um … she might’ve been right about that.”

  “And she just gave it to you?”

  “She left it for me to find.”

  “Then she assisted you off the balcony?”

  “You could say that.” I remembered that night, fascinated by the ghost and trying to understand what she wanted.

  “She knew you had my blood in you.” He tossed another branch into the fire. “I … can’t enter that house. I’ve tried, but it’s impossible.”

  “You have to be invited in by the owner first, right?” I had watched some vampire movies, remembering bits and pieces of vampire lore.

  “No, that’s a myth.”

  “What’s the problem then?”

  “A witch put a spell on it. It’s impossible for me to pass through a door or a window or come in any other way.” His lips thinned.

  “Really? Why?”

  “Things that happened a long time ago, by human standards anyway. Her name was Crystal Flake.” A deep frown appeared, as he angrily threw a branch into the fire; the impact sent sparks flying. “Killing her was one of the highlights of my life.”

  “You didn’t get along?”

  “No. She was loyal to my enemy.”

  “Okay. Who’s that?”

  “A vampire by the name of Thorn Rezner.”

  “Nice name. Very diabolical.”

  He failed to smile at that. “Let’s recap, shall we? Suzie gave you the ring. She sent you over the balcony, where you didn’t die because you had my blood in you. You were basically reborn, but … as what? Now, you have some power.”

  “It seems like it.” This all sounded pretty cool and exciting, but I seriously doubted I was special. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all the things that had happened.

  “I wish I could get into your house.”

  “What can we do to make the spell go away?”

  “My knowledge of magic is lacking. I certainly never needed it. Suzie studied mythology in college, finding the old tales of fairy kings and queens fascinating. She especially liked the myths of the Celtic world. She was … ” a smile appeared, “a hippie flowerchild. She loved all that stuff. I took her to California a few times, and we slept on the beach with friends of hers. I never scared her. She knew what I was. She was always searching for ways to be immortal without being a vampire. She wanted to live forever, so … we could be together.” He glanced at me. “It looks like she’s given that gift to you, Brie.”

  “I'm immortal?” There was absolutely no way that was possible.

  “I believe so. I’ve no desire to test it, if that’s what’s worrying you.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” I did not really believe any of this. “Am I gonna watch everyone I know get old?” That thought bothered me immensely.

  “I don’t know. I don’t know what magic Suzie concocted.”

  “Why did this Thorn person and his witch put a spell on my house?”

  “It won’t affect you, but no vampire can enter.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s … an old enemy. We had a quarrel long ago, which he can’t forgive.”

  “What happened?”

  “I … accidentally … might’ve killed his sister. I didn’t know it was his sister. She looked like a meal to me.” A sheepish grin appeared. “In those days we just drank indiscriminately. We stopped that practice with the advances made in forensics.”

  “H-how do you get a meal now?” I swallowed, suddenly apprehensive about the topic.

  “We drink, but not until death. Have you ever wondered why there are so many anemics in town?”

  “I haven’t heard of that.”

  “There are. We eat a little here and there. It looks like a spider bite. If we want a full belly, we hunt deer.” He made a face. “I prefer human blood, though. It’s saltier and more delicious. Deer blood’s too watered down. It’s got that gamey quality, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

  I stared at him horrified. “I don’t want to hear this.”

  He chuckled, “Speaking of blood, I’m a bit thirsty now.”

  I eyed him warily.

  “You’d be delicious.” The timbre of his voice prickled down my backbone. It felt like I had just met a stranger in a dark alley.

  “Not a chance, buddy.” I fingered the ring, and prepared to perform the disappearing trick, if necessary. I had not even thought of all the possibilities this particular ability might afford. I could hide in plain sight and listen to conversations. I could be the fly on the wall, literally, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

  “Something’s distracted you. You went from fear to fascination. What’s on your mind?”

  “My … cloaking ability. How cool is that? I had no idea I could do that. If I wanted to, I could walk around town totally invisible. I could go into people’s houses and stuff. If I was a criminal, I could steal without getting caught. It’s a little mind-blowing.”

  “I’d recommend not using your newfound power for ill, Brie. Suzie wouldn’t have wanted that. She was a sweet, loving soul.” A wistful smile appeared. “Spiritual and special.”

  “You loved her.”

  “She was the love of my life. There’ll never be another like her. I should know. I’ve been wandering this earth since 1902. I didn’t meet Suzie until 1976. She … died in 78. We had two years.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t know why I’m telling you my life story.” He cast a glance my way. “It’s not an accident you’re here, though. Something’s going on. Suzie wanted us to meet.” He seemed to chew on that. “This whole thing is perplexing.”

  “It seems like it.”

  “I wonder what other powers you have? This could be interesting.”

  “I can’t wait to try it at school,” I giggled excitedly. “It’s going to freak people out.”

  “No!” he barked. “Under no circumstance are you to frivolously apply that little disappearing act, is that understood?”

  “Why?”

  “You know why. You’re not stupid. Don’t pretend to be dumb, Brie. Guess.”

  “Because … it’ll end up going viral?”

  “There are people who would kill for that little trick of yours. Think about it. Who wouldn’t want to be invisible a time or two? What do you think our government might do with a thing like that, huh? Think.” He poked me with a finger. “You’d be extremely popular to some people. They’d come and take you away. You’d have to do their bidding whether you wanted to or not.”

  “I can just disappear.”

  “You might be invisible, but you can’t walk through walls. They’d lock you up. You want that?”

  “No.” The excitement of a moment ago deflated.

  “It’s best to keep this to ourselves. Don’t go invisible unless it’s a life or death situation, and even then, be careful.”

  “Then keep your creepy vampires off me.” I got to my feet, feeling the need to use the bathroom. “I’ll be back. Then I want to go home.”

  “Don’t go far.”

  Leaves crunched beneath my feet. I went a short distance, squatting. “This is just nuts,” I whispered. Upon returning, Gabe had extinguished the fire, the pit smoking. “I can’t remember the way back to the car.”

  “I’ll take you.”

  “Thanks for answering my questions.”

  He fell into step behind me, the man walking soundlessly. “Don’t mention it.”

  “Do I have to worry about you now?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Won’t you want to use me now that you know what I can do.”

  “I wouldn’t put it that way.”

  “Yeah?”

  “It would be in both our interests to figure out why Suzie’s brought us together. She helped you to be whatever you are, and I’d like to know why.”

  “So would I.”

  “I suggest you keep your head down, go to school like business as usual. We’ll talk again in a few days.”

&
nbsp; I stopped walking, turning to look at him, the man—the vampire—in shadow. “You said there’s a secret compartment in my closet?”

  “It was emptied long ago by Suzie.”

  “I’ll have a look. I might find something. You never know.”

  “Don’t come back to the bar again. Stay away.”

  I had another question that I had forgotten about. “Do you know Maven Brown? She seems to know about vampires. She warned me, but I thought she was crazy.” I snorted. “I guess she’s not so crazy, huh?”

  He shrugged dismissively. “She’s not a fan.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because we … turned her sister into one of us.”

  My mouth fell open. “Oh, wow.”

  23

  “Honey? Are you having breakfast?” called my mother.

  I stood before the floor-length mirror. “I’m fine. Thanks.”

  “I made pancakes.”

  I glanced at the closed door. “I’ll have some later.”

  “They’ll be in the fridge.”

  “Thanks.” Fingering the ring, I said, “Hocus pocus, alakazam! Make me invisible.” Observing my reflection, I waited to disappear, but nothing happened. “Oh, come on. What’s going on? It worked last night.” I wanted to play around with my newfound superpower, but it seemed as if it had left me. “I want to be invisible.” I closed my eyes and imagined myself disappearing into nothingness, but upon opening them again, I stood there plain as day.

  I sighed.

  “Guess it was a one-time trick?”

  Disappointed by my lack of skill in all things magic, I sat on the bed, in a long, white nightgown. A half-dozen books lay open on the comforter, all of them about mythology or magic. Some dated back to the 1960’s, their pages yellowed and smelling of old, dried paper that had been left in an antique box. Reading and taking notes, I puzzled over everything Gabe told me, and the fact that vampires really did exist.

  “Suzie, I need help. What’s going on? Is this a waste of time or what?” Sighing, I shoved the books aside and lay back on the pillow, and stared at the ceiling. “Am I really immortal? What the heck does that mean? Do I stop aging now? Or is this temporary?”

  The only response came from mom whistling down the hallway and a door slamming shut. Another sound emerged then, that of the doorbell. I sprang from the bed and ran from the room down the hall, where I nearly tripped on the end of the nightgown. In the foyer, I flung open the door to find our neighbor, Mrs. Halbrook. She held a plate of cookies.