A Nighttime of Forever

by Matthew S. Cox

  I smile. A lawsuit would generate too much attention we don’t need. Plus, the hospital didn’t actually screw up. “Thanks, Mrs. Gerard. Good night.”

  “Take care of yourself. You sure you wanna be out there alone at night?”

  “Aww, thanks. I’ll be careful.”

  Little does she know. It’s such a weird feeling not to be the least bit afraid walking around alone at night. I kicked a dent in a body cooler door barefoot. Pretty sure I’m quite capable of protecting myself. How sad is it that I had to die to feel like I can leave my house without being scared all the time.

  Ashley lives four houses up from where my cul-de-sac ends on 198th Ave. Unlike me, she’s an only child. I’d sometimes go to her place to experience quiet, and she’d come over sometimes to feel better about not having any siblings.

  My sisters and brother could be annoying as hell when they were little. Well, littleer. Whenever Ash came over, they’d be loud and wind up zooming around or crawling all over us. We joked about how much cooler it would be not to have to deal with that, but only in fun. Even the most devoted parents need quiet time. I’d never wish my family away. Even more so now.

  I get the feeling that something’s wrong as soon as I approach the front door. For one thing, her car’s gone. For another, the house is silent. If Ashley Carter is around, quiet would be impossible. Her dad’s BMW is missing, so he’s probably working late. He’s at Boeing like my mom, but he’s an engineer or something technical.

  TV glow flickers on the living room curtains, but the volume’s down so low I can’t hear anything until I’m close enough to knock. I smile to myself, thinking about the folklore of vampires being unable to walk into a house unless they’re invited. Who thinks this stuff up? Probably a vamp who wanted to create a false sense of security in his dinner.

  Mrs. Carter opens the door wearing a look like she’s about ready to bite the head off someone. She’s basically Ashley in like twenty years. Same blue eyes, same red hair, only Mrs. Carter wears it in a bob and Ash likes it long. As soon as she sees me, she lets out a shriek and jumps into a hug.

  For a few minutes, I let her cling and sob. She keeps trying to ask me what happened, but she’s too upset to manage complete words.

  Eventually, my second mom gets herself under control and looks me over. She keeps sniffling and crying, but she manages to ask, “Sarah? Am I dreaming?”

  “No. I’m here. I’m sorry for not calling or anything, but I haven’t been home long and my phone is missing.”

  “What happened?” Mrs. Carter pulls me inside and shuts the door. “You’re soaked.”

  “It’s raining.” I shrug.

  She grabs my shoulders and shakes me. “Do you have any idea how upset Ash has been? They told us you’d passed away.” For a moment, I half expect her to scream at me, but she breaks down and cries more. “Why did you fake your death?”

  “Whoa, hang on.” I hold my hands up. “I didn’t fake anything. My phone’s gone, or I would’ve called, and I only woke up the other day.” I look down. “Someone at the hospital messed up.”

  “Sarah… what’s going on? I’ve known you too long for you to lie to me.”

  Dammit. “Sorry. Just trying to make it easier for you.”

  She pulls me into the living room. Some old-as-hell war movie is on the TV. It’s gotta be trying for historical accuracy if she’s watching it. She’s not the mindless blowing stuff up type.

  “Wait there a sec?” Mrs. Carter waits for me to nod before darting off down the hall. She returns with a bath towel, which I wrap around myself, then sit on the sofa. “Now… tell me what really happened.”

  “Scott stabbed me and I blacked out. I don’t remember what happened after that. I woke up a couple days ago.”

  Mrs. Carter takes my hand in both of hers, squeezing. “Ashley’s been inconsolable. I can’t get her to eat. She spends all day in her room crying. Michelle finally managed to drag her out of the house tonight. I think they went to some kid Brian’s for a movie night. It sounded pretty innocent. Michelle said they were the ‘nerd brigade.’”

  Tears roll down my cheeks at the thought of Ashley hearing about my death. Ugh. It’s not fair. I hate Scott even more for making her cry than killing me. “I’m sorry.”

  “Do you have any idea how inconsiderate it was not to tell us right away what really happened? You’re like another daughter to me.”

  The pain in her voice is kicking me right where it hurts. I lean into her and cry, murmuring “Sorry” over and over.

  “Why did they tell us you were dead? Your parents came over in person to give us the news. I…” She runs a hand up through her hair. “Why would they do that? Did they not know?”

  I stare at the rug between my sneakers, fixating on a faint smudge of dirt from my shoes. I’ve known Mrs. Carter since I was in fifth grade. If there’s anyone outside my immediate family I can trust―no, she is immediate family. And so is Ashley. “They weren’t wrong. I was dead… but I’m okay now.”

  “What are you talking about, sweetie?” Mrs. Carter runs a hand over my head. “Oh, you’re drenched.”

  “You’re like my other mother, Mrs. C. I’m gonna tell you something that you might not want to believe, but it’s real.”

  She clutches my hand again. “You’re scaring me now.”

  “Scott Deacon did kill me. He stabbed me right in the heart and I was gone in seconds… but I’m back. It took me a couple days to wake up, which is why everyone said I’d died.”

  “You’re not making any sense, sweetie. Are you… did you experiment with LSD or something?”

  I manage a sad chuckle. “No.” Well, if she freaks out, I can make her forget, right? “I’m a vampire now.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “I’m not trying to be funny.” I look at her, open my mouth, and extend my fangs. “I didn’t believe it at first either. Apparently, this vampire had been stalking me, watching me fight with Scott. He figured I’d stomp off alone somewhere and he could bite me, but then I got stabbed. Anyway, the guy’s like a real softie, right? He thought I was too young to die, so he saved me.”

  Mrs. Carter stares at me, dumbfounded.

  “I swear this isn’t a joke or a prank.” I retract my fangs and smile. “I’m still the same as I was before, only I’m highly allergic to sunlight now.”

  “That’s…” She blinks. “Unbelievable.”

  I give her a brief explanation of how I woke in the morgue and made my way home. She asks to see the fangs again. When I oblige, she touches them, and her eyes widen.

  “Those are real teeth…”

  “Yep. I’m serious, Mrs. C. I’m not making this up. I really did die. But I didn’t stay dead.”

  She smooths her skirt over her legs in a repetitive, nervous gesture. “Are we supposed to be grieving your death or not?”

  I shrug. “I like this a whole lot more than being plain old dead. It’s pretty hard to hurt me now, and I’m strong, fast, live forever, all that stuff… only, I can’t go out in the daytime.”

  “Well, you girls really weren’t outdoorsy much.” She stands and paces around. “You’re serious about this?”

  “Yeah,” I mutter at my lap. “It kinda got dropped on me, but it’s better than being totally dead.”

  She wipes a few tears and manages a feeble smile. “So what does that mean for you?”

  “Well, I’m not moving away to California. Too much sun. Other than staying home for now, and only going out at night, not much. I’m still me.” I make eye contact with her, wondering how she’s handling it, and get a feeling of confused acceptance and denial. Part of her thinks she’s still dreaming. “Heh. I thought I was dreaming at first, too.”

  “What?” She blinks at me.

  “I know you think you’re dreaming right now, that I’m really dead and this is just you wishing I was still around.”

  “You can read my mind?”

  “Kinda. I can’t like dig your ATM pin
out of your brain, but I can sense the gist of what you’re thinking about right at this moment. I’m still new at this.”

  She exhales, lips fluttering. “I’m numb. First you’re dead, then you’re not, then you’re dead again but not really. Then vampires exist?”

  “Pretty much.” I shrug with a cheesy smile.

  Ashley’s cat, Mischief, zips out of the hallway and trots up to me. She eyes me for less than a second before emitting a tribble meow and pouncing into my lap. Hmm. So much for animals being freaked out by the undead. Then again, Dalton seemed to think I’m super lifelike, so maybe I’m alive enough to fool cats.

  We talk for a bit, and I let her in on that whole Innocent thing and how I can still enjoy the pumpkin pie she makes on Thanksgiving, even though I’m technically wasting food.

  “If you enjoy it, it’s not being wasted.” She pokes herself in the stomach. “I’m almost jealous. You don’t have to worry about getting fat.”

  “Mrs. C, you are not fat.” She isn’t, but she always says she is. “What time is Ash coming home?”

  “Oh, soon, I suppose. It’s getting late.” She eyes the clock, about quarter to midnight.

  Worry radiates from her in a sudden spike.

  “I think I know where Brian lives. Maybe I should go check on them?”

  “Yes. Please! Oh, Ash needs to know you’re okay. She’s been a complete wreck ever since they found you.”

  I stand and bundle the towel up before handing it to her. “I’m really sorry.”

  Her eyes narrow. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t ask that son of a bitch to stab you.”

  “Thanks. I still feel guilty though.”

  Mrs. Carter walks me to the door. “Do you need a ride? I’ll drive you if you like.”

  “Oh, thank you, Mrs. C. You don’t need to get wet. I can get there faster now.” I wink, and float a few inches off the ground. “Oh, probably don’t want to tell people about vampires, okay? I mean, I’m gonna tell Ash. But…”

  “Keep it in the family.” She hugs me again. “Oh, this is so strange, but it’s good to have you back.”

  “Thanks, Mrs. C. I’ll see you soon.”

  She waves.

  I glide back and up into the air, smiling at her until she closes the door.

  Hmm. Brian and nerdy. That’s gotta be Brian Miller, who lives on the other side of the lake. 196th Street, I think.

  For once, I don’t mind that my parents wouldn’t let me have a car. I don’t really need one now. I wonder how they feel about that?

  They refused to buy me a car because they were worried I’d get myself killed.

  Totally Chill

  13

  Flying has got to be the best part about being a vampire. Even better than the immortality. Maybe someday I’ll go crazy for existing so long, but soaring up over the earth at like a hundred miles an hour is never going to get old.

  It’s stopped raining too. Even the weather thinks flying is awesome.

  My neighborhood is a quiet spread of trees arranged around roads alight in the glow of streetlamps. I cruise over Cottage Lake (the actual body of water), heading toward where I think Brian lives, which I’m pretty sure is northwest. This would be so much easier if I had my damn phone. Oh crap. The Facebook page I never look at is probably full of sad messages… kids at school who I barely knew. Funny how something like death can remind people you exist.

  Being a couple hundred feet in the air, alone with my thoughts, the silence, and the wind in my face, is weird. For a while, I am apart from the world, an immortal goddess looking down on creation.

  Moment of megalomania over, I veer to the left, attracted to house with a well-lit backyard where a bunch of my former schoolmates are hanging out in clusters around a big, rectangular pool. The water glows like something out of a video game, cycling through colors from blue to violet to green. From up here, it looks pretty sick.

  I dive toward the road out front, pulling up at the last second and flipping around so my sneakers hit the pavement first. The bay window on the front of the house flashes in time with a bass explosion that vibrates the ground. Whoa… Brian’s parents have a heck of a sound system.

  They’ve also got a movie-theater rig set up with a giant screen on the wall and one of those overhead projectors like from an office. Looks like twenty guys and a couple girls watching the new Star Wars movie with Darth Emo.

  Neither Ashley nor Michelle are among them, which doesn’t really surprise me. Ash is a major Star Wars geek, but she wouldn’t want to be in a room with other people while she thinks I’m dead. That Michelle even got her to this house right now is a testament to her powers of persuasion. Everyone in there’s got soda cans or red Solo cups. The air tastes like Coke, iced tea, and something fruity―but no alcohol. Guess it’s a low-key hangout, or the parents are home.

  I back away from the window and head to the yard gate on the right, past a pair of industrial-sized trashcans. Flying over the house for a dramatic landing in the yard would be epic, but probably best not to let thirty people watch that. Telling one or two close friends and my family’s one thing; revealing myself to the world is a horrible idea. The gate’s unlocked, so I walk right in past a group of four hanging out in the little spot where the yard wraps around the house. They’re talking about a concert they want to go to next week and don’t pay me much attention, except for one guy. Eddie Aubry. He’s got this whole thing going where he’s trying to look like Patrick Swayze from the eighties or something―or maybe that’s supposed to be a 1950s greaser? I dunno. Bushy hair, long in the back. He’s got a pretty sweet set of pecs, but that hair… Anyway, he shoots me a ‘hey, aren’t you dead?’ look as I go by, but doesn’t say anything.

  A bunch of empty cups float in the pool, but no one’s swimming. I bet they came outside to get away from the movie turned up so loud. Wonder if any of the bedrooms are in use? Doubt it. This party has ‘tame’ written all over it. The colored underwater lighting makes the white fence at the back of the yard glow.

  I make my way around a large group of kids hanging out by the deck stairs, walking within a step or two of the water’s edge. The smell of charred meat lingers, wafting from a platter with one sad, forgotten burger and two hotdogs that’ve probably been sitting for hours. Yeah, I bet Brian’s parents are home. Maybe this is his birthday or something? Not like I’m a major party girl, but even I think this is lame.

  On the other side of the yard, I find Ashley and Michelle sitting at a patio table, hidden in a space between the deck and the fence, beside the central air unit. Ugh. Why bother going to a party at all if you’re going to spend the whole time lurking where no one can see you? Only one thing to do for that.

  Neither one of them notices me approaching since Ash has her head down and Michelle’s trying to talk to her, getting only shrugs or “mmm” as a response.

  I pull out the chair next to Ash, plop down, and say, “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

  My friends stare at me for a long moment.

  Michelle mouths, Holy shit, what the eff.

  Ashley screams, then bursts into tears.

  A few people on the deck peer over the railing at us, but evidently one sobbing girl in a group of three isn’t enough cause for alarm to do more than glance. They probably assume someone broke up with her, or maybe they know it’s Ash and why she’s upset.

  “I saw you die,” blubs Ashley. She snivels for a little while more, then grabs me as if to make sure I’m really here.

  “Umm,” says Michelle. “Sarah?”

  “Yep. It’s me.” I reach around Ashley to salute Michelle. “Sorry I didn’t call. My phone is missing.”

  “What the hell?” Michelle gawks. “How are you here?”

  “I saw you die,” whispers Ashley, shaking me by the shoulders. “I went after you ’cause I didn’t trust Scott, but he had a knife and it was so fast… and then this bear came outta nowhere and…” She retreats back into her chair, curling up, bawling and shaking. />
  I know none of this is my fault, except maybe being stupid enough to dump Scott while we were alone in the woods, but watching Ash come completely unglued rips a hole in my heart. I lean forward and put a hand to her cheek, pulling her head up so we make eye contact.

  A little mental prod pulls her back to a relatively even mood.

  Her eyes flutter. “W-why am I calm? I should be sobbing right now, but I’m like totally chill.”

  “Sorry. That’s me.” I hug her. “Look, you guys, some really freaky stuff’s happened.”

  “What do you mean, ‘that’s me’?” Ashley grabs my hand. “I feel so weird right now. Like I wanna cry and cheer and freak out real bad, but I can’t.”

  I squeeze her hand. “I need you not to be a spaz for a bit so I can explain, so I calmed you down.”

  “Whoa.” Michelle holds up a hand. “Say what? You ‘calmed her down’? Since when are you some kinda psychic?”

  “Umm, since last Thursday night.” I bite my lip. “Ash, you were there?”

  “Uh huh… I followed you. I was hiding in the bushes in case you needed me, but he pulled out a knife and then this giant bear dragged him off. They still haven’t found his body.” Ashley keeps shaking, but her expression remains calm. “You were dead.”

  As soon as she says that, a spike of emotion comes off her so strong it sends tears down my cheeks. Oh, shit… Ash had a crush on me. I’ve known for a while she’s bi, but she never even hinted at having those kinds of feelings for me. No wonder my death hit her so hard… not only did she lose her best friend, I died before she got a chance to tell me how she felt.

  I twist around to peer up behind me at the deck railing. No one is close enough to hear us over the movie pounding out from the patio door as long as we don’t shout. Once sure we have some privacy, I look my friends in the eyes. “Look, you guys. I need you to keep a big secret.”

  “You’re preggo?” asks Michelle.