Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  If Adam had a heartbeat it would have stopped right there. He wanted to be honest with Emily, more than anything. But he knew how difficult it was going to be.

  “What do you think we are?” Adam asked slowly, his eyes glued to Emily’s. He watched her thoughts roll through her mind one at a time, as if she were debating on which one to speak about first.

  “I think that there are lot of things that can’t be explained in this world. Like why our government is evil, or why peanut butter and Oreo’s are so delicious together. These things just are. Kind of like how you just are a… a vampire. Yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s what you are. It would explain the fangs, and the speed, and the blood. As for sun, well, I haven’t seen that since I’ve moved here. Am I wrong?”

  In Adam’s long life he had only ever told two other humans that vampires actually existed. One was his sister, shortly after he was turned. She took the secret to her grave after she opted to not be turned. And the other was Samson’s mother, who, after decades of searching for him, found him one night in an alley. In his excitement to see her Samson had nearly crushed her to death with his embrace. Adam felt he’d had no choice but to divulge her son’s secret. However, the two of them didn’t respond well to the news at all. It was the usual disbelief, cry, realization, horror, and then running away. Emily was doing none of those things. Instead, she was sitting up calmly in her sleeping bag, waiting for Adam to confirm or deny her hypothesis.

  “Ah, well, yes. That’s true. We’re all vampires,” he admitted, flourishing his hand. Emily nodded her head, as if she’d known all along.

  “Do you feed on humans?” She asked calmly. “Is that why Brie attacked me last night? I was supposed to be her little midnight snack?”

  Adam couldn’t get over how calm she was, or how relaxed she was about being nearly killed a couple days ago. It was a reaction that was very new to him. Still, she had questions, and she deserved answers.

  “To answer your first question, yes. We do feed on humans, but we hardly ever kill them. We take just enough to sustain us and then we heal them. We can’t really glamour people like they do on True Blood, but we can make their memories a little fuzzy. To most people all they remember is the feeling of being warm and somewhat horny. Our venom makes humans a little aroused, when we bite into them. It makes them want to stay still for us,” Adam explained.

  “To answer your other question, no. Brie attacked you because she has a really deep jealousy streak, and when I told her that I had feelings for you she kind of went into a rage. She’s had a crush on me for a very long time, even though I’ve told her over and over that it’s just not going to happen. The other night she just finally got the memo. As soon as she smelled you on me she knew that I had been with you, and took off. And to answer your final question, if I hadn’t been there to stop her, then yes, she probably would have eaten you.”

  Emily let out a low whistle as she took it all in. Her family had been bloodthirsty, but not quite like this. This was a whole new level of extreme. She wasn’t sure what to say at first, or do. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Joy or Earl would come looking for her.

  “So, what now?” She asked, needing a place to start. “Are you going to kill me?”

  Adam’s face dropped as he heard the question.

  “God no. I saved your life!”

  Emily let out a breath. “I know, I’m sorry. Thank you for that, by the way. And for healing me. I appreciate it very much. I just- I want to know what’s going to happen now. Am I allowed to live knowing that vampires exist?”

  “Yes,” Adam answered, nodding his head. “Many humans know about us. They just don’t talk about it. And those that do are seen as fanatics and story hunters. You don’t have to die because you know about us. But, there are some things you need to know about our group. We’re a little odd, even for vampire standards. My family, my lost boys, they’re a band of orphans that I’ve collected. One way or another they’ve been abandoned by their makers, and I’ve helped them learn how to live without creating a path of destruction.”

  Ah, Emily thought, that would explain the obsession Brie has with Adam. He’s like the father/boyfriend she probably never had as a human.

  “They’re pretty upset about the amount of force I used to stop Brie. They see us all as family, and they’re wondering why I nearly destroyed a family member for you,” Adam explained.

  Emily felt a mixture of both relief and fear as Adam told her that. There was a relief that Adam had saved her, but fear that this new little adventure was far from being over. Needing fresh air, Emily crawled out of her sleeping bag and moved to the entrance of the tent. Adam made no move to stop her and as she unzipped the flap of the tent she inhaled deeply, taking in the cool late summer air.

  The moon, full and brilliant, had risen high into the sky. It was in the prefect spot above the trees where it shone in all of its glory down on Emily’s campsite. If she weren’t so afraid of her future, it would be a really nice night. The growl of her stomach caught her off guard; she looked from the moon down to her stomach.

  “You’re hungry,” he stated.

  “Come on, I’ll take you to get some food.”

  “Where?” Emily asked. “Joy’s is closed, so is everything else in town.

  For the first time since the entire incident, Adam smiled at her.

  “Don’t worry, I have my ways.”

  ~

  Emily gasped for breath and wobbled on jelly-like legs as Adam put her back down on the ground. To get them where he wanted, he’d simply taken Emily into his arms and ran, faster than any human ever could in their lifetime. It was so fast, she could barely catch her breath for the three minutes that she was in Adam’s arms.

  “Sorry,” he winced, steadying her. “I should have warned you about that. Anyway, come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

  For the first time Emily looked around. She didn’t recognize at all where we she was, but the balcony she stood on had an excellent view of the bay. Turning around, she watched as Adam’s powerful wrist broke the lock to the French doors in one simple turn.

  “Do you do this often?” She asked, not sure whether or not to follow him inside.

  “Don’t worry, no one’s here,” he assured her, taking her hand and leading her into the large house. “This is a vacation home and the people who own it already came up for a month. They won’t be back for another year. As vampires, we’re usually immune to the cold. However, the snow can get a little annoying. When we get tired of it we come and spend the winter here. We always replace anything we use or fix anything we break. Like that lock for example.” The French doors opened up to a modern kitchen, with all stainless steel appliances and a large island in the center of it. As Adam went to the double door fridge, Emily took a seat on one of the island’s bar stools.

  “Okay, looks like we’ve got steak, fish, and chicken. What are you feeling?”

  Emily shrugged her shoulders. If she was going to do something like this she might as well do it up big.

  “Steak please. Medium rare.”

  Emily watched in fascination as Adam darted around the kitchen. He was fast in his movements, and precise. In no time at all he had the defrosted steak on a portable griddle and was sprinkling garlic and salt over it. The aroma of the cooking beef filled the house with a savory flavor, and Emily could feel her mouth water.

  “If you drink blood, how is it you know how to cook?” She asked.

  Adam laughed, and flipped the large piece of meat yet again.

  “I wasn’t always a vampire, you know. And even though it was long ago, I remember my way around the kitchen.”

  Emily looked over him, trying to guess his edge. His muscular build was not large or imposing, but there was definite strength there. He had no wrinkles on his face, but maybe that was just a perk of being a vampire, she wasn’t sure. Her guess was around twenty-one or twenty-two.

  “How old are you?” She finally asked, wanting to kn
ow for sure.

  Smiling, Adam took down a plate and slid the steak onto it. After grabbing a fork and a knife, he put it in front of Emily and waited for her to take her first bite. Eagerly she cut into the steak, seeing the perfect combination of brown and pink. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she took the first bite of it. Steak had never tasted so good in all her life.

  “How is it?” He asked, pouring her a glass of red wine.

  “Oh god,” Emily moaned, chewing the little piece over and over again, “it’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “Good, I’m glad you like it. And to answer your question, I’m two hundred and twenty-eight years old. But if you’re asking what year I was when I was turned, I was twenty-four.”

  Emily balked, trying to imagine what it would be like to see the changes of the world over two hundred years.

  “Do you know why you were turned?” She asked, taking another cut out of the steak. She watched as Adam’s smile turned kind of sad, and she wondered if she had asked an inappropriate question. She tried to apologize, but Adam stopped her.

  “No, no it’s quite alright. It’s just- I haven’t had anyone really to talk to me about my life in a really long time. It’s a pleasant change.” He put his cold hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “Really, it’s all right,” he assured her. “So, well, it was near the turn of the eighteenth century, and I was working as a stable boy for one of the many lords that lived in England. Lord Devonshire, I believe. He had a sister as well, a Countess who was considered the tart of the family. She travelled all around the world with her posse, and just drank life in, you know? She took whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. And one day she wanted me.

  She had come in with her pretty white horse after a ride one afternoon, and she wanted me as soon as she spotted me. At first I thought it was just to keep her company in bed. I didn’t mind of course. She was beautiful, and worldly, and she made sure her brother stopped beating me. However, one night, in the throes of passion, she bit me. I thought it was just a dash of kinkery and didn’t try to stop her. But then I remember feeling as if I was slowly falling asleep- amid the lovemaking and all! And no matter how I struggled, I couldn’t get my eyes to stay open.

  When I woke up, I was as I am now. She said she wanted to be together forever. But her version of forever only lasted about four months. After that, I was on my own.”

  Emily swallowed her last bite of steak, and looked up forlornly at Adam.

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “That must have been horrible.”

  Adam shrugged his shoulders, and reached for the plate to clean it.

  “It was hard at first, but I got used to it. It’s why I took in the others. They’re my lost boys. But I’m the original one.”

  “How many of you are there? Lost boys I mean,” Emily asked.

  “I’m sure hundreds, maybe thousands. But here in Depoe Bay, there are only six of us. Any time someone feels as if they’re ready to go out on their own I let them, but I never gather more than five others together at a time. Vampires are meant to be solitary creatures, and unless there’s strict order in a nest, it can become a little frenzied. Usually nests bigger than six get a little power hungry. Someone starts to think they should have more say or power, and then they strike up a challenge. It’s never good. Someone always dies.”

  “Has that ever happened to you?” Emily asked. She watched a look of discomfort pass over Adam’s face, and already had her answer.

  “A while ago. Back in the 1920’s. There was this male vampire who thought that he could protect the others better than I could. We were all living in Alaska at the time. He lost. I won. And that’s pretty much the story.”

  Emily watched Adam’s handsome face as a number of emotions ran through it. He seemed genuinely disheartened that he’d had to kill another vampire. Feeling the need to comfort him, she reached out and wrapped her fingers in his. When he looked up at her he smiled appreciatively, and flashed her his canines.

  “So, what’s going to happen now? This Brie girl, I’m assuming she’s still upset?”

  Adam nodded his head. “She is, and the others are starting to get upset as well. They’ve never seen me become attached to a human before, and they’re starting to question my ability to lead. Brie wants to challenge me and take over them. Part of me wants to just let her have it. I’ve lived this life for so long, maybe it’s time I do something different.”

  “Like what?” Emily asked.

  Adam’s eyes moved up to hers, the bright silver of his iris’s seeming to penetrate her hazel green ones.

  “Like be with you,” he said softly.

  CHAPTER 6

  Brie’s wild eyes looked through the trees, wanting to see the moment that Adam would be coming back with the mortal. Her anger bubbled up in her like black tar, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could contain it. Obeying Adam, the other four lost boys had tied her in silver, and were keeping watch over her until Adam came back and decided what he wanted to do with her. For years she had loved the other lost boys as if they were her brothers, but now she felt betrayed by them. All for a mere mortal.

  “Samson,” she called, speaking to her favorite brother. “Samson come on it’s me, Brie. The one who takes care of you?”

  “Adam takes care of me. He takes care of all of us,” Samson replied. Still, he took a few steps closer to her, and sat down on the ground to keep her company. “Why are you so mad, sister?” He asked.

  “The same reason that you should be mad. That all of you should be mad,” she hissed, pushing against her silver cords. “Adam has forsaken me for a human! How long do you think it’s going to be until he does it to the rest of you? Huh? I love Adam, just like I know you all love Adam too, but he’s gone soft. Weak. When’s the last time we even had human blood? Can you remember?”

  Brie watched in satisfaction as her four brothers began to turn away from the forest and towards her. They were listening now, taking in her words. If she could just get them to stand up with her to Adam, she could get out of the silver and destroy the stupid human that had tricked her beloved. She may not be a vampire, but she was definitely a witch. In all her years she’d been with Adam’s lost boys, Brie had never seen him like or even talk to a human the way he talked to Emily. It filled her with rage and jealousy.

  “Please, brothers. Untie me. Stand with me in front of Adam and together we can figure out why he’s decided to trade us for a human!”

  Jules, one of the oldest boys, took a step towards her. His large silver eyes looked pained.

  “You really think that he is choosing her over us?” He asked.

  Giving him her most saddened look, Brie slowly nodded her head.

  Jules looked from Samson to Zaphir, to Charles, then finally to Brie again.

  “Should we let her go?” Charles asked, looking up to Jules. Slowly, Jules nodded his head up and down. If Brie was right, then they had to save Adam from the evil human. They had to destroy her so that Adam could see that she was no good.

  Taking another step forward, Jules walked over to Brie, and began to untie her ropes. The silver burned his hands as he worked around it, but he healed as soon as he dropped the blood stained cord onto dirt floor of the forest. Brie shot up from her spot immediately, her hands flying to her wrist to rub away the soreness and the blood that had resulted from being corded with silver for so long.

  “You see? If Adam still loved us, would he use silver to tie me up? Imagine if that would have been you? How would that have made you feel?” Brie asked, her eyes full of insanity.

  At her side, Zaphir saw her madness, and took a step backwards. For a moment he had been fooled, but now, he saw Brie in all of her glory, and he knew he had made a mistake. As soon as her back was turned, Zaphir darted away from Brie. He had loved his family for a long time, but now it was time for him to be somewhere else. Somewhere on his own. He only hoped that Adam would forgive him for running away.

>   ~

  Adam felt a bead of blood trickle from his hairline down his forehead. Vampires didn’t sweat when they were hot, only when they were nervous. And much like their tears, it was droplets of blood, not water. Emily had told him that she had wanted to go with him, to try and reason with Brie and let her know that she wasn’t trying to take him away from her. Although he was solidly sure that it was a bad idea, he had brought her along anyway. He admired her strength to face a problem head on, and felt even more of a longing from her as they moved ever closer to his camp site.

  Just as he feared, Brie had been able to talk one of his lost boys into removing the silver cords. She was no longer sitting beneath a tree, but walking freely around the fire, waiting for him to come to back. She must have smelled Emily right away because as soon as he made it through the clearing he saw her turn and look directly at them. Using his speed, he brought them only a few feet away from Brie.

  This time, Emily had held her breath, and was able to make the journey in Adam’s arms a lot easier. Slowly he let her down, and moved her protectively behind him. The act of kindness only earned him a snarl from Brie, and surprisingly, from Samson, Jules, and Charles.

  “What’s going on here?” Adam asked, rising to the balls of his feet. He wanted to be ready in case either of them would attack.

  “We’re worried about you,” Jules said, his voice full of worried emotion. “You’re risking our safety for a human.”

  “You haven’t taken us human hunting in months,” Charles complained.

  “And you nearly killed Brie to protect this woman,” Samson added. His small hand reached up and took ahold of Brie’s hand. She looked genuinely hurt, and was surprisingly silent.

  “We want things to go back to the way they were,” Jules said, his eyes darting around, looking for a way to slip past Adam.

  “And you?” Adam asked, looking over at Brie. “You have anything to say about this?”

  Brie’s tear ducts filled up with blood as she slowly shook her head back and forth.