The Vampiric Housewife

by Kristen Marquette

  He was in love with Lisa or was pretty sure that he was. She wore his pin after all. He thought about her incessantly—not only about having sex with her either though he thought about that a lot too. He loved the way she smiled and cheered him on at football and basketball games. He loved the way she felt in his arms. And how he could tell her all he wanted for the future—to play college ball, go into engineering, see something outside of Sangre Valley, then settle down and have a family. He couldn’t tell his sister that or, more importantly, about how he got to third base with Lisa last weekend. Or about the lustful, depraved dreams he had every night. About the embarrassing erection he woke up with every morning. What an aphrodisiac a backseat and a scary flick were . . . He really did not want his sister anywhere near that situation. Not when he was so close to finally doing it.

  But when Drew told him he was interested in Aims, his true Friday night plans had to be postponed. Sexy, that was the word he had used to describe his sister. It was Drew’s favorite word. Everything Drew liked was sexy—a cool car, a good movie, a party. John could admit that his sister was pretty in her nerdy way. Enough of his friends had said so. But she was not and never would be sexy. There was nothing that connected Amelia with sex and John would be damned if Drew became that link.

  “She’s not easy,” John had warned his friend with an edge to his voice. “She’s not that type of girl.”

  “I have no doubt about that,” he said with a smirk. John did not like that smirk.

  “This better not be some conquest or challenge. This is my kid sister.”

  “You’re my best friend. I’m not going to try and make it with your sister. I like Amelia. One minute she was this kid and then . . .” He smiled to himself. “She was all grown up. She’s smart and shy and sexy. That’s a lot of S’s, a lot of curves. I just want to get to know her better.”

  John had believed his friend. But he still did not trust him, and he would sacrifice losing his virginity to make sure Amelia would be making the same sacrifice.

  “Say you’ll come, Aims.”

  She finally allowed a little smile on her face. “Okay.”

  “I never thought I’d have to talk you into dating Drew,” he teased. “I’ll tell him tomorrow in school.”

  He would also have to let Lisa know about the change of plans. She would not be pleased. She did not care for Drew who winked at every female and could care less about the girls he left heart broken or worse. Nor did Lisa like Amelia much.

  “She’s just so quiet and watchful. It’s a little creepy. I know she’s your sister, but sometimes it’s like she knows some important secret about life and doesn’t want to share. She’d rather just watch us all make fools of ourselves.”

  He stood up for his sister. He would never let anyone bad mouth her, not even his girlfriend, but he also understood where Lisa was coming from. Amelia did watch. It could be creepy. But he knew that she was just trying to understand social graces that weren’t natural to her, or sometimes simply studying people for her drawings. Amelia was smart. She didn’t hide it. The teacher never asked a question she didn’t know the answer to. It could be intimidating, but Amelia was the last person in the world to know the secret of life.

  John turned to leave his sister to her daydreams.

  “Thank you John,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “You’re welcome Aims.”

  Chapter Six

  Five o’clock Sharp (a.m.)

  Dinner was on the table, a feast of raw lamb leg laid out, blood in glasses, and frozen blood ice cream for dessert. John and Amelia were in the basement rec room working diligently on their homework. Harry was still sulking in his bedroom over his punishment and Charlie was just pulling into the driveway, home from a long day at the office. As he walked to the door, Valerie was filling his martini glass with fresh blood and had it in his hand the moment he opened the door.

  “Good morning, dear,” she said kissing him on the cheek.

  “Good morning,” he said with a worn smile.

  “Long day at the hospital?”

  He set his briefcase down and reclined in his chair. “You could say that. Dr. Venjamin is bringing me in on a new research project tomorrow. It’s kind of like a promotion.”

  “Congratulations! That’s great news!”

  Charlie nodded and sipped his blood.

  “Isn’t it?” she asked sensing his lack of enthusiasm.

  “Of course it is . . . It’s just . . .” He sat up in his chair and looked at her earnestly. His dark, almost black eyes, were the saddest she had ever seen them. Could he talk to her about this? Would she understand? Or would she hate him?

  She sat on the ottoman and took his chilly hand in hers. “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Do you ever wonder . . . do you ever think, how can this be my life? Living the same day again and again. Wake up, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed. No change. No excitement. Just the same old routine. I love you and the kids, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t give you up for anything. But the lifestyle . . . and the hospital . . . it’s not a job I ever imagined myself having.” The words weren’t coming out quite right. He had never been good at expressing himself. Damn it, you’d think he’d be able to get it right by now.

  She smiled, perhaps patronizing him a bit. He couldn’t quite tell. “What did you imagine?”

  “I don’t know. Not a nine to five desk job putting together reports. Something outdoors. Something with freedom. Something that wasn’t so predictable.” A life that wasn’t make believe.

  She leaned in. “This life, the kids, the husband, the house . . .” She looked around the room. “. . . is not what I pictured for myself either, at least not right out of high school. I had dreams and hopes I wanted to fulfill first.”

  “How do you get through the day when you know this isn’t what you wanted?” He did not see her eyes dim when he did not ask what those dreams and hopes of her youth were. She would have to remind herself not to hold it against him. He was under stress. He had a lot on his plate. He couldn’t worry about what dreams she may have missed out on at eighteen.

  “I remind myself that I am doing something important with my life. Being a mother to my children. Teaching them to be good people. Watching them be happy. Being your partner. I’m proud of that, you know. And a family is what I want. Now that I have it. You should remember that what you do is important too. Your work at the hospital will help a lot of people some day and it supports your family who loves you.”

  He fell back into the chair. His hand went limp in hers. He thought for a moment that his wife may have understood, that she might have wanted to break out of this mold too. But maybe she had it right. There was no breaking out of it. She was just as trapped as he was. More so. All she did was find a way to be happy.

  Valerie stood up and smoothed her dress. “I do understand, Charlie.”

  He looked up into those unique violet eyes of hers. She did. He remembered her senior year of high school when he met her and she starred in the school play A Street Car Named Desire. She played a haunting Blanche. Charlie had been mesmerized by her performance and by her. She had been extraordinary. Now here she was trapped in the ordinary. And he was trapped with her. But he couldn’t make the best of it, not like she could.

  “Mom, is dinner ready yet? I’m starving,” John said walking into the living room.

  “It’s on the table. Would you get your sister and brother, please?” She began to walk away then turned back to him with a smile. “Are you coming, dear?”

  “In a moment.”

  “Okay.”

  He sat there for a moment. If Valerie could swallow this life, he could too.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Hey Dad, you want to toss the ball around before the sun comes up?” John asked as his sister and mother cleared the table. Harry was already back in his room, this time of his own volition. Valerie held true to her punishment and refused to let him drink any human blood, even col
d. All through dinner his eyes kept going to the pantry. John had promised to sneak him some blood before bed if he could. Maybe John wasn’t always a butthead.

  “Sure. Do you have your homework done?”

  “Everything except my English paper, but I’ll finish it before bed.”

  “Okay. But just for a little while. The sun’ll be up soon.”

  “I’ll go grab the football.”

  “Charlie, we still need to talk about Harry’s behavior,” Valerie reminded her husband.

  “We will. I promise. Depriving him of human blood will ensure he never skips class again, I’m certain of it.”

  John came back and tossed him the pig skin.

  “Not in the house,” Valerie scolded but without malice.

  The men went into the backyard. The sky was already lightening from a navy to a purple, the stars beginning to vanish one by one. Amelia dried the dishes after her mother washed them.

  “Have you decided if you’re going to double with John tomorrow?” Valerie asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “It should be fun. I know monster movies aren’t your taste, then again Drew Sanders is,” she teased with a small smile.

  “Mom!”

  “Sorry, darling. It’s just that I wish I would have dated more boys before marrying your father.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to marry Drew, Mom.”

  Valerie had thought the same thing the first time her parents invited Charlie to dinner. “I know.”

  “I . . . kind of told John to tell Drew yes. But I may cancel.”

  “Don’t. Trust me, you’ll regret it if you do.”

  Amelia just continued to dry the dish to a high polish. Her mother would never understand. She was perfect—undeniably beautiful, her body thin and long, she had an easy smile, and those eyes . . . Why couldn’t Amelia at least gotten those eyes? She may have had more breasts and hips than her mother, but she was too embarrassed by them to enjoy them. She’d rather look like her mom. Plus Valerie always knew what to say to people. She could chit chat about nothing. She could make them smile. She could even make them laugh. Everything was easy for her. How could she ever understand how awkward and embarrassing it would be to sit next to a boy she was half in love with, who she thought was gorgeous and maybe a little misunderstood, in a car while her brother necked with his girlfriend in the front seat? She wouldn’t know what to say or how to act. She knew he wouldn’t like her back. Everyone liked her mother.

  Valerie smoothed her daughter’s hair back. “It’ll be better than sitting through a stuffy dinner party with a bunch of old people.”

  Amelia didn’t say anything.

  “I could help you pick out an outfit. Maybe we could do something special with your hair. What do you think?”

  “Maybe.”

  Valerie smiled. She wished she could trade places with the girl. Don’t get her wrong. She liked hosting dinner parties. It was as close to performing as she got these days. And she liked Doctors Venjamin and Henrick. But being chained by the responsibilities that went along with being married to a successful research assistant . . . it would be nice to dress up to feel good about yourself for once, to feel pretty, and not as a uniform. To have real friends for dinner to enjoy their company and not to further your husband’s career. To have the butterflies of new love again. Yes, she wished she could be Amelia. At least for one night.

  Valerie looked out the window above the sink. Her husband and her son were smiling and laughing. But the sky was getting lighter minute by minute. She hated to wreck their fun. Yet sometimes it was as if she was the only adult.

  She raised the window. “Alright boys! You better come in now or else you’re going to get burnt!” She watched her husband turn anxiously towards the horizon. “Don’t forget to bring the trash cans in from the curb!”

  John threw one last spiral to his father. “Let’s call it a night, son.” He tossed the ball back. “Grab the trash cans for your old man?”

  “Mom, I’m going to my room,” Amelia said putting the last dish away and hanging up the dish towel.

  “Okay, dear.” Valerie wiped her hands on her apron then began the locking down of the house. She closed the blinds and curtains in the kitchen then went room to room making sure no light could possibly find its way between the blinds and fabric. The doors, however, she did not lock. There was no need, not in a safe little town like Sangre Valley.

  When she came back into the family room, Charlie was in his chair, his feet in his slippers and the black and white television on. John was on the floor with his English homework in front of him. The local news was just finishing up. It was the same old news. New medical breakthrough at St. Vladimir. The boys’ basketball team was undefeated. Mrs. Highland’s night blooming orchids won the annual garden contest for the third year running. Valerie picked up her needlepoint.

  “Aims! Harry! I Love Lucy is coming on!” Charlie yelled.

  Both children came a bit grudgingly down the hall. Harry sat on the floor next to his brother. Out of the corner of her eye, Valerie saw him sneaking glances into the kitchen. She couldn’t wait until tomorrow night was over and the human was gone. She did not particularly enjoy feeling like a prison guard over her own son. Amelia sat on the other end of the couch with her sketch book. She did not really like television shows, but she did like the family time together.

  It was an episode they had all seen before. The red-headed Lucy and best friend Ethel had purchased a walk-in freezer so they could buy humans in bulk then freeze them. But their order to the butcher got mixed up and seventy human were delivered instead of seven. Now the two vampires had to hide the swaying, sedated humans from Ricky and Fred. Of course, Lucy managed to lock herself in the freezer, and Ethel had to distract Ricky from all the on-goings. But when Lucy emerged with icicles from her nose, Charlie and the boys laughed. The scene got them every time. Valerie smiled for appearances. Amelia was oblivious, her nose in her sketches.

  Suddenly Valerie heard a noise. She looked around. One moment Harry had been on the floor laughing with his brother and now he was no where to be seen. She immediately went to the kitchen, and there he was, trying to pick the lock on the pantry door. She opened her mouth, but it was Charlie’s voice that she heard come out.

  “What do you think you’re doing!” His voice boomed. Harry was so startled he dropped the lock and took two steps away.

  “N-nothing,” he said in a small, boyish voice.

  Charlie suddenly had the boy by the arm. “There’s a reason there’s a lock on this door! And it’s not about keeping you out—even though I agree with your mother about your punishment for skipping school. It’s about keeping them inside!” With a firm grip on his son’s arm, he flung the pantry door open. Valerie felt her other two children come up behind her. “You see him? He’s dangerous. He may not look it. But humans are wild creatures. Raised on farms or not. They’re animals. One moment they’re docile. The next they’re driving a stake through your heart. Burning your house down with your family inside. Take a good look, Harry. What if you opened that door, got your taste, then forgot to lock the door? How would you feel if that human got loose and killed your brother and sister? What if he killed your mother?” Charlie turned him so he could look at his family in the doorway. “How would you feel then?” Valerie could see the tears bubbling in her son’s eyes. “You can’t let your thirst dominate you. You can’t ever let it take precedent over your life or your family’s life. Go apologize to them.”

  “I’m-I’m sorry. Mommy, I’m sorry.” Tears streamed down the boy’s face.

  “I know, baby. I forgive you,” she whispered.

  “Go to your room. You’re not to come out until night.” Soon as he released his grip on the boy, Harry darted to his room. John and Amelia quietly retreated. For a moment Charlie and Valerie just stared at one another. When Charlie couldn’t handle the judgment in her violet eyes a moment longer, he went to the refrigerator and poured himsel
f a glass of blood.

  “Was that really necessary, Charlie? Scaring the boy like that?” she asked.

  He took a long drink, gulping it down. It was hardly satisfying. “Yes. You were right about this thirst of his. It’s dangerous. He’s not a little boy anymore. It’s not cute when he sneaks bites. He needs to learn control and he needs to learn respect. I’m his father. It’s my responsibility to teach him those things.”

  “I agree. But to make him think he was going to kill his family—“

  “Val—“ He stopped himself from saying something he shouldn’t. Something he wasn’t allowed to. “I’ve seen things you haven’t. I’ve seen what humans are capable of. The whole world isn’t like Sangre Valley.”

  She touched his arm. “Burning down the house with the family . . . is that what happened to your parents? I know you don’t like to talk about them. Is that why? Did humans . . .”

  “Valerie,” he cupped her face in his hands, “I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

  “I won’t, sweetheart. I won’t.”

  He kissed her lips—briefly. She pulled back. “Maybe we should ask Dr. Venjamin about Harry’s unusual thirst for human blood tomorrow night. Maybe he’ll know what we should do.”

  He smiled weakly. “That’s a good idea. Dr. Venjamin will know.”