“I think it is because we’re conditioned to be afraid of the unknown, the supernatural,” Daniel replied. “That’s probably why I’m not afraid at all, I have grown up amongst the supernatural my entire life, it’s normal to me.”
“It’s too bad all humans don’t feel the way you do, Dan,” Declan began. “It would make it a lot easier for us, especially since a majority of humans are so afraid of us that they wouldn’t hesitate to try and kill us.”
“Right? But, here’s the odd thing…when we were at the cemetery we were just quietly sitting on the bench. He suddenly started freaking out saying that he faintly heard a woman weeping. He thought it was coming from my family’s tomb. I didn’t hear anything, so I don’t know if he’s crazy or if something is going on.” Emma added.
Perplexed, they all tried to think of what it could have been that Todd had seen the night before and heard at the cemetery. And if he really had heard something, why didn’t Emma hear it, as well? None of them had ever seen a ghost, which could be considered odd since the Manor itself was old and could easily appear to be haunted. The household vampires were awake 24/7 and had never seen anything out of the ordinary.
“I’m wondering something here…” Dan spoke up after a few moments of silence. “Personally, I have never seen or heard anything weird here, but who’s to say ghosts aren’t lurking? Just because someone has never met a vampire, doesn’t mean you all don’t exist, right? What I’m thinking is maybe the reason why you didn’t hear anything, Emma, is because ghosts are spirits of the dead. You are already dead, so perhaps you can’t see or hear them?”
“You’re brilliant, Dan. That makes perfect sense.” Emma replied.
“Well, what fun is that if we’re supernatural and can’t see ghosts?” Declan laughed.
They could hear that dinner was just about over and people were headed into the parlor. Zachariah, Vivienne, and Declan went to join them, but Emma wanted to continue speaking with Dan. She was troubled, he could easily read that on her face.
“Dan…have you ever seen her before? My sister?” Emma gently asked.
He shook his head ‘no’ with his brows furrowed in apology. “I have never seen anything out of the ordinary except for you guys. But, that’s normal to me. I have never seen any ghosts.”
“What about as a child? Do you ever remember anything odd or being afraid? Children often let their imaginations run wild.”
“No…the funny thing is, I know people get spooked out, especially in our house. But, I never was. When I was a kid I was never really afraid of anything,” Daniel shrugged.
“Why is that?”
He gave her a big smile, “Because I always knew that the scariest and most dangerous thing on Earth was my ‘sister’ and that she was on my side. I never had any fear knowing you were here.”
She drew her breath in deep and grabbed him into a tight hug, overwhelmed with emotions. Love, pride, and gratification rolled through her. She softly cried while hugging him tight, but not tight enough to hurt him! She didn’t want to think of the day when she would lose her beloved Daniel. Over the countless decades she had to watch family members be born, grow up, and then die. She would love them, of course, but she never allowed herself to get too attached. It was different with Daniel, though. As he grew up they were like two peas in a pod; kindred spirits. With each passing year Emma allowed herself to get more and more attached to him, but now she always feared they day she would lose him. He was her little “brother” and the best human friend she had ever had.
They pulled away from each other and he saw the red streaks going down her cheeks. “Why are you crying?” He asked.
“I just love you so much,” she replied while dampening a paper towel.
Daniel paused before responding,” I know what you’re thinking…hopefully that won’t be for a long time.”
She looked at him with a forced smile while wiping her cheeks. “I don’t know what I’ll ever do without you. In the past two hundred years I have never bonded with a family member like I have with you.”
Emma sat down next to Todd in the parlor and apologized for not making it to dinner. She told him that she got stuck in a conversation with Zachariah, Vivienne, Declan, and Daniel and completely lost track of time.
“I have to be honest, I’m really disappointed,” Todd said with hurt in his eyes.
“I’m sorry, I know,” she apologetically responded.
There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a moment before Todd spoke again. He saw Zachariah clear on the other side of the room, blatantly watching them. Exasperated, he quietly said, “I just don’t understand how you could lose track of time talking to Zach when you knew I was waiting for you.”
Emma leaned back and looked at him with an Oh-No-You-Didn’t look. “Do you have a problem with me conversing with Zach?”
“I’m a little jealous, yes.” He bluntly replied. He looked at Zachariah once again, who was now grinning with complete satisfaction. It was as though he could hear their conversation, but there was no way with him being so far away. “Why is he grinning at us?”
“I don’t know! Look…if you’re going to get jealous because I talk to Zach, then that is going to be a problem. If you ultimately try to make me choose, you will not like the answer.”
Todd held his hands out in front of him, “Whoa, whoa! I’m not making you choose. I just can’t help but be a little jealous since you and Zach have a history. I know you’re close and probably always will be. You’ll have to forgive me,” he said as he put his hands on top of hers.
She shook her head, ashamed of herself for snapping at him the way she did. She knew she was in the wrong—she ditched him at dinner and he had every reason to be upset with her. “No, you’ll have to forgive me; I should have been more attentive when I knew you were waiting for me at dinner.”
“Water under the bridge, love. You know, speaking of dinner…how do I phrase this delicately?” He said, trying to find the right words. “I have never seen you eat; you’re never at the meals when everyone is together. You’re…alright, right?”
She chuckled, “I’m fine. I don’t like to be in the way when there is a film crew here, so I usually eat in the kitchen.” She stood up and turned around, sticking out her voluptuous butt toward him. “Does this look like I’m underfed?” She laughed.
“Well, next time, don’t stay out of the way and join us, yeah?”
She nodded with a sheepish smile while tucking her hair behind her ear. “I think I’m going to put on a movie and call everyone in for a movie night, want to join me?”
“I’d be honored to be your date for movie night,” he joyfully replied.
Emma called everyone to the parlor for their always-enjoyable movie night. The guests brought down blankets and pillows and sprawled them all around the floor and couches. She decided pop in Midnight in Paris, one of her recent favorite movies, where the setting took place in the 1920’s. She stepped over some people lying on the floor and hopped onto the couch to curl up with Todd. She nuzzled into his chest, listened to his heartbeat and rhythmic breathing. She closed her eyes and was almost in a trance while focusing on the sounds of life. She felt his warm arms around her and began to feel a bit melancholy since she no longer possessed any of those things. Little did he know that he was holding a living corpse so close to his body.
She shook those thoughts out of her head and opened her eyes to snap out of it. She crooked her head up to smile at him and he stole a quick kiss from her.
“Remember Paris in the twenties?” Zachariah asked softer than a whisper from the other side of the room.
She smiled and discreetly nodded. She remembered visiting Paris with Zachariah in the heart of the Roaring Twenties—the dancing, the music, the people, and the ambience were nothing to be rivaled. She smiled when she thought of when they visited the Moulin Rouge together and charmed two of the Cancan dancers into coming with them back to their rented apartment.
; “Remember the Cancan dancers?” He murmured again.
She grinned even bigger now and nonchalantly glanced over at him, where he sat beaming. At this moment, she wanted to go over to him and reminisce, but couldn’t find it in her cold, dead heart to do that to Todd.
“That redhead’s blood was my favorite…” he said as he licked his lips.
Emma had to stifle a laugh. Ah, Zachariah, her once virginal boy that she had turned into a perverted freak. He was a pro at charming humans; so dashing and smooth, he could probably do it without his vampire capabilities.
“You two are too much,” Vivienne softly chimed in with a giggle.
“What’s the matter, Emma? Cat got your tongue?” Declan added.
She wrinkled her nose at them as Zachariah muffled a laugh. This was torture not being able to audibly join in the conversation.
“I wish I had been able to visit Paris in the twenties, but I never got a chance to,” Vivienne said.
“You were too busy being a blood-thirsty young’un in New York then.” Declan responded.
Drinks in the kitchen were definitely in order later on, Emma couldn’t stand it anymore!
They spent the entirety of the movie having a one ended conversation and Todd was none-the-wiser. She felt deceitful, but monogamy was never in a vampire’s nature. Unlike other vampires who ran from their human lives, she had remained with her family. That caused her to retain some of her humanity during her two hundred years as a vampire, and caused her to love those around her instead of being indifferent.
After the movie ended and everyone was picking up their blankets and pillows, Todd asked, “So, do you want to join me in my room for a nightcap?”
Emma rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock on the wall, “I totally would, but I’m so tired! I’m sorry love, next time?”
Disappointed, Todd nodded his head and continued to gaze at her. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about last night…”
She touched his face and answered, “Me, too. But, it’s all in good time. Goodnight, dear.”
As everyone started walking up the stairs Emma muttered under her breath, “Vamps, care for a drink in the kitchen? Be there in a minute, have to fake going to bed.”
She looked back and saw Vivienne and Declan walk in the other direction towards the kitchen while Zachariah gave a short nod and followed their lead. When they got up to their rooms, Emma and Todd stood in the hallway, wrapped around each other in an embrace.
“You sure you don’t want to come in?” He asked again, hoping she would change her mind.
“I’m sure. My pillow is calling my name, next time though.” She stood on her tiptoes to reach up for a kiss to which he passionately responded. “Good night, love,” she said as she opened the door to her room and looked back at him.
She waited a few minutes until she heard him climb into his bed and quietly exited her room. She ran at vampire speed down the hallway so there wouldn’t be a chance of her being seen. She saw Daniel straightening up in the parlor after everyone had gone and invited him to join them in the kitchen for a drink; blood for them, a beer for him.
By the time they reached the kitchen, Zachariah already had a glass of warmed blood waiting for her on the center island. Daniel reached in to the fridge to grab a beer and pulled up a seat next to Zachariah, who was explaining how great Paris was in the 1920’s. Emma chimed in from time-to-time while recounting their escapades while visiting the City of Light. Vivienne looked on with envy since she was in the prime of her human life in the twenties before she was turned. However, she thought that being a vampire in Paris during that era had to be extraordinary.
Their lively conversation was interrupted when they heard Todd in his bedroom. He was calling Emma’s name in a panic and clearly running through his room to get out the door. He was banging on her bedroom door and anxiously yelling for her to wake up.
Daniel had no idea what was going on as they had all stopped talking and went completely silent, listening to the commotion upstairs in the west wing of the Manor.
“What’s wrong, guys?” He asked, noticing their alarm.
“Dang it! What do I do? I told him I was exhausted and going to bed!” Emma exclaimed while Declan was telling Daniel what they were hearing.
Vivienne thought quickly and said, “Put your cell phone in your hand, run fast to the top of the stairs, then leisurely walk down the hallway. Tell him your phone was on the couch and you went down to get it so you could charge it overnight.”
“You’re brilliant, Viv! Thank you!” Emma replied while giving her a swift kiss on the forehead before running out of the kitchen.
Emma sprinted at lightning speed to the top of the stairs and began walking down the hallway with her phone in her hand. Todd saw her and dashed towards her, his face riddled with alarm.
Before she could even explain what she was doing out of bed, he spoke up, completely out of breath. “Emma, I saw her again! The ghost, she was in my room. I have no doubt it was Elizabeth Davenport, no doubt whatsoever.”
“Catch your breath, love,” she said while rubbing his shoulder. “What happened this time?”
“I was lying there trying to go to sleep and I felt as though I was being watched again. This time she was standing near my bed watching me, but I wasn’t afraid when I saw her. So, I asked her if she was Elizabeth and she nodded yes. I asked her if there was a reason that she is still here and she nodded again. She said that she wants to sleep next to her family. It was like pulling teeth trying to get a straight answer from her.”
Horrified, Emma knew what she meant. “Did she say why she can’t sleep next to her family?”
Todd held his breath for a moment and responded, “She pointed towards your room and said, ‘Emma knows. She knows the truth and needs to make it right.’”
It was the first time in two-hundred years that Emma felt sick to her stomach. Elizabeth wasn’t in the family crypt and she knew it. She was buried like a dog out in the back woods, without dignity, without a proper funeral. Her sister didn’t deserve that and it was a decision made in haste in 1815. Todd was the second person in Emma’s lifetime to ever see Elizabeth’s ghost, the first being John, Daniel’s father. Although, John was always too afraid to speak to her, no matter how much Emma tried to encourage him to do so.
Now what was Emma to do? Elizabeth couldn’t rest until her body was in the family crypt and Emma telling the truth about her demise.
“What does that mean, Emma? You know the truth and you need to make it right?” Todd asked, bringing her back from her own thoughts.
“I don’t know,” Emma said while shaking her head. “Perhaps she meant the original Emma Davenport?”
At that moment, Todd’s face turned to shock as he took in a startled breath. He was no longer looking at Emma, he was looking directly past her. She turned around to see what was behind her, but all she saw was an empty hallway.
She looked back at Todd and asked, “What? What is it?”
“She’s right behind you, you can’t see her?”
Emma turned around again, but still saw nothing. “No, I don’t see anyone!”
“She looks very sad and is pointing at you. I think she means you and not the original Emma,” Todd said as her apparition faded away. “Is there something you know?”
Emma shook her head, pretending to be confused. “No, I don’t know what she means. I’ll have to do some research to try and figure this out.”
They stood silent in the hallway for a moment before Todd spoke up, “I’m not afraid of her, but I have to admit I’m a little creeped out. I really don’t want to be alone tonight…”
Whether what he said was true or if he was using the opportunity to convince Emma to stay the night with him, she wasn’t sure. But, she felt she owed him since he was the first person to communicate with Elizabeth in two-hundred years and he was clearly a bit freaked out. “Stay with me in my room,” she said as she took his hand and led him to her room. Sh
e knew the other vampires, including Zachariah, in the house heard everything that had happened. She knew he heard the cue not to come to her room tonight.
Chapter 9
Todd had never been in Emma’s room before—it was beautiful and very feminine. There were plenty of deep pink and gold accents adorning the walls and décor. Her four-post bed was as large as his and covered in gold accent pillows. Over her fireplace hung a large painted portrait of the original Emma Davenport; the resemblance between the two were still uncanny to Todd.
She lit a small fire in the fireplace and turned on some music, just to give a bit of background noise. Bruno Mars’ Young Girls played softy through the speakers that were hung up in the corners of the ceiling. Emma laughed internally at the irony of the title since Todd thought she was ten years younger than he was, but she was far from it. Todd looked around the room at the pictures adorning the walls and on her dresser. He noted that there were several of her and Zachariah, smiling and laughing, on vacations, at home, and at movie premieres. There were several of Daniel as well, clearly revealing the brother/sister love they shared.
Emma came to stand next to him and pick up a picture off of her dresser. “This was from the first Ticking Through Time premiere,” she said as she showed it to him. “Daniel was just twelve years old here.” In the picture were Daniel, his parents, and Emma; all laughing and sharing a monumental evening together.
Todd smiled, “He’s so young here! And you haven’t aged a bit, you look exactly the same!”
She dramatically flipped her hair from her shoulders and laughed, “Why thank you, good sir!”
He set the picture back down and turned to her. “Elizabeth’s ghost has got me shaken up,” he began. “When’s she’s present, I’m not afraid of her, but the thought of a ghost lurking around kind of scares the bejesus out of me!”
She gently rubbed his upper arm, “I know, but don’t be frightened of her. She won’t hurt you.”
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