The Vampire's Grave and Other Stories

by Amy Cross

  "I didn't say I don't believe in it," she continued. "I merely said that I don't think it works like some kind of magic drug. Do you really think love is going to keep you from making a mistake? You say you love this Lucy girl, but you cheated on her. So are you now claiming that you can stop yourself cheating on her again if you love her a little more? Is that your great plan?"

  "Have you ever been in love?" Adam asked.

  "Me?" She paused. "That's a rather personal question."

  "So you haven't?"

  "Of course I have."

  "How many times?"

  Smiling, she took a sip from her wine. "Only once," she said eventually, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "No-one can love more than once in their lifetime. It just doesn't work that way. We can only give our love to one person, and we have to take it back before we can give it to someone else. Real love... True love... It's a powerful thing, even after many, many years."

  "So you do believe in something, then," Adam replied.

  "I believe love can do many things," Madeleine said, "but it can't save us from ourselves. That crack that runs through your soul, the flaw that allowed you to cheat on the woman you claim to love, is still there. It doesn't matter how much you say you love her, the crack will always be a part of you. The best thing to do is to acknowledge it and treat it wait caution. Don't make the mistake of fooling yourself into believing that you've managed to make it go away."

  "I have."

  "You're like a man in a tiger cage," she continued, "who brings the beast down and then turns his back on it, believing it to be dead. A terrible mistake. So much blood." She paused for a moment. "That's not a metaphor, either. I actually saw a man do that once, and my God, there was so much blood when the tiger got its claws into him. The poor man never stood a chance. Then again, it was all a long time ago. But the tiger couldn't change. He needed to kill that man. The man made a mistake when he thought he'd calmed the tiger's instincts. Like I said before, we are what we are, and we must accept that if we're to keep from causing terrible pain to others. If I walked out the door right now, and then I bumped into you again in a hundred years, you'd still be exactly the same person, and so would I."

  "You're wrong," Adam said. "I'm in love, and when Lucy gets here, we're going to be together forever."

  "She's very late, though," Madeleine replied, checking her watch. "What do you think could possibly have delayed her?"

  "Maybe the bus broke down."

  "Maybe," Madeleine replied, narrowing her eyes for a moment as she spotted something outside the window. "Isn't that the bus now?"

  Turning, Adam saw that she was right. A rickety old bus was pulling into the stop across the road. Hurrying to the door, Adam rushed out into the rain and hurried over to the bus stop, just in time to see the doors open.

  "End of the line," the driver barked.

  "I'm waiting for someone," Adam said, stepping on-board and seeing that there were no passengers. "Where is she?" he asked after a moment, unable to accept that the bus was empty.

  "End of the line," the driver said again. "Go on, get off!"

  "There was a woman," Adam said, turning to him. "She got on maybe somewhere around Voluyak. About my age, blonde with blue eyes. She probably had a suitcase with her, and..." He paused as he realized that he was starting to sound desperate. "You didn't see her?" he asked eventually.

  The bus driver shook his head.

  Without saying anything, Adam stepped down off the bus and watched as the doors closed. Moments later, there was a grinding sound and the bus eased away and disappeared into the night. Turning and looking back across the square, Adam couldn't quite believe that there was no sign of Lucy. He still half hoped that maybe she'd got off a stop early and persuaded the driver to lie, just so she could jump out of the shadows as a surprise. As the rain continued to pour down, however, Adam realized that she wasn't coming. Not now, and probably not ever. Taking his phone from his pocket, he saw that there were no messages, and when he tried to call Lucy's number, he was sent straight to voice-mail.

  Walking slowly back across the square, he eventually reached the cafe and pushed the door open. The first thing he saw was Madeleine, sitting in the far corner with her book, and it was immediately clear that she was being very careful not to make eye contact with him.

  "Give me a beer," he said to the barman, placing some coins on the bar. Moments later, with a glass of beer in his hand, he wandered over to his table, where he stopped and looked across at Madeleine. Her studious attempt to avoid eye contact was kind of cute, he realized, although it was also fairly annoying. It was pretty clear that she was feeling kind of smug now that he'd been stood up, and Adam didn't know whether to be grateful or pissed off that she was making no effort to celebrate her victory.

  For the next few minutes, Adam sat at his table and sipped from his beer. Madeleine's silence was filling the room, but although he felt he'd have to talk to her eventually, right now Adam was determined not to give her the satisfaction. Then again, he realized, he didn't have to talk to her. She was no-one to him, just a stranger he'd met in a late-night cafe, and he figured he could quite easily just get up and walk out the door without ever having to worry about bumping into her again. Still, something made him feel as if he wanted to talk to her a little more. It was as if her mind was reaching across the room and forcing its way into his consciousness, teasing him to pay her some more attention.

  "So you're probably pretty pleased with yourself," he called out eventually.

  Madeleine looked up from her book.

  "You were right all along," he continued.

  "I was?"

  "She's not here, is she?"

  "Maybe she was delayed," Madeleine suggested. "There are lots of reasons why she might have missed the bus. Have you tried calling her?"

  "No answer."

  "Have you tried -"

  "She's not coming," Adam said firmly. "You were right. No-one gets second chances. I guess she doesn't think I've really changed. When it came down to it, she figured I'd do the same thing again."

  "But you know you wouldn't," Madeleine said. "Don't you?"

  Adam nodded wearily.

  "So isn't that what matters?"

  "I thought she believed in me," he replied. "I thought she trusted me."

  "Maybe she's scared."

  "Maybe she just can't take that leap of faith," Adam suggested. "Maybe she can't look past the fact that I..." He paused. "I'll tell you one thing," he continued after a moment. "She loves me. I know that. There's no way you'll ever persuade me that our love isn't strong. It's just, I guess it's not enough to overcome everything else. She probably figured that every time she looked at me, she'd be reminded of what I did."

  They sat in silence for a moment.

  "Closing in half an hour," the barman said suddenly.

  "You want another drink?" Adam called across the room to Madeleine.

  She paused, as if she wasn't sure whether to accept his offer. "Another red wine, thanks," she said eventually. "Just a small one."

  Hauling himself from his chair, Adam wandered over to the counter and waited while the skeptical-looking barman poured a glass of wine followed by another beer. Once he'd paid, Adam carried the drinks over to Madeleine's table and set them down.

  "Mind if I join you?" he asked.

  "Knock yourself out," she replied with a faint, cautious smile.

  "I guess you think I'm a total idiot," Adam said as he sat down. "All that crap about love. I must've sounded like some kind of fucking schoolboy."

  "You've changed your mind pretty fast," Madeleine pointed out. "A few minutes ago, you were convinced that love was going to save the day. Now you've gone in the other direction. Are your beliefs always so fragile?"

  "I can't deny the evidence before my eyes, can I?"

  "But you still don't know why she didn't turn up."

  "She saw through me," he said, taking a big gulp from his glass of beer. "She knew I could
n't change. She knew I'd do the same thing again. Love was never going to be enough." He paused. "I guess I'll never know if she was right."

  "Whether you've changed?" Madeleine asked. She waited for an answer, but it was clear that Adam was now lost in thought. "Maybe you want to put yourself to the test?" she added eventually.

  "How?" Adam asked, turning to her.

  "There's a way," she replied, unable to stifle a grin. "If you're brave enough, and stupid enough."

  Three

  It was quick and easy.

  After leading Adam out of the cafe, Madeleine led him on a meandering walk through the late-night streets of Sofia's outskirts. She knew where they were going, but she figured she might as well get to know him a little better first, so she took a route that was far from direct. Constantly teasing him, she was careful to keep him from getting too despondent, and she steered the conversation well away from the subject of Lucy's failure to appear.

  Once they reached the cemetery out by the old church, she made her move. It was desperately, pathetically easy. All she had to do was take the teasing up a notch and show a little flesh, and soon Adam was all over her. Having not made love to a human for a couple of years, Madeleine allowed herself to enjoy the experience, at least for a while. Sure, Adam's fumbling moves were kind of deflating, and he was by no means an expert lover, especially from the point of view of a woman who had slept with some of the greatest men of the past few centuries. Still, it was a decent way to pass the time, and she realized eventually that she'd missed the feel of a man pressed against her naked body.

  When they were finished, Adam stood back, catching his breath as he cleaned himself up. Madeleine, however, was in no hurry. She remained naked, enjoying the way that Adam kept glancing at her. It had been so long since she'd been admired for her beauty, and she could no longer remember why she'd withdrawn from such encounters in recent years. Human men were always so shallow, so easy to please. They really weren't much of a challenge, but sometimes easy love could be a lot of fun.

  "I was right," she said eventually, keeping her eyes fixed on Adam as he stood naked nearby. "You do remind me of him."

  "Who?" he asked.

  "Never mind," she continued, looking up at the brooding sky. The rain had finally eased, but it was clear that a much bigger storm was on the way, coming from the west. "How do you feel?" she asked eventually, turning back to Adam.

  He smiled. "This isn't quite how I expected the evening to go..."

  "One must always be open to unexpected developments," Madeleine replied. "A closed mind is a dead mind. But tell me, do you think I was right after all?"

  "About what?"

  "You haven't changed at all, have you?" She smiled as she waited for a reply. "All it took was for your lucky lady to do a no-show, and an hour later you were doing very naughty things to me. In a cemetery, no less."

  "This is different," Adam replied. "Lucy stood me up. It's over with her."

  "But how could you sleep with me," Madeleine continued, stepping closer to him and looking down to admire his manhood, "if you love her?"

  "Easily," he said, staring into her eyes.

  "Come here," she said, leaning toward his neck. "There's one last thing I forgot to do."

  "What?" he asked, stepping back.

  "It's a surprise," she continued. "Come on, you trust me, don't you?"

  "I don't want a love bite," he said. "I'm not into that shit."

  "Just hold still," she replied, sniffing his neck for a moment. "You smell good. Do you know that? I swear to God, I can smell your blood from here, even through your skin. It's strong and potent. You're a healthy man, Adam. I can hear your heart-beat."

  "Huh," he replied, a little surprised by her sudden intensity.

  "My God," she continued, taking a deep breath. "Everyone's blood smells different. Did you know that? Every human has their own particular scent. It takes a fine, trained nose to distinguish between them, of course. One must study and take notice of the world. But you, you have very strong blood. Is there royalty in your family?"

  "Royalty?" He laughed nervously. "I don't think so." Feeling his manhood start to stir again, he reached up and placed his hands on Madeleine's full, round breasts.

  "You think you can go again?" she whispered, her breath hot on his skin.

  "Maybe something a little different this time," he replied, pressing his crotch against her as he reached around and placed his hands on her buttocks. "You want to mix things up a bit? Maybe try something a little dirtier?"

  "Maybe," she whispered, opening her mouth as she leaned even closer to his neck. "Tell me something," she continued, with tears in her eyes. "Do you believe that a creature of pure evil can mend its ways? If she, or he, felt compelled to commit acts of unspeakable cruelty, would that compulsion be absolute? Or might the creature, through sheer force of will, be able to fight back and... maybe... do something good once in a while?"

  "I believe we all have free will," he replied. "Does that answer your question?"

  "I don't know," she said quietly, opening her mouth a little wider, her fangs just a few millimeters from Adam's neck. "I hope so, but I can't be certain. It's so hard to know, isn't it?"

  "I guess."

  "Especially if that creature was drawn to pain and suffering," she continued, with tears in her eyes. "If it was like a drug. If it was the only thing that made her feel alive, and the temptation was too strong for her to resist. Who could blame her for doing bad things?"

  "Why are you asking?" he whispered.

  She paused, unable to give him an honest answer.

  "Madeleine?"

  No reply.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing," she said, stepping back. "I just have to go, that's all. I shouldn't be out here, not now, not with you." Grabbing her clothes, she began to get dressed.

  "Are you sure you don't want to come back to my place?" Adam asked. "I feel like this is kind of an abrupt way to leave things."

  "I have to go home," Madeleine muttered, not looking at him. "It'll take a while, so I need to get going. Besides, I have a friend coming to visit soon. I need to get ready to go and meet him."

  "Yeah, but -"

  "Forget about it," she said, turning to him now that she was fully dressed. "Forget you ever met me. Forget about this whole night. Give your Lucy a call, find out why she didn't come back to you -"

  "But -"

  "Just do it!" There was a hint of desperation in Madeleine's eyes now, as if she was forcing herself to hold back from something. "If you're smart, you'll wipe every part of this night from your memory. Can you do that? Can you forget it ever happened? Or are you secretly proud of all your mistakes?"

  Adam sighed.

  "Don't follow me," Madeleine said, pushing past him. "You won't see me again. Just promise you'll call her. Prove to me that people can change." She waited for him to answer. "Do you promise?"

  "Sure," he replied, a little disturbed by the sudden change in her character.

  Still naked, Adam stood and watched as Madeleine hurried away, and soon she'd disappeared into the darkness. Stunned by the abruptness of her departure, he wasn't quite sure how to interpret her remarks. He was certain that he'd done nothing wrong, but there'd been a kind of skittishness about Madeleine, a kind of restless energy that made him think that she perhaps had some kind of emotional problem. Figuring there was no point going after her, he gathered his clothes and started getting dressed.

  "Crazy bitch," he muttered. "Good fuck, but crazy bitch."

  Four

  Hurrying through the darkness, Madeleine eventually heard a banging sound in the distance. As she got closer to the cafe, which was now shut for the night, she saw a female figure knocking insistently on the door, with a suitcase on the ground nearby.

  Above, a window slid open and the barman leaned out.

  "We're closed!" he shouted gruffly, before closing the window again.

  "I'm just looking for someone!" the girl
called up to him, but it was too late.

  Stopping dead in her tracks, Madeleine stared at the girl and wondered whether, by some curious design of fate, she might have stumbled upon the one person she hadn't expected to see tonight.

  "Fuck!" the girl exclaimed, giving the door of the cafe a frustrated kick. Turning and grabbing her suitcase, she finally noticed Madeleine standing on the other side of the square. "Hey!" she called out. "Do you know, like, a hostel or something nearby? I need a place to stay."

  Hesitantly, Madeleine crossed the street and approached the girl. Petite and pretty, with big blue eyes and a bob of short blonde hair, she was quite a sight.

  "Lucy?" she asked.

  The girl frowned. "How'd you know my name?"

  Madeleine couldn't help but smile. "Adam... told me about you."

  "You know Adam?" Lucy replied, looking relieved "Where is he? I need to find him!"

  "He was here," Madeleine continued. "He was waiting for you until the cafe closed."

  "I missed the bus," Lucy explained breathlessly, "and then I got another one, but it dropped me off over by the bridge, so I had to walk the last three miles, and I didn't have a map so I wasn't sure which way to go and I couldn't find a taxi, and my phone battery's dead, so I need to find a place to recharge it, and I've got Adam's address and stuff saved on the phone and... I mean, my fucking luck tonight has been insane. It's hard to believe all the stuff that's gone wrong."

  Madeleine stared at her for a moment. "Yeah," she said finally. "It is hard to believe."

  "So do you know a hostel or something? Or do you know where Adam lives?" She paused for a moment. "How do you know Adam, anyway?"

  "I don't," Madeleine said quickly. "Not really. I just got talking to him tonight. He was very excited to see you, though, and very disappointed when you didn't show up."

  "It's okay," Lucy replied. "I'll explain everything when I see him. I just need to find a place to sleep for the night, and a socket so I can charge my phone."

  "Of course," Madeleine replied, feeling almost dazed by the coincidence. "Come with me. I know a place."