Chapter 21
They stayed through the day in the plane, still in Nigeria, waiting for the sun to set so they could figure out what to do. Esther felt so guilty, and she was trying to come up with something special for them to do. They were in Africa, after all.
She had pulled her laptop out after sleeping and was browsing through all of the things to do in Africa. She wasn’t sure if Katie would be interested, and looked through the pages, trying to find something that stood out.
She just wanted to make Katie feel better, and didn’t know how to do that. Once again, she had been selfish and made a mistake that had hurt Katie. She was really beginning to hate herself for being such a bad person.
She scrolled mindlessly through the pages as she heard Katie get up and move behind her.
“Oh my God, can we go on a Safari?” She asked, excited.
“A Safari?” Esther asked, a smile playing across her lips.
“Yeah, that would be so cool!” Katie said.
She seemed to have completely forgotten about the night’s events, and Esther sighed with relief.
I guess when you only have two weeks to live, it’s best to let things go as soon as you can, Esther thought.
“Sure, we can go on a Safari. It won’t be official, as they don’t have any during the night as far as I can tell. But we can do that,” She said, smiling at her.
Katie seemed to be bouncing with excitement as they prepared for takeoff. They flew to an area where tours normally took place and touched down. They then raced through the savannah, using their Vampire speed and stealth to sneak up on any animals they came across.
Katie was amazed as they encountered lions, elephants and giraffes. Most of them were sleeping, but she was amazed none the less. They approached a sleeping giraffe, and noticed a small, baby giraffe shifting around.
Katie moved suddenly, crouching down next to the baby giraffe and petting it as if it were a kitten. She was even making faces at is as she whispered cute things to it. It got up, standing awkwardly on its lanky legs, and pranced around her, playing with her.
The mother giraffe’s ears were twitching, and it awoke, opening one eye to peer at its baby. Esther was fearful that it might attack Katie, but it simply grunted at the baby, and then closed its eyes once more.
Esther smiled as she watched Katie play with the baby giraffe, seeing the happiness in her eyes. She once again felt her sadness consume her, and a few stray tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
Katie looked over at her and beckoned to her excitedly.
Esther wiped the tears from her face and swiftly joined them, petting the baby giraffe. It truly was an amazing experience, and it seemed to awaken something deep inside of her. She had forgotten about this, the miracle of life, the innocence and glee of childhood. She smiled warmly as the giraffe pranced around them playfully, and found herself prancing as well.
Katie saw her and laughed, moving with her as they danced around the excited giraffe.
They continued to dance until light barely touched the horizon, at which point they bid the giraffe farewell and prepared to leave.
“Goodbye, Gerard. I will see you again someday, hopefully, in another life,” Katie said as she kissed each of the giraffe’s stubby horns.
“Gerard?” Esther said, giggling.
“Well, I had to name him something,” Katie said, smiling.
“But Gerard?” Esther said teasingly.
Katie pouted her lips as she mocked Esther and then turned back to Gerard.
“You love your name, don’t you, Gerard?” She said in her best cute voice.
Esther laughed as the little giraffe wiggled a little in response.
“See?” Katie said, turning to Esther and putting her hands on her hips.
“Yeah, he seems to like it. Alright, Gerard, we have to go now,” Esther said.
She waved at the little giraffe and then they both raced back to the plane, shutting the blinds just as the sun breached the horizon.
She booted up the screen, displaying the outside world, and they sat together, watching the rising sun over the African savannah.
It was beautiful, and they both sighed as they admired it.
After a moment, Esther booted up the plane and looked over at Katie who was seated in the copilot’s chair beside her.
“Where to now? We can go any place in the world,” Esther said, smiling.
Katie looked down sadly before answering.
“If it’s alright, I would like to go back home to Salem,” She said quietly.
Esther felt sadness nipping at her insides as she realized what was happening.
“Yes, that’s fine. Let’s go,” She said quietly.
The end was coming soon, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Chapter 22
As they once again touched down in Boston, Esther could feel her heart sinking. The end was near, and despite her best efforts, she hadn’t been able to save her. She wasn’t going to give up, as they still had over a week left, but she was mad.
She was mad at herself for doing this to Katie, for being so selfish and full of greed that she threw away her life. She had never known how much she would regret that decision, and wanted to go back in time and erase it, letting Katie live out her life as a mortal.
If she could, she would, but as far as she knew, there was no turning back. There was no God, there was no such thing as time travel, and there was no way she could change what was going to happen to the only person she had ever loved in her long life.
She saw Katie shaking as they walked to the car, and she was immediately by her side, helping her into the dark sedan that was waiting for them. She sat down next to Katie in the backseat, silent, and leaned into her, wrapping her arms around her as she tried not to cry.
Katie looked over and saw the sadness in her eyes and began to shake, sobs breaking free from their cage and consuming her. Esther cried, too, as she held the only person she had ever loved.
They stayed that way, sobbing as they held onto each other for dear life, until finally Esther managed to get a hold of herself. She then knocked on the window separating the back seat from the driver, and it opened.
“Where to?” The driver asked.
Esther looked over at Katie questioningly as she blinked away her tears. She cleared her throat.
“Um, Harmony Grove cemetery,” She said to the driver, her voice raspy.
He nodded and then closed the window and began to drive.
Esther looked at her curiously. The cemetery? They must be going to visit her parents, she realized. She once again felt herself fill with grief, realizing how much she had already suffered, losing her parents. And now, she was going to die, and it was all Esther’s fault.
She shook herself, feeling her guilt beginning to consume her and drag her down into a depression. She needed to stay strong for Katie, to make certain that her last few days were the best they could be. She needed to be okay, so that Katie would be okay. All she wanted was for Katie to be happy.
She once again felt almost shocked at her compassion and love. She recalled the times not so long ago when she had been a cold, heartless monster. Something a changed in her, and she hated who she used to be. The person that had condemned her love to death. She herself did not deserve to live. How many lives had she taken? How many lives had she destroyed without even a second thought?
She felt herself spiraling downwards again and once again tried to get a grip on herself. She saw Katie silently watching her with a sorrowful look on her face. She must be able to tell how upset I am, Esther thought.
She quickly tried to smile and snuggled closer to Katie.
“I’m sorry, I am a complete mess. I will try to stay positive from now on,” She said apologetically.
“It’s alright, I understand,” Katie said quietly, her eyes darkening.
Esther shook her head, pulling Katie into an embrace once more.
“No, no, let’s not
do this. You need to be happy. I want you to enjoy your life, to be happy and loved every moment until the end,” Esther said, choking through tears.
Katie nodded, her eyes brimming with tears once again.
“Thank you,” She said quietly, leaning into Esther.
Esther stroked her hair gently as the car drove down the highway towards the cemetery.
Chapter 23
The car pulled up to the cemetery and Esther and Katie got out. Esther turned back to the driver as he rolled down his window.
“Stay here, we won’t be long,” She said.
“You realize the cemetery is closed this time of night, right?” The driver said, gesturing towards the large, cast iron gates with a thick chain wrapped around them.
“Yeah, we will be fine,” She said, smiling.
The driver nodded, and rolled the window up, taking out his cell phone as Esther and Katie moved to the gate.
“Are you alright to jump the fence?” Esther asked, looking at Katie’s weak form.
She hesitated, looking over guiltily and opening her mouth to speak. Nothing came out, though, and she shook her head, embarrassed.
“It’s alright,” Esther said, moving to pick her up.
She stood before the intimidating cast iron gates in the dark night as fog began to blanket the ground and she suddenly felt empowered. She stood there, holding the one she loved, and realized how special this moment was. She looked down and saw the same wonder in Katie’s eyes and then kissed her. The kiss was gentle and light, but filled with powerful emotions.
As they broke apart, Esther bent her knees, and then leapt over the giant fence, landing softly on the grass on the other side. She let Katie down, smiling, and they began to walk through the dark cemetery, hand in hand.
As they walked, Esther looked around, seeing the flowers resting on the gravestones and suddenly understood. For so long death had been nothing, a way to feed and a simple fact of life. But, as she walked by all of the stone memorials, she realized how painful death really was. Someone loved each and every one of these people, buried under the earth. Someone cried for them, grieved for them, as Esther might be doing soon.
Katie stopped, pointing to a large gravestone with two names engraved on it.
In Memory Of
Bill Anderson
A Loving Husband and Father
AND
Mary Anderson
A Loving Wife and Mother
Died November 22nd, 2010
Katie kneeled before the gravestone as Esther moved back, giving her some space as she remembered her parents. Esther felt herself crying once more, and turned away as she listened to Katie speak.
“Hi mom, hi dad,” She said quietly, her voice shaking.
“So, some bad news, I got turned into a Vampire and now I am going to die,” She said, laughing nervously.
“I know, not something you hear every day, right?” She said.
Esther giggled nervously as she listened, tears streaming down her face.
“But, some good news, too. I met someone, Esther, and I really love her.”
Esther felt her heart wrench at the words and sobbed loudly.
Katie glanced back at her before continuing to speak.
“Yeah, I really love her, I wish I could have more time with her,” She said.
Esther felt herself overcome with grief and covered her mouth to hide her sobs.
“Anyway,” Katie continued, “ I really miss you guys. But, I guess I will be seeing you soon.…”
She trailed off, and Esther continued to cry.
Katie stood abruptly, turning and walking away from the grave, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Esther followed, falling behind as she struggled to get a hold of herself.
Katie didn’t say a word as she headed back to the car, and she climbed the fence herself. Esther watched as she climbed into the car, slamming the door behind her. Esther then kneeled down on the ground, consumed by her grief, and cried, she shoulders shaking violently.
After a few moments, she wiped the wetness from her cheeks and then hopped the fence, sitting down quietly next to Katie as the car took them to Katie’s house.
Chapter 24
The next night they both awoke with hurt in their hearts. The sun was just setting, and they stayed in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, savoring every moment they had together. Suddenly, Katie looked around.
“Hey, what’s the date?” She asked.
“Um, October 25th?” Esther said.
Katie gasped, and then leapt from the bed.
“What? What is it?” Esther asked, watching as Katie suddenly brewed with excitement.
“It’s the Salem Witch’s Halloween Ball!” She said.
Esther looked at her questioningly.
“It’s part of the Festival of the Dead. It’s a huge deal in Salem. And the ball, I have always wanted to go! I have never been, but it’s my last chance!”
Esther saw her gleefully opening her bag, pulling her clothes out onto the floor.
“I don’t have anything to wear, though,” She said quietly as she shifted through her things.
Esther smiled.
“Well, it’s your lucky day, then. I have plenty of sexy, Witchy things in my bag.”
Katie looked up.
“Seriously? You want to go?” She asked.
“Of course! It sounds fun, after all!” She said, smiling as she went to get her bag.
It was large, and she lifted it onto the bed and poured its contents out for Katie to see. She then grabbed a tiny, shimmering black dress and held it up.
“See? I have at least three other dresses like this one, it’s got to work, right?” She said.
Katie nodded, almost ripping the dress out of her hands in her excitement.
She stripped to her underwear and pulled the skin tight dress up her body.
“I need help with the zipper,” She said, turning her back to Esther and pulling her long, brown hair out of the way.
Esther zipped her up, once again trying not to notice how thin and frail she was looking. She grabbed her by her shoulders and gently turned her towards the full length mirror and heard her gasp in delight.
The sparkling black dress hugged her in all the right ways, coming down to just above her knee. The swoop neck showed off her cleavage but not too much, leaving everyone wanting more. She turned in place, examining the sexy woman in the mirror.
“Oh my God, it looks wonderful,” She said.
“You look wonderful,” Esther corrected.
“Wait a second, why can I see myself?” Katie said.
“Huh?” Esther replied.
“The whole, no reflection thing for Vampires. That one isn’t real, either?”
“Of course not! Like I said before, we aren’t magical beings. The whole no soul therefore no reflection thing once again doesn’t make any sense.”
Esther laughed.
“So what is real?” Katie said.
“How about we go over it after the dance. I have to pick one of these dresses, anyway!” Esther said, trying not to be annoyed by all the Vampire myths.
They had driven her nuts for as long as she could remember. So many of the myths and legends surrounding Vampires made absolutely no sense, yet were believed by all. She forced the thoughts from her head and turned to the pile of clothes on the bed, pulling out another dress.
“How about this one?” She asked.
The dress was short and tight fitting, and was made of a shimmering, deep purple material. As she pulled the dress onto her body, she saw Katie’s mouth drop open. She was nodding as she helped her with the zipper.
“Yes, oh my God, yes!” She said excitedly.
“Alright, then. Where is this ball?” She asked as they headed downstairs.
“It’s at one of the hotels, I will show you!”
She practically bounced out of the door and they headed for the ball.
Chapter 25
Ther
e were people everywhere as they parked next to the hotel. They got out, walking proudly towards the front door. People were already staring at them in awe as they entered the ball, hand in hand. Music was booming through the large speakers at one end of the room, and lights were flashing.
Everyone was dressed in costume, vampires, witches, dead brides and more milling through the crowd. Katie and Esther immediately moved into the dance floor, swaying with the beat.
Katie was laughing as she jumped and danced with everyone around them, obviously having the time of her life. Esther joined in, laughing as she pulled Katie close, dancing with her to the fast paced music.
She could hear everything and smell everything, and she realized that Katie could, too. The look on Katie’s face was pure wonder as she heard and smelled all of the different things in the room. She almost looked high as she took it all in, dancing with the crowd as they pulsed and sweat around her.
It reminded Esther of their first meeting, when she had kidnapped Katie in the club. She suddenly felt herself filled with regret and stopped, standing still amongst the dancing crowd.
“What are you doing?” Katie shouted over the music.
Esther shook herself, smiling at Katie and then joining in once more.
“Nothing,” She shouted, dancing around Katie.
The music changed, a slow song coming on, and the crowd thinned as people without dates took the time to get drinks. Katie looked at her sheepishly, grinning like a schoolgirl as she stood in front of her.
Esther moved forward, wrapping her arms around Katie as the slow song began to play. They swayed slowly, their eyes locked on one another as they danced, the entire ball seeming to fall away around them. They were in their own little world, just the two of them as they danced.
Katie suddenly leaned in, kissing Esther gently as they danced, and Esther felt her insides melt. She had never slow danced with someone like this before, and the moment was unforgettable. They continued to kiss, opening their mouths in passion as the crowd watched them.
The song then ended, and the music picked up again, the crowd around them once again dancing with the beat. Esther and Katie continued their slow dance, swaying with each other to their own music as the ball continued around them.
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