by Elle A. Rose
*
“All right, guys, I don’t know about you but I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.”
Standing up from his seat, I watch as a few stray popcorn kernels fall from Dominick’s lap. It is too dark for him to see them. Swooping down quickly, I pick them up. I then remove my body from my chair, acting as if I need to stretch, which of course gets a few chuckles from my siblings and Dominick. Our guests are struggling to keep their eyes open as well.
Bending, Dominick’s warm lips settle next to my ear, “I said I was going to bed, that doesn’t mean you need to get up.”
I lift my hand to gently turn his head so I can talk quietly in his ear, “I want to spend some time with you before you fall asleep. Is that okay?” His heartbeat quickens, and the warmth of his blood creeping up the side of his neck and into his cheeks make my mouth ache. Swallowing hard, he nods in response. I release him and speak to the room, “Well, everyone, I’m calling it a night too. Guys don’t try to compete with Christopher and Liss, their champs at staying up all night. Think of them as true creatures of the night. Feel free to walk away at any time.”
I see Ryan stirring. About half way through the second movie, I sensed he was a little cold so I grabbed a blanket for him, which he is now trying to untangle himself from. I presume he is calling it quits for the night also.
We stop in the kitchen to get Dominick a glass of water to take to bed with him. He tends to wake up in the middle of the night to have a few sips of water. I think it was on his fifth night staying here before he realized I was getting him fresh water throughout the night so he never had to drink anything room temperature. Not to say there is anything wrong with room temperature. I like my “liquid” on the warmer side, but he always loads his cup with ice so I figured the least I could do is make sure his water was always cold.
Coming out of the bathroom with a pair of yellow shorts and a green tee-shirt on I notice the wear of today lingering on Dominick’s face. Giving me a lopsided grin, he strides over to his side of the bed and collapses. I lean over and find that his eyes are closed. As I move in closer some of my hair brushes against his cheek. With his eyes still shut, he smiles and reaches up with his left hand to bring my lips closer to his.
Just before our lips touch, he whispers, “Thank you so much, Amber.”
Before I can answer, his hand loses its grip and drops to his chest. My darling prince is asleep. If today was tiring, I muse what the rest of his friends’ visit is going to be like.
16
Right Between the Eyes
Tomorrow Dominick and I will start our senior year of high school. I am truly excited. I have never had a boyfriend while in high school. I am pretty sure Christopher would have pounced on the chance, but that is a dead subject. I am also keyed up because of how happy Dominick is about his last year in school. While his friends were visiting, they talked about plans for their last year in high school and what they wanted to do once they were finished with their education. I believe that their visit ended on an excellent note and just in time for them all to go back to school in a good state of mind.
The boys stayed for a week and a half before heading home this morning. I was sorry to see them go. During their stay, Dominick was in such good spirits—not to say he is ever really in a foul mood. Still I hope things do not change with the absence of his friends. The following morning—more like afternoon since the Ruggford boys slept in until after four—went by pretty smoothly. Trying not to overdo it with the boys, Dominick and I took them for a ride around the town and surrounding area. We showed them such things as our high school and other local monuments. I figured since we were out it would be a good idea to grab something to eat. I was stunned when the boys wanted Benji’s Burger for dinner. I always assumed “out to eat” meant fancy sit down restaurants and not fast food joints. Dominick tried to explain later that it was a generational thing. I had to remind him that when I grew up, there was no such thing as “eating out”, sit down or fast food. Lisa tried to help explain it as well, but the further into the reasoning she got, the more unattractive it sounded to the both of us. Eventually she gave up too. This of course was while Christopher and Isaac were outside entertaining the guests with silly antics of who could recall the most information in sports. Not so surprising, the oldest in the group—Christopher—could recall the most information.
When the sun finally set, Christopher broke out the equipment for the evening event. Since we live in such a small town, there are not as many attractions to go to during the night hours so we tend to buy our own entertainment. As soon as Christopher heard we were having guests, he ordered a few more paint guns to add to the collection. We already had a set of five but now that Dominick is a part of the family and we had guests coming, Christopher took the opportunity to buy a few more. Surprisingly, this is one of the games we play that Olivia is willing to play as well. The looks on the guys’ faces when we headed to the shed to pull out the guns and the other supplies was hilarious. None of the boys including Dominick, had ever played, but they were all willing to try. Mercifully, Christopher thought to buy body armor for the humans. We have heard that the balls of paint can leave bruises and welts on our softer counterparts’ bodies. None of the boys questioned why our family decided to go without the extra padding. I think they were all still in shock at what we were getting ready to do.
We knew it would not be fair if it was the Harrises against the guests and Dominick. Granted, they would have been pretty even teams if we were either all human or they were vampires. All of their bodies are athletic and are pretty good size opponents, but they still did not stand a chance against a family of vampires. So we tried to make the teams as even as possible. In the first game, Christopher, Tim, Tom, Ryan, and myself were against Lisa, Dominick, Olivia and Isaac. We have found over the years it is best not to put Christopher and me on the opposite teams. We get so involved in trying to demolish each other that we end up forgetting about the other players. At least when we are on the same team, not only are we a force to be reckoned with, but we are able to keep everyone involved in the game as well. Our team of course won. The first game was set at two hours, which we realized about an hour and a half in was way too long for the humans to play. The boys were winded. I found Tim lying, well, more like being held up by a tree in the south end of the yard, trying to catch his breath. He was covered in orange and a few green splotches of paint and was wheezing. Unless his brother or Ryan got confused and hit him, he should not have had green paint on him. I wondered briefly if Christopher had a hand in it. As we called the first game to an end, Olivia and I rushed into the house and got the guys water. After a forty-five minute rest period, they insisted on playing again. Besides splitting the teams up differently, we also decided on a shorter game. My family and I could play at any time. We did not want to cause the guests any permanent harm with them trying to keep up with us. We decided to set the teams up in sets of two—and one team of three since there was an odd number of people. Each team had a vampire on it. Isaac partnered with Ryan, Lisa and Dominick, Olivia and Tom and Christopher and I took Tim. He seemed better but I stilled worried about him. I am not sure if I have ever heard a human’s heart beat the way his was as he rested against the tree.
Since it was night and really dark, we gave the guys night vision goggles—the vampires were pretty much able to play as we usually do. We zipped in and out of places without really being detected by the human eye, that is, unless we wanted to be. As always there was still some level of a charade we needed to put on for the guests. It was just a little easier at night in the woods. I am glad I have a photographic memory. As we put the gear away in the shed, it was quite comical to see the boys covered in paint. There was more paint on them than there was material. Dominick had not noticed it yet but all the vampires had. Ryan cut himself sometime during the game. While in the lit shed, Dominick caught a glimpse of the blood streaming down his friends arm. I saw the moment panic flashed
in his eyes. I quickly opened a communication line with him to assure him his friend’s life was not in danger. “Hey, calm down. Ryan’s okay. We all picked up on the scent about fifteen minutes ago. I’ve been checking everyone’s thoughts, and we are all well aware of it and no one is thinking about attacking.”
He responded with a slight nod, then Dominick turned to his bleeding friend and said, “Hey, man, let’s go get you cleaned up. Don’t want any bats coming after you. I hear they’re pretty fierce around here.”
Looking a little confused, Ryan agreed and followed Dominick into the house. The family and I decided to stay outside for a while to let the house air out. Besides Christopher’s blood sacks that are for his pet mosquitoes, we try not to have any blood in the house. There is no point in making ourselves hungry, well anymore hungry then we already are. I decided not to tell Dominick that we all knew the moment Ryan cut himself. Still, I instantly disabled that part of my family’s sense of smell. With us out in the woods and in some ways in hunting mode, the smell of blood was a dangerous combination. I did not want to worry Dominick anymore than he already was.
The next day we decided to take it easy again. The guys were pretty beat up from the night before. I think the Ruggford boys had it the worst. I was more than correct with my prediction of sitting ducks. Playing board games all day was not the most entertaining thing I had in mind, but Dominick and his friends seemed happy so that was all that mattered. The guys thought it was pretty funny that my family and I had all the games, including rules, and in Monopoly’s case, the property cards memorized. We were able to tell them how much rent was, no matter if there was a house or hotel on it. When they needed to mortgage a property before flipping the card over, we would inform them the price of the mortgage.
The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh day of the guys’ visit, we spent on the road. We hit different sites around Ohio, like amusement parks, zoos, historical locations—which Christopher and I appreciated the most—and a baseball game. By the time we returned to the house, the guys were dragging. I would have thought with how slow Christopher and Lisa moved, it would have been a nice relaxing time out for our guests, yet, somehow they claimed they were bushed and wanted another day of nothing but rest. I think it was just an excuse to play video games, which they did all day. The Ruggford twins came with money for school shopping. I thought that was pretty wise of their mother to do. I wager it was less of a headache for them to go shopping with us then it was for them to go shopping with her. So after their day of rest, we went to the mall. I did not want to cause an argument with Dominick so I did not buy him anymore clothes. I would wait until his friends left to do that.
Ryan came with little money. Dominick told me that when he moved in with us, he turned all of his clients over to his friend. He was trying to save as much cash as possible so he could go to the community college back home, but his mother was not making it easy. Now that she knew he was making money, she was conveniently forgetting to pay the rent or the heating bill, and poor Ryan was stuck with the bills. He chose not to come shopping with us. Instead he spent the day with Christopher. I told Dominick before leaving the house to invite Ryan along anyways. I assured him that Ryan would not go home empty handed. But he expressed that Ryan held the same sentiment about being taken care of as he did. He made me promise not to embarrass his friend anymore than he already was because he had so little funds to begin with.
Even though our conversation was spoken in low voices, all the vampires in the house heard everything. I know that even if I was unable to help, at least Christopher was not going to let that stop him. I overheard Lisa and Christopher talking while we were on the road, and Lisa agreed with Christopher. They would make this a very memorable trip for Ryan. Over the last few days, Christopher was slowly pulling information from Dominick’s friend. He was not erasing the memories, but viewing them whenever Ryan seemed to be in a funk. These times generally came about after he would try to call home and either the phone was answered by different males who he had never met or there was no answer at all. Or after receiving a call from home, which on those days, his mother was so drunk I was surprised she was able to dial the correct numbers the conversations were also short and ended with an argument—Ryan’s mother screaming loud enough for even the other human ears to detect. The times other males answered the phone, Christopher told me Ryan would have flashbacks to times when some of those strange men would hit him and his mother. It had not happened in a while. Since he was now the same size, if not bigger than, the tormentors that would hurt him, he still worried about his mother and her safety. She also has the habit of using drugs if she is drunk enough.
Christopher shared with me one evening while the guys were asleep that Ryan resembled one of his younger brothers. “If you were to replace Ryan’s brown hair with strawberry-blond, I would swear he looks like an older version of my younger brother, Caleb. That is what he would’ve looked like if he would have lived.” I could see a ghostly look pass in Christopher’s eyes as we spoke. To this day he still wonders who the vampires were that came to slaughter his family. I believe that pain runs very deep within a lot of vampires. Most of us are not changed willingly, however, even if we were, we all still tend to live with the what-if’s, why-me’s and what-has’. With Christopher, his is: Who were they and why did they leave me alive? In my, Lisa’s and Olivia’s—even though she went more willingly—cases, we still wonder what became of our families we had to leave behind so abruptly.
I thought it was nice that while I was out with the rest of the guys, Christopher got a chance to get to know Ryan a little more personally. By the time we came back from a full but interesting day of shopping, we found the two of them hanging out downstairs playing pool. While I went to find Lisa and show her some of the new clothes I bought for the both of us, the Ruggford twins put their stuff away, and Dominick snuck into Ryan’s room to place a few items that once he saw them, he too, could not resist purchasing. I have to say, I was mildly irritated with him. Yes, he did see the need to get Ryan a few articles of clothing, but he refused to let me pay for it. He had to pay for it with his own money. I will have to find a way to replace the money without him noticing. I have no idea why he is being so stubborn about his money.
That night after dinner, the guys insisted on playing another two rounds of paintball. Learning from our past we kept it to two, thirty minutes games. However, it was every man for himself. I guess you can say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. Christopher and I got lost in the game and forgot about all the other players and only went after each other. In the first round, we went almost forty minutes past the original set time. It took Isaac almost twenty minutes of that time just to find us to drag us back in. I, along with the Ruggford boys, was plastered with Christopher’s blood-red paint and Christopher was coated with my yellow paint. I think the best shot of the first game was the one I landed right between Christopher’s eyes. That one got me a few unpleasant words and gestures. The guys were confounded this time around with the fact that we had no protective gear on. We all brushed it off with the fact that we play so often that we do not mind the pelts of the little balls anymore. Ryan was the only one who did not seem to dismiss the excuse very well. I noticed over the last few days, he was paying closer attention to my family. I was not too concerned with it though. The second game went about the same. The only difference was Christopher and I tried a little harder not to alienate the others from our battle. That game only went fifteen minutes past the set time.
Per Dominick’s request, though the boys were no worse for wear, the next day after paintballing, he still wanted to spend the day at the house. I sat out in the yard with Olivia and watched the boys throw a football around for hours. Christopher and Lisa had some errands to run for the wedding, plus they decided they should grab something to eat so they set off for the local vampire friendly blood bank, four towns over. Once I grew bored with watching the football soar through the air, I excused my
self. It was one of the only times I would have to do some research. I had a gift in mind, well part of my gift, for Lisa’s and Christopher’s wedding. I just needed some alone time to make it all happen. I also needed to be able to finish part of my project before my siblings returned home.
Since the guys had an early morning flight, they decided to call it an earlier night than any other night during their stay. Unlike Dominick and me, they have the rest of today and all day tomorrow to get ready for the first day of school. Walking into the bedroom, I find Dominick has his book bag packed and his clothes picked out for tomorrow. I should do the same thing. I will probably wait until he is asleep though. Heading towards the sliding doors, I wonder if I should disturb him. He seems so peaceful and deep in thought out there. Deciding not to bug him, I watch him sit and stare out into the backyard. As I turn to head back out of our room, Dominick calls me.
I turn back around. I have no idea how he does that. With those human ears, he could not have known I was standing there. Although the glass door is still shut, I was able to hear him call me ever so quietly. Walking back to the door, I slide it open. “Hey, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I was just checking to see if you wanted dinner soon. Liss has promised to cook you her famous oven-baked ribs. I’m not sure how or why they’re famous, but she claims their mouth watering. I’ll let you be the judge of that.”
“Dinner sounds good. I’m assuming she can hear us talking now. So, Liss, whenever you’re ready, I’m good with that.”
A soft laugh drifts from downstairs. “I think she’s okay with that too.” Nodding, his eyes never leave the yard that spans out before us. Finally he takes a deep breath and turns to look at me.
“I miss her, you know?”
Ah, yes, Maddie. He has been pretty quiet about his grandmother’s death. I figured when he was ready to talk, he would. “Yes, I miss her too. She was a dear friend to me, and I hold all of our shared memories close to my heart.”
“I just wish she and I had more time together. I wanted her to be here tomorrow to see me off to school. To see me walk the stage at the end of the year, or to even watch me go off to college.”
“I know, darling. Yet, she would be so proud of you. Dominick, I recognize that I’m here in your life in a different capacity, but I hope that it will ease some of the pain knowing that I’ll be there with you every step of the way.” Reaching for my hand, he pulls it towards his wonderfully warm lips. I hold my breath waiting for the warmth to spread across my hand. Looking into his eyes, I recognize the sadness of missing his grandmother, but the happiness of the future he and I are to share.
“I’m glad you’re here with me. I think after spending time with my friends from back home brought a lot of memories to the surface. But I’m glad to start new memories with you, the rest of the family and my friends.”
Letting go of my now burning hand, he wraps my arms around his shoulders and pulls me close. “I’m assuming you’ll hear Lisa call me when the food is done?” I give him a rueful grin in response. “Good, I want to sit out here with you for a while.”