by Amy Cross
"Hey, bitch face," she says. "What the fuck were you doing outside my house last night?"
I sigh. Whatever she's on about, I hope she'll just get it over with. At least here in a public place there's less chance of her hitting me. Getting to my feet, I turn to walk away, but she grabs my shoulder and pulls me back.
"Do you think you're funny?" she asks, stepping closer. "Do you think you're scaring me? I saw you standing outside my window, so don't even deny it. Sure, it was dark, but you were there. What's wrong, are you gonna go all Columbine on me? Is that your plan?" She leans right up to my face. "Bite me, bitch".
I stare straight back at her. I have no idea what she's talking about. I certainly wasn't standing outside her window last night or any other night. If she thinks I'd deliberately go anywhere near her, she must be delusional. I guess this is all just a part of her latest stupid game. I wish I didn't have to play.
"You're such an idiot," she says, her voice full of venom. "It's not even Halloween. Don't act like your stupid costume is gonna make me get all scared and leave you alone. Was it a message? Were you trying to tell me that you're gonna rip my guts out? It was pretty good make-up. How'd you do it, anyway? It really looked like your stomach had been ripped open".
I take a deep breath, desperately wishing she'd just go away. She's so close to me now, I can smell her stinky breath. It's almost as if she's been chewing on old fish all morning.
"Leave her alone," calls out a voice.
I look over and see Nick, a guy from our class, walking in our direction.
"She's my friend," Donna says, putting an arm around me. "Why would I leave my friend alone?" She smiles as if she and I are just having fun together.
"Bullshit," Nick replies. "You're nothing but a bully. Why don't you fuck off?"
Donna sighs. "I'm sick of people misinterpreting my actions. I'm trying to help the poor little moron out. I feel so sad when I see her sitting all alone. Frankly, I think she's arrogant and rude".
"Get lost," he says.
"Fine," she replies, taking a few steps away, before turning back to me. "Oh, Abby, please tell your fake Daddy that I appreciate his kind invitation to come to dinner some time, but I must respectfully decline due to the fact that I consider you to be an absolutely fucking disgusting little piece of shit". She grins before walking away.
"She's nice," Nick says.
I nod, before gathering my stuff and starting to walk back to school.
"Hey," he says, walking alongside me, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out some time".
I smile. It's not too hard to see through his act. I wouldn't put it past Donna to have set up this whole encounter, just so she can trick me into going to meet Nick. After all, Nick and I have nothing in common and he's never spoken to me before, so why would he suddenly be interested? My best bet is that he and Donna have come up with some bitchy plan to cause me the worst possible humiliation. Fortunately, I'm far too smart to fall for something so obvious.
"What do you say?" he continues.
I stop and turn to him, before shaking my head.
"Okay," he says, looking disappointed. "Sorry, I just thought I'd suggest it. No hard feelings". He turns and walks away, leaving me standing alone. This place is starting to drive me crazy, and I'm seriously thinking about just picking up and running. After all, I'm pretty bad at school anyway, so it's not as if I'd be missing much. The odds of me going to college are zero and, unless I start speaking, I don't think I can even get a dead-end job at one of the local malls. It's time to face facts: I've got no prospects whatsoever, so I might as well leave home and start looking for that remote cabin. I just wish I had some money to help me get started, but I suppose there's not much I can do. Then again, Evan keeps some cash in a safe at home. It wouldn't be hard to find out the combination, and I could get away from here with a few grand in my pocket. Sure, it'd be stealing, but I reckon Evan and Ruth would consider it a price worth paying in order to get rid of me.
I take a deep breath. There. I've decided. I'm going to get away from this shitty little town. I'll leave tonight. There's no point hanging around just so I can be bullied. I'll go and find a place where no-one can ever find me. I just want a nice, peaceful, uncomplicated life without other people getting in the way.
Chapter Six
"This is the place," says Todd, staring out the window of the van.
We're parked in a bland-looking New Mexico street. There's nothing here that stands out or looks weird. It just seems like a perfectly normal residential part of town. It's weird to think that after all the things that happened back when Abigail was born - all the searching for her, the trouble with Nimrod and everything else - she's somehow ended up living in such an ordinary place. You'd never think that the daughter of the last vampire on Earth would be in a place like this. It just seems like the most boring place imaginable.
"I'll do the talking," says Benjamin, sliding the door open and climbing out. He carefully straightens his suit before looking both ways and then crossing the road. Sighing, I climb out and follow, with Todd just behind me.
"This is ridiculous," I say, putting on a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes from the bright New Mexico sunshine. "What exactly are we supposed to do? Waltz in and tell a sixteen-year-old girl that she's actually part-vampire and she needs to come with us so she doesn't get eaten by monsters that live under her bed?"
"Why would a monster live under someone's bed?" Todd replies. "Think about it. It'd be a ridiculous place to make your home".
"You can tell that to Abby," I say, lighting a cigarette. Ahead of us, Benjamin walks up the driveway of a house.
"Benjamin has been in touch with the family for some time," Todd says. "They're going to help us explain everything and ease the transition. They're fully supportive of our actions. Anyway, who said Abby's a vampire? Patrick's the last vampire. Abby's something else".
"Like what?" I ask.
"Like a new type of vampire," he replies.
When we reach the house, Benjamin has crouched down by the door and is examining scratches in the wood. "See that?" he asks, tracing one of the scratches with his hands. "Tenderlings".
"See that?" he asks, pointing at a series of long scratches. He turns to us. "Tenderlings".
"Here?" Todd asks.
"Probably just a scout," Benjamin continues, getting to his feet, "checking the place out. Still, it's proof that unwanted attention is being paid to Abigail. We have to get her out of here". He knocks on the door.
I glance over at the road just as an elderly woman walks past. She looks at us for a moment before continuing on her way. I guess we must look like a pretty strange group: Benjamin looks like an old Vegas crooner, wearing a Sinatra-style suit and having the air of an elegant, graceful old man; Todd's wearing dark clothes and a long, dark green coat, as if he expects to start fighting at any moment; and I'm wearing a a red t-shirt and leopard-print leggings. Damn it, I'm the only one out of the three of us who has any style. Frankly, if I opened the door and found us standing here, I'd slam that door shut without a second thought.
"Hi," says a male voice as the door opens. I turn to see a nervous-looking middle-aged man facing us. "You must be Benjamin," he says.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parlour," Benjamin says as they shake hands. "I only wish the circumstances were different. Allow me to introduce my associates. This is Todd Hart. It might surprise you to learn that Todd is in fact Abigail's uncle, by blood". He turns to me. "And this is Shelley. She was a friend of Abigail's mother, and she was instrumental in helping keep Abigail safe when she was a baby".
"I was?" I say, surprised.
"You'd better come in," Evan says, stepping back so we can go inside. "Abby's not home from school yet. Do you -" He pauses as he leads us through to the kitchen. "Do you have to take her today?" He turns to me. "I'm sorry, would you mind finishing the cigarette outside?"
"Gotcha," I say, opening the door for a moment and tossing the ciga
rette onto the steps.
"I'm afraid time is of the essence, Mr. Parlour," Benjamin says. "We've already left it far too late. There are signs of activity in the area, which I believe indicate that Abigail's presence has been noted by certain creatures. You knew when you took Abigail in that this day would come".
"Of course," Evan replies. "It's just... My wife is taking this very badly. She's in the bedroom now, she's too upset to come out and... I hope you'll understand. Abby's our only child. When she's gone, it's going to leave the biggest hole in our lives".
"I want to be very clear with you," Benjamin says. "My friends and I could walk away right now, and leave Abigail here. We could choose to do that. But within two, maybe three days, this house would be attacked by things you can't possibly imagine. They would kill you and your wife, and they would either kill Abigail or take her away with them. Trust me, I have experience in these matters. By taking her today, we're ensuring your safety while putting Abigail in a place where she can't be reached by any of the malevolent forces that are after her".
"I know," Evan says, "and I believe you. It's -"
"Is this them?" says a voice from nearby. We turn to see a woman, wearing a dressing gown, standing in the doorway. Her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Frankly, she looks like a complete mess.
"Yeah, honey," Evan says, walking over to her.
"Abby's a good girl," she says, sniffing back tears.
"This is my wife, Ruth," Evan says, turning to us. "Abby's mother".
"Not her real mother," Ruth says. "Though God knows I tried..."
"We were never able to have children of our own," Evan adds. "Eventually we chose to adopt. We spent a couple of years going through the formalities, and then we heard about this little girl who'd been found down by the river in New York. She seemed so lost and vulnerable. We thought..." His voice trails off.
"There's something wrong with her," Ruth says. "It's not her fault. It's not our fault, either. It's just true. And then when you got in touch with us a few years ago and explained that she'd have to leave us eventually, it all kind of made sense. I just don't want you to think that we're bad people, even though we're going to let you take her away. We're not bad parents. We're just -"
At that moment, the front door opens and then slams shut.
"She's here," Evan says. "Will you all wait here while I -"
Suddenly a young girl appears in the doorway, and for a moment I think I'm looking at Sophie's ghost. She has the same eyes, the same expression, the same general look about her. But as I stare, I realize there are a few differences: the girl wears her hair over her face a little more, and she seems slightly taller than I remember Sophie being at her age. But for the most part, it's like looking back in time. I turn to Todd and I can see instantly that he's just as shocked as I am. Sixteen years after Sophie died at Patrick's hands, it as if she's suddenly walked back into our lives.
"Hello, Abigail," Benjamin says. "You won't remember me, but we've met before".
"Your Mom and I need to talk to you," Evan says, taking her by the arm. "Just the three of us, alone. Can we go through to your room for a moment?"
Sophie lets him lead her out of the room, although I can see that she's curious about the situation. Ruth, sniffing back tears, walks slowly after them.
"This isn't going to go well," I say, feeling as if something terrible's going to happen.
"Give the parents a chance to explain," Benjamin says. "They've had time to prepare for this day and they've known for a long time that Abigail isn't normal. I told them that eventually we'd have to come and take her with us. I'm sure Abigail will understand once they've explained it to her rationally".
I turn to him. "Have you got kids?"
"No," he says. "Do you have children?"
"No," I reply, "but I was a teenage girl once, and I can promise you that they don't take orders very easily. There's no way she's just gonna come along with us happily".
"She's not a teenage girl," Todd says suddenly. "She looks like one, but she's not".
"Then what is she?" I ask.
"It's complicated," he continues. "But don't let her appearance deceive you. Remember, she's Patrick's daughter. She's different. Don't forget that".
"She's Sophie's daughter too," I remind him. "She's got Sophie's DNA in her as well. Don't forget that".
"She's more Patrick than Sophie," Todd says. "I could see it in her eyes. She looks like Sophie, but in her soul, she's Patrick".
"We'll see," I reply. Todd's making this seem far too black and white. When he looked at Abby's eyes, he saw Patrick, but I saw Sophie. I guess time will tell.
Hearing movement nearby, I turn and see that Evan and Ruth have brought Abby back out. Eying us with caution, Abby looks kinda nervous and worried, but to her credit she hasn't run screaming out the door just yet. I don't know how much Benjamin has told Evan and Ruth, and how much they've told Abby, but so far it seems like things aren't going too badly. Damn it, right now I need a cigarette.
"Sit down, Abigail," Benjamin says. To my surprise, Abby does as he asks, and he sits next to her. It's weird seeing how obediently she seems to be doing what she's told. "First things first," Benjamin says, smiling, "can you open your mouth for me, please?" He pulls a small metal device from his pocket. It looks like some kind of medical screwdriver. "I'm going to remove these braces for you," he says. "They're doing you no good at all. In fact, they're probably going to cause you some pain if they're left on for too long".
"We thought they'd help her," Ruth mutters.
"I'm sure you have the best of intentions," Benjamin replies. "Abigail, there's no reason to be scared. We're here to help you. These braces are entirely unnecessary. There's nothing wrong with you".
To my surprise, Abigail opens her mouth and lets Benjamin reach inside with the device.
"Maybe you should get a proper dentist to do that," I point out.
"I know what I'm doing," Benjamin says. He fiddles for a moment, and finally he removes the braces and puts them on the table. A shiver runs down my spine as I look at the mass of metal wires and screws that were in her mouth. "How does that feel, Abigail?" Benjamin asks.
She closes her mouth and stares at him.
"Tell me," he continues, "have you ever spoken?"
She shakes her head.
"Remind you of anyone?" I whisper to Todd.
"Would it surprise you to know," Benjamin continues, "that your father, also, doesn't speak?" He pauses for a moment. "However, while he has a very good reason for his silence, you do not. There's nothing stopping you from using your voice. You're among friends now, Abigail. I think it would be a very good idea if you start talking. You must have a lot of questions".
"Go ahead, honey," Evan says.
Abby looks over at Todd, and then at me, and then back at Benjamin. We all wait for her to say something, but she seems to be hesitating, as if she's scared.
Chapter Seven
"Where -" I start to say. It feels so strange to finally speak, after all these years. I take a deep breath and decide to try again. "Where are they?" I ask. My voice is totally different to how I expected: it's a little lighter and more high-pitched. Frankly, I sound kind of girly. I swallow, wondering if that might make a difference. Okay, time to try again. "Where are they?" I ask a second time, but still my voice is very feminine. Weird. Really weird. I run my tongue over my teeth.
"Who do you mean?" Benjamin replies. He has a silky smooth voice; he sounds comforting and sympathetic, and I instinctively feel I can trust him. On the other hand, I've learned over the years that people you think you can trust are often the ones who'll hurt you the most.
"My parents," I say. I look over at Evan and Ruth. "I mean, my real parents. No -" I pause for a moment. Damn, life was so much simpler when I didn't talk and all my thoughts stayed in side. It's so easy to say the wrong thing. "I mean my blood parents," I continue. "My birth parents. You know who I mean. Where are they?"
"It's com
plicated," Benjamin says. "Your father is in a very difficult place, but we can take you to him. In fact, that's one of the reasons we're here. It's very important that you spend time with him, Abigail. He has a great deal to teach you, and time is running out. You need to see him".
I stare at him for a moment. This is all to much to take in. "Abby," I say eventually.
"Excuse me?" he replies.
"I prefer to be called Abby," I tell him. "Not Abigail. Thanks".
"Of course," he says. "Abby".
I take a deep breath. "Why didn't my real father come with you today?" I ask. Something about this whole set-up seems wrong. "Is he, like, in a wheelchair or confined to bed or something? Is he in prison? In hospital? What's going on?"
"It's really very complicated," Benjamin continues. "He -"
"Does he know you've come to get me?" I ask. "Is it, like, his birthday soon and you're gonna surprise him with me?"
Benjamin pauses for a moment. "None of those things".
"What's his name?"
"Patrick," he replies. "Your father's name is Patrick".
"Patrick," I say. A shiver runs down my spine. I've wondered for so long what my parents were like, and now I'm getting answers. I always imagined my real Mom and Dad as this young couple who couldn't handle a baby, but who ended up staying together and being happy. I kinda assumed they probably had other kids later on. Call me crazy, but for some stupid reason in my head I decided that my parents' names were Thomas and Sarah. Patrick sounds... a little weird. "He sounds old," I say. "Is he old?"
Benjamin smiles. "I'm afraid it will take quite some time to answer most of your questions".
"Do I look like him?" I ask. "Wait, what about my Mom?"
"Her name was Sophie," he says. "Sophie Hart".
"So I'm Abby Hart?" I reply. "That's my real name?" I look over at Evan and Ruth. I never liked the surname Parlour anyway. Hart sounds a little better. "You know what I mean," I say, not wanting to hurt the couple who've raised me all these years. Suddenly I realize something, and I turn back to Benjamin. "Wait," I say, my voice trembling. "You said her name... was Sophie?"