by P. Mattern
It was getting more crowded by the minute in the underground farmhouse. Absolam had gotten up later than usual in spite of the commotion. He still had his entire room to himself, which he felt vaguely guilty about, since many of the vamps that were joining him had spent the night in the surrounding meadows and woodlands. Nevertheless his mother Mitzi had insisted he be allowed to spend one last night in solitary splendor in his Young Man Cave.
And secretly he’d been glad. After all, he had grown up in this room.
As Ab turned a corner he saw Natalie standing with her older brother Stefan in a recessed alcove in front of one of the restrooms. His posture immediately struck a discordant note with Ab-Stefan had one hand under Natalie’s chin, tilting it upwards so that she had no choice but to look into his dark, flashing eyes. There was a angry flush on Natalie’s cheeks. It seemed as if she was trying to speak and Stefan was talking over her. Absolam stood still for a moment so that he could focus and use his heightened auditory powers to listen in on their conversation.
Meanwhile, Natalie turned her head slightly and her eyes cut to his. Ab saw her push Stefan away from her forcefully as she turned and ran to Absolam.
Absolam immediately enfolded her in his arms, his chin resting on the top of her blonde head. His voice drifted down to her.
“What’s wrong Nat? What’s going on?”
Absolam hadn’t had much contact with Rosalie and Natalie’s brother Stefan, who had been away at boarding school in New England except for vacation trips home. They had only spoken a couple of times, but from the time Ab had first met Stefan he had disliked him. Stefan seemed to have an eternal air of superiority and distain for anyone outside of his own family. He also thought, for all of Stefan’s airs, that he seemed socially awkward, like he had Aspergers or something.
Looking down, Ab saw that Natalie had her eyes squeezed tightly shut, as she answered, sighing, ”Nothing.”
Ab pulled back and searched her beautiful brown eyes.
“Okay, wrong answer my sweet! I overheard what Stefan was saying to you. I’m a vamp. I can REALLY eavesdrop when I need to. I heard him saying something about ‘You shouldn’t forget that he swore he would be the first’…the first what? Nat?”
Natalie’s cheeks immediately pinked and she seemed unable to meet his eyes. Or answer him.
Ab resisted a temptation to gently tilt her face up to his…it seemed to him that she might be tired of having her face grabbed after what he’d seen Stefan doing. Instead he took he hand in his and said,
“Nat…we need to talk. YOU need to talk. Let’s find somewhere quiet.”
Absolam deftly navigated through the abundance of bodies crowding the house. The air was filled with a perpetual hum of dozens of voices in conversation as he made his way down the hallway, still holding Natalie’s hand.
For some strange reason when he opened the door to his room it was still empty. After they had slipped inside he locked it and led her over to the couch near the big screen .
“Okay lady SPILL. Obviously he upset you. I’m not being nosy, Nat-I care about you.”
Natalie looked at him finally, saying ,”It’s something terrible, Absolam. And Rosalie knows but I’ve never told anyone else…I don’t know if I can.”
“Hey it’s ME, Natalie. Not just “anyone” and you know I love you. Just take your time sweet. But you don’t need to carry this-whatever it is-by yourself anymore because we are together!
Natalies exquisitely pretty face seemed to relax slightly, and she drew in a deep breath.
“Stefan is the oldest of us, Rosalie older than me, and from my earliest memories he always…always touched me. I guess the correct word is ‘inappropriately’. I thought that it was normal, because he had always done it and I didn’t know any differently, until I was about 10 and Rosie walked in on us. It was always when my parents weren’t home. Stefan told her that we were ‘playing doctor’-he was about 13 then. But it was always the same game. I had to lie down without any pants on and he would touch me, and sometimes he would make me touch him as well.
Rosalie was 12 at the time and she screamed at him and told him that she was going to tell on Stefan to our parents. He hit her so hard that he gave her a black eye, and then he started to strangle her. I jumped on his back to try to get him off. He ended up threatening both of us. He told me that I better keep ‘playing doctor‘ with him or he’d tell mom and dad that I was pulling down my panties for all the kids in the neighborhood. He told Rosie that she had better tell our parents that she ran into a door or he’d tattle on her for kissing the neighbor boy. He knew we would do whatever he asked…because he was the favorite. The only son.
And they would never believe he could do anything bad. Never. Even now.”
The reason Stefan was sent away to school last year was because my mother found him in my room one night, in my bed with me. She told him to go back to his room. I was relieved, and I started to tell her that he had been doing things to me for years, but when I tried to speak she slapped me across the face and said, ”Your father will never know about this! Do you understand Natalie?”
I looked into her eyes and saw she hated me. And hates me still. And the next day Stefan was packed off to boarding school.”
Natalie stopped talking. She had been looking at the floor almost the entire time. Absolam’s emotions were in an uproar.
He put his arm around her protectively, and his voice sounded deeper and rougher than usual, even to his own ears.
“What he was saying-he’s pressuring you to-“
Natalie quickly pressed her small index finger to his lips.”Please don’t say it. Please. And yes, he is. He thinks he owns me, to do with as he pleases. And now he pleases to have me. You can’t imagine how terrible it is to be around him, to hear him tapping on my door at night…”
Absolam was clenching his jaw so tightly it hurt. But he kept his voice controlled.
“When was the last time he touched you Nat? When?”
A single tear trickled down her cheek. “Yesterday. He told mother that since we were at the Noble Farm he wanted to ride with me…and he took me to the barn…”
Ab jumped up so suddenly to his feet that Natalie was startled.
“I am going to kill your brother Natalie…I swear by the Paladium that he will NEVER LAY A FINGER ON YOU AGAIN!”
Seeing the fear in her eyes he scooped her up and kissed her soundly. Twice.
“Don’t be afraid. I will pick my moment. In the meantime you stay with me, with my family. Your mother hates you anyway, I will have my mother ask that you travel with us!”
Taking Natalie by the hand, Absolam found his mother giving instructions to a contingent of humans traveling in a huge Winnebago. Seeing the urgent expression on Ab’s face, Mitzi excused herself.
“Yes my son?” she asked, looking lovingly into Ab’s eyes, ”You look troubled.”
Ab explained that Nat was having “problems”-he didn’t go into detail-with her brother Stefan and requested Mitzi ask that Natalie be allowed to travel with the Nobles. Mitzi discerned that the ‘troubles’ were extreme, so she agreed quickly to do so.
Mitzi returned a few minutes later, smiling and telling them that Natalie’s mother had consented.
“Thank you so much Mrs. Noble,” Natalie practically gushed, her trust and admiration for Mitzi showing clearly in her luminous eyes.
Absolam embraced Mitzi, picking her up off her feet.
“You are the most awesome mother EVER!” he assured her.”Now-is there anything Natalie and I can do to help with the departure preparations? We are delighted to be traveling together and completely at your service!”
“Actually,” Mitzi answered thoughtfully, brushing an errant curl out of her face,”I think Fress may need some help passing out basic supplies to the human families on the West side of the stables. Why don’t you two check with her?”
“Excellent!” Ab replied, taking Natalie’s hand into his and making his way through the
crowds to the outdoors.
Once outside he and Nat felt invigorated. The pale winter sun had warmed the outdoors to the crispiness of sweater weather and as they ran, still holding hands toward the stables, Ab felt as though he didn’t have a care in the world at that particular moment.
And then, as they rounded the corner of the stables, that moment changed.
Stefan, his raven black hair whipping across his cruelly handsome face in the wind, was leaning against the outside wall of the stables ,one of his arms around a small dark haired hispanic human girl. The girl seemed very young, and as Ab and Nat watched he leaned down to whisper in her ear while at the same time fondling one of her small breasts.
“HEY STEFAN!” Ab said loudly, completely disgusted, “We’re supposed to be helping humans, not helping ourselves TO humans!”
Stefan looked startled for a moment and then was instantly in Absolam’s face.
“Stay out of my business Noble. And stay away from my sister while you’re at it. You Nobles think you’re such a big deal, but you’re not .You think you can take charge of everything and have anyone you want, but you can’t.”
Absolam didn’t flinch.
“Get a life, Stefan. Natalie and I are together. Get over it.”
As Stefan stepped forward to grab Absolam by the collar of his shirt, the girl Stefan had been talking to got a frightened look in her eyes and ran off toward the crowd some distance away.
“Together? HAH-I bet you haven’t even gotten to second base! My sister isn’t a vampire slut like you Nobles are used to!”
Absolam knocked Stefan’s hand away and pushed him back two feet, slamming him into the outside wall of the building hard enough to make it shake.
“Insulting my family won’t make you any less of a PERVERT, Stefan! If you EVER…” Absolam was panting and so full of rage that his voice was cracking,”…EVER come within 10 feet of Natalie again I will END you, I swear it! Obviously you are devoid of conscience, but maybe you’re smart enough to have at least SOME sense of self-preservation. I certainly hope so, because that’s the only way I will ALLOW you to continue to exist in the same dimension with us!”
“I can do anything I want and you can’t stop me. I have spoken with my mother and she also dissuades me from Natalie but I wore her down. She says there IS precedent for marriage between a brother and sister in our family…and if you know anything at all about V-net Law they NEVER override the established traditions of individual families. My mother knows the little slut has been teasing me for years…I can wed and BED her any time I want, you son of a whoring commoner!”
The two young vampires came at each other then, exchanging punches furiously. Natalie threw herself at Stefan but he flung her away so powerfully that she was airborne momentarily before she hit the ground. Turning her head she saw Lux and Pierre flying toward the fighting teenagers.
Quickly Lux and Pierre overpowered Stefan and Absolam, both of whom had their fangs out in full extrusion, their eyes glowing dully red in full attack mode.
“HE STARTED IT!” Stefan screamed, clearly upset at being thoroughly pummeled by Ab. Several bruises showed on his face and he was bleeding from the mouth.
Ab didn’t speak but he gazed at Stefan with such a look of abiding hatred that Pierre, who was restraining Stefan rather easily, felt a chill run through his veins.
“I’ll be glad to FINISH IT TOO Stefan-any time any place.” Absolam replied.
Lux’s voice was low but terrible as he turned Ab around to glare at him and looked sternly at Stefan as well.
“This can never happen. Whatever your grievance with each other there will be NO physical acting out-do you both understand? We are in a wartime situation and NONE OF US can afford the SELFISH INDULGENCE of fighting each other.
We are also the role models for our human counterparts. They will emulate our behavior, good or bad, so IT IS IMPERATIVE that we behave ourselves. “
Lux paused for a moment and looked downward. When he raised his head again his fangs were out and his eyes were blazing.
“I AM NOT ASKING EITHER OF YOU, I AM TELLING YOU THAT YOU WILL NOT DO THIS! Cass and I have equipped a van with restraints and bars for ANYONE, be they human or vampire, that behaves badly on this journey. I am inclined to throw BOTH OF YOU in there before we even start off.
If you hate each other, FINE WITH ME. But there will be no more fighting. Or you will go to the ‘brig’.
DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?”
Pierre felt the tension go out of Stefan’s body and released him as he nodded his head at Lux while avoiding looking into Lux’s eyes. Ab said,”I agree.” And seemed rather shamefaced.
“Separate-and stay separated!” Lux finished. Stefan shot a baleful look toward Natalie, who was still sitting on the ground, before he hurried away. Lux watched Stefan leaving until the young vampire was out of earshot, then turned to his nephew. Absolam braced himself.
Lux’s voice was tinged heavily with regret. “Ab to tell you that I am disappointed in you doesn’t even begin to touch what I am feeling right now.”
“I had REASONS, that wasn’t for nothing!” Absolam protested, but stopped short at the look in his uncle’s eyes.
“I am sure you THINK you did-but whatever they are-it is pretty SELFISH and SHORTSIGHTED of you to ACT OUT on them! DAMMIT ABSOLAM! Think before you act! These are critical times! Do you understand that? Because I am so put out with you right now I feel like christening the “jail on wheels” with your immortal body!”
Ab gulped. Looking at Lux’s face he could see that he clearly meant it. And the other thing was that he hated disappointing Lux, whom he had loved and admired and looked up to ever since he could remember.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it. “I get what you’re saying. There are higher things at stake.”
Lux was still looking at him sternly but seemed to have relented an iota. Ab could tell that the expression in his uncles eyes had softened.
“Okay,” Lux said ,”No jail time. And you know I love you Absolam. That’s why I expect a lot from you.”
Ab gave his uncle a hug.
“I know.” He said.”I love you too ,man.”
As Pierre and Lux sauntered back up the hill, Natalie came to Absolam, who quickly wrapped her in his arms.
“Your uncle is an awesome vampire,” she said, her head against his chest.”But Absolam I am so glad you punched Stefan out. Nobody ever questions him or tells him “NO”. I am proud of you and I know that you did that for ME-only don’t do it again because I don’t want you to end up in…”
“JAIL,” Ab finished for her.”I know, right?”
“Might not be so bad,” Natalie purred, ”If they allow conjugal visits.”
“Ooooh…there’s a thought. Do you know how wicked Hot you make me Nat?”
“I think so…but show me anyway.” She answered, taking his hand and pulling him to her again.
Dr. Caligare was nearly shaking as he strapped the young human boy’s arm to the linen covered chair. The boy was obviously frightened, and whining as his mother hovered near and held his left hand which was free from retstraint. Fress stood to the side of the good vampire doctor, in case her nursing skills were needed.
The doctor looked seriously at the boy’s mother, who had introduced herself as Pia.
“This will happen very quickly. I cannot administer any anesthetic but I doubt that your son will feel the incision until afterward. If we are successful, Fressenda will give him a shot of morphine directly after the RFID is removed and he will have his pain numbed immediately, even before I close the wound in his hand with the three stitches. Because we are vampires we can perform these actions too quickly for your eyes to follow what we are doing.
If however the device explodes as soon as the air hits it, before I can toss it into the containment unit which can withstand the blast, it is possible that all four of us will perish. Being human, you and your son are particularly at risk.
And s
o I must ask you again-are you sure that you want to join the Evacuation? Is it worth risking your life-and that of your son? You are his mother, only you can decide.”
The petite dark haired mother of the young boy strapped into the chair nodded.
“Yes. I would rather we both go like this-together-than face the perfidy that is coming. Please Dr, Vampire, please remove the chip!”
Dr. Caligare lifted his surgical mask back over the lower part of his face and nodded soberly., saying ,
“Countdown on three-two-one-NOW!”
His motions invisibly faster than the human eye could make sense of or follow, Dr. Caligare made a lateral slit with a sharp surgical knife with one hand, and nearly simultaneously pried out the RFID device with the other throwing it into a small cylindrical reinforced concrete cistern. The resulting explosion momentarily deafened all the occupants of the room but Dr. Caligare and Fressenda had no time to hesitate-as the explosion sounded she gave the boy a shot of morphine as Dr, Caligare quickly stitched up the incision and then removed the straps holding his arm in place.
Pia, the mother, quickly scooped the boy’s small body up and held him against her, grateful tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Oh thank you, thank you doctor,” she said, reaching out a hand to grasp Dr. Caligare’s hand that was still clad in a surgical glove.”I will have nothing but good things to say about vampires! I promise you!”
“No thank you necessary,” the doctor assured her. He had stopped shaking, but vowed secretly to himself that he could never do another such operation. In his mind it was traumatizing, because it carried him back emotionally to the first time he had attempted to remove such a device from one of his own kind-a vampire.
The immortal had been blown to pieces, and nearly had taken the doctor with him.
After the mother had left, Fressenda and Dr. Caligare looked at each other.