The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  "But I want to.” Melanie said, with a little pout.

  Zach smiled and laughed, his hand touched her cheek and the pout melted away, “Then you work as hard as you wish."

  Melanie jumped up and down and clapped her hands like a little child hearing the news of a summer field trip to the zoo. She stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek again before turning and heading to the back room to get one of the boxes of watches to sort out. Zach watched her with a feeling of pride as if he were watching the grandchild he had never had.

  He turned and looked at the ground, feeling full of shame. He hated to lie, no matter how great or small that lie was, but how would she ever understand that there had been no ancestor of his to work on the pieces of jewelry. All of them had been made by his hands except for that once piece that his wife had helped with when Zavon had come calling. He really liked Melanie and if he were to tell her that she would think he was insane and never return.

  She smiled as she worked filled with satisfaction at being such a help to him, it was as if the little bit of work she was able to offer him was more rewarding to her than anything else in the entire world. She could not understand why it was so difficult for everyone in her school to understand her. She really enjoyed taking the home economics classes, learning to cook, clean, and sew with the idea of being a traditional housewife if the opportunity ever came along.

  She doubted it would. Truth was she knew that she was going to have to look for work very soon. Even though her parents had money she was aware that they were not going to put anything aside for her to have a higher education. It would have been nice. She liked the idea of being a teacher but that was a dream that would not happen.

  She turned and looked at Papa Zach. He was busy looking at more gemstones and jewelry. She wondered if he knew that he bit his lower lip when he was studying the stones. She could already tell when he saw one he liked because his chin would begin to quiver and then suddenly he would raise up with a smile and set it aside in a special pile with others he liked. It was funny to her that she was noticing little things about him and here it was only the second day she had spent any real time with him. His eyes sparkled when they looked at her like he wished he were so much younger. She wished he was too, but she was beginning to wonder if age really mattered if you were really in love. When she looked at him she could feel her heart fluttering like it was a flock of butterflies within her chest and she knew she had never felt that way about anyone her own age. She wondered why age should matter.

  Suddenly he looked up at her and caught her staring at him, she could feel the blush rise to her cheeks as she turned her attention back to sorting items out of the boxes. She was wiping the dust that had gathered off the boxes of the watches that would go into the display case closest to the front window. Papa Zach said put something that would attract the customers but not something that would attract thieves. She had laughed and responded that there were not that many major thieves in Hudson Falls. Still he felt better to be safe than sorry and she agreed.

  As she wiped the dust away from the boxes the memory of the warmth in his eyes and how she could almost feel it radiating from him soothed her. She took a little risk and glanced his way again and was pleased to see him busy with his work. There was something about Papa Zach that reached into her and made her feel completely at peace, like nothing in the world could happen to her when she was in his presence.

  That blush on her face was so adorable and she had tried to hide it by burying herself again in her work. He wondered what thoughts were drifting in her mind that could bring such sweet blushes to her cheeks.

  He could feel warmth coming off of her whenever she was near and that made him feel young and alive. Maybe, he thought, when he had rejuvenated and came back as his great nephew he would offer her a regular part time job after school and on weekends so she could stay on. Something told him that he would do more than just miss her if she left, he would feel empty without her there.

  Then a momentary frown crossed his face. No matter how badly he would feel, keeping her around could be dangerous; she might come to suspect something after a time. The mannerisms, the movements, they may give away the secret that had been his and Lilith's for many, many years.

  "Why such the long face, Papa Zach?” Zach turned his eyes to see the sparkling joy in the face of the girl beside him.

  "Just an old memory from my youth, young one, it is nothing to trouble yourself about."

  "Well then, smile.” She giggled and leaned in kissing his cheek again, “I am done and need to be heading out but I will be back as early as I can tomorrow."

  "Okay. Be careful and be safe."

  "Oh, Papa Zach, I am always careful. In this small town there is nothing dangerous. No one notices me. It is as if I am almost invisible. Except for the few pranks at school from time to time there is no one that would want to hurt me."

  Zach reached up and touched her cheek before she turned, “Little one, you are far lovelier than you let yourself be, and even in the safest of places dangers lurk in the shadows, so please just be safe on your journey."

  She smiled at him and held his hand to her cheek. “I will Papa Zach, but no one sees me the way you seem to see me, but for you I will be safe. I will see you tomorrow."

  "Yes, little one, I will see you too."

  Zach could almost feel the happiness radiating off of Melanie as she stepped out the door. He closed and locked it behind her and watched as she skipped down the street. He smiled. Sometimes she did not seem like a girl her age but someone a little younger. Her spirit was so youthful and full of life.

  As he turned the mirror in the back rattled wildly against the wall. “I am coming, Lilith. Settle down or you will shatter yourself."

  Zach quickly walked back to the mirror hanging on the wall. Even before he got there he could hear her screams, You get your filthy mind off that young slut, Zachariah. You are a married man and your wife is here watching your every move.

  "It is not like that, Lilith. She does remind me of you. In many ways she looks like you and all it is doing is making me more anxious for her to commission her piece so you and I can be together again, even if it is only for one night.” Within him he could feel the muscles of his neck and shoulders tense. In many ways he dreaded that night.

  Zachariah, you had better not be lying to me. If you are when I am corporeal again I will tear her throat out.

  "Lilith, in all the years together I have never lied to you. Why would I start now?"

  Sigh ... You are right my love, I am sorry. I just tend to get jealous that you can touch others and I cannot feel your hands. I know you stroke the pane of the mirror but to me it is like your fingers are on the other side of an icy wall.

  "Love, I am sorry. I wish we could be together always, but the magic only lasts for one night and only when the piece has been commissioned by someone that has brought us innocent blood does it work right."

  I hunger to lay in your arms again my love. To feel your loins pressing into mine, like upon our wedding night. I feel she will commission the piece tomorrow after your next story, and commissioning it on the first day is a powerful omen. Maybe if the Lord is merciful he will give us two days this time.

  "We can only pray, my love, we can only pray."

  As he walked to the stairs he began to pray. There were many things he had to pray for forgiveness for this night.

  * * * *

  As she ran down main street tears clouded her eyes and she wiped them away. She had promised Papa Zach that she would be there shortly after noon. It hurt her almost as bad that she had broken her promise as what had happened after church. It was nearly one when she arrived outside the door to his shop and she stopped to straighten her dress and tried to dry her eyes, but when the door opened and she saw the worried look on his face as he stood in the door she ran inside and into his arms pulling the door closed behind them.

  Melanie reached over and pulled the blinds down and then b
uried her face against his chest and let her tears flow. She wept bitterly, and when she felt his arms encircle her, the tears came even more freely. Even she thought she was crying like a mother bereft of her child.

  Papa Zach just held her in silence, stroking her hair and cooing softly to her. He let her cry as long as she needed to and as she finally began to gain control of her tears he guided her over to a chair and had her sit down.

  He smiled at her and said, “Sweetheart, even with red blotched cheeks and swollen eyes I do not think I have ever seen anyone more beautiful."

  That brought a small laugh from Melanie, “Papa Zach, in your eyes I know I am beautiful. It is the rest of the world that sees me as plain and ugly."

  "Then they need glasses."

  Even through her tears that brought another small laugh.

  "Now tell me sweet child, what is wrong? What could have brought such pain into your life?"

  Fresh tears threatened to fall, but a soft touch of his hand upon her cheek and her hand holding his hand to her face helped her hold back the tears. “Papa Zach, people can be so cruel sometimes."

  "Yes, they can.” Zachariah remembered a time in his own youth when he was the object of the cruelty of his peers, “Go on, tell me what happened."

  "Papa Zach, my High School's Homecoming Dance is Thursday Night, and the game is Saturday with a Parade just before the game. It is my senior year and I have never been to a dance at my school. One of the football players that goes to my church invited me to go with him just before church began. I was so excited all through services that I could not even listen to the pastor's sermon."

  She looked up at the man she had grown to respect and even love and for a moment almost felt as if she had betrayed him by accepting a date. “After the sermon I always help with cleaning up the little things that people leave behind and I was by a window and I saw him talking to some people and I could not help but hear what they were saying."

  New tears began to slide down her cheek, “I wish I had never accepted his invitation.

  "I heard him tell the girl he had said he had broken up with that he had asked me out like she had told him to and that once he had gotten me inside the dance he would abandon me and find her.” She lowered her head, “They were going to put up a big sign above the door saying ‘Housewife of the Year seeks Marriage’ so everyone would laugh at me.

  Melanie could not hold back her tears any longer and she began to cry again, “Papa Zach, he never liked me; it was all just a mean joke."

  He stroked her cheek and smiled at her, “Then sweet girl we will make him regret his cruelty and his joke."

  She sat up straight and with a look that bordered on pride and which showed the strength that he sensed lay within her she said, “When I heard them I opened the window and told them exactly what I thought of them. How dare they? They tricked me, and in church. What kind of respect is that?"

  "They looked at me like I was nuts and laughed but I did not care. I knew I was right and he knew I would not be going to the dance with him.

  "But Papa Zach, I so want to go to the dance, even if I have to go alone."

  He held her by both her shoulders and smiled at her saying, “Then by all means you shall go. I have dresses galore from many eras and since it is just before Halloween I bet a little bit of a costume will be appropriate. They need not even know it is you. In one of the chests in my back room I have a mask of a Harlequin that would look lovely and there are many other things we can do."

  "Really?” Melanie smiled brightly. “But, umm ... Papa Zach?” He saw a funny look on Melanie's face as she quirked an eyebrow at him, “Why do you have so many dresses? Do you have something you want to tell me about yourself?” She smiled; he could tell she was trying to hold back a laugh.

  He could not resist. He flicked a limp wrist and looked at her, “Oh, darling, I thought you knew. Vaudeville and I are good friends.” Then he too laughed.

  "No, Melanie. Relatives, family, I am the last of my family so I got them all, and since I did and many of them are grand dresses and well preserved we might as well make you the queen of the dance."

  Melanie giggled at that. “Years ago they changed the way they voted for Homecoming Queen. Each person who comes to the dance gets a number; the ladies have a Q in front of their number and the guys a K, then during the dance each person gets to vote once for someone at the dance. Still it is always the most popular girl in the school that wins but it would be something if I actually won."

  She laughed, “That is not likely though. They will all vote for Rebecca Straine, she is a cheerleader and the most popular girl. I am certain she will not wear a mask to hide her face so everyone will know who she is."

  "Don't worry about her, Melanie. For now we are just going to make you a princess for the night. If you win the queen, then that will be something else.” Zach smiled. “But the costume will need something else."

  Melanie clapped her hands, “Papa Zach, I have some money, and I can work for you to pay off the rest. Could I buy one of your pieces to wear on the dress?"

  "Oh, sweetie, I don't think just any piece would do. You need something special. However if you want to commission something and you will finish helping me get ready for the Grand Opening then maybe I can design a new piece for you that will be something just for you."

  She nearly leapt into his arms, “Thank you, Papa Zach, yes, yes, that would be great. I will work for you until it is paid for."

  "Hun, your presence and your smiles have been more than enough to pay for the treasure I will make for you. Maybe that old magic will return and I can make you one of my special treasures, with some magic in it.” He smiled at the girl in his arms.

  "Now you got here late and we spent a lot of time with this. If I am going to have the piece done by Thursday and you are going to have everything ready for the Grand Opening on Friday you will need to get busy.” There was a sternness in his voice but also a gentleness that warmed Melanie's heart.

  As she pulled away from him Zach could not help but notice that her torrent of tears had drenched her white blouse and her thin bra beneath. Her young nipple was pert and hard where it had pressed against him. He could feel that old arousal, especially as he saw so much of Lilith's beauty in her, but none of her bad traits. He felt like a dirty old fool and yet there was something different about this girl, something he just could not quite see. Her scent filled him with such joy and strength that he knew the magic would come even if he did not follow the normal procedures. Yet he would make certain everything was done in proper order.

  Melanie ran to the back of the store to grab another box of inventory to stock the shelves. As she did her skirt swished seductively about her knees making Zach smile as that fire in him ignited even deeper. He was glad that soon he would be able to hold his beloved Lilith in his arms again and quench those flames.

  He remembered that Melanie said that she had always worn dresses but he had thought that she meant to school and in public. He really did not realize that she had meant all the time, everywhere. He had expected that she might come to help him work at least once in jeans and a tee shirt, but it had been dresses or skirts and blouses every time he had seen her, and the hem of the skirt or dress had always been below her knee. He knew from her attitude and the way she had handled his telling of the first story that it had nothing to do with her religious beliefs. Perhaps it was her mother's wishes, or maybe it was something else.

  As he watched her cleaning and unloading boxes he began to realize even more why she had said she had no friends. She was a bit out of step with the modern world in her ideas of how a girl should be. She wore an apron while she was working, and she seemed to be truly happiest when she was doing something like cleaning and taking care of fixing a meal for him while he was working. Melanie was more like the traditional woman of the 40's and 50's than like those of the modern era and that just made things harder on her when she had to face her peers.

  Now Zach un
derstood why part of the deep sadness lay within her. She was not exaggerating when she had said she had no friends. She had no friends because there was no one that understood what she was like. He imagined it was another reason she had attached herself to him so quickly. He was fond of a woman with those values and she had sensed that and felt at home with him. It pleased Zach's heart to know that there were still women that loved the idea that their man was their protector and guardian and that they could be a graceful feminine beauty, delicate and refined and pleasing in all ways.

  He heard Melanie coming back up the stairs, and knew that if he did not get his mind off of her he would never get to the business he needed to be thinking about. She had commissioned a piece of jewelry from him and now he had to begin its design and creation and he had less than a week for the magic to perfect the creation. Even within the confines of The Crimson Z Zachariah's hands showed small traces of the arthritis that outside made his hands look like eagle's talons. However the rest of his body showed none of the disease. Outside the door of the shop his knees would betray the wobbliness of a man well over a hundred years old. Inside he was sturdy yet he had to act a little wobbly for Melanie's sake so that she would not become too suspicious that something was strange about him and the Z. However as he quickly wrote a note telling her that he had gone to get some supplies and would be back shortly his hands showed no trace of arthritis at all, and when he walked swiftly across the floor to the large cabinet of treasures his back, knees and legs were those of a man of only twenty. He reached under a hidden panel upon the front of the cabinet and pushed a button. Slowly the whole cabinet rotated outward and revealed a hidden doorway. He laid the note on the counter beside the cabinet and then stepped through the doorway. It immediately closed behind him.

  Then before she came through the door from the basement he entered his work area and the cabinet closed behind the door hiding him and his work away from the world.

  A shelf that was just a little above waist height began just inside the door on one side and lined all four walls around the room to end at the other side of the door. Upon the shelf, spaced exactly twelve inches from one to the next were white candles that began to light one after the other in a clockwise direction as soon as Zachariah entered the room.