Dhampir Secrets

by Lewis, Shirlee

“Mark, I’m having lunch with someone else today.”

  “Okay, I thought maybe we could. Guess that’s out then. See you later.”

  Watching Mark get on the elevator, I picked up the phone and called Tony.

  “Hi, Jessica,” he said, on the first ring.

  “Would you like to have lunch with me today?” I asked.

  “I’d like to, where?” Tony asked.

  “At the hospital, could you come to the cafeteria?”

  “What time shall I be there?”

  “Four o’clock.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Mrs. Fairfax arrived at three. The orderlies put her in room one-o- three. After Mrs. Fairfax was settled in the room, it was time for lunch. Tony wasn’t in the cafeteria when I arrived. Getting my salad and tea, I sat by the window looking toward the mountains.

  “Hi, Jessica,” he said, walking up to the table.

  “Hello, Tony. Thanks for having lunch with me.”

  “No problem.”

  “I feel like bowling tonight when I get off work. Would you come with me?” I asked.

  “Jessica, it will be late when you get home. Will the bowling alley be open?”

  “Yes, its midnight bowling tonight and they don’t close until three. They have it the last Friday of the month.”

  “Jessica, I’ve never bowled in my life.” Tony was dead serious.

  “I’m out of practice, so we both can at least try.”

  “I wouldn’t know the first thing about bowling,” he said, leaning toward me.

  “I can show you how,” I said, smugly.

  Tony sighed, “Okay, I’ll go bowling.”

  Content with his answer, it was time to go back to work.

  “Then I’ll see you tonight,” I said, as I stood up.

  “Yes you will.”

  Before getting on the elevator, I watched Tony leave.

  Getting back to my floor, Mattie was coming out of Mrs. Fairfax’s room.

  “I brought Mrs. Fairfax’s personal items up for her,” she said, stopping at the nurse desk.

  “Thank you Mattie, you’re a big help.”

  Mattie smiled and went to the elevator.

  Flipping on the monitor to Mrs. Fairfax’s room, I saw her reaching for the controls for the bed. She was about to push the button for me, when I flipped on the intercom and said, “May I help you?”

  Mrs. Fairfax let go of the control and looked around the room to see who was in the room with her. “Where are you?” she asked.

  I did my best not to laugh. “I’m your nurse, Jessica. Is there anything I can get you?”

  “No thank you. You scared me and I forgot what I wanted.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, turning off the intercom to her room.

  Mike didn’t relieve me as he normally would. Monique sluggishly exited the elevator.

  “Monique, I thought you were off duty tonight.”

  “I thought I was too, but Mike called in sick. He has the flu, so I’m working for him.

  “Mrs. Fairfax is all set up in room one-o-three. I’ll see later,” I said, getting my purse and jacket.

  “Enjoy your days off,” Monique said, sitting at the desk.

  “I plan to do that very thing,” I said, and went to the elevator.

  When I got home, Tony was sitting on my porch. “Are you ready to go bowling,” I asked, stepping up on the porch.

  “I’m as ready as I’m going to be,” he said, getting up from the chair.

  “Come on in. I need to change before we go.”

  Tony and I went inside. Tony went to the sofa and turned on the television. I went to my bedroom to change. I plotted how I was going to try and touch Tony. It would be when the lights were off at the bowling alley.

  Grabbing my bowling bag from the spare bedroom I heard a loud noise. It sounded like a shotgun. Going into the living room, Tony was watching the news. “Did you hear that?” I asked.

  “Hear what.”

  “Just a minute ago, I heard a loud bang.”

  “I didn’t hear anything Jessica.”

  “Tony, I think we know each other well enough now, you can call me, Jess! That’s what my friends call me. I suppose the noise was just hunter.”

  “Okay Jess, you’re probably right,”” he said, with a smile.

  “Are we ready to go?”

  Tony and I left for the bowling alley. When we got to the end of the street we heard a loud bang. We looked at each other, and then I remembered the date. It was the anniversary when Old Man Jenkins shot his family and burned the barn with them in it.

  “Is that the bang?” Tony asked.

  “That’s the one.”

  “It sounds like a shotgun. Maybe hunters are out hunting,” Tony said, looking in the direction of the sound.

  “Hunter’s wouldn’t be out at this time of night,” I said, turning onto the highway.

  “Why wouldn’t they?”

  “There’s a story about a man killing his family and burning them in a barn. It’s said you can hear the shotgun blasts on the anniversary night that it happened. Tonight is that very night.”

  “You don’t think that’s what we heard, do you?” Tony asked, still looking back behind us.

  “I don’t know for sure. It’s the first time I’ve actually heard the shotgun.”

  “Where is this place?” Tony asked, looking at me.

  I pointed behind me and said, “It’s a half mile west of my house.”

  “I only heard one shot. How many did you hear?”

  “I heard two, but the rumor is there’s supposed to be three shots.”

  “Did he burn them all?” he asked.

  “Yes; His wife, two kids and himself.”

  Tony turned to face the front. “Why would he do that?” he asked.

  “It’s rumored he lost his job and didn’t know what to do.”

  “That’s no reason to kill your family,” Tony said, shocked.

  “No, it isn’t, but old man Jenkins thought so.”

  Tony and I arrived at the bowling alley and it was packed with people.

  Kelli saw us and waved us over to the counter. “I have one lane open. Would you like to have it?”

  “We sure would,” I said.

  “Its lane one is that okay,” she asked.

  “It’s fine,” I told her. “Tony will need some shoes.”

  Kelli went to the shoe rack and brought back a pair of shoes for Tony. Taking the shoes, he raised his eyebrow and followed me to lane one.

  “These look like clown shoes,” he said, holding them up.

  “No one is going to notice your shoes,” I said, setting down my bag.

  After we put on our shoes, I helped Tony find a bowling ball. I wanted him to bowl first, but he said, “Lady’s first.”

  I didn’t hesitate. I threw the ball down the lane only to watch it go straight to the gutter. This was as bad as when Sharon and I bowled.

  Now it was Tony’s turn. He took the ball, walked up to the foul line and threw it down the lane. It too went in the gutter. I gave Tony some pointers on how to hold the ball and swing it as he was going to the foul line. He was very awkward, but he got the job done.

  “Jess, I don’t think, I like this game,” he said, after his turn was over.

  “Give it some time, you’re just learning,” I said, and then the lights went out.

  “Do we quit now?” Tony asked, sounding hopeful.

  “No,” I said trying to sound sexy. “They’re going to turn on the strobe lights. Now we bowl in the dark.”

  When the lights went out the strobe lights came on, and I saw Tony taking a flask out of his back pocket. Hurrying, he took a drink then put it back. I looked away before he saw me. He got up and went to get his ball. This time when he threw it down the lane, he managed to knock down all the pins, but one. I clapped and told him, “Good job.”

  Tony seemed to be enjoying himself. I know I was. I was watching Tony, plotting how and when
to touch him. When he was coming back to his seat, I bumped into him on purpose, grabbing his hand to stop myself from falling. It was defiantly hard. “Sorry, I tripped.” He didn’t say anything, but he made sure I didn’t touch him again.

  He ended up beating me all three games.

  “You let me win, didn’t you?” he questioned, as we headed back to the car.

  “No I didn’t. I can’t bowl very well in the dark.”

  “I had a nice time. Thank you for inviting me and it was fun beating you,” he said, smiling his half smile.

  “Next time we go, I’ll take you to the cleaners,” I said, smiling.

  “You’re on,” he said.

  Arriving at Tony’s house, he wasn’t in a hurry to get out of the car. “Jess.”

  “Yes, Tony.”

  “You’re the first girl I’ve enjoyed being with. May I kiss you?”

  I nearly jumped over to him, but I sat looking at him thinking, will you hurry up. What are you waiting for the sun to come up? “Sure.”

  Tony leaned toward me slowly. He took a breath and my heart thumped. “I’m not very good at this.”

  Within an inch of my lips, he placed his hand on my leg. “Hold still, because I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Taking in a breath I asked, “Hurt me, how?” I was puzzled and intrigued.

  “You managed to grab my hand tonight and I think you figured out my skin is hard. So, I don’t want to hurt your beautiful lips, please hold very still.” He sounded so concerned.

  “Okay,” I whispered, and froze in my seat.

  Tony moved closer to me and I nearly passed out when he let out his breath. Very lightly he placed his lips on mine and sure enough his lips were hard but they were delicious. I didn’t care. Tony was kissing me, and then it was over.

  It was the best night I had so far with Tony. My doubts about his skin were solved, he had kissed me. But there was more nagging me about him.

  Tony and I had a week left before he returned to Davenport. The time I’d spent with him was terrific, but in the back of my mind I wondered about him in general and why I dreamt a cougar was after him? We were getting to know each other, and I was taking small steps. So far, I knew that animals acted strange around him and I had seen him with a flask a couple of times. There was so much more I wanted to know. Sure, we hit it off and I enjoy my time with him. Not to mention, he was my every waking thought, but there was more and I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Then I remembered a commercial announcing a documentary about vampires and fascinating mystical creatures. I’d, no doubt, make it a point to watch it.

  The morning sun was quickly hidden by the clouds this afternoon. My yard was in desperate need of attention from the falling leaves and pine needles. A few broken branches lay in the yard from the high winds we had had and I couldn’t put off getting my yard sorted for winter. The nights were becoming cooler with the first freeze around the corner so gathering my gloves and rack I was off to spend the afternoon busying myself in my yard. Off in the distance wolves and coyotes were howling because it was the time of year when they start to find a home for winter.

  Busying myself in the yard, I didn’t notice a baby wolf behind me until Tony scared me when he hollered “Jessica” I had no idea he was close by. Straightening myself up quickly, I looked around to find Tony. He was nowhere. Hearing Tony holler “Jessica” again I went to see where he was in my backyard. Rounding the corner of the house there was Tony pushed up against the wall with a frightening look on his face. Stopping suddenly, I saw a wolf snarling and growling at him ready to attack. Quickly grabbing some brush lying beside the house I started waving it in the air. “Get out of here you beast,” I screamed loudly. The wolf drew its attention me.

  Charging full force with brush in hand, I chased the wolf back into the trees. “Leave us alone, you hear me,” I screamed. Tony hadn’t moved a muscle and the look of fright was still on his face, I ran over to him to make sure he hadn’t been hurt.

  “Thank you, Jess. I didn’t know what to do. I thought they were dogs.”

  “You’re not much of a nature guy, are you?” I asked.

  “What were they?”

  “Wolves and they would have eaten you too.”

  “Good thing you came to my rescue,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been a pretty sight for them to have gotten a hold of me.”

  “Why, are you afraid of a little blood?”

  Tony looked at me without saying a word and his head immediately fell toward his chin. “Are you afraid of blood?” I asked, again.

  “Let’s just say, it would not have been good.”

  If my intrigue wasn’t already taunting me, I wouldn’t have thought anything about it, but now it grew stronger, especially after seeing Tony backed up against the house without defending himself.

  “Tony, you didn’t really think that was a dog, did you?”

  “You were busy raking and I saw that one behind you. I was going to scare it away. I went around the back and that’s when that other one snarled and backed me up against the house. I couldn’t go anywhere,” he said, embarrassed starting to walk back to his house.

  “Tony, wait a minute,” I said, pleading.

  Tony stopped without turning around.

  “It’s okay. You don’t need to be embarrassed. It can happen to all of us.”

  “I need to go back home. I have some yard work of my own to do.”

  Without looking back, he headed back home and I watched as he went in the house. Finishing my yard work and putting my rake away, I wondered. “Was Tony afraid of blood?” The more I tried to understand him, the more complicated it got. First, I knew for sure that animals were afraid of him. Second, his skin was rock hard. Third, afraid of bloodshed the wolf could bring. Fourth, I thought I was figuring him out, but I didn’t really know anything.

  I knew the answers weren’t going to come at the drop of a pin, so I went inside, showered then sat down for an evening of television.

  Scrolling through the channels I came across a program about mythical creatures. One particular segment caught my attention talking about vampires and their off-spring. Not that I believed in them, but the program sounded promising and I had waited for a week to watch it. Before the program started, I made popcorn, grabbed a drink, turned on the hall light, turned off the living room light, threw my afghan over my legs, curled up under it and waited for the program to start.

  The program title came on the screen: Dhampir. “What does a vampire’s off-spring look like you wonder? They look like you and me with one exception,” the announcer said. “Their skin is hard as stone.” A picture came up of a man. “Their father is a vampire and mother is a human and the offspring is called: Dhampir. They are great protectors of the clan, but they cannot get hurt because the slightest cut can cause them to bleed to death. What do they eat?” The announcer asked. “They eat human food when they have too, but prefer blood as their main source of food. They do not hunt for food, unlike their father and don’t hunt people.” Another picture came up of a man and an animal. The announcer continued: “Animal’s fear Dhampir’s for they feel threatened when one is around.”

  Turning the television down, Tony came to mind. Everything about him hit me. He protected me from the baby wolf earlier today. He said if the wolf had of attacked him, it would have not been good. When he invited me to have dinner with him, he didn’t eat. He drank from a flask twice that I knew of. The kitten ran when Tony was on my porch and the animals at the park took off the second they knew he was around. His skin was hard as stone when I barely touched it. His lips were also hard when he kissed me. Looking back at the television with my mouth open wide, could Tony be a Dhampir?

  Staring at the television trying to make sense of it, a light knock was at my door. I got up, opened the door, Tony was there. “Come in,” I said, glancing at the television. A different program was starting. The title read: Nature’s Habitat. Turning back to the door, Tony was coming in the door.
/>   “I didn’t thank you for helping me earlier,” he said, standing inside the doorway. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, but I have to thank you too. I didn’t know the wolf was anywhere near me.”

  “It’s late and I came to thank you,” he said, opening the door.

  “Tony?”

  He turned to me and said, “Yes.”

  “How much longer before you leave to go back to Canada?”

  “Four days, why?”

  “No reason,” and lowered my head to look at the floor.

  Tony came over to me, put his hand under my chin and said, “I promised you a movie of your choice and you’ll get it before I leave, okay?” He softly kissed the corner of my mouth.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Standing in the doorway I watched Tony walk back to his house. Everything about him looked human to me and his movements were normal. Thinking about the program, I couldn’t believe Tony might be anything but human. Sure, his skin was hard, but isn’t everyone’s who has put in long hours in the baking sun? Just because of that doesn’t mean I could ever jump to a firm conclusion about Tony, but then again maybe, my imagination was running wild. Tony was on his porch when I closed my door.

  Chapter Five

  Watching the morning news program they mentioned the museum was finished and was opening today. After breakfast and coffee, I took my shower and called Malinda, she answered on the first ring.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Hello Malinda, its Jess. The museum is opening today and I wanted to see if you would like to go with me?”

  “I would love to. Mike is here. Do you mind if he comes?” she asked.

  “I don’t mind at all. I’ll pick you both up in an hour.”

  “We will be ready,” Malinda said, happy.

  “I’ll see you in an hour then,” and hung up the phone.

  I called Tony.

  “Hello,” he said, into the receiver. “How are you today?” he asked.

  “I’m fine. Hey, the museum is finished and I’ll be leaving in about an hour to see it. Would you still like to see it with me?”

  “I’d love too, Jess.”

  “Shall I pick you up at your house?”

  “I’ll come there.”