A Tiny Bit Mortal

by Lindsay Bassett

  Muriel grabbed me by the throat, stifling my laugh and making me struggle to breathe. “You crazy bitch.” she said, letting up on my throat and looking down at my half naked body covered in blood. She took her hand off of my throat and stroked the side of my face with the back of her hand. She said sweetly, “Well, you are one of us now, aren’t you? You’re all sorts of fucked up. I don’t think you’re going anywhere.”

  I felt light inside my body as Muriel got off of me. Closing my eyes, I knew she was right. There was no way I was going to go crawling back to Peter and my Dad to be shamed for my choices. I fell back to sleep, unable to keep myself conscious.

  I felt my body being lifted up and propped up against some pillows. Fading back to sleep, my head rested sideways against my shoulder. A hand lifted my arm and then wrapped my fingers around cold glass. My head was lifted upright. “Emily.” said Muriel. “Come on, Emily. It’s been two days. This is ridiculous.”

  Opening my eyes, I saw Muriel’s platinum hair and her pale blue eyes looking at me. I closed them again. She brought my hand that was still around the cold glass up towards my face, and I could feel cold glass pressing against my lips. “Drink.” she said.

  Feeling thirsty, I complied. The liquid went down my throat, tasting like red wine, but with a savory note. The warmth bloomed inside of me and I felt tingly all over. After feeling a rush of energy I was suddenly standing up in the bed, my head tilted back with the glass in attempt to get the last drop into my mouth.

  My mind and senses began to sharpen. Everything was vivid, beautiful and bright. Looking down from the height of standing on the bed, I saw Muriel sitting below, smiling at me. After taking in a deep breath, it hit me all at once. The savory note in my mouth wasn’t just wine, it was mixed with blood. I felt sick from the thought, remembering that Peter had told me that The Corrupt drank human blood to gain power.

  Grabbing my stomach, I felt like I was about to throw up. “You gave me human blood?” I asked through my teeth. Sinking to my knees, I wanted it out of my body but my body wanted more and wouldn’t release it.

  “Oh calm down.” she laughed. “The human gave it willingly. One of my followers.”

  “They’re alive?” I asked.

  “Of course.” she said. “If I killed them, someone might start to notice.” I relaxed a little. I could feel the power from the small amount of blood I drank rushing through me. Instinctively, I wanted more, savoring the taste in my mouth.

  Closing my eyes, Peter’s smiling face flashed into my mind. After feeling a wave of shame, I climbed down from the bed and set the glass on a side table. I shoved my shame to the back of my mind along with Peter. I looked over into the mirror at my half naked, bloody body. I was a mess.

  “Take a shower.” said Muriel, leaving the room.

  I stripped off my bra and panties and stepped into the shower. Standing with my head under the water, I found myself savoring the taste of the blood again. Disgusted with myself, I rinsed out my mouth in the water, swishing and spitting.

  After drying myself off with a white towel, I meandered into my closet. I grabbed a dark red dress from the rack, not caring what I put on. I found some black heels and stepped into them.

  Stepping into my bedroom, I picked up the phone next to my bedside and dialed 1. “What can we do for you?” a woman’s voice said. “I need someone to fix my hair.” I said. “And I’m hungry.”

  “What would you like to eat?” she asked.

  “Anything.” I said. “I don’t care.”

  Soon after a food tray was brought into my room, followed by the same stylists from the night of the party. I felt a feeling of importance as I watched these people scurry about, ready to serve me. “How would you like your hair done?” asked the woman with blond bobbed hair as she plugged in a hair dryer.

  “I don’t care.” I said. “Just tame it.”

  “Okay.” she said with a smile, and giggled.

  After they left, I looked in the mirror and felt satisfied. I thought if I couldn’t be the old Emily, I could embrace the Emily that now lived in Muriel’s mansion. Glancing sideways at myself in the mirror, I smoothed out my dress over my stomach and flipped my hair back. I looked hot, and I liked it.

  I still felt a high from the blood. I could feel it pulsing through me. Wandering through my living room, I stopped to smell the fresh flowers under the window. With my fingers on the petals, I closed my eyes and felt like I was floating above a field full of flowers. I opened my mouth and tasted the sun. It was sweet, like honey.

  I opened my eyes and saw the sun high in the sky through the window. I wanted to be outside. I found the door that Muriel had told me about before, that led to a staircase. After descending, I opened the door and felt a rush as I took in the outside air. I opened my arms wide, and breathed it in.

  Following a pathway, I made my way towards the pool. While climbing the stairs to the smaller pool that flowed into the larger one, I kicked off my shoes without stopping. Walking barefoot across the ledge where the water flowed over and into the larger pool, I felt the rush of water at my feet. The water was powerful, and threatened to shove me over the edge, but I was strong.

  I stepped carefully to the center and turned to face the pool below. Feeling the water pushing at the backs of my legs, I asked it to stop. The water parted, diverting around me, leaving me standing on the bare stone ledge. I closed my eyes and held my arms out wide, like a bird spanning its wings in flight.

  “You are as high as a kite, Em.” said a familiar voice.

  Looking down to the pool, I saw Tim floating on his back. He was shirtless and wearing a pair of swim trunks. Startled, I lost my connection with the water and felt the wetness shove against the back of my feet. Feeling myself falling in slow motion, I shifted my body mid-air into a diving stance, and met the water hands first.

  I swam towards Tim’s feet, dangling in the water, and came up from the water just in front of him. “Your hair was so pretty when you were standing up there.” he said. “Now you’re all wet.”

  Shaking the water from my hair, I told the water to leave it. After it was dried, I told it to restyle itself, feeling it a tickling sensation on my scalp as my hair reformed into the style that the stylists had accomplished. “How’s that?” I asked.

  Tim looked at me wide-eyed and then smiled. “You’ve sure changed in just a few days.” he said.

  Swimming to the edge of the pool, I climbed out and then sat on the side with my feet dangling in. Moving my feet back and forth in the water, it tickled my toes. The sun felt warm on my back. “I feel so alive.” I said.

  “Blood.” he said. “I’m surprised she gave you that. She must trust you.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, while I traced a pointed toe across the top of the water. “She gave you more power.” he said. “You could run away, and she wouldn’t be able to stop you.”

  I laughed. “Where would I go?” I asked.

  “Back to your lover.” he said.

  I thought of Peter and froze with my foot pointed over the water.

  “You don’t think I know?” he said. “I saw you through a window. I saw the way you looked at him.”

  A tear escaped my eye. I caught it with the palm of my hand and studied the wet little bead. “I’m not sure that I still love him.” I said, seeing his face in my mind. I wiped the image away, sweeping my hand in front of my eyes as if I was erasing a whiteboard. “He deserves better.”

  Tim swam towards me and placed his hand on my leg. He looked up at me. “Are you kidding me, Em?” he said. “You deserve better.”

  I looked away from him, hurt that he’d insult Peter. “Look at me, Em.” he said. I looked into the icy blue of his eyes, and it was like looking into the sky. His face was serious.

  “You are a fucking goddess.” he said. I reached down and touched his face. He pulled me into the water and pressed his body against me, resting his forehead against mine.

  “Tim.” I whispered.<
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  “Em.” he whispered back, kissing me and pulling me closer. With my body against his, I felt like I was floating inside myself.

  Part of me began screaming in the back of my mind to think of Peter, but the last part of me that held on to any notion of him slipped away in that moment. There was something about Tim, and I wanted to know more.

  Tim pulled away, searching in my eyes. I looked back into his, feeling like I was flying through the blue sky of his eyes. “This isn’t just the blood, is it?” He asked, seriously.

  It was like he dropped his “too cool” mask and revealed a Tim that I knew was there all along. He hid it well. “No.” I said, drawing in a deep breath. “This is me.”

  Next thing I knew we were running up the stairwell to my wing of the mansion. He threw me down into the bed and kissed me everywhere. Every kiss was electricity and ecstasy. I was in heaven.

  The next morning I became conscious and felt cold air against my bare skin. I felt arms around my naked body and knew they were Tim’s. I remembered everything, all the highs I had felt the day before.

  Opening my eyes, I startled at the sight of Muriel standing at the end of the bed. Tim flipped over onto his back, completely naked. “This isn’t a hotel, Tim.” she said.

  Tim laughed.

  “It’s not funny.” she said, coldly. “I saw you yesterday, Tim. I saw that look in your eyes. I think you forget what we are now.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Muriel.” he said.

  “Do you?” she said. “You will fuck us all with your feelings.” She enunciated “feelings” like it was a disease.

  “I struggle with the same thing.” she said. “For some damned reason I feel for her too. If you don’t keep it in check though, everything we’ve worked for can be taken away. Do you want to end up locked up in some dark cell for hundreds of years?”

  My mind reeled at the thought of Muriel caring about me. She reeked of danger, like a predator, not like a caring individual.

  “I can handle this.” said Tim, putting his hand around my waist.

  “She can’t be yours, Tim.” she said, with her hand on her hip. “Can you handle her being with other men?”

  “Who says I’m going to be with other men?” I asked, grudgingly.

  “Ha!” she said. “Come on, Emily, you were just with another man at the party.”

  “I only kissed him.” I said, remembering losing consciousness with the man’s mouth on mine. I touched my lips with my fingers.

  “You had your way with him, along with some other woman. You’re the one that instigated the whole thing.” she said.

  Feeling sick, I remembered the topless women I woke up next to on the couch the morning after the party. I looked over at Tim and he looked wounded for a moment, but visibly gained control of his emotions.

  “That doesn’t matter.” he said, with his too cool demeanor. “As long as she wants me the most.”

  Muriel stared at him hard for a moment and then sat next to me in the bed. “Let me speak to her, alone.” she said.

  Tim climbed out of bed, grabbed his pants of the floor and made his way into the living room. He closed the bedroom doors behind him.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Naked.” I said. She laughed and threw a blanket at me. I wrapped it around myself.

  “How was yesterday, after your drink?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Remembering the way I had felt with the power rushing through my body, I felt goosebumps rise up on my arms. The high was gone, but I still felt great. “Amazing.” I whispered.

  “Good.” she said. She was quiet for a moment, staring at the wall. “Be careful with Tim.” she said, looking from the wall to my face. “We are in deep, Emily. There is no turning back. We either obey our masters and serve their agenda, or we end up in a cell.”

  I felt afraid. “You should be afraid.” she said, sensing my fear. She leaned in close to my face. “We will have everything we’ve ever dreamed of. Luxuries. Pleasures. Riches. But it comes at a price.”

  She got up from my bed and made her way towards the double doors to the living room. She paused just in front of the doors and turned to face me. “Don’t fuck this up Emily.” she said. “Or I will throw you in a cell.”F

  She turned back and left through the doors. Shivering, I held the blanket tighter around myself. Walking out into the living room with my blanket wrapped around me, I didn’t see Tim anywhere.

  I made my way to the bathroom, with an empty feeling growing inside of me. I didn’t want to be alone because I could feel the old Emily fighting to get my attention. The old Emily brought up images of her time at her Dad’s house. I shoved her back down and turned the knobs on the bathtub.

  Muriel was right. We were in deep. There was no turning back. I had to either accept what I had become, or dwell on the shame I felt.

  Holding my breath, I sank into the hot water. Opening my eyes, I looked out at the blurry view through the water and remembered the decision I had made when I left my dad’s house. The decision was to end myself if I couldn’t escape before things got bad. Holding my breath until I felt dizzy, I considered for a moment not ever breathing again.

  Rising up out of the water, I gasped for breath. I looked over at the razor blade on the side of the tub and grabbed it. Holding it in my hand, I imagined myself slashing my wrists open and letting myself bleed out into the tub.

  A tear slipped down my cheek, and I dropped the razor. I couldn’t do it. I wanted to live, more than anything. After all, I wasn’t taking over the world yet. I was just partying in a mansion.

  Tim returned later that afternoon and asked for me to take a walk with him in the gardens outside. As I followed him down the path to the gardens, he turned to look at me. He still had the same male underwear model look, while he ran his fingers through his tussled, light brown hair. His icy blue eyes made feel light headed.

  We stepped into a small rectangular area surrounded in carefully shaped bushes. He pulled me close to him. “Em.” he whispered.

  “Tim.” I whispered back.

  With his face close to mine he said “I know you will never love me.”

  “Tim...” I whispered. “I…”

  “It can’t be that way, anyway.” he said, his eyes looking sad. “Muriel is right, and I traded in that kind of life over three hundred years ago. I don’t love.”

  He put his hand up to my cheek, and I studied his youthful face. Wondering if it was weird to be attracted to someone that could be my great, great, great Grandpa, I decided that this was different. We weren’t playing by mortal rules anymore.

  “Still,” he said. “I want to be yours. It doesn’t matter to me who or what you do in this world, just say you’ll be mine.”

  My mind raced. I wasn’t sure what I felt for him yet. Still, I felt something for him. I wanted him, and no one else. “I am yours.” I said, looking into his eyes. “No matter what I do.”

  He smiled and kissed me. After holding me with his arms around me, he let go and looked at me with a sideways smile. “I have something for you.” he said, pulling a rectangular box from his pocket. He handed it to me and I opened it. It was a gold diamond pendant necklace.

  “I promised you that I would get you this necklace, remember?” he said.

  I smiled, remembering how he had the stewardess throw away my silver necklace. “I remember.” I said.

  He pulled the necklace from the box and brushed my hair to the side. I felt it rest on my chest where my silver locket had been before. I put my hand up to it and traced it with my fingers. He put his arms around me and held me.

  “I have an idea.” he said.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Everything has been so serious today.” he said, with a mischievous grin. “I think we could use a little fun.”

  Tim begged Muriel, literally on his knees, to let him take me out “clubbing.” He promised that there wouldn’t be any romance, only debauchery. She
finally said “fine, but help her with this.” When she said “this” she waved her hand up and down at my choice of outfit. I had once again been wearing the most conservative thing I could find in my closet.

  Tim followed me to my room and pushed me into the bed, straddling me and kissing my mouth. With his face close to mine he said “I think you can handle finding yourself something sexy to wear. Find something you can dance in.”

  “I can handle that.” I said.

  “Good.” he said. “I’ve got to run home and change.”

  “Where do you live, anyway?” I asked.

  “Just up the street, actually.” he said.

  “In your own mansion?” I asked.

  “Yes.” he said. “In my own big, lonely mansion. I’ll be back.”

  He kissed me again and then left the room. I stayed on my back in the bed for a while staring up at the ceiling. I put my hand up to the diamond on my chest and traced my fingers on it. I put my fingers to my lips where Tim had kissed me.

  Walking into my closet, I looked around. I found a black mini skirt and a black low cut shirt. I still loved to wear black, I couldn’t help it.

  I dialed “1” on the phone and asked for the stylists. They came in, and I said “make my hair big and sexy. I want my eyes smokey and my lips frosty, like you did for the party the other night.”

  I looked in the mirror after they left. My body looked sexy in the little mini skirt in a way I had not seen before. My hair was full of body, and my waves accentuated. I smiled at myself in the mirror, satisfied.

  Descending the stairs to the foyer, I waited on the bottom steps. I put my hand on my chin like the thinking man and tapped my foot. I did everything I could to keep myself from thinking too hard. I needed a drink.

  As if she read my mind, Muriel appeared and asked “Need a drink?”

  “I was just thinking that.” I said. “Do you read minds?”

  Muriel just laughed and motioned for me to follow her. We walked into a hall beyond the living room and descended a stairwell that led under the house. Everything was dimly lit.