The Undead Heart

by Tate Jackson

  “Yes, he’s the only D.J. I know that has his very own time machine.”

  She knew he tended to get jealous, but this was too much.

  “He is not taking you out for a beer, or anywhere else for that matter.”

  “I was missing my arm for over an hour. Do you really think that put me in the mood to go out on a date with him?

  “Probably not, but still, I don’t like that he presumes that you would go out with him.”

  “D.J. did not ask me out. He said he was going to buy me a beer. In my time, a man and a woman can go out for a beer without it being a date.”

  “That may be true, but you’re not going to do it.”

  “Don’t start with me. I would go if I wanted to, but I don’t really drink, so there is no point in discussing it.”

  “I still don’t like him.”

  “You don’t even know him,” she said in frustration. “I know he saw you topless, that’s enough for me.”

  “Oh, Jesus Christ! They’re just boobs! You do know every woman has them, don’t you? I’m not the first woman God stacked up like this, you know? I’m willing to bet my arm that mine is not the first breasts you’ve ever seen,” she snapped at him.

  “I will not discuss with you what I did in my human life. It is completely inappropriate,” he said stiffly.

  “Your human life? Are you telling me you haven’t been laid in fifty-four years?” she laughed.

  “Laid?” he asked, confused. “Sorry, you haven’t had sex since you became a vampyre?”

  “No, not until you came along.”

  “That’s quite a dry spell,” she smiled.

  “Be quiet, Beck.”

  She could feel his embarrassment and couldn’t help herself.

  “Maybe when I’m gone, you can hit the brothels with Bruce, get in some practice,” she teased.

  He grabbed her arm and yanked her up against his chest. He gave her a long, deep kiss, his hand stoking her hip.

  “Do I need practice?” he whispered into her mouth.

  “Well, practice never hurts.” He growled and tossed her on her back on the bed, his weight landing on top of her.

  “Well, I better get in all the practice I can now, because I can never do this with anyone else.”

  “Well, far be it for me to hamper your progress, so practice away.”

  ***

  The vampyre had been after Beck. He knew it, and he was sure she knew it, as well. He was equally as sure that she did not want him to know it. When his family had returned in the morning, he’d left her with them so that he could hunt. He knew Leso was coming. He could feel him.

  He never knew when it was someone else in his family until he caught their scent, the scent of animal blood, but with Leso, he just knew. Perhaps it had something to do with the bond they shared in their human life. Leso thought so, anyway. Right now, he just needed to talk to him, to see what he thought of what was going on.

  “Is it really true that Beck’s arm vanished last night?” Leso asked when he caught up.

  “Yes, it’s really true. Near gave me a heart attack”

  “You can’t have a heart attack,” Leso reminded him.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I don’t believe that her arm just disappeared.” Leso said, amazed.

  “Here, read this,” he said, reaching into his shirt pocket and handing him the note from D.J.

  Leso read the note with his jaw hanging open.

  “Where did you get this?” he asked when he was finished reading it. “It was in her hand when her arm returned.”

  “So, she really is from the future?”

  “What, you didn’t believe her?”

  “I believe that she believed it. I believed that she was a seer. I knew that she could read people’s emotions. But that she was really from the future? That was a little hard to believe,” Leso answered honestly.

  “Then why did you send me back to the hotel to her? What about, ‘We are not possible either, yet here we stand’? You said that to me that day on the street.”

  “I only said that, because I could feel that you believed her already, that you loved her already. I could have said that she was the Antichrist and you still would have gone back to that room.”

  “Yes, I would have,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself.”

  “Please understand. It’s only because I couldn’t see the memories that she showed you. I never thought she was lying. I just thought she was…” Leso tried to explain, but his voice dropped away.

  “Insane? Yes, that was my first thought, as well.”

  “Did it matter?”

  “No, not in the slightest,” he said with a smile. “What is this paper made out of anyway? It’s so light,” Leso asked, holding the note up.

  “Could you not worry about the paper right now? I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Sorry. What do you need to talk to me about?” Leso asked, putting the note in his pocket.

  “You remember me telling you about Beck’s memory of you killing the vampyre?”

  “Yes, that would be a hard thing to forget.”

  “Well, I killed the same vampyre yesterday.” He told Leso everything about their encounter the day before.

  “Damn! Beck must have been terrified.”

  “No, she thought that me tearing off his head was ‘sexy’,” he smiled despite himself.

  “You’re shitting me!”

  “You’ve been spending too much time with Beck, brother. You’re starting to develop her foul mouth.”

  “You don’t seem to mind when she curses,” Leso said, also smiling.“It suits her, but never mind that right now. Don’t you think it’s more than a coincidence that the same vampyre showed up where Beck happened to be, in two different times?”

  Leso looked around at the trees and down at the ground.

  “I do think it’s strange, but if Beck wasn’t scared, then she probably knew it was going to happen, right?”

  “That’s just it. She said that this didn’t happen the first time she was here. How could it have? I couldn’t kill him here, and you kill him in the future.”

  “Are you sure it was the same vampyre?”

  “Yes, I saw the memory myself. It was him.”

  “And she said nothing like this happened before? Maybe that an attack happened, but just not the same vampyre?”

  He knew that look on Leso’s face. “You know something. What is it, Leso?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You were always a terrible liar.Now, tell me what you know!” he snapped.

  “I can’t. I promised,” Leso offered. “Promised who? Beck? She knows something she’s not telling me?”

  “I don’t know. You would have to ask her,” Leso replied, looking at his feet.

  “You do know, Leso. Tell me!” he demanded, but Leso said nothing. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll break every bone in your body,” he growled.

  “I’ll heal. I don’t know anything about this.”

  “Which one of us is in love with Beck, me or you? If you know something that will help me keep her safe, you need to tell me, goddamn it!” he yelled louder.

  “I can’t tell you anything. You need to talk to Beck.”

  “You know she won’t tell me anything.”

  “No, she won’t,” Leso agreed. “If anything happens to her because of whatever you’re not telling me, I will kill you myself,” Richard promised.

  “I believe you. I would expect nothing less.”

  “Will you at least tell me if she is in danger?”

  “According to Beck, we are all in danger. Now that I know for sure that she is from the future, I have no choice but to believe our family may die. I also have to believe that you sent her here to help us, even if just to warn us.”

  “I must have been crazy to send her here.”

  “Beck came here with her eyes wide open. It’s very i
mportant to her to save this family.”

  “I know. I’m the one who made it important to her.” It was true. He’d sent her here, and if anything happened to her, it would be his fault. “Why didn’t I keep her in the future where she was safe?” he pondered aloud, more to himself than to Leso.

  “Was she safe? I was under the impression that the vampyre you killed yesterday was after her in the future, as well. Look, we don’t know what’s going on, and if Beck knows, she’s not telling us. I’m sure she has her reasons, and for right now, I’m willing to trust in her. Are you?”

  “I don’t seem to have a choice in the matter,” Richard replied gruffly.

  “Well, she’s not going to be here much longer. So, if anything is going to happen, it will be soon.”

  “Exactly what about that statement is supposed to make me feel better? The part where my wife may get killed soon or the part where she is about to disappear for a century or so?”

  “Sorry, bad choice of words.” To change the subject, Leso sniffed to air and stated, “I smell red deer. Let’s go eat.”

  “Leso, give me the letter back.”

  “Right, sorry,” he said, digging the note out of his pocket.

  Richard tore the note into tiny pieces and ground them into the ground with his heel. “Now we can go eat,” he said as they took off.

  ***

  When they got back to the house, they found Beck gone.

  “Where is she?” Richard asked Rita in a panicked voice.

  “Relax. She’s just gone into town. Jenny, Potter, and Harley went with her. She’ll be fine.”

  “What did she need to go to town for?”

  “She said there were some things she wanted to purchase.”

  “She should have waited for me. I would have taken her,” he said, worried.

  “She is accompanied by two vampyres and a hunter. Stop worrying, dear.”

  After what happened yesterday, how was he supposed to not worry? “Did she tell you what happened yesterday?”

  “About her arm or about the vampyre?” Rita replied.“She told you about the vampyre?” He was surprised. He had not really expected Beck to tell them.

  “Oh yes, she told us. I hear you were most impressive, dear. She also told us that, other than that, the two of you had a lovely day. She said that you had a nice time at the lake and that you two ‘made use’ of the house,” Rita smiled.

  “Sweet Jesus! Is there anything she doesn’t tell you?”

  “She is a very open person. She’s good for you. You are too uptight.”

  “Why? Because I don’t think it’s appropriate to discuss our love life outside of our bedroom?”

  “Your bedroom? We don’t keep the kitchen table in your bedroom, dear. Or the sofa, or the stairs, or the…,” Rita was saying.“STOP!” he half yelled and half pleaded in shock.“Oh, don’t be silly. When I met your father, we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other. I remember a time when…” Rita started before Richard cut her off again.

  “Well, don’t, and I’d like to keep it that way,” he said, and turned to leave. I’m going to wait at the end of the road for Beck to come back.”

  “See, you’re too uptight, dear,” she called after him, laughing.

  Chapter Eleven

  They were to several shops to buy food. She’d bought cooked meats, chunks of cheese, some small pies and cakes, and some fudge.

  “Let me get this straight. Richard is going to eat this?” Harley asked, nodding at the packages of food.

  “No, he’s going to taste it. He has to spit it out, though.” Harley was incredulous. “And he’s going to want to do this?”

  “Yeah, he loves the taste of food. Doesn’t it smell good to you?”

  “No.”

  “How about you?” she asked Jenny. Wrinkling her nose, Jenny replied, “Not at all.”

  “Well, it smells great to me,” Potter chimed in, stuffing a piece of ham in his mouth.

  “You don’t count. You’re always eating,” Beck teased. “That’s one of the few upsides of being a hunter. I can eat as much as I want, never gain any weight, and never get sick.”

  “That’s good to know,” Beck acknowledged.

  “Does Richard know he’s going to be doing this?” Harley asked.

  “No, he doesn’t know he can do it yet. I thought I’d surprise him.” Harley laughed. “Cake for a vampyre is not surprising. It’s goddamned shocking!”

  “Harley, watch your language. There are ladies present,” Jenny told him firmly.

  Harley grinned and looked around, “Where?” Jenny scowled at him, and Beck laughed. “I’m sure Rickard knows that food smells good to him, but he hasn’t tasted it since he was human,” Beck explained.

  “I can’t believe it smells good to him. It doesn’t even smell like food to me,” Jenny stated.

  Harley agreed. “Me, either.”

  “It sure does taste like food, though,” Potter said, stuffing one of the small cakes into his mouth.

  “Could you leave some for Richard, please,” she said, taking the packages of food away from him. “I wish I had a cell phone. If I were in my time, I could call and ask what kind of bread he liked when he was human.”

  “A what?” Harley asked. “A cell phone. It’s a small telephone that you carry around with you. You can call and talk to anyone you want, from wherever you are.”

  “I want one,” Harley exclaimed, just like a kid in a candy store.

  “I don’t.” Jenny said.

  “You will, though, and in the future you have one, so does Potter, Richard, and Leso.”

  “If I make it to the future, I’m getting one,” Harley stated again. “You better make it to the future,” Beck told him, “or I’ll kill you myself.”

  She bought two kinds of bread at the bakery, and they headed home. She knew Richard would be waiting for them.

  “Hello,” she said when jumped out of a tree and put his arm around her. “You look nice in a dress.”

  “Get a good look, then, because when I get back to the house, I’m putting my pants back on.”

  He reached to take the packages from her. “Were you hungry?”

  “A little,” she said, and Harley laughed. Beck heard a bone break and knew that Jenny had punched him.

  “What’s going on?” Richard was suspicious. Potter laughed. “Oh, you’ll see.”

  “Just wait,” Beck told him.

  When they got back to the house, she put the packages on the kitchen counter and went to change out of her dress. When she came back downstairs, she found that Harley had unwrapped all of the food. He’d also gathered the whole family in the kitchen. Richard was sitting at the table looking very confused.

  “Alright, Potter, I need your knife.” He handed her his knife from the sheath on his side. She cut off a small chunk of roast beef and looked at Richard. “Open your mouth.” He opened his mouth, and she put the meat in it. “Now chew, but don’t swallow it.” He chewed, and his eyes drifted closed, and he moaned softly. “Now, spit it out.” She held her hand out in front of his mouth, and he spit the food into her hand. “I love you,” he said, grinning at her.

  “You actually liked that?” Heidi asked. “I loved it! It tastes wonderful.” Saphira looked repulsed. “You just let him spit chewed up food in your hand!” She looked so disgusted that Beck had to laugh. “You catch animals and suck their blood out but chewed up food grosses you out?” Beck teased.

  Saphira continued, “I don’t chew the animal up and spit it into anyone’s hand.”

  “Oh, my mistake. I see now that the chewed up food is much worse,” Beck laughed.

  Daryl looked at Richard. “Does that truly taste good to you?”

  “Yes, it tastes like food.”

  “I have never heard of a vampyre still having a taste for human food,” Daryl wondered aloud.

  “I’ve always loved the smell of food. That’s the one thing that never changed. I just didn’t know what would happen if
I tried to eat it.”

  “You didn’t know what would happen?” Bruce asked. “Yet, you let her put it in your mouth?!”

  “I trust her. I don’t think she came all this way to murder me with roast beef.”

  Harley laughed. “From what we’ve heard, she’s trying to kill you with sex.”

  “Harley!” Leso exclaimed. “Yes?” Harley was still laughing. “Run!” Leso urged Harley. “Oh, shit!” Harley yelled, and bolted toward the door with Richard right behind him.

  Rita sighed. “He is very uptight.”

  “He gets better.”

  “He can’t get much worse,” Bruce interjected.

  “He won’t really hurt Harley, will he?”

  “Oh, he’ll break a few things, but he won’t kill him.” Saphira said.

  Beck started packing the food in a basket to take down to the lake. Bruce asked, “Is he going to chew up all that food?”

  “Most of it.”

  “What happens if he swallows it?” Heidi inquired. “He throws it up, along with his last meal.” Surprised again, Daryl stated, “Vampyres don’t vomit.”

  “Richard does, I’ve seen him do it.” She left out the reason why he had vomited.

  “That is very interesting,” Daryl stated. “I guess so.” She was starting to wonder about some things, but she would keep them to herself for now.

  She grabbed the basket and said, “I’ll see ya’ll later,” and walked out the back door.

  ***

  “I’m going to the lake,” she hollered when she was in the backyard. Richard jumped over the house and landed in front of her.

  “Good, you have the food.”

  “Yes, I have your food, you junky. Let’s go.”

  He took the basket, and she took his hands as they walked towards the lake. When they got there, his main focus was the food. She reminded him not to swallow any of it.

  He chewed up the meat, cheese, bread, cake, and pies. It wasn’t until he got to the fudge that he had a problem. He swallowed a piece of it, vomited it up, and left a fountain of blood down the side of the rock they were sitting on.

  “I told you not to swallow it,” she told him as she wiped the blood off his lips with the sleeve of her shirt.