by K. A. Poe
“Nothing that you need to know just yet,” he said with a playful smirk.
“I just can’t get over the fact that this means we’re going to have a kid.”
“Did you not want children?”
“I do, it’s just weird thinking about it. I never imagined myself being with someone like you…or anyone at all, for that matter. No one ever showed much interest in me before.”
“Yes, they did. They just weren’t open about it. Jason has been fawning over you for years.”
“I guess.” I looked at the clock right as a knock sounded on the door.
The funeral home was crowded with people, most of whom I didn’t recognize, no doubt Karen’s relatives and family-friends. Among the crowd I recognized a few familiar faces from school. Everyone was crying already. I spotted her parents in the front row of pews; Mrs. Williams had her face hidden by a tissue as she attempted to quiet her sobs. I hated seeing her like that.
What I noticed next was far worse than the sight of Mrs. Williams crying – it was an open mahogany casket. I couldn’t see into it from where I was, and I was glad. I wasn’t ready to see her lying in there. During Janet’s funeral, I ran out during the viewing of the body…I promised myself I would see Karen one last time before she was put into the dirt. I owed it to her for not being around the past many months when I should have been.
Salem held my hand and led me to an empty spot on the pew behind the one the Williams’ shared. I patted Mrs. Williams gently on the shoulder from behind and gave her a sympathetic smile as she cupped her hand over mine.
After everyone was seated, I watched the priest walk out onto the stage and say a short prayer from behind a wooden podium. I could scarcely keep focused on the happenings before me. Mrs. Williams got up and said a few words about Karen between bouts of tears, followed by her husband and an older man whom I suspected to be one of Karen’s grandfathers. Without giving it much thought, I stood up and approached the stage. Everyone’s eyes were on me. Naturally I should have been sweating and fidgeting with nerves, but instead I was calm and silent as I stood behind the podium observing the crowd.
“Hello, family and friends of Karen Williams,” I began in as loud a voice I could manage. “Some of you might know me as Karen’s childhood best friend, to others I might be a stranger. We spent a lot of time together growing up, and I have cherished every moment – even the seemingly insignificant ones. I can remember our first tea party, our first sleep over, the confession of her first crush, graduating middle school, discovering who she was and who she wanted to be. We may have not been a lot alike, but I always felt like she was a sister or even a part of me. My world was shattered when I heard the devastating news that she passed away, but I feel that despite the fact that she may be physically gone…she is still with us in spirit. She will forever live on in our thoughts, our hearts, and our memories.”
I stepped down from the podium, listening vaguely to the sounds of mingled applauds and tears. I blindly walked back to the pew and fell into Salem’s embrace. My eyes begged to cry again, but not a single drop would fall. I would shed my tears as soon as I reached the fountain and traded my immortality back.
After a few more friends and relatives approached the podium, everyone stood and began lining up to view the body. My eyes lingered on the white rose in my hand as I stood and joined the rest of them. Salem followed behind me carrying a bright red rose and comfortingly squeezed my hand. It was difficult standing there, watching people placing roses upon the still body of my friend, knowing that soon I would be up there…my feet urged me to run away and it took a lot of willpower to stay put. This was something that I needed to do, regardless how much I didn’t want to. The line slowly dwindled until there were only three people left in front of me. Had my heart still functioned, it would be racing frantically right now.
As I stepped toward the casket, I contemplated whether I was making a mistake – I should have run! I couldn’t face her…I couldn’t see her in this condition. Until that moment none of this was real. If I didn’t see her there, lying still and breathless then she was still out there somewhere…alive and well. However, once I was finally face-to-face with her body I felt a sudden sense of comfort wash over me. She looked at peace in her silky pink gown and a simple tiara in her beautiful blonde hair. Karen was absolutely stunning, even in death. She looked like a princess, which was what she had always wanted to be when she was a child. I laughed to myself at the memory and steadily placed the rose across her chest.
“I love you, Karen,” I whispered and stared down at her for another moment. All in all I was thankful that this was how I would last remember her, rather than unconscious in a hospital bed with tubes poking out of her skin. “You’ll be in my heart, always…”
I lowered my head and walked slowly away from the casket. Salem was much quicker; he didn’t say a word and followed right behind me. We silently exited the building and he instantly pulled me into his arms. The embrace scarcely succeeded in comforting me. There wasn’t a single thing in the world that could distract me from the haunting realization that Karen was indeed gone for good. I had told Jason I could save her…but there was nothing I could do now.
16. INTO THE FOREST
The trip from Denver to Willowshire was surprisingly quiet and quick; we were already halfway there before I even realized it. Salem and I sat in the back while the Banner brothers took the front seats. I took turns driving every now and then, but Mitchell was insistent on being behind the wheel the majority of the trip. We all had said our farewells to Mr. and Mrs. Williams prior to our departure and I felt miserable deserting them, despite knowing they had relatives to surround themselves with. I tried to focus on something other than the loss of one of my best friends, but this proved even more difficult than I thought. All I could picture in my head was her lying there in that coffin, and now she would be buried beneath the earth. I absent-mindedly gripped Salem’s hand tightly as I thought of this. He squeezed mine reassuringly and kissed me on the cheek.
My nostrils were filled with the fresh scent of blood racing through the veins of the two humans in the car, and I couldn’t deny the hunger. I wanted their blood to fill my mouth, course down my throat and fill me with its savory flavor. I shook my head in disgust at myself and stared pleadingly toward Salem.
“I need to get out of here,” I muttered desperately.
His eyebrows rose and he looked concerned. “Is something wrong?”
“We need to stop somewhere, anywhere…before I make a mistake.”
He grimaced and tapped Mitch on the shoulder. “Alex needs to make a quick stop at the next exit.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah…” I said uncertainly.
“It’s something vampire-related, huh?” he asked and kept his eyes on the road the whole time.
“It’s kind of weird talking to you about it.” I laughed nervously.
I saw his shoulders shrug. “We already know about it now, so there’s nothing to keep from us.”
“This is sort of different.”
“Let me guess…you want to eat us?” he chuckled and glanced back at me, then gulped at the serious expression on my face. “Holy crap, Alex! I thought you said you guys just ate animals!”
“Calm down,” Salem said lightly. “We do feed on animal blood; Alex is simply having unusual cravings. We have not quite figured out the cause for it; however I can assure you that you are safe.”
Mitchell cautiously turned back to look at the road, his hands tightly gripped onto the steering wheel as he took us along the next exit. Jason didn’t seem affected by the thought that I was a blood-thirsty monster, but perhaps that was because of the hotel room incident, or his thoughts were someplace else completely...probably on Karen. I attempted to stop myself from inhaling so that the invigorating scent would not appeal to me as much and it seemed to help slightly.
I felt more relaxed after I practically leapt out of the car and inhaled
a gulp of fresh air, clear of the suffocating scent of blood. We were surrounded by the typical trees of Colorado, which was still a pleasant sight to me after being away from home for a while. The desert landscape was something that could never appeal to me after being accustomed to such majestic nature. The Banner boys exited the car and wandered off to the restroom. For some reason I stayed put, standing beside Mitchell’s car and staring after my two friends.
“You won’t hurt them, Alex,” Salem said beside me. “You are strong enough to control it.”
I sighed and looked toward the ground. “Yeah, but what if I can’t? I couldn’t live with myself.”
“I know you, and I know that you are capable of controlling yourself. Your mind and heart are pure, and the vampire in you can never win against that. You would never hurt your friends.”
My eyes were now focused on him. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am,” he said with a smile.
“So, how exactly do you feed?” Mitch said and distracted me from Salem’s attention. “Is it like it is in the movies?”
“Pretty much,” I answered with a shrug.
“Could you…could you show me?” he asked anxiously.
“What?!” I shouted with alarm. “No! Are you crazy? You could get hurt!”
“I’ll be fine,” he disagreed. “Please, Alex? I won’t interfere…I’m just curious.”
I sighed in defeat and Salem gave me a worried glance. “You had better keep your distance, Mitch, or else I could end up hurting you...”
He laughed at my comment despite the seriousness of the situation. “I think I can defend myself.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Jason said warningly. “She’s stronger than she looks.”
“How do you know? Besides, I’ll be fine…Salem will be there if she goes crazy, right?”
“Of course, but I still do not think it is a wise idea,” Salem replied.
“I’m going, whether you like it or not,” Mitchell said firmly. “Lead the way, Alex.”
I begrudgingly led the younger of the Banner brothers away from the parking lot and toward the wooded area beyond. We walked down a short flight of old, loose stairs that led down into a ditch layered with gravel and a dense puddle of water. At the opposite side of the ditch was another set of stairs that led up to the flat land and into the copse. There were so many scents in the air but only one caught my attention – his scent. It was overwhelming. I scanned the area briefly as I waited on him to catch up to Salem and I, temporarily forgetting that he couldn’t travel at our pace.
The sky was darkening overhead and an array of stars burst into view against the black display, yet I could see everything just as clearly as if it were daylight. Mitchell, however, was stumbling around behind us as if he were blind. I stifled a laugh as I glanced back at him. Jason stayed behind in the vehicle, he didn’t say why.
“There is something ahead,” Salem said as he motioned with a finger to the trees before us.
“I don’t smell anything specific.”
He frowned. “I believe you do, it simply isn’t the same as what I smell. Ignore that scent, Alex…I know you can.”
“I’m trying!” I said more harshly than I intended. “He just smells so…inviting...”
“You’re not talking about me, are you?” Mitchell said quietly as he approached us more closely.
“You’d be happier not knowing that answer.” I growled and stalked into the darkness. Our footsteps crunched noisily on fallen twigs that littered the ground, alerting any nearby animals that we were intruding. Mitchell’s were the loudest; Salem and I might as well have been levitating over the ground with how quiet our footfalls were.
“Walk stealthily, Mitchell,” Salem whispered.
“How am I supposed to do that?” he asked sarcastically, staring down at his feet. “There are twigs everywhere!”
“Step lightly,” I instructed and demonstrated for him. I stepped forward and lay my foot against one of the twigs, barely making a sound. “The gentler your foot falls, the quieter the impact will be. Just walk slowly and steadily so as to not scare anything away.”
Mitchell nodded slowly, following my demonstration and his steps became noticeably quieter. I heard the mellow babbling of a nearby brook and pondered the possibility of deer or elk drinking over there, but Salem had pointed in the other direction. I didn’t care what sort of animal was lurking beyond the trees; all that mattered right now was that I sated my thirst enough that I didn’t desire the blood of my two close friends.
Salem paused and held an arm out to alert us to stop. He carefully scanned the vicinity until something caught his attention – two black bears were foraging for food in the distance. Mitchell swallowed hard and stood stock-still as he examined the large carnivores. All I could think of when I saw the animals was Janet and how Mark had made up the story of her being mangled by a black bear at the zoo.
Salem and I would be fine, regardless how strong the creatures might be, and if we were unlucky enough to get hurt we would quickly heal. Mitch on the other hand was in mortal danger, but I would not let myself lose another friend – not today; not ever.
17. UNWELCOME ENCOUNTER
At last, the scent of Mitchell’s blood faded as I welcomed the smell of the bear’s. The two of them were unaware of us as they continued sniffing around at the dirt. Salem was the first to make a move, crouching down somewhat and preparing to pounce. He eyed me for a moment and I mimicked his movement.
“You’re going to get yourselves killed!” Mitchell said far too loudly and I straightened up as the bears turned in our direction. Before the creatures had a chance to spot us I embraced Mitch around the waist and hastily pulled him behind a nearby boulder, hiding us from their view. Salem followed and peeked over the top of the rock. We managed to go unnoticed.
“Keep your mouth shut,” I muttered. “We can handle this. Okay?”
Mitchell frowned apologetically and pretended to zip his mouth shut.
Salem and I slowly inched around the rock and spotted our targets once more. There was an unfamiliar scent in the air that reached my nose and I glanced around to see if I could find its source. I wasn’t the only one that caught onto it as I noticed Salem’s pale blue eyes darting around in search of it, too.
“What is that?” I whispered.
“It’s hard to say…I do not recognize it at all.”
“The road’s not far away, maybe it was something from a car or something?”
“Maybe,” he replied.
We edged closer to our prey and I felt an overwhelming desire to jump the nearest bear and dig my fangs into its warm inviting flesh, but something stopped me. Salem pushed me aside and stood firmly in front of me. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on and I stared at him with a bewildered expression until I spotted the cause.
I growled quietly as the bears scurried away and two men came walking out of the shadows, both of whom looked dangerous just from a mere glimpse. Both of the men were clad in black trench coats and thick, bulky boots. One of them was a hulking mass of muscles and as bald as could be with tribal tattoos wound around his scalp; his comrade was somewhat shorter with dark spiked hair and a menacing sneer across his lips.
“I thought we heard someone else out here,” the taller man said in what was a surprisingly pleasant and friendly tone. “Are you lost?”
“We are not lost,” Salem said as he eyed them suspiciously. “Are you?”
The man guffawed and shook his bald head. “’course not. We live around these parts. You’d be surprised by how many people get lost out here. And you sound like you sure don’t come from ‘round here with that voice.”
“I am very familiar with this state, regardless of my accent.”
“Well don’t you talk fancy,” the shorter man commented. “What were you doing out here so close to them bears anyway? Trying to get yourselves killed?”
“We were merely observing the animals in their natural habitat
,” Salem replied. “What about yourselves?”
“We heard some noises, thought we would check it out,” the taller one said. “This is Dennis, and my name’s Matt.”
I glanced around at the men from behind Salem. “I am Salem,” he replied and looked back at Mitch and me. “This is Alexis and Mitchell.”
“We don’t usually find groups out here,” Matt said, eying the three of us. “Usually just one person gets separated from the herd.”
“And I suppose you direct them back to the road?” I asked.
Matt grinned. “Nah way. What kind of rescuers would we be if we didn’t offer up a little more…hospitality…than that?”
“Yeah,” Dennis agreed with a sly grin. “We like to invite ‘em back home to…eat with us.”
I heard Mitchell gulp from behind me and knew immediately that something was off. I shut my eyes briefly to let the rest of my senses intake their surroundings. I smelled the familiar scent of chamomile coming off of Salem; I smelled diner food and blood wafting off of Mitchell…but these two new comers did not have a scent that I recognized – not even blood. I then listened to the sounds around us: I heard Mitchell breathing; I heard the sound of Mitch’s heart pounding rapidly, but nothing from the other two men. My eyes opened wide as I registered what we were facing.
“Salem, we need to get out of here,” I whispered fiercely – forgetting how easily the two men could hear me.
“Now, now, we don’t want to scare ya off,” Matt said with a false frown. “We just wanted to talk to ya, get to know ya.”
It became clear to me that they weren’t yet aware that we, too, were vampires.
“No really, we should be getting back...we’re already late as is.”
Dennis laughed and stepped nearer to us. “Aw now come on, is that any way to treat your saviors.”
“Do we really look that stupid to you? You could be some kind of murderers for all we know!” Mitchell yelled from behind us. “Besides, you don’t know who you’re dealing with! You’d best just let us go back if you know what’s good for you.”