by K. A. Poe
“I’m okay,” I mumbled as I fiendishly imagined the intensity of killing some prey. Somehow, I missed it. Perhaps it was because hunting was essentially a part of who I was now, whether it be the undead or a meal.
“You seem to be lost in thought.”
Of course I was lost in thought, my best friend had just lost her life and soon I would have to face that reality. “I was just thinking about how it’s been a while since I last hunted…a vampire.”
“That is a good thing, right?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess…but I kind of miss it, honestly.”
He arched a brow at me curiously. “I warned you this would happen. You have become addicted to it.”
“I’m not addicted to it; it’s just a part of who I am. Besides, killing them is a good thing.”
“Will you resume hunting after we are human again?”
“I don’t know, Salem…” I said quietly, staring at a couple walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. I honestly hadn’t given it much thought. “It all depends on where life takes us. You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?”
“Of course I am. Are you having doubts?” His face displayed a worried frown and I reached out and stroked his cheek.
“I just wonder if we wouldn’t be better off just putting it off a while.”
“There are reasons why I believe that we should not wait,” Salem said apprehensively.
“What aren’t you telling me, Salem?”
“When I turned you…I saw something in your future, and it haunted me for a long time before we discovered the existence of the fountain.”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. “What did you see?”
He turned away from me and looked toward the clock on the wall. It was 7:18. “Let’s sit down,” he offered and led me to the edge of the bed. I sat beside him and stared at him, waiting.
“Until we met Richard and he clarified that you would indeed become a vampire, I was fearful that you were…” he paused and shut his eyes for a second, “I thought you were going to leave me in the future.”
I laughed and stared at him incredulously. “Leave you? Are you crazy, Salem? I would never do that!”
He sighed. “I know you wouldn’t. You have realized by now that I am a little uncomfortable with Jason around you. I know the way he feels for you, and I cannot blame him…but what I saw had me believing that you would leave me…or that I would be gone. Dead.”
I shook my head furiously. “What in the world gave you that idea?!”
“I saw you…with child. The only way that would be possible is if you either did not become a vampire and were intimate with someone other than me, or if this fountain truly exists. Now that I know that you are a vampire, I no longer have my doubts.”
My eyes were wide with uncertainty and discomfort. “You thought I would sleep with Jason?”
“That is not exactly what I thought…I was confused, you must forgive me.”
“I’m not mad or anything, I just don’t see how you would think that.” I laughed and shook my head at him. “And how far into the future was this?”
“I have no idea. That was just one of the few glimpses I received. And like I have said before…it is just a glimpse at a possible future. Many things can change and alter one’s path.”
“Is there anything else you saw that you’re keeping from me?”
“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 al
l 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 car
efully 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.