Ever After

by Heather McBride

  Doc was worried that Vincent would return for William if he ever thought he was not behaving, as he should. Lydia feared when he learned of the relationship Will and I had, he would come back, and possibly kill me. I was sick at this thought and I could see it was of great concern to Doc and the entire coven.

  William was silent as we discussed this; he didn’t even move. He was obviously terrified of Vincent. I felt very afraid at that thought. I had never known of anything Will was afraid of. I had to think Vincent was evil in its purest form, and I prayed we would not have to face him. I couldn’t imagine losing William or my life to a creature so horrible.

  Doc had warned that Vincent would want me dead, as I was the one altering Will’s behavior. Doc explained of Vincent’s extreme hatred of humans, and he would never stand for his “son” to be in love with one. I could deal with it. I guessed, but to lose Will was too much to think about. I knew this thing could get ugly really fast.

  I had been in a fairy tale in my own mind. I should have known the real world would seep in eventually, and it was now. Todd on the other hand had apparently fallen off the face of the earth. The police could not track him down. Roth, the cousins, and other coven members could not track him either. This was unheard of since Todd was a human. They should have been able to track him with no trouble.

  Doc was checking in with other friends he had around the world and in Mexico to try to find him. I had caught small bits of conversations between Will and Doc; they seemed very worried about losing track of Todd. I heard Doc mention something about him being dead, or the worst-case scenario, him having been turned into a vampire. This could be one of the reasons he was un traceable to them. I couldn’t even think about such a thing right now, it was un nerving to me.

  The Fairy tale Ends

  The extreme lesson on how Will came to be as he was now was just the beginning. I learned more every day. I had been sick again to top it off; the headaches never really went away all summer, but they had been less painful. I was able to hide them, but the past two weeks going into the fall, it was nearly impossible to keep from William.

  I had only one refill of an old pain medication left and the aspirin didn’t even lessen the pain anymore. I was terrified something was really wrong and I was going to have to face it. It was getting to hard to hide the pain from everyone. Facing whatever was wrong with me, was something I didn’t want to do. I had no choice though; soon I feared it would be impossible to hide. William hid nothing from me, and I was feeling horrible hiding how I felt from him. I knew this had to end.

  Chapter 24

  The Truth about the pain

  William was over one crisp fall afternoon helping me plan the Halloween party we were to have here at my house in a few weeks. The school year started again as well. It was our junior year. Will and I were looking over decorations and I passed out from the pain inside my head, right into his arms; we went to see Doc that afternoon.

  Doc was quick to order a battery of tests and by that evening, we learned what I had feared. I had an inoperable brain tumor. The tests after Todd’s attack when I was in the hospital somehow did not pick up on it. Doc explained it was growing at such a fast rate that at that time it might have been too small to detect.

  I of course, had to explain how much pain I had been in and that I had been hiding it. I was supposed to have gone to Doctor Mott for a follow-up months ago and I didn’t, so I was facing this now. Doc called my father to his office, we all had a major discussion on my medical future, and it was not good. My father wanted the best specialists, mid eastern medicine, anything that might heal me. Doc had no good news; it was indeed terminal. Will was frozen in shock as I was. He looked over to me and I nodded. We both knew as we looked over to Doc what would have to happen to keep us together and to keep me alive.

  Doc exhaled loudly tapping his pen on his cherry wood desk. My father was oblivious to what we were all doing, looking at each other as he read a homeopathic medical pamphlet. Doc looked straight at William for a long time. I knew they could hear each other’s thoughts as many vampires could. Will squeezed my hand and nodded once to Doc; he then leaned over and kissed my cheek tenderly.

  “Worry not, all will be well. This will not separate us. I promise you.” Will whispered in my ear. I smiled knowingly as they had decided to save me, and I would not have to suffer a painful human death. Will wrapped his arms protectively around me. I tucked my head up under his neck; this was where I was happiest, and this was where nothing could touch me.

  The next couple of weeks were very difficult for William and me; many choices had to be made. I was feeling worse each day since my visit to Doc. I felt weaker and my headaches were more intense. Doc was quick to mention a clinic in upstate New York to my father, I had never heard of it before. I knew Doc had many connections, so it clearly had to be a good place.

  This was a special place Doc told my dad, where they might be able to help me. This was just a cover. Should I become near death, Will explained to me later, Doc would tell my dad I was going there for treatment. I would really be at Doc’s home and he would oversee my change to become like them.

  I knew it would be hard to do this, to leave my family, especially my dad. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also didn’t want to die either. This was going to be the hardest thing I had ever done in my life, but I had no choice now. Things were getting serious, and if I didn’t do something, I would lose all the people I love.

  Doc was extremely diligent in my care; he made sure I had everything I needed to be comfortable. I had the best pain medicine and numerous other medicines to keep me relaxed. My dad was inconsolable; he spent all his free time looking for new cures for brain tumors. I hated to see him so frustrated and heartbroken. He spent most of his time with me, when he didn’t have to be at work. I was spending my time trying to reassure myself that joining William’s world was not going to totally freak me out.

  I knew I really had no choice, my body was failing me, and my time was running out. I would lose William and all I knew. My body was betraying me. I had just found my soul mate, the love of my life and now I was facing certain death. I had very few options, it was hard not to panic when I stopped and thought about everything.

  William rarely left my side. He stayed with me nearly all the time; of course, he made it look like he went home to my parents anyway. I was thankful he didn’t leave. I was scared to go to sleep without him there. If something should go wrong, I didn’t want to die or get close to it without him there or I would miss my chance to change.

  Doc warned that if I became too weak, I might not survive the process to become a vampire. I had to be monitored very closely now. William held me in his arms while I slept. He watched every breath. I had some nights worse than others. He did his best to ease the pain of my body slowly getting weaker. I started having blurry vision and blackout spells more often. I was having trouble eating, the high-powered pain meds made my stomach hurt. I was sleeping much more than I wanted to. I had a hard time even getting out of bed, but Will was at my side for it all.

  This was enough drama for all of us, but we had more to handle. Vincent was threatening to come back for William now to top it all off. Doc had sat me and Will down one bitterly cold afternoon and warned us. I held Will’s hand as Doc told us the chances of him coming back here were very good.

  William’s cousins were watching out for him as well as the other coven members. Doc wanted to avoid any run-in with him. He wanted to speak to Vincent himself. I could not handle all this now, my body was too weak, and I was just too tired. I had to let William and Doc handle it.

  Chapter 25

  The Party

  It was now the time of the Halloween party William and I had been planning. My dad had begged me to cancel it. William was worried I wasn’t strong enough for all that commotion. I really wasn’t, but I felt like it was my last big deal; everyone I knew and loved was coming. I desperately wanted to see my friends, just one last time.<
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  I wanted them to remember me, as I was tonight, not as being sick and dying, but alive and happy. I did not know what my future was going to be. I tried not to think about it all. I did my best to hide any ill feelings. I wanted tonight to be perfect. I wanted to forget all my problems, just be happy, dance with William, and ignore my reality if only for a few hours.

  I had decided to be an angel to contrast with William. He of course chose to be Dracula and yes, he wore fake fangs. His teeth were about the same as mine. He really had no fangs of his own. His “real ones” were not visible to humans. That really amused Doc and all his cousins, to see him dressed as the infamous Dracula.

  They too followed suit and came as vampires, fake fangs and all. I found a vintage ball gown on line. It was white with tiny crystals sewn into the silk fabric. It was floor length and beautiful. I had curled my hair and wore it down, and found a golden halo with sparkly crystals. I wore it like a tiara on my head. I used a lot of makeup, to look healthier than I really was.

  William wore a black tuxedo, and his hair was slicked back and combed over stylishly. I had to laugh when he showed me his fake fangs. He winked as he bent over to kiss my neck as if to bite me. He was honoring my request to forget about my illness, just for tonight. I knew it was hard for him, but he loved me enough to try.

  The house was all decked out. Dad had hired a party planning firm when I became too ill to finish the details. The drive way was lined with carved pumpkins. The trees were sparkling with tiny white lights, making the yard look like a fairyland. The house and yard looked amazing, as guests poured into the party.

  The east half of the house, which in its heyday was an actual ballroom, was opened up cleaned and decorated. Dad had said it had not been used since the 1940s, and now it looked amazing; with more tiny lights all over and traditional Halloween garb everywhere. A dj had been hired and was playing all types of music to please the wide array of guests attending. I was so amazed at how beautiful it was, and so happy I had refused to cancel the party. It was a very good choice.

  The party was in full swing and the house was packed. I had to guess everyone I had invited was here, and many of the uppity friends of my dad and Sara’s. I was pleased to see all of William’s family and all my friends from school had come.

  I doubled up on my lower dose pain medicine and hoped it would keep me alert enough to make it all night. I danced several times with William and some with my dad and Doc. Roth and Taylor even snuck in two dances with me.

  I could sense Will watching me closely for any signs of distress. He was very concerned about me tonight. I smiled as I watched William playing a game of pool with his cousins. Dad had set up a game room just off the dance area. Roth was being accused of cheating by the twins, and Lydia was observing. She winked at me as she laughed at the boys.

  I jumped as one of the servers handed me a piece of paper. I quickly unfolded it. I was surprised it was in Will’s handwriting. I looked to him as he turned and gave me a dashing smile and a wink. I had to catch my breath. The note was simple. William wanted to meet me in the gardens behind the house; he had something to tell me in private.

  I wondered why he sent me a note, but I did not stop and think about it. I made my way across the room; my head was spinning a bit so I stopped and held onto a chair to steady myself. I took a few deep breaths and headed outside to the gardens, following the path lit with small lanterns. I made my way to the rose garden passing couples and friends from college. In the center of the rose garden, four stone benches formed an oval.

  I sat down taking a deep breath, as the pain started in my head. I assumed Will just wanted some quiet time with me and I was glad considering the way I felt now. The cool air felt good to me. I tried to ignore the pain, and I was sorry I had left my purse inside with my pills in it. I knew I was going to need them very soon. I was glad nobody was out this far, the gardens were so huge you could get lost if you were not careful.

  A tall man in a tuxedo stepped out from the shadows. I nearly screamed. I had thought I was alone this far from the house. He looked at me but said nothing for a few minutes.

  “Corrine, I presume?” His voice was low and smooth; it sent a chill down my spine as I watched him move closer to me.

  “Uh, yes I am. Who are you?” I tried to hide my sudden fear of this stranger. I had a sudden urge to leave; something about this man was not good at all. I got chills standing there.

  “Are you a guest of my father’s?” I struggled to remain calm, as I was starting to feel sick again.

  “Oh… no lovely. I am not; I am a guest of William’s.” He winked at me. “He just doesn’t know I have arrived yet.” He smiled and glanced back at the house.

  “Okay, well he’s inside playing pool if you want to speak to him.” I needed to get back in the house. I felt a blackout spell looming. “I’m really not feeling well, might you help me back to the house, and I can show you to William?”

  “I know you do not feel well Corrine. I know all about you. I know you are very ill and your days are sadly numbered. Your clock is ticking down to nothing…tick…tock.” He laughed. “More so than you realize. I also know you have captured my William’s heart and thoughts of you consume his mind.” I shuttered, who was this guy and how could he know me?

  “Excuse me, but I really need to get back to the party.” I felt another chill as he chuckled.

  “You really do not know who I am, Corrine? Did he not describe me to you in great detail? I know he’s told you about me.” I moved back as he got closer, his face came into view. He was stunningly handsome, very much like William and all his cousins. I froze in terror. I looked into his eyes now visible from the tiny lights in the trees. They were dark and menacing. They were the eyes of a vampire.

  “I have traveled very far to see William, my dear.” He leaned over close to my face. I could hardly breathe. “William… is my son.”

  I couldn’t breathe, this was Vincent. It had to be, and he was right in front of me. He stood there, studying me as if I were a science project or a happy meal. I hated to think which one.

  “You are William’s love, are you not? The one he’s so taken with?” He tilted his head looking me over. “I can see why, you are a lovely creature even for a mortal.” He laughed as he tilted his head to the other side, looking deep into my eyes.

  I turned away. I had remembered Will’s warning that a vampire can put you in a trace and you never even know its happening. Vincent laughed and shook his head. “He has warned you about our powers, smart boy. He knew that others of our kind would see you as dinner and not his love.”

  I was sick with fear as I sat there frozen to the bench, praying William would come and save me. I knew I couldn’t run. I knew no human could outrun a vampire and trying to outsmart him was impossible too. I had to pray he would make my death a swift one. I didn’t see how anyone from the party would even know I was out here.

  Vincent stood there studying me; he barely blinked his eyes. They were so dark I could swear they were black. I looked away toward the house. I was trying to get my thoughts to Will, hoping he could sense my danger and come to me.

  “He will come to you, my dear. He has a connection to you, of what nature and strength I do not know but…” He sighed looking down at his nails as if bored. “He will be here shortly, rest assured.”

  “He’s going to kill you!” I snapped wrapping my arms around myself, as the night air seemed suddenly colder.

  “Really Corrine? Did you not listen when wise old Doc was educating you on all William’s vampire traits? I know he must have. Old Doc is very thorough on his details…unless he’s slipping. ” He laughs as he pulls a small rope from his coat pocket. “William is nearly as vulnerable to me as you are. Oh yes, he is very strong a definite threat to humans of course, that I will admit. It does take a special effort to kill him.” He leaned over into my face. I leaned back away from him. “But I can kill him. He has not the strength to fight me off. You didn’t
ever wonder why Doc and his coven are so protective over him. They know that if he should run into a dark coven member or a rouge vampire they would kill him. He’s not as super human as you fantasized about, little lady.”

  I was too scared to speak, as I had remembered now how Will had told me he was not as strong as his cousins and other full- blooded vampires. I had known Doc said he had retained a very high amount of human traits, thus making him easy prey for the dark coven and for Vincent. I didn’t have time to think again. He jerked me off the bench with a force that made me lose my breath.

  I tried to pull away. He only laughed as he pulled my arms behind my back and tied them with the rope he had been holding. I felt my head yanked back next as he tied a scarf around my mouth so I couldn’t scream. I choked and fought but he was too strong and I was getting weaker every second.

  I tried to fight, but I knew it was a lost cause. Vincent would win no matter what I tried. I was at his mercy. I felt my head, starting to spin as he picked me up and carried me to a garden shed only a few feet from the rose garden.