Brynne, Non-Vampire (The Non-Vampire Series)

by Taylor, Jennie

  “You’re brother is disgusting.” I told her.

  “Yeah.” she said. “What brought that up?”

  “His pants.” I said, pointing.

  “Huh?”

  “Look, he needs a belt. Maybe I’ll have to buy him one.” “I don’t...”

  “Oh wow, you're kidding!” I said, more excited than was really

  warranted. “You can’t see him.”

  “See who? Is he somewhere?”

  “Oh ha ha! You were so certain you were better than me at

  everything.”

  “He’s in the front yard?”

  “Yeah, are you blind?” I said, laughing again. “I have better

  eyesight than you. A lot better, apparently, since I saw him a while back.”

  “So?”

  “Oh I get it.” I said. I stopped walking. “You’re stronger than me because you’re bigger and stronger than I was as a human. You are faster because you’re faster than I was before. But I had eagle eyes before my change, and you have glasses that you refuse to wear.”

  “I don’t need them.”

  “Now you don’t.”

  “I didn’t before. The eye doctor even said we could wait, they weren’t that bad. Mom insisted I get them. Ya know, I did notice that I looked different when I looked in the mirror earlier. Like... smoother, or something. But it was like I could see every pore.”

  “You’re eyes are better, just not as good as mine. And you do look a little different. Anyway, I had perfect eyesight, and now I have much better eyes than you.”

  “I’m still faster and stronger.” she mumbled. She’s mad. “So seriously, we can’t read minds, or compel people to do things, or see the future or anything?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well what good is all this then?” she asked, laughing.

  “You live a long time, you heal quickly, you get to be strong and fast and a lot of normal rules of society really don’t apply to you anymore.”

  “What kind of rules don’t apply?” she asked.

  “Stuff like age requirements. Come on, I’m over eighteen. But I still have to work hard and come up with a really good fake ID to get into an R rated movie.”

  “So can we just take stuff?”

  “There are times when it can be necessary. But that doesn’t make it right. So we don’t do that, unless absolutely necessary.”

  “Right. So can I skip school now, ‘cause I’m really not feeling it. Why do I need a senior year?”

  “School is healthy. It lets you be around others your own age.”

  “But they already bored me before. What’s it going to be like in ten years?”

  “Oh.”

  Well I explained this before, but maybe she didn’t understand what I meant. It’s really difficult to explain to someone, but I can try. And I hope she isn’t upset by this.

  “You’re stuck, Jess.” I told her. “At seventeen. For a very long time.”

  “I know.”

  “No, I mean... look, this sounds messed up, but if your experience is anything like mine, you’re going to stay interested in things seventeen year olds are interested in. Over time a lot of things seem to fade away, and you don’t really get older. I mean even in your head.”

  “Right, got it.”

  “You do gain knowledge. Sometimes. But even some of that fades if you don’t continue to use that knowledge. It’s really hard for me to remember stuff from when I pretended to be older and went to college, for instance.”

  “Got it.”

  “I don’t think you do. But you will.”

  “Well then,” she said. “You seem much more responsible and in control than most fifteen year olds. Are you saying you haven’t developed?”

  “It’s out of necessity. And fear. When I let myself relax, I get very much like I was before. I was a little immature, to be honest.”

  “Got it. Oh I can see Barney now.”

  “About time.”

  We were back up in the bedroom, her sitting at her computer while I was getting undressed so I could take a nap. She was looking at travel sites. Apparently she thinks we’re just going to take a long vacation now.

  “Wake me up in time for dinner.” I told her. “I don’t want lunch.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Oh, and Jess?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Please stay home. At least for a few weeks, until you get a better hang of everything, I’d feel better if you didn’t go anywhere without me.”

  “What’s to get the hang of?” she asked.

  “Controlling yourself, mostly.” Plus I worry she’ll slip and attack someone out of some weird bout of hunger. Hey, I never saw someone right after they changed before, so maybe that blood lust things isn’t as far fetched as I thought.

  “I can control myself.”

  “I know, Jess. Just humor me?”

  “Yes Mom.”

  “Stop calling me that!”

  “Okay, okay. Sleep well.” She leaped over to my side and hugged me. “I’m really glad you did this for me.”

  “Yeah.” I’m not. “I’m tired.”

  “So should I get a doll now, too?” she asked. She laughed. “Maybe it’s a vamp thing. Maybe we all have them, and you’re not just being a little kid.”

  “I’m not a vampire.” I said. I laid back and closed my eyes.

  I’ve condemned her to this. To watching everyone she loves dies. To never feeling safe. To never being normal. To never being able to lay out in the sun ever again. To always and forever being a cannibal. As much as I try not to think of it like that, it’s what I am. I live off of human blood. I’ve condemned her to never being able to love.

  I dreamed of perfect days and perfect nights with Teresa. Of long walks in the parks, of snuggling up to watch movies. Of love making. Of long vacations to places I’ve never been. I dreamed of mundane things, like her and I folding laundry and doing dishes. And then I woke up crying.

  “It’s okay.” Jess was saying to me. It sounded like she had said it several times already by that point, based on the tone of her voice. “Everything is fine, honey.”

  “I hate this.” I mumbled.

  “I know.”

  “You don’t know! She left me. She left me because of this,

  because of me being whatever the hell it is I am.”

  “She loves you, Brynne. She just can’t handle it.” She patted

  my hand. “Maybe after she has time to think...”

  “It’s too dangerous for her. She needs to go away and never

  think of me again.”

  “Honey,”

  “And I’ve condemned you to the same thing.”

  “You don’t know that. I could find a perfect guy somewhere,

  and he could be alright with this.”

  “And he grows old and dies while you remain seventeen years

  old.”

  “Well that’s depressing. Maybe I could change him too, and

  then we...”

  “No!” I sat up. “Don’t ever think of doing that!”

  “Relax.”

  “I shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t... I felt so guilty, and so

  alone, and... now I’ve turned you into some... some unnatural

  creature.”

  “Brynne, stop it.”

  “And you can never have love now. That’s the worst part.” “I have you. I love you.”

  “But you’ll never be able to be in love with someone, never be

  able to have someone be in love with you. You’re alone now, too.” “I’m sorry, honey. I really wish Teresa...” She stopped when

  the phone started ringing. “Maybe that’s her. It rang before, when you

  were asleep. Maybe she thought about it, and she wants you back.” “That’s not... that’s... is that the phone Barney got me?”

  I looked over at the phone, on the dresser. Watching it from over here won’t really do any good, I guess. I should
answer it. “He-hello.” I said. I leaned against the dresser.

  “We need to talk.” he said. Heavy Italian accent.

  “Who is this?”

  “You called my colleague Saturday.” he said.

  “Um,” His colleague. Hah. “I talked to someone Saturday.” “Is this the girl that claimed to be a vampire?”

  “Not exactly.” I said. “Close enough.”

  “Close enough?” he asked.

  “I don’t like to think of it that way. I don’t attack people, I just

  get my blood from blood banks.” Why do I have to keep repeating this? I went over a hundred years telling nobody, now I seem to have to tell everyone.

  “We need to talk in person.” he said.

  “No, not... look, I... you have to stop them. The ones in Wichita.”

  “We’ll talk about that. Where are you now?”

  “Look, I... I’ll come to you. Pick a place.”

  “Miss, this is no time to play games.”

  “My name is Brynne.” Brilliant. They just need to look for

  every Brynne in Kansas. There can’t be that many of us. “To whom am I speaking?” “My name is Paolo.” he said. “And the rest we can discuss in person. Where can I find you?”

  “So you can come kill me?”

  “Brynne,” he said. He sounds like a salesman, even with the accent. “We simply want to speak with you.”

  “Look, I don’t even care any more.” I said. “Kill me, whatever.”

  “No!” Jess shouted.

  “But I have some ground rules.”

  “Such as?” he asked.

  “You wait until after I help you hunt down Julius and Joanna.”

  “That can be arranged.” he said. His salesman voice makes me doubt his intention on following through on that, though. “Now let’s meet.”

  “The people that have been helping me, you have to leave them be. They are good people, you need to promise they won’t be harmed.”

  “I promise.”

  “Okay. Okay. There’s a rest stop on highway four hundred, a little East of Wichita. I’ll meet you there tomorrow at noon.”

  “Keep in mind, we will be protecting ourselves, should you decide to try anything funny.”

  “I won’t.”

  “See you tomorrow, then.”

  “Wait!” I said, hoping he wouldn’t hang up.

  “Yes?”

  “How will I recognize you?”

  “We will see you.” he answered.

  “Well don’t you want to know what I look like?”

  “I imagine you’ll be the only vampire there, won’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He hung up. Jess was looking at me, waiting for details. Dripping with curiosity, I would say. She looks scared. Or excited. “So we go at noon.” she said.

  “No. I go at noon. You’re not going anywhere near there.” “I’m not staying behind.”

  “You need to stay here. They could kill you, Jess. You’re not

  having anything to do with those people.”

  “And they could kill you, too. I’m not just sitting by and letting

  that happen.”

  “Yeah, you are.”

  “I agreed to do what you said, Brynne, but I’m not letting you

  go off alone like this.”

  “Jess,”

  What, it’s dangerous? Telling her that won’t help. So what do I tell her? I mean if she comes along they might very well kill her. I’d rather they not even know she exists. But I have to tell her something.

  “You have to stay behind to protect your family.” I told her. “In case the others come looking.”

  “That’s a lame excuse and you know it.”

  “Jess,”

  “I’m coming.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” she insisted.

  “You can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s too dangerous.” I wasn’t going to tell her that. Great. “Look, I... if you come then they’ll just kill me on the spot because I changed you.”

  “You think they’d do that?”

  “They might.”

  “Then you can’t go!” She grabbed onto my hand. “You’re not leaving me. I can’t do this by myself.”

  “Jessica, they aren’t going to hurt me as long as they think I can help stop the others.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “He promised.” Well, not exactly.

  “I don’t like this.” she said.

  “Me either. But it’s the only way.”

  “I hate this.”

  “Look, I’ll be able to concentrate much better if I don’t have to worry about you or your family. So stay here. Maybe go check on Teresa, too. Secretly, of course. Just go visit Tony and check on her while you’re there.”

  “Honey... okay. You swear you’ll be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  The evening was kind of tense. Really tense. Jess told her family I was going tomorrow, and they all spent the whole night trying to talk me out of it. And Barney wants to go along. I tried to explain to him how dangerous it was, but he won’t listen. I don’t really have any way to get there, other than running anyway, so I guess he can drive me. They won’t hurt him. I don’t think they will, at least.

  Tuesday, June 21 We were most of the way there, and I was really nervous. Barney kept talking about

  football. I don’t know why he keeps talking about football, but he does. I’m getting a bit sick of it. I suppose he’s trying to distract me so I don’t worry, but it’s not working. I hate football.

  My phone started ringing. It’s really not a good time to talk. But I have to make Jessica feel better. I have to calm her down. Even if I’m not calm. She needs that from me.

  “Hey Jess. Look, we’re almost there, I can’t talk long.” “Hey Love.” she said. Not Jessica. “It’s me.” She’s crying. “Teresa!”

  “I’m sorry I freaked out.”

  “No, it’s okay baby.” I said.

  “Brynne, you be careful. Jess told me what you’re doing.” “She did?”

  “Yes. Please don’t die.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Good.”

  “Teresa, are you... un-breaking up with me?”

  “What? Um...” she sniffled loudly. “I love you, Brynne. But I

  can’t be with you. I’m so sorry. But still, I don’t want you to get hurt.” “Oh.” Well that sucks. Rip my heart out all over again. Thanks.

  “I love you. I gotta go, we’re there.”

  “Let me know you’re alright?”

  “I will.”

  “Bye. Love you.”

  We pulled into the rest stop and Barney found a parking spot. I looked around at all the people. Which of them are from the secret Venator immortuorom? Would they kill me in front of all these other people? Unlikely, but who knows.

  “Stay in the car.” I told Barney, as I opened the door. “No way, I’m coming with you.”

  “Stay. I’m serious.”

  “Hey,”

  “Barney, you have to go home and tell them what happened if

  this goes badly. You have to tell Jessica to run away. You have to protect your family.”

  “This sucks.” he said, slamming his fist on the steering wheel.

  “I know. Keep the car running. If anything goes wrong you just run.”

  I walked up the sidewalk, trying to look at every person I passed, trying to see if I could find anyone that looked foreign. Whatever that means. I sat on a bench and waited. Less than a minute later a man sat beside me. He glanced my way and smiled. I wasn't sure if he was one of them, or just a pervert that tries to pick up young girls.

  “Nice to see you, Brynne.” he said. Heavy accent. Same guy from last night.

  “Paolo?” I asked. He nodded. He looks as nervous as I feel. “How did you know it was me?”

  “We
will wait until the others leave before our discussion, yes?”

  “Sure, I guess.” Wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt. “But you knew who I was?”

  “Yes.” He glanced around. “You people have a look. A perfectness.”

  “Oh.”

  “It is a pity that this disease which afflicts you seems more common among the beautiful. I suppose if you’re going to create someone as a companion you would choose someone beautiful.”

  “I was a mistake. Alejandro tried the rest of my family, too.”

  “Alejandro .” he said, nodding.

  “He said he was the last. I thought I was the last, after he died. Until recently.”

  “There are a great many of you around.” he told me. “So you know only of these two?”

  “Um,” Yeah, except the one I changed. “Yes, those two.”

  “There are more. You aren’t completely honest with me, I think.”

  “It’s not important.” I told him.

  “It is very important. This will go badly if I don’t trust you, Miss Brynne.”

  “Fine. There is one more that I know. I will not tell you who she is. She doesn’t hurt people, that’s all you need.”

  “And where did you meet this other one?”

  “Not important.”

  “It is.” he insisted. There is an intensity in his eyes that scares me.

  “I’m not risking her life by telling you about her.”

  “Fair enough.” he said. “And did you create this other?”

  “I...” I nodded. “How did you know?”

  “A hunch. Is she the only one?”

  “Yes. I didn’t even know how, but I had to save her.”

  “So this is your injured friend, Jessica Sloan, yes?”

  How does he know that? Have they been spying on me? They probably did check me out. Or maybe they were able to trace that cell phone and find out that it came from that hospital. It wouldn’t take much to find out that there was a girl there that was badly injured, but suddenly okay the next day.

  “Relax.” he said. He is smiling. “We’re just talking now.” “Relax. Easy to say when you’re not the one who is going to die.”

  “Nobody dies today.” he said.

  “She can never... you can never hurt her.” I said. I wiped the tears from my face. “She’s the most gentle person, you just... she would never hurt anyone. I promise you.”

  “We will see.”

  “No!”

  “Calm yourself. There are others here that should not know of this.”