by M. Lorrox
Jules smirks. “Interesting, you’re intelligent, aren’t you?”
“Not really.” Eddy motions to Minnie. “Apparently she’s the smart one.”
Minnie bounces off the cushion and lands on her feet. “Mommy says so!”
Jules allows a smile to cross her lips before she stashes it away. “I see. If there’s ever anything you need or have questions about, please do not hesitate to call my desk.”
June points out the window. “Do you know who that woman is?”
Jules glances up for a split second. “Yes, she is very friendly and respected in our community, feel free to go and introduce yourselves.” She points outside. “This path remains shaded all day. It cuts through the courtyard to the pool and exercise room.”
When Jules mentions the pool, Minnie gasps and runs over to the windows—avoiding the rays of light out of habit—hoping to catch a glimpse.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
June shakes her head. “No, thank you very much, Jules.”
“You’re welcome. Have a pleasant afternoon.”
June looks at Eddy. “Want to go out and say hello to the lady?”
Eddy takes Minnie’s hand. “Sure, then we should check out at the pool and exercise room.”
Minnie nods. “I completely agree.”
The woman studies her chessboard as the three approach. When they stop beside her table—and they don’t continue toward the pool as she expected—she raises a finger into the air. “Just one moment, please, just a moment. I’ve almost got him.”
Eddy looks at the board. The woman is playing the white side, and she’s lost her queen, a bishop, a knight, and a few pawns. The black side has their queen, but they’ve lost both rooks, both knights, and some pawns.
June studies the board. Plus or minus a pawn or two, both sides seem even.
The woman smiles, and her large, white teeth shine out between her lips. “Yes. Yes, that’s it. Bxc5, check.” She moves her bishop, takes a pawn with it, then sets the pawn on the table. She looks up to the three faces standing beside her.
Her eyes are green—not vampire green—and they reflect some dark and light specs from the board before her. “Let me write that move down before I forget. My mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be.” She opens the notebook to a page held with a simple ribbon, then writes down her move. She closes the book. “Whew! That was a tough one. Thank you for waiting for me. How are you all doing today?”
June answers quickly and waves. “Fine, thank you. I’m June.”
The woman stands with elderly effort, then bends a little, like a bow. “My name is Beatrice.”
Eddy positions his sister in front of the old woman. “This is Minnie.”
Minnie shoots her hand out to shake like a business professional would, but Beatrice slides her palm underneath Minnie’s fingers, turns Minnie’s hand over so the back of it faces up, then squeezes it without shaking. “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Minnie.”
“Hi.”
“And I’m Eddy.” She looks at him and extends her hand out slightly, palm faced down. Eddy accepts it the way the woman had accepted Minnie’s, and he holds it lightly for a moment.
“I’m charmed.” She sits back down. “What brings you out to this courtyard on such a lovely day?”
June rests her hands on the back of the chair opposite Beatrice. “Just exploring. I saw that you were playing chess, and I wanted to say hello.”
She smiles. “Oh, do you play?”
“I do.” June smiles. There’s something different about you. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
“Lovely, perhaps we can play sometime. I believe I’ll be staying here all week.”
“I’d like that.” June holds her gaze.
The woman smiles and looks at Minnie and Eddy. “Just arriving at the hotel? I’m told the pool is very nice.”
Minnie pulls on Eddy’s hand. “Can we go jump in?”
Eddy shakes his head, then he addresses Beatrice. “We did just arrive, actually.” He turns to June. “Do you want to check out the pool?”
“Umm, not really, why don’t you go on ahead, I’d like a few minutes of fresh air, here in the shade.”
Eddy nods. “We’ll just be a minute. You’ll stay here and wait for us?”
She nods.
“Okay Minnie, let’s go.” He leads his sister toward the other glass door across the courtyard.
June smiles at the woman. “I’ve been in a car all day, and it’s nice to be outside. It feels a little cooler here—I’m from near Asheville, to the southwest.”
“I used to live in Georgia. It is certainly cooler here, but the humidity is the real killer. Would you like to sit for a minute?”
June pulls out the chair and sits. “Thank you. Where do you live now?”
“I live in Maine with my husband. He’s here on business, and I travel with him when I can.”
“Oh, that must be nice.”
“It is.”
June tries not to stare at the woman, so she looks off into the courtyard.
“What is it, my dear?”
June looks back at Beatrice. “What do you mean?”
“You look at me as if you see something.”
June flusters. “I umm, I don’t mean to.”
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Beatrice extends her hand onto the table. “Can I feel your hand?”
June hesitates, but when she meets the woman’s eyes, all she sees is tenderness. She places her hand into the open palm, and is surprised when she can feel Beatrice’s pulse.
“You are a very observant young lady, June.” She smiles and rubs her thumb on June’s hand. “I was once a Buddhist nun, and I’ve trained my whole life to quiet the inner turmoil—to be present in every moment. Few people can sense it. Few can see it.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She gives June’s hand a little squeeze. “It seems to me that you are special.”
June pulls her hand back. “I’m not…definitely not special.”
“Well, everyone is special, aren’t they? But maybe you can tap into something others can’t, like I can. I can read a person like a book; the trick is identifying the language they use. Would you like an example?”
June nods.
Your friend Eddy cares about you, but he has a lot on his mind, and he’s on edge. He hides it well—” She motions out to the open air of the courtyard. “—but he’s not relaxed at all on this fine day.”
June considers the responsibility Eddy might feel, for the situation the family is in right now, and for Joe... Poor Joe.
“And you just got sad.”
“How can you tell?”
“Years and years of quieting the mind helps make it receptive to the glorious communications of life.” She rolls her eyes. “In other words, practice.”
June laughs. “I could tell there was something about you—something different. It’s like I can feel it, even though when I think about it, you just seem, I dunno, normal.”
“Well, it seems you can see things that most people are ignorant of.”
She fidgets with a fingernail. “This has just started happening.”
“Has it? That’s exciting!” Beatrice reaches her hand across the table and squeezes June’s again, then releases it.
“Or freaky.”
Beatrice bursts into laughter. “Yes, exactly! Exciting to some is scary to others. If I were you, I’d choose excited.”
“Well I’m definitely more scared—I think now, more than I’ve ever been.”
“I bet it’ll pass. There’s so much to do in this world, and especially today with the zombies, there’s so much good to do in it.”
June extends her hand back out, and Beatrice immediately grabs it. “Thanks, i
t feels good to talk to somebody.”
Beatrice smiles. “You know, chess is a great excuse for conversation. I do hope you’ll come back so we can talk and play.”
“I’m not very good.”
“I’m a great teacher! A more perfect pairing has never met under the heavens; a chess Grandmaster and an apprentice in a hotel courtyard playing on a ten-dollar travel board.”
“You’re a chess Grandmaster?”
“When I was younger, I was. I don’t compete anymore though. Would you like to learn from me?”
“Very much! I would love that! Thank you for offering.”
“You’re welcome, but there is a cost I’ll ask of you.”
“What’s that?”
“A few things. Number one: you need to know that I don’t teach chess, and I’ve refused all pupils for the last fifteen years.”
“Oh. But you’ll help me? Why?”
“Because, number two: you are special, only you might just be starting to realize it now.”
June nods slowly. “Okay, is that all?”
“No, I have one more thing that you must agree to.”
“What’s that?”
“Number three: you will let me give you a compliment and a piece of advice every time we sit down to play.”
June smiles. “Only one of each? I can definitely use a lot of number threes.”
Beatrice chuckles. “Are you ready for today’s number three?”
“Yes, yes, yes! Three yesses for number three. Hit me.”
Beatrice looks back and forth between the young girl’s eyes. “June, you have the most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something.”
June flushes. “Thank you… You know, I’m not sure anyone’s ever complimented me on them before, well, outside of my family anyway.”
“Really?” She leans forward.
June smiles. “I remember something my grandfather said to me one time—the last time I visited him on the reservation, years ago. He said that my eyes were ‘New moons over autumn’s quiet.’”
“Oh, my goodness.” Beatrice places her palm against her chest. “That is such a beautiful compliment. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.” She sits back in her chair and takes a deep breath.
“What’s wrong?” June raises her brow.
She clears her throat then smiles at June. “You see; I told you that you have a gift.” She sighs. “Here is the advice: get some light sunglasses, and try not to let people stare into your eyes.”
June pulls her hands off the table. “I don’t understand.”
The glass door behind Beatrice opens, and Eddy walks out with a skipping Minnie. June doesn’t look; she’s still transfixed by Beatrice.
The old woman frowns, and her eyes grow sad. “I know you don’t, dear, but you will.”
Eddy and Minnie approach the table. “It’s quite the pool, and the workout room is great too. June, if you don’t have a swim suit with you, you’ll probably want to buy one. The temperature in there is perfect!”
June stands. “Great. I’ll check it out later.”
Beatrice stands as well. “It was so nice to talk with you June, and to meet you Eddy, and you as well, Miss Minnie.” She swallows and meets Eddy’s gaze. “I was just telling June how pretty her eyes are.” She looks back to June and smiles. “And I love the way your grandfather described them. I’m sure you’ll always cherish that memory.”
Eddy bites his tongue. Oh boy...
June forces a wary smile at the woman, then turns away and walks back toward the front lobby. Eddy and Minnie follow behind her.
“You will come back so we can play a game, won’t you, dear?”
June pauses and turns to look at Beatrice. She sees it again—the tenderness, the care, the sincerity. Why did she say those things?
June nods, then turns and walks inside with Eddy and Minnie.
Eddy shakes the foot of the king bed. “Dad. Wake up.”
Charlie rolls over. “Knock it off. What is it?”
“June just found out her eyes aren’t brown anymore.”
He yawns. “Skip talking to her?”
“Yeah.”
“’Kay. Go back to sleep.”
Eddy shakes the bed again.
Charlie glares at Eddy. “WHAT?”
“It would probably help if she could talk to a vampire that was turned.”
He sits up and stretches. “Fine. They’re in their room?”
Eddy nods.
Charlie looks at Sadie, who appears to still be asleep. He walks out to the shared living room and sees Minnie playing on the floor. “Eddy, keep her occupied.”
Behind their closed door, Skip and June sit on the side of the king bed, facing the other bed and the window beyond it. June is sobbing.
Skip rubs her back. “You’re still you, June. You’re still you.”
Charlie knocks on the door. “Mind if I join you?”
Skip doesn’t hesitate. “Come on in.”
Charlie sits on the edge of the queen bed, facing them. “June, I was also turned. A long, long time ago.”
She looks at him while rubbing her eyes. “That means, your eyes changed too?”
“Yes. They were hazel.”
“Mine were chocolate.”
“I know, they were very pretty. Your eyes now are very pretty, too.”
“I don’t care if they’re pretty!” Fresh beads of salty tears plummet down her cheeks.
Skip looks at Charlie and shrugs with one shoulder.
“I was turned when I was younger than you; I was about Minnie’s age. I had only seen my reflection a few times with much clarity, and I only know my eyes were hazel and not blue, or green, or chocolate, because that’s what my parents told me. I didn’t ask to be turned either, but I didn’t have much choice.”
June wipes her face. “What happened?”
“When I was seven, invaders attacked near our home in Spain, and my parents fled with me. We were traveling through foreign towns when my parents were murdered. I hid in a pile of rotting garbage and dead rats, and I listened to my parents scream while the killers laughed. I stayed hidden for hours until it was safe to come out.
“No one in the town would take me in, but one old woman handed me a loaf of bread and pointed up a nearby mountain. She told me I might find shelter with an old man that lives there, so I took the bread and started to hike up the mountain.”
“Did he take you in?”
“A storm came while I was climbing the mountain, and I sheltered in place at the trunk of a gigantic tree; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bigger one. He found me there in the morning, half frozen and shivering. If he didn’t find me, I would have died. He carried me to his home. When I could speak, I told him my story, and he healed and named me.”
“Charlie isn’t your real name?”
He bounces his head side to side. “No, it is…kind of. My life was starting fresh, so I gladly adopted the name. I remember his sparkling green eyes when he gave it to me.”
June looks into Charlie’s sparkling green eyes. “He was a vampire.”
Charlie nods. “When I was healthy, he started teaching me how to hunt and fight. I was like a sponge back then—I learned everything quickly and easily. He took me on long treks and taught me to live off the land, to use every part of an animal, including its blood, for the strength it gives you. He was an old vampire, and I was still a human boy, so his strength was monumentally greater than mine.”
Charlie focuses on June and makes his hands into fists. “I needed that strength, I needed to take revenge on the gang that killed my parents. I needed to be like the old man.”
June frowns. “I thought you said you didn’t have a choice?”
Charlie raises a finger. “Eh-eh-eh, please don�
��t interrupt. I said I didn’t have much of a choice. After a few months, when I was healthy and I had some survival skills, he gave me two options. He said I could leave him immediately, but that I could tell no one of him or else he’d relentlessly hunt me down and brutally murder me, or he said I could stay with him, become a vampire like him, and he’d tutor me in writing, languages, and arts.”
Charlie sighs. “I could have cared less about learning how to write or how to say my parents were murdered in French, but I had to have his power. I had to have my revenge.” Charlie glances at Skip, then back at June. “You have to realize, things were different back then. I was very different. I needed my revenge.”
“When was… Wait, how old are you?”
“I’m old enough. The point is that my life had been filled with fear, ignorance, and hate. I would have given anything to have my parents back, but because that wasn’t an option, I’d have given anything to avenge their deaths. So, I stayed with him. He turned me, kept teaching me survival skills, and he taught me the ways of the vampires.”
She swallows. “So, did you? Did you kill the people that killed your parents?”
“No.”
Skip looks up in surprise. “Why not?”
“A few years after he turned me, when I was about ten or so, I went back down to the village to find the men and make them bleed. But when I got there, they were all long dead. The old man had killed them—years ago, while I was still recovering from my chill. He killed them and never told me.
“At first I was furious that I couldn’t be the one to slash them open, to laugh as they saw the resemblance in my face to my parents, to show them that killing my parents was the mistake of their lives, but when I got back up the mountain and confronted the old man, he simply told me that he couldn’t let them live. He couldn’t stand by and let them terrorize the town, so he led them all into the woods, trapped them there, tore off their arms and legs, and prayed as they bled to death.”
June glances at her dad, who just watches Charlie and doesn’t blink.
“The praying was what helped me realize that I was glad he had done it. If it had been me, I would have danced in their blood under that night’s full moon, but after I would have felt empty. Moreover, he said it was his duty, as a Knight of the Order—the Vampire Order—protecting that area. He likened it to being a guardian for the town. He said he had no choice.”