Being Human

by Patricia Lynne

  My niece squealed with excitement as she pointed at the TV. “Look, Mommy, my school is on TV. It’s famous!”

  On the TV, a woman in a gray suit stood in front of a brown brick building. Large windows took up most of the walls and the doors were dull and yellow. Behind the building was a fenced in area with colorful swings, slides and other toys.

  The camera focused on the woman, her voice serious as she started her report. “Four year old Jamie Bachand was taken last Monday afternoon. Happy Times Pre-School teacher, Miss Valerie, last recalled seeing Jamie out front, waiting for her parents with the other children. Witnesses didn’t recall seeing Jamie leave or any strangers. If anyone has any information or has seen Jamie Bachand, please call the police immediately.”

  Silence filled the air as the reporter spoke, fear hanging like a sickly odor. My brother and Rissa stared at the TV, absorbing each word with solemn faces.

  My niece looked from one to the other in confusion. “Mommy, Daddy, what's wrong? How come the TV was talking about Jamie? Is she okay?”

  My brother took a moment to force a smile on his face. “I'm sure she's okay. They’ll find her safe and sound and everything will be fine.”

  “Come on, let’s get you up to bed and I'll read you a story tonight.” Rissa hurried my niece up the stairs without handing out goodnight kisses.

  I looked at my brother. “You lied.”

  Lines appeared around his eyes, making him look years older. “We don't want to scare her.”

  I tilted my head at him, growing more puzzled. “What is there to be scared of?”

  He turned to me and looked in my eyes. Whispers of his thoughts filled my head and it was like he was pressing his will against mine. We know her. Know her parents, talk to them almost every day. She played with Mackenzie at the school, at our home. And now she's missing, taken.

  “She's not scared.”

  “Mackenzie doesn't know to be scared or understand the danger,” he replied. “This man, this... monster is faceless. We don't know who we can trust.”

  ****

  The flyer fluttered in the wind, barely held to the telephone pole by two flimsy staples. The face on the paper smiled, a bright, wide smile that lifted her cheeks. Tiny lights reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle. Her hair was pulled into pigtails high on either side of her head. She sat with her hands folded in her lap, feet crossed at the ankles and a giant teddy bear behind her. Underneath the picture was a plea for information, asking anyone that knew where the girl was to call the number.

  I looked closer at the flyer, noticing the smile looked fake. Everything about the picture looked like it was staged and nothing was real. There were a few pictures like that at my brother's house. Family photos, he called them. Pointless, I called them.

  More flyers were posted on other telephone poles, each one with the same plea for information. The sheer number of flyers felt desperate, like if there were enough posted, the little girl would appear.

  I turned from the flyers and headed out to find my brother. He wasn’t home when I woke, out with some friends according to Rissa. I followed his scent with a bit of difficulty, the taint of car exhaust trying to overpower his scent, to a house with cars parked in front, his among them.

  Amy appeared as I snuck around the house. She stayed on my heels, silent, as I peered through cracks of curtains and stopped outside the largest window. I skimmed the edges, trying to see around the fabric, but it stretched past the sides and bottom of the window and hid the humans on the other side.

  Feeling reckless, I knocked on the glass, then we dashed into the shadows. The curtain moved, a human appearing. Others crowded behind him, including my brother, all looking for the source of the noise. After a few seconds, the human released the curtain.

  “Humans say curiosity killed the cat,” Amy whispered with a quick smile as we crept back.

  “I'm not a cat,” I replied.

  “I know, that doesn’t make any sense to me either,” she laughed. Using caution I never saw her use with me, she leaned in and pressed her ear to the glass. “Sounds like video games. I've played a few.”

  I was impressed. “My brother likes to make me play with him. I never win much.”

  “Sound a little sour about that.” Amy smirked at me.

  I shrugged and turned my attention to the conversation behind the curtains. As the game progressed, the conversation filtered through topics. Work, politics, cars, other video games, wives and kids, and finally, vampires. Amy's smile faded, a solemn look on her face as we listened.

  “Did you hear about the latest sucker protest?”

  “What happened?” my brother asked casually.

  “It was messed up,” the voice replied. “The suckers were standing there, holding their signs, not moving, looking creepy, and this girl was standing with them. VF kept trying to coax her away, get her to safety, but she refused.”

  “Said one of the suckers was her mother. Hugged it and everything,” a second voice said.

  “VF finally dragged her away,” a third voice added.

  “The sucker went nuts and attacked every VF there. It was like it believed the girl, thought it was her mother. They finally caught it, torched it and six other suckers,” the first voice explained. “The rest disappeared before they could be destroyed.”

  “That girl had to be insane,” the second voice said. “Suckers don't care about family. That's why they kill theirs.”

  Amy was silent next to me, her eyes closed. I placed my fingertips on her arm and an appreciative smile filled her face. On the other side of the glass, the humans were quiet too, only the music of the game filled the air.

  “You gotta wonder.” My brother broke the silence. “Was that vampire really that girl's mother? It's not impossible. If the girl wasn't home, that would explain why she survived or...”

  “Or what?” the third voice asked when he fell silent.

  “Maybe they were close when the vampire was human. Maybe it was enough to stop the vampire from killing her.”

  Another long moment of silence.

  “What do you guys think about the kidnappings?” The first voice broke the silence this time. “I heard the police called the FBI to consult on the case.”

  “Kate's paranoid, won't let Emmett out of her sight. I told her not to worry. What are the chances of it happening to us?” the third voice said.

  “I'm sure that's what Jamie's parents said too,” my brother replied.

  “You and Rissa aren't freaking out,” the second voice commented.

  He took a moment before he answered and I knew when he spoke, he meant me. “There's always someone with Mackenzie at night. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't know she was protected.”

  “Gotta give one thing to suckers,” the first voice said. “At least vampires only kill adults.”

  “Yeah,” my brother replied. “Makes you wonder who the real monsters are.”

  There was that word again, monster. That was the second time my brother used that word to describe another human. Why?

  When the humans left, Amy and I slipped back into the shadows. We watched them climb into their cars and drive off. I didn’t hear her leave when she finally did, but I felt the space next to me become empty.

  I took off after my brother, catching up quickly and climbing in. “I'm confused.”

  He jerked in his seat, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the steering wheel. “Jeez! Tommy, how many times do I have to tell you not to jump in the car while I’m driving down the road? What are you doing here anyways? Have you been following me?”

  “I was curious,” I replied. “I wanted to see what humans did to forget their fears.”

  “Fears?”

  “You're scared of that human taking children. It stinks the house up.” I paused. “That human, why do you call him a monster and not me?”

  He stared at the road, silent for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was low. “Because what he
does... he doesn't have to do it to survive.”

  ****

  My family was afraid and the human that caused the fear was someone I didn't understand. I read every newspaper article, watched all the news reports, asked my brother to look up information on his computer for me to read. He explained everything to me, but nothing helped. I didn’t understand. If this human wasn't doing these things to survive, then why?

  Light glowed brighter, filling my niece’s room as the door opened. Rissa leaned heavily on the doorframe, staring heavy lidded at my niece. She shuffled in and took my offered hand as I gave up the chair to her. She groaned softly as she settled into it.

  “I haven't gone out and drank like that in ages – not since college,” she whispered.

  “Going to regret it tomorrow,” I replied.

  She laughed softly. “Look at you, finally learned something about us humans. I bet you nursed Dan through a few hangovers.”

  I nodded. “Yes. Sometimes I followed and watched, but I never understood the point of drinking.”

  She sighed. “Complicated species, humans. We make rules only to break them and sometimes we hurt each other.” She reached out and placed her hand over my niece's smaller one. “We say vampires are the monsters, but how can that be true when there's a real monster out there who is hurting children?”

  I knelt down, tentatively touching her knees. “I don’t know, but I do know I won't ever let anything happen to my family. I won't let any monsters get you.”

  Her hand moved from my niece's to mine. “I know you won’t.” Her chin tipped onto her chest and her eyes drifted shut.

  I found a blanket and draped it over her before backing out. My brother's door was slightly open; Rissa must have checked on him before going to my niece’s room. I headed down the stairs, double-checking the lock as I left.

  The night was silent as I stood on the sidewalk. Above, the stars sparkled and looked peaceful. There were no monsters up there.

  I gazed at the bright dots, letting my mind wander. I may never understand the human my brother called a monster, but I did understand one thing. This monster would never be allowed near my family. I would find him and destroy him. It would ensure my family’s safety and erase the fear that filled the house.

  But how to find the monster? When I searched for my brother, I had a starting point. I knew what he looked like, what he smelled like and knew where to start. This time, I had no clue who I was looking for or what scents to follow.

  How was I going to find the monster when I had no starting point?

  I paced back and forth. There had to be something that could point me in the direction of the monster.

  The fake smiling poster caught my attention. What if the image was my niece’s? I’d tear the city apart to find her, wouldn’t rest until I found her, I’d search every place she had ever been...

  I whirled around and dashed down the street. I knew where to start.

  The school was dark and the parking lot empty. Lights illuminated the sidewalk, a few more stationed around the fenced in area. I hopped over the fence, smelling the air as I walked. Dozens of scents hung in the air, on the scattered toys and seeped into the ground. I ran my fingers through the grass, sending up plumes of scents. Next, I picked up a toy and inhaled. My niece’s was easy to find, the only familiar scent.

  I moved around the play area, catching the scents of each child and growing familiar with them. From the scents, I could tell there were more boys than girls and what toys they played with the most. But outside nature had beaten at the scents, diluting them. I needed fresher ones if I was going to have a chance of finding the missing girl’s.

  I headed to the building, but the doors were locked. No time to search for a key, I slammed my fist against a window and broke it. Glass crunched under my feet as I stepped through and began searching again.

  Inside, the scents were stronger and I roamed around the large room, picking up toys and smelling them. In the corner, a colorful blanket was spread before a bookshelf. I crouched down and grazed my nose across the fabric. The scents embedded in the fabric told me where each child sat and in one spot a scent struggled to cling to the fabric. This scent had to be the girl's.

  I followed the faint scent around the room, drawing many breaths to keep fresher ones from overwhelming it. It led me across the room, down a hall and out the front door where I almost lost it. At the curb, I found it again along with another scent. Both scents disappeared, overwhelmed by the smell of exhaust and paint.

  An annoyed growl worked up my throat as I stalked up and down the street. All car exhaust smelled the same, masking scents and lingering in the air for a long time. I wouldn’t be able to pick up her scent again.

  I went back to the spot I lost her scent, nose twitching at the paint smell. It stood out among the other scents – even the exhaust – shining like a brightly lit path. I had no clue if this scent would lead me to the girl and monster, but I had to follow. My thoughts focused on one thing, one goal that consumed my thoughts. Find where the paint scent led, find the girl.

  Find the monster.

  ****

  Lights were spaced at regular intervals, attempting to chase away the darkness. The pavement smelled like fresh tar and the lines of paint glowed. Lawns were manicured, shrubs and bushes trimmed into neat blocks. Shiny cars were parked in the driveways and equally shiny trash cans sat at the end. It was a suburb, a neighborhood where the humans were obsessed with organization. Everything had its place and everything was safe.

  Or so these humans thought.

  I flitted from shadow to shadow, still following the paint smell. I abandoned it when I caught the two scents from my niece’s school. The scents were potent, telling me I had been right about my guess at the school and was closing in on my prey.

  The scents cumulated around a house slightly smaller than the rest, but everything else about it was identical. The well-kept lawn, tended flower beds and the trash can that stank of garbage. The driveway was empty with oil spots marring the otherwise perfect cement.

  Dozens of scents hung in the air around the house and I sifted through them for the girl and monster’s, following theirs behind the house and to a small shed. Anticipation filled me as I yanked the door open. I wanted to kill this human, desired it even. Need was barely a thought, my mind set on enjoying the monster’s death. It was the least he deserved for putting my family in fear.

  But the shed was empty, only tools hanging on the wall. I turned away and followed the scents back to the house. Both scents disappeared behind an immaculate door. Annoyance welled and I slammed my fist against the door and a jolt rippled up my arm.

  I shook the jolt away and lifted my hand again. The energy crackled as I pressed against it again, but it felt weak, giving as I pushed against it. Why?

  I glanced at the still dark sky and decided it didn’t matter.

  Grabbing the doorknob, I shoved the door open. The energy snapped louder as I continued to push until my hand passed through. I yanked my hand back and examined the damage. Wisps of smoke drifted from my hand and small, shallow cuts covered my skin.

  I pushed my hand back through, and for a split second, wondered if the energy would sever my hand if I held there long enough. Bad idea! Pulling my hand back, I lifted my shirt to cover my face and prepared myself. It took some effort, but I jerked my way through the energy and stumbled into the house.

  Silence greeted my ears when the crackle of energy faded away. I moved through the house, clinging to walls and shadows as I explored. In the living room were the usual furniture and decorations. In a bedroom, a fan hummed quietly next to a large bed. A few more doors revealed more bedrooms and a bathroom, but nothing out of the ordinary. If another human came to this home, they would assume it was normal.

  Yet there were things in the house that weren’t normal. Scents. They filled the house and drifted along like pathways. Lots of humans had been in this house, causing the energy to weaken and allow me to
force my way in.

  The girl’s scent stood out among the others. It was heavy with fear, turning the otherwise sweet smell almost sour. It led me back through the house and to the living room where it disappeared behind the couch. I pushed the couch aside, my nose grazing the wall as I followed. The scent stopped in the middle, but there was nothing. It was only a wall.

  I sat back, puzzled. How did the scent end there?

  Think like a human, I reminded myself.

  I racked my brain and searched through everything I knew about humans and had learned about the monster. What he was doing was wrong and the other humans wanted him stopped, but were incapable of it. If the other humans knew what the monster was doing was wrong, then so did he. And if he knew it was wrong, he would hide it.

  How did he hide the girl so her scent ended at the wall?

  “He hid the girl in the wall,” I muttered.

  I pressed my ear to the wall and faintly made out a rhythm beating on the other side. A couple taps against the wall sounded hollow. The faint rhythm picked up its pace and I heard a frantic scratching. She was there, on the other side.

  How did I get her out?

  The wall didn’t give when I pushed, too thick to break. I ran my fingers along the wall, examining the wallpaper. My fingers caught the edge of one tattered section and it tore away to reveal a door.

  Dust puffed into the air, drywall crumbling as I pulled the door open. The smell of fear hit me hard and the aroma turned my stomach. A voice cried out in terror and feet scrambled to escape. I swatted my hand through the air to rid the dust and scents. A sick feeling filled me when I peered into the wall, my mouth going dry at the human cowering before me.

  My niece was in the wall.

  ****

  Every ounce of strength and energy I had drained away. I stumbled back, panic gripping my chest. No, it couldn't be her. She was home. Safe. Not huddled in terror behind a wall!