by P. L. Kurup
“I don’t owe anything from the £9000?” Amelia queried.
“You don’t owe a penny.”
“What?”
“That means you can return to your course on the 19th of January with no qualms. Happy New Year.”
Amelia turned off her phone and looked stunned.
“Samuel, what have you done?”
The door burst open and she looked up to see the hotel owner barging in. His face full of anger.
“It’s past 11 am. To stay here any longer you will need to pay the rent now,” he said.
She gave him a grin and answered, “Once I’ve collected my things I’ll leave straight away.”
The owner gave her a lingering stare and left her to pack her things. The prospect of being homeless failed to take away the smile from her face. She got up from bed, tossed her belongings into her suitcase, and zipped it up. She walked out of her cramped room suitcase in hand and made her way into the foyer.
“Thank you for giving me such an amazing room. I’ll never forget it,” she said.
“Are you joking?” the owner asked.
“Not at all.”
She glided out of the hotel, threw her suitcase into her car and drifted down the street still dizzy from Samuel’s gift.
By noon her thoughts turned to food having only eaten a tiny sandwich the night before. She wandered into a posh restaurant where crystal chandeliers adorned the ceilings and clientele dressed in high end clothes. Amelia gazed at the customers eating their meals and attempted to stop her stomach from rumbling.
“Do you require a table, miss?” someone asked her.
Amelia turned and saw a waiter looking down on her in judgement.
“I was hoping I could get some food in exchange for work,” she said.
“We do not have any free positions. If you can’t afford to eat here I suggest you leave.”
Amelia nodded and walked out of the restaurant. She passed a market full of winter fruits and her dizzying hunger made her pick a pear from a mountain of fruit, but she put it back when she saw the stall owner glare at her.
She returned to a street a mile from the university. The familiar surroundings created a sense of relief and she waltzed down the road with a renewed energy. She came to a halt outside Stu’s café and her face dropped when she saw it was closed. Nevertheless, she tried the door and was surprised when the door opened. Amelia strolled through the shop feeling a sense of nostalgia about the place. Stuart came out from the kitchen and stopped in his tracks when he saw her.
“Before you say anything I want to tell you that I’m not here for a job,” she said.
“Why are you here?” he asked, folding his arms.
“I haven’t eaten since yesterday and I don’t have any money. I was hoping you would give me a small plate of something.”
He disappeared into the kitchen without saying a word, and Amelia walked to the door when she heard the clanking of dishes. Turning round, she saw Stuart place a bowl of hot soup and a glass of water on a table. She ran to the table and sat down and began spooning the soup into her mouth.
“Careful it’s hot,” he exclaimed.
He took the seat opposite and watched her gorge herself on the simple meal. After scraping the bottom of the bowl she felt altogether better.
“Thank you, it was delicious,” Amelia declared.
“I haven’t seen you since the day you were...”
“The day I was attacked,” she interrupted.
“I noticed you didn’t stay to help. Luckily, they scarpered when Samuel came.”
“Samuel?”
“He’s the person who helped me recover,” she explained.
Stuart lowered his eyes to the table.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
He looked up and said, “I was peeking round the kitchen door when it happened. I saw everything.”
“What did you see?”
He gulped before answering, “Those men were feeding from you like you were their prey. I watched you die.”
“And then what happened?”
“That man you served coffee to came in and killed two of the attackers and they just disappeared into thin air. He tried to kill the third one but he fled. He then knelt down and started massaging your chest giving you the kiss of life. After a couple of minutes - you started breathing again. He saved your life and I’m ashamed to say I did nothing.”
Amelia stared dumbfounded processing what she heard.
“Thanks for telling me,” she said. “I better be on my way. Thank you for the soup.”
“London isn’t safe for you. I want you to leave the city as soon as possible,” he told her.
Amelia leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I promise I’ll be careful.”
She walked out of the café no longer feeling the burden of hunger and noticed the number of pedestrians roaming the pavements had increased threefold. She walked down the street absorbed in what Stuart told her. By her reckoning he had saved her life twice. She remembered the stranger in the underground station. Examining the image, she came to realise that this too was Samuel. Then, her mind drifted to an earlier recollection at the orphanage where a smartly-dressed gentleman gave her an exquisite China doll. Her gulped recalling that this person too was Samuel.
“He’s always been with me,” she muttered.
Throughout these encounters he remained youthful, never aging a day. The only conclusion she could come up with was that up until a few days ago Samuel had been her guardian angel. That familiar sense of loss she experienced after her parents died returned with a vengeance and her pace slowed. I’m an idiot, she thought.
xxx
Throughout the day Amelia watched the world descend on London as crowds gathered for New Year. By nightfall Amelia, along with a swell of people, had converged on the banks of the River Thames. A cold wind, as fierce as an artic breeze, rushed around the city and she shivered in her thin coat and tattered shoes. To take her mind of the chill, her eyes roamed the swarm of people, and she spotted a father, mother, and three children under the age of five. All of them elated to be there.
xxx
A minute from midnight, Amelia and everyone around her stared at Big Ben’s clock face. She bounced on her toes unable to contain her excitement and all about her was a similar vibe. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one... the famous clock blared its unique peal and a chorus of ecstatic cheers ripped across the riverbank. Shortly, a dazzling stream of fireworks erupted over the river creating a multitude of colours.
“It’s magical,” she exclaimed.
She unwittingly looked at the young family, and her world collapsed, for perched on Claude’s shoulders was three year old, Jane. Claude gave her an ominous smile that churned her stomach. Amelia pushed her way through the throng of spectators hoping the creature would follow. Glancing back, she noticed that he did just that. She strode down the road not stopping for a second and weaved through a maze of tiny streets, ending up on a deserted road with well-lit shops on either side. Catching her breath, she looked all over and discovered no one there. Amelia didn’t take it as a good omen as the undead were masters of camouflage. The sound of breaking glass swayed her head to the right. Her heart stopped when she saw the figure of a man lurking at the top of the road. Amelia ran to the closest shop and pounded on the door.
“Let me in. There’s someone after me,” she yelled.
A sign on the door which read ‘Closed Until January 4th. Happy New Year.”
“No.”
She scarpered to the next shop and observed a near identical sign. Stepping back into the road, she gathered none of the shop doors would be opening to her. The man walked her way, his step slow and tortuous. Amelia sped in the opposite direction and entered another deserted street. This road was lit by a single street lamp and flanked by ten foot high walls. She dashed to the centre and heard the disturbing tread of a vampire edging closer.
Amelia
turned left and crashed into Samuel.
“Oh, my God. What are you doing here?” she gasped, hugging him.
“I heard you calling me,” he replied.
“I did. I wanted you near me.”
He closed his arms around her and she savoured his touch.
Chapter 23
“We have to leave. It’s not safe to stay here,” Samuel said.
He took her hand as gently as he would a child’s and led her away from the deserted street and into a broader, livelier road. The place was overrun with partygoers and Amelia couldn’t help bumping into them. Her hurried pace was forced on her by Samuel. Despite her tiredness she didn’t complain and allowed him to fulfil his promise to keep her save. She sighed in relief when she spotted his grey Mercedes parked a short distance away. The closer she got to the vehicle the more content she looked. However, when they approached the car he continued on, prompting Amelia to glance back with a frown.
“Why aren’t we...?” she began.
“I’m certain they’re aware I drive around in a silver car with no mirrors,” he explained.
Her face dropped seeing no end to her trek. She plodded alongside him, stumbling every now and then, and longing for a minute’s rest. Samuel’s expression remained solemn and she realised he didn’t know how exhausted she was. He flagged down a taxi and they got inside. As it sped away Amelia kept hold of his hand. The car travelled through a city still giddy from ringing in the New Year. The time approached 2 am and they observed clusters of partyers wandering around aimlessly. The taxi drove through the city and she drew comfort from the familiarity of the shops and roadways. It was a bittersweet feeling since her well-being was a precarious one. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
She heard the hum of the car engine and the muted roar of a hundred people. The combination of noises prevented her from falling asleep and she looked up dreary-eyed to Samuel. Her eyes bulged in terror as sitting next to her was Claude. He opened his mouth and revealed his menacing fangs. Amelia screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Amelia wake up. You’re dreaming,” she heard Samuel say.
She woke from her nightmare and calmed down when she saw Samuel sitting next to her.
“I saw Claude,” she muttered.
He hugged her and replied, “Claude will not harm you anymore. I swear it. We have to get out of the taxi now.”
Samuel signalled the taxi to stop and when it did she stepped out of the car looking glum and with her head drooped. Samuel paid the driver and joined her on the roadside.
“Look up,” he whispered.
She did so and inhaled at the sight of a magnificent five star hotel. The building was at least thirty storeys high and resembled Buckingham Palace in its design.
“We can’t afford to stay here,” she said.
“Yes we can. Come on,” he replied.
He escorted her into a foyer that had marble floors that were so well polished her every move was reflected on it. Vases with pretty flowers decorated the corners and on the ceiling was a mural of St George and the dragon. She stood where she was and continued to admire her surroundings as Samuel checked in at the counter. Flurries of visitors from all over the globe rushed past her, a few of them scrutinising her subpar clothes.
“Shall we go?” he asked.
She saw Samuel standing next to her holding a key card. Amelia wondered why they were staying in a five star hotel as opposed to returning to his manor house.
“It’s likely Lucas and Claude are intending to visit the manor. Also, you look shattered and deserve a goodnight’s rest as soon as possible.”
“Very well,” she said, offering him her arm.
He took her arm and they walked through the foyer turning heads as they went by. They entered the lift and her demeanour remained aloof, a far cry from the vivacious, happy girl that met him in the cafe. She looked round a spacious compartment with gold plated buttons and a glass ceiling. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she felt an insatiable sense of déjà vu and blinked to relieve herself from the encounter. The lift stopped on the top floor and as the doors opened he handed her the key card and said, “We have the floor to ourselves so feel free to explore.”
She walked down a beige-coloured corridor experiencing a mixture of emotions from excitement to anticipation. Once again she was racked by a feeling of something similar happening before. She came to a cream door and opened it using the key card. Stepping in, her mouth fell open as she set eyes on the most exquisite living quarters she’d ever seen. The penthouse suite had a sofa set, fifty inch widescreen television, a shelf full of books, and paintings of French landscapes. Not only was there the bedroom but a living room, kitchen and the biggest bathroom she’d seen. Samuel followed her in and watched her quietly.
“Samuel this is amazing,” she exclaimed. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Are you happy?” he asked her.
She turned and said, “I’ve never been so happy.”
Her eyes caught sight of a free standing mirror and she walked in front of it and gazed at her reflection. Her heart sank as she witnessed a woman who appeared haggard and forlorn, whose spirit had vanished from her once energetic face. Footsteps crossed the room and she drew breath as he stood behind her yet cast no reflection in the mirror. She turned and pressed her fingers on his wrist. Her heart pounded when she deduced there was no pulse – no heartbeat – no breathing.
“You’re a miracle,” she said.
She leaned in and kissed him lingeringly on the lips. He kissed her back just as forcefully and they moved to the bed. As they made love she was inundated by a feeling of déjà vu for the third time that evening.
xxx
A few miles away on an unremarkable London Street, stood a pretty cottage with bay windows and peach curtains. It approached 3am but the lights were on in every room. There was nothing usual about this since New Year’s Day required everyone to be awake. The door was ajar and swayed to and fro in the relentless wind, though no one bothered to close it.
Inside, the sound of Mozart’s piano concerto No. 21 blasted from the living room. An upturned chair lay in the middle of the foyer and beside it a child’s doll. The dining room had a table with four place settings and a myriad dishes strewn around it. The white tablecloth was pulled at one side and forced the dishes to overlap one another. The part that was pulled had a large red patch on it and trailing the cloth to the floor one could see a middle-aged woman lying on the floor. Her eyes were open and her face encompassed the unmistakable look of death. A streak of blood led from the dining room to the living room and lying on the carpet was the body of a man who aside from the bite marks on his neck, appeared as if he was asleep. Then, the most brutal discovery of all; the corpses of a seven year old boy and a three year old girl tossed under the sofa like household waste.
Collapsed on the sofa was the Vampire, Claude. His clothes and face sodden with the blood of his victims. His expression revealed no remorse over the slayings and he looked satisfied and content. Opposite him sat Lucas who showed the same indifference for human life. Unlike Claude, his feeding left his clothes, hands and face unblemished. The only sign he’d fed well was the sheath of blood covering his fangs.
“I drank too much,” said Claude.
“Nothing to be ashamed off. The more blood you consume, the stronger you become,” Lucas stated.
“I hate it when they beg. Please spare my children. They haven’t started to live,” Claude mocked. “Mortals should appreciate they’re dead as soon as they’re born.”
He looked to Lucas for a response and found him staring ahead
“Samuel, what’s the matter?”
“Clara’s dead,” Lucas answered. “She was slaughtered by Samuel.”
Claude shifted in his seat and yelled, “It can’t be true. Clara cannot be dead!”
“He killed his own kind to save the life of a mortal. He needs to suffer for what he did,” Lucas went on.
“Calm yourself,” Lucas said. “Right now they’re masked by the countless filth roaming the city. Once the crowds subside we will track them down and destroy them both.”
Chapter 24
Amelia woke the next morning to discover that she was alone in bed. Lying on the pillow next to her was a note which read; “Be ready by 9am.” She looked at her watch – 8.55am.
“Crap.”
She jumped out of bed and, collecting her clothes off the floor, ran into a bathroom twice the size of her old flat. She got into the shower cubicle and turned on the taps to experience a rush of warm water immersing her body. The sensual experience soothed her nerves and washed away her many anxieties. After the shower, she dressed in the same clothes she wore the day before, and opening up the toiletry packets provided, cleaned her teeth and brushed her damp hair. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and noticed that she appeared healthier than she’d been a week ago, a fact that made her giggle.
With her confidence resumed she marched back to the bedroom and jerked back on seeing Samuel standing before her. He too seemed refreshed and healthy, but she grimaced when she spotted a sprinkling of blood on his collar.
“Did you have breakfast?” she softly asked.
“I went hunting before dawn and caught myself a number of rats that were delicious.”
“They say in London you’re always six feet from a rat,” she stated jocularly.
She ran up and hugged him as if she hadn’t seen in weeks and he closed his arms as he did the night before.
“We must leave,” he said. “If we stay they’ll find us.”
“I thought you said they’re at the manor?”
“This morning as I came out of an alley after feeding the wind brushed my face and I sensed them in the breeze. If we mingle with the crowds they won’t be able to distinguish us.”