by K M Smith
“Drew!” Adam called from outside the kitchen door. “I don’t hear sirens yet, is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Come on in, we’re up—” Adam instantly appeared by his side, “stairs.”
“I can see that. What did you do to her?”
“I told her that I was a vampire, and she passed out.”
“Get used to that, my friend.”
“That’s my wife! And we’re not friends.”
“Indeed,” Adam said, then gestured toward Sarah, “and seeing her like this reminds me why I bit you in the first place.”
“Not this again,” Drew said. “Haven’t you tortured me enough? I’ve lost my wife—my family. I’ll never get to see the sun again. And I am fucking starving, but you still won’t let me feed!”
“Such a drama queen.” Adam rested his hand on the top of the banister. “You know you’re going to have to charm her,” he said, nodding toward Sarah.
“What?”
“You’re going to need to erase her memory of this entire incident. Unless, of course, you want her to know all about you and what happened here tonight.”
“Oh,” Drew said, then, “can’t you do that?”
“You really are lazy.” Adam shook his head. Drew stared blankly back at Adam, waiting for a response that would make his life easier. “No. I can’t do it. If I do it, there’s a chance that I won’t get all the memories because you’re the one who’s been interacting with her.”
“How do I do it? Magic words? Incantations?”
“Oh, he’s got a sense of humor,” Adam said. “No. You just get her to look at you, and you keep eye contact and tell her what you want her to know.”
◆◆◆
From their perch on the top step, Adam and Drew waited for Sarah to wake up. Adam had convinced him that there was no need to intervene, she’d wake up on her own. They could hear both heartbeats, and Sarah’s chest rose and fell with the steady rhythm of unconscious breathing. She hadn’t been out long but long enough for Drew to berate himself over and over again for ever leaving her in the first place. There were so many moments he’d take back—if he could. Life in Manhattan had been full-on, and fulfilling, and he knew he’d been selfish after they left; but it was too late to think about all that now. Sarah needed him to man up, and he would, but after this? He shook his head.
Sarah stirred. Drew looked on as Adam watched Sarah intensely. His eyes bored into her, but his face remained otherwise calm and impassive. Drew began to feel warm waves of air caress his skin. Like the most delicate, warm massage. It was delightful. But, he didn’t think it was meant for him. He turned his head toward Adam and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
Adam kept his eyes trained on Sarah and answered telepathically, ‘I’m keeping her calm. You should consider helping.’
Sarah sat up and looked around, rubbing her eyes and running her hands through her hair. “Who are you?” she asked, stretching and dropping her arms to her side. If Drew didn’t know better, he would’ve thought she’d just woken up from a long, restful, and perfectly normal nap on the floor instead of coming out of a finding-out-your-husband’s-not-dead-he’s-a-vampire induced swoon.
“I’m Adam,” he said, and Drew could practically see the waves of contentment radiating off him.
“Oh. Okay,” she said. Sarah looked around the hall, squinting and grimacing as she scratched at her head. “Where’s Andrew?”
“He’s here, too. Andrew, lean forward so your wife can see you.” Andrew did as he was told.
“Hi, Sarah,” he said. “Are you feeling okay now?”
“I’m—” she put one hand to her forehead and rested the other on her abdomen, “I’m fine, I think.”
“Drew, tell her what you were thinking.”
Andrew threw a sharp look at Adam then returned his focus to Sarah.
“Sarah,” he hesitated. “Sarah, look at me.”
Sarah turned so she was facing Andrew. She closed her eyes and inhaled, and Drew noticed Adam still focusing on Sarah, sending waves of comfort out to her. Sarah smiled widely as she exhaled and slowly opened her eyes. She leaned forward, as though she were waiting for him to tell her the most interesting story.
“Good,” Andrew said, his voice low and soothing, his stare intense and focused. “Sarah, baby, I need you to forget all about seeing me here tonight. We didn’t fight, you weren’t scared of me; in fact, you spent the whole night watching TV and feeling satisfied that the police have done all they could to find me.”
“I was watching TV, and I felt content the whole time,” Sarah said, smiling brightly back at Andrew.
“Tell her how much you love her,” Adam prompted, from the steps.
“Sarah, I love you so much. Please know that. The police may never find me, but I didn’t leave you because I don’t love you. I love you and our baby with all my heart. I’m sorry I won’t be here to help you through all of this. But if you feel trapped, or scared or helpless, just remember I love you, and I know you’re strong enough to do this.” Andrew’s throat tightened, and he swallowed hard.
“You do love me, so much,” Sarah parroted, her arms hugging her shoulders and her eyes completely connected to Andrew’s. She sighed happily and continued, “But, you’re right; I can do this on my own.” She gave a soft, confident smile and reached to touch Andrew’s cheek.
“Now, tell her goodbye, and remind her that she fell asleep watching TV, so she should go get into bed now.”
Andrew never broke eye contact with Sarah but nodded at Adam’s suggestion.
“Sarah, I’m going now. You go get into bed; you don’t want to get achy from sleeping on the couch all night. I love you.”
Sarah nodded, “I think I’ll go get into bed now. Goodbye, Andrew, I love you, too.” Sarah stood and stretched, her face a soft reflection of Andrew’s love for her. She tottered back toward their bedroom, unsteady. Andrew gave her a small smile, then got up and placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her. It was torture to be so close to this woman he had loved for years, knowing he’d never get to be part of her life again. Being so close also triggered his fledgling vampire instincts. If he didn’t leave her side soon, he risked her becoming his first kill. He couldn’t do that. Not to his wife, not to his unborn child.
“Be careful, Drew boy,” Adam warned.
“I’m fine,” Drew replied, his voice stiff.
Andrew tucked Sarah in, and when she rolled over to sleep, he left her there. He walked back out to the hallway where Adam stood, smiling.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“Fuck you.” Drew shoved past Adam and slowly, heavily, marched down his stairs for the last time.
Adam smirked, then used his vampire speed to exit the house before Drew.
Drew locked the front door, then turned to find Adam leaning against the tree across the street.
“It’s for the best, you know,” Adam said.
“You’re an asshole.” Drew crossed the street, walking away from Adam.
“Ah, yes, but tonight, you feed,” Adam said, catching up to Drew.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“If you don’t feed soon, you will die,” Adam paused, “for real.”
“Would that be so bad?” Drew asked.
“Some humans are so ungrateful.”
“Ungrateful?” Drew asked, “Human? You’ve got to be kidding me. You know what? I’m done.”
“You’re done?” Adam asked, tutting. “Done? What, you’re just going to go rot away in the woods or something? That’s a ridiculous idea, my friend.”
“I told you, we’re not friends,” Andrew said. “I’m leaving. This time don’t follow me.” Drew sped off, and in a blink, he was gone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Drew
Two months after being forcibly turned, Drew arrived in Manhattan. It had been a long and lonely journey from Michigan to New York by foot, and Drew sought the comfort of his old
stomping grounds near New York University. He had yet to feed in his new vampire form. The thought of killing someone made him queasy, as did the thought of consuming cheeseburgers and fries. His energy waned and his body withered, but the compulsion to live was strong, so he moved, zombie-like, through the streets of Lower Manhattan.
Human Drew would’ve moved through the streets with casual stealth. But wizened and hungry vampire Drew wasn’t prepared to handle the onslaught to his senses that was New York City at night. Outwardly, he fit in: black leather jacket, jeans that fit just right, and rich-boy boots that were a combination of Goth meets cowboy. However, instead of strutting through the streets of Lower Manhattan with ease, he flinched as headlights blinded him. Car horns and excited tourists overwhelmed his newly sensitive ears, and he grimaced at the cacophony. And the stench. New York smells bad to a human. It’s much worse for a newly turned vampire.
But as the night progressed, he became more comfortable with his surroundings. As he walked the streets, his cadence morphed from sluggish to comfortable, and the stress of not giving in to the desire to feed began to diminish. The bright lights and the commotion bothered him less, and he lifted head to take in his surroundings. Being undead in New York City had its advantages, the obvious being the ability to blend in with other creatures of the night—living or otherwise.
There was so much about Manhattan that his human senses had never registered. The city actually felt alive. It buzzed with energy, and he easily absorbed it all—like a good vampire should. And the smells—not just stench in the city, but people’s scents, too. It didn’t make sense, exactly, but he knew what someone was about to do based solely on how they smelled. A person’s aroma matched their heart’s cadence. That may be science, but Drew had never been privy to that information before. Now, he was a supernatural lie detector.
As he passed a young couple walking hand-in-hand and snuggling, a musky fragrance overwhelmed his senses. Screwing up his nose, he coughed and looked around to see if other people noticed. Nobody did. He nodded knowingly—New Yorkers weren’t fazed by much. He made his way around the couple and wandered into Washington Square Park. The musky scent dissipated as he shifted his focus.
He sat on a bench near the perimeter of the park and people-watched. Unsurprisingly, this was even more fun as a vampire. The street performers were more ridiculous now that comments from passersby were public knowledge, at least to him. Drug deals were glaringly obvious. Secret trysts no longer secret. Amused, he watched and listened for several minutes when an overpowering moldy-musty stench materialized. The odor of rancid, decaying fruit—the kind that has been sitting forgotten in the backseat of a car for weeks—held his senses hostage. Gagging, he jerked his head around to find its source.
Can nobody else smell this?
Then he saw it. A young man in a puffy coat was walking a little too closely to a lady carrying a leather purse over her shoulder. What happened next would’ve been obvious to anyone who had been paying attention. Sure enough, the kid in the puffy coat made his move and grabbed the purse. He took off running away from the crowds and out the south side of the park. The lady yelled after the thief, and a few people glanced around at the commotion, but no one else took any notice.
Except Drew.
Drew followed the kid, keeping his distance. The kid turned out to be a young man. He slowed down once he got a few blocks away from the park. Drew kept his eyes trained on the thief but the stench of rotting flesh no longer surrounded him. It had been so overpowering, yet it subsided so quickly. The stink of evil intentions faded as soon as the deed was done. Drew crept closer, examining the situation.
He was in familiar territory. He and Sarah had spent many nights at The Slaughtered Lamb Pub, usually when friends from out of town were visiting. He caught a whiff of the sour aroma of spilled beer mixed with the savory scent of overcooked meat. That’s funny, we never ate there, so why would I think about the food? Then, he realized, he was smelling the thief he’d been following. Now that the young man had his prize, he was riffling through it to see what he’d won. He stopped on the corner on the far side of the pub, nervously looking over his shoulder every few seconds. Blending in with the crowd on the sidewalk, Drew kept a careful eye on his mark. The crook pulled out a small wad of cash from the wallet. Shoving the money in his pocket, he walked to the nearest trash bin to throw the remaining evidence away.
Not the brightest criminal. An uncomfortable tightness in Drew’s upper jaw foretold his coming decision. It had been several weeks since Adam turned him, and he had yet to feed properly. At first because Adam the sadist wouldn’t allow it, then out of sheer force of will—maybe even for the sake of ending it all anyway.
Drew had never been violent except on the hockey rink, but that was for sport. He never went hunting with his father as boy. How could he possibly be expected to kill, to murder innocent human beings, to stay alive? Even if they weren’t innocent, he was no judge, no executioner.
But he was a vampire.
After the young man tossed the purse in the bin, he casually walked down the sidewalk, away from the park. It was quieter this far away and, unfortunately for the thief, that was a bad thing.
No longer fighting the hunger, Drew knew what he had to do. Muscles tensing and nerves firing, his body vibrated from his core to the tips of his fingers. A heavyweight champion in the ring would have been no match for him.
If he must kill, he would remember every single moment. When he was first turned and nearly fed on his wife, he’d been in agony and ready to rip her to shreds just for a taste, but now he had time to let the feeling build. The first change came with splitting gums, and jawbone and teeth adjusting to allow his fangs to fully extend. The pain seemed distant, but it was real. Hissing involuntarily, he inspected his hands and arms, but nothing had changed. Though his body appeared normal, save for the fangs, a strength built within that he had never known before. It was time: he would kill the thief, and he would drink his blood.
At vampire speed, he followed the man, darting from place to place and hoping that people couldn’t see him, in case this all went terribly wrong. Within moments he had caught up to the man, grabbed him, and shoved him into a quiet vestibule. Too shocked to react, Drew easily pinned the man to the brick wall.
“Shit, man!” the crook yelled. “Get off me! You can have whatever you want man, just let me go!”
“No,” Drew said, and without preamble, he drove his fangs into the man’s jugular.
A scream rattled around the vestibule as Drew ripped into the thief’s flesh. Blood flowed, and the scream died away revealing only sucking and shuffling sounds as Drew feasted. He lapped at the thick, red elixir, but much of it went pouring down the front of his shirt. Paying no attention to the growing sticky mess, he reveled in the euphoric throes of his first human kill. He felt the man’s heartbeat race, then slow. The mix of fear, grime, and urine from the dying man permeated the air. None of that mattered as the blood rushed into Drew’s veins, giving him life, strength, purpose. He was invincible! He held the man close and continued sucking, his mind a hazy fog of bloodlust.
“Had enough?” a female voice asked from over his shoulder.
Drew’s euphoria waned, and he let the body fall as he turned to put a face to the voice. “Get out of here!” he growled, blood dripping down his chin.
“Or you’ll what? Make a filthy, bloody mess of me, too?”
Drew looked at the woman and scrunching his nose, sniffed the air. “You’re a vampire,” he said.
“I’m the vampire,” she said.
◆◆◆
Drew paused. He chose his next words deliberately—he was new to being a vampire but not to posturing and power-plays. “Good thing you’re here to clean this up, then.”
The female vampire flinched, briefly, and those without keen vampire senses would’ve missed it. Drew didn’t. He straightened up and took a cool, careful step closer to her, blood still running down his chin and ne
ck. She radiated pine needles and musk, and Drew’s mind flashed forward to a dark room, the woman pinned to the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist, his body pressed into hers….
Back in the moment, he put his face right up to hers and said, “Well?”
“Your mess,” she said. “You take care of it.” She looked away after she spoke, and Drew took that as a sign of weakness. Typical New York woman, he thought, all legs and harsh words but nothing to back it up.
He smirked and pushed his way past her. She grabbed his right wrist, twisted his arm behind his back and pushed him down so that he was on his knees and face to face with the dead man. Drew didn’t have time to think, let alone react, and grimaced as his face came into contact with the criminal. He tried to shove himself back and off the bloody body, but the woman was too strong.
She bent down and put her mouth right next to his ear, and whispered, “I said, you need to take care of the body.” She pressed Drew’s face further into the bloody mess of the corpse. “This is my city, and if you’d like to remain here, you’ll bloody well get it done.” She yanked his wrist up higher and gave him a final push so that his entire body collapsed onto the mess at her feet.
Drew pushed himself off the dead man and scrambled away from him. He looked up as the woman stood over him. She brushed the hair out of her eyes before turning and walking away.
“Don’t dawdle,” she called over her shoulder.