Nervous laughter followed, but good laughter nonetheless. Jeremy looked at the next person anxiously.
5
“Staci, how about you, any children?” he said.
“Yes, two; Brad is thirteen and Shelley is nine.”
They sat quietly, waiting for her to say more. She saw their eyes fixed on her, and for a moment forget where she was, or who she was. This was all so strange, and new, yet familiar.
“I’m not sure where to start,” she said. She forked a piece of steak into her mouth and chewed on it to kill time while she thought how to begin. “I moved out as soon as I turned eighteen, just like Johnny. My stepdad no longer lived there, but my mom and I were… estranged, I guess is the best word. I lived on my own in Mercy Falls all of six months, which was when my short lease expired. Then I packed up and moved to Connecticut.”
“What was in Connecticut?” Tony asked.
“Work, a new life… I transferred through my company Beech Pharmaceuticals. I was a glorified secretary, printing labels, reports, ingredients and side effects; all sorts of data. I met my husband Dan there. But I didn’t want to be there the rest of my life. Shortly after we married I went to college to study physical education. I worked in a veterans clinic for a while providing physical therapy to wounded soldiers.”
“I bet they loved you,” Myron said.
“They sure did, and it’s sweet of you for saying so Myron.”
Myron turned red.
“I loved the work. It was very rewarding, and I felt like I was doing something good. It got too depressing after a while, seeing all those men with their legs blown off, and arms and eyes missing, scarred faces. I had to move on, as badly as I felt about doing so. I went to work at the local high school as a soccer coach. I love kids and I love sports so it was the perfect fit. I had my first kid Brad in my late twenties and Shelley four years later. I’ve been working at the high school ever since.”
She looked at the others as if seeking their approval. “I guess my life is kind of boring to you guys.”
They were shaking their heads.
“No, not at all,” Jeremy said, “Sounds nice.”
“Thanks,” she smiled. “I was in a car accident a few months back, thought I’d maybe lose my job.”
“Oh my,” Myron said, “What happened?”
“Crazy teen, reckless driver hit me. I got away with a broken leg. I’ve just recently fully recovered. Then I got the call from Jeremy, so I came here, before I called my job, to tell them I was ready to come back. I guess your timing was just right.”
“That would be the first time,” Johnny said.
“Shut up Johnny,” Jeremy said, with no real animosity. He looked toward the next seated person.
“Tony?” he motioned.
6
“I moved out of state to Pennsylvania, the fall after I graduated, to go to college. I studied to be an architect; got my bachelor’s degree. I was offered a job in Chicago. So I moved my butt to Illinois as quick as I could. I liked the planning part, but I liked the building part even better. Eventually I worked my way up, became my own boss and formed Good Wood Carpentry.”
“Hey, good for you Tony,” Jeremy said, and then realized…
“Did you just say…?” Staci began.
“Nice,” Johnny said, laughing. They all did.
“Yeah,” Tony smiled. “I passed off the planning part, the designs and blueprints; did more of the actual building, although I offered my input every now and then.”
“Of course,” Myron said, “You were always creative.”
“Thanks Myron. I did go off and work on a lot of side projects. I mean building houses and buildings can get tedious after a while. A support beam’s a support beam, you know what I mean?”
“And he actually said that with a straight face,” Johnny said.
“What was I supposed to say it with, my gay face?” Tony inquired, “Hmm?”
“Good one, good one, you got me.”
“Anyway,” Tony continued, “As I was saying, I’ve still kept doing all my little woodworking projects on the side. I’ve gotta make stuff when the inspiration grabs me. You guys saw my workshop at home back then, you know. Well, I’ve got a much bigger one at my place now.”
“So, there’s no significant other in your life?” Staci asked.
“No good wood?” Johnny said. Amusement followed.
“No," he shook his head. “Sadly not, although…”
“Yeah?” Jeremy and Staci said.
“There was a woman…”
“A woman?!” Johnny put his hands up to his face and opened his mouth wide, imitating The Scream.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Tony said. “This friend, at work,
she has a crush on me. I kind of gave in for a bit, and we did have a one-nighter. I’m not sure why I did, and Jeremy called right then.”
“Jeremy,” Johnny said, “You cock-blocker.”
“Sorry,” Jeremy shrugged. “My bad?”
His response and the serious look behind it was so unexpected, it sent them into stitches. Johnny and Myron were in tears.
“Really,” Tony said, “I wished you had called before I did anything.”
“Why?” Johnny said. “It’s good to dip your wick in unfamiliar waters once in a while.”
That sent them all rolling again. The server, dressed in his red vest and black slacks, with close cropped spiky blonde hair, and a slightly effeminate gait, walked in looking concerned. “Is everything all right?”
They looked at him and more hilarity ensued.
“Yes,” Johnny said, “Everything’s fine kemosabe. Go in peace.” He walked away on a stream of gaiety.
“Okay,” Jeremy said, trying to bring himself down, “Maybe we should try and lower the volume a little. Anything else Tony?”
“Well, no,” he said. “My friend Eric’s wife is cheating on him, but I guess that has nothing to do with me.”
“That sucks,” Myron said.
“I guess that’s it,” Tony said. “That’s all I got. I suppose it’s your turn now Jeremy.”
“Yep, looks like it,” Jeremy said. He took a deep breath, held it, and released.
“Okay, here goes…” He looked at them and frowned. Nice job sucking all the fun out of the room Jeremy, he thought. He wasn’t sure what would come out as he opened his mouth to speak.
7
“Leaving high school is probably one of the hardest things I’ve
ever had to do.”
They watched and waited, looking concerned, but they didn’t interrupt or add their input. Staci looked at Jeremy and nodded. Go on Jeremy, it's okay. He was picking up thoughts again.
Jeremy continued. “I mean in high school I had friends. I was always kind of a solitary person, but you guys made me realize there was more to life. I didn’t want to leave. Saying goodbye was hard, not just because I knew how much I’d miss you all, but because I knew I’d be alone again.” He paused, sighed. “And I was right.”
Tony frowned. "I’m sorry buddy. I should have called you.” He patted Jeremy on the back.
“No, it’s not your fault Tony,” he said. “It’s not anyone’s fault. I just became morose, more introverted again. My parents worried about me. I stayed in Mercy Falls for approximately three years, and then decided it was too depressing. I moved back to New York City. In Mercy Falls everyone watched you and worried about you and pitied you. New York was different. You could get lost among the people; no one would bat an eye. You were just one of the crowd. Everyone minded their own business and you minded yours. I went from job to job, living in low rent dumps, eventually settling in a used book store. The manager Emmanuel Ortiz was a decent guy, and paid a decent wage for doing next to nothing. And I got to sit around all day and read books, ringing up the occasional customer. Besides Manny and the Deli guy Carlo across the street from my job, my social circle was empty, is…empty. Never married, never had kids. I’ve got some fairly decen
t digs now in a high rise building, nothing too fancy, but many steps up from where I started; now that I’ve been working at the store six years. I guess I’m doing okay for myself, just, you know…”
They all understood.
“I don’t think I have anything else to say.”
“It’s okay Jeremy,” Myron said.
“We’re sorry,” Johnny said.
“Sorry,” Tony and Staci seconded.
“We had no idea things were so rough for you,” Staci said.
“I’m okay,” Jeremy insisted. “Everything’s fine.”
“Why didn’t you call us if you needed help?” Tony said.
“For the same reason you guys never called I suppose. Our lives got busy. We remembered the bad times more than the good, because there was a lot of darkness we all wanted to forget. And I didn’t need help. I wasn’t sick or dying. I was just…”
“Alone,” Staci finished for him.
8
The door opened and they looked toward it. A strikingly beautiful woman with pale skin and wavy reddish blonde hair stepped through.
“Sorry,” Eve said. “Should I have knocked?”
Johnny’s eyes bugged open.
“Everyone,” Jeremy said, “This is Eve.”
This is going to be good, Johnny thought.
She stepped to the head of the table beside Jeremy. Staci watched with one eyebrow raised curiously.
“This is the guest I told you about,” Jeremy said, “And in a way the person who brought us all here today, but I’ll let her speak.”
She nodded. “Thank you Jeremy. I’m Eve, as Jeremy said, and I’m a vampire.”
They listened and watched her as she told her story, fascinated. It wasn’t until she got to Blake that they started to ask questions.
“What’s wrong with Blake?” Staci asked.
“Bad heart; too much strenuous activity. Incurable I’m afraid. They give him a few months to live. I’m sorry for all of you. I know how much he’s meant to you. He talks about you all the time now. He’s been a very big part of my life lately as I’ve told you. I think he’ll
be very happy to see you all.”
“Blake,” Myron said solemnly.
“Do you guys realize what today is?” Tony asked quickly, to change the subject.
“Yeah,” Johnny said, “It’s October 31st.”
Jeremy nodded, “Halloween.”
Staci thought of a pumpkin thumping to the ground and a violent image that had flashed through her brain not too long ago, and shivered.
9
“I’ll meet with you tomorrow night at the hospital, if you’d like, or here. I know you’ll want to see Blake tomorrow morning,” Eve said, as they were separating in the hallway outside the restaurant’s private reception area, speaking to all of them, but Jeremy in particular. “He’s at Mercy General, Room 318. I can’t go during the day because of my particular… affliction.”
Staci watched this exchange with a peculiar tightening of the lips. Eve tipped her head toward the five of them. “Goodnight everyone. It was a pleasure finally meeting you all.”
“Goodnight,” they responded.
“I don’t trust her,” Staci said, as soon as she was out of sight.
“You know she’s probably still close enough to hear you,” Johnny said, “Because of her… affliction.”
“Why not?” Jeremy said, ignoring Johnny.
“Because she’s a vampire! She could turn on us at any moment.”
“But she hasn’t,” Jeremy said. “She’s been with Blake for months, since he rescued her.”
She shook her head, “I don’t know.”
“We’ll all keep an eye on her,” Tony said. “And stick together while she’s around.”
On that they could all agree.
“Goodnight everyone,” Staci said, as she was the first to get
off the elevator to her floor.
“Goodnight Staci.”
The doors closed, and Johnny put his arm around Jeremy, speaking closely, confidentially, although he knew the others could hear.
“Did you see the way Staci looked at her?”
“Whatya mean?” Jeremy said.
“C’mon! Are you kidding?! If looks could kill Eve would have a big fat wooden stake through her heart right now.”
Jeremy looked at Tony. Tony nodded.
“But that’s ridiculous,” Jeremy said. “She’s married, with two kids!”
“Doesn’t matter,” Myron said. “I felt it. Sorrow, jealousy, not a whole lot, but it’s there.”
“Enough for you to pick it up off of her,” Johnny said. It was a statement, and a question.
Myron nodded, “Yeah.” He got off the elevator next. “I’ll see you guys later.”
They wished him a goodnight. Johnny left next, and Tony and Jeremy got off on the same floor.
“You’re floor?” Tony asked.
“Yeah,” Jeremy said.
“See ya later pal,” Tony said. “It was great to see you again buddy.” The accent was gone, but Jeremy could almost hear it behind the words, as if he were reverting back to his teens.
“Yeah, it was great to see you too Tony,” Jeremy said. He was turning left. Tony was turning right. “I’m on that side,” Jeremy said. “Guess tomorrow’s the hard part.”
“Yep, seeing Blake,” Tony said.
“No,” Jeremy said, “Starting over. The battle plan.”
“Right.” Tony didn’t want to think about it. “Well, have a good night.”
10
“Are you ready?” Jeremy asked.
“No,” Myron admitted, “But we’ve got to. We’re his first two visitors of the day.”
“Only two at a time,” Jeremy agreed. “Shame, wish we could all see him together.”
Myron shrugged. “Can’t do anything about that; hospital policy.”
“I guess. It still stinks.”
They stood in the hall outside his door, which was not locked, but left slightly ajar. The others waited down the hall in the visitor’s room. Jeremy reached for the handle. He hadn’t so much as poked his head halfway through the door when he heard a voice say, “Come in boy.”
Though older and more gravelly sounding, it was Fulton Blake all right. Jeremy stepped through the door and looked at him for the first time in a quarter century. The man that lay on the bed was not as recognizable as the voice that issued from him. He was skinny, frail looking, with wispy white hair clinging to his scalp.
“Don’t be fooled by my looks boy,” he said, as if he were the mind reader and not Jeremy. “I killed a vampire in this very room a little over a month ago. I may be weaker, but I’ve still got some juice left in the ole motor.”
“Blake,” Jeremy smiled. He walked over and hugged the old man.
“How are you my boy?”
Jeremy nodded, “I’m doing okay Blake.”
“Hi Blake,” Myron said.
Blake did a double take. “Myron? Good Lord, I didn’t recognize you until you spoke.”
Myron tittered.
“Well, don’t just stand there, give me a hug. I won’t break.”
Myron leaned over and hugged him.
“Where are the others?” Blake asked, looking around.
“They’d only let two of us in at a time,” Jeremy said.
“Of course, of course.” He seemed saddened by this. “I really did want to see you all together again.” Blake shuffled restlessly. “I guess that’s why they only provide two chairs. Sit.”
Jeremy and Myron took the wooden straight back chairs and sat on either side of Blake’s bed.
“As you know,” Blake said, “My time is short here…”
“We don’t have to talk about that now,” Jeremy began.
“But we do,” Blake insisted, “Because what you must do is important, which is why I wanted you all here.”
“Blake, is it true what Eve said? That they’re turning children?” Myron asked.
&n
bsp; “Yes,” Blake said somberly. “Just like Betty Leesburg, poor Betty. Only now a whole army of them.”
“For what purpose?” Jeremy wondered.
“Well, harder to kill, harder to detect, or suspect for that matter.”
“Harder to kill?” Myron said.
“In the sense that it’s harder for an adult to drive a stake through a child’s heart than it is another adult,” Blake said, “Innocence as a weapon. Of course, how innocent they are depends on how far down the rabbit hole they’ve gone.”
“Devolved?” Myron added.
“Precisely.”
“So what are we going to do about them?” Jeremy said.
“Well, that's what I’ve been tackling. I know that if we get into their underground lair they’ll surely use the children as their first line of defense, as pawns if you will. We have to find a way around that; kill their adult creators, so at least some, if not all will revert to human form.”
“It will be too late for some,” Jeremy said. It wasn’t a question.
“That’s a very distinct possibility. Certainly the vampires are
hand feeding the children as they create them, to indoctrinate them
as quickly as possible.”
“Jesus,” Jeremy grimaced.
“Yes,” Blake admitted. “So you see what you must do is important work. The mortality rate has gone up drastically, though they try not to leave too many corpses around. The missing rate is much worse. Higher than when you last left. All these families with missing children. This town has been drained of its most valuable resource. This town needs you.”
“Is there no one that knows what’s going on, that’s willing to fight?” Myron said.
“Few that know, even fewer that understand. Some have continued fighting. You might remember them: Pete Whiteman, Mary Crowley, Carl Napier, and Julia Stevens.”
Ex-Dragons.
“Carl? He’s among them?” Jeremy marveled.
“Oh yes,” Blake said. “He’s quite the changed man. As you know he was on the fence with the Dragons for some time, until he decided to call it quits, and Max and he became bitter rivals.”
The Pit in the Woods: A Mercy Falls Mythos Page 36