Phoenix and the Dark Star

by Gerald Pruett

  The memory transfer had stopped on that memory. Harris thought for a second before assuming, “You must’ve fed on your father. What happened when you went home?”

  Again the color of the crystal ball changed from a clear crystal to a swirling purple and blue.

  Wesley backhanded one of the Dobermans. The dog yelped loudly after being struck, and then yelped again when its spine snapped in two when it hit a tree. Once the dog hit the ground, it laid trembling and whimpering.

  The other Dobermans went soaring through the air, one after the other, before Wesley’s thirteen-year-old sister could make it outside to see what was upsetting the dogs.

  Wesley’s father followed her out while demanding, “Get back in here, Mandy. That abomination isn’t Wesley.”

  Brett touched Mandy’s arm, but before he could grab hold of it, he was suddenly pinned against the wall by Wesley’s chokehold at the throat.

  “Wes, no!” his sister demanded while grabbing his shoulder.

  Wesley jerked his head towards her and hissed through his teeth as if he was a cobra. His sister jumped back a step, overwhelmed by the sight.

  A delightful smile came across Wesley’s face before saying, “The pounding of your heart sounds so invitingly delicious.”

  “Wes. It’s me. Mandy.”

  “I know who you are,” Wesley said before drawing in a deep breath through his nose. “I never knew how wonderful you smelled before now.”

  “If you know me, then you know that you’re my best friend,” Mandy told him. “I don’t know what drugs you’re on…”

  “I’m not on any drugs,” Wesley insisted with a slight laugh.

  “Your freakishly black eyes say different,” Mandy retorted.

  Wesley again laughed before confessing, “I’m a vampire.”

  “You’re a vampire?” Mandy questioned skeptically while examining his appearance.

  “Yes,” he said while turning back towards his dad. “And I’m going to drain you of your blood.”

  “Wes, no,” Mandy pleaded. “This isn’t you. You’re not evil. You’re not a killer.”

  “I’m a vampire,” Wesley said again as he went to drink his father’s blood.

  Before Wesley could sink his teeth into his father’s throat, Mandy grabbed his free hand while demanding, “If you’re a vampire, then take my blood.”

  Brett was turning blue from the chokehold and could only grunt out his protest to Mandy’s request.

  “Wait your turn, sis,” Wesley instructed while looking at her again. “Dear ol’dad is first.”

  “Wes,” Mandy slightly whined while desperately searching her thoughts for a memory that would get through to Wesley.

  Suddenly images of him and Mandy playing cards, playing board games, playing computer games, of him teaching Mandy how to ride her bike, of him teaching her how to swim and of him reading bedtime stories to her at night went through his mind so quickly as if simultaneously.

  Wesley went to shake the confusion from his head as Mandy—with tears running down her cheeks—continued to say, “I enjoyed it when you read to me last November—when I was sick. It reminded me of when you use to read me bedtime stories. I know I could read books myself… and I do, but I was hoping that next time I’d get sick, you would read to me again. And I can name off other enjoyable times that we had spent together…”

  “You’re showing me these images,” Wesley accused as he dropped his grip from his father’s throat and grabbed his own head from both sides. “How are you doing this?”

  Brett dropped to his knees, coughing and gasping for air.

  “How am I doing what?” Mandy questioned, confused at what he was saying.

  “You’re showing me things… with your mind.”

  “You’re doing it, not her,” Brett said in an unnatural raspy voice. “You always had the gift of mind reading.”

  Brett then thought of the day when Wanda had cast two spells on Wesley when he was seven; one to suppress his mind reading ability and the other for him to forget all the days before.

  “Our nanny’s a witch!” Wesley hissed. “You hired a witch to watch us and to cast spells on me!”

  From a kneeling position Brett looked up and timidly met his eyes.

  “It was to protect you,” Brett claimed with a less raspy voice as he massaged his throat.

  Mandy watched the exchange between her dad and brother with a confused expression across her face.

  “It was to protect you… your secrets, you mean,” Wesley again hissed.

  “Wesley, back then I was a lawyer for a very powerful family,” Brett informed. “I knew their secrets; secrets that could get many people killed if they would ever surface. So yes. I did it to protect you, your mom, Mandy and me, along with many others. Read my mind if you don’t believe me.” Wesley just shot his dad an annoyed look. “Anyway, Kodiak turned you and sent you here, didn’t he?”

  “Kodiak?” Wesley echoed.

  “I’m picturing Kodiak’s face in my mind. Is he who turned you?”

  Wesley looked into his dad’s mind before saying, “Yes.”

  “He’s been hired to kill me,” Brett informed. Mandy gasped in horror as Brett continued with, “He can’t get on the property. Wanda had cast spells to keep him out, so he’s using you to get to me—to kill me.”

  “You won’t do it, right?” Mandy pleaded. “Vampire or not, you’re not a killer.”

  Wesley heard Mandy’s ongoing plea in his mind. He closed his eyes before whispering, “I’m sorry, Mandy, but I am so hungry. I need blood, and your loving thoughts towards me, or your encouraging words of me not being a killer, or even your nostalgic memories of us won’t hold me back for long.”

  “Humans are not the only creature on Earth to have blood pumping through their veins,” Mandy pointed out. Wesley’s eyes flew open and he looked intensely at Mandy, which made her recoil back slightly. “If you’re truly a vampire, and you need blood, then kill a deer or a cow. There must be a way for you to eat and not kill people.”

  Wesley looked towards the injured and whimpering dogs, long enough to see where they lay, and then—as if the world had slowed down to slow motion during his run—he had sunk his teeth into one of the dogs’ necks. The dog yelped one last time.

  “Wesley?” he heard Mandy asking in a confused tone.

  “He’s over there,” he heard his dad saying.

  The memory transfer had once again stopped. Harris rubbed his eyes and face while waiting for his disorientation to wear off. Once his head had cleared, he asked, “Have you ever killed anyone?”

  The color of the crystal ball changed from a clear crystal to a foggy white without any memory transfer.

  “And I have no idea what this means,” Harris mumbled slightly coherently.

  Devon stood and stepped up. When he saw what the crystal ball was showing, he informed, “From what you had asked, Wesley has no memory to share. So you can consider Wesley’s answer as ‘No’.

  Ellen stood up before saying, “Wesley hasn’t killed anyone. The stake should be removed.”

  “He hasn’t killed anyone yet,” Brad corrected as he and the others stood as well.

  “He’s innocent,” Ellen retorted.

  “He could make an exception with us,” Galvin said while overlapping Ellen.

  “He’s innocent,” Ellen repeated more forcibly.

  “People!” Devon uttered to regain order. When everyone looked at him, he continued, “Winona, go and get one of your crystal balls.”

  “What are you going to do?” Ellen demanded before Winona could respond.

  “I’m going to remove the stake from Wesley’s heart, but before I do that, I want to be able to stop him if he would decide to attack.”

  Ellen nodded in agreement.

  “I have a thought,” Riley announced while drawing everyone’s attention. “How do I know that what we received from… from Wesley, were his actual memories and not what he wants us to think?”
<
br />   “People who get asked the questions can’t manipulate what gets transferred,” Devon replied.

  “We aren’t dealing with a person though, are we?” Riley questioned in a manner as if to make a point.

  “The spell worked, and as long as it works, it can’t be manipulated,” Devon said. “I guarantee that what memories we received from Wesley were genuine.”

  “Okay,” Riley replied skeptically.

  “I’ll go get one of the crystal balls,” Winona announced before walking away.

  Sadie put her hand on Ellen’s shoulder, and when Ellen looked, Sadie said barely above a whisper, “I finished the incantation.”

  “Cool,” Ellen replied with a grin.

  “Don’t get too excited,” Sadie informed. “I had to create it from scratch, and the spells that I create from scratch have a sixty percent chance of failing.”

  “Noted,” Ellen said with a slight nod. “So how will the incantation work?”

  “You’ll need to cast it on a piece of jewelry, and as long as your friend wears the jewelry, she won’t be able to see or hear ghosts.”

  “Nice,” Ellen said while noticing that Riley and Brad were listening. She then volunteered, “A friend of mine is being forced to take drugs for her delusions of seeing ghosts, when I know for a fact that she does see ghosts. I’m trying to help her get off her medicine.”

  “I didn’t ask,” Riley said as Brad gave an acknowledging nod.

  “I know,” Ellen said with a shrug. “Since you overheard what we were discussing, I thought I should explain.”

  Riley grinned before saying, “I can see your future, Ellen.” Ellen gave him an inquiring look. “You’ll go off to college, get your law degree and become a defense attorney.”

  Ellen grinned before informing, “You’re looking into the wrong future. I have nothing against lawyers, but it’s not for me.”

  “A doctor?” Riley questioned. Ellen shook her head with a polite grin. “A social worker?” Ellen dropped her grin and vigorously shook her head. “Okay. What career path do you imagine yourself in… in ten years?”

  “A police officer,” Ellen answered simply.

  “A police officer?” Riley echoed incredulously.

  “Huh-uh,” Ellen said with an agreeing nod.

  “As a police officer, you’re going to have to arrest criminals…” Riley was only able to get out.

  “That is one of the major requirements of being a police officer,” Ellen interrupted.

  “Criminals who will claim to be innocent,” Riley continued after the brief interruption. “And although I’ve only known you for less than two hours, Ellen, I can tell that you’re too trusting—you’ll give anyone… including vampires the benefit of the doubt.”

  “When I give people, vampires, witches and wizards the benefit of the doubt, it’s because I don’t have sufficient evidence to prove otherwise,” Ellen quickly defended. “When I get proof positive that someone is hurting or killing people, then I’ll do what I can to stop it.”

  “Even if that means killing someone or some…” Riley challenged as Winona was returning.

  “I have killed someone,” Ellen quickly interrupted as tears formed in her eyes. “Or at least I helped to kill him.”

  “I’m interjecting here,” Harris uttered while moving forward to get between the two. “Things are becoming too emotional.”

  As Ellen wiped the tears from her eyes, Riley asked Harris, “Is she serious? About helping to kill someone?”

  “Ellen, her friend Jessica and I had killed Leon Stone—Jessica’s grandfather,” Harris explained. “Leon was a powerful wizard, and he was hurting and killing people to obtain riches, power and health. He would’ve kept hurting and killing people if we didn’t stop him. So you’re right about Ellen wanting to give people the benefit of the doubt, but you are wrong if you think that she’s blind to the bad.”

  “I think I missed an interesting conversation,” Winona assumed.

  “Not really,” Ellen said barely above a whisper.

  Winona gave Ellen a curious look as Brad informed, “Ellen has plans to be a police officer, and Riley thinks that Ellen will be too gullible to make an arrest.”

  “I’m not gullible,” Ellen defended. “And since it’s the court’s job to determine guilt or innocent of a person—not the police officers’—I wouldn’t have a problem with arresting anyone; not even a person who I believe is innocent.”

  Brad put up his hands in a surrendering manner while saying, “Okay-okay. Don’t get defensive. I was just filling Winnie in on the current topic.”

  As Ellen stared apathetically at Brad, Devon said, “We need to shift the topic back to Wesley and his friend. I’m ready to pull out the stake if you’re ready, Winnie.”

  “I’m ready,” Winona assured Devon.

  Devon nodded before stepping up to Wesley, taking hold of the wooden stake protruding from his chest and yanking hard.

  The wooden stake came out with little difficulty, and once it was removed, Wesley tightly closed his eyes and let out a groan as if he was trying to overcome his pain.

  After seconds of groaning, he opened his eyes and looked up at Ellen. “Thank you, Ellen.”

  Ellen shot him a confused look while asking, “Why are you thanking me? I didn’t pull the stake out.”

  “If it wasn’t for you, that stake would’ve never been removed,” Wesley said. “Your kindness and your confidence in me remind me of my sister.”

  Ellen nodded before asking, “So, how long have you been a vampire?”

  “For twenty-two years,” Wesley replied. “In the vampire world, I’m still a child.”

  “And your friend?” Devon asked. “How long has she been a vampire?”

  “Nine months?” Wesley said while glancing at her.

  “Did you turn her?” Brad quickly asked.

  “No,” Wesley said quickly. “The taste of human blood is better than animal blood, and I don’t trust myself that I could resist draining a human if I ever get the taste of human blood in my mouth again. So turning a human will be impossible for me.”

  “Who turned her if not you?” Winona questioned.

  “Corrine did. She felt sorry for her,” Wesley replied.

  “Who’s Corrine, and why did she feel sorry for her?” Riley asked.

  “Corrine operates a Red Cross center in Seattle, and that center is where Corrine gets her blood,” Wesley began. “When Corrine and I met five years ago, she had offered to set me up with human blood through her center as well. I declined her offer. She thought that I was weird to be drinking the blood of animals, but she accepted it.” Wesley glanced at his companion before continuing. “Anyway, Melanie entered the center to donate blood—for the first time. At the time, Melanie was a freshman athlete—a track and field sprinter—for the local college with an undiagnosed defective heart.

  “Vampires can hear things like defective hearts and Corrine had heard Melanie’s as soon as Melanie had stepped into the center, and Corrine knew right away that it was only a matter of time before Melanie had a heart attack on the field. So Corrine staged an opportunity to get Melanie alone, and once they were alone, Corrine turned her. I went to visit Corrine once Corrine had set the transition in motion, and once I read Corrine’s mind on what she had done, I insisted that Melanie would hunt deer and wild dogs. We’ve been inseparable since.”

  “Has she ever fed on humans?” Riley asked.

  Wesley slightly hesitated before saying, “No.”

  “Why the hesitation, Wes?” Brad quickly asked.

  “It’s harder for Melanie for some reason to resist feeding on humans, but she hasn’t slipped,” Wesley confessed. “She finds a local AA meeting and she attends one when her urge to feed gets to a certain point. When Melanie speaks, people think that she’s talking about booze, but in fact, she’s talking about the craving for human blood.”

  “Okay, here’s how this is going to work,” Winona began. “I am now your tw
os parole officer. Since it seems to be working, Melanie is to keep going to her AA meetings; you two will now keep me updated on your living arrangements… along with informing me immediately before visiting or moving to another city, and you two can expect unannounced visits from me…”

  “Or by someone from the Tri-Star Confederation,” Devon added.

  “Or by someone from his group,” Winona said with a nod. “Now I can’t speak for the Tri-Star Confederation, but if I learn of you or of Melanie feeding on human blood—even from a blood bag—I will kill the guilty party… if not both of you.”

  “Those terms are acceptable to Melanie and me,” Wesley said.

  Okay,” Winona and Devon said.

  Devon stepped up to Melanie, took hold of the wooden stake protruding from her chest and yanked hard.

  Like with the stake that was once protruding from Wesley’s chest, the stake protruding from Melanie’s chest came out with little difficulty.

  Once the stake was removed, Devon immediately took a step back.

  Melanie had closed her eyes and doubled over to where her face was barely above her knees. She groaned for a short time, and without sitting upright or opening her eyes, she said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” Devon said.

  “Mel and I can help,” Wesley said. “We’re faster than the wizard from New Orleans.”

  “This isn’t your fight,” Ellen said quickly.

  Melanie sat upright as Wesley said, “True, but the way I see it, we owe you this. And if he’s as powerful as Devon believes that he could be, then you’ll need all the help that you can get.”

  “Alright,” Ellen said. “I don’t know when we’ll confront him though. I don’t even know how to even activate my remote viewing ability to lure the wizard in.”

  “Imagine the details of Johnny Depp’s face,” Wesley instructed.

  Ellen imagined Johnny Depp’s face, and then, while slightly turning red, gasped.

  “Oh God! I should’ve named someone else,” Wesley uttered in a regrettable tone. “I could’ve gone my entire life without seeing that.”

  “What happen?” Riley asked.

  “I think I actually saw him; saw… saw what he’s actually doing right now,” Ellen said.