Bitter Sweet

by Lennell Davis

  “Do you see how he treats me?” she said in a mockingly sad voice.

  “Can I ask a question,” I asked timidly.

  “Of course dear; I’ve been waiting for them.”

  “Why are you different from the vampires that attacked me?”

  “What do you mean dear?”

  “Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem human enough.” She threw Alik another smug look. “I mean, they seemed to enjoy the idea of killing and scaring me. You and Alik have been so…

  nice; nothing like what movies portray or anything.”

  “Alik saving you felt like your own Edward Cullen coming to save you, huh?”

  "I couldn't take anyone who sparkles seriously, but is it anything like that? Is my presence here hurting you?”

  “No dear, I am perfectly fine. The main difference between us is our ages; the young are more susceptible to emotion than the mature. They haven’t found out how to lure a human in and make them calm to make the blood calm. When whatever chemical markers fire off that create fear fill the blood that enters us as we feed, it can alter the emotional state or personality of the young, making them wild and uncontrollable. In some cases, even self-destructive.”

  “Do some make wild vampires on purpose?”

  “The major covens will hunt wild young for sport. A sick hobby but I can't watch everyone."

  “How do they make them wild?”

  “If you were being stalked in the dead of night by a young vampire, your heart rate would slowly climb faster and faster as he drew closer; the sound of your elevated heart beat would be clearly audible to the young one. That would drive the young one mad with the need to drain you dry. Although, it is rare that we don’t figure out where an outbreak of wild young stems from and punish the coven that is responsible. It’s just that trying to keep tabs on every vampire in the world would be impossible; some create just to have something more challenging to hunt. When the young wake up and find out what they are, they assume like you have: that they must act like what they see in movies and attack humans who are scared. Vampire like June and Alik here remove threats to our secrecy.”

  “How do you make a vampire?”

  “Hasn’t he told you yet?” she asked, outraged.

  “It was confusing because he’s told me something about it being like a viral infection, and then on the way something about Lucifer and Eve and souls?”

  “Hmmm, I never thought he would have told you that story since he doesn’t believe in it himself. Considering I lived it in a manner of speaking, although, the simple explanation is that: enough of your blood needs to be removed from your body and replaced with the blood of vampire to allow the change to take place unhindered.”

  “Is it painful?”

  “There is a small amount of pain. The bite, for instance, may hurt a little as your blood count lowers, but for the most part our saliva creates a sensation of euphoria in the blood stream. It’s why humans don’t get away; they like our bite. The sensory overload when you first wake up is a little troubling, but you are unconscious for the most part and feel very little. Also, since you don’t have to breathe, you might catch yourself wanting to speak and find that you've forgotten to breathe. I’ve seen a few mild panic attacks over that; you’ll be fine once you remember to breath." She smiled, I didn’t know if I should take that last one seriously or not. “Are you considering my offer?” she asked.

  “I don’t know really, it’s a lot to take in.”

  “That’s true. Do you have any other questions?”

  “Actually, how many humans work alongside vampires and actually know it?”

  “There aren’t that many; we like our secrecy as I’ve mentioned. June and Alik showed you the lengths we go to remove vampire who will not follow the rules. I am in contact with a few notable human figures that I have allowed to know about us, a few world leaders and high-ranking business officials, but that’s it. I like useful company. Oh, and you and Alison of course; the other two Elders also have a few humans in on the secret as well. Of course, they consider their contacts to be servants or pets along with the other coven leader who are allowed to keep their company. I like to keep friends.”

  “Before you get her closer to agreeing, I promised her father I’d have her home alive. I can’t afford for you to kill her tonight,” Alik pointed out, setting down his glass a little harder than needed.

  "Really, he specifically asked you to bring her home alive..." she questioned in mock surprise.

  "You know what I mean," glared Alik.

  "You can never take a joke." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Still, aren’t you just my little gentleman.”

  “Ha ha.” His tone was harsh.

  Lilith stood and walked over to a shelf and came back holding out a small crystal square wrapped in cloth for me. “Please place each of your fingers one at a time on the surface,” she instructed, and when I did, it beeped and glowed into life. “This is a phone that will only work for you now. This is a very special phone; very few of them exist and it will work anywhere in the world. Programmed in this one are the numbers for me and the other Elders, Alik, June, Alison, and a few others I thought could be useful to you in some way. They all know you have it and will be willing to help you with whatever you need. Do not take this lightly please; all you have to do to use it is run your finger along one of the edges. Try it.”

  I took the small crystal square, no larger than an iPhone. Now that it was closer, I could see thin black beads aligned into the shape of a rose. I slid my finger across the top and it turned black and a dial display appeared. A normal smartphone layout appeared and lit the space. “Wow,” I said in awe.

  “Good, you look through that when you have some free time, and please keep it with you at all times. It will let us keep you safe.”

  “How?”

  “We aren’t going to track you or anything, but the rose will tell the major covens that you are under my protection.”

  “Won’t the battery die?” I asked, looking up from the phone.

  “Just keep it in the sun when it’s not in use.” I smiled at the irony. She walked me to the elevator where Alik was waiting. We stopped and she turned to hug me one last time. “Please don’t be a

  stranger, Vanessa. You can nearly always find me here,” she said, letting me go.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” I smiled back.

  "Good."

  Then I stepped in the elevator and Alik and I headed back to the lobby.

  Vanessa Stanton

  Chapter 15.0

  Alik was silent in the elevator as it descended to the lobby. He gave Alison a dull wave as we walked out. She still seemed annoyed at him and turned away. The valet already had his car waiting, and as he shook Alik’s hand, he released it with a bill clutched in his fingers. As usual, Alik opened my door, shut it, got in, and drove off. Soon, I noticed that we weren’t heading to my house as he drove along silently. He stopped at a small diner in a shady area near some raised subway tracks. He parked across the street and we walked inside; it felt like I stepped into the seventies. Posters and memorabilia lined the walls; even an old section of a Cadillac sat in a corner, its headlights still working to light the entrance. A kind-looking woman greeted and sat us at a booth and left us with menus.

  “What’s this all about?” I asked, tired of the silence.

  “I’m not going to take you home hungry. What would your father say? This diner’s owner is an old friend; he’s waged a war on germs for year.” He took the sleeve of his jacket and wiped it across the table; it was still spotlessly white. “It’s very clean. Your new sense of taste shouldn't bother you here.”

  I ordered some pancakes and sat at the booth while Alik talked with the chef, who I assumed was the owner. I watched him talking with the man, laughing and joking about something they did a long time ago. As I watched him, my only thought was whether or not Alik could really be a vampire? There was so much human in him.

&nb
sp; With a pat on the back, a smile, and a wink toward me, the man handed Alik a plate, which he brought over. I hadn’t eaten all day and was starving. Alik just sat there, staring out the window at two guys who had come along and were admiring his car, with a distant look in his eyes.

  “You know, you don’t have to let her bite you,” he stated, still not looking at me

  “I know, she told me so.” I was more worried about my food than his strange tone that matched his distant look.

  “It’s just… your questions; you seemed interested in our existence.”

  “I might be.”

  “Oh.” He was silent for a moment. “How come, if you don’t mind me asking.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why would you want to be vampire?”

  “You’ve been describing it like you’re in some tragic novel. You sound a lot like Edward Cullen as Lilith said. Alison is looking forward to it.”

  “Alison doesn’t know what she is doing.”

  “Lilith wouldn’t hurt Alison?”

  “Not intentionally, no. Still, vampire who are close to my mother more than often end up burning in the sun. My mother is cold and ruthless; do not be fooled by her human act.”

  “Is that what you are doing right now? Just acting?” I asked and he looked so hurt that I felt guilty for asking.

  Still he answered, “about some things: yes; about others, no.”

  “Then why don’t you explain?”

  “All you have to do is ask the questions, and I will answer.”

  “Do you want to answer or is it just some mystic vampire thing?”

  “I already told you that all our connection means is that you will know when I lie to you, not that I will have to admit anything, so ask.”

  “Do you regret Lilith creating you?”

  “No, I don’t. I enjoy my… situation.”

  “Then I don’t get it? Does it even have something to do with Lilith?” I asked, making a leap in logic.

  “In parts yes, it has a lot to do with her.”

  “What has Lilith done?” I tried to sound concerned I realized I had been very accusatory.

  “She created me for a specific purpose.”

  “What purpose?” I asked, putting down my fork.

  Alyon Alik

  Chapter 16.0

  "I suppose I should finish answering the question you asked earlier in the car. You know how kids who are lonely will make up imaginary friends?”

  “Yeah,” she answered as if I had taken a strange turn in the conversation.

  “Would you think I was crazy if I still had an imaginary friend to this day? I don’t really know what else to call it,” I said hesitantly.

  “It?”

  “I probably started this in a bad place. I guess I could tell you a little about my past on the first date.” I gave her a chance to say this wasn’t a date, but she didn’t say anything so I went on. “Despite what I have now, I was the poorest of the poor as a child and through all of that, it has still stuck with me. How could I forget about something that has stuck with me through that? Forgetting it would be like turning on June or Lilith, unforgivable. It has never asked for anything; it simply watched over me, kept me company through the cold nights and the days I was hungry, and times I felt like giving up. It was just like a brother, protecting and comforting just with its presence around. When Lilith found me, she saw my friend from afar, but did not take me from it. She nurtured our relationship and now, it helps me to protect the few I manage to cherish and the world I have helped build and maintain. To this day, it still gives me strength and warnings. I will probably never have a friend that is greater than it.”

  “I don’t see what this has to do with why Lilith created you.”

  “It wasn’t me that she wanted, it was my friend.”

  “So you think that she is using you?”

  “I know that she is,” I smiled at that thought, “although it eats her inside. Still, it doesn’t change what she is doing.”

  “Would it be possible for me to meet your friend?”

  “Everyone will someday, if they are lucky. It won’t be for a long time. However, you’ve made me rethink that.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You still haven’t figured out what my friend is?”

  “Aren’t you talking about a person or a vampire?”

  He laughed. “No, I probably explained that a bit too poetically.”

  “That seems to be a habit of yours. Can’t you be a little more direct?”

  “I was eleven when I first tried to kill myself. I jumped into a river during a flood. I thought death would be better than the endless hunger, living off of the scraps thrown onto the streets. The raging water scared me at first as it bubbled and frothed in anger. Too bad I woke up on the riverbank the next morning, shivering and sore, but still very much alive.” Vanessa’s eyes were wide as she couldn’t help but stare. I wasn’t sure if I was scaring her or not, but I still went on. “I tried to cut my wrist once when it became too much again.” I pulled back my

  sleeve and showed her a thin dark line running above a vein on my arm. “These are the only scars I carry from when I was human. Normally the transformation heals all old scars, but this one stayed with me. I woke up in a small house; a young woman with a kind smile was sitting over me. Her husband found me as he was walking home. He brought me back to his home and they took me in and watched over me until I recovered. However, the old man owed a lot of people money. His home was burned to the ground; both he and his wife were killed in their sleep by smoke. No one knew a small boy was in the house. I thought about lying in the fire and letting it end me when I heard the meow of a cat trapped by the flames. We both somehow made it out alive.” I couldn’t help sighing as the memory of the missed opportunity still annoyed me.

  “Alik, you don’t…” Vanessa started.

  “Have to tell you my somewhat pathetic story?” I smiled, turning to watch two guys who were taking pictures next to my car. “I don’t mind, but if I’m boring you, I can let you eat.”

  She took my face in her hands reaching over the table and looked in my eyes.“ I can tell you want to tell me this. Just don’t hurt yourself doing it. I don't know how i feel about you yet and this feels very personal.” Vanessa told me, I ignored the warning and went on.

  “I found Lilith the night of my nineteenth birthday. She was a defenseless woman on the surface, easy prey for a thief. I didn’t know she was actually baiting me. I followed her into an alley that ended at a brick wall. All I had on my mind was easy money. She turned and smiled at me.

  ‘So what now?’ she asked calmly while my voice shook.

  ‘Give me your pouch and anything valuable you’re wearing, I will let you pass then.’

  ‘If I were to say no?’

  ‘I will take them by force.’

  ‘And if I said you’re the victim here?’

  ‘I’d laugh.’ I had been in many fights by this time and I had lost enough of those to learn how to win. Those beatings were life lessons in how to survive even without my friend. I had no fear in losing to this woman. I approached her with a small knife held out in one hand and the other balled into a fist. ‘I will ask nicely again; hand me your valuables.’

  ‘You’re the nicest thief I’ve ever met, asking me so politely and so many times.’ She smiled.

  ‘If you have met many, then I pity you.’

  ‘You are sweet, but I’m going to say no.’ I lunged at her and she made a graceful twist and easily ended up behind me. I quickly turned to attack again, but she blocked my hand with her arm. It felt like my hand was broken as it cracked against her arm. She then punched me in the chest, and it felt like all the breath was forced out of me. I stumbled back, but she then kicked my feet from under me, following me down to the ground where she held me by my throat with her fingers digging into my skin, slowly cutting off my air. She looked into my eyes while I was looking up for the first time into
the shadow that was my friend; she followed my line of sight and smiled again. ‘There is a presence of death about you, an impatient yet protective presence. Why aren’t you dead? she asked like it was a problem that I was still alive.

  ‘Believe me, it’s not from a lack of trying.’ I choked out.

  ‘Perhaps you have just not died the right way.’

  ‘Then kill me and be done with it.’

  ‘Maybe I should make your friend walk you into Hell and leave you... Then again, who am I to break up such a bond of friendship? I will ally you, make you one.’