by Jaye Shields
As she crouched, invisible to anybody who walked by, she watched him stalk toward the pier. He looked strong; the clothes clinging to every hard muscle in his body was evidence of that. Ironically enough, she swore he looked like a big cat himself. She wished he was, because as soon as he made it to the pier, she would pounce on him. She visualized wrestling with him, latching onto him with her fangs and — suddenly, Michelle realized he’d disappeared on the horizon, probably dunking beneath the water.
How could that happen? Damn it, Michelle, you and your fantasizing — now look what you’ve done.
The sound of wood splintering rang in her ears and air collapsed from her lungs as strong hands grabbed the scruff of her neck. Shards of dock flew from where he had crashed through the thin wooden bars beneath the pier.
There he was. The handsome stranger knelt before her, staring into her eyes. A firm grasp held her in place. She noted the immense amount of strength he’d need to hold down a full-sized jaguar.
For the second time, she got a look at her captor’s face. He was pale. Had swimming in the cold of the night left him with hypothermia? She took in his whole face, from his pale pink lips to his eyes. Perhaps it was the night, or the dark wet hair that clung to his face framing eyes as black as onyx. Then he smiled.
At first, she wanted to melt at the sweetness in his expression that contradicted his stone-like face. Then, she was horrified. Were those fangs?
Michelle looked closer and realized he did have pointy canines. They were whiter, smaller, and sharper than her own. Surely they are not real, perhaps he got them from Hot Topic or a Halloween store or something. Lots of people are into that stuff.
But still. There she was, held firmly in place by his grip, when nobody should have been able to detect her in the first place.
“I thought I saw a big black cat.” His grin didn’t cease and he used his free hand to reach out and scratch her behind the ear. “Usually jaguars have spots, but yours are as dark as midnight. Pretty rare.”
Regaining her sense of self-respect, she hissed and lurched toward her captor with a powerful bite. He was quick though and her vicious chomp found only air. The guy laughed calmly, as if he hadn’t almost lost a finger.
“So did the devil send you to spy on me?” The stranger manhandled his way to her ear and gave a scratch.
Hurt simmered from his comment about the devil. Just because I’m the only jaguar prowling the Bay Area doesn’t mean I’m a hell spawn. Maybe I escaped from the Oakland Zoo … Then something shocking happened.
She realized she was drooling.
The stranger’s grip on the scruff of her neck had loosened, but she hadn’t even noticed because now her head lolled in the palm of his hand as he scratched behind her ear. How mortifying! I came to spy on him and within ten minutes he has me purring? Are you kidding me?
She lashed out with her paw and sliced him across the shoulder, shredding slits into his damp shirt. Blood oozed from the wound.
“Ah, geez, I get it, you can’t be tamed.” He put his hands up in a display of submission, but he didn’t seem too hurt.
She wasn’t going to stick around to find out. She lurched by him from under the pier. Running between tall anise and other beachside growth, she made her way toward home. When she turned onto San Jose Avenue, she looked in every direction to ensure nobody was near. Satisfied, she hurried across the street and crawled up the gigantic magnolia tree to where her window was ajar.
Once inside, Michelle panted, whether from exhaustion or excitement she didn’t know. The furry black coat on her belly elongated and hallowed with every breath as she began to calm herself, imagining the form of her human body. The familiar sensation of a chilly draft hit her skin and she knew the transformation had been made. In the window she saw her naked reflection. Luckily nobody could see her, thanks to the dense magnolia tree that kept the inside of her apartment hidden.
As she walked toward her tiny closet full of jeans and t-shirts, she pondered the unexpected turns of her night. So many questions. The last thing she expected to find the mystery man doing in the midnight hours was swimming in the cold Alameda estuary. Strange. And stranger still was his reaction to her presence. He seemed to have seen her from so far away and then, to make matters even more unbelievable, he got the drop on her. Just embarrassing. So much for my predator instincts.
And what was up with his fangs? It was unlikely from his well-groomed appearance that he would be into that kind of thing, and even if he was, why would he wear his fangs while swimming? The whole thing just didn’t add up. And who pets a wild jaguar? I mean come on, jaguars aren’t even supposed to be in this region. Why didn’t he seem more surprised?
Her stomach did a flip flop as she remembered his firm grip and the even softer touch that he used to scratch behind her ear. She wished that she had been human, enjoying his caresses as a woman. Perhaps another night of spying would be in order. But for now, it was time to sleep, with a long day of school tomorrow and job hunting to boot. The funds she had saved up from working in Modesto were almost depleted and rent would be due soon.
That night when sleep claimed Michelle, her dreams were of darkness, accompanied only by the face and the eyes that had born so deeply into her own earlier. The eyes that looked at her as if she were a beautiful, exotic creature. For once, Michelle smiled as she drifted into her dreams.
Chapter Four
After the strange black jaguar leapt out of view, Duncan went back to his home on the beach, just feet from his encounter with the wild cat on the estuary. Normally he wouldn’t allow anything to get that close to him — he wasn’t in the mood to be clawed — but somehow he felt he had offended the creature.
What was this exotic jaguar doing in this area? He didn’t imagine it had escaped from the Oakland Zoo. Instead, he figured it must be something more mystical, perhaps a spy for Satan or some other evil being. He found it easy to imagine warlocks with trained jaguars and perhaps flying monkeys like in the Wizard of Oz as well.
He walked through the door of his two-story home on the estuary. The inside was dark with tones of black, gray, and merlot. It probably looked like a typical vampire palette, but he couldn’t help but fancy the romantic hues. The deep crimson drapes that hung heavy against his charcoal walls reminded him not of blood, but of roses, life rather than death. Not that the roses he planted ever lasted very long. Must be bad vampire karma.
A piano rather than a TV awaited his company in the corner of his living room. His favorite time to play was in the morning as the sun rose. When he moved in, he had large French doors installed so he would always feel that he was outdoors, or easily could be. While seated at the piano, he could enjoy the sight of the water. He loved it most when it was being tossed back and forth by the wind. In the early Alameda hours, the water was often a deep teal, as if to match the low overcast that hid the California sun until noontime. With the doors open, the scents of black licorice and sea foam wafted into his home, enticing his fingers to sweep over the keys, telling tales with musical composition.
Although he’d traveled much of the world in his years, Alameda was still his home. True, this house was not the one he had grown up in. This very spot would have been underwater in his original life, back when the town was a beach paradise.
The boardwalk had been a grand carnival of fun for all ages, especially lovers who could indulge themselves by riding the gigantic wooden rollercoaster and clutch onto each other tightly as the coaster swept them up and down along the beach. He had wished he had someone to cling to, but that person only would have felt a cold, pulse-less embrace.
Not one grain of sand could be seen on Neptune Beach, for on a decent day all the folks would gather in their finest Victorian styles to picnic. Huge umbrellas striped in red and yellow dotted the landscape and for a moment, he could almost see his mom smiling from under a wide-brimmed beach hat, her dainty feet struggling to navigate the sand in her pointy-toed boots.
Even aft
er he was supposed to be dead to his family and friends, Duncan would often return to Alameda to take in the ambience of the booming little island town. He watched over the years as times changed. Horse-drawn carts making their way up Park Street turned to trains and trolleys, to automobiles. He watched with envy as the living enjoyed the excitement of life and all its fragility.
For a while, he had wondered if he would meet another vampire who would be his companion. But the few vampires he met had been without compassion, without the same appreciation for life that he had. Perhaps because the vampires had been older, they had already come to face the truth that there is no life for vampires. Only time. His creator was the same, having a lust only for sex and violence. Once he was strong enough, he had been quick to leave her, tired and disgusted by her cruelty.
Once turned into a vampire, he had been pleased to find out the whole creature of the darkness bit was an exaggeration. In fact, he could go outside into the sun if he pleased. People tended to look at him a bit suspiciously, but nowadays, many people sported the Goth look, and in fact, he didn’t stick out quite so much as he did in earlier years. Although Duncan was grateful to be in the sun, he preferred the comfort of the darkness.
• • •
Michelle clutched her sweater closely by plunging her fists deep in the warm pockets. Fall wasn’t so bad in the Bay Area, but it was definitely a bit on the chilly side in the mornings. The scent of eucalyptus swept through the air as she walked through the San Francisco State University campus. Students bustled between classes, and some lazed against trees or slept on the vast lawn of the quad. In a few hours, the sun would penetrate through the low-hanging clouds, and the grass would be decorated with girls hoping to get in the last of their summer tanning.
Michelle speed-walked across campus and tried not to appear as if she was huffing and puffing as she swerved around the lollygaggers. Her first class was her favorite one and she didn’t want to be late. Professor Tecuhtli’s Maya Civilization lecture was one of many fascinating anthropology courses of her major. Finally, she reached the room on the second floor of the science building and grabbed a seat near the front.
Save for the large chalk board, all sides of the room had built-in cupboards. The glass display cases boasted humanoid and animal skulls, plaster molds of artifacts, and a variety of gigantic, ancient-looking bones that she couldn’t identify. Pleistocene California was definitely not her specialty.
“Okay class, today we are going to discuss some of the important iconography that dates back to the Olmecs over three thousand years ago in the south of Mexico. Most of you have probably seen what are called the giant colossal heads with big, flared lips and brows with short, fat noses. These are characteristics of Olmec art and some of these giant heads were six-feet high.” The professor switched on the slide machine and a large stone monument popped onto the screen. “Also with Olmec iconography, we see a prevalence of baby were-jaguars — that is to say, half-human, half-jaguar.”
The next slide clicked and the image of a small jade figurine lit up the room. The figure of a chubby infant on all fours was snarling, with fangs and a tail like that of a jaguar, a helmet strapped on its snarling head. “Check out this ugly little baby.” The professor laughed. “The jaguar, called Nahual or Balam, represented one of their fiercest gods. In a time when shamans reigned supreme, the jaguars represented the other half of man. The artifacts reveal the esteem Olmecs held for the jaguar was very important.”
Another were-jaguar figure lit up the screen and she dropped her pen.
“Several anthropologists believe the baby were-jaguar figures represent the mating between an Olmec with a jaguar god. This Olmec mythology is very prevalent; we see many scenes where these baby were-jaguars are being carried and placed on altars before kings or shamans in great celebration.”
The next slide clicked loudly and a picture of a large stone slab with a daunting scene lit up the room. She didn’t have to be an expert on ancient Olmec mythology to make out the figure of a large ornamented feline on top of a human.
“This is monument thirty-one from Chalcatzingo. Here we see another anthropomorphic figure dominating the human. Due to the condition of the monument, which has suffered from age and conditions, it is impossible to completely make out the scene, whether the human was attacked or volunteered to be sacrificed. The rain coming down on the figure implies a fertility ritual. Although we do not know the exact significance, we can be sure this monument reflects an important cosmology of the Olmec people at the site.”
Michelle’s vision had glazed over and she realized she’d not been breathing. The Olmec images haunted her. She wanted to believe the Olmecs were crazy — she was desperate to believe it — but how could she when she was a freak of nature herself?
No, not a freak of nature. Those people worshipped the idea of a baby were-jaguar. Pull yourself together.
The professor spoke once again. “Make sure that you remember this kind of iconography because you will see it on a test.”
Water flooded her lids, threatening her vision. The deluge of information in class made her sick with unanswered questions and possibilities. Her stomach heaved, and she bolted from class, not caring about the obvious disruption she caused or if people thought she was mental.
The bathroom down the hall wasn’t empty as she had hoped, but still she curled over the garbage and emptied her stomach. Tears slid down her cheeks slowly as her sickness finally ceased.
“Are you okay?” One of the girls who had been doing her makeup handed her a bottle of water. “Here, you can have it.”
Michelle wiped the tear tracks off her cheek and tried to offer the girl a sheepish smile. “Thanks, I guess anatomy class was just too much today.”
The girl laughed before heading out of the bathroom. “Hope you feel better!”
Finally alone, but probably not for long, Michelle slid down to the cold, dirty floor, hugging her knees to her chest and challenging herself to breathe. It was going to be a long day.
Chapter Five
Duncan gazed into the shallow eyes of a young woman. She was decently attractive, but his real motivation for her company was not her looks, but her blood. He wasn’t sure if it was just his appearance, but since he became a vampire, women seemed compelled to be in his company.
With the venom he could thrust into a kiss, a woman became entranced. Her mind would become blank and he could move his kiss to her neck and then softly sink his teeth into the flesh, and pull a couple drinks. Over time, he’d realized that he did not need much to survive, and the venom would heal any trace of bite marks. His victim wouldn’t even have a hickey, and as an effect of the venom, she wouldn’t even remember being in his presence.
So now, he thumbed the chin of the girl he had in a lover’s embrace against the wall of an alley near Park Street. She smiled at him with intent curiosity, and looked him up and down with approval. “My name is Sarah.”
Without further introduction, he pressed his lips to hers and willed the venom to transfer. When he retreated from the kiss, her face was restful and he knew he could take the next step. Moving his mouth to her neck, he carefully penetrated her skin, cautious to take only a few gulps. He tried to be as quick as possible, taking no pleasure in it. The secret, uncomfortable need left him isolated. Lonely.
Most of the time he visited local butchers, but the strange looks he received never faltered, no matter what explanation he gave them. Also, animal blood left him feeling weak and jittery.
Duncan pressed his lips to the girl’s bite marks and they slowly healed. Turning back toward Park Street, he left the girl standing there; the venom would dissipate in a few seconds and she would be none the wiser of her intimate encounter.
• • •
After her last graduate class of the day, Michelle pulled herself together — she couldn’t put off applying for a job any longer, much as she wanted to hide out in her room. In Modesto, she had worked at a small café as well as a del
i, so she hoped that experience might land her a similar job. She definitely needed the money.
Walking down Park Street on a warm, overcast evening was no chore. The sun was setting and despite the breeze, it was warm enough to shrug off her bright blue coat. However, she didn’t have any interview appropriate clothes so she was relying on her pea coat to help her look at least a little bit professional.
She turned into Tera’s Coffee and Tea and inhaled the scent of espresso and fresh baked lemon ginger scones. The walls were adorned with local artwork and a large corkboard filled with flyers for everything from missing cats to free martial arts classes taught by Tera herself. Free? For a moment, she considered signing up but then snapped her focus back to the task at hand.
As she made her way past the tables and cozy lounge chairs to the counter, her throat caught. There he was, seated on the couch with his long legs sprawled out comfortably. His body seemed massive in the small coffee shop. On the table in front of him was a coffee, but it was untouched. His focus was narrowed on the pad of paper in his hands where he was scrawling with a pencil.
“Hi, what can I get for you today?” A short blond smiled at Michelle, interrupting her bout of staring at late night swimmer boy.
“Oh, um, hi. Actually, I was hoping to see if you guys needed any help around here. I just moved to the area. Back home I was a barista and I smelled coffee, so I thought this might be a good place to start.” Michelle offered her friendliest smile and was relieved when the young woman brightened.
“Well you’ve got a great nose and perfect timing! One of our girls is having a baby soon, so she’s going to hang up her barista apron shortly. Let me give you an application and I’ll give it to Tera when she comes in.”