by Mark Stewart
INWARDLY HALETON felt like a defeated man. Standing in the broken doorway, his whole body ached at losing Amber. He slowly lifted his eyes to view the outside. He couldn't live with the vampire curse any longer. He either needed to end it by his death, or be cured. The way he felt he didn't care which. The only thing he could focus on, whatever came first needed to be right now. He lashed out at the wall using a tight-fisted punch. He glared at his hand. Not a single bone felt broken. He felt no emotion at having punched a large hole in the wall.
Slowly Haleton lifted his gaze. A determined look replaced his depressed expression. Sprinting outside, his heart doubled in speed. He stopped to study the area. Surely Amber couldn't have gone too far.
Haleton's shadow floated to the top of a large oak tree for a bird's eye view. Seeing no sign of Amber he sprinted to the playground. He came to an abrupt halt, staring at the swing set. The seat on one of the swings looked to be slightly moving. He started to search for the person who set the swing into motion.
Nothing else moved.
Haleton stood motionless, barely breathing listening for the slightest rustle of leaves. Using his sharp vampire skills he knew he could easily locate Amber. If anyone discovered him and didn't understand, he knew they'd form a posse to hunt him down. He didn't care about the council of four's warning booming through his mind. 'Stay too long in a time, and the hunter will become the hunted.'
Then Haleton heard it.
The noise sounded faint, yet distinct. Haleton stood listening to the quickening of the trespasser's heartbeat. The booming sounded like it came from inside the industrial rubbish bin. Haleton noted the large black lid had been propped up.
"It could be a perfect sanctuary," whispered Haleton.
A faint scraping noise inside the bin distracted the hypnotic beat. Haleton soared through the air, landing feet first in the bin. For a moment, both the aggressor and the hunted stared at each other.
"What took you so long? I started to think maybe you don't love me."
Haleton pushed back into the shade of the bin lid to materialize. He put out his arms. Sitting in the shadow of the bin he realized he didn't have anything to fear. He pushed his torment away. Never before had he come across such strong emotions from a woman. He knew she'd be by his side to love him forever.
"I take it you've decided everything is on the level?"
"Seeing you dematerialized into a shadow again and the way you found me so easily I'd have to say yes."
"I've an important question?" said Haleton.
"Do you always have to spoil the moment?"
"It's never my intention."
"Ask away." Amber giggled, battering her black eyelashes at him.
"Does it bother you I'm a vampire?"
"No." Amber undid one of his shirt buttons. Her finger touched his chest. "Is it true vampires can do it all night long?"
"I've heard the rumour."
"Yes or no?" asked Amber.
"I can't wait to find out?" Haleton gathered Amber in closer and gave her a long passionate kiss.
Love instantly ignited the spark and turned it into a raging fire.
A scraping noise close to the side of the bin forced the love pair to freeze. Haleton placed his finger to his lips to signal absolute quiet. He listened to the tone of the intruder's heartbeat. He looked puzzled; the beat wasn't Craig's or Alex Crompton's. He glanced at Amber's worried look, kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear.
"It'll be okay: I'll take a look."
Haleton leaned into the sunlight. In a heartbeat, the metamorphosis had been complete. He had reverted back into a black shadow.
"There you are." The stabbing tone of a snarl echoed off the inside walls of the bin.
Amber burst into sobs.
"Get out," growled the voice. "If you don't start to move your arse out of the hiding place, you dug yourself into I'll be forced to drag you out. Now move."
Amber stood. Pushing her fists onto her hips, she glared at the cemetery security guard. "Don't you think you're overstepping the mark, not to mention the boundaries of your job?"
"Little darlin' you haven't a clue."
"I'm an Australian; I know my rights."
"I don't give a flyin' crap. When the cops hear what you've been up to, have a good guess at which side they'll be on."
Looking around, Amber wore a hint of a grin.
"Forget about your hero boyfriend; he's nowhere near here. I've been keeping an eye out waiting for him to show his ugly face."
"He's far from ugly. If you've been watching this bin, you'd have seen him."
"I saw him jump into the bin. I never saw him leave."
Amber spoke calmly. "William slipped out the back of the bin."
"Snakes slither away to hide; it's of no consequence to me. The cops will find him soon enough."
"He changed into a shadow."
"You're an excellent storyteller."
Amber jumped from the bin. Handcuffs were clipped together around both her wrists tethering them securely together.
"What's your name sweet drop?"
"My name is Amber Cantala. What's yours?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"Or won't."
"For your information sweet drop and security reasons, I never divulge my name. I wouldn't want any offenders I arrest to come visit me unexpectedly in the middle of the night." The guard raised his eyebrows, shoving the girl in the shoulder blades. "Now walk back to the cemetery."
"Are you going to dig a big hole so you can bury me alive?"
"Don't tempt me. The cops will be closing in on the office by the time we arrive."
Amber didn't say a word, walking the short distance back to the cemetery. The gates were wide open when they arrived. She was pushed towards a small brick building not much larger than a normal size bedroom. The guard twisted the doorknob, opening the office door.
"Sit on the chair," he growled.
"Can I sit in the dark?" asked Amber, battering her eyelids.
"Suit yourself."
Before walking off the guard slammed and locked the door. Pulling his mobile phone from his pocket, he re-dialed for the police.
Haleton materialized. In moments, the handcuffs lay open on the desk. "I've practiced the trick for years," he confessed.
Amber hugged her hero. "I don't need any more convincing you're a vampire," she said dropping a tear.
"You're too beautiful a girl to be crying; please stop."
"Thank you for the kind words."
Haleton easily unlocked the office door. He opened it the width of a splinter to see where the guard was. The sunlight streamed in instantly turning him to semi-transparent. He looked sideways at Amber.
"The guard has his back to the building. Once I've opened the door I want you to run towards the school. If you're quiet, you should be able to escape undetected."
Amber set herself to run.
Haleton pulled the door open. He watched her sprint towards the main entrance. Amber reached the main cemetery gate long before the guard knew of the escape.
Back at the school, Haleton looked lovingly at Amber. Her chest was still heaving from the sprint. He waited patiently for her heart to slow before speaking.
"After you ran off to hide in the bin, Crompton stepped into the room dragging Craig by the collar. I stood up to my cousin and freed Craig. At that moment, I knew I must find you. The gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach feels endless. If I were a mortal the love pangs gripping my heart would be a normal emotion. The feeling has eluded me for so long I've forgotten what it feels like. The emotion has flooded my consciousness, exploding to every cell in my body. Amber, I apologize for not explaining the rules of the curse."
"I apologize to you."
"What for, you've nothing to be sorry about?"
"For not allowing you time to explain. It's a big thing to grasp."
"The rules of the curse are hard to swallow. It had taken months before I understood what
it meant to have something dictate the way I live and what freedom I'd lost."
"I need to confess a couple of things," whispered Amber, choking back a tear.
"What?"
"First, let me say; I love you. I think I must have been afraid to follow my heart. My mind kept saying wait. Make sure. Be certain. When I hid in the bin, I started thinking long and hard about us. There's one remaining thing still puzzling me. You informed me Crompton's time was at an end."
"I thought so too. He confessed he can manipulate his body into smoke whenever the need arises. I'm positive his gang has gone from this time zone. He will soon follow."
"What did Crompton have to gain by bringing Craig to you?"
"He wanted both of us to drink his blood simultaneously."
"Why didn't you?"
"The answer is simple. Whenever I see or think of you, I have to fight the vampire urges surging through my body. They alone dictate my fate. The curse wants me to drink your sweet-smelling blood. I could never do such a thing. If I keep resisting the urge using all the love I have for you, I know when my time in this year has ticked down to zero, love might have conquered and won the day. Everything I've said can be summed up in three words. 'I love you.'"
Amber's grin quickly widened. The wet glisten in her eyes welled. Tears dropped from her eyes, cascading down each cheek. She said in a voice no louder than a whisper.
"Up to the moment when we first met, I'd been convinced love, at first sight, belonged in a fairytale. I'm rapt to announce I'm wrong. The second thing I want to confess is I devised a test to finally prove what I felt is true. I don't need to test you anymore."
Haleton opened his arms. Amber stepped forward. For a few minutes, they stood locked in a loving embrace.
Eventually, Haleton slipped Amber to arm's length. "What's the test?"
Amber pursed her lips, shrugging. "It's not important. Forget it."
"I'd like to perform the test. Please, tell me what you planned?"
"It was a small effective test. If you passed, my brain would understand there was no way on this earth a mortal man could have completed the task."
Haleton placed his finger to her lips. "I accept the challenge."
"Are you sure? It's not important."
"It is to me."
"Okay, you asked. While I sat in the dump bin, I thought up a way to prove if everything I've witnessed was on the level. Follow me. I'll explain the test."
Haleton needed to run to keep up.
"When we arrived at the school I spied a newspaper in the first room." Amber looked through the glass door, noting the newspaper was still on the floor. "I want you to tell me who wrote the article on the second page. If you're correct right down to the full stop, I'll know there's no trick."
"How will reading the article prove anything?"
"The second page has been folded so even you couldn't possibly have read it."
"Easily done," Haleton replied. "The only thing I need you to do is shine the torch on my face. When I'm a shadow shine the light on the paper. I'll read the article and bring the paper over so you can see if I'm correct."
Haleton stepped into the light of the torch. The moment he dematerialized into a shadow he floated towards the crack under the door. Before slipping into the room, he glanced over his shoulder. What he witnessed would break the wild spirit of any man. Amber's eyes were gleaming in the dull light of the torch beam. Haleton wanted to take her in his arms so he could hold her for eternity. If he failed her little test, he wondered how she could even start to believe the tale he told. The idea he might have revealed too much information too soon plagued his mind.
'She's an amazing young woman to even put up with the likes of a man who's a vampire.' He thought.
Haleton shook his head. He even thought it was a crazy notion the first time the council of four mentioned the curse. He couldn't believe a human could be so callous.
Haleton scooped the newspaper from off the floor, unfolded it and turned the page. "Vince Stamatopolous wrote the article on politics," he reported, stepping back to the door to show Amber the article.
She checked to see if he'd been correct before looking at him. Tears flowed unrestricted over her cheeks. "Why did you want to be tested?" she sobbed.
Haleton dematerialized, slipping through the crack under the door. In the semi-dark corridor, he materialized to be by her side. "I wanted you to test me. I sensed you needed it."
Amber swayed on her feet. Haleton steadied her.
"I apologize for not believing you," she croaked.
"It's okay. It took me a long time to grasp the whole idea too."
"How long?" questioned Amber.
"Months and it has only taken you hours."
"I'm not sure what to do," whispered Amber, checking her watch. "Your time here in 2010AD is fast running out."
"I agree. Even though my idea might be a long shot, I think there's still a way I can stay in this time."
"If there's a possible solution you should take it."
Haleton downed his left knee, looking expectantly into the eyes of the only woman he felt certain he could ever love.
Amber let go of a slight giggle. "What are you doing?"
"Amber Cantala, please consider my marriage proposal? I'd be most grateful if you'd accept my hand in marriage."
Amber's grin couldn't have been any wider. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes. I knew Mr. Right would come along sooner than later. Seven nights ago, I dreamt we did meet. I didn't know I'd fall in love with a vampire." She knelt and kissed her fianc?.
"Soon to be an ex-vampire, if everything goes to plan." Haleton yanked Amber from off the floor, holding her in a horizontal position. He kissed her using all the passion he could muster. Eventually, he allowed her to surface. "I can't ever risk losing you," he admitted.
"How can we figure this mess out?"
Haleton showed her the canvas and the missing words.
"We have to get to the grave site," suggested Amber. "It looks like I'll have to be the one to do the work. Digging I mean. There aren't many hours remaining. The sun will slow us up. I only hope the security guard has gone home."
"It's okay, I've figured everything out," said Haleton. "Up to now, I have avoided explaining the full rules of the curse. Believe me; I'm innocent of the charges bestowed upon me."
"I believe you. Please, tell me everything."
Amber walked towards the tram terminus, holding her mobile phone against her ear. The few people listening to the conversation either scrunched their noses or portrayed a bored look at the seemingly one-way conversation. They missed the fact there happened to be a second shadow staying in almost perfect synchronization to hers.
"The curse wants me to take the life of an evil person," explained Haleton.
"You've said those words before."
"Yes, I have. The part you don't know is; to rid myself of the curse I need to kill one more person. I detest such a thing; it's horrendous. After the death of the one-hundredth soul, I'll be free of the curse."
"I think only one more death could be regarded to be good news."
"I guess."
"Why the doubtful tone?"
"The problem is I don't know if I will stay in the same year. I've had some success in willing myself to stay in the same time, but they are few and far in between."
Amber's gaze sank to the ground. She focused on the exact place where Haleton's eyes were watching her. "I love you," she said. "If there is even a slight possibility in a couple of hours I might never see you again, the thought shred's my heart. I want to be a part of your life forever."
"The end of the curse is the only part I've yet to understand."
"I think you should tell it to me."
"You don't know what you're asking."
"Yes, I do."
"The note said to finish the curse I have to find my soul mate."
"I can't see the problem," said Amber.
"I don't believe there is such a thin
g. It's probably a rumour or a myth some lonely man or woman cooked up centuries ago to attract a mate."
Amber hurriedly boarded the tram, sitting in the first available seat. "Didn't you ask for my hand in marriage?"
"Yes."
"I accepted."
"The note reads you need to be my soul mate."
"I'm not sure if I am or not or even if there is such a thing, but I know I'm in love and every part of me craves for you."
Haleton shook his head. He said bluntly. "Forget all about my idea of us staying together; it'll never work."
"If you don't believe fate has brought us together why did you even bother to kiss me like I have never been kissed before?"
"I was stupid. I should never have talked to you in the first place."
"So now you hate me?" Amber questioned.
"No, I could never hate you."
"Mister, you have confused the hell out of me."
"What we're feeling can never be."
Amber hovered over Haleton. There were no tears in her eyes. The painful expression on her face made him feel more of a loser than ever before.
The tram rattled to a stop. Amber glared at Haleton before power walking to the door. For only half a second she hesitated before stepping down onto the road.
Haleton watched her run off towards a park. Seeing young couples stroll slowly along the pathway holding hands made him feel worse. His thoughts were flowing through his mind faster than the vampire blood pumping throughout his body. He could've easily stopped Amber, but what gave him the right to force any girl to love him. To even contemplate a woman wanting to be anywhere near him, was an insane idea. If the roles were reversed, and he'd fallen in love with a female vampire, he'd sprint away from her so fast his feet wouldn't touch the ground.
Looking out the window of the tram Haleton sighed.
'Maybe somewhere out there just out of sight is the woman I'm destined to meet.' His sarcastic chuckle sounded like a slow antagonistic gargle of noise. 'Maybe she's a vampire. Who knows how many mortals the council of four converted? There could be a multitude of people aimlessly roaming the world looking for their one ray of hope. Once cured I might be able to track down the others, helping them to be set free,' he thought.
The tram jerked to a stop at the next safety zone. Haleton stared at the young woman who had jumped on board and started marching down the aisle. She came to an abrupt stop, hovering over him. Haleton saw her raise her finger, beckoning him to follow.
Across the road in the small park packed full of thick medium size trees she sat, waiting for Haleton to materialize.
He sat in silence waiting for the young lady to speak.
In the time, it takes three male joggers to come and go Haleton started to fidget. He started pulling at the grass.
"I'd be nervous too if I were you," the young lady snarled. "A woman's scorn is not to be taken lightly."
Haleton raised his eyebrow waiting for her to speak her mind.
Amber shook her head, wagging her finger at his face. "Listen carefully to every one of my words."
Haleton slowly nodded.
"Let's sum up everything since we met. You have saved my life more than once. You have confided in me you are a vampire. You have proven everything about you is on the level. You have downed your knee to ask me to be your wife. I accepted. If we aren't soul mates, then there is no such thing. In any case, be brave. Give it a go."
"Can I say something?"
"No, you may not." Amber giggled uncontrollably. "You may say something when you have finished kissing me. Then I don't want you to kiss me again until after we're married."
"I certainly don't deserve such a warm, adorable young lady."
"Enough chatter. Kiss me. We have to discover the antidote, and then we must be married at the church." She glanced at her watch. "We have exactly two hours, thirty minutes remaining."
Haleton gave Amber a lasting kiss.
"We should hurry," she whispered, breathless.
"Can you comprehend what you will have to put up with? Being married to a vampire might be impossible to endure."
"Do you think you have the willpower to stay married to a mortal?"
"I sure do."
"It's good enough for me."
Haleton and Amber ran across the road to the shopping mall where people were already arriving by the busloads. Amber and Haleton were quickly swallowed up by the influx of shoppers. The large sporting goods store they walked towards loomed directly ahead at the opposite end of the mall. Together they power walked along the corridor. Amber grinned when a ruckus erupted over the darkening area in front o f them.
"The camping section is at the rear of the store to your right," explained a young girl at the counter. "I'm not sure if I should let you in, the overhead lights must have a fault."
"We'll take our chances," replied Haleton.
Before the girl could complain Amber and Haleton were starting to zigzag their way through the many shoppers who stopped to gossip over the failed lighting.
"A two-man tent will do the trick," suggested Haleton, swiping a large box from off the shelf. "Seeing how the guard confiscated my torch we can buy new ones and a small battery operated drill on the way out."
Inside five minutes they were queuing at the checkout.
A tall mid to late teen boy scanned the goods. Smiling at Amber he looked her up and down, raising his eyebrows. Haleton leaned on the counter, hissing. The lad started to tremble, placed the money in the till and gave a sharp nod before running off to the tearoom to vomit.
"What on earth did you say?" asked Amber.
"I never said a word. My silent signal relayed a message the lad should back off."
Chuckling, Amber shook her head.
Soon they were back on the tram, heading for the cemetery. Scanning the area for the guard, the pair made it to Macularta's grave unnoticed. Amber dropped the large black bag she carried at her feet and quickly erected the small tent directly over the gravesite. She parted the narrow blue fabric and slipped through the gap.
The shadow accompanying her materialized inside the tent, grinning at her surprised look.
"I'll never get used to it."
"I hope you never have to," said Haleton, with a sigh.
"About before when I stormed out of the school building," said Amber, choking on her words.
"Forget that it happened. I'd have done the same if I were you."
"There's the problem; you aren't me. I'm ashamed at how I reacted."
"Don't be. I fully understand."
Haleton reeled Amber in close. She didn't resist his advances. He could feel her warm exhaling breath sweep across his cheeks. Their lips touched. A slight hesitation had followed before they were glued together.
Finally, they finished the kiss.
"What happened to the idea you don't want me to kiss you again before we're married?"
"To hell with what I said," confessed Amber.
Tightening his grip, Haleton kissed her again.
Eventually, Amber pushed him gently back, whispering. "We have only two hours remaining and the sun is warming."
Haleton reluctantly let her go. They set to work cutting a hole in the floor of the tent. Haleton connected the battery pack, pushed the drill bit into place and commenced to drill a small hole in the top of the tomb. He drilled a second hole next to the first. Haleton put the drill down then looked confidently at Amber. "I'm through. Where's the torch?"
Amber extracted three large torches, placing one on the marble grave. She flicked the light switch to the on position. The beam of light from the torch lit up the sides of the hole. The second torch lit the other hole.
Haleton swiped up the third torch, clicking the switch to the on position. He placed the long thin torch face up. He winked at Amber before leaning into the light, instantly dematerializing and slipping through the first hole.
Haleton easily slid into the badly decomposed coffin. He moved about the body lo
oking at the bones of the dead priest. The eye sockets seemed to be watching the proceedings. The skull and eye sockets were picked clean. "Amber, move the light a fraction to your right," he called.
She tilted the torch slightly.
"A little more of an angle will see the light in the perfect position."
Haleton focused on what was inscribed on the walls and the lid of the coffin. He studied the entire coffin before doubling his efforts to scour the area again.
He found nothing else.
Sliding silently from underneath the torch, Haleton found the tent's end wall still looked relatively dark. He materialized, staring at Amber.
"Did you find anything useful?" she whispered.
The same security guard who discovered Amber the first time lifted the flap of the small tent. The sunlight streamed in. Haleton instantly dematerialized, slipping out of the tent and into the sun.
"What are you doing?" screamed the guard, lunging for Amber's arm. "I've got you now. You escaped before. I knew if I waited long enough you'd be back to vandalize another tombstone. I love it when I'm right. This time, there will be no escape."
"It was a dare. A stupid medical dare, I swear."
"I heard a man's voice. Where did he go?"
"I'm the only one here."
The guard didn't look interested in excuses of any kind. He glared at his prisoner through narrow slits. "Convince me you're telling the truth?"
"Take a look around; there's no one else here."
"What about the man's voice."
Amber cleared her throat, trying to imitate Haleton's deep voice. She looked at the guard and said seriously.
"The full dare is to sit in a tent, recite a poem, read the first chapter of a paperback novel and quote the Lord's Prayer in a deep voice."
The guard doubted the lie she spun. His eyes narrowed further. "Pack this mess up. You have ten seconds to get out of my sight."
Amber folded the tent, snatched up the torches and had started walking in five seconds. She'd crossed the road in ten and dumped the tent and the torches in the trash on her way to a caf?. Walking to the back stall, she sat and buried her head in her hands.
Haleton materialized placing his arm over her shoulder. "I apologize I couldn't help further."
"Not a problem. I had the bloke eating out of my hands. Did you discover anything interesting?"
"I found nothing."
"What are you trying to say? We snuck into a cemetery, drilled a hole in a coffin, and got caught by a security guard for nothing?"
"Yes."
"I'm beginning to have doubts."
"Ignore those thoughts," begged Haleton. "The only things I found were the numbers '777.' They appeared to be etched into the walls of the coffin and the lid. The numbers were everywhere."
"Those numbers have to be a clue," suggested Amber, sounding hopeful. "We have to get back to Craig, maybe he has an idea."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN