by A. Giacomi
Claire screams loud enough for Alex to hear, and Alex comes sprinting out of the bathroom and knocks me on my ass.
I stay down, deciding it might be best.
I can hear Alex checking up on Claire. An obscure set of words pour out. “Are you bleeding...are you alright?”
Claire chimes in next. “What the hell is wrong with her? I’m fine, I’m fine. She didn’t break the skin, but it might bruise.”
I assume Alex is trying to check her wound at this point, but I don’t think Claire is interested in anyone else touching her at the moment. I completely understand. It’s not every day someone tries to chew your arm off.
I know Alex is fumbling around for an explanation. “Eve’s not well. She ummm…well…had a car accident. Her ummm…back…was in so much pain, and they errr…gave her some really strong meds, and she seems to be hallucinating pretty badly. I had her in bed resting. I really didn’t think she’d be able to get up and answer the door while I was in the bathroom. Totally my fault. I’m supposed to be watching her.”
It is such a terrible a lie, and I am amazed to hear Claire buying it.
“Oh no, poor thing. Well, I’m sorry to bother you two. Will you let me know if you see Cam around?”
Alex promises to forward the message to Cam, and then Claire is gone.
“That was close, Eve! You’re lucky she has a thing for Cam and she knows we’re his friends, or she might have filed charges. She has a nice mark on her arm. It looks like teeth marks. Jesus! What were you thinking? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Alex is almost yelling. She is losing her cool, and I don’t really have a good answer for her. I just stay on the ground searching my own mind for an explanation.
I finally come out with, “I was hungry.”
That is the honest to goodness truth; Claire made me feel hungry. How odd.
“Well, I guess she won’t be stopping by anymore.” I chuckle.
“Eve, this isn’t funny. I need you to start taking this seriously!” she screams.
“Listen, I can’t change what just happened. I wish you would understand that. I’m changing, Alex, and I will understand if you don’t want to be around for that,” I say glumly.
With that statement, Alex lets down her guard. “Eve, I don’t want to leave your side. I’m just scared too is all. I don’t know how to protect you.”
That warms my heart. I’m glad someone cares about Eve the freak.
I change the subject for a moment. “Did you hear Claire say that Cam is missing? Should we be concerned?”
I get up off the floor at this point and sit next to Alex on my bed.
“We’ll try and call him in the morning. I’m sure he just needs some time alone. He’s been through a lot. I’m glad he wasn’t here to see this.”
I feel a dull ache in my stomach. It might still be hunger, but I’m thinking it’s more like guilt and shame. I can barely remember what it’s like to have a boring day, and now I long for it. Just one day where nothing bad happens. For the love of God, just one!
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CAM
As soon as I walk through the door, my roommate Mark corners me.
“Man, where have you been? Some blonde girl was looking for you, and your pals called earlier on the phone. Are You doing alright? Maybe have a ‘sleepover’ with blondie?” Mark insinuates since I didn’t come home last night.
I guess if a guy or girl doesn’t come home, most people assume he or she slept with someone, did the deed, got laid. I can just say, “Yup,” and get a high five from Mark, but I guess I should let him in on what’s going on with me since I will need to head back home soon.
“Mark, it’s been a crazy few days. I didn’t come home last night because I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep. I got a call that my dad was killed, either by an animal or person. They don’t know yet. They’re currently doing an autopsy.”
Mark looks at me in disbelief. “Ah, Cam, you could have told me. I’m your roomie. You can tell me anything.”
I accept this offer with a nod. “Well, there’s more to the story, so here goes. He was in jail prior to me coming to school. I got a call shortly after arriving at school that his bail had been posted, and now he’s dead.”
Mark sits down at that point. “Oh, that is some real heavy shit, Cam. What did your dad go to jail for?”
This is the part I hoped to leave out. I hesitate for a moment and then realize there’s nothing to hide. It happened, and I need to get on with it. Denial doesn’t do anyone any good.
“Well, he beat me up badly in a drunken rage. My rib still hurts where he broke it.”
I blurt it out because there is no easy way to say it, and wait for Mark’s reaction.
“Holy shit! How can you be keeping all this from me, man?! Your dad sounds like a real douche bag. Sorry, but I had to say it. You think he was maybe mixed up with the wrong kind of people and someone offed him when he got out of jail? Oh man, and I thought my family was fucked up because they like to colour coordinate for our annual family photo.”
I laugh. “Dude, that is fucked up!” He raises one eyebrow, pretending to be offended, but I think he feels triumphant that his attempt to make me laugh has succeeded.
I don’t know why, but I continue to tell Mark my life story. I tell him about my mom’s death and how my father became increasingly intoxicated after that. I even reveal my crush on Eve, which I immediately wish I can erase from his memory as soon as I say it.
“Let me get this straight. You’ve been in love with this girl since high school and still haven’t sealed the deal? Dude, that’s ball-less.”
I stare at him, confounded. “What?”
Mark puts on a teacher-like tone and continues. “You know, ball-less. One that has no balls. You could also call them cowardly, spineless, pathetic…”
I stop him there; I get the point.
“Mark, promise you won’t say anything to her, okay? She’s one of my best friends, and if we were supposed to be together, we would be.”
Mark punches me in the arm. “I won’t say anything, but I think you should. That’s all I’m saying.”
I sigh. “Okay, onto the next topic. I will be leaving for my father’s funeral as soon as the autopsy is done. So in a couple of days. I have some friends from my classes lined up to drop off my notes. Can you just stack them on my desk for me when they pop by?”
Mark nods, and I give him my thanks.
Mark is a really nice guy. I’m lucky I didn’t get a real freak like last year. I swear that guy was stealing my boxer shorts. Once, I saw my Calvin’s with the funky red pattern peeking out the top of his jeans when he leaned over. Those were my favourite pair. When I asked him about it, he totally denied it! Thank God Mark doesn’t do that. I’m not sure I can handle two underwear thieves.
The only thing that concerns me about Mark is how good looking he is. Alex and Eve nearly dropped dead from the sight of him. Eve may not want to be with me, but I think it will hurt if she dates my roommate. I just hope she will spare me that. I will rather not know the guy she’s dating, and with the way Mark is, he will give me all the dirty details too! I shudder at the thought.
“Hey, Cam, one more question. Where the hell did you go all night? I get that you couldn’t sleep, so where does a guy who can’t sleep go?”
I turn to look at him again. “I really just wandered. I walked around the whole campus; I know it really well now. I went to a bar for a bit, had a few drinks, and I’m pretty sure a man hit on me. I mean, he looked like a chick but so wasn’t.”
Mark has a good laugh at that last part and then walks towards the washroom, still laughing and shaking his head all the way there.
***
After getting lost in my thoughts for a while, I decide it’s time to call Alex and Eve. I’m sure they’re worried about me. As I p
ick up the phone, about to dial, there is a sudden knock at the door. I open the door without giving it a second thought.
“Hi, Cameron! I just wanted to remind you about our upcoming date. So glad I caught you.” She flips her hair and gives me a large grin.
Claire really is a cute girl; I just don’t feel anything for her. I search myself for even an ounce of feelings for her: love, lust, friendship? But I feel only numbness towards her.
“I’m sorry, Claire, but I will have to cancel.”
Claire’s face droops immediately. “Oh, I get it. Yeah, you have ‘better’ plans, I’m sure.” She looks a bit miffed, which makes me irritated because I have a damn good excuse. “Your dumb friend uses me as a chew toy, and now you’re dumping me.” She gives a little sob as she says it.
I try to ignore the last part because how can I break up with someone I’m not even with? What a strange girl. I skip to the part that really intrigues me. “What do you mean, ‘chew toy?’”
Claire pulls up her sleeve and shows me some teeth marks on her arm; it’s starting to turn a bit purple. I rub her arm. She likes that a little too much, and I regret it since it is giving her the wrong idea again.
“Maybe you can help me feel better, Cam?”
I stare at her with the most disgusted look I can manage. Now seems like the perfect opportunity to tell her how I really feel.
“Claire, you and I are not going to happen. I’m not into you, and I really wish you would stop following me around.”
Claire’s lip quivers.
Great, I’m going to make her cry.
“Fine! I don’t know why you wanted to go on a date with me anyway. Sorry to bother you.” She throws a crumpled movie flyer in my face and then storms off.
I desperately hope she will leave me alone from now on, but somehow I doubt it. Claire strikes me as a bit of a closeted psychopath. Something about her terrifies me, and I’m sure I will pay for this outburst someday. I shiver, thinking of the many ways she might retaliate, and when I can’t bear to think about it any further, I pick up the phone and dial Eve.
She picks up without delay and shouts, “Cam?”
How’d she know? “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry if I worried you guys. I just needed some time to clear my head.”
She gives a sigh of relief. “Cam, I’m just happy you’re safe. Thank God.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are you okay?”
Eve avoids the question and changes the subject slightly. “Hey listen, Claire came by looking for you, and she said you hadn’t been around for a few days. Alex and I immediately freaked! God, it’s good to hear your voice.”
She pauses for a moment. “Cam, I bit Claire.”
I chuckle. “I know! She was just here and showed me. It was a pretty good bite there. I don’t think you have to worry about her retaliating. I think I just pissed her off more. I told her I don’t have any feelings for her and to stay away from me.”
Eve is silent, and then she begins laughing hysterically. “Oh God, she’s going to blow a fuse and murder us both.”
We both laugh hard, even though I’m sure we both believe it.
“I’m going to hang up now. I’m waiting for the results for my father’s autopsy. I will stop by and see you girls tomorrow.”
“Good, because I have to meet with Dr. August again, and I would love you to be there.”
“I will be there, Eve. You know I will.” With that, I hang up, hoping she doesn’t hear the warmth in my voice. I will always be there. Even if only a shadow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
EVE
I am glad to have Cam and Alex by my side today, standing in front of Dr. August’s office door. I hold their hands and squeeze them. I feel as though I’m borrowing their energy and their strength as I breathe in deeply.
When I push the door open, I see Dr. August sitting readily at his desk.
“Please sit down.” He motions to three seats in front of his desk.
I sit down first. I am impatient.
“Dr. August, please hit me with the truth. Be blunt. Be honest. I’m freaking out here, and any information would be welcome. You see, I attacked someone yesterday. I need to find a way to control myself. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, and if there is no cure like you said yesterday, then can we find one? I can’t imagine living like this forever.”
I’m sure my words come out as a jumbled, sobbing cluster of thoughts. I just hope it makes enough sense to merit an answer.
Dr. August leans back in his chair and ponders my revelation carefully before responding.
“Well, the rapid healing can’t be all that bad. It must have some advantages?” He winks.
I can’t really appreciate the joke at the moment since it’s at my expense.
Dr. August clears his throat, removing the grin from his face, and continues. “I hope you are all comfortable. This is a lengthy story, and I do hope you won’t share it with anyone else. The only reason I’m sharing this information with you is because I deem you trustworthy, and Eve is going to need your help if anything happens to me.”
“Why? What’s going to happen to you?” I blurt out.
Dr. August shushes me. “Eve, most likely nothing. Once I reveal everything, you will understand what we’re dealing with. So please…all three of you…promise me your silence.”
We all nod our heads.
“Of course, we won’t tell anyone. I wouldn’t want anyone to be in danger because of me, and I’m very aware that my ‘situation’ may garner some attention. So I’m all for keeping things quiet,” I say as fear and curiosity course through my veins.
Another question pops into my mind, and I can’t stifle it.
“Dr. August…do you know what I am?” My voice cracks.
He glances at me with something that looks like pity in his eyes. His wrinkles almost become deeper as he frowns. Frowning is not a good sign.
“Yes, I think I do, and I’m sorry for it.” He fidgets with his hands. “Eve, you are no longer human. There is something coursing through your veins that you can’t even imagine. It is something that I was trying to keep contained, but it found you. If you’re ready to hear the details of its origins, then I will give you every bit of knowledge I have, but you will have to be brave and listen carefully. This story is not a pleasant one. Are you ready?”
I nod, feeling a growing chill in the room.
Dr. August nods back. “Good, then let’s get started. I hate wasting time.”
My hands sweat profusely as Dr. August begins his tale.
PART 2: ANGEL OF DEATH
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
DR. AUGUSTUS
I had heard stories about Hierakonpolis. Rumors really. Something frightening was happening in the city, and it peaked my interest.
Curiosity can be such a dangerous thing.
Hierakonpolis was an important place that would help us understand the beginnings of Egyptian civilization; it was also the site of some strange attacks.
As you know, Hierakonpolis is also known as the City of the Hawk. It was given this name due to a large amount of Hawks that are native to the area. There were many hawks inscribed in some of the hieroglyphics found in the ancient city.
The Hawks were once an omen of good luck, but that changed when they began swooping down and attacking people on the dig site. Many people left because of it, uttering some superstitious nonsense about “a curse.” Or what I once thought was nonsense.
The other rumor I had heard about Hierakonpolis was also true and much more frightening than birds. People were disappearing without a trace. Soon enough, no one would volunteer to work at the dig site. They feared disappearing or at the very least having their eyes gouged out by vicious birds.
When I began my work in Hierakonpolis a few years ago, it started out as a boring dig;
I started to think the rumors were just that. I noticed that none of the locals would work at the dig site. I thought that a bit strange but shrugged it off as disinterest on their part.
Of course, none of the warning signs stopped me. I looked at it as an opportunity to take over where others had left off. This was my chance to discover something truly significant. With everyone else being far too afraid to even look around, I could stake my claim in any discovery I made. I was hungry for fame and respect from my peers.
I now wish I had listened to my fellow colleagues when they said that I should forget about Hierakonpolis, but the past had already happened, and I had to deal with the consequences.
At the time, I was working closely with another professor. I had invited him along on the dig as a guest for a month or so. His name was Dr. Vincent Engel. I had worked with him in the past and enjoyed his company.
He was born in Frankfurt, which is the same German city I was born in. He then moved to Canada at a young age, just like myself. We had a lot in common and quickly became good friends.
He was much younger than me and had so much ahead of him. I knew his wife and two children very well. I never had a son of my own and regarded him as family.
Together, we discovered a few new tombs. Each tomb held more history and additionally rare and precious artifacts. It became our obsession. We dug further and further, thinking each mound of dirt would lead us closer to fame and fortune.
One morning, we decided to head to the dig site early without any of the others. We couldn’t sleep, not with all the excitement of discovery surrounding us, tempting us, teasing us.
We headed down to one of the tombs furthest in the ground and noticed a crack in one of the walls. I remember tapping it ever so slightly with my flashlight, and a large piece of the wall crumbled to the ground. When the dust cleared, Dr. Engel and I saw that this was another entrance to another tomb. We squealed with delight, naturally, and entered the tomb.
There was a sarcophagus inside. Bingo! We both thought we had hit the jackpot.
