by L. A. Boruff
She waved at me and took off out the door. I snuck to the entrance of the stall to watch her skip across the yard. She ran toward an enormous manor house, her raven locks streaming behind her.
A shadow crossed the doorway of the barn. I scampered in the recesses of the closest stall. “Riley,” Elias whispered. My relief at hearing his voice was so strong, I bolted out and practically climbed him. He laughed and picked me up in a hug.
"Its okay, Riley, you're safe. I've got you." My arms tightened around his neck.
"I'm still so mad at you, but please don't leave me for so long again." I cried against him as I buried my face against the crook of his neck. "A little girl came in here, and she's surely going to go tell I'm out here."
"Who came in here?" Elias untangled my arms from around his neck.
"An adorable little girl named Jaime." I leaned my head back to look at him.
"Oh, good. She's on her way to see Anthony, he'll smooth it over." Elias clutched my hands to his chest. "I hate hiding. I need to talk to Anthony. I feel strongly that we can trust Danyelus and Tammy. They're the only two adults here now. They have Anthony's daughter and son, your sons, and my son here with them."
"Your son? You have a son? And this is something you decided not to tell me in four years of friendship?" I jerked away from him violently. "How many more secrets will there be?"
"Riley, we're a small group of people. In a way, it's our duty to have children. If we don't each have several children, we begin to face extinction."
I turned my back to him, not processing the new information well. "Jaime mentioned that I’m old for thirty-two. She said her brother is in his thirties and described him like a teenager beginning puberty."
"When puberty starts, our aging process slows. It’s when we begin to crave blood. We have an extended life, Riley. If we aren't grievously injured, we could potentially live for thousands of years. Most Supay go insane long before that time and have to be euthanized, but it's possible."
I shifted my gaze to him thoughtfully. "How old are you?"
"I'm ninety-two years old. Vampires become adults at age sixty. Anthony, Michael, and I were born in the same month of the same year. Our mothers worked and planned to have us at the same time. The three of them were best friends and hoped we would be three girls, but Supay women are rare. Jaime is fiercely protected. She’s one of four female Supay children in the entire world. They’re not pure Supay, but female Supay are so rare it doesn’t matter. Any one of us would die to protect them.”
I walked over to a bale of hay and plopped down onto it. "Okay, so my husband was forty years older than me, and I'll be dead by the time my sons are grown. What a great fucking day this has been." I curled my body up on the hay and rested my head on my knees.
Elias sat beside me and pulled my curled form into his arms as I cried. "This can't be real. You still haven't shown me any proof. This has got to be some elaborate hoax. Please tell me my family is safe and none of this supernatural juju stuff is real?" I sobbed in earnest.
Elias swayed our bodies back and forth. "It's real, Riley. I'm sorry to have shocked your world, but it's real. We’ll figure out a way to keep everyone safe and together, I promise. I already have a rough idea of how we might accomplish it."
My mind couldn't bear more information. I didn't ask what his new plan might be. I just cried.
"When can I see the boys?" I asked a few minutes later when my tears were spent.
"Anthony should be bringing them out to play soon. We’ll watch from the bushes on the side of the barn. Then I'll leave you there to watch while I go let Anthony know that I would like to tell Danyelus and Tammy what's going on.” He turned his head toward the manor. “Actually, I hear them coming now."
He peered out the doors of the barn. "They're coming. Let's go out the back, and I'll get you situated in the bushes."
Chapter 5
I sat in the bushes, mesmerized, my eyes glued to my sons. They were real, they were in front of me, and they were unmistakably my boys. I could see myself and Michael written all over them. Tears coursed down my cheeks, and I didn't bother wiping them away. The boys played soccer while tiny Jaime skipped around with a jump rope. Elias and Anthony conferred, then walked over to join Tammy and Danyelus, who watched the children from a small settee. They spoke for several minutes until Tammy and Danyelus grew visibly agitated.
Danyelus yelled something, but I was too far away to hear the specific words. Anthony and Elias sat down beside them, pleading. The soccer game lulled as the young boys stared at the adults in confusion. The cat was out of the bag. How long should I sit here and wait? I wondered. The desire to hug my boys overwhelmed me.
The children lost interest in the adults and resumed their game. The adults calmed, and I saw Danyelus nod his head. Elias jumped up and ran over to me, a blur as he crossed the yard. It was my first bit of proof that he was something more than human, and it took my breath away. I’d dismissed Anthony as having pulled a prank until I saw Eli move.
"Eli! That was beautiful," I said.
"Come on, Riley. It's time to meet your children." Elias held his hand out to me, and I let him pull me up. I stood behind the bushes for another second. The big moment was upon me, but it was difficult to put one foot in front of the other. Elias tugged on my hand. “It’ll be fine.”
We trudged across the yard, my stomach in knots. I would’ve thought I would sprint across any yard that held my boys, but nerves made me reluctant. The children played their game and didn't even notice us coming. Danyelus and Tammy stood, but my gaze was glued to my boys.
They laughed as they played keep-away from the other young boy. His golden hair and dimpled grin outed him as Elias's son. The other boys chased him toward me. The older two ran at half speed to let the younger two keep up. Anthony's son loped along comically, making dramatic swings of his arms like someone miming slow motion running. This is the thirty-four-year-old? I giggled to myself. This must be how the guys were as teenagers.
The boys stopped short when they spotted me. Strangers must’ve been rare in their protected world. They clustered together and ogled me warily. Jaime glanced up from making a crown of daisies when she noticed her friends go silent.
"Riley!" she shouted. She jumped up grabbed me around the knees in a ferocious hug. "I'm glad you stopped hiding! Come meet my Aunt Tammy!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the other adults.
I kept glancing over my shoulder at my children, but gave the adults my full attention when I heard a female voice. "Did you even think about how her presence could disrupt and hurt the boys? They can't go with her, and she can't stay here!"
My stomach turned to lava. She was right. It became hard to breathe and tears filled my eyes. "I'm not here to interrupt their lives or upset them. I just want to see the children, and then we'll be on our way," I lied through my teeth, trying to stop the tears. Tammy's eyes softened.
"I'm sure this is excruciating for you," she whispered. "But I've raised those boys for five years. Even though this isn't your fault, I must think of them first. Elias and Anthony did a reckless thing bringing you here. This will implicate us in a major breach of law."
Tammy jumped as I reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'll only tell them I knew their mother and father, and I wanted to meet them. A quick visit, and then Elias and Anthony can take me home," I pleaded, and lowered my eyes in deference. "Maybe once in a while, if you can manage it, I could bump into you or… or come for dinner," I begged. "Say hi, see how they're growing. I won’t try to take them away, I swear. Please let me speak to them, even if briefly." I hungered for even a few moments with them.
Tammy nodded her head and clasped my hand. "Boys!” They ran over dutifully, and stared at me with curiosity. “This is Riley. David and Daniel, she was a friend of your mother's. She’d like to speak to you and see how you’ve been."
My sons stepped forward. David held out his hand politely. "My mother’s name was Riley."
I looked at Tammy, taken aback. Her face mirrored the surprise on mine. I didn’t even think about him knowing my name or recognizing me. He’s old enough to remember me.
"Yes, David." I shook his hand. "It, uh… it was a big joke between your mother and me, having the same name. You remember my face?” He nodded. “I was around quite a bit when you were young. Your mother and I were very close." I turned to Daniel and got down on my knees.
"Hello, Daniel. My name is Riley. I've wanted to see you for so long. Would it be okay if I asked for a hug?" I prayed he wouldn’t be too shy. I needed to feel him in my arms.
Daniel smiled big and ran into my arms. "Oh goodness, Daniel, you give excellent hugs. I might need more before I leave, would that be all right?" He smiled and nodded.
"Yesh, Mish Riley, that would be great!" He had an adorable lisp.
The tears that I'd so valiantly fought finally fell as I clutched him in my arms. "I've missed you boys. I loved being around you so much before your father died."
I released Daniel and turned to David. “You may be too old for such things, but do you think I could get a hug from you too?" David was embarrassed—his cheeks colored with a blush, but he stepped over to me anyway. I stood up and put my arms around him. He breathed deeply against my shoulder.
"That smell. I know that smell!" he exclaimed. Tammy's head turned to us sharply, alarm on her face. "I remember you, Riley. I must've hugged you a lot when I was little, because I remember exactly how you smell." He smiled up at me with a distinctly Michael twist to his lips, and my heart stopped. I had to force my words out. My stomach twisted with every lie.
“I’m so glad to hear you remember me, David,” I whispered. I gave him a squeeze then turned away. David might start remembering more, and I didn’t want to hurt or confuse him.
“Elias, Anthony, we should be going, don’t you think?” My voice betrayed me—I never wanted to leave again. I wanted to stay locked in the beautiful mountain prison forever, if it meant I could stay with them.
Anthony nodded and came to put his hand on my shoulder. “Danyelus, we're going to use the gateway in the basement to avoid whoever is chasing us. Once we're gone call the Junta. Tell them what I’ve told you. Leave nothing out. I haven't given you any choice in these proceedings, and I won’t leave you implicated in our decisions. I won't tell you where we're going or why, and you don’t have enough of a force here to stop us.” He walked around me and clasped Danyelus, then Tammy in a hug. They gave me one more moment with my boys while they said goodbye to their children.
“David, Daniel, I hope to see you again soon. I love you so much, and I'm glad I got to see you again. Could I have one more hug?” I knelt down, and they clasped me hesitantly. I wrapped an arm around each of them and relished in the contact with my long-missing children. It took every ounce of willpower in me to let them go and walk toward the manor.
Elias took my hand, and Anthony put his arm around my waist, and we went inside. As soon as the doors shut behind us, my legs gave out. A keening sob ripped from my mouth. I was done, spent; I could handle nothing more. Anthony scooped me up in his arms, and I clung to him, my face buried in his shirt. The fabric grew damp with my tears, but I didn’t care.
All I knew was that I was walking away from my children, this time of my own volition, and it was for their own good. How much more pain could my mind and heart take? When would I break for good? “Why can’t I stay?” The question was muffled against Anthony’s chest, but he understood.
“I am sorry, but it’s the law. We are not to integrate humans into our lives. If we are caught, we will be severely punished just for telling you. If we weren’t who we are, they would kill us.”
I buried my face in Anthony’s shirt again until he jostled me, and I looked up long enough to see we were walking down a darkened stairwell. I hid my face as a fresh wave of agony washed over me and new tears fell. Elias gripped my hand at the back of Anthony's neck. He kept his hand there until we stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
I raised my head again as a strong breeze signaled a door opening. The air smelled earthy and damp through my partially clogged nose. I hiccuped as I finally got my tears under control, and my interest in our surroundings piqued.
We stood in a circular room with six doors. Anthony strode toward the second door on the left and opened it by pushing in a certain brick to the right of the frame. I knew I'd never be able to pick out exactly which brick if we ever went through there again.
A soft gasp left me as, instead of opening on a hinge, like the door seemed like it would, it slid into the wall. More stairs greeted us down a pitch black passage. Elias went down first. Anthony started down the stairs, still carrying me as if I were no heavier than little Jaime. "I can walk. I’ll need to use my phone for a light, though.”
Elias's voice came out of the darkness, "Artificial light won't work in this place. It's enchanted. We can see as if we were in the noon sun, but any other creature will see black. A flame would only illuminate a few inches around itself."
Elias grabbed my leg and Anthony's arms tightened around me. I squealed and slammed my eyes shut as I was doused in water. Had we walked under an underground waterfall? When I no longer felt the cool liquid running over my face, I opened my eyes to find we stood in the finished basement of a home, no waterfall in sight. A washer and dryer sat in one corner with a drying line, and a deep freezer was in another corner. Various trunks and boxes took up one wall. It was meticulously clean and absolutely ordinary.
Anthony sat me down, and I swung my long hair around to wring the water out of it, but it was bone dry. "What the fuck, guys?” I stared at my dry hair and clothes. “Did I imagine walking through water?"
Elias chuckled as Anthony walked over to the washing machine. "Sorry for the secrecy, Riley. We went through a gateway. A gateway gives the feeling of being drenched, but that’s the magic moving you to your destination. That particular gateway will take us wherever we want, so long as we're touching the first person to go through. We can’t return to the manor in the same way though.”
“Where are we?” I gaped at the two of them. A magic waterfall portal? I mean, really?
“Texas, at a safe house. Besides Michael, only we know about this place. They shouldn't be able to track us here as long as we keep ourselves out of public areas. We have a lot of planning to do and can lie low for a while.”
Anthony pulled the washing machine out from the wall and spun the dial on a hidden safe. My eyes boggled. The safe was full of cash, guns, and papers. "Michael had access to that kind of cash, and we struggled the way we did?"
I felt bitter about the long hours I worked while pregnant so we could afford our semi-nice rental house. Then guilt set in, because how could I be mad at the dead love of my life? I hung my head.
I took off my backpack and set it next to the cash and guns Anthony was piling up. Elias took my hand and led me up the basement stairs into a spacious, neat kitchen. I explored the house a little and found three small bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs. Downstairs was only the kitchen, a large living room, and a half bath. It was cozy.
A nondescript sedan and SUV were in the double garage off the kitchen. A quick peek out the front windows revealed a cul-de-sac in Anytown, USA. It was the perfect hiding place.
"Don't the neighbors wonder about why the house is always empty?" I asked Elias. He was rummaging around in the refrigerator.
"We have a cleaning lady that comes in once a week and keeps it ready for us to drop in at any time. She also keeps the food fresh and stocked. The neighbors have been introduced to Anthony and me, and they think we're a sweet gay couple who work on a cruise ship and use this house as a home base. Normally, one or two of us stops in and spends a weekend here once a month, to keep up appearances. We pop in through the gateway and then take a cab to the airport and fly home."
They really did think of everything. Except…"Eli," I began, "If you're hiding here, how are you going to eat?" I wo
uldn’t look at him, still uncomfortable with their dietary needs.
"That's part of the planning, actually," he replied. "We have a three day supply in Anthony's backpack, but we'll need to replenish. If we stop in at any one of the Supay blood banks in the world we’ll be stopped. More than likely, the banks have been instructed to detain us upon arrival." He sighed and sat down in a kitchen chair. "Being a pure Supay is a bit like being a celebrity. Most of the Unseen know who we are."
Anthony came up the stairs with our stuff and shut the basement door. Our bags bulged, and he carried a small satchel as well. "Elias, do you have any reason to think we have been compromised here?"
"No, I don't. Nobody knows we rent this house and it's paid up for years. I used a fake ID to rent the place and I'm the one that made the ID and put the credit history and whatnot online. I was cautious."
Anthony shrugged his shoulders. "I would've sworn I left ten thousand dollars in the safe and only six are there now. I can't imagine the housekeeper could’ve found that safe and cracked the combination."
I piped up. "If she found it, she would've taken the money and disappeared. I doubt someone would only steal a little bit of the money."
Elias nodded his head. "Maybe you're misremembering the amount of money in the safe."
“Yeah, probably.” Anthony pulled a bag of blood out of his backpack and popped it in the microwave. My eyes tracked his every move. There was my further proof. I supposed by then I believed them. I wouldn't have left my children behind in the mountains if I didn't believe their story. But still, visual proof of their blood drinking would help.
When the microwave beeped, Anthony pulled out two coffee mugs and filled both of them up with the blood. He tossed the bag in the trash and set a mug in front of Elias, who sipped it and grimaced. "It's getting old."
"It's all we had in the fridge upstairs at your house in Tennessee. We’ll have to drink it," Anthony replied.
"I wish we'd gotten around to installing that deep freezer behind the wall in the basement so we could keep some here frozen that the housekeeper couldn't find.” Elias grumbled, sipping the mug of blood.
