But that was when he put in the effort. Some days he got depressed and he settled for his current situation. Then he really looked like a zombie. I guess today was one of those days.
“Isn’t your body more important than your stupid car?” I asked as he sighed heavily.
“Well, my looks aren’t getting me anywhere.”
“You’re still handsome to me.”
“And that makes you a freak.”
“Says who? Why do you have to live by someone else’s standards in order to be attractive?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because the world says so.”
“You’re being a jerk again.”
“It’s who I am.”
“Then why did you call for help?” I snapped back at him. “Jerks don’t tend to need assistance. They think they can handle everything themselves.”
“Well, us princes do need servants to cater to us and respond to our beck and call,” he grinned slyly. I wanted to slap him, but it would do more damage than I intended to his face.
“I would say you’re more like a princess. Cinderella to be exact,” I said as I began mocking him in a butler’s voice. “Doth this leg belong to a lady of the house?”
“Why don’t you walk a mile in my shoes for once?”
“I can’t. You’re not wearing any.”
“Are you done?” he snapped and I let my chuckle fall down to the level of a whisper. I sat up and took a glance around the parking lot.
“So where are your legs? I didn’t see them by your car.”
“Someone took them,” he muttered.
“Someone took your legs? Who would do something like that?”
“Henry.”
That was the last name I wanted to hear. Anyone but Henry…
“Did you see him take them?”
“Of course I did. He made sure to tell me he was. Swooped in like he had been stalking me for days, grabbed them and laughed in my face. Said he wanted to talk to you.”
“AND THAT’S WHY I’M HERE?” I yelled, jumping to my feet. Elliot patted my ankles to calm me down.
“Whoa, there. Settle. I didn’t set you up. I could never do that to you.”
“Sorry…it’s just…Henry’s tried to eat me twice already. If it wasn’t for you stepping in the way…he…”
I stopped to rub my eyes as Elliot looked at me endearingly.
“And I would do it again, Alexandra. No matter how much I may…offend you. You do have a special place in my heart.”
I sniffed and rubbed my nose.
“But your heart’s dead.” A smile crept upon my face. Elliot growled and nipped at my feet. I yelped and jumped to the side, laughing heartily at his reaction.
“Almost got you,” he muttered as I tried to stop hyperventilating.
“Well, it’s hard to be scared around you when I know your diet.”
“Yeah. I could never eat common folk,” he said matter-of-factly.
“A dignified zombie,” I mused. “That’s definitely a new one.”
“And hopefully the only. We must take care of this Henry once and for all.”
“I’m not going to kill him.”
“No one said anything about killing. Besides, he’s already dead. No, I’m saying that we dismember him. Ensure he can’t put himself back together again. Humpty Dumpty style.”
“Were you trying to make a joke?”
“No, I was trying to make a reference you commoners would understand.”
“Ancient nursery rhymes aren’t in this year, so the line is a little outdated.”
“And so is this conversation. Alexandra, I want to walk again. So listen carefully and we can get this over with. Henry said that the only way you’ll be able to procure my legs is if you agree to a dinner date with him tonight at Angelo’s. You know, the rat infested, self-proclaimed Italian restaurant over by the Day Owl bowling alley.”
“I know the place. What time?”
“Seven.”
“That’s less than an hour from now…but, Elliot. You know I can’t go.”
“If you don’t, I’ll be a cripple. Imagine how that will affect my chances with women. Not just a zombie, but a crippled one at that!”
“You’re so politically correct,” I said, scratching my hair. “I don’t see how this could end well. He hates us.”
“Correction. He hates me for what I did to him. He loves you, despite your involvement. You are in no harm’s way. And to be frank, I don’t think he attacked you to get back at you. I think it was just a misunderstanding. You know how his appetite far exceeds my own. Probably has to do with all those all-you-can-eat places he frequented before he became one of the undead. He has no control.”
“So it’s just a date? That’s all he wants?”
“That’s all. He is to hand over the legs at the end, to which you will promptly come here and reattach them.”
“Okay, first of all…no. I’m not reattaching anything. That’s gross. And second of all, you’re not coming for back-up? What if he gets bitey?”
“Number one, saying the word ‘bitey’ just made you lose ten sexy points, and number two, I would be of no help. What am I going to do? Politely beg him to not eat you as I wither on the ground like a worm after a hurricane? No, thank you.”
“What are sexy points?”
“You’re straying again!” Elliot shouted. “Alexandra, I understand you’re scared. I would be too. His choice of dress is horrendous. But you are a very resourceful girl, and quite smart when you need to be. Even if things get out of hand, I’m sure you’ll be able to escape. Now, this is your choice, but I swear to you, on my Lincoln and all its technological accessories…if you do not do this, I will no longer be your friend.”
I considered his words carefully.
“But we’re not even friends now,” I stated. He gasped in horror as I reached down and patted him on the forehead.
“Just kidding, El. Don’t worry. I’ll get your legs. But you owe me.”
“Considering I’m a zombie because of you, I don’t owe you a thing. Let’s call this one step closer to settling your debt.”
“Hmph,” I replied, staring at his face. His eyes said it all. He meant every word.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Watch out for insects, especially ants. Winter’s just around the corner and they’ll be searching for food to store.”
“Good luck, Alexandra,” he said, ignoring my warning.
I don’t know what I used to see in that guy.
TRACK 2 – Bitey (featuring Henry)
“Name of the party?”
“Henry,” I said, standing before the head waiter. Even though the restaurant sported horrible wallpaper that looked like it came out of a Charlotte Bronte novel, and food that looked no different than the trash it was thrown with at the end of the night, they sure tried to act like it was a ritzy place. The waiter before me was standing behind a fake diamond podium, and he was dressed in a fancy tux with too many spaghetti stains on it.
“Henry what?” he asked, as I realized I was staring at a stain on his shoulder for far too long.
“I don’t know. Just Henry,” I muttered, blinking and coming to.
“Well, surely Henry has a last name.”
“Henry Henrison.”
“Really?” he asked in disbelief.
“Yep,” I said firmly, staring directly into his eyes. He looked down on the list and smirked painfully.
“Ah, yes. There is a Henry here. Though his name is not Henrison.”
“Yeah, I just said that so you’d actually look at the list.”
“HEY! ALEX!” a voice called out to me. I looked across the stained, wooden barrier, separating the lobby from the dining area to see a scaly hand calling me over. I pointed to the hand so the waiter could acknowledge that I saw Henry and I started walking towards him. I glanced at the list as I passed and noticed Henry was the only name on it. That was okay though. I would write a nice review of Angelo’s on Yelp that night.
He was sitting with a toothy smile, his skin cracking like it was made of weak ice. His limbs were intact and his hair was all there, but the unique odor coming from his rotting body made me gag and the smell had already attracted a number of flies.
After he waved hi, he went back to his meal: a bowl of ravioli drenched in what I hoped was tomato sauce. Still, I felt the rumble in my stomach.
He had ordered without me…how rude.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?” he asked through mouthfuls. I slid into the booth quickly as a waitress ran over to us. She was probably thankful that she would actually get some tips on such a dead Tuesday night. Ha, ha…dead.
“Excuse me,” I said with a hiccup, recovering internally from my own corny joke. “How many people are on staff tonight?”
“Um,” she paused at my unusual question. “I believe there are twelve of us, counting the chefs.”
“Could you confirm that number for me? And include management as well. When you get back, I’ll be ready to order.”
“O-okay,” she said, unsure of what to think of me. She walked away slowly, tapping her pencil nervously on her notepad. I didn’t blame her. People have been mugged at Angelo’s on numerous occasions, and my question sure didn’t sound innocent. But surely I looked better than my date.
“What are you doing, Alex?” Henry asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Making sure I haven’t killed anyone?”
“I just want to make sure my order doesn’t get crossed off the menu because you murdered the executive chef.”
“I’m not some kind of animal,” he said casually. I couldn’t help but think back to Elliot saying the same thing over the phone.
“I’m actually surprised you’re out in public. Aren’t you afraid the police will be looking for you?”
“I leave no evidence behind,” he said simply, glaring at me. His brown eyes were cold and listless, as if his soul was gone, and it was just a robot talking to me now. Very unlike the vibrant, energetic irises that used to greet me every morning on the bus to school.
“Henry…why can’t you leave me alone? This is the third time you’ve tried getting a date with me.”
“Straight to business, huh?” he said, leaning back. I could tell by the pained expression in his face that he was still angry with me over what happened. And we had been such good friends too…
“It’s just…Elliot’s vulnerable without his legs.”
“Oh, I’m sure he is. And maybe that’s for the best. He could use some humility.”
“Henry, what happened to you? Why are you so cold?”
“I’m dead, remember,” he said flatly. “Comes with the territory.”
“I’m sorry, Henry. I really am.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that already. Doesn’t make me not dead. Honestly, I’m surprised that doofus still hangs out with you.”
“He’s just as mad…I think the only reason he likes my company is because he’s lonely. It’s strange. He wouldn’t even notice me before the incident, and now he needs me by his side constantly.”
“And yet it’s the opposite for me,” Henry said. “We used to be inseparable, Alex. You couldn’t keep us apart. And you know…when the incident happened. Yeah, I was sore, but at least I understood why you did it. That wasn’t what turned me away. It was when you ran into the arms of that idiot and showed him all the love that I wanted from you all these years. That’s what hurt. You fell for him in seconds.”
“I didn’t fall for him,” I said, keeping my eyes off him. “I was just so messed up over what I did to you…and Elliot was the only one there. It’s not what you think. I don’t have feelings for him.” Thankfully I had let my blonde hair down so it was covering my face. Otherwise, he would have seen my lips trembling, my cheeks flushing, my nose twitching – my whole body trying to keep myself from crying.
“Well, we’re here now. That’s all that counts.”
“So is this all you wanted for Elliot’s legs? A date with me?”
“I just wanted some alone time. You’ve constantly been avoiding me.”
“You tried to eat me.”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I was just pissed over what you turned me into. I tend to get hungrier when I’m mad.”
“But it happened twice.”
“And it wouldn’t have happened at all if it wasn’t for you,” he said.
“But you said you understood.”
“Alex…what do your people call themselves again?”
“Sirens,” I said, feeling strange uttering the word. Even before I knew what I was, I had learned about Sirens long ago in mythology…but in real life, what I do isn’t as sweet. If making sailors crash against the rocks was all I did then maybe I’d be able to sleep at night.
“Well do you Sirens have a cure for my condition?”
“Um…” I didn’t have the heart to tell him. I myself lost a lot of sleep over the answer, and Henry had already been through so much. I felt like the riff was already so wide, there was no way I could repair it. How could telling the truth make it any better?
“Do you have a cure?” he repeated. “I mean, it would make sense, wouldn’t it?”
“Well…yes…but, I’m not sure how to say this.”
“What do you mean? You lost it?”
“No, it’s not that. I -.”
“Don’t tell me you’re saving it for Elliot.”
“No, that’s not it at all. I – I don’t know how to put this.”
“Listen, Alex,” he said, leaning in closer. “Do you know why Elliot went out with you after he turned into a zombie?”
“No…”
“Well, I don’t know what you ‘Sirens’ put in your spells, but it causes you to be seen in a new light. It’s hard to explain. Before the incident, you were attractive, but afterwards? Geez, I could barely keep my eyes off of you. It’s like you put an extra spell over us and my eyes are trying to tell me you’re something you’re not. I couldn’t break the hold you had placed over me, so I had to run away. I had to get away from you just to keep my sanity, and yet...I keep coming back.”
“So I’m not pretty now?” I asked, pinching my own leg afterwards. Now was not the time to get vain.
“I’m just saying that when I was cast under your spell…it was like my synapses or whatever finally connected. That spell you cast did more than just transform me and Elliot.”
“So you’re saying that the only reason Elliot went out with me is because of it?”
“Exactly, and that’s why I should get the cure you’re hiding from us. Not that idiot. I loved you before the spell’s effects. Elliot’s long since dumped you and you still hang around him. I have no clue why. What are you waiting for?”
“He doesn’t try to eat me,” I said flatly. It was all I could say. How could I get Henry to realize that they day he made that attempt, starving or not, he had betrayed my trust? Somehow Elliot was able to stay in control of his urges and that automatically made him safer to be around. Okay, maybe that sounded selfish considering I took his life away from him, but it’s not like I wanted to do it.
“Are you ever going to let that go?” Henry snapped.
“I know you’re upset,” I said. “But I have to think about my safety. I’m sorry for what I did to you, but it was to survive. If there was another way around it, I would do it, but I can’t.”
“So what am I supposed to do? Just be like, ‘hey, I understand,’ and then just live my life consuming others? Just roll over and pretend nothing’s wrong? I’m trying to eat this stuff,” he said, pointing at his pasta, “but it’s like a snack. Real food doesn’t fill me up anymore.”
“I know it’s not that simple, Henry.”
“Um,” the waitress
said, finally returning. From the smell on her uniform, I could tell she had taken a cigarette break. “Are you ready to order?”
“I’ll take the kids spaghetti and meatballs,” I said, handing her the stained, laminated menu.
“It’s only for children eight and under.”
“The only reason I’m ordering it is because I’m trying to be nice. I actually don’t want to eat anything here. A little afraid of catching some ancient disease like the black plague.”
“Okay,” she said, half-ignoring me. “Oh! And the count is fifteen. Fifteen on staff.”
“Thank you.”
“And you, sir?” she said, turning to Henry. “You said you wanted to order more once your friend arrived.”
“Yes,” he said, spinning the menu over and surveying the items. I figured it was now or never. If I told him the truth when we were alone, there was a chance I could be in danger. If someone was around, he might hold back.
“Henry?” I replied as he looked up at me suddenly from the menu.
“Yes?”
“I have the cure…but it’s in my blood.”
His eyes ignited with energy…but it was different than the boy I knew since childhood. And I was so terrified, I couldn’t move.
I didn’t expect him to lunge up at the waitress, or grab her, or slam her head on the table, or start clutching the back of her head. He opened his mouth wide towards her and I screamed, my body beginning to run away on its own, but Henry caught my wrist and pulled me back to him with alarming strength. I turned to hit him, but he dodged the laughable attempt and kicked at the back of my knees, causing me to fall to the dirty floor. Leaving the unconscious waitress slumped over the table, he stood behind me, towering over me like a predator as I heard him smack his lips.
“I’m sorry for the violence,” he said, almost sounding sincere. “But it was either her or you.”
“Henry, you need help.”
“Please stop talking,” he pleaded, placing a rotting hand on my head.
“What are you planning on doing to me?”
“Nothing I want to, Alex. So…it’s in your blood?”
“I’ve tried extracting it through a syringe,” I said, my voice beginning to waver as I thought of the odds of me breaking his powerful grip. “But even that doesn’t work. And I’m just going off of what my mother told me before she left. She could have been lying. I –”
My Immortal Playlist (The Siren Collection #1) Page 2
