Nocturnal

by David Paul

  Leisurely, he reads through the murdered woman’s files. Both victims have a long history of depression, and Coelho’s history was complicated by strong suicidal tendencies. The nightwalker is surprised that their records have not been destroyed, and this puzzles him slightly. If Carver truly is the satanic-slasher, he has done an excellent job of covering his tracks, yet David is amazed that he would keep the files. The files could potentially incriminate the doctor if any other evidence was brought to light, yet the two murder victims’ files are in alphabetical order in the office’s file cabinet as clear as day. A face-to face meeting with Carver will allow him to judge the doctor’s character, and maybe, David can figure out the motives behind his behavior.

  The vampire gets into Dr. Carver’s office without difficulty and looks around out of curiosity. On a mahogany bookshelf, copious amounts of books about mental health are present, including three volumes written by the doctor himself. The author page in each book written by Carver has a picture of him in the afterword, and the doctor seems to be like a normal everyday man with kind eyes, intelligence, and a gentle nature. Carver has an entire wall of awards and diplomas from some of the most esteemed and prestigious learning institutions around the globe.

  Also posted are his charity events for terminally ill children with leukemia, women with breast cancer, and adults with Alzheimer’s disease. On paper, Carver could be a model citizen, which doesn’t seem to be consistent with the perceived nature of the murderer. In David’s mind, he has the vision of an ice-cold, remorseless killer committing these crimes, not a mild-mannered Nobel Peace Prize candidate.

  Nothing seems to be adding up.

  The more David observes Carver’s office, the more he is perplexed. A beautiful set of rosary beads with gold inlays and a gold leafed Bible signed by Bishop Gelineau sit in the top drawer of Carver’s desk. The Bible is bookmarked in Psalms with a tasseled fancy bookmark. Carver is an extremely active member of a Catholic congregation in Rhode Island. A devil-worshiper would not have these types of Catholic artifacts handy. The doctor’s purchase of the demonroot and his professional relationships with the murder victims are his only true ties to this case. The rest of his profile makes no sense at all to David.

  One would think that he would be instantly guilty with the name Carver, but his office environment is painting a completely different picture of the doctor. Meeting the man in person is his only hope of gathering more information. David flips through Carver’s desktop itinerary and finds that the doctor attends mass every Sunday, and he also conducts Bible studies for Saint Mary’s Church in Cranston. Ironically, his last twelve classes have been canceled per his itinerary, and a photocopy of his resignation letter is folded into his desktop calendar.

  David also finds a picture of Carver’s deceased wife on his desk. She passed away from breast cancer eight months ago after a lengthy struggle with the disease. Everything is documented in Carver’s datebook. That explains his involvement in the battle against breast cancer. The observant vampire actually sees small traces of what appear to be human tears on the desktop blotter and confirms this by smelling the blotter. The doctor’s blotter is full of dried tears.

  Apparently, the good doctor has done some private mourning in his office for his fallen wife. One fancy pint glass and a half empty 1.75-liter bottle of Dewar’s Scotch rest in a small-enclosed cabinet behind Carver’s desk. David continues to probe around throughout the office for any additional clues that may incriminate Carver. He comes up completely empty. From the looks of his office, Dr. Carver appears to be totally clean, and tomorrow’s appointment will confirm or discredit this theory.

  The crafty vampire locks up all of the file cabinets and puts the office back in the same condition that it was in upon his arrival. He transforms into mist form and makes his way back home undetected. Fiona is still asleep with sunrise coming in a several hours. David lies down beside her and loses himself in thought until the sun awakens. The vampire leaves another note for Fiona that explains to her that she needs to wake him around five in the evening for his appointment with the doctor. He retires after a long, but somewhat uneventful evening.

  Fiona watches television for the majority of the day and then sleeps beside David for a few hours. Around five o’clock, she attempts to wake David, but he will not budge. The natural internal clock of the vampire will usually have them awaken at sundown. Oddly enough for November, the Sun is still out passed its usual setting time. Rhode Island is not getting typical weather for the season. After several unsuccessful attempts to wake him, Fiona pours a glass of ice-cold water on David’s head, and that finally brings him out of his coma like sleep.

  “What did you do that for?” The vampire asked. David appears to be somewhat drowsy, and he is mildly upset.

  “Babe, you wouldn’t wake up.”

  “My love,” he said. He snaps out of his haze. “Sorry that I raised my voice, but that was just very jarring.” Fiona isn’t upset. She found it comical to throw water on him. “I’m going to get ready for this appointment. I need you to drive me in your Cadillac because I do not want to bring out the Mercedes tonight. Besides, the sun is still up, and I would have an unpleasant time trying to drive.”

  “Alright, babe” Fiona said. She has a dirty look in her eyes. Without reading her mind, the vampire senses her desires. Simply touching herself did not satisfy Fiona, and their last lovemaking session was just a tease. “Can I shower with you?” She asked.

  “Of course you can.” The two of them disrobe in front of each other. “You are the most enchanting creature,” the vampire said. He admires her gorgeous naked body. The vampire has neglected his lover.

  “I’m your enchanting creature, David.” Her sexy smile reveals the pent up desire inside of her. Fiona is drawn to David in a magical way. The magnetism is otherworldly.

  The two are in the shower together, and David fights off Fiona’s sexual advances under the warm water. She is very persuasive when she wants to be. Fiona knows what to do to arouse the vampire. Her soft lips explore his body, and find themselves concentrated in one area. After a few strategically placed kisses, he finally caves in. He picks her up, and she wraps her legs around his body. They go at it while standing up under the running water and steam. The vampire makes sure that his lover is more than satisfied. They climax together, and get out of the shower. The steamy fog covers the only mirror in the house.

  David realizes that Fiona is a human being, and she has needs that he has to satisfy in order to keep her happy. The bloodlust will always overpower the lust for sexual desires. A vampire’s desires are more likely to involve fresh blood than sexual pleasure, and David has to be mindful of that at times.

  These differences make relationships between the two different species such a challenge. David has to be more human in some areas of his existence in order to maintain a healthy relationship with Fiona. Besides, only a fool would say no to her. David isn’t a fool. Most of the time, Fiona doesn’t have to push the issue. David has been preoccupied with so many other things.

  Fiona is wiping off her glistening wet body.

  “David, what are you planning to do at this doctor’s appointment?” Fiona asked.

  “I’m going to gather the necessary information,” David said.

  He is toweling himself off as well.

  “Do you honestly think that this doctor is involved with these murders?”

  “I’m not quite sure,” David said, “and that is why I need to speak to the man in person.”

  David throws on a pair of weathered jeans. David is intentionally dressing down for this appointment to appear as an average man to Dr. Carver. Even after hundreds of years, this vampire appears to be in his mid-to-late-twenties. A black hooded sweatshirt, a New York Yankees cap, and sunglasses finish off the outfit. Part of his gear is for show, and the rest of it is to avoid the sun as much as possible. Fiona knows when David’s mind is at work because he is totally silent and conversation has to practically
be beat out of him.

  “You are pretty talkative today,” she said. A slight sting of sarcasm is present in Fiona’s words.

  “My love,” the vampire said, “I am lost in thought right now.”

  Fiona gets the hint.

  She isn’t going to get much conversation out of the vampire at this moment. The two of them finish up getting dressed, and they head downstairs toward the garage. David stops, peeks from behind the shades, and looks out the window. Luckily, David has been blessed with a hazy overcast day, and that will not be as uncomfortable to him as a blazing hot, sunny day.

  In a short while, night will take over the day, but the sunlight is something that David is loathing at this moment. He remembers the time in his human life when the powerful sunshine was his best friend and his soul was at ease. David briefly reminisces about those days, but keeps it to himself. Fiona’s Cadillac is outfitted with tinted windows all around, and this will make their trip to Carver’s office more bearable for David. With the press of a button, the garage door opens, and they are off to the appointment.

  Even in overcast weather, the car’s tinted windows and sunglasses are not a total resolution to the problem because the sunlight is still bothering David. Vampires do not mix well with sunlight at all. In the past, David has experimented with sun block with decent results, but the magic of the Sun is what is painful to the vampires when they are outdoors. God didn’t want that evil to walk under his Sun, and David suffers from this curse. After a short painful ride in complete silence, they arrive at Dr. Carver’s office.

  “Can you wait here for me to finish?”

  “My whole life is spent waiting around for you,” Fiona said. She has a playful smile.

  “I’ll be right back, beautiful.”

  David gets out of the Cadillac, and the sunlight is absolutely punishing him. He makes his way over to the main entrance very quickly and gathers himself once inside. A cute perky receptionist in her twenties greets him.

  “Good day, sir.” She bats her eyelashes. The vampire just made a new fan. “Do you have an appointment for this evening?” She asked.

  “Yes,” the vampire said, “I’m David Morgano, and I have a six o’clock appointment with Doctor Carver.”

  “Give me one moment while I check my schedule,” she says. She looks through her planner. “Here you are right here.” The receptionist is talking to herself. “That’s weird,” she said, “don’t know why I’d schedule you this late on a Friday.” The vampire prepares himself to use his charm to get around the situation if need be. She double-checks the appointment and searches for David’s file. “That is so strange. I usually know every patient who comes walking through these doors by first name, but I cannot remember meeting you.”

  The receptionist looks at David again.

  “I guess that I didn’t leave a good enough impression on you,” the vampire said.

  “I would have remembered you, honey.” The receptionist mildly flirts with David, and she blushes. David laughs slightly with her.

  “Let me just check with the doctor,” she said. She picks up the phone and calls Carver on the intercom. “Please, just give me a moment, honey,” she said to the vampire. She is very pleasant and her voice sounds very nice. If the vampire were single, he might have liked to enjoy her company. “He’ll be right with you. He is just working on some paperwork. Please have a seat in the waiting room.”

  David makes a blatant spectacle out of reading her name tag.

  “Thank you, Pamela,” David said.

  She smiles and twirls her hair in a subtle, but seductive manner. The vampire smiles back, but does not make more of an effort to show interest in her. David sits in the waiting room in complete silence while waiting on Dr. Carver. He managed to find a sliver of shade. He peers at the assortment of magazines laid out for the viewing pleasure of the patients. David is simply observing the office while he waits. About five or six minutes elapse, and Pamela calls David.

  “He is ready to see you, Mr. Morgano.”

  “Thank you, dear.”

  David follows the shapely receptionist down to Carver’s office.

  “Right on through there, honey,” she said. She smiles and slowly walks away. The receptionist really likes the vampire, and she looks back a few times to see if David is still looking.

  The flirting is interrupted.

  David immediately receives a warm welcome from Carver. The doctor’s little prescription lenses barely cover his eyes and give him a studious look. “C’mon in. Please be seated. I am Dr. Carver, Mr. Morgano.” The doctor comes from behind his desk, and greets David by shaking his hand.

  David instantly feels a jolting shock, similar to static electricity, yet completely more intensified. David ignores the shock that he felt and plays like he admires Carver. “I’ve heard so much about you, Dr. Carver. It is my pleasure to meet you.”

  “Well,” Carver said, “let us dive into what we do here at my facility. I use an open therapy approach.” The doctor shines the lenses of his glasses with a silken cloth. “If you know what is bothering you, then we can get right into it. I can also ask you a series of questions to make a preliminary analysis of what might be underlying issues in your life, and we can take everything from there. I just want you to be comfortable with however we approach things. Basically, I want to assess the issues that may be plaguing you, find their origin, and manufacture a remedy.”

  With a pleasant smile, he puts his glasses back on. The doctor is thumbing casually through David’s file.

  David instantly senses powerful underlying evil within the doctor. Carver is completely polite and courteous, yet this inner evil is dark and ominous. This evil goes beyond that of a normal human. David has encountered some of the darkest remorseless souls in his lifetime, yet the presence of evil within Carver is astronomically more powerful and concentrated. This boggles David. Dr. Carver is in fact a human, but his putrid black aura is not of this world. Carver’s eyes are a masquerade. Behind these kind eyes lies a wicked soul.

  “Why don’t you tell me about yourself, David? We should begin our session.” David senses something is so very wrong with Carver. In his lifespan, David has encountered a myriad of different people from all walks of life. It is extremely rare when David is puzzled about a human. His vampire powers, coupled with extreme intelligence and perception, allow him to mentally dissect humans with ease. Carver is an anomaly.

  “Are you a Catholic, Dr. Carver?”

  “Yes, Mr. Morgano. I am quite active in the Catholic community.”

  Carver has an odd smirk.

  The doctor appears to be holding back a smile or laughter like a schoolboy trying not to laugh during a lecture in church. Maybe the smirk is because the doctor knows something that David does not. David definitely expects something out of the ordinary. Carver stands up from his cushy chair, and he walks over to a bay window. He casually adjusts the blind so that sunlight strikes David in the face. The vampire does his best not to flinch. The doctor briefly fumbles with the blind, and then returns it to its original position. He sits back down in his chair with a mischievous grin.

  “Do you have a Bible that I can look at?”

  “Of course I do, Mr. Morgano.”

  The doctor hesitated just enough for David to notice. The hesitation would have been undetectable by the naked eye of a human.

  The doctor slowly opens up his drawer and takes out the expensive Bible and puts it in front of David. The slight sizzle of burning skin is heard coming from Carver’s hands where they were in contact with the book. The perceptive vampire notices the dull puffs of smoke and the smell of burning flesh. Carver’s hands have obvious surface burns after releasing the Bible from them. He smiles at David and laughs loudly.

  “Did I miss something funny?” David asked. “I don’t remember telling a joke.”

  Carver growls loudly. He is playing with the rosary beads that were also in the drawer. His growl is deep and tormented. The rosary beads bu
rn his hands and wrists, and they leave grotesque brand marks of their outline on his skin. Dr. Carver refuses to let go of the rosary beads, and the stench of scorched skin and bodily hair consumes the air in the room. He flips them back and forth, and they mark new scars on his skin. Carver’s facial expression begins to contort, and his gentle eyes give way to something else.

  “Why don’t we cut all the bullshit, David? We are both not who we say we are…nightwalker.”

  Carver has black lifeless eyes and a deep frightening voice that has a raspy growl to it. David is somewhat stunned. The doctor knows that David is undead.

  “And who are you?” David asked. “You seem to already know me.”

  “I am someone who you left behind.” The doctor spoke in backwards Latin. Carver laughs more. The wickedness in his laugh is haunting. The doctor is really pushing David’s buttons.

  The incessant laughing angers David immensely. Something in the laugh is really torturing David and ringing loudly in his ears. The curse is fueling his rage, and he wants to literally tear Carver’s throat out just to silence him. Explosively, David lunges for Carver’s throat, and the doctor does not even flinch. Carver is motionless and unafraid. The same electric shock he received when shaking Carver’s hand is pulsing through his body. David’s hand is gripped tightly around the doctor’s throat.

  “Kill me, David. Go ahead, you cunt! Rip my fucking throat out.” Carver smiles with black menacing eyes, and he awaits his death calmly. It was almost as if Carver had read the vampire’s mind. There is more to Dr. Carver then meets the eye.

  David quickly realizes that Doctor Carver is possessed. A powerful and evil spirit has control of his mind. The real Carver is trapped helplessly inside of himself. David reckons that a demon is behind all of this. It explains everything. This is the classic demonic possession complete with the burning skin from touching religious paraphernalia. The host body in so many words is a human puppet for the demon.