Jane Goes Batty jb-2

by Michael Thomas Ford

  “Well, I didn’t do it either,” said Byron. “And I flirt with everyone. You know that.”

  There was a lengthy silence. “Do you think it was Our Gloomy Friend?” Jane asked, voicing what she knew they were both thinking.

  “It’s possible,” Byron said.

  “You did say you sensed danger,” Jane reminded him.

  Byron nodded. “But I was almost certain it had nothing to do with her,” he said, sounding angry.

  Jane looked at Chloe. “Is she going to be all right?”

  “Unfortunately, no,” Byron answered. “She’s too far gone.”

  Jane, horrified, turned to him. “She’s going to die?”

  “Either that or end up insane,” said Byron. “Whoever did this drained her too much. If she survives, her mind will be gone. She’ll spend the rest of her life having horrific visions. Frankly, she’s better off dead.” He hesitated before continuing. “Of course, we could always turn her.”

  Jane was shocked. “Turn her?” she said. “Into a vampire?”

  “Those are the options,” said Byron. “She can die, she can go mad, or she can become a vampire. I’ll let you choose.”

  “Why me?” Jane exclaimed.

  Byron sighed. “Because—as loath as I am to admit it—you have the greater character. Were it up to me, I would finish her off. However, I realize that there may be reasons to choose otherwise.”

  Jane sat in one of the chairs near the couch. She didn’t know what to think. If Chloe died, there would be an investigation. Also, she would be dead. If she lived, she would be insane. That was, frankly, a bigger problem. Being dead was unfortunate, but being insane created the possibility of further disaster.

  Jane sighed. “We have to turn her,” she said.

  Byron raised an eyebrow. “You’re certain?” he asked.

  “No,” Jane said. “I’m not at all certain. But do it anyway.”

  “You’re going to do it,” said Byron.

  “Me?” said Jane. “Why me? I didn’t do this to her.”

  “Neither did I,” Byron reminded her. “And you’re going to turn her because you need to learn how.”

  “No, I don’t,” Jane objected. “I’m never going to turn anyone, so I don’t need to know how.”

  “Turning also increases your powers,” Byron told her. “You need all the help you can get. Besides, this is a perfect opportunity. The girl is already nearly dead, so it’s not as if you’re killing her. Well, not exactly. At any rate, you’re saving her.”

  Jane looked at Chloe’s face. “Well, when you put it like that,” she said.

  “Now that that’s settled,” Byron said, “come here. I’ll show you what to do.”

  Jane moved to the couch, kneeling on the floor beside Chloe.

  “It’s just like feeding,” Byron said. “Only keep feeding until her heart stops.”

  “What then?” asked Jane.

  “Then you have to feed her some of your blood,” Byron answered. “Don’t you remember what happened when I turned—”

  “I’ve tried to forget,” said Jane. “Apparently it worked.”

  Byron sighed. “Well, haven’t you seen the movies?”

  “I never know what’s true and what isn’t,” said Jane. “There’s no need to be mean about it.”

  “Just bite her,” Byron ordered. “There’s not much time.”

  Jane took Chloe’s head in her hands and gently turned it away from her. Closing her eyes, she clicked her fangs into place. Then, before she could stop herself, she leaned down and bit into the soft flesh of the girl’s neck.

  She couldn’t think about what she was doing. Instead, she shut her eyes and imagined herself in her childhood room, tucked into bed beside Cassie. It was dark, and outside the house a storm thundered. Jane was frightened, and Cassie was comforting her.

  Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee, Jane sang silently as Chloe’s blood slipped down her throat. All through the night.

  She thought about Cassie holding her, and imagined her sister’s warm breath against her face.

  Guardian angels God will send thee,

  All through the night

  Soft the drowsy hours are creeping

  Hill and vale in slumber steeping,

  I my loving vigil keeping

  All through the night.

  Jane felt the life drain from Chloe’s body. The girl’s heartbeat thudded in Jane’s ears like the slow steps of a giant.

  While the moon her watch is keeping

  All through the night

  While the weary world is sleeping

  All through the night.

  The flow of blood slowed. Jane clutched Chloe to her, forcing herself to keep feeding as she rocked the girl to sleep.

  O’er thy spirit gently stealing

  Visions of delight revealing

  Breathes a pure and holy feeling

  All through the night.

  The flow of blood slowed, then stopped altogether. Jane ceased sucking and sat back.

  “Is she …?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Byron said. “Now quickly, feed her. It’s easiest if you use your wrist.”

  Jane hesitated only a moment before biting the underside of her wrist. As blood poured forth she pressed the wound to Chloe’s lips.

  “How long does it take?” she asked Byron.

  “Not long,” he said. “You’ll know when it begins.”

  Jane waited. Her wrist ached. Then she felt a gentle sucking, and she realized Chloe’s lips were moving against her flesh.

  “There she goes,” Byron said.

  The sucking increased. It was accompanied by a strange sensation—a kind of dizziness—that filled Jane’s mind. It began as a faint feeling of confusion, but the more Chloe drank from Jane’s wrist the stronger the emotion became. Suddenly Jane was frightened. She tried to pull her wrist away.

  “No,” Byron commanded, his fingers closing on her wrist and holding it against Chloe’s mouth. “Remain still.”

  Jane fought him. The dizziness had become an overwhelming sense of falling, as if she had tumbled from a great height and was turning head over heels on the way to her death. Colors rushed by her, and her ears were filled with the sound of voices laughing maniacally. I’m going insane, she realized. And I can’t stop it.

  Around and around she spun, her body thrown like a rag doll in a tornado. She screamed, although no sound came from her throat. Then, just before her mind went completely blank, she felt Byron pull her arm away from Chloe’s mouth. She collapsed on the floor, heaving.

  Byron took her in his arms. “Just breathe,” he told her. “It will pass.”

  Jane allowed herself to sink into his embrace. The spinning of her mind slowed, and piece by piece she felt herself come back together. The dizziness faded away until she felt almost herself again. She opened her eyes.

  On the couch, Chloe had also opened hers. She turned her head and looked at Byron and Jane. “Where’s Ned?” she asked.

  “Ned?” Byron said. “Who’s Ned?”

  “Ned from the barbecue,” said Chloe, trying to sit up. “He came over this morning and brought me those.” She nodded at a vase of pink roses that sat on a table opposite the couch. “He’s really sweet.”

  Byron looked at Jane. “Ned from the barbecue,” he said, a hint of anger in his voice.

  “Ned,” Jane repeated. Her brow wrinkled. “Wait. I thought Ted was the vam—”

  “Ned had to go,” Byron said loudly, drowning her out. “But you’ll see him later. Right now you need to rest.”

  “Why?” said Chloe. “I feel fine. Just a little hungry.” She ran her tongue over her teeth, which were still stained with blood. “Actually, I’m starving.”

  Jane looked at Byron. “Now what?” she mouthed.

  She saw a change come over Byron’s face as he looked into Chloe’s eyes. He’s going to glamor her, she thought.

  “Chloe, you need to rest now,” Byron said in a soothing voice
. “You’re very tired.”

  Chloe yawned. “You know what? I am. Maybe I’ll take a nap.” She snuggled into the couch and closed her eyes. “Wake me for my scene,” she said. A moment later she was asleep.

  “I didn’t think we could glamor other vampires,” Jane said.

  “She’s new,” said Byron. “There’s still enough human in her to respond.”

  “I must say, this doesn’t seem to be terribly traumatic for her,” Jane remarked. “I remember my turning as being much more dramatic.”

  “It’s different for everyone,” said Byron. “Believe me, when she wakes up and realizes what she is, there will be drama. I can tell. In the meantime, we have to get her to my house so I can look after her. The first day or two will be the worst.”

  “But she’s expected on the set,” Jane reminded him. “What will I tell Julia?”

  “Tell her Chloe needs rest, and to shoot around her.”

  Jane suddenly remembered something. “And what about Ted?” she asked.

  “Ned,” Byron corrected her. “I plan on having a chat with him as soon as I see to this young lady. But first we need to get her out of here. If I carry her, I can make us both invisible. See if the coast is clear.”

  Jane went to the door and peered outside. Nobody was out there, so she opened the door and stepped out. As she did she saw a flash of movement to her left. She turned her head just in time to see a tiny tail disappearing around the side of the trailer. It’s just a dog, she thought with relief.

  Then she looked down. In the dirt around the stairs were several sets of footprints, all of them different. But there was also a set of paw prints, and there was something peculiar about them. At first Jane couldn’t make out what it was, but then it dawned on her.

  There were only three of them.

  Chapter 15

  “This would be a lot easier if we could levitate,” Jane said as she looked up at the parlor windows of Walter’s house. The sills were just about at the height of her head, and even standing on her tiptoes she could not see into the parlor. Byron, taller than she, had a better view, but not by much. “Is she in there?” Jane asked.

  “Yes,” said Byron. “She’s sitting on the sofa with the dog. She appears to be speaking to it.”

  “What is she saying?”

  Byron sighed. “I don’t know,” he said testily. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re outside.”

  “I realize that,” said Jane. “But aren’t you—aren’t we—supposed to have extraordinarily acute hearing?” She paused. “You know—if we try.”

  “It would be much easier if the window were open,” Byron replied.

  “Or if we could levitate,” Jane repeated. “Can’t we do that?”

  “Do you know how?” asked Byron.

  “No,” said Jane. “That’s why I asked you.”

  Byron frowned. “Then it doesn’t really matter whether we can or not, does it?”

  Jane, annoyed, sighed deeply. “I wonder where Walter is,” she said. “That’s a rhetorical question,” she added as she saw Byron open his mouth to speak. “I know you don’t know.”

  “Actually, I do,” said Byron. “He’s just come into the room.”

  Jane turned and again tried to see through the window. She jumped as high as she could, and for just a moment she caught a glimpse of the parlor. As Byron had reported, Miriam sat on the sofa opposite the window. Lilith sat beside her. Walter stood to one side, his back to Jane.

  “Stop that,” Byron ordered as Jane prepared to jump again. “You look ridiculous.”

  “This is maddening,” said Jane, leaning against the side of the house. “We need to get inside.” She looked at Byron, who caught her eye and immediately began shaking his head. “No,” he said.

  “I’ve gotten much better at it,” Jane said. “Last time I stayed invisible for what, fifteen minutes?”

  “More like six,” said Byron.

  “Fine. Six,” Jane said. “That’s long enough to get in, have a listen, and get out again.”

  “And what if you lose your concentration and appear?” said Byron. “How are you going to explain that?”

  “We’ll stay in the hall,” Jane said. “We won’t even go into the parlor. There’s no way they’ll see us.”

  “You mean you,” said Byron. “I know they won’t see me.” He hesitated. “Fine. We’ll go in. But if I see so much as a flicker, we’re leaving.”

  “Absolutely,” Jane agreed. “Now how do we get in?”

  “Most people go through the front door,” Byron said. “Let’s start there.”

  “The front door?” said Jane. “Shouldn’t we go through the cellar, or the back, or … I don’t know, the chimney?”

  Byron turned to her. “Do you enjoy making things as difficult as possible?”

  “To the contrary,” Jane replied. “But it just seems to me that if we’re going to go sneaking around and using our powers, we might as well have some fun at it.” She thought for a moment about what she’d just said. “Goodness. That’s not like me at all.”

  “It’s because you turned Chloe,” said Byron, continuing around to the front of the house. “It makes you a bit giddy.”

  “Really?” said Jane. “Now that you mention it, I do feel slightly tipsy. Do you think Chloe will be all right?”

  They had left Chloe sleeping in Byron’s guest bedroom. Byron had assured Jane that the girl would sleep for several hours at least. What would happen after that was something they hadn’t discussed.

  “She’ll be fine,” Byron said, coming to a halt behind one of the large lilac bushes that screened the side of the house from the street. “Just concentrate on disappearing.”

  Jane nodded. She closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and filled her mind with the image of herself made out of glass.

  “Excellent,” she heard Byron say. “That was very quick.”

  “I told you I could do it,” said Jane, feeling quite proud of herself.

  A second later Byron blinked out. “All right,” Jane heard him say. “Here we go.”

  “How will I know where you are?” asked Jane.

  Byron reached out and took her hand. His fingers gripped hers firmly but pleasantly. “Don’t let go,” he said.

  Jane allowed him to lead her around the corner of the house and up the front steps. When a boy went riding by on his bike, startling her with the sound of playing cards tucked into the spokes of his wheels, whap-whap-whap, she felt her invisibility waver. A ghostly image of her hand appeared for a second before she focused her mind and regained control.

  “You’re certain you can do this?” Byron whispered.

  Jane nodded, forgetting that Byron couldn’t see her. “Yes,” she added quickly. “Just get inside.”

  She watched as the front door opened slowly. The foyer was empty, and the faint sound of voices came from the parlor. Jane felt Byron pull her inside. Then the door shut again. Jane breathed deeply, steadying her nerves.

  Again she felt Byron tug at her hand, and she crept behind him down the hallway to the parlor. They stopped outside the door. Inside, Walter and his mother were talking.

  “You did the right thing,” Miriam said.

  “I don’t know about that,” said Walter. He sounded weary, almost sad.

  “Walter, she told you she wouldn’t marry you,” his mother said.

  “No, she said she couldn’t marry me,” Walter countered.

  His mother snorted. “It’s the same thing,” she said. “Anyway, she wasn’t right for you.”

  “Why do you say that?” asked Walter. “Because she’s not Jewish? Mother, I think you should know that apart from the few holidays I’ve spent with you, I haven’t set foot in a synagogue in twenty years.”

  “It has nothing to do with her being a shiksa,” Miriam said. “And shame on you for not going to temple. That’s not how I raised you.”

  Walter groaned. “I don’t want to talk about this,” he said.

  “Who
said we had to talk about it?” said Miriam. “I’m just saying you can do better. You should come stay with me for a while. Ruth Solomon has a lovely daughter you should meet. She lost her spouse, like you.”

  “Mother, I don’t need you to set me up with anyone,” Walter barked. Suddenly he groaned loudly, as if he were in pain.

  “What?” Miriam said. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re giving me a headache,” Walter told her. “I need some aspirin.”

  He came toward the door. Jane flattened herself against the wall, in the process losing connection with Byron as he stepped in the opposite direction. She held her breath as Walter passed between them. A moment later a breath tickled her ear. “Stay here,” Byron whispered. Then he was gone.

  Jane looked into the parlor. Miriam still sat on the sofa. Lilith was on her lap, and Miriam stroked the little dog’s ears.

  “I’m tempted to tell him what she is,” she heard Miriam say in a low voice. “Of course, he would never believe it. Not unless we provoked her into revealing her true form.”

  She’s talking about me, Jane realized. So she does know. But how?

  “And I would have to explain about myself as well,” Miriam continued. “That would be inconvenient. Also, it would put everything in jeopardy, and she’s hardly worth it.”

  There was a long pause during which Miriam continued to pet Lilith. Jane wondered what Miriam meant by telling Walter about herself. Surely she isn’t a vampire herself, Jane thought. But how else would she know about me?

  “Who would have thought he would take up with one of them?” said Miriam, a new edge in her voice. “They’re everywhere these days, like cockroaches. It’s a good thing we arrived when we did. This one isn’t getting my son. I’m going to see to that.”

  Jane gasped. She saw Miriam’s head turn. A moment later Lilith leapt off the couch and came trotting toward the door in her peculiar hop-step manner. Her ears were alert, and her eyes were fixed on Jane. A low growl rumbled in her throat.

  Jane didn’t know whether to run or stay put. Could Lilith see her? She didn’t know if the invisibility trick worked on all living things or just humans. But the way Lilith was looking at her, she feared she was about to find out.