by Janelle Peel
Silence.
A moment passed. Tap, tap, tap.
“We can hear you breathing, mouse. Open up. We just want to have a chat,” said the deeper voice.
I debated answering when my deadbolt suddenly started turning on its own. No! I reached out too slowly as it fully unlocked and the door was pulled open from the outside. Two huge men stood with their faces shadowed against the dim porch light. Heavily corded with muscle, they seemed as big as mountains to my 5’9” frame.
I lifted the bat higher, ready to strike whoever entered first. I didn’t have much, but this was my home and I wouldn’t let anyone into it without a fight.
Suddenly, their shoulders slumped in unison. I waited a few more beats, but they remained still, like statues on my porch.
“Who are you?” I cringed inwardly at the shrillness of my voice.
Still no response. I stepped closer, flicking the overhead light on with my elbow. Unseeing, ocean eyes stared back at me from both of their faces. One had dirty blonde hair, while his partners was black as night. Both men were dressed completely in black.
I met the blonde’s blue eyes and repeated my question, “Who are you?”
“Von,” he rumbled.
“And you?” I queried the other.
“Jake.”
My eyes ping ponged while they remained motionless, not even breathing.
I met the blonde’s eyes again, “Why did you come here?”
“Blaze said to investigate a strange lingering scent in PB last night. It’s coming from you.” He stated factually.
“You can smell me?” I stuttered, “My, uh, scent drew you here?” I was leaning more towards creeped out as my panic was taken down a notch.
Von replied, “Yes, we caught it near Starbucks and tracked you back here.”
“Why?” I squeaked, flabbergasted.
He replied in a monotone, “Blaze told us to find you; see what you were.”
I took a step back. They remained where they were, not moving except to speak. My mind was racing. Strange things had been happening ever since I had left that bar. The people's behavior downtown, now two hulking men had tracked me to my home and were answering my questions as if they were hypnotized.
I rose an eyebrow, “I’m human, what are you?”
“Vampires, of the SoCal Clutch.” Von said.
His eyes remained glassy, but he could obviously carry a conversation. Jake stood next to him, motionless.
“Jake, who is Blaze?”
Jake promptly replied, “The leader of our Clutch.”
Inspired by their non-threatening manner, I stared hard at Von. “Stand on one foot.”
He immediately lifted a black clad leg. Surprised, I gawked for a moment before swinging my eyes back to Jake, “You too.” And he did. I didn’t know what the hell to make of this entire situation. It was almost comical. I knew of Vampires, but had certainly never met one. I racked my memories, searching for anything to explain what was happening. It seemed like I was controlling them, almost… almost like magic.
I was a dud, non-magical and abandoned because of it. Now it seemed I had some sort of power, just one I’d never heard of. Adrenaline flooded my system at this revelation.
Peering at Von, I asked, “What are going to do when you leave here?”
“Tell Blaze…. tell him…” his brow wrinkled in confusion, “that we found a human?” The end of his sentence lifted into a question, like he was asking my opinion.
It seemed I could impart suggestions, interesting. “How did you unlock my door?”
Jake replied, “We can do simple magic, manipulate items.”
That was freaky. Any Vampire could just stroll into my home? That brought my adrenaline rush to an abrupt stop and fear took over again.
Both Vampires inhaled in unison, taking in my scent. Their gazes turned from blank stares into ones of fierce protection and alternating adoration. Odd.
“How do I stop a Vampire?” I asked, continuing my interrogation.
Von interpreted my words regarding my house and answered, “Wards from Mages are usually placed around the exterior of a home. We cannot cross them.”
Jake eagerly added, “Stakes, beheading, and fire are also very effective ways to stop a Vampire. We cannot go into direct sunlight, and daylight hours weaken us.”
I slowly digested this information, shifting from foot to foot with my bat lowered, but not forgotten. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I didn’t want this, whatever this even was.
My eyes narrowed and I spoke with feigned confidence, “I think you should leave, never come back, and do not tell anyone about me; especially Blaze.”
Their faces mirrored hurt and confusion, like I had just kicked their puppies. Strangely enough, the effect almost made me take back my words, but my safety was my number one priority. I had to figure this out, whatever this was. I wondered if I could make it an order.
I restated in a clearer voice, “Jake, Von, leave my home. Never tell anyone about me. Forget me entirely. You were never here. Is that understood?”
“Yes,” they replied in unison. Their faces cleared as they turned away and walked silently down my creaky stairs.
If I hadn’t seen them leave with my own eyes, I would never have believed they’d gone. Predatory, my mind supplied, as they faded into the night.
With the bat still clutched in my hand, I questioned my sanity and closed the door. There was zero chance of sleep now, so I decided to tidy up my bed and head down to the garage to wash my new clothes.
Thank the Goddess Giselle’s house was over 200 feet away and I could come and go as I pleased. As tragic as it was that she lost her family, I was very grateful to fill the void they had left behind, and even more grateful that Giselle filled some of my void in return. My small studio had been outfitted for Giselle’s daughter, so she had her own space while going to college. A tiny separate bath and living area, with an accordion partition to separate the kitchen, made it perfect for one person.
A couple hours later,I finished folding my clothes and checked the time, 4:30AM. Deciding to watch a little more TV, I soon passed out on the couch.
The same sounds woke me as the day before. I struggled with the crocheted throw and cushions searching for my phone, which abruptly stopped ringing. I continued the fight with the decades old sofa when it chimed again, announcing that I had a text. Finally locating it beneath the couch, I pressed the unlock button. 4:30PM. How do I keep sleeping away the day? I wondered and thumbed open the text with the G.
‘Hey Hon, feeling better? Dinner’s at 6.’
I thought for a moment. I had barely seen her all week and opted for some normalcy. I typed back, ‘Yup, see you then!’
She replied, ‘:)’
I began what was becoming my evening ritual instead of the usual morning. I was excited to try on the clothes I had bought yesterday.
After a quick shower, I toweled off the foggy mirror and froze when my reflection revealed a stranger. My hair was now completely silver, the stuff girls pay hundreds for at the salon. Ocean blue eyes stared back at me. My lashes were fuller and my cheekbones seemed more pronounced. I tried not to be vain, but damn! I looked amazing. Smiling at myself in the mirror, I noticed my teeth even looked whiter, my lips pink and plumper.
Shrugging it off as a good night’s sleep, I finished getting ready and headed over to Giselle’s house.
Even from the entryway of her Spanish style home, it smelled amazing. I let myself in and hollered a greeting, “Smells amazing Giselle! I was practically drooling outside!”
I rounded the corner as she was coming in from the back deck.
“Steaks?” I looked at the meat on her plate. Usually, I steered away from red meat, but this looked delicious. I could tell that the ribeye’s were grilled to perfection.
“I know you normally don’t go for them, but I got an amazing deal for the Diner and decided to try them out.” She replied with a hesitant look on her face.
“No, they smell great. I’ll try one,” I said with a grin.
Her face shone as she smiled back. She really was beautiful, in that classic Diane Keaton way. Slightly shorter than I, but with curves in all the right places. The regulars at the Diner always stared after her when she made her rounds to their tables.
“Potatoes and corn are already on the table. Could you set the places?” She asked, setting the steaming steaks on the oak table before grabbing the salt and pepper.
“Sure,” I quickly busied myself with the familiar task. My mind kept wandering to the steaks. Goddess, when was the last time I ate? My O’s the day before? I had forgotten everything with all the crazy weirdness going on. No wonder the steaks smelled divine. I was starving.
We finally sat down and served each other as we had numerous times in the past few months.
She watched me with the expectant look of a mother while I took my first bite. It was rare and still bleeding in the center. I popped it into my mouth and instantly moaned.
Her face lit with a million-watt smile, “I hoped you’d like it. That’s it, they’re going on the menu.”
I mumbled my approval, too engrossed in shoveling my steak in as fast as possible. I felt like I hadn’t eaten in a month! I used my potatoes to soak up every drop of juice left on the plate.
“Whoa! Have a drink dear,” she chided. “You’ll choke.”
“That was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Food has tasted off lately,” I grimaced, thinking about my O’s and forgotten popcorn from the day before.
“Well, you look like you’ve lost a few pounds, you’re not dieting, are you? You know you’re gorgeous, all these fads with ‘thin’ these days.” She said, shaking her head in disapproval.
“No, no dieting. I feel great, better than great actually.” I smiled.
Her frown turned back into a grin. “You do look amazing; did you change your hair? I’ve never seen it so silver.”
“Honestly, no. I’m not quite sure what’s going on with it, but I love it. I was thinking about cutting it last week, but think I’ll keep it now.” I ran my fingers through my tresses which stopped near my shoulder blades.
“I agree,” she smiled. “It’s rather lovely on you.”
My cheeks heated with a blush, “Thanks.”
We continued with small talk while we cleared the table and did the dishes.
Her brows rose in question as I was heading out, “Do you have plans tonight?”
“I’m not sure. I think maybe I’ll go for a walk on the beach before it gets too late.”
She gave me the eye, “Well you be careful.”
“I will, I will, I promise,” I said and kissed her cheek. She was such a mother hen.
We made our usual date for next Wednesday and I headed out.
It was chilly again as I burrowed deeper into my jacket. The moon shone off the water and highlighted the breaking waves. The ocean smelled so crisp.
Sinking my bare toes into the cold sand, I thought over everything that had happened. I needed answers. Grabbing my sandals, I decided to visit my only friend and hit her internet cafe to do some research.
The door chimed overhead, announcing my arrival. Wiping my salty, sandy sandals on the rug, I glanced around. It was closer to 9, closing time, and the place was deserted. Frozen treats on a chilly night just weren’t as enticing as the Starbucks around the corner.
Viv popped her head out from behind the counter. “Hey stranger!” She yelled over the rock music.
She stood at 5’ nothing with her 2” pink hair spiked out every direction possible. Her tiny figure was lost in the large apron looped twice around her thin frame. Green eyes sparkled and a devious grin slid over her face as she scanned me head to toe. Chucks slapping against the tiled floor, she made her way over and gave me a bone crushing hug. For a tiny thing, she sure was strong.
I grinned down at her. “Hey girl, what happened to the rainbow dash look?” I bumped my chin against a pink spike and released her.
“Everyone has blue, purple, and pink these days,” she stated with a disgusted look on her face. Viv always liked to stand out in a crowd.
Her hot pink lips shifted into a mock pout, “What brings you in? I hardly ever see you anymore, unless I come to the Diner.”
“I know, sorry,” I cringed. “I’ve just been dealing with some family things. Me and all my baggage, right?” I tried to muster a smile, which promptly fell flat. Viv was an orphan, she understood being on your own. Despite losing her parents at a young age, she came back stronger than ever from it. She only knew my parents were gone, not that I was practically a leper among my people.
“Well, I have the perfect fix for that,” she said with a smile and grabbed a paper bowl from the counter. Expertly working the chrome levers on her machine, she poured my usual double chocolate froyo. “Chocolate fixes everything.”
She was infectious. “Of course it does.”
“You look good, been working out? I see you’re finally wearing some nice stuff,” she wagged her brows at me. “New boyfriend?”
“Yeah, no,” I paused. “Just been trying some new things.”
She winked, “Nice. Well you eat that, I have a few things to do before I can lock up.”
Closing consisted of stacking chairs and texting her boyfriend to tell him their plans for the night. I envied her normal life and cheery persona.
“Actually, um, could I borrow your laptop?” I lifted my brows hopefully, “I have some things I want to research.”
“Sure,” she said. “I’m out of here in 30 minutes though, is that okay?”
“Perfect, thanks.” I sighed in relief and made my way to her office.
Shutting the door, I sat on the office chair. Her Apple was already on, so I just popped into the internet search engine and came to an abrupt stop. What the heck was I even supposed to look up? A Clutch? Vampires? Mind control?
I typed away, using different searches and keywords before I promptly began to panic. I couldn’t find anything. What was I thinking? Sure, I found plenty of fanatic sites, even blood drinking ones; but nothing beyond books and folklore. Everything on mind control was layered in psychic crap and the occult. This was a waste of time and my 30 minutes were up. Damn. Clearing the browser history, I got up just as Viv was coming in.
“Find what you needed?” She asked, nodding to the computer.
“Not really. Just looking up some family stuff.”
She frowned in sympathy and looped an arm around my waist, “It gets easier, you know?”
I smiled, “I hope so.”
“Hey, you didn’t eat your ice cream. Does it taste okay?” She frowned, spooning at the melted brown mess in the bowl.
“It’s fine, I just had a huge dinner with Giselle and don’t have anywhere to put it.” I reached out and pinched her jutting hip bone with a wink.
She giggled, “Fine. Just toss it. Jason will be here in a few. We’re heading out for a couple drinks. Want to come?”
“Thanks, but I have an early shift tomorrow. No rest for the weary.” I shrugged and bit my lip. I hated lying to her, I was scheduled for the lunch shift, not breakfast. If she was going out I doubted she’d pop in before that. “Do you need any help locking up?”
“No, I got it. You’d better get home and get some sleep. Those early shifts suck.” She said, crossing her eyes at thought of waking before 6 o’clock.
“Alright, take care, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” I thrust my hips a mock dance move.
We both cracked up, my moves were nonexistent. I danced like a newborn colt frolicking in a field on shaky legs.
As the door closed behind me and Viv clicked the lock on the other side, a feeling of unease slithered down my spine. I looked around, but only saw a few people, their eyes glued to their phones or engrossed in conversation. The street lights were bright, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. I debated ca
lling a Lyft home, but decided against it. With my stolen tips, I didn’t want to dip into my meager savings.
I made my way into the dimmer suburbs with the feeling neither growing stronger, nor subsiding. Six more blocks to go.
Rounding the next corner, I spotted a man on the other side of the street walking in the same direction. It was too dark to make out anything other than his blonde hair, but I kept an eye on him in my peripheral vision until he turned at the next corner. I sighed with relief, not needing another encounter with a stranger. Lengthening my stride, I picked up my pace, eager to get home.
Approaching my studio, I noticed my porch light wasn’t on. It must have burnt out, I thought, and climbed up the steps. Slipping the key into the lock, I had just turned the handle when I was overwhelmed with a dose adrenaline. Fight or flight.
Someone was in my house.
I jerked the door open in a panic; but no one was there. Locking the door, I quickly checked the bathroom and tiny shower. Nothing.
Heart rate calming, I walked back to the kitchen area. Opening the mini fridge, I felt a draft against the nape of my neck. Slowly, I turned with my heart in my throat.
There was a brick of a man standing in my fully open doorway.
I gasped, my mouth opened and closed like a fish. I eyed my bat near the door from my last encounter.
His lips tilted into a smirk, as if he was daring me to go for it. His eyes were ocean blue, just like mine now were, as well as the two strange Vampires from early this morning. He had a strong jawline and high cheekbones. Not pretty, but handsome in a bad boy kind of way. His black leather jacket was open to a dark blue t-shirt. Faded jeans finished the look with black combat boots.
He stared. I stared. It was like a wild west standoff.
Finally, after another moment I found my voice. “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?” I sounded confident, but inside I was shaking.
His smirk turned into a full devilish smile and his cheeks dimpled. He laughed; which immediately pissed me off. Squaring my shoulders, I stalked toward him and squinted my eyes into a glare. The laughter abruptly stopped when I was a foot from him, and my bat.
