by Rue Volley
Johnathan started to slow down as I noticed the blinking sign… not so much on purpose, then from a bulb shorting out that simply read “Pork.” I grinned and leaned up on the seat.
“Do you think they have pork chops and applesauce?” I asked.
Josh looked at me and shook his head.
“You can eat anything, and yet you pick the filthiest animal.” He said.
“No…pigs are clean.” I said as the car stopped and I swung my door open, smelling the bacon as soon as I stood up. I closed my eyes and breathed it in. I love the smell of pork… a leftover from being pregnant with Gracie. I must have eaten a thousand pounds of it… funny thing was… she hated it. Funny how that worked out.
I closed my door and stood there, tapping my fingers on the hood of his car, until they both stepped out and closed their doors too.
“We have about thirty minutes to spare.” Johnathan said.
“Seriously? We could flash there in three minutes… maybe five with your slow ass.” Josh said.
Johnathan closed his door and started to walk. I expected anything to come out of his mouth… something clever, but no. He walked up to the front door of ‘Pork heaven’ and stepped in, leaving Josh and I at the car.
“Okay.” I said as I started to walk after him.
Josh grumbled something, but I didn’t catch it. I don’t think that he enjoys the lack of effort on Jonathan’s part to talk to him. I stopped at the door and turned to him.
“Johnathan is really upset, I can feel it.” I said.
“Uh huh.” Josh said as he opened the door for me and looked in and around the dimly lit diner.
“Josh… please, talk to him… just talk.” I said.
Josh looked at me and grinned.
“I am.”
I rolled my eyes and stepped in, the jazz music hitting me first and I grinned. It never ceased to amaze me how I run into good music at the weirdest places sometimes. I looked around and saw Johnathan at the jukebox and grinned. Of course he played it. I felt Josh’s hand on the small of my back and we walked over to the booth and sat down next to each other. Johnathan walked back over and sat down, lifting the menu to his face with a big retro looking piggy with a top hat on, on the cover of it. I grinned and grabbed a menu too and ‘oh’d’ as I visually swept the all pork menu. Josh leaned and looked at my menu and sighed.
“No beef?” he asked.
I looked at him and shook my head.
“This is pork heaven…you are going to have to suffer.” I said.
“I did…for 9 months.” He said.
I nudged him and Johnathan lowered his menu and looked around. We seem to be the only patrons and no waitress in sight.
“It is too quiet.” Johnathan said.
Josh sat up straight and looked around the diner.
“Where the fuck is everybody?” he asked.
The door swung open to the kitchen and a red ball came rolling out and slowed next to our table. We all watched it and then looked at each other.
“Fuckin' hell.” Josh said as he stood up quickly, and so did Johnathan.
A small girl came flashing out of the kitchen and grabbed the ball, she flashed back from us and Josh turned to face her and tilted his head. She held the ball, tightly in her arms, and grinned at the three of us.
“Are you hungry?” she asked as she tilted her head.
Josh reached back and held his hand out to me. I took it and stood up as he pulled me out of the booth and placed me somewhat behind him.
“How long?” he asked her.
She giggled and flashed out the front door and we stood there, not so much scared as just realizing that it wasn’t pork we smelled. We heard a throat clear and turned to see a woman standing there, looking like a model from a 1930’s magazine and we all took a step back, one step closer to the exit.
“Hello, travelers.” She said.
“This is not a human’s diner.” Johnathan said.
The woman grinned and crossed her arms on her chest.
“It would appear not to be so.” She said.
I swallowed and looked up at Josh who never took his eyes from her.
“We won’t be eating here.” He said to her as he lowered his face and continued to stare at her.
“That is a pity; the food is quite good I assure you.” She said as she glanced at Johnathan, who probably smelled delicious to her, with his mixture of human blood and everything else.
“You are special.” She said as she unfolded her arms and stared at him.
“So I’ve been told.” Johnathan said.
She took one step and Josh took point in front of both of us. She smiled at him and sighed.
“I know that you could kill me, I have no intention of trying to eat your friend here… I simply wanted to smell him a little better.” She said.
“Sure… sounds great, but we have to go.” Josh said.
“Are you rogue?” I asked her as I leaned around Josh and stared at her flawless face. She smiled at me and grinned without showing her teeth.
“I am, and you are the shield.” She said to me.
I crinkled my eyebrows and stared at her, how the hell would she know what I am?
“Oh, news travels fast.” She replied to me as if she had read my mind.
“I would love to hang and chat about all this, but we gotta go.” Josh said.
“Mmm, pity. I would love to get to know him better.” She said as she glanced at Johnathan.
“Yea, thanks.” Johnathan said as we all backed our way up to the door. The door behind us opened quickly and a small flash went by us. Johnathan hissed and pulled his hand up as we watched the little girl flash behind the woman and placed her finger in her mouth. Johnathan looked at his hand and saw a small cut, with blood coming from it.
“Not cool.” He said as he placed it in his mouth and the woman placed her hand behind her and pulled the small girl around to face us.
“Now Mina, tell him that you are sorry.” She said.
The small girl grinned at him as she licked her lips.
“I apologize.” She said in a small voice. She looked up at the woman and smiled.
“He tastes different.” She said.
I bit my lip, not enough to break the skin and stared at the two of them.
The woman smiled and looked at the three of us.
“Forgive her, she is young and does not understand that we are not to touch any of you.”
Josh tilted his head.
“Oh, like a rule?” He said.
“More like a death sentence.” She said.
I tilted my head and Josh backed me out, we all watched as the woman and young girl faded in the darkness as we backed out into the sunlight.
We stopped and then ran to the car. Johnathan started to pull his door open and Josh nudged him out of the way.
“I am driving.” He said.
Johnathan grumbled and ran to the other side. I slid in the back and Josh gunned the engine as Johnathan shook his head and we kicked up gravel as we pulled out. I looked back as the woman and the young girl stepped out and watched us roll down the road away from them. I turned and yelped when Josh hit the brakes, as a line of people stood across the road. The car slid sideways and we stopped. I leaned up and held onto the back of the seat, as I looked at all the faces staring at us.
“God damn it.” Josh muttered as he gripped the wheel.
He looked at Johnathan and shook his head.
“We are in rogueville and you are attracting them like cockroaches.” He said.
“Like I am doing it on purpose.” Johnathan said, sounding more like himself.
“I wouldn’t doubt it.” Josh added as he gripped the steering wheel and stared at the line of rogues reaching across the road.
“I wanna fly.” Josh said all whiny and obviously mocking Jonathan’s voice as it probably existed in Josh’s head.
“Don’t get all shitty, we have to get out of here.”
“Oh
you think?” Josh asked as he looked at him and raised his eyebrows.
Johnathan sighed and stepped out of the car and I tried to say something, but he had the door shut before I could blink.
“Oh, for crap sake.” I said as I leaned in closer and watched him walk towards the group, just begging for them to pounce on him. I tilted my head, when he raised his hands and started to talk to them, like he was making a speech. All the rogues stared at him and then at us. I swallowed and tapped Josh on the shoulder.
“Should you go out there?” I asked him as I scanned the rogues and then settled my gaze on Johnathan, who looked unbelievably calm.
“Ah, no.” Josh said as he kept his hands on the wheel. Suddenly the rogues started to move, off of the road and Johnathan turned his back to them and walked back to the car and got in. Josh looked at him and frowned.
“What the hell did you say?” he asked him.
“I told them that you would kill them all.” He said.
“Oh nice, without my blades? Very cool of you.” Josh said.
“They all know the legend; it has spread like a virus.” Johnathan said.
“The legend of what?” I asked.
“Of who we are.” Johnathan added as he waved his hand and Josh started to roll by the rogues, who stared at the three of us like dinner. I sat back and slowly locked my car door, like it would help. One of the rogues, a young boy, smiled at me with pointed teeth and it sent a shiver down my spine. I hate pointed teeth, as most people would.
“They all look so young.” I said as we pulled away from them, as they all stood like statues by the side of the road.
“They are, they are new… but not stupid.” Johnathan said.
“New?” I asked.
Johnathan turned and looked at me as Josh picked up speed and took us away from piggy heaven, which in all reality was human hell. He grinned and looked at my face. I was happy to see a grin come from him, knowing that he probably didn’t feel like doing it.
“Yes, since you and sword here decided to have Sara, all reproduction has started again, not only with rogues… but with all vampires.” He said.
I looked at Josh in the mirror and he grinned at me, like it was an invitation to hump. I looked down and back at Johnathan.
“So we triggered a population boom?” I said as I sat back and leaned against the black leather seat.
“Yea.” Johnathan said as he looked at Josh.
“What?” Josh said as he glanced at him.
“There are many towns like that now, too many to count. The news doesn’t report it, because they usually move in and eat all the journalists first.” Johnathan said.
I looked out as the landscape passed us by. How many humans had died, because we opened the floodgates? How many more? What if in the end, no humans survive at all? Too many questions, not enough answers… and I didn’t want to think that Josh and I caused it all, which would suck. Like super suck, with suck sprinkles.
“I know.” Josh said.
I glanced at him and shook my head.
“You knew about this?” I asked him.
Josh tilted his head down as he drove.
“Yes.” He said.
“Nice Josh… thanks for keeping me in the loop.”
“No problem.” Josh said as I bit my lip and crossed my arms on my chest.
Johnathan turned around in his seat and looked at me.
“Don’t be mad, it was my idea to keep it on the down low.” He said.
“You?” I asked him as I crinkled my eyebrows.
“You have a perfect life… why worry about the world?” he asked me.
“Because… I am still a protector, which will never change.” I said as I looked out at the sky and started to look at the clouds.
Johnathan turned back and looked at Josh.
“You happy now? She is mad at me.” He said.
Josh nodded and glanced in his mirror and stared at me.
“Yep.” Josh said as he grinned at him.
“I am mad at both of you.” I said as I continued to stare at the clouds and wonder how much they hadn’t told me about whatever the state of the world was. I had to admit, since Gracie… I had been all about just protecting her and what I had in Calvary, forgetting that the world does exist outside the protective spell of Calvary Minnesota. Was I wrong for forgetting the world? Was I slacking on my ultimate responsibility to protect her by ignoring what may be lying in wait for her outside of the home that we have created? God, I hoped not… I really did. That was not the freaky parent that I wanted to be, the ones who keep their children bottled up and gave them no tools to battle the evil that would come calling someday. The car started to slow down and I looked at Josh and then at the road. A deer was lying there with another deer standing next to it, nudging at its side… obviously injured. I leaned up and looked at the two of them and it hit me like a wave. There they were, two happy deer’s… romping around and then wham, a car comes along and turns a beautiful day into sorrow. We rolled by slowly, Josh being careful not to get to close.
“Stop.” I said as I had an overwhelming urge to help them.
“Uh... deer, probably pissed off, no blade.” Josh said.
“Stop.” I repeated to him and he did, knowing that he would have to anyway, because I would roll out of the car and onto the road if I had too.
He stopped the car and I unlocked my door and stepped out. Johnathan opened his door and I held my hand up, he sat there and stared at me as I moved towards the deer as he hovered over his mate. I held up my hand and stared him down, sending out as much good energy as I could, to try to reassure the buck that I had no bad intention. The buck raised his head, antlers towering over him and he huffed, his breath coming out in a puff of white smoke. I continued to walk towards him and then looked down at the deer on the road, which didn’t look hit as much as bitten. I sighed and looked back at the buck and opened my mouth.
“I know you probably cannot understand me, but I only want to help… and I can if you trust me.” I said.
The buck clicked his hoof on the asphalt and I looked down at his mate as she struggled to breathe.
“Let me heal her, it has been a long time since I helped anyone.” I said.
The buck backed up and I walked to her and leaned down, placing my hand on her slowly and feeling her erratic heartbeat. Her breath came out in short white puffs into the chilly air and I closed my eyes and remembered how to ground myself. I focused on the core, and drew her energy into my body… quicker than I ever had before. I felt a tingling in my fingertips and then felt it start to pass from my hand into her. Her body shook a little and the buck got nervous and clicked his heels harder on the asphalt, I looked up at him and grinned. The doe under my hand started to move a little and then she kicked her legs and rolled as I moved back from her in a flash. She pushed herself up as the wound on her side started to pull itself back together. She stood there, breathing in the air and staring me down. I stood up and looked at the two of them as they suddenly ran from me, like I was the enemy. I looked down at my hands and then turned to see Josh and Johnathan standing behind me, both with a stance that told me that if anything had happened they would have killed both deer and had me in the car before I could have blinked.
“Happy now?” Josh asked me.
I shook my hands out as the cramping faded. The cramping being a leftover of pulling injury from anything, something you get used to when you are able to draw negative energy into yourself and get rid of it.
“I am happy that they will be together now.” I said as I walked back to the car and got in.
Josh walked back to the car and Johnathan stood there staring out into the open field, watching the two deer run across it and into the forest in the distance. My heart went out to him; no one was there to save Brooke for him… as I or any of us would have if we were with her. He lowered his head and then turned and got back in the car, as he closed his door we all heard the two gunshots ring out in the distance
and I closed my eyes, hoping it wasn’t what I thought it was.
Sometimes you can’t save anything, and for a protector that is the worst thing in the world… especially when you get to think about it forever. I wanted to tell Johnathan that I was sorry for his loss, but I glanced at Josh and felt my heart sink… because I so don’t know how it felt and I could only hope that I never ever do. Johnathan pulled the letter out and held it to his chest and I leaned back and closed my eyes, letting the hum of the engine help me relax. I had nothing I could say to him and no one spoke the rest of way to the airport… which was just fine with me, because sometimes words suck, they can never express what you feel, not really.
Chapter 2
Kitty Kitty
“No.” Gracie said as Theo held the plate out to her and tilted his head.
“Now that is not necessary.” He said as he wiggled it a little.
“I don’t want it.” She said as she crossed her arms on her chest. Theo placed the plate in front of her and sat down in the chair next to her at the table.
“Gracie Barrington, I promised Joshua that you would eat… therefore I am obligated to make sure it happens.” Theo said, with as stern a voice as he could.
“I want cookies.” She said.
“Oh, well… let me see about that.” Theo said as he stood up and walked to the cookie jar and opened it up. He stared into it and saw only crumbs. Gracie sat at the table grinning, with her back to him.
“It would seem that the cookie supply has been depleted.” Theo said.
“Oh.” Gracie said as she lowered her head and played on Theo’s want to make her happy.
“Oh dear.” Theo said.
Gracie turned in her chair and grinned at him.
“We need cookies Uncle Theo.” Gracie said as she put on the ‘help me’ face.
Theo sighed and stared at her.
“It would seem to be so.” He said as he closed the cookie jar and looked at her.
She jumped up and ran to the coat rack and jumped at her red coat, almost knocking the stand over. Theo looked at her and smiled.
“I would take it that a trip to the store is in order.” He said.
“Yep.” She said as she struggled to get her coat on. She started to zip it up and jammed the zipper. Theo walked to her and knelt down to one knee as he started to fix the zipper issue. She looked at it and then at him. Theo fixed it and zipped it up and adjusted her hood, on her head.
