by H. T. Night
I continued to hike toward Imperial Highway. My gym was on the street right past the freeway.
I decided to pick up my pace and do a light jog. I might get less looks from folks for the bizarre clothes I had left on my body. Thank God, the goods were covered. In the end, that was the most important thing. It took me a lot longer than I expected to arrive at the gym. But then again, I wasn’t wearing any shoes.
The parking lot was empty when I arrived. It might have been six in the morning. I was exhausted and was praying just one person would be burning the midnight oil and be inside the gym to let me in. From there, I could figure out my next step.
As I entered the parking lot, I heard a squawk from above. It was a red raven. I was drawn to it, thinking it must be Yari. Thank God. She landed and led me to a vacant area behind several trees.
Oak trees with dense bright-green foliage grew in the lot behind the gym. There were several leftover orange trees and a few pine trees, too. Many who frequented the gym would come back here and snag some oranges to snack on if we felt so inclined. It was pitch-black between the dense tree leaves and the way the gym’s shadow draped over the area this early in the morning, I could still make out the cigarette butts littering the ground beneath my feet.
My superior sense of smell could pick up the sharp scents of citrus and pine. The sounds of small critters and birds filled my ears and I looked expectantly at the red raven. It seemed to be waiting for me.
Once the bird and I were completely out of the view of any cars or people, the amazing bird transitioned into a redheaded woman. It was Yari. She looked beautiful in a black dress that went to her knees.
She stood nearly as tall as me and had a large smile. I looked into her eyes and I was drawn to her face in comfort. I knew her, but something had changed... something I couldn’t put my finger on. This woman had been here for me before?
“Have you been helping me?” I asked.
I felt a glimmer of recognition as the beautiful redheaded woman smiled at me and said, “You were my damsel in distress a couple nights back. I was checking up on you.”
I gave her a long stare, trying to understand what she was referring to. I knew something had happened to me that was awful, but my memories were a bit fuzzy at the moment, probably from being dead. I was pretty sure I’d died and had come back. I was just not keen on the facts of why I came back. Or how. This woman might know.
“So, you are one; a Mani vampire? The same as Atticai?” I asked. “I had heard that this particular vampire group called the Mani turned into birds.” I should have figured as much when it came to Yari.
“Yes, I’m a Mani. You were lucky I was there the night you, uh, well—”
“Died?” I exclaimed, even though I knew I had. I just wanted confirmation from her. “Was I actually dead?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I drove you to the hospital and left you at the front of the emergency door. I watched from a distance and you were picked up and put on a gurney within five minutes.”
“I guess you couldn’t stay,” I said to the vampire lady. She was incredibly alluring in all aspects of her sexuality. She was highly aware she was giving this out to every species that stood before her. With each inhale, I felt as if I were risking intoxication. I’d never been around a woman in my life who gave off this many pheromones. I needed help and this stranger just might be the person to help me.
“So, the world thinks I’m dead,” I said, rather calmly. It felt a bit liberating to be off the grid of life. Problem was: if I was dead, how was I going to get access to my things such as my Mustang and my 80-grand-and-change in a checking account at my local bank?
Deep inside, I was hoping a woman this mysterious would have some quick answers for a fellow like me.
“Why are you here?” I asked. “Are you one of Atticai’s spies? You come in nice but report everything I do back to your boss?”
“Atticai, my boss?” Yari laughed hysterically. “No one is my boss. I fly alone, but when it’s time to have some fun, I choose to hang with certain folks.”
“‘Folks’ being Atticai and his crew of vampires.”
“He doesn’t have much of crew anymore.”
“Why is that?”
“Your mixed martial arts buddy decapitated him and he is likely in a very bad place right now.”
“Atticai is dead?” I asked.
“And Josiah killed him.”
“Josiah?” I asked, completely dumbfounded.
“My teenage best friend killed a seven-foot vampire with supernatural abilities?”
“Oh, there is a lot more to the story than that.” Yari looked above us as some sunbeams made their way into the area where we were standing. “I need to get indoors before one of these sunbeams laser-burns off my elbow. There is a donut shop in the building behind this empty lot.”
“I know it,” I said.
“Go in and use the bathroom. Open the window in there and let me in.”
“Gotcha,” I said. She needed to avoid sunlight and that place was notoriously dark. The food was good, though. They had an odd menu serving sushi, donuts and fantastic sub sandwiches.
She transitioned into her bird form and flew up and over the dense trees into the next lot where the small building stood in sharp contrast to the trees behind it. The shop itself didn’t have windows in front. Just an old-fashioned sign that lit up saying, “Lee’s Donuts” and a weather-worn door with a deadbolt and a vintage door handle with no lock at all. I opened the door and was welcomed by the scent of sugary pastries and coffee. The overhead lighting was dim, but I watched the wizened old Asian woman behind the counter slide a tray of apple fritters into the brightly lit glass display case. It was like a beacon of sweet fried deliciousness beckoning me toward it.
“Hello,” I said in a friendly voice. “May I use your restroom?”
She looked me up and down and then nodded her head toward the right where the restroom was. I quickly made my way across the yellowed and cracked floor tile and entered the tiny room. It had a dingy sink and a toilet I wouldn’t use if my life depended on it. I opened the window behind the toilet. The red bird landed on the windowsill and then floated effortlessly to the floor. She transitioned into her human form and smiled at me.
“Come on; my treat,” she said and she opened the door.
I followed her back into the shop. If the ancient woman was surprised by Yari’s sudden appearance from the restroom, she didn’t show it. She gave me a bored look from behind the counter. I ordered three of the apple fritters and two bottles of milk. The fritters were so fresh, they were still hot. Yari opted for a large black coffee.
We gathered our purchases and took a seat at one of the off-white Formica tables in the back of the shop. Yari waited patiently while I inhaled the first of my fritters.
“Say this to me one more time. My best friend, Josiah Reign, killed Atticai, the vampire beanpole?”
“Took his head clean off. And then, he vanished… the beanpole was gone.” Yari reflected on the moment with a touch of sadness.
“You seem broken up about it,” I said. To my current recollection, I didn’t know anything about this woman and she could be lying to me about all of it.
“Oh, Tommy. It must be nice to be such a simpleton.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I knew when someone was condescending. And nothing pissed me off more than that.
“Josiah—”
“Yes,” I said. “Josiah...”
“Your best friend, Josiah...” Then Yari stopped talking and a huge smile spread across her face.
“He’s a vampire, my werewolf friend.”
I nearly spit out my milk. “Josiah?” My head was spinning. How the hell did this happen?
“He was bitten three times by vampires in Atticai’s crew over a period of weeks. None of them were intending on him surviving the bites. He’s the toughest human I have ever known. Vampire bites weren’t going to take him down. He treated
them like scratches.”
I smiled at her. There was just something about her being here that felt rehearsed. “So, Josiah is a vampire and Atticai is dead. Why are you here?”
“Josiah means a lot to both of us.”
“I doubt that. Josiah is my brother. He is someone you have stalked for two years.”
“I didn’t stalk him. I knew something great was coming. Someone great.” Yari took a moment before she continued. “Tommy, something happened to Josiah when he turned into a vampire.” Yari was having a hard time finding the words, so I helped her out.
“What?” I asked. “Did he grow a third arm? Does he now have a dolphin’s head?” I was ready to list off about twelve more bizarre things, but Yari stopped me in my tracks when she said, “When Josiah transitions, he transitions into a gigantic white eagle.”
I stopped and stared at Yari. “Huh?”
“Not so many jokes are there for that one.” She winked. “Josiah has proven to be a long-overdue Mani vampire who has come to save and clean out the Mani race.”
“Clean out?” I asked.
“That part is not clear. It was always said it would depend on the temperament of the Chosen One. I think Josiah was brought here now to right the wrongs Mani vampires have been committing over the years.”
“How is he supposed to do that?” I asked.
“That part isn’t clear in the prophecy. Only he truly knows in his heart what ‘clean out’ means. It has always been my dream that the Chosen One would be a good man and lead the Mani vampires into a peaceful age with each other.”
“You think Josiah can do that? He had to use his own T-shirt for toilet paper the other day because he was too lazy to go to the store and buy some more.”
Yari smiled at me. “You forget I’ve watched over Josiah for a long time. I know him well and yes, he has a lot of growing up to do. But he is the perfect vampire to lead us in the right direction. I’ve seen his heart and it will guide us onto the right path.”
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on a teenager.”
“Teenager or not, he is the white eagle foretold in Mani prophecy.”
I tried to wrap my mind around what she was telling me, but at the moment, I had more pressing issues. “Do you have a car?” I asked. “I need to hit the bank before the world finds out I’m dead. Or at least, that they think I’m dead.”
“I have a motorcycle. I parked it a couple blocks away at the Quickie-Mart on Lakewood Street.”
“I know where that is.”
Yari looked me in the eyes. “I know you’re more dangerous than Josiah, but I know I can trust you as I do him.”
“No truer words have ever been spoken.”
Chapter Two
Yari ended up being extremely helpful. I found her motorcycle at a Quickie-Mart and I was able to start putting my life back together.
I drove down to San Bernardino on Yari’s white motorcycle to my old house. For now, Josiah thought I was dead, so it would freak out the poor guy if I was to pop up unexpectedly. I needed to do it at the right time. I knew Josiah’s mixed martial arts schedule and he would be having a practice on Tuesday night between 6 and 10 p.m. That would give me plenty of time to get all the things that were mine and bring them to a hotel.
I had nearly twenty thousand dollars stashed in a safe in my bedroom behind a picture of Maya and me. She was always coming through, even in the little things. I packed up two large military duffle bags and put them over my shoulder and headed out of Josiah’s house.
I hauled the bags like a champ to a local Ayers Hotel in San Bernardino. I rented a room for five days. I figured I would start there. The world thought I was dead and I needed to stay away from anyone who thought that. So, going back to Grandma’s house was not an option.
I headed over to my bank before it closed. It was a mom-and-pop bank called First Bank of Hope. I always thought a bank and a church merged or something to come up with that name.
Thank goodness, none of their employees thought I was dead. And I was able to pull out my last $88,242.50.
That gave me over one hundred thousand in cash, on hand. That was never a good thing. But that was the way I would have to live until I could come up with some other identity. I liked having Tommy “dead.”
My room was a simple efficiency room with a kitchenette, or more like a one-room furnished apartment. There was a bed in the middle of the room, with an ancient TV across from it. Light-blocking curtains that looked like they stepped out of the 70s covered the one window and a thin, threadbare gold rug covered the floor. The bathroom was so small it felt like I was on a cruise ship. There was a standup shower—no tub—and directly across from it was the toilet and sink. If I breathed too deeply while sitting on the toilet I would suffocate from the shower curtain.
I filled the fridge and cabinets with food from a small family-owned grocery store that was next to the hotel. There was a pool outside my room but I didn’t want to risk being seen lounging around outside. I could just imagine some Mani flying around in their raven form during the day and seeing me working on my tan.
The TV screen was horrible and no matter how I played with the coloring and lighting controls, it displayed a pale washed-out version of whatever I was watching. It had local channels and HBO. So, at least I had reruns of The Sopranos to keep me distracted some of the time.
The clock radio beside the bed was my best distraction playing music while I did pushups, sit-ups and every other exercise I could do without equipment or demolishing my room.
After I got settled in, Yari came and got her motorcycle and I was without wheels.
So, that was how I lived for the next two weeks. I had to put an additional ten days in at the Ayers, but I couldn’t hide out forever. I was starting to think that I was such a nobody, that I could probably live right out in the open and no one would know or care. The more bored and antsy I became at the hotel, the more I knew I was going to choose to live my life right out in the open.
I was coming out of my skin on what seemed like day fourteen at the Ayers Hotel. I had a surprise knock at my door.
“Who is it?” I yelled from my bed. Like I said, I had become extremely lazy by this point.
“It’s Yari!” she yelled from behind the door. There seemed to be a sense of urgency in her voice, so I hopped out of bed and let her in.
“Josiah has gotten himself into a mess.”
I could only imagine what kind of mess Josiah could get into as a brand-new vampire. He was getting into messes as a human. Being a vampire would probably triple this number.
“What has happened?” I asked.
“Goliath decided he has a beef with Josiah. A whole group of werewolves want to meet him sometime tonight. Alone.”
“Forget him going there alone. Do we have a time?”
“My spies were only able to tell me that a fight is going down soon, and Josiah and Goliath are right in the middle of it.”
“Goliath will eat Josiah alive,” I said. “Josiah is tough, but that crew of werewolf jerks don’t fight fair. Especially against a vampire. Dammit. I will have to go down there. I need to talk to Josiah before the rumble.”
“Good luck. He was last seen flying in many different directions. I don’t think even he knows where he’s going.”
“If he is going to be in a fight, I know where he will end up. He’s a fighter through and through and he will go to the gym. Where’s your motorcycle, Yari?”
“I drove it here. I knew you would need it. Again.” Yari gave me a wink. She was coming through in a big way. I hoped her intentions were pure. All we needed was a double agent in all of this.
“I’m taking it to the gym. I’m going alone. Be in the area and I will contact you to tell you what is going down.”
Yari handed me her keys. I had on my leather jacket, blue jeans, a gray T-shirt and black Doc Martens boots. I was ready to kick ass and take names.
I jumped on Yari’s white Kawasaki Ninja ZS-11. It wa
s a simple crotch rocket and not the preferred Harley-Davidson. But we all make sacrifices and I had places to be. I started her up and slid onto the freeway, making my way toward my destination: the gym. It was late and it would be closed up for the night, but I knew about the window being left open. And I also knew the back door jiggled in a weird way.
The roads there were deserted and I felt like I was the only man left on earth. I drove as fast as the bike could handle and slipped into the parking lot of the gym about 20 minutes later. I coasted the bike to the back of the gym’s parking lot and parked it under some overhanging trees. No reason to advertise my presence here.
I pulled out my driver’s license and unlocked the back door by slipping the card in the doorjamb space and jiggling the lock. I didn’t have to jiggle it too much. It was pitch black once I closed the door, except for the office window shining light from the moon. I went in and opened the window wider to make things easy for Josiah. No doubt, he could just fly in the window for a quick workout before tonight’s big fight with Goliath.
I began working one of the three punching bags. My mind was wrapped up in Josiah and the fight he was about to take part in. I threw a roundhouse kick at the bag and it flew across the room and slammed into the wall. It must not have been hung up right or something. It couldn’t be because I’m a werewolf, could it? Boy, that would have been dangerous if I had done that while the gym was full of people. I decided to take a seat on the bench press and wait for my friend to show up.
Not long after, the door to the office opened and Josiah stepped out into the gym. He headed straight for the punching bags. His head tilted in confusion at the middle one missing, but he opted for the one on the right and began beating the tar out of it. His form was impeccable and his movements were fast and smooth. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of that jab.
“Leave some for the fight,” I called out in the dark gym.
Josiah stopped throwing punches at the bag and turned around. “Who is it?” Josiah called out.
