The Childe

by C. A. Kunz

  “Mom, why are you so worried about me going to school tomorrow?”

  “What makes you think I’m worried?” Rachel murmured unconvincingly, looking off to the side and not at Cat.

  “Mom, come on, you’re fidgeting. You only fidget when you’re worried,” she stated, trying to make eye contact with her.

  “Oh, you know me, Mrs. Worrywart. I know you’ll be fine,” Rachel said, finally looking Cat in the eyes. Cat could tell by her mom’s eyes that she was fearful of something. Cat only wished she knew what.

  “Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?” They both turned and were surprised to see Cat’s dad, Sam, ducking through the doorway into her room. He was a handsome man with kind smiling golden brown eyes and just a touch of grey at his temples.

  “Whoa, dad, we didn’t even hear you. Did you tiptoe up the stairs?”

  He laughed. “I guess those ballet lessons have finally paid off.” Cat’s vision of her dad in a tutu made her giggle and her mom joined in.

  “Dad, please tell mom I’ll be fine tomorrow. What could possibly go wrong? Sure, I might go to the wrong class, or not be able to open my locker, or drop my lunch tray. But these are all minor issues,” she said, trying to reassure her mom.

  He shrugged, “I’m trying to convince her, but I feel it’s a hopeless cause.”

  Rachel glared at her husband, “Somebody has to do the worrying around here, and since I’m the only grounded one in this family, it falls on me.”

  Cat watched as her dad gracefully pulled her mom into his arms. As he leaned her back, he planted an exaggerated sloppy kiss on her lips. Rachel playfully pushed him away and then smiled while smoothing down her shoulder-length golden brown hair. After kissing Cat on the forehead, Rachel petted Jewels behind the ears, and then walked to the door. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled.

  “Pleasant dreams, sweetheart. I love you. Come now, Samuel, let Cat get to bed. She has a big day ahead of her tomorrow. And has no time to waste talking to you any more tonight.”

  “Oh woman you’re asking for it,” he joked. “I love you too, of course more than your mom,” Sam said with a grin. “Hey woman wait up, I want to talk to you!” he yelled while walking to the door. He winked at Cat and followed Rachel’s tinkling laughter down the stairs.

  “Jewels, they may seem crazy, but I guess worrying just comes with the parental territory. But you’ve got to love them, huh?” The feline stretched, meowed, and leapt off the bed and out the window without looking back. Jewels had never made an affectionate exit, but Cat was used to her ways, and she smiled at the feline’s abrupt departure.

  Feeling a cold draft, Cat closed her bay window and headed to the bathroom to begin her nightly ritual. Foregoing the harsh overhead fluorescents, she plugged in a nightlight which allowed her just enough light to see her reflection in the mirror. She turned her attention to her face and she saw porcelain skin, which was her mom’s description. Most people would’ve just called her pale.

  Cat removed her contact lens and uncovered what only a select few knew about her. Her left eye was amber colored. Her right eye was sky blue. No one could explain why, after having two blue eyes for fourteen years, her left eye began to change color. What started as only a tiny amber spot, quickly spread, and engulfed her iris over the course of a year.

  Cat sighed while running her hand through her unruly, wavy, long red hair. For years she wanted to change her hair style, but finding someone willing to tackle the challenge was difficult. The unusual shade of red was shared by only one other member of her family, her Uncle Michael. Her dad called her his fireball, her Mom called her beautiful sunshine, and Taylor called her the RED FREAK. Okay, so two out of three wasn’t bad. She turned and looked into the full-length mirror that hung on the front of the door and groaned when she saw her lack of girlie bits.

  “You still have some filling out to do, don’t cha, Cat?” She wished the two inches she had grown over the last year would have gone to other areas of her body instead of her height. She recently began shying away from anything other than flat shoes, not wanting to add extra height to her already tall frame.

  Cat was also left-handed, which made her even more different. But heck it could be worse, she mused. Her favorite quote was that she didn’t fit the norm as she was “tall, left-handed, redheaded, and didn’t tan.” Thankfully, she lived in Astoria, where the sun was missing most of the year, so she blended in pretty well. All in all though, she felt comfortable in her skin.

  Cat unplugged the nightlight and hopped into bed. She grabbed her favorite Robert Craven vampire novel, Red Twilight, from her nightstand and began to read.

  Downstairs Sam and Rachel sat on the couch in the study. Sam’s arms were tightly wrapped around her. The study door opened slightly and Taylor poked his head into the room. “Hey guys, what’s with all the moping?”

  “Taylor, come in and shut the door,” Sam said as he took off his glasses and began rubbing the lenses with the handkerchief from his shirt pocket. “Your mom and I met with Aldon tonight. He didn’t have any new information. The lead he had disappeared. Now he has to start over. This is dangerous stuff we’re dealing with here, son.”

  Sam’s frown lines on his forehead deepened. “Your mom’s worried about Cat going to school tomorrow. I’m trying to reassure her that she’ll be okay.”

  “She’ll be fine, mom. She’ll have her friends with her and she seems normal. I don’t know what all the fuss is about,” he uttered, showing little concern.

  “Taylor, what part of ‘this is dangerous’, don’t you understand? We have no idea what Cat will go through in the near future. And we must keep her safe. This is not just about her going to some silly school, Taylor, and you know that. She could be in real danger and we could be powerless to help her.”

  Rachel glared at her son as tears slid silently down her cheeks. “So, you’ll take her to school tomorrow and keep an eye on her. I want no argument, mister!” she demanded, swiping away the tears.

  “I’m not her babysitter! You guys are overreacting. I’m tired of it always being about Cat,” he huffed.

  “Son, you’ll do as your Mom and I have asked. And we’ll have no further discussion on the matter. Hopefully you’ll be in a better mood tomorrow.” Without looking back, Taylor stormed out of the room and up the stairs.

  A floor below Cat, the slamming of Taylor’s bedroom door startled her. That’s his “I’m upset” slam, she thought. Lately Taylor seemed more tense than usual. He barely acknowledged her except for when they ate dinner together, which was mostly on weekends. It couldn’t be because we’re going to the same high school, could it? Her parents told her it was just a phase he was going through, but she doubted it. Hearing no music below, she figured he must have put on his headphones in order to drown out the world.

  The clock on Cat’s side table showed eleven. After taking off her robe and putting the book down, she climbed between the cool white sheets and pulled the comforter to her chin.

  Two hours later, Cat lay listening to the clock ticking like a metronome. “I’ve got to get to sleep. I don’t want to look and act like a zombie on my first day, do I? Sleep…sleep Catherine…sleep,” she murmured to herself.

  Cat opened her eyes. She was surrounded by a black smoky haze swirling around her. “Where am I? Where’s my bedroom? This has to be a dream, but it feels so real.”

  She watched as the haze slowly began forming shapes that eventually became her bedroom surroundings. Cat rose to her feet, and felt pulled to the bay window. Upon opening it, the smoky haze swirled passed her and out of the room, revealing the balcony and the rest of the neighborhood. The scene outside seemed like a surreal painting with everything cast in the unnatural violet glow of the full moon looming overhead.

  She suddenly felt her body become weightless as the wind swept her up and moved her over the houses lining Nehalem Avenue, past the downtown district, and over the port. In the distance she heard the sound of the ocean
crashing against the shore of Oldes Bay. Up ahead she noticed a group of charred trees circling a barren clearing. Unseen hands pulled her toward the ground until she was standing upright in front of the bare patch of land. Cold wet sand squished between her toes, sending chills through her body. Looking around, she felt like she should know this place. It seemed familiar to her even though she knew she had never been there before.

  A concrete slab foundation and a pile of white stones caught Cat’s attention. Moving closer to the stones, she noticed that one in the middle of the pile was inscribed with the words Look Within. “Look within what?” she asked.

  Before her eyes a house appeared, formed by the smoky haze, where the concrete foundation had been bare before. The two-story wooden dwelling looked weathered, aged, and abandoned. Looking around again, she noticed the trees that surrounded the clearing were now full of lush foliage instead of charred remains like before.

  Her eye caught a flash of light darting past the front window of the cabin. Approaching the window and looking inside, she saw a figure holding a flashlight and moving quickly around the room. Drawn toward the door, Cat was surprised when she turned the handle and it opened. The figure was hunched over a large traveling bag, frantically shoving clothes into it. As Cat moved away from the door, the full moon’s light revealed a tall, slim woman with curly bright red hair. Closing the bag, the woman pulled it to the center of the room. She lifted the corner of the area rug covering the floor, revealing a wooden panel. Suddenly, the woman raised her head as if startled by a loud noise. Cat caught a glimpse of her face, she looked terrified.

  “Erika, we are coming for you! There is no place to hide from us!” An eerie voice called out, muffled by the walls of the cabin.

  Erika pulled the wooden panel up by a large metal ring. She grabbed her bag and threw it down into the opening. Turning, she reached for a bundle that Cat hadn’t noticed before. A tiny cry sounded from it as the Erika pulled it close to her chest, patting it gently. It’s a baby, Cat thought. With the child in hand, she descended slowly through the trap door, the panel closed and the rug rolled back over it.

  The front door suddenly slammed shut behind Cat, plunging the room into darkness. She heard slow and heavy scratching on the front of the cabin.

  “Erika…Erika…come out, come out wherever you are,” a menacingly evil voice whispered.

  Cat gasped as the front door flew open. Dark shadowy figures with pale beautiful faces entered. Their eyes burned with hate and their mouths were full of razor-sharp teeth. She stood paralyzed, afraid if she moved they would see her. I need to wake up now! Cat, wake up! She thought. I need to get out of here! Why can’t I move? What’s that bright light coming from upstairs? It’s fire! They’re setting the house on fire. I need to get out. Cat tried to move, but her feet felt like they were in quicksand. Maniacal laughter filled her ears through the thickening smoke. Dark shapes moved beyond the fire and disappeared.

  The front door burst into flames as Cat went to grab for the handle. She was trapped. The intense heat and thick smoke caused her to collapse to the floor. Her vision blurred and her throat began to close. Cat gasped for air and then succumbed to the darkness.

  2

  First Day

  The loud buzzing of the alarm clock yanked Cat from her intense dream. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she hit the snooze button and tried to make sense of it. She sighed, and was relieved to be back in her bedroom and not being engulfed in flames. Creepy, really creepy, Cat. You couldn’t have a nice pleasant dream on the first day of the rest of your life. No, you had to have fire and dark shadows with glowing eyes and razor-sharp fangs, she thought crossly. Of course the beings from her nightmare were nothing like those from the DARK SHADOW series, Cat’s all-time favorite Robert Craven novels that had been turned into movies. Ah yes, Bartholomew Drake, Mr. Vampire himself and star of said series. According to Cat and her friends, Dracula just didn’t hold a candle to him.

  “Cat, honey, are you awake?” Rachel’s voice carried up from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Yes, mom, I’m getting ready!” she yelled back as she made her way to the shower. Cat grabbed whatever she could get her hands on to make an outfit. A pair of low-rise jeans, a layered pink T-shirt, white tennis shoes, and a gray-and-pink striped hoodie was what she came up with.

  Shower done, hair dried, Cat stood looking in the bathroom mirror. She put in her contact, blinking, making both eyes identical again. She got dressed, grabbed her messenger bag, and ran down the stairs.

  Cat’s mom had gone all out. A full breakfast with eggs, wheat toast, turkey bacon, homemade blackberry jam, and freshly squeezed orange juice was waiting for her. Not wanting to hurt her mom’s feelings, Cat tried to eat a little of each, but her nervousness was causing her stomach to do flip-flops, and she was finding it hard to swallow. Her father, dressed in his tweed ensemble with matching brown practical pants, sat down and helped himself to a large portion of everything. He definitely looked the part of an absent-minded professor, with black wire-framed glasses and shaggy golden brown hair.

  Her mom was sunshine, with a sunflower jean jacket and a pale yellow long-sleeved dress with leggings to match. Cat knew most moms didn’t dress like hers, but it suited her perfectly. Of course, being the owner of the only florist shop in town gave her justification to look like a fresh flower every day.

  As usual, making a grand entrance, Taylor walked into the room, and threw his back pack onto the floor. He pulled out a chair, plopped down, and began devouring the food that Rachel placed in front of him. With frustration written all over his face, the two dimples that usually appeared when he smiled were absent. Pausing from his food consumption, he looked up. “Hurry, Cat, we haven’t got all day, I’ve been ordered to chauffeur you to school. I can’t be late, so quit playing with your food and eat already!”

  Rachel gave him a kiss on the top of his head, “Now Taylor, your father and I said last night that it would be nice if you took Cat and Julie to school for a little while. At least until Cat gets her license. I know some of your friends drive their siblings to school, so stop complaining. Let’s have a big smile to start the day.” Cat held back a grin as she watched Taylor force a fake smile.

  Sam stood and wiped his mouth. “Rach, honey, that was fantastic! And as I often say, if you weren’t already taken, I’d marry you in a heartbeat.”

  Both Taylor and Cat groaned at the familiar phrase that came from their father several times a day, every day.

  Rachel giggled, as was her usual response. “Well if my husband wasn’t so handsome I’d take you up on your offer, kind sir.” She grabbed Sam, kissed him soundly, and then giggled as he swatted her behind.

  The love between Cat’s parents never failed to amaze her. They had been married for twenty years, but still acted like newlyweds.

  Sam turned to look at his children, his two dimples growing deeper by the second, and he formally bowed to them.

  “And to my wonderful children, have an exquisite day of learning. I am off.” With that, Mr. Ancient History Professor picked up his briefcase and made his exit.

  “Let’s go Red Freak!” Taylor barked.

  “That’s Miss Red Freak to you, boy,” she replied, then kissed her mom’s cheek. Cat noticed tears in her mom’s eyes as her arms came around her.

  “Have a great first day. I love you so much. Please be careful,” Rachel said softly.

  Taylor rolled his eyes, “It’s not like she’s moving to the other side of the world, Mom. She’s just going a mile and a half up the road, and she’ll be home before you.”

  “I know that, Taylor. I felt the same when it was your first day too, remember? Now leave before I start bawling my eyes out.”

  Taylor quickly kissed his mom and headed for the front door. Blowing her mom a kiss, Cat followed out behind him.

  The Colvin household, Victorian in style, matched the others that lined the long and winding Nehalem Avenue. However, during the daylight hours its
beautiful blue and white accents made it stand out from the rest. Another unique feature was the widow’s walk that circled above Cat’s attic bedroom. Local folklore recorded that her widow’s walk had been a lookout spot for fishermen’s wives, who watched the bay and waited for their husbands to return.

  Sitting in the driveway was Taylor’s car. His baby. A 1967 metal flake dark blue, black leather seats, four on the floor Mustang.

  “Yoo-hoo! Colvin children! Off to school are we?” Cat and Taylor cringed at the sound of their nosey next door neighbor’s sickeningly sweet voice.

  Maude Roberts approached, dressed as if she was trapped in a 1950’s sitcom, with a mid-length red checkered dress and red patent leather pumps. Her hair, big and bushy, was said to contain all of the secrets and gossip Astoria had to offer. She held a jeweled leash in her right hand which was attached to the barking monster, Fredricka the poodle. Everyone who knew the Roberts’ couldn’t quite fathom how Randy Roberts, Maude’s husband, put up with the two of them.

  “Well, I see you didn’t get dressed up for your first day of school Catherine. Does your mother know you’re wearing that?” she asked, peering at Cat through her thick coke-bottle glasses.

  “Yes, she does, Mrs. Roberts. And frankly, she’s just a little embarrassed of me. But since we’re running late, I guess this will have to do for today,” Cat replied smugly. “Well, got to go,” she said as Taylor started his car and slowly began backing out of the driveway, barely missing Fredricka who was straining to bite his tires.

  “Have a good day, Colvin children!” Maude called out with an empty smile.

  Cat jumped into the backseat and then Taylor drove across the street to where Julie and her mom, Claire, stood waiting on the curb. Julie’s smile was strained. Her hair was up in a ponytail, which was not a good sign. Her outfit, like Cat’s, looked thrown together.