Monster

by Yolanda Olson

  “Cause madness,” she said with a grin. “It’s my favorite.”

  I had to laugh. Someone so friendly was able to harness such an incredibly damaging power. And she seemed to be impressed that I was partially immune to it.

  Corpse 1 – Vamp 0.

  “So about this carnival,” she said getting up and heading to the door,” Let’s go to it. Be ready in about an hour.”

  I watched her as she walked down the hall humming to herself. Ken was sitting there looking at his hands. If I didn’t know any better I’d say he looked pretty embarrassed.

  “Her skin’s peachy,” I half muttered to myself. Apparently my subconscious still hadn’t let that process.

  “I know,” he said. “It’s not naturally peachy, sometimes she does this weird thing that makes her skin look like that. Tries to pass off as being human as much as possible so that when she’s in public no one stares. Staring makes her very angry.”

  “I could only imagine what that’s like to witness,” I said as he chuckled. Then I asked him something else that was bothering me. “How exactly are we going out in the sun?”

  “I already told you,” he said laughing, “It’s not going to hurt either of us. Watch I’ll show you.”

  I had to convince myself that I wasn’t about to watch one of my greatest friends not burst into flames. That was the only way I allowed myself to follow him out to the main doors.

  He placed his hand on the doorknob.

  A drop of sweat slid down the side of my face.

  He turned the knob.

  My heart started to race.

  He pulled the door open and a sliver of sun started to pour in.

  In a moment of terror I threw myself against the door slamming it tight.

  Ken laughed and pulled me away from it in one swift movement. Then he yanked the door the whole way open and the warm sunlight poured in engulfing both of us. I fell to the floor and tried to cover my bare arms and face. I could feel the heat starting to melt my flesh, I could feel the pain staring to set it, and I could feel –

  “Get off the floor already,” he said laughing.

  I didn’t budge. I wasn’t feeling particularly suicidal right now so I didn’t want to expose myself completely. The chunks that fell off would grow back, I knew that much. I just didn’t ... to be honest I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.

  “Finn. Look at me.”

  I shook my head.

  “Trust me, Finn. I wouldn’t do anything to scare you or put you in danger, just look at me.”

  Something in his voice made me trust him immediately, so I very slowly uncurled myself from the ball I had involuntarily fallen into. I pulled my arm off of my face and peeked one eye open. What I saw made me sit up at lightning speed and my mouth dropped wide open.

  There was Kendrick, standing in the full view of the sun and he was still in one piece. He looked radiant, he looked human. Well, almost human. His skin was still pale but he was even better looking in the daylight.

  “C'mere,” he said with a grin.

  Getting to my feet I walked over to him and stood in the powerful glow of the sunlight. It was amazing, I never thought in my wildest dreams that this is something I'd ever be able to do again. I must've looked like a child seeing nature for the first time because he laughed and clapped me on the back.

  “Nice isn't it? I do this every now and then. Ava knew all along of course but she figured I'd realize it eventually.”

  I shielded my eyes and grunted my reply. Hanging out with Ken was starting to make me into a mushy kind of 'person'.

  “Well, that's great, but shouldn't we be getting ready? I think Ava really wants to go to that carnival,” I said retreating inside. I walked into the house and trotted up the stairs. I had no idea where I was going but I didn't want to be part of the “Look at the pretty sun” club anymore.

  As I reached the top of the staircase, Ava emerged from one of the rooms carrying a pair of dark blue jeans and a tank top so light blue that it matched my eyes perfectly. Smiling, she handed them to me and gestured me into the room she had just come out of.

  I walked in and turned the lights off. I didn't want any visuals of her room. I was tired of starting to be best friends with everyone and if I found something interesting in her room I knew I'd ask her about it. I changed as quickly as I could and walked back into the hallway. Approaching the stairs, I heard her and Ken laughing and talking to each other at the bottom of the stairs. Taking a deep breath I rolled my eyes and headed down the stairs, my clothes in hand.

  “You can toss those in the back of the car,” Ken said as we walked out into the sunlight again.

  Once again I found myself shielding my eyes. This stupid sun was so bright I was afraid that it was trying to steal my sight. I practically ran to the car to get out of the sun. Ken used his automatic remote to open the doors so that I could climb in. Setting the clothes down next to me, I pushed my hair out of my face and waited for them both to get in.

  Ava reached into the glove compartment and pulled out an expensive looking pair of looking sunglasses and handed them back to me. Prada, the side said. I guess even immortals have good taste. I thanked her and slid them on.

  The car roared to life and Ken booked it all the way to the fairgrounds. I couldn't help but wonder if Skiles was here somewhere. Maybe he knew that we could be out in the sun and he didn't tell me. When you're abandoned you don't get much conversation, I thought bitterly.

  The three of us piled out of the car and waited patiently in line so that we could buy our wristbands to go in. The line moved swiftly so it didn't take long at all. Once we got inside, Ken said he was going to go to the game booths and Ava asked me to take her to the stables. We all agreed to meet back at the Death Wheel in two hours.

  Silently we walked side by side. At least I was trying to be silent, she was chatting away in a friendly way. Being at this carnival though didn't make me feel particularly friendly so I just responded every so often with an “uh huh” or “yeah”.

  She stopped talking when we reached the stables though. I didn't know if we'd be allowed in without Ryker, but then again, I really didn't care. I just wanted to get out of this oppressive sun that everyone seemed to love so much.

  I pulled open the door and looked around. When I was sure no one saw us, I waved her in and closed the door securely behind us. I saw my beautiful Shire horse lift its head over its stable door and blow when it saw us approaching. I smiled as Ava clapped in delight and ran over. The horse sat there patiently while she pat its muzzle and gave it a big hug.

  “Can I share something with you,” she said to me. At least I thought she was talking to me, she seemed to be so entranced by the horse I wasn't exactly sure.

  “Um, sure.”

  “I wonder if there's an empty stall around here,” she said again to me but transfixed on the Shire.

  “Yeah there's one at the far end of the stables,” I said pointing.

  “Then let's go,” she said finally looking at me.

  This time we were both quiet as we approached the back of the stables. She leapt cleanly over the door and I did the same. I sat on a hay bale and watched her walk around the room a little bit before doing the same.

  Taking a deep breath she looked me straight in the eyes, “I want to tell you how I became what I am.”

  I was shocked. A story like that is very personal and for someone who just met me I felt kind of flattered that she wanted to tell me.

  “Yeah, I'd love to hear it,” I told her.

  “If I tell you my story, will you tell me yours?”

  “It's pretty short, but yeah, that's a deal,” I said nodding. Then I put my chin in my hands and listened to her tell me the story of her transition.

  “Sweet. The year of 1850 was when I was made into a vampire, but my story starts in the year, 1849. My family was well off, not rich by any means, but not poor either. While everyone was scrambling to get to California for the Gold Rush, we were scra
mbling to get out. My parents weren't very fond of the animalistic behavior of people trying to find bits and pieces of gold. I was the youngest of five children. This will segue right back into the move, that's why I decided to throw this piece of information in here,” she said with a smile. “I was also the only girl; can you imagine being raised with four older brothers? Going out to shop was a nightmare. I always heard, 'Head down Ava. No looking at anything inappropriate for a young lady. Eyes forward in the store. Only buy what you need. That's not suitable for a young lady.' There were times I thought I'd go mad and start throwing a tantrum,” she said laughing.

  “Now the strictest of my brothers was Josiah. He was usually the one that went out with me whenever I wanted to go anywhere. Even if it was for a walk. I know he did it because he loved me, but there were times where I'd wish he'd just back off. But much like my father, he spoiled me rotten. When my birthday came, Jo bought me the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. It was blue and black plaid. The bonnet was white, which matched the white lace around the waist of the dress, but it also had a blue lace intertwined. Also he bought me beautiful leather boots to go with the outfit. I thought I was very grand, especially when my mother had hired the local barber to come and give me a fancy new hairdo. My father had given me a fancy umbrella that set off the outfit and my three other brothers bought jewelry made of gold. I felt like a princess.”

  “They threw a grand party for me too. Apparently seventeen was a very grand age. So I mingled with the people there like a good little girl. I felt empty though. I mean most of my friends, the few my family had allowed me to have, were already engaged or married, and I had never really given it much thought until the party.

  Now before you think the reason for that feeling was because I wanted to be engaged, it was really because I knew this was the last time I was going to see them. It was a going away party only they didn't know it.”

  “The next morning, my father asked me to meet him in the gardens. When I got there, he asked me to sit and had the maid bring me a cup of tea. As I sipped it, I politely asked what it was that I could do for him that morning. Smiling he said to me, 'You are my most precious child. I love you dearly, and I want you to be happy. Since we are leaving today, I give you the choice of where it is that we are to live.' I was shocked; I couldn't believe he left such an important decision up to me. But I knew where I had dreamed of going, so I answered him quickly. 'New York, father. Please.' Nodding he told me to be ready to leave in an hour that all our things were packed. If only he knew that letting me pick that destination was going to lead to my human death, I think he would've asked my mother instead,” she said with a grin.

  “We went on a boat he chartered and arrived in New York in 1850 and man was I happy to get off that boat! I was so sick of the sea by that point I was going to tell my father to just have the captain dock and we'd live where he docked,” she said shaking her head. “So my eighteenth birthday was a few days away, since it almost took a full year to reach New York. I already knew what I wanted; I had thought about it when we were on that dreadful boat. Once we were all moved into our new two story homestead and everything was unpacked, I decided to swallow the fear in my throat. I asked our new maid to gather the family on the patio so I could make my request. I walked in shaking like a leaf, because my request was almost unheard of. They were all sitting there looking at me expectantly and I began my well-rehearsed speech.”

  Standing up, it was almost like she was reliving the moment, “'Father, Mother, Josiah, Andrew, Matthias, Brett,'” I said looking at each of them in turn, 'I have a request to make for my birthday.' They all stared at me curiously, Jo leaned forward and asked me what it was. I knew that least of all, he was going to go along with it. Looking to the paneled floor, I whispered, 'I'd like to go out for the evening. Alone.' He stood up, enraged, and said, 'Absolutely not. You're a woman, you cannot be allowed to wander the streets alone. Who knows what would happen to you?' Father had silenced him with the wave of a hand, and came over to stand by my side. 'She's never asked for such a thing, Josiah. If this is what she wishes, I say let her have it. It is only one evening.' I was shocked to be honest with you. After all Father was the one who always had one of my brothers with me when I went out for any reason. I hugged him happily, but watched as Jo stomped out of the room. My father noticing the sadness that suddenly crept on my face assured me that Jo would get over it and agreed that on the day of my birthday until the moon reached its peak in the sky I would be allowed to explore New York on my own.”

  Sitting back down, she looked at me, “So the next few days went by in a blur as you could possibly imagine. I spent those days getting together the perfect outfit. I didn't see Josiah until the day finally arrived. He looked so angry that I couldn't help but feeling like I'd betrayed him in some way. That's when I decided to wear the beautiful outfit he had gotten me for my seventeenth.” Clearing her throat she turned and looked at the yoke that was hanging on the stall's wall. “When I woke up that morning I was so excited I was barely able to eat. I dressed myself up in Josiah's gift and slid on the gold jewelry my brother's had given me. I raced down the stairs and out into the patio. I hugged all the members of my family and left our home. If I knew that was going to be the last time I saw them while I was still alive, I would've taken more time to sit and talk to them. New York was very beautiful then. It was so lively, sure the crime was horrendous but I was so taken in by everything that I didn't care. I wandered the streets, and as I passed stores I would go in and browse. I didn't buy anything because I wanted to buy it all,” she said chuckling. “I remember passing this one child, he was a small boy, covered with dirt and holes in clothes. He had been eating out of some trough and I felt so bad for him that I took him by the hand and brought him to a food store. I asked to him to pick anything he wanted and I bought it for him. He hugged me and his dirty little hands left hand prints on my lovely dress. To me those prints were a badge of honor. I wore them for the rest of the day. When the night came the streets were livelier than ever, and more dangerous.”

  Getting up off the hay bale, she stretched herself out on the floor and crossed her arms behind her head, “This is the last bit I can tell you. I came across a group of men who wore the stench of alcohol on their breaths. I mean you could smell them a mile away. I was fine until they spotted me and started staggering towards me with evil smiles on their faces. My umbrella was going to be my weapon that I knew the moment they laid eyes on me. I also knew that I was going to die. I wasn't scared though, just sad that I had run out on my family that morning. Anyway so they came at me asking me if I wanted company, I didn't even reply I just kept walking tightening my grip on the umbrella. When one of them grabbed me by the arm and swung me around, I brought it around with such a force that I broke it on his face. The other men backed up as I held the broken wooden umbrella like a dagger, daring them to get closer. That's when one came up from behind me and stabbed me in my back. I fought through that searing pain and swung around, stabbing him in the neck with my makeshift weapon. It broke off in his neck so if I was going to fight now it was going to have to be in my hands. He fell to the ground, obviously dying from the wound I had inflicted. I was fighting the dizziness that was taking over me and told the other drunkards to finish what they started. And that they did. They fell on me in a fury of fists and bottles hitting me over and over. They even managed to steal most of my jewelry with the exception of one ring,” she smiled holding out her left hand. On her middle finger sat a very old golden ring. “So there I was laying in the dirt streets of New York wondering how long it was going to take before I died, when who should I see but Kaeden. Kaeden Westmore, by the way, is the vampire that made me. He sat next to me and asked me if I wanted to die. I couldn't answer him because I was in so much pain, so he grabbed my hand and told me to squeeze it once if I wanted to die and twice if I wanted to live. Feeling the world starting to go black and my body starting to go cold, I squeezed his hand as hard as I
could two times. Suddenly the pain stopped, it was replaced by an acidic feel in my blood and I lay there writhing and screaming wondering why I would've chosen this over death. It felt like I was dying anyway. He sat there and bit into an apple waiting for my transformation to be complete. Finally the pain stopped and my breathing returned to normal. He helped me up and I saw the world in a completely different way. The stars seemed brighter, the air was crisper, and my senses had become so much stronger. So after a few days passed I started to notice papers printed up in the town claiming a five hundred dollar reward would be paid to whoever brought me home. I cried when I saw those notices. I didn't know that vampires could cry until I did. He felt bad for me and we would go at night to my family's homestead and watch them. My father seemed to have been driven mad with despair. My mother cried nonstop. Matthias, Brett, and Andrew would keep a constant watch, in case I ever came home. Josiah... my poor Josiah, he would leave every night in hopes of finding me.”

  “After a few months passed, they decided to hold a memorial for me. Almost like a funeral but with no body. So what they did was have the local undertaker fashion a casket out of maplewood and carve my favorite things into it. It was really pretty; stars, flowers, butterflies. Since the services were held obviously during the day, Kae had fashioned a really thick velvet cloak to protect me from the sun. I watched my family weep for me and yet I felt nothing because I knew that I was in a way, still alive. Jo looked so bitter, so angry. He watched everyone that attended to see if any of them gave some sign that they did it. I miss him. I would sit outside his window at night and watch him when he actually slept. He gave up after the services.”

  She stopped talking and just stared at the roof in the stall. I wasn't sure if that was the end of the story so I sat there silently.

  “That's it. That's all I can tell you until you find out about everything about Kaeden,” she said.

  I stared at her. That wasn't part of the deal. “Oh, okay. Um, Ava? I ... I can't even begin to imagine what you went through in those final moments.”