by Amy Cross
"And what does Abigail think about all of this?" I say.
"She knows nothing of it," Benjamin replies. "Yet. From what I hear, she's being bullied at school. Obviously this isn't anything particularly unusual, but the bullying is rather extreme. I'm worried that her tormentors are in some way sensing the truth about her. They can pick up on the fact that she's different, and they're reacting accordingly. Humans are like all other animals in that respect. When they sense someone different in their midst, they lash out."
"So what do we do?" Todd asks.
"We move for her within twenty-four hours," Benjamin continues. "There are... things out there that would very much like to get their hands on her. Some of them want to use her and mold her for their own purposes. Others simply want to gain revenge because of how they were treated in the past by Patrick. They've been looking for her for many years, but we've managed to keep her hidden. Now that she's turned sixteen, it's no longer possible to guarantee her safety. Her true nature is starting to emerge. To put it bluntly, she smells different. There are creatures that can pick up her scent across a great distance. If we wait much longer, she risks being attacked, and in her current state she would be unable to defend herself. She'd be slaughtered."
"So that's what this is?" I ask. "A rescue party?"
Benjamin smiles. "You can think of it that way if you wish," he says. "If we leave her in Callerton, she won't last another six months. My men are on the ground there and they've already detected unusual activity in the area. Tenderlings, Golvs, various other creatures. There's even a report that Wormwood has been seen in the area. I'm sure you can appreciate that we must act with great haste."
"And then what do we do?" I ask.
"We take her to her father," he replies.
"No way," I say. "After what he did to Sophie, there's no way you can let him get his hands on Abigail."
"Things have changed now," Benjamin continue. "Patrick has initiated his own death. The Age of Chaos is coming and Abigail needs to spend time with her father before he's gone."
"What do you mean?" I ask. "How has he initiated his own death?"
"Vampires can't be killed," he explains, "but they can choose a time to die. They can set off a chemical process that begins to shut their bodies down. It typically takes between six and nine months to complete, and it can't be stopped once it has begun. Patrick has made this choice and it's only a matter of time before he passes from this world to the next."
I stare at him for a moment. "That doesn't make sense," I say. "If you can live forever, why would you choose to die?"
"All things must pass," Benjamin replies. "Patrick is ancient. He wanted to die after the vampire war, but he knew he had to wait until he had a child. Now that Abigail has reached the age of sixteen, everything is in place. The problem is that Patrick believes Abigail doesn't need guidance. After all, he himself had no guidance when he was young -"
"Look how well that turned out," Todd interjects.
Benjamin smiles. "The Watchers believe that it's in Abigail's best interests if she is taken to meet her father, to spend time with him before he dies. As her powers develop, she will need to see that she's not alone."
Standing up, I take a deep breath. "Well, guys, it sounds like you've got this covered. Thanks for filling me in, and I wish you the best of luck. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna head back to New York and get on with my so-called pathetic excuse for a life. Give my regards to Abby and Patrick."
"We need you," Benjamin says to me.
I shake my head. "It sounds like you've got this covered."
"Abigail will have no memory of her mother," he replies. "She'll have questions... Questions only you can answer."
"You owe it to Sophie," Todd says. "She was your best friend. You have to help her daughter."
"And if I don't?" I say, determined to not get dragged into all of this. "Will the world come to an end? Will giant spiders attack? Will monsters and goblins come out of the woodwork and start scratching her face? I mean, is there some kind of big prophecy about all of this as well? Am I destined to help Abby?"
"No," Benjamin says.
"Will the sky split? Will lightning rain down?"
"No," Benjamin says again.
"So why should I get involved?"
Benjamin pauses for a moment. "Because she's the daughter of your dead best friend, and because she never knew her mother, and because right now she needs you."
Abigail
Callerton, New Mexico.
"Have you got everything?" Ruth asks as we pull up outside the front of school. Lately she's been insisting on driving me in the mornings, and she's acting really nervous, as if she knows something's up. I guess she must have cottoned on to the fact that I'm being bullied. "Do you want me to pick you up tonight?"
I shake my head.
"Okay," she replies. She's so skittish, she can barely talk properly, and she keeps glancing around as if she expects to see the boogie man come racing over at any moment. "Just remember," she says, turning to me with a sad smile, "if you need help for anything, just go straight to the principal's office and get him to call me. Okay?"
I nod.
She stares at me for a moment. "I don't suppose there's any way I can get you to explain how you got that bruise on the side of your face, is there?" She pauses. "Don't think I didn't notice it last night, but I thought maybe it was just a bump. What happened, Abby?"
I stare at her. Even if I could talk, I wouldn't tell her the truth.
"Are you in trouble?" she asks.
I shake my head.
"Okay," she says. "Well, I was your age once, and I know how these things go. Just watch yourself, okay? Now get out of here and have a good day."
I lean over and give her a brief kiss on the cheek, before getting out of the car and slamming the door shut. I wave as she drives off, but just as I'm about to head inside I notice that she's parked just around the corner. Figuring something must be wrong, I hurry across the parkland. As I reach the car, I see Ruth sobbing in the front seat. I back up, feeling as if this isn't something I should get involved in right now. Whatever's wrong with her, it's not as if we can talk about it like normal people. Is she just upset that I'm being bullied, or is something going on that I don't know about?
Heading into school, I walk quickly to my locker, glancing over my shoulder in case there's any sign of Donna and her friends. So far, so good, and I manage to get all the way to class without being bothered. Once I'm at my desk, I spot Donna sitting over in the corner, talking to some guy named Nick. Right now, of course, I might as well be invisible. Donna spends her days talking to guys and generally acting like the queen of the whole damn place; it's only later, when school's out and she needs some cheap entertainment, that she turns her sights to me. Still, yesterday evening she seemed different somehow, and I'm curious as to whether she's going to start changing her approach to me.
Classes go okay all morning and, when lunch comes, I quickly make my way across the nearby park. I like to be alone as much as possible. When I'm around other people, I find myself thinking about all the ways I keep fucking up. At least when I'm alone, I can just get lost in my own thoughts. I swear, one day I'm going to just move to some remote place and live all alone in a little cabin by a river. I'll spend my days fishing and swimming, and at night I'll cook the fish I catch. I'll have a little garden where I'll grow vegetables. Most importantly, I'll never, ever have to see anyone. It'll be just me, alone all the time, and it'll be bliss.
Suddenly a stone lands next to me. Turning, I see Donna marching across the grass, coming straight at me. I feel my heart sink at the prospect of another confrontation. Seriously, why is she bothering me now? She's never done this to me during the day before.
"Hey, bitch face," she says. "What the fuck were you doing outside my house last night?"
I sigh. Whatever she's on about, I hope she'll just get it over with. At least here in a public place there's less chance of her hitti
ng me. Getting to my feet, I turn to walk away, but she grabs my shoulder and pulls me back.
"Do you think you're funny?" she asks, stepping closer. "Do you think you're scaring me? I saw you standing outside my window, so don't even try to deny it. Sure, it was dark, but you were there. What's wrong, are you gonna go all Columbine on me? Is that your plan?" She leans right up to my face. "Bite me, bitch."
I stare straight back at her. I have no idea what she's talking about. I certainly wasn't standing outside her window last night or any other night. If she thinks I'd deliberately go anywhere near her, she must be delusional. I guess this is all just a part of her latest stupid game. I wish I didn't have to play.
"You're such an asshole," she continues, her voice full of venom. "It's not even Halloween. Don't act like your stupid costume is gonna make me get all scared and leave you alone. Was it a message? Were you trying to tell me that you're gonna rip my guts out? It was pretty good make-up. How'd you do it, anyway? It really looked like your stomach had been ripped open. For a fucking asshole, you did a pretty good job."
I take a deep breath, desperately wishing she'd just go away. She's so close to me now, I can smell her stinky breath. It's almost as if she's been chewing on old fish all morning.
"Leave her alone," calls out a voice.
I look over and see Nick, a guy from our class, walking across the grass.
"She's my friend," Donna says, putting an arm around me. "Why would I leave my friend alone?" She smiles as if she and I are just having fun together.
"Bullshit," Nick replies. "You're nothing but a bully. Why don't you fuck off?"
Donna sighs. "You know something? I'm sick of people misinterpreting my actions. I'm just trying to help the poor little moron out. I feel so sad when I see her sitting all alone. Frankly, I think she's arrogant and rude."
"Get lost," he says.
"Fine," she replies, taking a few steps away, before turning back to me. "Oh, Abby, please tell your fake Daddy that I appreciate his kind invitation to come to dinner some time, but I must respectfully decline due to the fact that I consider you to be an absolutely fucking disgusting little piece of shit." She grins before walking away.
"She's nice," Nick says.
I nod, before gathering my stuff and starting to walk back to school.
"Hey," he says, walking alongside me, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out some time."
I smile. It's not too hard to see through his act. I wouldn't put it past Donna to have set up this whole encounter, just so she can trick me into going to meet Nick. After all, Nick and I have nothing in common and he's never spoken to me before, so why would he suddenly be interested? My best bet is that he and Donna have come up with some bitchy plan to cause me the worst possible humiliation. Fortunately, I'm far too smart to fall for something so obvious.
"What do you say?" he continues.
I stop and turn to him, before shaking my head.
"Okay," he says, looking disappointed. "Sorry, I just thought I'd suggest it. No hard feelings." He turns and walks away, leaving me standing alone. This place is starting to drive me crazy, and I'm seriously thinking about just packing up and running. After all, I'm pretty bad at school anyway, so it's not as if I'd be missing much. The odds of me going to college are zero and, unless I start speaking, I don't think I can even get a dead-end job at one of the local malls. It's time to face facts: I've got no prospects whatsoever, so I might as well leave home and start looking for that remote cabin. I just wish I had some money to help me get started, but I suppose there's not much I can do. Then again, Evan keeps some cash in a safe at home. It wouldn't be hard to find out the combination, and I could get away from here with a few grand in my pocket. Sure, it'd be stealing, but I reckon Evan and Ruth would consider it a price worth paying in order to get rid of me.
I take a deep breath. There. I've decided. I'm going to get away from this shitty little town. I'll leave tonight. There's no point hanging around just so I can be bullied. I'll go and find a place where no-one can ever find me. I just want a nice, peaceful, uncomplicated life without other people getting in the way.
Shelley
Callerton, New Mexico.
"This is the place," says Todd, staring out the window of the van.
We're parked in a bland-looking New Mexico street. There's nothing here that stands out or looks weird. It just seems like a perfectly normal residential part of town. It's weird to think that after all the things that happened back when Abigail was born - all the searching for her, the trouble with Nimrod and everything else - she's somehow ended up living in such an ordinary place. You'd never think that the daughter of the last vampire on Earth would be in a place like this. It just seems like the most boring town in the world. Well, the second most boring. Dedston's definitely the winner of that particular competition.
"I'll do the talking," says Benjamin, sliding the door open and climbing out. He carefully straightens his suit before looking both ways and then crossing the road. Sighing, I climb out and follow, with Todd just behind me.
"This is ridiculous," I say, putting on a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes from the bright New Mexico sunshine. "What exactly are we supposed to do? Waltz in and tell a sixteen-year-old girl that she's actually part-vampire and she needs to come with us so she doesn't get eaten by monsters that live under her bed?"
"Why would a monster live under someone's bed?" Todd replies. "Think about it. It'd be a ridiculous place to make your home."
"You can tell that to Abby," I say, lighting a cigarette. Ahead of us, Benjamin walks up the driveway of a house.
"Benjamin has been in touch with the family for some time," Todd says. "They're going to help us explain everything and ease the transition. They're fully supportive of our actions. Anyway, who said Abby's a vampire? Patrick's the last vampire. Abby's something else."
"Like what?" I ask.
"Like a new type of vampire," he replies.
When we reach the house, Benjamin has crouched down by the door and is examining scratches in the wood. "See that?" he asks, tracing one of the scratches with his hands. "Golvs."
"Here?" Todd asks.
"Probably just a scout," Benjamin continues, getting to his feet, "checking the place out. Still, it's proof that unwanted attention is being paid to Abigail. We have to get her out of here." He knocks on the door.
I glance over at the road just as an elderly woman walks past. She looks at us for a moment before continuing on her way. I guess we must look like a pretty strange group: Benjamin looks like an old Vegas crooner, wearing a Sinatra-style suit and having the air of an elegant, graceful old man; Todd's wearing dark clothes and a long, dark green coat, as if he expects to start fighting at any moment; and I'm wearing a red t-shirt and leopard-print leggings. Damn it, I'm the only one out of the three of us who has any style. Frankly, if I opened the door and found us standing here, I'd slam that door shut without a second thought.
"Hi," says a male voice as the door opens. I turn to see a nervous-looking middle-aged man facing us. "You must be Benjamin," he says.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Parlour," Benjamin says as they shake hands. "I only wish the circumstances were different. Allow me to introduce my associates. This is Todd Hart. It might surprise you to learn that Todd is in fact Abigail's uncle, by blood." He turns to me. "And this is Shelley. She was a friend of Abigail's mother, and she was instrumental in helping keep Abigail safe when she was a baby."
"I was?" I say, surprised.
"You'd better come in," Evan says, stepping back so we can go inside. "Abby's not home from school yet. Do you -" He pauses as he leads us through to the kitchen. "I mean, do you have to take her today?" He turns to me. "I'm sorry, would you mind finishing that cigarette outside?"
"Gotcha," I say, opening the door for a moment and tossing the cigarette onto the steps.
"I'm afraid time is of the essence, Mr. Parlour," Benjamin says. "We've already left it far too late. There a
re signs of activity in the area, which I believe indicate that Abigail's presence has been noted by certain creatures. You knew when you took Abigail in that this day would come."
"Of course," Evan replies. "It's just... My wife is taking this very badly. She's in the bedroom now; she's too upset to come out and... I hope you'll understand. Abby's our only child. When she's gone, it's going to leave the biggest hole in our lives."
"I want to be very clear with you," Benjamin says. "My friends and I could walk away right now and leave Abigail here. We could choose to do that. But within two, maybe three days, this house would be attacked by things you can't possibly imagine. They would kill you and your wife, and they would either kill Abigail or take her away with them. Trust me; I have experience in these matters. By taking her today, we're ensuring your safety while putting Abigail in a place where she can't be reached by any of the malevolent forces that are after her."
"I know," Evan says, "and I believe you. It's just -"
"Is this them?" says a voice from nearby. We turn to see a woman, wearing a dressing gown, standing in the doorway. Her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Frankly, she looks like a complete mess.
"Yeah, honey," Evan says, walking over to her.
"Abby's a good girl," she says, sniffing back tears.
"This is my wife, Ruth," Evan says, turning to us. "Abby's mother."
"Not her real mother," Ruth says. "Though God knows I tried..."
"We were never able to have children of our own," Evan adds. "Eventually we chose to adopt. We spent a couple of years going through the formalities, and then we heard about this little girl who'd been found down by the river in New York. She seemed so lost and vulnerable. We thought..." His voice trails off.
"There's something wrong with her," Ruth says. "It's not her fault. It's not our fault, either. It's just true. And then when you got in touch with us a few years ago and explained that she'd have to leave us eventually, it all kind of made sense. I just don't want you to think that we're bad people, even though we're going to let you take her away. We're not bad parents. We're just -"
