by Pepper Pace
Okay, it was a big problem but I had other pressing concerns. I'm one of the undead...how the hell was I going to work my nine to five? And my friends and family were definitely not going to be happy about this.
And you know what? I kinda liked the sun. And I'd never be able to eat another Reeses Cup! I'm not sleeping in a coffin! I'm not going to be a fashion victim either! If I had to be Undead I was going to still rock my DKNY and BABY PHAT! At about six in the morning I stopped my pity party and decided to make sure the sun wasn't going to peak through my bedroom and fry me in my sleep.
Was I going to totally lose consciousness or was it going to be like sleeping?
I didn't want to take any chances. I had survived one night sleeping in the bathroom so I knew it was safe. Tomorrow I'd just have to go out and find something to black out the windows of my home.
Effortlessly I dragged my mattress into the bathroom and tossed it into the bathtub. I was probably ruining the mattress but I made it fit. There were no windows so I didn't have to worry about sunlight. I turned on the radio to the last of the mellow moods hour.
Boney James was blowing his horn. I snuggled under my blanket and tried to pretend that I was pretty lucky and not just screwed.
***
I don't recall falling asleep. There was just this heavy feeling dragging me down. I guess it coincided with the rising of the sun because before I knew it I was literally gone.
There was such a complete nothingness. There was nothing liking the feeling of being at the mercy of just anybody or anything! Now, I could really get how Vampires had secret lairs.
The next evening I cleaned up replacing my mattress and making my bed. It was Sunday night and I would have to figure something out about the job. And my cell phone was so blown up with calls. First Arnitra.
"Girrrrrl!" She growled. "Where have you been? I came over, knocked and knocked and your car was sitting in the drive."
"Oh... I had food poisoning or something. I've been sick all weekend." Damn, I SOOOO wanted to tell her about drinking Neal's blood! We shared everything. How was I going to get through this without my Girl?!
"Kim...You're not keeping anything from me are you? You didn't have a torrid one night stand with Rasta Man because if you did I SWEAR I'm going to talk about you like a dog!"
I laughed...for the first time in forever. "Shut up!" I felt my eyes sting with unshed tears. I really didn't feel like a Vampire. I felt just like me: Kimberly Ann Russell.
We talked for a while. I really didn't want to get off the phone with her because who knew when I'd be able to chat like this again. But I had to go out to the Home Depot. Also...I didn't know if I would have to feed again. I never wanted to feel pain like that again! I would have to catch it before the hunger got too great.
I slipped on jeans and a sweater. I put on sunglasses because I noticed some not too pleasant changes since feeding.
First my eyes had taken on a gleam; golden and very other-worldly. They looked like Lion eyes and I did not like them.
Second, my eye sight and sense of smell had sharpened. When I walked out the door to get into my car I was surprised that I could see ants crawling over a candy wrapper left in Mrs. Kennedy's yard; half a block down the street! I swallowed and got into the car. It wasn't until I was in the Home Depot that I discovered how good my hearing suddenly was.
It seemed that every conversation, sniffle, fart, complaint-every disagreement, every ringing cell phone in the entire store was being broadcast directly into my ears!
As soon as I walked into the store I staggered back and touched my hand to my head. I was so distracted that I didn't even see the store greeter when he stepped up to ask me if I was alright. I had to really concentrate on his lips to understand what he was saying.
I dismissed him with a nod and went inside. I wanted to hurry and get out of there. It seemed that being confined inside a building made the noises much worse. I had not experienced any problems when I was outside. It had to be the blood, because I hadn't experience this last night at Club Midnight.
I bought black paint, black plastic sheeting and black duck tape. Also, I was out of light bulbs and I saw a cute paper towel holder. But when I touched it I heard a sizzle and felt a flash of pain. Ouch! I forgot...no silver. I put my finger tips into my mouth and hurried away in case anybody had caught sight of that.
It wasn't until I was loading my car when I smelled something that caught my attention. I looked around confused. What the...? It made the hairs on my neck stand up. It reminded me of last night when I had spotted the Vampire; William at the club.
Quickly I got into my car and drove away. Something was out there...something like me. I didn't live far from the Home Depot but I took the long way home. The extra extra long way, because I went across town, across the highway-even across the river and back because I thought I remembered hearing something about supernatural beings not being able to follow someone over flowing water. While I was driving I worried briefly that maybe I wouldn't be able to drive over flowing water...and if I couldn't what would happen? Would I just suddenly go blank? If that happened then I hoped I wouldn't take anybody else out when I went over the embankment.
But nothing happened and an hour and a half later I drove up to my apartment and hurried inside with my packages. I didn't smell or sense anything out of the ordinary so it made me relax a bit when I went inside.
I hated to do it but I blacked out every window in the apartment. I figured I probably wouldn't be doing any sleep-walking so there was no danger of my accidentally frying myself if I walked out the bathroom—but I put the black plastic over them anyway, making sure every crack was covered. Then I took down my nice dainty sheers and hung heavy drapes.
After that was done I dialed my boss's voice mail and left some half assed excuse for having to take an entire weeks sick leave.
As I contemplated how I would handle work, something became clear to me. I didn't quite believe that I was never coming back from this. I'm a Vampire...why the hell am I worried about what to tell my boss?! My death, unfortunately, supersedes my ability to hold a job!
I was just about to hold another pity party when I heard a noise outside my door. Now this sound was not something that I would normally have heard. But with my enhanced senses I heard it plainly. Somebody or something was standing outside my apartment door.
Fear like a cold hand gripped me. "Who's there?" I whispered from my place in the bedroom.
"Let me in," a voice spoke more in my head then out loud.
My breath came out in a panic. "What do you want?"
"To come in."
I thought seeing the movie The Exorcist for the first time was scary. This took the cake! Not for a minute did I forget that I had been the cause of a Vampire becoming dead...permanently dead. The Council had wanted me put down even before that. I couldn't even begin to imagine how pissed they were now that I had put down one of them.
I suddenly thought of something. "If you could, you would have come in by now. You need me to invite you, don't you?"
Silence. I got up and crept into the living room.
"Hello?" I whispered. "I'm not going to invite you in-"
"You're a Vampire Kim Russell and I don't need an invitation to enter your home. It's only as a courtesy that I ask. Are you going to open the door or am I going to burst through it?"
I was shocked that he knew my name. The Devil was a trickster, Pastor said! This was the closet to the Devil I hoped to ever get.
"Do what you gotta do." I said plainly.
But nothing happened.
I heard a sigh. "Okay, I was bluffing. You're good, I see." It sounded like Tony, the Vamp that looked like Omar Epps. I wasn't going to be side tracked by his good-looks, if that's what the plan was.
"You might as well be up front. Are you here to kill me?"
"No."
I thought about it, only feeling marginally relieved. "You lied about being able to come inside. How do I know you
're not lying about this?"
The sound of splintering hinges caused me to leap behind the door jam before the pieces even settled. I had moved so fast that I couldn't even recollect commanding my body into action.
Tony strolled into the room looking sharp in a black leather coat, black pants and another black silk shirt. He was wearing an expensive looking watch on his left wrist. Yum! He looked good enough to eat. But wait, he’s here to kill me. Focus!
"I offered a courtesy when I said that I would not just burst into your home, not a lie." His eyes took in my appearance in the same way that they had the night before. He started at my feet—or what he could see of them, and then ended at my face.
"You've fed."
I felt like a little kid hiding behind her Mama's skirt as I used the door as a shield. He smiled or smirked. I don't know which but I didn't like it. I was damned scared and he was amused.
"Since you're in here you might as well tell me what you want." I spoke, trying to sound fearless. Instead of answering he looked around my place. He studied a picture of me with some family members. Tony could have just killed me by now so it was pretty stupid to be standing behind the door...like it was really going to save me.
I walked back into the living room. He ignored me in a way that seemed to be a very Vampire-like trait; like it didn't matter if I crept around because I was going to ultimately do what he wanted me to do.
"I want to bring you in." He said absently.
"Bring me into what?"
He looked at me from over his shoulder. "The Family, of course."
"Yesterday that would have been cool, of course that was before I was almost killed." I responded sarcastically.
He shook his head. "Yeah, I didn't like the way that went down. It wasn't giving you the benefit of showing your abilities." He smiled again, but not that it was really directed at me, but as if there was a joke that I wasn't a part of. "But you did show them."
"Them? Aren't you apart of them?"
"I apologize." He approached me slowly with his hand held out and I stiffened but didn't step back. "My name is Tony. Tony Yates. Vampire, Council member, and ex-hood rat." I put my hand in his and he bowed over it. "At your service."
I swallowed dryly but at least some of my nervousness had left. "I'd introduce myself but you already seem to know my name." I marveled that his hand was nothing like touching William's had been. Tony's was warm, like a human's touch.
"I am a Council member but I'm not like them. They are the old school Neratomay and I'm a new school Vamp. They are straight out of Europe and I'm straight out of Harlem." He appraised me again. Tony was checking me out but not overtly. I guess men didn't change regardless of whether they were alive or dead.
"You probably have a lot of questions. But I need to know something first. Who did you take blood from?"
I opened and closed my breath embarrassed. "My ex..."
"Where is his body?"
The surprise must have shown on my face because my mouth dropped. "I didn't kill him. I just sent him home and told him to forget it had ever happened."
Tony blinked. He rubbed his goatee and looked at the floor. "A second generation would have rampaged and killed friends and loved ones. We've come to understand that thirds don't always have the blood lust."
"Well I can attest to that. It was...good." I said reluctantly, "but..." I shrugged.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came here. I thought you'd be overcome with the hunger. Instead..." He glanced into the open bedroom. "I see that you were decorating."
I was getting tired of standing in the same spot so tense, so I finally moved to my favorite chair and sat.
Tony strolled over to stand opposite me, but not too close. "We are not permitted to kill for food. To kill humans is to bring attention to our kind. It is never permitted."
I grimaced. Kill? He stressed it as if I wanted to go out there killing people. Other than that Council Vamp, I'd never had to consider killing anyone.
Tony was watching me closely. "You have no idea what I'm referring to, do you?"
I looked at him confused. "Not really."
Tony just stared. "It's a part of the blood lust, and thankfully something you will never have to experience." He walked away. "You don't quite believe that you are dead. I can sense that-”
"I...but I-"
"It's in the way you talk, the way you sit, even the way you continue to breathe even though you no longer need oxygen in your lungs." He watched me casually.
I caught my breath and held it. Damn...he was right. I was making myself breathe. That was why there was such an air of calm about him. It wasn't just that he was a cool guy. He wasn't breathing.
I was having a tough time staying focused on what was important instead of on how fine Tony was as he paced back and forth in front of me. "I...um, am I in trouble for killing that man last night? I mean, it was kill or be killed-”
"Johan? No. Had it been an actual kill you would have been permitted his seat on the Council. As it stands we understand that it was his recklessness that caused his death."
I could see that there was something more, or Tony wasn't exactly pleased about something, but the human part of me didn't want credit for a murder, and the Vampire part wasn't developed enough to understand how it could benefit me.
"Johan." I spoke his name. It seemed only right. "So how is it that no one knows about the existence of Vampires?"
"What do you mean no one? Many know about us. One hand washes the other." He made a dismissive gesture with his hands as if it all bored him. "Humans want wealth and power—we want security."
"And people don't whisper your secrets-?"
"Not when we tell them not to."
"Oh. Of course. So, is Tyra Banks a Vampire? Or what about PRINCE?"
"What?"
“Well they are just too pretty to be real.”
Tony laughed and it was deep from his gut. "No! Vampires are not permitted in the public eye. If a celebrity is turned then they have to...disappear—fake death, whatever. The Neratomay want to avoid the public eye at all costs." He was still smiling although the laughter had faded. "It's the 3rd generations that want to bespell celebrities." He finally grew serious. "And that's one of the reasons 3rd generations are put down."
"Like so much trash," I stated bitterly.
Tony was good enough not to respond.
"How often will I need to take blood?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.
He strolled back to stand in front of me. Dayum! He was so fine that I almost missed his answer.
"That, I don't know. You're a third and still smell of human..." Tony had a strange glint in his eye when he said the last--that made me want to protect my neck.
"With us we are fed by a Master that sustains us for days. But even before that there is the blood lust and then we MUST feed; even if it's on a loved one." Tony's eyes took on a cold look and I didn't even want to consider what loved one he had fed on. "With thirds, it's different. Some are just like the Neratomay...some are like you."
"But what exactly is the difference between you and me?"
"You don't know you're a Vampire. We do." His eyes went carefully guarded. "Later. Much much later, we then remember what we once were. But by then it's usually too late."
"So." He said abruptly. "We need to leave this place."
I didn't budge. "Where am I supposed to go?"
Tony smiled. And it was so sexy. "Home with me, of course." When I didn't move he gestured to the door. "You're not going to be able to stay here with the door wide opened. Anybody could walk in or out while you are dead to the world. And if they tried to drag you out...let’s say--to the hospital...Well need I say more?"
I grimaced. "I could always stay at a hotel..."
Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "If you think you could do that within the next two hours. But that wouldn't give you much time to secure the room against sunlight. And if a well meaning cleaning lady entered the room-"<
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"Okay, okay. I get your point." I stood. "I need to pack a bag." I hurried to the bedroom feeling a bit like I had been manipulated into this.
I looked in my closet unsure of what to pack. I certainly didn't want to be all up in Tony's house dressed down when he was looking sharp. Of course, if he was going to be sleeping in some underground crypt I was not bringing out my good stuff.
I decided on black jeans, comfortable black ankle boots and two tops; one a sweater that hugged my new curves, the other a multicolored button down blouse.
