by K. A. Poe
“No! They're just nightmares. I don't know what has brought them on.”
“They just started last night?”
“Yeah, they started after I met up with Karen and her cousin, Claire...” I hated speaking her name. Even though I didn't have a solid reason to dislike her, these nightmares were making her seem like an enemy. “She acted really weird after I told her about me and Salem.”
“Claire? I don’t remember Karen ever talking about a cousin Claire before.”
“Weird, maybe they were never close until recently,” I mumbled, “you guys spend like, every minute together at work, right?”
“Close enough,” he agreed.
“Jason, could you do me a favor?”
“Anything, Alex,” he sounded almost too eager.
“Can you drive me home?”
“Yeah, sure,” he was obviously reluctant now. I wasn’t sure if he believed me about Salem not being abusive.
11. TEMPORARY
I sat with Jason in his car, parked just a few feet away from Salem's house, for what felt like hours. This had been the second time I had abandoned him – this time with even less reason than the last. With a quick sigh, I pulled the car door open and climbed out. Jason followed behind me, uninvited. Considering what I had put him through, I opted not to say anything and let him come with me.
“How in the world did you even manage to walk from here to my place?” he said in awe as we walked up the alabaster stairs.
“That's a story for another time,” I mumbled.
As we approached the front doors, Jason eyed the stained glass windows and glanced at me. “What's this?” he asked.
“Art,” I shrugged, not about to give him the full details behind the bat and the raven etched into the glass, “Salem made them.”
Should I knock or just walk in? I couldn't make up my mind. Fortunately, I didn't have to. The doors flew open and Salem stood inside, at first he appeared relieved and then somewhat furious when he noticed Jason beside me.
“C-can we come in?” I muttered, feeling somewhat stupid.
Salem arched a brow, “You don't have to ask to come into your own house, Alex.” He stepped back, allowing us entrance.
“I know...” I said quietly as I stepped over the threshold, “Salem, this is Jason. Jason, Salem.”
Neither of them seemed to acknowledge the introduction. I sighed. Jason appeared just as amazed by the interior of the house as I had during my first visit. Salem looked distraught as he watched me walk into the living room and flop onto the sectional. I knew by the way he glanced at Jason that he wished he wasn't present.
“I'm sorry,” I mouthed.
“You probably guessed by now, but Alex stayed over at my place,” Jason said as he stopped marveling at his surroundings, “she was really upset.”
“I know,” Salem said in a surprisingly calm tone, “has she slept at all?”
“Yeah, that's why she was gone so long,” Jason explained, “she woke up during a nightmare, though.”
“Another one?” I stared at the anguish that was displayed on his beautiful face, “There must be something I can do to stop these,” he appeared to be talking to himself more than to either of us.
“She seems to think not sleeping will work,” my best friend responded, shaking his head, “I let her sleep through her last dream and she got mad at me.”
Salem grinned. “Good of you to let her rest, however. I am thankful for that.”
My eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. Had they forgotten I was even here? Jason sat beside me on the sectional and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Thanks for cleaning up the house, Mitch and I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime,” I mumbled. “I guess I'm thankful that you let me sleep, even if you were letting me suffer!”
“You were dreaming, not suffering,” Jason laughed. “I'll see you later, Alex.”
“Thanks for driving me home,” I said with a grateful smile.
“Take care of her, okay?” he said to Salem as he walked toward the door.
“I will,” Salem promised.
Once we were alone, Salem sat on the sectional. He was clearly hesitant to sit near me after my outburst from the previous night. I scooted across the couch until I was beside him and wrapped an arm across him. My eyes stared apologetically into his and he managed a faint smile.
“I am so sorry Salem, really,” I said with a pout. “I was being stupid.”
“I am just glad you are back.”
“So am I.” My head rested against his chest. “I wish I understood why you keep killing me in these dreams.”
He didn't reply.
“Salem...” I said, lifting my head and looking at him again. “Jason said he has never heard of Claire before, even though Karen is around him all the time...and you know how she is with gossip and stuff. You would think she would have mentioned her by now.”
He appeared deep in thought as he listened to me. “That is odd.”
“Is there any chance that she could be a vampire?” I asked suddenly. “She is one in my dreams.”
“Does she look like a vampire?”
“No...She looks like a normal girl,” I replied, “Her skin is tan, her cheeks rosy. There’s nothing undead about her appearance at all.”
“In that case, I do not believe she is a vampire.”
“Well, there's something off about her.”
“Perhaps,” Salem replied thoughtfully. I watched his eyes glimmer purple for a mere second and a dish materialized on the coffee table: ice cream. The same thing he used to calm me the last time I was feeling depressed. Aside from sleeping, food was the last thing I wanted right now. “It's chocolate,” he commented, “and you must be starving.”
With a sigh of defeat I leaned over and plucked the bowl from the table. “I really don't feel like eating right now, Salem.”
“You'll feel better if you do,” he insisted.
I stuck the spoon into the moist, rich cream and put it to my mouth. To my surprise, there was a swirl of caramel throughout the ice cream that tasted amazing. “Caramel,” I said with a smile, “my kryptonite.”
“I thought you might enjoy it,” he said with a grin.
And I did. I felt much better than I expected after consuming the dessert. Cuddling up against Salem's cold body, I yawned sleepily. I couldn’t believe I was still tired. “Tomorrow is Thursday,” I mumbled.
“Yes,” he replied, stroking my hair gently, “what is your point?”
“We have to make arrangements with Karen to get together on Friday.”
“We can worry about that tomorrow.”
“Well, I am comfortable,” I chuckled and shut my eyes, temporarily forgetting my fear of sleep. Salem kissed the top of my head lightly as I drifted off.
When I woke up, I was surprised to find myself cuddled up against Salem in his bed. My memory was foggy, but I was absolutely certain I had fallen asleep on the couch. Slowly, the grogginess faded and I lifted my head from my pillow and glanced at Salem who was staring out at the bright sun. The curtains had been drawn open and a radiant glow was filling the room. The satin sheets appeared to sparkle as the light shone across the bed. I squinted my eyes and sat up.
“Good morning,” Salem smiled when he noticed I was awake, “you slept peacefully.”
“I did!” I said with a look of surprise.
“You must have been exhausted, considering you didn't stir even the slightest when I brought you up here.”
I laughed, “I was pretty sure I hadn't fallen asleep up here.”
After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, I dialed Karen's number on my cell phone, which hadn’t suffered too much damage after being dropped on the sidewalk the other night. My friend answered immediately. She rambled on about various ideas she had for things we could do – see a movie, go out to eat, get coffee again – all things that I couldn't picture Salem enjoying at all. Out of the blue, I suggested she come over to our place an
d we could have a picnic beside the lake. Karen was more than thrilled at the thought of not only meeting Salem, but seeing where we lived.
As I hung up with Karen, another call was coming in. Paul's name shown across the screen of my cell phone and I considered ignoring it, until Salem insisted I answer.
“Hello?” I said, trying my best to hide my eagerness to get off the phone.
“Hey Alex. Kim and I have a target in mind for this evening, if you were interested in joining us.”
This had been the exact reason why I was hoping to avoid talking to him. After the last hunting experience, I wasn't at all keen on the idea of going...ever again. But, in a sense, it was my destiny to protect the world from the undead.
“Fine,” I grumbled into the receiver, “when and where?”
“Actually, this might be a bit shocking, but it's not in the usual place,” his voice was calm, but I could sense something behind it. Worry, perhaps. “It's down by your old house.”
I nearly dropped the phone. “What! Is Jason okay? Mitchell?”
“They're both fine. There have just been bizarre sightings. We aren't even sure it's vampire related, but thought it would be wise to check it out.”
“What kind of bizarre sightings?”
“I guess people have been seeing a girl snooping around the place. Jason called the local police department to report the sighting, as have a few other neighbors,” Paul explained.
“How do you get a hold of this information, anyway?”
“I heard it first on the police scanner.”
“Aren’t those illegal unless you are a cop or something?”
“Well, I also heard it again from your aunt she’s a journalist remember. When she isn’t off on assignment she writes for the newspaper,” he reminded me.
“Oh, right,” I mumbled, “this was serious enough to get into the paper?”
“No, but she still hears the little news reports around the office and I bet you anything they have a scanner or two also, legal or not. Anyway…we'll meet you there around 7 tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” I replied, “see you then.”
I hung up the phone and relayed both messages to Salem. He wasn't overly concerned about the call from Paul, as there currently was no proof that it was a vampire or anything else harmful – for all we knew, it was some girl from school trying to sneak into Mitchell's room. That wouldn't surprise me. As for having Karen over tomorrow, he seemed a little uneasy at the idea.
“It won't be any different than us going out someplace with her,” I said.
“I am more concerned with the thought of her bringing Claire with her. I don't want that to spawn more nightmares for you.”
I shrugged, although I doubted myself as I spoke, “She probably had nothing to do with it.”
“No, but she was involved in most of them. Seeing her might trigger them to return.”
“Seeing you hasn't triggered them,” I said matter-of-factly, satisfied at the dumbstruck look on his face.
“You're right,” he replied simply, then glanced away from me. “Alex, would you like to go for a walk?”
“Are you asking if I want to join you while you go hunting?” I replied.
“That might also be involved with it, yes.”
“Well, let's go,” I said, took his hand and followed him through the back door.
Despite the sunshine, the air had a slight chill to it. The creek was over-flowing with water from the recent down pour. The dirt that aligned it had become thick sludge. I watched in disgust as Salem willingly advanced through the mud as I stood idly behind him. He shot me a look as he walked through the water, perfectly balancing on the rough, obtuse rocks.
“Are you coming, Alexis?” he asked as he almost seemed to walk across the water. How did his feet not hurt from walking on those stones! “If you are afraid of the mud ruining your shoes, take them off.”
“It's not so much that as I just don't want it on me!”
He looked at me again with a playful smile on his lips. “Do you not realize that once you get passed the mud, your feet will be submerged in water...which will clean away the mud?”
I grimaced at his flawless face, knowing he was right. “Fine, but what about when I have to walk back through it on the way back home?”
“I'll carry you,” He suggested, “come on. It's not nearly as cold as last time, I promise.”
With a heavy sigh, I wobbled as I stood on one foot and plucked off my right shoe and sock, then the left. I cringed as my bare feet sank into the brown mush. The worst part was feeling it between my toes. Eagerly, I stepped into the creek and washed away the debris. The water was shockingly warm as I wriggled my toes beneath the clear surface and cleaned away the mud.
“I told you it would be fine,” Salem said as he watched me.
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, “It feels really nice.”
I peered upward, the sun hung high above us in the clear blue sky. Brilliant rays crept through the canopy of leaves above, spreading sunshine across the land. Salem's pale skin was more defined in the sunlight, but it didn't surprise me – I had noticed it once before.
“Are you going to go hunt down a bunny or something now?” I asked, somewhat mockingly.
“I had something else in mind, actually,” He said, gazing off into the woods.
“As long as it's not me,” I mumbled.
His laughter was pleasant and he quickly embraced me in his arms. The cold of his skin made me shiver despite the warm water beneath me. I lifted my head to look at him, admiring the way his eyes seemed to shimmer in the daylight. I was momentarily distracted by the feel of his lips against mine – cold yet invigorating. I hungered for more, but he pulled away. He appeared distracted by something.
“Stay here,” he said, slowly releasing me, “I'll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“There's an elk nearby,” his answer was simple, but I understood completely.
“What about bunnies and squirrels?” I laughed.
“Elk is more filling,” he shrugged. “Just, stay here, okay?”
I nodded, noting the urgency in his voice. “I'll be here.”
In silence, I watched him fade into the thick foliage. Awaiting his return, I knelt over the rippling creek water. Beneath and betwixt the large slate rocks were small, colorful pebbles. I reached down and gathered a few in my hand, held them up in the air and dropped them back into the water. Smiling at the interesting sound they made at they hit the surface, I grabbed another handful and went to drop them until something caught my eye.
The sunlight cast upon something in the clear liquid. Whatever it was, it glinted and shone brightly. I leaned forward to get a closer look. It appeared to be a thin golden chain. My hand dove into the water after it, gripping it tightly between my fingers. To my dismay, the chain snapped and fell out of my sight. But as I was about to give up, I noticed something floating away from the chain: a golden heart. A vision flickered in my mind of a similar locket I had once seen.
My hand shot forward and I grabbed the heart before it had a chance to swim away. Clasped between my fingers, I could feel the cold smooth metal but I fought the urge to loosen my fist in order to look at it. I wasn't sure if it was fortunate or not, but as I was about to unfold my hand to take a peek Salem appeared at the edge of the water. I quickly tucked the locket into the pocket of my hoodie and pretended that it wasn't there.
12. UNBELIEVABLE
Salem and I met my father and aunt outside of Jason and Mitchell's house. Paul had done his research ahead of time – Jason was working until 9 this evening at Howard's, and I knew Mitch was still working graveyard. We did a quick search around the backyard, but it was clear. There was no one around, human or vampire, besides the four of us.
“I am beginning to have my doubts of vampire activity,” Salem commented as he watched Paul round the house another time, just in case.
“Do you still have a house key, Alex?” Pau
l asked, ignoring Salem completely.
“Yes. Why?” I asked, and then gasped. “Are you suggesting we break in?!”
“It wouldn't be breaking in. You own the house.”
I shook my head. “No. There's no way. Besides, if a vampire was in there, there would be evidence – like a broken window or something, and Salem would be able to smell them.”
Kim agreed with me and Paul gave up on that idea. “Why don't you have a look around, kid?” he suggested to me, “you would know the place better than any of us.”
“Okay,” I sighed. Salem followed behind me, avoiding my father's glare. “I really doubt we're going to find anything.”
But, unfortunately, I was wrong. My voice caught in my throat when I saw it, and Salem's eyes followed my gaze. Lying across the windowsill of what had once been my room was a strand of curly strawberry blonde hair.
“Oh, no,” I groaned, feeling my legs wobble. “This has to be a coincid-” I stopped myself before I completed the sentence. There are no coincidences, I reminded myself. “M-Maybe Mitchell has a girlfriend, who has hair exactly like Claire's...”
“Or a girlfriend that is exactly like Claire,” Salem suggested and I glared at him. “I'm sorry, Alex, but it is a possibility.”
“Either that or she is a vampire, or some other form of supernatural monster!”
“What are you two fighting about back here?” Paul called as he and Kim approached us.
“We aren’t fighting. Alexis just found a hair.” Salem answered before I had the opportunity.
“That's a sign that someone has been here – vampire or otherwise,” Kim said, examining the lock of hair from afar. “Recognize it, anyone?”
I kept my mouth shut. I wasn't going to drag them into this mess – for all I knew Salem was right and Mitchell was dating Claire all of a sudden. Either that or she was a vampire, hunting me down and tracked my scent to this house. My stomach churned as I over-analyzed the situation. Salem appeared to notice my discomfort and wrapped an arm around me. “Are you okay?” He whispered into my ear.
