Southern Exposure

by Lari Smythe

  Chapter 7

  School seemed like the logical place to begin my search for Jason. When I arrived, I found his scent dispersed, fainter than I expected, almost non-existent at the football practice field. The disturbed air around the parking lot—tainted with the ricer's oily residue—wasn't much better. It was almost as though he hadn't been here in days. Tink had talked about trackers once—vampires with the keen ability to pickup on the faintest scent—but for me, this seemed impossible. Jason's school records would be in the front office, but breaking and entering didn't seem like the best choice either.

  There were only a few roads that intersected with the school, so I tried those, more-or-less hoping for a miracle. It occurred to me during this process that concentrating all my senses on Jason's scent might have undesirable consequences—everything—my entire being would be geared toward it, but I couldn't see any other choice if I was going to try and make this work.

  About half a mile west of school, I found a piece of bubble gum along the side of the road. It definitely belonged to Jason. The scent was strong, powerful enough to ignite the burn in my throat. Maybe this was enough for now—seriously—if this was all I could handle, no way could I do school on Tuesday. An ordinary sedan sped past in a gush of air that momentarily drew my attention away from the gum. It wasn't Jason's scent exactly, but it was too close to be coincidence. The tail lights brightened, illuminating the thick, humid night air in a red glow as the car slowed. A few hundred yards up the road, the car veered right onto a side street. This was the miracle I'd been hoping for. I darted across the main road and followed a wooded fence line until it intersected with the road. I fell in behind the car, keeping a safe distance, until it slowed and turned onto a driveway.

  A slender woman emerged from the car carrying a white paper pharmacy bag. The lights flashed as she locked the car remotely and headed for the back door. I paused to interrogate her scent. She lacked Jason's male magnetism, but the scent was very similar—she had to be his mother. Perhaps she was the perfect compromise.

  The house was nestled in a densely wooded lot that provided adequate cover. A hundred yards to the west, Antietam Creek would work to quickly purge my senses should they become overloaded. All-in-all, everything seemed to be falling into place nicely. I circled the property once, just to make sure I hadn't missed anything, and then slowly approached the back of the house.

  I concealed myself along the hedge outside an open window and ventured a hesitant breath. A slight burn tightened my throat, but it wasn't anything I couldn't manage. Sheer cotton drapes billowed out into the night air as the woman's silhouette appeared at the window above me. After drawing a glass of water, she walked across the room and the light went out. I took another, deeper breath. The fire in my throat intensified, but I could still manage. A light from the second floor suddenly came on and as I moved to get a better look, the burn shot through me like acid. I shuddered, trying to control the thirst that churned in my throat and glanced toward the creek, but when I hesitated, so did the sensation. Okay, movement made it worse, not a particularly useful tidbit and it certainly wasn't going to help in school, but it was something. The window upstairs opened and Jason's alluring scent washed over me. It was much stronger, but polluted with a thick, chalky, medicinal smell that nearly choked me. The curtains fluttered into the room taking the smell back inside. I remained paralyzed, afraid to move.

  "How do you feel?" The woman asked.

  "Like an idiot," Jason replied. His voice rang in my ears like music.

  "I got some more calamine lotion and the pharmacist suggested Benadryl—"

  "What's the point, Mom?"

  "Poison ivy can scar. I don't want you to mar that pretty face of yours."

  "Jeez, would you give it a rest?"

  Her footsteps faded toward the far side of the room. "It will all work out, it's only a scrimmage." She sighed. "The cotton balls are in your nightstand. Call me if you need anything." The bedroom door closed and it was silent except for the crickets near the creek bank.

  I felt horrible. It was my fault he had poison ivy, but honestly, he was lucky to still be alive. I risked a shallow breath that immediately clamped down on me with all the force I remembered. I broke for the creek while I still had a chance. The warm water washed away his scent, and the fire that raged through me slowly diminished. As I lay motionless on the bottom of the creek, the water began to glisten as the moon emerged from behind the clouds. The tightness deep in my abdomen—like a fist opening and closing—was the last to fade. Once I was back in control, I climbed up on the bank. The surroundings fell quiet, not even the crickets were chirping—I had that effect on nature—I wasn't natural.

  When I returned from the creek, the house was dark. From the far side, presumably the master bedroom, the television babbled with a late night, variety show. I hesitated at the tree line before proceeding. This was ridiculous, I should just kill him and be done with it, no one would be the wiser. Normal vampires did it all the time. "Normal." I groaned. There was nothing normal about being a vampire and besides, how could I possibly kill something so beautiful? I couldn't, even if that meant my revenge had to wait. That angered me. I looked up and realized he was standing at the dark window. His eyes were nearly swollen shut and his face covered with a chalky pink paint that made him look pathetic. I sighed, releasing my last bit of breath. Even without breathing, his irresistible allure was intense. There was no way I was going to manage Jason—not tonight—so I moved to the other side of the house and his mother's more muted scent.

  I had to escape to the creek once more that night, but as the sky lightened, I was able to breath at a normal human rate and withstand the fire in my throat. As I rinsed my face at the creek, I caught a glimpse of the sparkle from my skin and realized I wasn't painted. The shadow of Lambs Knoll was retreating eastward across the open fields as the sun edged above the horizon. It was time for me to leave.

  I clung to the tree line along Antietam Creek to avoid the open fields until I was close to the western side of the mountains. I startled several deer along the route, but they held no interest for me. Was that good, or bad? I couldn't decide. I burst from the woods, across our lawn and froze. Elizabeth was on the front porch swing. She stood as I began to inch slowly forward.

  "A successful outing?" Elizabeth inquired from the railing.

  "Yes," I replied hesitantly.

  "May we speak?"

  I'd been so focused on resolving the situation with Jason, that I'd completely forgotten Elizabeth could end it all. "Okay." I climbed the stairs and sat down next to her.

  "It has been a difficult week," she began.

  I nodded in agreement.

  "For both of us. Benjamin has been adamant that I not interfere. That's been quite difficult." She thought for a moment and then continued. "Nathan and Tolliver said you gave them quite a scare."

  "Yes." I wasn't exactly sure what they might have told her so I kept it vague. "The thirst, well it just got to be too much."

  "You've done well, especially for one so young, but you know it never really goes away. I must say, I don't understand your fascination with attending school when everything you could possibly want to learn is on the Internet."

  "The Internet?" I gasped. I didn't even think she knew the word. She was totally lost in the sixties—the eighteen sixties. "Who told you about the Internet?"

  "Tolliver mentioned it," she responded with a glint of satisfaction. "Perhaps you would like a computer with broadband?" My silent gawk appeared to delight her. "Something to consider. The classroom seems quite sadistic."

  "I guess, but—"

  She raised her hand, dismissing my attempt at explanation. "I hope it is only education you seek. To delve into the past could have serious consequences."

  And there it was, the warning, Elizabeth was worried I'd find something. Her concern only hardened my resolve to discover my human past, no matter the cost—except for Jason, of course. The tops of the tr
ees out front began to lighten with the morning sun. Elizabeth stood, smoothed out her dress and started toward the front door.

  "I'll need a note—for the days I missed school."

  "Very well, leave it on the kitchen table for me to sign." She moved swiftly and disappeared into the house.

  "Not until Tuesday," I called after her.