by P. Mattern
‘I’m happy’ she kept thinking. ’I’m happy and light hearted and grateful for everything I have.’
She was amazed at how easy everything seemed now, startled that in spite of her preponderance of initial misgivings things had eventually fallen into place. It was like being in love - colors were more vivid, life just tasted, felt and smelled better. Birds sang sweeter songs. All the nuances of daily living seemed like tiny miracles.
She stood stock still in the middle of vacuuming her air vents as a realization struck her. She was in love - not just with her new lifestyle, but with her secret suitor, her love interest, her ‘twin’. Initially she had been embarrassed about their first unexpected, intimate encounter - thought it must have been an aberration, a mistake on both their parts, and something that would never be spoken of or be repeated.
She couldn’t have been more wrong. This was definitely the real deal. This was a person she wouldn’t mind being around 24-7.
This was a miracle.
She was about to grab her cell phone and share her realization with the object of her affections when she heard the doorbell ring. At first it was disorienting, anyone that visited regularly knew that her doorbell didn’t work, HADN’T worked for a very long time. So her friends had gotten in the habit of knocking.
The bell toned interpretation of Baccarini’s Quintet in E Major Minuet echoing through the house was evidence that it had started working again.
She whipped the dust scarf from her hair, hooked the vacuum attachment onto the vacuum and wiped her hands on the back of her pants before answering the door. Maybe it was Charley and Fress, Charley was forever forgetting to take his keys. She opened the door half expecting to see their animated faces, but the person on the doorstep wasn’t Charley.
It was Byron.
“Hello Mrs. Rabbit”, he intoned. ”I hope you don’t mind my stopping by.”
His smile was dazzling. He was wearing a black turtleneck and a stylish leather jacket that looked expensive along with a trendy scarf. His blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and a diamond glittered in his left ear.
“Oh, Byron!” she managed,” You look very handsome today. But Charley isn’t here I’m afraid. He must be at the cottage.”
Byron looked down at his boots for a moment, then back at Mitzi.
“Well actually that works. I was kind of hoping he wouldn’t be home. Because I wanted to speak with you - about Charley.”
Mitzi was instantly both perplexed and concerned. ”Why? Is there something wrong?” She was thinking that she should invite Byron in, but her instincts made her hesitate. And she was remembering Lux saying something about Byron seeming odd, and not entirely honest…
“Look, can we just talk for a few minutes?” Byron said, looking nonplussed ”I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to speak with you, and Charley could show up any minute. Please. I won’t take up much of your time.” His piercing green eyes looked at her pleadingly. ”I really like Charley, Mitzi. I just don’t want to see him going down the wrong path.”
Against her better judgment Mitzi stepped aside and let Byron into the foyer. She wasn’t afraid, she didn’t have to be afraid of anyone - being twice - bitten she was familiar with her newly acquired skills and strength.
“Coffee?” she asked. ”Do you do human dietary or are you a purist, I don’t remember.”
“That would be nice”. Byron said, gracefully slipping into a kitchen chair. ”Black is fine. I’m like Lux - I appreciate the smell more than the taste. And thank you.”
Mitzi began to relax. She poured a mug of an intoxicating smelling Kona blend for herself and Byron and carried the mugs over to the table.
“I have cookies-homemade.” she said, grabbing a large Tupperware container and setting it on the table. ”Please help yourself.”
“Thank you.” Byron said. ”I believe I will. Cass says you’re quite the kitchen goddess.
”Mitzi shook her head,” Cass hasn’t met a human food he can resist, but I appreciate the compliment. ”She sat and looked at Byron.” Now what is on your mind? Why are you concerned about Charley?”
Byron took at sip of his coffee before answering. ”Because I think Charley is an great guy, doing admirably given his… um… background. But a little naive when it comes to people still and overly influenced by what certain people tell him.”
Mitzi looked perplexed, ”What ‘people’? - I’m not quite following.”
“Well”, Byron answered, ”I hate to name names, but Lux would be one of them. He’s sort of a… troublemaker. Just recently I heard from a mutual friend that he’s been badmouthing me, calling me a liar - not very fair… and rather hurtful when I’m new around here and just starting to make friends. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Mitzi thought about Lux’s visit the other day and wondered. Could it be possible that Lux was somehow threatened by Byron? After all, they had a lot in common - both male model beautiful, both blondes, (although Byron’s hair was darker and had surfer dude highlights all through it), both personable - was it jealousy that caused Lux to distrust Byron? She couldn’t be sure.
But aloud she said, ”Charley and I have known Lux over a substantial period of time, Byron. It’s difficult for me to believe he’d be so unfair to a single person. But what does this have to do with Charley?”
Byron sighed, stretched, and gave Mitzi an enigmatic grin and a look of undisguised appraisal.
“Actually, Mitzi - nothing. Nothing … at… all.” He said slowly, carefully enunciating every word.
Mitzi, perplexed, gave him a puzzled look. “But I thought you said you were concerned about Charley.”
“You’re right. I did say that-and I apologize. I wasn’t being truthful. I only said that so that you’d let me in… you’re such a devoted mommy, Mitzi. And quite outspoken… I really dig that about you. I like a nubie vampire female with spunk - and you’re very spunky, aren’t you Mitzi? I bet you’re a little Southern wildcat in bed.” He added suggestively, raising one eyebrow for emphasis.
The hair on the back of Mitzi’s head stood straight up.
“Byron this conversation is inappropriate-and over. You need to go now.” She said stiffly, so appalled that she was unable to even look at him. Inwardly, all her warning systems were going off. She stood up and forced herself to look him in the eyes.
And immediately wished that she hadn’t.
The eyes were staring back at her unblinkingly. Byron’s irises, and the whites of his eyes, were red, and she could see fanglike projections emerging from the corners of his mouth.
“Oh I’m not going anywhere”, he replied tauntingly, ”Without you.” His voice had changed - it seemed to grow much deeper and surround her, as if it was being projected outward from an unseen source behind him. ”I was sent to bring you to my master. Unfortunately I have to bring you before him intact - or else I’d have a little fun with you first. ”He winked as if he were conspiratorially sharing a joke. Mitzi, speechless, noticed his torso was larger and taller and his skin had changed to a ghastly shade of grey -green. His hands were claw like, repulsive.
“Byron” - she gasped, ”What - what ARE YOU?”
There was the surround sound voice again, “OH the boy is in here somewhere. But we have him chained down. He won’t be able to help you. He sends his apologies. He is such a boring coward. And I’m not his lawyer or anything, but, for the record, this wasn’t his idea.”
“OH MY GOD - YOU’RE A DEMON - HE’S INFECTED…” Mitzi felt that her head was going to explode.
“WOW Mitzi - did you figure that out all by yourself? Bravo.” As Mitzi watched, astonished, the creature continued changing, stretching, until it had nearly filled the kitchen with its thorny limbs and yellowed claws. Its head looked like a satyr. It had segmented batlike wings folded against its back and features that were melted looking and barely human. It was speaking to her out of a permanent leer that seemed frozen in the place a mouth should be.
“AAAAHHH
HHHHH - just a little stretch before we go… to get the kinks out. I’ll have to get back in Humanoid form to drive to the portal… and I’ll have to borrow some clothing from Charley… Seems I’ve outgrown the ones Byron was wearing - at least I removed the jacket first. Just don’t look down you naughty girl – I’m afraid I’ve exposed myself in the process.” He leaned menacingly over her and said sternly. ”I don’t suppose you are prepared to go willingly?”
Mitzi chose that moment to make a mad dash for the back door by darting under the creatures arm .She was sure her move was lightening quick but the creature snagged her around the waist and brought her back to dangle in front of him a few inches off the floor.
“Well I guess I have my answer. Stunning it is, then!”
Mitzi experienced a jolt of electricity that knocked the breath out of her - she recognized the sensation as the same one she’d experienced in the parking lot the night she became once - bitten, only ten times as strong-she was a twice - bitten vampire now and it would take much more to incapacitate her. As her neurons continued to fire in a futile effort to keep her conscious after her stunning, one last question emerged from her lips before unconsciousness overwhelmed her.
“Was - it you - that bit me the first time?”
She was out cold before the creature had a chance to reply to her inert body.
“No-I wish. But never fear Mitzi - you are about to meet your ’Maker’,”
* * *
Chapter 17: Grace Under Fire
“WHERE IS MITZI?” Cass practically shouted at the group gathered hastily for an emergency meeting at the cottage. He had been pacing back and forth for over an hour and acted like a man becoming unhinged. Charley stood beside him, visibly upset, a guilty look on his handsome face.
“It’s my fault - I should have checked in last night. She could have been gone as many as twenty hours or as few as 5. Let’s backtrack and figure out who spoke with her last. Anyone have any contact with her since this morning?”
Surprisingly it was Cass who cleared his throat, ”I… I talked to her early this morning about 7a.m. - she called me with a question.” Cass finished, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to another, his eyes downcast.
Lux’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his twin. He could always sense when Cass was lying, and he detected definite subterfuge here. Cass was more upset about Mitzi’s sudden disappearance than anyone else, except perhaps Charley. Whatever Cass was hiding, Lux decided to wait and confront him in person later.
“Okay - that would take care of her whereabouts at 7a.m. - anyone remember contact before that?” Charley asked.
Lux partially raised a hand. ”I spoke to her about midmorning - she wanted to borrow a book of mine I’d been telling her about.”
Cass, looking annoyed, turned to his brother. “What was the book, pray tell?”
“Is it any of your business?” Lux asked, his irritation starting to show. ”All right, if you MUST know - it was the “Reverendum.”
Cass’ face looked like a thundercloud. ”But you WROTE THAT BOOK. Why would anyone, much less Mitzi, be interested in reading it?”
At that point Fress gave both the twins a fierce look, and the conversation was dropped-aside from Lux giving Cass a swift unseen kick in the derriere from behind and Cass stepping on Lux’s foot – hard - on purpose.
The group was silent for a moment. Fress said, ”Charley and I left their house yesterday afternoon. She was baking some brownies and seemed really happy. Charley is right, we should have called her. I have to confess that I get a really bad feeling about this - I think it has to do with whoever bit her in the first place. I don’t think it was random. I’m worried for her safety.”
“So am I” Lux replied, ”and we should be.” He turned to Charley. ”Charley, we should have given you more information concerning your mom’s ‘initiation’ into the vampire culture. We never believed that it was a random attack from the start. And we didn’t want to discuss the seriousness of it with you because we didn’t want to upset you. Now - and I admit it’s very much after the fact - there are important things you need to know.” Lux sighed heavily, his shoulders slumped, and then he raised his gaze and continued to address Charley.
“When someone is once-bitten”, he continued, ”a bond is formed. If the recipient is accidently or intentionally drained of blood and dies - and that happens sometimes, of course the tradition doesn’t hold true. But in a planned transformation the initiator, the vampire that introduces the venom, thereby changing the recipients DNA has a myriad of responsibilities toward the newly bitten. To answer any questions, help in the decision making process to remain once - bitten or become twice - bitten, thus assuring a permanent change, hooking the newbie up with a V-net doctor… It’s a mentoring role mostly, but can be more.”
“When a human is attacked - we sometimes use the slang term “V-raped” it’s an unusual situation and the same rules rarely apply, because this is often a power play, or an attack that was meant to end in death and didn’t. This is what we suspect in the case of your mom. Evidently someone decided to take her ‘blood’s virginity’ on the sly, not wanting to reveal themselves as the initiator for their own reasons.
“Long story very short”, Lux finished. ”Charley, my man, we are all convinced that whoever initiated Mitzi came back to claim his ‘prize’.
Charley frowned, contemplating this information, ”Is this someone outside of the V-net?”
Lux answered slowly and carefully, ”We’re assuming that that’s true - at least until it’s proven otherwise.” He turned to Merilee “How’s the networking going? Are Celeste and Ariel on their way?”
Merilee nodded, ”They should arrive at any minute actually.”
“How about Byron?”
Merilee shook her head of glorious sunflower curls. ”Can’t seem to reach him. Cell goes straight to voicemail.”
Lux surveyed the faces of the group. ”Anyone has any idea where our Kurt Cobain lookalike might be?”
Fress looked puzzled, and looked up at Charley, who answered, ”We saw him last night. He stopped by to play games. Fress called Makenna up after he got here so we could have a fourth player. He left about - 3a.m. maybe? That’s the last we saw of him.”
Just then Ariel and Celeste arrived. Celeste appeared to be very concerned, and Ariel, although she greeted everyone with her usual engaging smile, seemed more subdued than usual.
Cass, having pulled himself together somewhat, turned to Charley.
“Ariel is like our little walking GPS system - she can get a location on anyone -human, vamp or in between. That’s why her abilities are critical in this instance - she can zero in on where your mom is - and also locate the elusive Mr. Byron Chance. ”Cass concluded by cursing Byron under his breath for not making himself available, given the seriousness of the current situation.
Lux looked over at Celeste and Ariel. “Ariel my sweet, would you do the honors?”
“Certainly”, Ariel replied, her smile ending in a worried grimace. Everyone was quiet as they waited for Ariel to concentrate.
About 15 seconds passed slowly a golden membrane descended over her eyes that began to pulse and glow. What she was seeing inside the membrane was a spiders web of locations indicating where the subject had been at various points in time, and if they had been alone or accompanied by someone else. Ariel spoke a single name aloud.
“Mitzi.”
Then Ariel began speaking rapidly ”… Through the Eastern portal… one of the newer ones… it’s remote… untouched… Motuo County, China. Yep. That’s where she is!”
Jaws that were gaping open at the Ariel’s revelations were about to gape open even wider, as Ariel continued, ”Now Byron… strange energy… not quite… something is wrong with his energy, and I don’t find a trace of him in town anywhere. Hmmmm - did he just take her to the portal or did he follow her? Oh his energy is in front - he took her there. And he is near her now… same place Mutuo County, in the
Tibetan Autonomous REGION.”
As her eyes cleared she said, ”Byron and Mitzi are together - and in a remote locale, folks.”
The room broke out in a pandemonium of voices. Charley looked shocked. Cass was bellowing. Lux was trying to talk over everyone and restore order. Fress looked as shocked as Charley. Merilee was hopping up and down. Lux, uncharacteristically raising his voice, shouted ”OKAY, OKAY ONE AT A TIME PEOPLE!!!”
The others instinctively allowed Charley to speak first.
“My mom went with Byron to a remote place? Does anyone have a clue why?”
Lux looked at Charley sadly. But before he could say anything Cass grabbed Charley, a look of panic in his eyes.
“Charley - Byron has kidnapped your mom!!!!”
With a herculean effort Lux pulled Cass away from Charley. ”Hey man take it easy. We can’t know that for sure. Try to get a grip on yourself - we’re ALL upset…”
With his hands at the sides of his head, Cass seemed as though he was squeezing his brain between them out of frustration.
“This is SO my fault - I should have listened to you Lux, you were right man… right about Byron. I’m an ASS man. I thought you were just jealous of him because he’s better looking than you are!”
The look of concern and patience was instantly wiped off of Lux’s face, to be replaced by first a look of shocked surprise, then one of petulance.
“FOCUS Cass-this was never about who is better looking - although anyone postulating that I could be bested by Byron in THAT department would have to be blind as the proverbial BAT - this is about WHAT TO DO NOW.” Imploringly he looked around the room ”Somebody tell me what we should do now. Cooler heads please feel free to speak up first… and Cass, bro’, this would be a great time for you to shut up.”
