Other Places 1: Shortcuts

by P. S. Power

  Then the man left, just walking out the door without giving any kind of hint as to who he was. When Zack ran out to look, hard on his heels, the man was nowhere to be seen.

  Either he could turn invisible, run really fast, or he was a figment of Zack's imagination. He looked at his reflection who held his hands up.

  "It wasn't me. If he's in here with us, he hides pretty well."

  It was a strange enough thing really, but he just tidied up the place before closing, since the next day was going to be unusual for him. His first day working at Yoghurt World. It was kind of exciting.

  For the first time in a while he actually tried his hand at cooking something when he got home. For him that involved a microwave, but the plate of nacho's was pretty good. Melty cheese sauce and everything. Too much food for him to eat all at once, so he set it aside for later, knowing that it wouldn't go bad if he had it within a few hours.

  He washed up carefully and managed to snack on the leftovers a few times before getting into bed at eleven. It was comfortable compared to sitting, but still made for a restless sleep. It was made even harder when someone started pounding on the front door. He had no clue how late it was, but it was still dark out through the window, which meant too late to be bugging him. He didn't really want to answer since it would mean getting out of his warm bed. It could be Troy though, having forgotten his key, so he opened it a crack, flipping the stoop light on first, his eyes blurry and slightly gummy still.

  There was a person there, one with fake red hair that had a pierced nose. It took a second for him to recognize the woman since she didn't have a dead body with her this time. At least not one she was carrying. She smiled, her mouth closed, so as to not intimidate him. That was nice of her, since it was a little creepy, knowing that she was a real Vampire. It didn't help that he became acutely aware that he was filled with yummy blood and she might just be stopping by for a late night drink.

  "Hey." Yawning he moved to let her in. That thing about the undead needing permission to come in was clearly bull and always had been. Nikki moved past him easily, looking around with a slightly critical eye. Since the room was totally dark that answered any questions he had about how well her kind could see at night, didn't it?

  "Zack. I hope you don't mind me dropping in? I was in the neighborhood, so you know, figured I'd see how you were doing."

  He shut the door and flipped the light switch on, so that he could see her. Not that it was going to help him get a read on what she was thinking. Humans gave a lot away. Mages too. He didn't know about the other groups, but all the Vamps were harder to really understand. Except the younger ones that always seemed angry about something or other. It didn't take great skill to tell what they were really feeling.

  One thing was pretty certain, this one hadn't come for a booty call.

  "Kind of sad... I haven't had sex in about a year, are you sure you didn't come for that?" He didn't explain it, but the woman shrugged.

  "Sorry, I can't right now, the truth is that I've been having a hell of a time with some of the babies in this area for a few weeks. A lot of new ones have been showing up, when that shouldn't be happening here. Orphans, Vampires made and left by their creators, without being trained to control themselves. I noticed your scent, so decided to stop in, since I'm trying to flush out a couple right now." Her voice was low and she spoke close to him, leaning in.

  "So, do you mind if I hide in here for a bit? I can use your scent to cover mine, and then move out for hunting after a while."

  He waved at her a little and let his eyes find the clock. It was just turning two.

  "Um, yeah, just lock up when you leave. My roommate will be back in about an hour, maybe a little more. Troy Lopez. So, don't kill him or anything. I'm going back to bed. Sorry, I know it's rude, but I have loads of work in the morning." With that he turned and went back to bed, wondering if he was dreaming the girl. That was possible, he supposed, but that wasn't something that he normally remembered doing.

  The girl spoke, her voice very nearly gentle and motherly, "goodnight, sweet prince."

  In the morning when he woke up, she was gone, but Troy was arrayed on the sofa, playing a new game that hadn't been there before. He pointed at the screen.

  "Mega Seven. Kevin from the club lent it to me." He paused the game and bent forward, to point at the letter he'd left with the ten fifties in it. "This is awesome. You don't have to give me everything you made though. We could use some of it for shopping... The rent and electric are already paid. Plus your pal Lisa paid both me and Edom two hundred each the other day. Talk about a sweet deal. I was also given a promotion at work." Troy buffed the nails of his right hand on the front of the black silk pajamas he was wearing. They were a little old, which was why he wore them for lounging now, instead of just entertaining. "You're looking at the new assistant bar manager for the TTLA". That was what the people that worked at the club called it, because Terran 2 LA was too long and kind of silly.

  "Awesome! That isn't my pay for the week though, only half. It seems like a lot, but add in the kid recovery services... How much of that do you remember? You normally forget the strange things when they happen and write it off to me being crazy."

  His friend looked down and shook his head. For a while it looked like he wasn't going to speak at all, but finally he shrugged like a little lost child that didn't want to admit to something.

  "Some. I remember you and that Asian guy vanishing, then everyone being worried for hours, while I poured drinks. They didn't tip either. Then the other man and the girl came back. He said that you were there, but by the time I went to look for you... Well, you know that part. I was a bit worried, but it sounded like you'd be OK." He stood up, setting the game controller on the table, then stretching, something popping softly as he did.

  He walked to the kitchen as if by old habit and made a little sound when he opened the fridge, expecting it to be empty still.

  "Woo-hoo! Sunny-D, nature's most popular fake orange product. Can I have some of this?"

  "I got all of it to share. It's not like I don't owe you." So much more than he could ever repay, really.

  "What? Some food and all that? Not a big deal."

  Except that the man had eaten only a little more than he had for months, most of that had been things he managed to scrounge from work or that girls had given him. He would have done a lot better if he'd gotten rid of Zack, but Troy had never even hinted at it. That was a lot. More than just the value of what he'd shared. It was the kind of thing that a person wouldn't really expect someone not related to them to ever do.

  The scene was a little uncomfortable, so he yawned to have something to do then started making breakfast. Actual pancakes. Well, from a mix, along with some of that orange drink and fake maple syrup that would have made his grandmother frown at him. Zack just couldn't get himself to spend nearly twenty dollars a bottle yet just for the real stuff. He made enough for both of them, and handed Troy a plate as he played the new game.

  Out of the blue he looked at his friend and smiled, "did you catch the part about the Vampires?"

  That got a grunt and no direct eye contact at all. Several bites of pancake were taken before Troy even looked over at him, actually seeming a little sullen about the whole thing.

  "Edom mentioned that, yeah. Mages too. So, either everyone in that room, including me, is bongos or you weren't just being nuts all those times. Sorry."

  "No worries. After all, even if all that other stuff is real, that doesn't mean I'm sane. Not even pretending to be. I never lied about that, or anything. Not even about the fact that I need to hurry to work. First day at Yoghurt World. That's the Vampire embassy thing at Westfield, but I'm really going just to make things, and maybe answer the phones, while the manager gets her hair done... You know it sounds a lot less cool when I spell it all out. I should have stopped at 'working for Vampires' don't you think?" That left off the rest of it, but really, trying to run two places at once seemed a little
bit over the top to him, and he also didn't want to stress the idea that he wasn't right in the head. Not overly.

  Zack waited for Mirror Him to come and call him names over it, but there was an uncommon silence from that arena, which was nice. Half an hour later he was headed out for the day, bundling up carefully before even cracking the door.

  "I won't be back until late. Probably for the next few days. Lisa is out of town, back East. So it's just me for a bit."

  That got him a funny look and a wave, but no comment. That was a little unusual, but it probably meant that his roommate thought that situation sounded strange. Which it did. He hadn't been at the store for a week yet and he was already running the place by himself?

  He opened Candles and More first, then taped a hand written sign to the door telling people to feel free to look around and letting them know he was just across the way if they needed anything. He doubted that anyone would come after all. At Yoghurt World he expected to find Lenore, ready to go, or the shop closed, but there was just a man he didn't recognize standing behind the counter, one that looked miserable and like he could barely stand up.

  "You Zack?" The man gasped this out as if it were a plea, not a real question.

  When he nodded the man started staggering toward the back, opening the supply closet and closing himself inside. That was it. No chatting, no explanation, just him vanishing. A bunch of stuff had been left out so that he could clean, it seemed, without opening the door and disturbing the man, so he started on that, leaving his jacket in the back room. The place was sparkling, but as Lenore had mentioned, beings with much greater than normal senses came in regularly, so it would pay to be extra careful. He was wearing an apron and scrubbing the underside of a table at a little orange and yellow booth when the phone rang. He ran to it, answering in his best professional voice.

  "Yoghurt World, Zack speaking, how may I help you today?"

  "Oh? I was expecting Miss Thorn. Lenore Hawthorn, I mean, of course. Is she present by any chance?" The voice was very polite and had an odd character to it. Slightly fussy sounding, and high pitched, but obviously a man. How he could tell that, Zack had no clue. It also wasn't something he planned to trust in overly. Getting gender wrong was always embarrassing.

  "Sorry, she won't be in until later. She's getting her hair done right now. Kind of a special occasion. Maybe I can help you?" It wasn't likely, but it was what you said in situations like that, he was almost positive. Just like offering help to Bob had been.

  That thought reminded him that he needed to make a call to the man, perhaps later in the day.

  "I fear not. I was informed that Lenore might have the ability to talk to the new line walker. I'm afraid I was just trying to find a way to avoid days of travel, since I dislike flying. Rather new, to my way of thinking. I'm already at the Toronto node and need to get to the one there for a time. Well, it was worth making the call, thank you ever so much for your help. Zack was it?"

  Thinking about it for a second he shrugged.

  "Um, well, if you're not too big and at a node... Can you hold up a sign with my name on it? That way I can find you. Here, I can be there in a minute or so." He hung up and realized that was probably rude, but ran to the back, since it really wouldn't take long, he hoped.

  Chapter eight

  The Vampire wasn't big at all, he was short, thin and even lighter than he looked, if a little surprised when Zack came through the node, explained that he'd have to pick him up, and had him transferred in less than half a minute. Then he needed to get the man's luggage, which was a lot harder, since the guy apparently liked to go around with three times his weight in clothing and gear, in one large travel trunk.

  Zack nearly fell over when he stepped back through, the tiny and slightly funny looking bald man with big ears clapping his hands happily.

  "Oh, thank you sir! This is most excellent indeed!" The little man beamed and clasped his hands together as if he couldn't be more pleased if Zack had just given him the keys to the city. From the easy way he moved his large chest to the side and the hint of fang in his mouth, it was plain he was Vampire, not human or anything else. He did look different, but there was none of the coldness to him that most of the others had.

  Given everything that probably meant he was very old. The man settled into one of the big soft chairs, looking decently content about the whole thing.

  Zack tried to remember everything he could about being a good host, since the fellow seemed to be waiting for something.

  "Um, can I get you anything? I don't know if we can get blood..." He wasn't going to offer his own, but the man was actually very reasonable, asking only for a glass of hot water. It took calling down to the food court to find a mug, but a nice looking short woman ran it down, bustling a bit, her tiny legs eating the ground quickly.

  Smiling Zack waved.

  "Hi! I'm new here, from across the way most days. Call me Zack."

  For some reason this got the small lady, who had red hair that was nearly copper colored, to blush. She nodded and smiled, but didn't say anything, leaving faster than she'd come. There was a filtered tap in the store and a microwave, so the hot water was in the back about four minutes later, along with a tray to hold it on.

  The man simply held the cup, sipping at it occasionally.

  "I'll be in the front, cleaning or reading from Lenore's notebook of secrets, if you need anything."

  It was funny, but so far, out of all the Vampire's that had been around, some of whom were very nice, this man was the one he naturally liked best. It was as if he wouldn't harm a fly. That probably wasn't true, but it was how he felt, if that counted for anything.

  Just to be friendly Zack tried to check on the man a few times, but he sat, still holding his cup, not moving for a long time, at about eleven he came out and asked if it would be possible to have some more, which, of course, it really was. No one else called and there were no actual clients at all, so he just sat at one of the booths, watching the other store across the way, going over everything that had been written in the little book.

  It was kind of amazing. If there was a master of frozen Yoghurt in the world, it wouldn't have surprised him to find out it was Lenore. No wonder she was so picky about the subject. The book was fascinating in a strange way, detailing how to make everything from scratch. She even pitted her own cherries and made them into Maraschinos herself.

  He was trying one of the new Christmas themed creations, the plum pudding one, when she walked into the store, her hair shorter, and fairly straight, but with a hint of young girl to it. It made her look sweet, and a good bit less old fashioned.

  "I like the hair. You look... really attractive." He felt proud of himself then, since he'd started to say delicious rather than attractive. Reminding her that he was food probably wasn't a great idea.

  Patting it a little she smiled back at him, "why thank you Zack. I was rather pleased with it too. There were no problems here I trust?"

  "Oh, no, not at all. We do have a guest." Who walked out then, getting a shocked look and sudden bow from Lenore.

  "Bey!" She bowed again. "When did you get in? I wasn't even aware you were on the continent."

  Even though she was trying to bow again the little man swept forward and gave her a big hug, like they were old friends.

  "Lenore! Dear, so good to see you again. I've come to visit with young Nicole. I've had word that there have been some difficulties here. It sometimes helps if one of us elders comes by for a visit in such cases. Sometimes not. Let's hope this time it works out. Such a waste when we have to reprimand children for reaching above themselves." He said most of the words to Zack, smiling as he did.

  For the first time that he'd ever seen, Lenore seemed flustered and a little nervous. After a few seconds she focused on Zack, who was brushing his slightly shaggy hair out of his eyes. Hopefully he could get a haircut himself soon, since it was well past time for it. Her face looked very serious, as if she might be in trouble.


  "Bey... This is Zack. I hired him to work part time, early in the mornings, since there is little going on here then. I hope that this hasn't disturbed you?"

  The man looked incredibly happy and patted her hand in a grandfatherly fashion, "not at all! He is a most wonderful host. Not only did he see to my needs, but he stepped across this entire land and farther to deliver me here, without even asking more than that I hold up a simple piece of paper so that I might be found. No sooner had I spoken my request than he was with me. Then he traveled the whole thing twice again, to deliver my baggage as if it were simple courtesy." The man clapped twice then, walking to stand in front of Zackary.

  "You didn't even question my habit of sipping warm water. Very proper of you, allowing a guest to feel so welcome. I can taste the presence of those like myself in it, even after being filtered clean. There are an awful lot of the very young here right now."

  It was decided that those issues weren't anything for Zack to be troubled over, and Lenore rather covertly suggested that he needed to get back to his own shop, since he was watching both, which had to be hard. It wasn't, but he wasn't mentioning that part. He really wanted to get paid for it, even if he had mainly read and cleaned. That was what he'd been hired for though, to fill the space.

  Without asking what the plum pudding was for, Lenore finished making it for him and handed it off, shewing him out of her shop with playful waves. He took the hint, not knowing if Bey was dangerous or perhaps unbalanced. The man seemed kind and gentle, so he decided to hope it wasn't that at all. After that, nothing much happened at all for hours, until closing, when the phone rang. He'd been working, after a fashion, planning a new and totally unneeded Christmas display for the front of Yoghurt World. Mainly he'd simply drawn up what he thought would work, some seasonal, but non-religious decorations.