Wow. I wish I had never found that book, or started researching anything about vampires. Who would have thought my love of reading or my thirst for knowledge could have turned out to be dangerous? But would it have changed anything anyway, if I had never found the book or done the research? The reality—I laughed at the irony of that word—was that I could no more change what was happening to me than any other person in this world could change the course of their life. If I hadn’t started researching vampires I would still be going through the changes that were occurring, and it may have been worse for me because I may not have met Jeremiah to explain everything or to help me. The only difference was that now I knew that there were things in this world living right next to us that we don’t know about. Beings that we chose not to acknowledge. My world had changed forever.
Isaiah said goodnight, and I could see by the look on his face that he was really worried. I hadn’t talked much on our ride back. Actually, I don’t think I had talked at all, lost in thought about everything as it was. This was becoming a pattern for us, and I could tell that he didn’t like it at all. He kissed me goodnight, and just as he got to his car, he turned around and spoke. “I wish you would talk to me,” he said sadly, the hurt written all over his face.
“I wish I could. But for now it is best that you don’t get involved in all this,” I said, sadness in my voice as well. “Please just let me figure this out.” I tried to smile.
“Look, if you don’t want to be with me anymore, you know you can tell me,” he suddenly blurted out.
“Oh, Isaiah, that’s not what’s going on here!” I grabbed him, and gave him a big hug. “I love you. I don’t want to break up with you. I promise, not now, not ever.”
He pushed me back to look into my eyes. He must have seen something that made him believe me, because he smiled and hugged me back. “Thank God. I was really worried that you didn’t want me anymore. I don’t know if I could stand that, I really don’t. You are my life,” he said the last words almost in a whisper.
“I feel the same way about you. I wish I could tell you, Isaiah, but this is something that you can’t help me figure out.” I watched as he walked back to his car. He turned and waved before he got into it. I smiled as best I could, hoping it would reassure him. I wondered if he knew the truth about me if he would still feel the same, or if he would run so fast and so far away from me that I would never see him again. That’s something that I wasn’t ready to face.
I opened the door and went inside the house. Mom was sitting on the sofa, crocheting a doily.
“Hello, honey.” She glanced up “Is something wrong?” she asked looking at my face. “Did something happen between you and Isaiah?” She set her crochet thread and needle down.
“No, everything is fine, Mom. I’m just worried about some things at school, you know how that is. Isaiah is going to call me in the morning. Sorry I missed dinner, we got really engrossed in the project we are working on.” I smiled at her, hoping that she wouldn’t see through the parts that were a lie. “I am tired, do you mind if I turn in early tonight?”
“Do you want something to eat first?” she asked. “There’s a plate of leftovers in the kitchen.”
“No, we ate while we were out.” Jeremiah had fixed us pasta while we were there. He said he had learned to cook for my mother. When she was getting towards the end of her pregnancy she wasn’t able to be up and about too much. As we sat at the table and I saw him dig into his food with as much gusto as Isaiah and I it had seemed strange to me since he was a vampire. Wow! How easy that word comes to mind now. Who would have ever thought?
I changed into my pajamas, brushed my hair and put it into a ponytail, climbed into bed and turned on the bedside lamp. Bess was spending the night over at Stacy’s house, so I had the room to myself. I grabbed my book and started to read.
I was jerked out of sleep by a thump very close to my bed. I opened my eyes, but the room was dark. Someone had turned off the light. I felt a breeze on my face, which was strange, because I hadn’t opened the window.
“Who’s there?” I whispered.
I reached for the lamp beside the bed to turn it on, and someone grabbed my hand. Before I could scream a hand was placed over my mouth. The light flicked on.
Jason was standing by my bed. He put a finger up to his lips and shook his head for me not to make a sound. I knew that he was telling me to be quiet, and from the look on his face and in his eyes, I knew that I had to listen. My family was in the house, and I didn’t want anything to happen to them. I got a feeling this boy was more dangerous than either Jeremiah or I had believed.
I nodded my head that I understood, and he removed his hand from my mouth. I very quietly asked him, “What are you doing here? How did you get into my room?”
He sat down on the bed next to me, still holding my arm. In a voice very different from the voice that I was used to hearing come out of his mouth, he replied, “I think that you know why I’m here, Elizabeth. We want to talk to you. I’m sure that you want to keep your so-called family safe, so you’ll do what I tell you. Do you understand me?” His voice was very soft, a hiss, and very menacing. He stroked my hair as he was talking to me. “You’ll meet me in the lunchroom tomorrow. I’ll sit at the table with you and Isaiah. You’re going to offer to help me with my project after school, alone. Isaiah will understand. You’ll be going with me to speak to the head of my family. We have a lot of questions for you.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t know any of the answers to the questions, as all this was news to me.
Before I could start talking, he put his cold finger on my lips. I pulled back from him. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Elizabeth. If you want to keep them safe, you’ll do as you’re told. You will not contact Jeremiah, either. We will know if you do.” He stood up, and turned towards the window.
I blinked, and the next thing I knew I was in my room alone. I slowly got up walked over to the window to close it. I was shaking so hard it took two tries before the window came down. I latched the lock, and checked it again. By the time I climbed back into bed I was crying. My God, what am I going to do? I lay down on my bed and cried myself to sleep, dreading the next day.
When Mom opened the door and called me I sat up, wondering if I had dreamed the entire thing last night. Maybe I had a nightmare.
I sat up, and as I started to get out of bed I spotted the evidence that Jason really was here last night. There, on the nightstand, was a single withered blood red rose. I carefully picked it up and spotted a small note tied to the stem.
Don’t forget what I said – Jason
I felt my heart skip a beat. I knew without a doubt that he’d really been here last night.
I went through the motions of getting ready for school, eating breakfast and saying goodbye to everyone. I envied them their ignorance of the terrible things that I knew. Each of them laughed, and talked about the upcoming day at school. Bess was talking to Mom about going over to Stacy’s after school to work on her art project. I wanted so badly to be back in their world, unaware that magic did exist in any form. I laughed to myself when this thought crossed my mind. After all, wasn’t I the one who always thought it did exist? Wasn’t I the one who went searching for it? Now here I was, putting my family in danger, and possibly walking into something that I wouldn’t walk away from.
I arrived at school and people were going about their business, as usual. I tried to smile and act like there was nothing different going on compared to what happened any other day.
Isaiah was walking towards me with that look on his face that had become much too familiar. I wanted to grab his hand, turn and run as fast and as far away as we could from what was coming after school today. Instead, I tried to put on a brave smile and pretend that nothing was any different.
“Elizabeth, is everything okay?” he asked as he took my hand. He tried to look intently into my eyes as he asked me this. I tried to turn away, but he took my chin in his hand. “
What is wrong? And where is your sweater? You’re really cold again.”
“I’m fine, Isaiah. Let’s just go to class.” I sighed, looking at him, hoping to reassure him. I wasn’t going to think about last night because I didn’t want Jeremiah to know. After all, Jason had warned me not to tell him anything. I could feel the panic swelling up inside of me again.
I held tighter onto Isaiah’s hand. He looked at me again with that same look of concern that seemed pasted on his face all the time. I hoped that one day I could make that look go away forever.
Lunch arrived much too quickly. Jason, as promised, was sitting at our table when we got there. Isaiah said hello to him, but I was happy to see that it wasn’t with the carefree openness that he had welcomed him with the first time. I sat through lunch on the edge of my seat.
Just as everyone was getting up to leave, Jason said, “Elizabeth, you can still come and help me with my project this afternoon, right?”
I started to look over at Isaiah for a second to will him to say that we had something important to do, and then I caught the look in Jason’s eyes. “Yes, I told you I would,” I replied. “You don’t mind do you?”
“That’s fine. I have some things I want to do anyway. Do you guys need a ride?” Isaiah asked.
“No we don’t, but thanks anyway for asking. I have my car. I can take Elizabeth and drop her off later after we’re done, if that is fine with you, Elizabeth?” he asked, turning towards me.
“Of course that’s fine. I will see you later then.” I hugged Isaiah, and hoped that I really would see him later. I was baffled as to why he wasn’t questioning me about going to Jason’s, and so quickly blurted out it was fine. I hadn’t even thought to mention anything about Jason to him, so this was very out of character.
The rest of the school day flew by much too quickly. The next thing I knew the bell was ringing, and it was time for me to meet Jason and face whatever he and his family had planned for me. I had kept my mind closed to the best of my ability, hoping that Jeremiah would not find out what was happening. I didn’t want to have anyone hurt. I had to keep everyone safe.
I walked slowly out the door and saw Jason waiting by the flagpole. He waved at me to hurry up. My heart was beating so fast I thought it was going to burst through my chest; I couldn’t make my feet move faster. When I finally got up to him he smiled, that smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“It took you long enough,” he snarled. “Let’s go. Everyone is waiting, and they will not be happy if we’re late.” He took my arm and led me out to his car.
The car was mostly rusted and most of the paint was missing. There was a hole in the back passenger door and a huge dent in the trunk. I could see the inside roof cover sagging. I had no idea what kind it was, but when he opened the door for me to get in it groaned in protest.
I climbed in and sat, waiting for him to get in his side. “Can you tell me where we’re going?” I whispered.
“We’re going to talk to my father. We need to know about you. Everyone is worried since they found out that you are part vampire,” he replied in a sharp tone. “Don’t try anything while I’m driving!” He looked really nervous at the thought..
“I don’t know any more than I told you the other night. I have no idea what you’re talking about. We’re just an ordinary family. How could I be part vampire? Vampires don’t exist.” I wasn’t sure if I’d heard a bit of fear in his voice or not.
“If you really believe that vampires don’t exist, Elizabeth, why were you researching them, and asking questions about them? We know you even spoke to Jeremiah. Who is your real father? Who is your real mother?” he asked me.
“I thought you knew.” I sat back and closed my eyes. He didn’t know! They’re going to try to find out what I know. Jeremiah told me to be careful. I don’t want to cause trouble for him. Think, Elizabeth, there must be a way out of this. “He’s the man who has raised me for the last seventeen years. Who else would it be? As for the research, I found a book at a bookstore about vampires in Hyattsville, and my father is from there. So it interested me. I went to meet Jeremiah because he lives in a house that was mentioned in the book I was reading.”
I hoped and prayed that I sounded convincing, and that he wouldn’t question me any further. After all, most of what I said was the truth. Please, don’t let them find out.
“I don’t believe you, Elizabeth. My father will find out. He has ways to do that,” he replied. “Before tonight is over we will know everything.”
I sat back, and let the dread over come me. I had to think of some way out of this without exposing Jeremiah. I thought of the father who I had just met, the man who had spent years watching my entire life from the sidelines to keep me safe. I had to try my best to do the same for him.
Jason slowed down as we were pulling up in front of a small house in a part of town I had never seen. The house was wooden, and so run-down you couldn’t even tell what color it had once been painted. The yard was overgrown with weeds, and trash seemed to be every where. There was a privacy fence towards the back of the house that had fallen down here and there. I saw one of the curtains in the living room window being pulled back. The face of someone much older than me looked out, watching us as we pulled to a stop.
Jason was at my door before I could even register that he had gotten out of the car. “Let’s go, everyone is waiting on us,” he growled at me.
I stepped out of the car and held my head high. I had made up my mind that no one was going to see me frightened. Jeremiah had done too much to protect me! The man I lived with all these years and thought of as my father had taught me to never let myself show fear. I would try my best to let neither of these men down.
11
Jason opened the door and shoved me through in front of him. I heard a noise to my right, and turned towards it. There, standing in the doorway, was an older version of him, looking none too happy.
“Jason! Is that anyway to treat our guest?” he asked. He turned towards me, studying me as he slowly looked me up and down. “Hello Elizabeth, I’m Jason’s father, Victor.” He held his hand out towards me.
I walked forward, trying to look braver than I felt. “Hello Victor.” I held my chin high as I put my hand in his. “I’m not sure why you have invited me here today. Jason was very vague. He just kept saying you wanted to question me.” My voice sounded much calmer than I felt inside.
“Well, that wasn’t very kind of you Jason,” Victor said to Jason in a rather mocking tone. When I looked at Jason, I saw him smirking at me.
Victor took my arm and led me into the front room of the house. As we stepped through the doorway, I saw four other men all sitting in chairs. As I looked around the room, I was beginning to see that they all had that same look of uncertainty that Jason had on his face in the car. I looked each one of them in the eye, holding my gaze a little longer than what my mother would have thought of as socially acceptable. Each man turned his eyes from mine first. They are all fearful of me! They don’t know what I am capable of, I thought to myself. For the first time since Jason had threatened me I thought that I might have a chance here. I opened my mind just a little, to see if I could hear any of their thoughts.
At first I thought nothing was going to happen, but suddenly I heard the man sitting on the chair furthest from me. I lowered my eyes so I could concentrate. It was sort of like tuning in a radio station.
“I don’t know why Victor thought this was a good idea. We don’t even know what this creature is capable of. Now he has exposed us, and she could bring evil on us all. Why did I even agree to be here tonight? If John finds out that Victor has exposed us we could all pay for this foolish act.”
When I looked at him he sat back quickly, drawing in a sharp breath. I smiled at him, and something in my eyes made his face go pale. At that instant, I knew that I wasn’t in a room full of vampires. Jason and his father may be the only two. It seemed to me that the other four men were human. What would they be doing
, helping Jason and his father? Who was this John? I figured I’d better pay close attention, and get as much information as I could.
“Elizabeth?” Victor walked in front of me. “Can you tell me what you know about your condition?”
“I’m not sure what you mean. I don’t have a condition.” I wanted to buy some time to think about this.
“Please, let’s not play any games here,” Victor replied. “It has come to our attention that you are part vampire. Look, you have the kiss of the vampire on your neck.” He reached over and lifted my chin so that the others could see the birthmark.
I smiled at him. “That’s what my mother always told me it was, too! Of course, the doctors all said it’s just a birthmark, which I’m sure it is. Whoever would believe in something as silly as vampires? They’re only a myth.” I batted my eyelashes, trying to look very innocent. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”
Victor stepped back quickly, and for an instant I saw the same hard look in his eyes that I had seen in Jason’s earlier. “Elizabeth, you don’t need to know the names of the gentlemen that are visiting here tonight. They’re only here to observe and learn. Now, please answer my question. You don’t want to make this any harder on yourself do you?”
“Again, sir, I’m not sure what it is you are asking me. I only know that I’m a human, just like my sisters, mother and father. I don’t know what your son has told you. Do you believe in vampires?” I looked straight at him.
Victor turned slowly. “I guess this is going to be harder than we thought, gentlemen. I may have to ask you to step out while I talk to this young lady.”
I looked over at the man on the chair as he was starting to rise. “Please don’t let him do anything while we are here, oh please God, not while I am here.”
Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances Page 186
