It was fortunate that Clara had enhanced hearing, since Evelyn’s whisper was exceptionally soft, practically background noise. Why all the theatrics? Clara was unsure, but knew for certain that this was not a game.
“We?” Clara whispered.
Evelyn nodded, “That’s why Marc and I destroyed the Georgian laboratory.”
This was all beginning to make sense. Evelyn was no longer aligned with those in power and completely isolated. The more power her opponents gained, the tighter the noose around her neck became.
“I want to revive the Tower,” Clara said.
Evelyn giggled in surprise before replying, “Go on.”
“Too much?” Clara asked before she cringed.
“Ma chère,” Evelyn said while she prepared another slice of bread with pâté.
She then brought it over to Clara’s lips and held it there so the other could taste it. Clara bit into the cracker, tasting the pepper and meat mix, which brought a smile to her face.
“You are about to set sail onto unfamiliar seas. Sure. Water is water. There are common elements between all oceans. It may even seem inviting from ashore, but you can only see so far. You have no understanding of the dangers that lurk beyond the horizon,” Evelyn said.
Clara swallowed and bit off more pâté while avoiding contact. She was really enjoying this food. To think that the last time they met like this she had been so nervous, so much so that the only dish she sampled was the devilled eggs.
“So get situated first?” Clara confirmed.
“Exactement, ma chère,” Evelyn said. “We have resources that we can offer you. Money, weapons, intelligence…”
“Why?” Clara asked.
“We believe that the flock is better off knowing that wolves are nothing more than a figment of their imagination. We have no desire to rule over them,” Evelyn said.
“Where would be the fun in that?” Clara said.
“Exactement! Quel drame!” Evelyn said with a smirk.
Indeed, such a tragedy, a bunch of immortals, bored and morally corrupt with power to run the world. They would treat humanity no better than livestock, so no art or new advances in technology. Soon enough, a war would break out between the more powerful players in an effort to gain a sliver of power. If hell was real, it might be preferable to that outcome.
“On one condition,” Clara said.
“Name it,” Evelyn said.
“Elizabeth and her family stay out of this,” Clara said while narrowing her eyes.
“Marc and I will make sure that she is looked after,” Evelyn said. “Does that satisfy your needs?”
With a smile, Clara said, “Now. You were saying something about weapons…”
* * * *
Elizabeth walked up the three flights of stairs leading to her unit. She was dog tired, so much so, that her bones ached with every step. The pace of work mixed with that chaos filled weekend did a lot to wear her down.
“If there was ever a way of reminding me that I am no longer twenty-one,” Elizabeth mumbled.
Once at her door, she reached into her pockets and froze. On the other side, she heard clanging, footsteps, and other unusual sounds. It was not until Clara’s humming filtered through the door that she began to calm down.
Elizabeth exhaled, pulled out her keys, and let herself in. Immediately, she was greeted by a whole slew of smells. Some were more distinct, like seared scallops, sautéed mushrooms, onions and garlic. Others were more subtle in comparison, such as the white wine, steamed fresh peas, and melted butter.
Clara was at the kitchen counter, busy cooking up a storm. She wore an apron, although Elizabeth could not fathom where that item originated from. Clara faced a myriad of pots and pans, some that bubbled while others crackled with the sounds of frying food. Each was the source of these aromas, which magically invigorated her senses.
Of course, it was the fridge that got her attention, the old one from this morning was gone. In its place was a significant upgrade. Clearly, Clara had not been idle during her absence.
“Hello,” Clara said while looking up. “Help yourself to some wine.”
“How did you—,” Elizabeth said.
“It’s a bit complicated,” Clara said. “Let’s just say that I looked into someone’s soul and found an ally.”
Clara continued to cook while Elizabeth approached the counter. The bottle was old. It even sported a wax seal, that had been cast aside when opened. When she looked at the label and saw the date, her eyes bulged, and she dropped the bottle.
Before Elizabeth could gasp, Clara caught the bottle. She smirked, placed it gently on the counter and returned to her cooking.
“Nineteen-twenty-one?” Elizabeth spat out.
“That was a great year… a lot of memories,” Clara said. “That wine is almost as old as me.”
Elizabeth sat down and chuckled nervously. One moment, all hell breaks loose, and now, she comes home to find a thousand dollar bottle of wine? This was a bit much for her to take in. Still, why worry over things that were outside of her control?
She poured herself a glass until it nearly overflowed and took a sip.
“Wow! Some things do get better with age,” Elizabeth said.
“You know, when I was growing up, seafood like this marked us as being poor. Those with money and status did not come to school with seafood or, god forbid, lobster,” Clara said. “Now this was the most expensive item that I could find at the store. Well, apart for the wine.”
For a moment, Clara appeared to be daydreaming, back in a world where monsters did not exist. Elizabeth wondered how precious such memories were for those who had been through so much.
“You can sit down,” Clara said. “Supper will be ready soon enough.”
“Why are you doing this?” Elizabeth asked, unable to play along.
Clara kept on smiling while she turned over the lightly seared scallops. Clearly, she was applying the finishing touches for this meal, and it looked like it would be mouth-watering.
“You were right earlier,” Clara said. “Honestly, I was relieved that you brought it up. Still, tonight I learned that the soul could be redeemed, and that gave me hope. It also reminded me that I have much to learn.”
So far, Elizabeth had no trouble following along, but was unsure if the soul comment was literal or figurative. She assumed this had something to do with her Firecracker, and that was probably the reason they were home safe tonight.
“For now, I’ll need a place to crash, spread my wings, and find my way,” Clara added while she poured the mushrooms and scallops into a serving bowl.
“I did say you were—,” Elizabeth said.
Clara cut her off on purpose, a reversal that turned out to be enjoyable. She carried the scallops to the table, then returned to drain the potatoes.
“What we have might end up being nothing more than a fling spurred on by events outside our control,” Clara said. “It may be nothing more than our baser interests at play. So I don’t want to push that just yet. We both need to come to terms with what happened and figure out how to move forward.”
Clara had a point, although Elizabeth wondered how easy it would be to avoid those awkward moments.
“Or was that half the fun?” Elizabeth wondered.
Clara mixed in butter, spices, and milk to mash the potatoes. While preparing the dish, she looked up.
“At the very least, we need each other. I need you to help me traverse this alien land. Without you, I’ll end up getting lost,” Clara said.
“What do you think I need?” Elizabeth asked.
Clara finished mashing the potatoes before answering, “You need me to watch over you for the next little while. A task I’ll gladly take on so you can sleep soundly knowing that no one will fuck with you.”
Elizabeth cocked a brow. A small part of her had yet to realise that fear was real. Would anyone be able to sleep once they knew that vampires did, in fact exist?
Clara dropped the
potatoes at the table, followed by steamed peas. She then walked over to Elizabeth and looked up into her eyes.
“Just to be clear,” Clara said. “If you ever kiss me like that again. You’d better be prepared to go all the way. Understood?”
“Got it,” Elizabeth said with a gulp.
“Great,” Clara said with a wide smile before pulling out Elizabeth’s chair. “Time to eat! You can give me an answer when we are done.”
“You already know,” Elizabeth said while sitting down.
Clara chuckled and said, “I only hoped. Oh! Before I forget. Do you know what cryptocurrency is?”
LEXICON
A Snap
Something which is quick or easy.
Ab-so-lute-ly
Agreement in the affirmative.
Absent Treatment
Dancing with bashful partner.
Airtight
Someone who is extremely desirable or attractive.
Attaboy
A congratulatory statement.
Balled Up
Confused and/or messed up.
Baloney
Complete nonsense.
Baby
Another word for sweetheart. Can also be used to denote something of high value or respect.
Baby Vamp
A woman considered attractive or popular.
Bank’s Closed
Not interested in kissing or fooling around.
Barneymugging
Euphemism for sex.
Beat It
Another word for scram.
Batty
Driving someone crazy.
Bee’s Knees
Excellent or very high quality
Berries
Someone attractive or pleasing, or another word for great.
Berry Patch
Euphemism for a woman’s particulars.
Betty
An attractive woman.
Billboard
A flashy man or woman.
Bimbo
Slang for a tough guy.
Bingo
Used to express satisfaction at a sudden positive outcome.
Bird
A term for someone odd or strange.
Bird Cage
Elevator car.
Biscuit
A pettable flapper.
Black Tuesday
Also known as the Great Crash of 1929.
Blower
Slang for the telephone.
Blowhard
A braggart and/or a bully.
Bootleg
Alcohol that has been illegally produced.
Bronx Cheer
Loud sputtering noise to show disapproval. Also known as a raspberry.
Bub
Often used as an insolent term of address.
Bull
Slang referring to a police officer or another branch of law enforcement.
Bump in the Night
Unexplained and frightening noises at night, purportedly caused by ghosts.
Bumped Off
To have someone killed.
Bum’s Rush
To be forcibly removed from an establishment or locale.
Cable
Message sent by telegraph.
Cash
Euphemism for a kiss.
Caper
A criminal act which normally involves an elaborate plan.
Cat’s Meow
An excellent person or thing.
Chassis
Slang referring to the female form.
Cheque
Euphemism for saving a kiss for later.
Chippy
A woman who is the polar opposite of frigid.
Clip-Joint
A dance club filled with rich or sophisticated patrons.
Coffin Varnish
Moonshine.
Cool His Heels
Forced to wait.
Copacetic
That which is wonderful, fine or alright.
Cupid’s Bow
The way a flapper uses lipstick to make the bow more prominent, while their lips appear smaller.
Crashing the Party
The act of getting into a party in which one was not invited.
Daddy
A young woman’s boyfriend or lover, especially if he’s rich.
Dame
A lady.
Dapper
A flapper’s father.
Dead Hoofer
A lousy dancer.
Declaration of Independence
A divorce.
Di Mi
Goodness.
Dimbox
Slang for a taxi cab.
Dingle Dangler
Someone who insists on calling.
Doll
An attractive woman.
Doozie
Something that is hard to comprehend.
Dough
Slang for money.
Drugstore Cowboy
A man who tries to pick up women on a street corner.
Dumb Dora
A woman who is considered lacking in intellectual prowess.
Ducky
Great or wonderful. Can be used sarcastically to imply the opposite.
Edge
A term applied to the feeling of intoxication.
Electric Cure
As in electric chair, a way to end a problem for good.
Face Stretcher
An older woman who adopts youthful fashions or wears heavy makeup to conceal her age.
Fancy Smancy
A derogatory way to refer to something high-class.
Finale Hopper
Someone who arrives after everything has been paid for.
Fire Extinguisher
A chaperone.
Flapper
A stylish, brash, hedonistic young woman with short skirts and shorter hair.
Flat Tyre
A dull-witted, insipid, and disappointing date.
Flivver
A Ford Model-T or any old car after 1928.
Flour Lover
Girl who is too liberal with the face powder.
Four-Flusher
A term applied to cheats, swindlers, and liars.
Gams
A woman’s legs.
Getaway sticks
A woman’s legs.
Giggle Water
An alcoholic drink.
Goofy
To be in love.
Hayburner
A vehicle that uses a lot of fuel.
Heater
Slang that is applied to firearms.
Heebie-Jeebies
Nervous or anxious.
Helluva
Alternate pronunciation for hell of a.
Hen Coop
A term referring to a beauty salon.
High-Hat
A snub.
Hit on All Sixes
Going full throttle, or all out.
Hoity-Toity
Marked by an air of assumed importance.
Hole
Slang for solitary confinement in prison.
Hooch
Another term for bootleg alcohol.
Hoofer
Slang for a dancer.
Hoofing
The act of dancing.
Hoosegow
Slang for prison.
Horsefeathers
The equivalent of a modern swear word.
Indoor Aviator
Also known as an elevator operator. This is a play on the fact that their lives are composed of a series of ups and downs.
It
Slang for someone with sex appeal.
Jalopy
An old car or a beater.
Jane
A term applied to any female.
Juice Joint
Another name for a speakeasy.
Keen
Attractive or appealing.
Kick the Gong Around
Smoking opium.
Killjoy
A person who spoils other people’
s fun or enjoyment.
Knee-Duster
Slang for a skirt.
Kodak Moment
A memorable moment that one would wish to capture on film.
Mad Money
Cab fare home if she gets in a dispute with her escort.
Make Do
Working with what one has.
The Van Helsing Resurgence Page 31
