by Andrea Allen
My mind runs wild. I feel his shadow cast over me as he begins to kiss my shoulder. I toss my head back and allow him to explore my skin. When I open my eyes, I recognize a painting that hangs high above the fireplace. It’s of him, but slightly, different. Something monstrous…His teeth. He’s like some…vampire. As he continues to kiss into my neck, I feel his kiss become something a bit rougher. He bites.
“Ow!” I jump and step away from him.
He stands there, a bit of a shock on his face. His eyebrows press firm above his nose and form wrinkles. But his mouth is something from a movie…No, his painting.
“Artimus?” I say.
Each breath he takes, his chest rises and collapse. He holds his hand over his mouth.
“What is this? What are you?”
“Something from an old myth.”
“Old myth. What do you mean? You’re confusing me…You’re…scaring me.”
“You have nothing to fear. I do not wish to hurt you.”
“Then tell me… the truth.”
“You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try.”
He exhales deeply and tosses his head back.
“I’m a Strigoi. A Vykolatios.”
“A what?”
“A Lewortimus Vampyro.”
“You’re not speaking English, Artimus.”
He turns to me.
“Mary, I am a vampire.”
“A vampire…” I nod my head and look around. I’ve ran into a crazy person and now, here I stand, in the room of a rich man, who probably became so bored, he calls himself a vampire. This is great.
“You don’t believe.”
“I—I just find it a bit, um...” I try to find the words. “Weird.”
“The reports of the missing people…. The women…Those are because of me.”
I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”
“I fed on them, Mary. The reason there are no bodies is because they have ran away. They learned about what I am and wanted a different life…I gave it to them.”
“This is crazy, Artimus.”
“I’ll show you.”
He steps closer to me, and though I wish to run, my legs won’t allow me to move. He picks me up again and lays me onto the bed. He starts kissing me, gently, but not convincing enough of his mythical stories and folklore. Then he stops and stares into my eyes.
“You kissing me hasn’t shown me anything besides the fact that you are a man.”
He grins, and it’s both handsome, but also maniacal. He rises from the bed and unbuttons his shirt, his eyes staring into mine. I begin to take off my clothes until I’m in my red wine lingerie. I toss my clothes on the floor as he stands before me in nothing but his boxer briefs. I motion my finger for him to come to me, but he smiles and shakes his head.
“We’re not doing this on the bed.”
I laugh a bit. “Then where are we doing this, Artimus?”
His grin spreads even wider as he then turns towards the pillar. I frown a bit, confused. But then, he places his hands on the pillar. I watch as climbs up the pillar as though his hands and feet were made of glue. When he reaches the ceiling, he smiles down at me, but my heart sinks deep into my gut…This can’t be real…But then if it is…Does that mean I am in danger?
“Artimus… Are you… going to kill me?”
He shakes his head. “I would never.”
“Then what do you want? What am I doing here?”
“I want you.”
My hair stands atop my skin to a point. I gasp and try to breathe. Artimus grabs a rope hanging from the ceiling. He holds one end of the rope and drops the other end down to me.
“I’ll bring you up.”
I look hesitantly at the rope.
“Trust me,” he says.
I grab hold of the rope and immediately, Artimus pulls the rope hand over hand. I rise from the bed, and wrap myself around the rope as I rise to Artimus. He smiles down at me and when I meet him, he puts his arms around me, holding me against him, and kisses me again. My heart races, hoping he doesn’t drop me.
“Now do you believe me?”
“Yes,” I say. “I believe you.”
Artimus pops off my bra and throws it to the ground. His hand grips one of my breasts in his hands and squeezes it. He pinches my nipples and begins to suck and pull. My blood begins to rise into my chest and face. He kisses between my breasts, keeping his arms around me, holding me as a lion holds a deer. With a jerk of his hands, he rips off my panties. Before I can glance into his eyes, he is inside of me, grinding his hips against me, cradling my body in his arms. As he pulls me into his thrusts, I hold his face between my hands and lose myself in his eyes.
“Artimus,” I whisper, against his lips. He stares hungrily into my eyes, and begins to kiss into my neck. I wrap my legs tight around his waist, and he thrusts inside of me faster and deeper. I can’t help but release around him.
He turns me around, faces me towards the bed below. I’m hanging from his arms, bent over before him. I put my hands behind my back and grip his wrists, and he’s inside of me again as I dangle like a chandelier from his body. I moan beneath him, and his throaty voice does the same. I feel my legs beginning to shake. I’m going to cum again.
But he stops.
He turns me back around to face him, careful not to let me fall below. He pulls me up to his face. I wrap my legs around his head, and with one hand keeping me steady, and the other pressed to the ceiling like his feet, I grind and climax into his mouth. I shiver and shake and squeeze his face between my thighs. When I’m finished, I notice him letting go of the ceiling with his hand. He now stands on the ceiling, my arms and legs wrapped around his body.
“Don’t be afraid,” he says.
He lightly pushes his feet off the ceiling, and before I can yell, we don’t plummet to the bed, instead, we hover towards it, spinning slowly, until we are well rested on the black covers, cradled into each other’s arms, dozing into a blissful sleep.
Chapter 6
I get to work much earlier than usual. I had slept peacefully, and probably my greatest last night, aside from the fact that I slept with—a vampire. As I take my seat at my cubicle, I keep my eyes open for my boss. He hasn’t said anything to me these past two days and perhaps it’s because I truly haven’t said or done anything wrong. Chels leans over my cubicle.
“So,” she says smiling. “How’d everything go last night?”
I hum a little bit of a tune and dance sexually in the chair.
“You did not…” she says. Then she begins to laugh as I continue dancing and nod my head. “OH, you did! You slut!”
“Shhh! Wooorkkk,” I hear my boss say. Oh, so he is watching.
“Yes, and it was…” I spin on my chair and fiddle with my hair. “Unbelievable. I felt like this shy little school girl landing it big with the high school jock.”
“That sounds intense…Yup, I’m thoroughly jealous of you now,” she says, with a shake of her head. “Anyway, we should celebrate. Can we celebrate tonight?”
“OH,” I say. “I wish I could, but I had planned to see him after work.”
“Oh…” she says with a bit of disappointment in her voice. “You’re going to be there for the rest of the night? Can’t do anything afterwards?”
“I might be. I haven’t quite decided yet. I mean, how about this weekend? I’m not trying to lose this guy and I really like him. I just want to—you know, make sure he’s a keeper.”
She nods her head and finds a smile, but it fades.
“I have to thank you for helping me, Chels. I don’t know how else I’ll be able to move on from the divorce had it not been for you bringing me out to the speed dating fling.”
“No problem…” she says. She slouches back down from atop the cubicle and doesn’t say another word. I hope she isn’t upset that I couldn’t plan anything with her to celebrate. I just don’t want to agree to a plan if it turns out that I won’t be able to make it. I
t would suck to cancel on her.
I make my way home, but there’s a car in my driveway…WHY, is there a car in my driveway? I park on the street in front of my house and hop out the car, then, I recognize the license plate. He opens the door.
“Mary.”
“What the hell are you doing here, Scott?” I say, though I try to sound more surprised than upset.
“I wanted to talk.”
“Hmm, about what?”
“Can we talk inside?”
“I’d rather we talk outside and is it possible you make it quick? I have somewhere I need to be and I want to make a good impression.” A half-truth, but, it isn’t any of his business to begin with.
“A good impression? Like a job interview or something?”
“No. Like a meeting-a-new-guy something.”
He nods his head.
“Oh. Guess I could have guessed, you look so—happy.”
“Maybe you should have called before you came?” I say, nodding my head.
“Right…Well, then. Now that I see you can move on so quickly, I only wonder if you even felt anything for me at all.”
“Don’t do this. You’re wasting your time.”
“No! You wasted mine!” he says, pointing his finger. I begin to walk towards my steps as he follows. “You can honestly move on so quickly? Before me, you had nothing! You were nothing!”
I open my door and turn to him.
“Goodbye, Scott,” I say, with a smile. “Enjoy your days.”
I close the door.
“Mary.” I hear him say behind the door. I begin to head upstairs. “Mary!” He bangs.
I watch as he pulls out of the driveway and disappears down the street. Sighs. Good. He’s gone.
“Who was that?”
I jump out of my skin and find Artimus standing in my doorway.
“Artimus,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
“Just visiting. Sorry I scared you.”
“No, it’s alright. How’d you find me?”
“Um.”
“Don’t answer that,” I say. “What are you doing out in sunlight if you’re a vampire.”
A smile spreads across his lips and his laugh slightly escapes. “Movies never get it right.”
I shrug.
“So,” he says. “Was that—him.”
I nod my head. “Yes.” He nods his head.
“I was actually getting ready to drive by your house. I wanted to see you again.”
“That is why I’m here. I won’t be able to tonight, Mary. I’m booked.”
“Booked? What do you mean?”
“I have many plans tonight and so, I will be home far past your bedtime.”
I laugh a bit.
“You make it sound like I am a child.”
He smirks.
“Compared to my actual age, you technically are.”
Okay…I guess I feel a bit offended now.
“I can stay up and wait for you.”
“I don’t want you waiting for me. You can visit another time. Just not tonight.”
“Will you be home?”
He studies me for a bit. He shakes his head.
“No.”
“Where will you be?”
“Busy.”
“Oh…Okay. I get if you don’t want to tell me. I guess.”
He smiles softly. “I must go.”
He leans towards me and gives me a kiss.
“I will see you soon.”
“Okay,” I say.
He leaves my bedroom and heads downstairs. I don’t hear a door close, but momentarily, when I get downstairs, he’s gone.
***
I’ve spent my entire night thinking about him. Though I’ve only known him just a few days, I feel like I’ve known him for years. He makes me forget about the divorce. He helps me move on. I feel as though Scott is just some stranger I’ve wasted most of my life with and Artimus is the one I should have married. Despite his secret of his true nature, I don’t care for it. He wouldn’t hurt me, and apparently, unlike the vampires I’m familiar with, he won’t kill me…But why does he have to be so—mysterious? He barely tells me anything. Is that why I feel so attached to him?
I stare at the wall throughout the night and can’t remember if I’ve fallen asleep for the sun shines upon me through my window. I imagined Artimus coming here in the middle of the night to kiss me again, but perhaps it was a dream, or perhaps he did come. What did he have to do that seemed so important to him?
I drive down the streets of Times Square with an emptiness. I think I’m becoming obsessed. Chels would laugh at me for gawking over this man like some little girl. Or maybe this is normal. Maybe despite feeling as I do, I’m rebounding…Then I see his hazel eyes, beautiful black hair, and lips in my head. No…He is not a rebound. I want him. I want Artimus…And I want him to want me back.
When I get into the office, I notice that Chels isn’t here. She hadn’t contacted me at all yesterday after work which is quite a bit unusual for her. Unlike me, she’s barely ever late, but perhaps this will be a first. My boss comes over.
“Oh,” he says. “Where are all those smiles you had these past couple days?”
“Good morning to you too.”
He smiles, but it is far from being anything sincere.
“Your friend isn’t here today. Bummer.”
“Did she call out?”
“That isn’t any of your business.”
“Then why would you bring it up?”
He smiles as I watch him begin to walk away.
“So I get to watch you sulk all day.”
I shake my head and exhale deeply.
After the long work day without Chels, I get into my car and try calling her. No answer. I go to my messages. No message. What is her deal? Why isn’t she answering anything? My phone rings and immediately, I answer it.
“Chels?”
“No, it’s Mom.”
“Oh,” I say.
“Oh,” she says. “Must not wish to hear my voice, huh?”
“No, it’s not that. Just been a rough day. Anyway, what’s going on?”
“Your brother is getting deployed.”
“He just got here.”
“He leaves tonight.”
“On Christmas Eve?”
“Don’t. Mary. Don’t say it as though you care.”
“I do care. How can you say that?”
“Are you going to come by and say goodbye to him.”
I sigh and nod my head.
“Yes. As much as he wouldn’t care. I’ll say goodbye.”
She hangs up.
“Goodbye to you too.”
I connect my phone to my car’s Bluetooth. As I drive to my parents’ house, I wish Artimus had left his number on the card. I wish I had someone to call other than my mother. But I don’t have anybody besides Chels, and now, she’s not answering or even checking in on me. After I visit my family, I’m just going to stop by her house and see what’s going on. I knock on the door to my parents and momentarily, my mother opens the door.
“Hi,” I say.
She smiles and steps aside. “Your brother is in the dining room having a meal.”
“Hi, Mary,” I say to myself, stepping into the house.
I take off my coat and walk into the dining room. My brother sits at the table with father and grandma. They all have on ugly sweaters. I then notice my mother does as well.
“Guess I didn’t get the memo,” I say. “Why not contact me about the family attire? You know how much I loved wearing ugly sweaters for the holidays.”
“Tonight, isn’t about you,” my mother says. “It’s about your brother going back. Don’t you care that there is a chance something can happen to him over there.”
I exhale deeply and look at Brian.
“Hi, Brian.”
He stares and doesn’t say a word.
“Have a seat,” my father says. “Once he finished up his meal, he has to pack so we
can’t keep him too long.”
I take a seat at the table and my grandma is fast asleep, her head slouched down to her chest.
“How do you feel?” I ask him.
“How do you think I feel? This will be my third Christmas in a row that I won’t be home.”
“Well, look on the bright side, you sacrificing your holiday gives another family theirs.”
He scoffs.
“I’m just trying to help, Brian.”
“Why don’t you help yourself,” he says. “You don’t understand.”
“Yes, I do, Brian. I—“
“Mary,” my mother says. “Have you grown up yet?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re being rude to Brian,” my father says.
“I wasn’t being rude, I was simply telling him the truth about—”
“The truth,” he says. “The truth is, you don’t belong in this family.”
Everyone and everything falls silent. I stare at Brian then my eyes glance over at my parents. They shy their faces away.
“So, Mom…Dad…You’re not going to defend me, are you?” They remain silent. “You’re not going to defend your daughter? Another one of your children?”
They still refrain from answering or look me in the eye.
“I guess I’m just some burden to you all, huh?”
“Burden?” Brian says, now standing to his feet. “No. You’re not a burden, Mary. You’re an embarrassment.”
“Embarrassment?” I nod my head. “Because everyone here served our country and I decided to do what I love which is to write? I am an embarrassment?!”
Brian stares and doesn’t say a word. I hold back my tears and take a deep breath.
“I should go.”
“You should,” he says. “Good luck, writer.”
I grab my coat and open the door.
“Good luck, jarhead!”
I slam the door behind myself and hurry to my car. I get inside the car and feel a cry build up within me. I plug my phone into the car’s Bluetooth and begin to head over to Chels house. I tell my phone to dial her number. It rings a couple of times, and finally, for the first time, she answers.
