The Foundlings: Book One of the Urban Fantasy Paranormal Vampire Series, The Foundlings

by R. M. Garcia

  “OK, I’ll take your word for it,” Donnie said. “Let’s go.” Donnie and Abbie ran toward his home. Donnie wondered how fast they were moving; they were going at ungodly speeds. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as they ran down the highway. Within the hour they had reached Donnie’s house, and Donnie went inside, but Abbie was halted at the threshold.

  “I can’t come in,” she said.

  “Why can’t you?”

  “I just can’t. I need to be invited,” Abbie said. “See.” Abbie attempted to move into the house was repelled back each time.

  “Weird. You are invited,” Donnie said surprised.

  “We have to be invited into a house, unless you live in it yourself,” Abbie said as she came in. “It was in the manual.”

  “How did we get into the beach house?” Donnie asked.

  “No one lives there I guess,” Abbie replied. “I was able to walk right in.”

  “Well, at least we’ll be safe in here for a while then.”

  “For now, but now we need a place to sleep with no sunlight coming in,” Abbie said.

  “Really, we do?” Donnie asked, a bit confused. He remembered he was OK outside just before the sun went down.

  “Yeah, we can take a bit of sunlight because we are young vampires, but we still need to avoid it. Any long exposure is deadly,” Abbie replied.

  “That must be it,” Donnie said softly.

  “Must be what?” Abbie asked from across the room.

  “Nothing,” Donnie replied. He heard his phone ringing in his bedroom and ran up to get it. It was Misha. “Hey, Misha.”

  “Dude, seriously, where have you been?” he asked.

  “I went for a drive and left my phone here. I’m back at the house now.”

  “What’s going on?” Misha asked, “I know there’s something going on. I can hear it in your voice.” Donnie shook his head and sighed. He really wished he wasn’t so transparent to his friend.

  “I found my answers. I need to see you and CeeCee tomorrow night,” Donnie said.

  “I’ll be there in the morning.”

  “No, you and CeeCee need to be here anytime after the sun goes down.” Donnie’s tone was firm.

  “Any particular reason you want us there at that time of day?” Misha asked suspiciously.

  “Just do as I say. It will be easier to explain then.”

  “Donnie!” Abbie called from downstairs.

  “Who’s that?” Misha asked after hearing the voice.

  “Just be here tomorrow!” Donnie hung up and ran downstairs. He ran to Abbie who was hopping up and down nervously. “What?”

  “My parents are here! What are they doing here?” Abbie asked, panicked.

  “I don’t know. Go upstairs and hide.”

  “But,” Abbie objected.

  “Just go!” Donnie repeated. Abbie ran upstairs as there was a knock on the door. Donnie opened the door, and Johan and Camille were on his porch.

  “Hello, Johan, hello Camille, won’t you please come in?” Donnie said. Johan and Camille entered the house.

  “I didn’t think you were home,” Johan said. “I didn’t see your car.”

  “I lent it to a friend. What brings you to my doorstep?” Donnie said as he oriented the Gottliebs into the living room to take a seat.

  “We will not take no for an answer, Donnie,” Camille said.

  “You were very generous with your gift of paying for the funeral and the twenty-five thousand dollars you put into Abbie’s funeral fund,” Johan said.

  “We want you to have Abbie’s car back,” Camille said quickly.

  “Oh,” Donnie said, a bit surprised.

  “You paid so much money to fix it, and we don’t need a second car,” Johan said.

  “And it reminds me of her every time I see it,” Camille said. “Please, take it back.”

  “Of course, I completely understand,” Donnie said. “I know just what to do with it.” The Karmann Ghia was totaled; having any car would help them move about.

  “So it’s settled,” Johan said, handing the signed title over to Donnie.

  “Yeah, so tell me how both of you holding up?” Donnie asked.

  “One day at a time,” Johan answered.

  “I know now how you felt, Donnie. It’s a pain that cannot heal,” Camille said.

  “It heals. It just takes time and love,” he said.

  “Do you think we will ever know why she left us?” Camille asked.

  “I intend to find out,” Donnie replied.

  “How?” Camille asked.

  “I’ll be leaving soon and will be going on a vision quest. Hopefully at the end of it, I will have my answers. When I find them, I promise to come back to you and tell you,” he said.

  “Do you think you will find anything?” Johan asked with a look of hope in his eyes.

  “They have never led me astray yet, so I have to have faith,” he replied.

  “Then we will both pray you find the answers for all of us,” Johan said. He got up and shook Donnie’s hand, and Camille hugged him, and they left soon after. Donnie went up to check on Abbie and found her crying under the covers of Donnie’s bed.

  “They’re gone.”

  “I know. I heard everything. Why did you have to give them hope?” she asked angrily.

  “They have accepted your death. They just don’t understand why. A little hope can go a long way for them. Don’t be mad, please. I did it for them,” he said as he sat next to Abbie and hugged her.

  “I hate all of this! Why did this happen to us?” Abbie shook with anger.

  “I don’t know, but we can try to find the answers together.” They lay down on the bed and got comfortable.

  “I really love you, Donnie. I mean truly love you,” Abbie said as they snuggled together.

  “I love you too. I guess now, it really will be me and you forever,” Donnie said.

  “You know it tore me apart when you were standing over my grave. I cried out,” Abbie admitted.

  “I thought I heard you before I passed out but thought it was your spirit calling out to me,” he replied.

  “I never want you to hurt like that ever again.”

  “As long as I have you in my arms, I feel impervious to harm,” Donnie clutched her tightly.

  “Donnie, the answer is yes.” Abbie looked down at her ring.

  “Answer to what?” Donnie asked. Abbie held up her hand and showed Donnie she was wearing the ring he had given her.

  “I will marry you,” Abbie said and kissed him. She could feel Donnie’s heart start to beat again, and they made love until dawn came.

  Just after sundown, Abbie woke up, and once again she was alone in the bed. She began to walk downstairs when she heard voices. She stopped and listened.

  “So, Dodo, what is the big secret?” Cecilia asked.

  “It’s actually kind of serious, and I’m not sure how to say this,” Donnie replied.

  “Best way has always been to just say it and let the chips lie where they fall,” Misha said.

  “Well, that’s not the case here. There needs to be some tact,” Donnie said. Misha tried to read his friend but could not decipher what he was holding back.

  “Come on, Dodo, you said you found answers. Did you hire a PI or something?” Cecilia asked.

  “I summoned my spirit guardian and asked him for answers,” Donnie said.

  Misha eyes went wide as if remembering something. “PooPoo?”

  “His name is Punu,” Donnie corrected.

  “Donnie, come on. Those herbs your mom used were nothing more than strong hallucinogens. You brought us here to tell us you got high and saw things?” Cecilia asked.

  “The spirits are real, CeeCee. Just because you never tried to find your spirit guide doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Just ask Misha how real they are.” Donnie looked at Misha who suddenly got an anxious look.

  “Don’t bring that up again. I don’t ever care to see that ferret ever again. It freake
d me the hell out,” Misha said shivering. “I can’t say one way or another if she was real or not.”

  “Yet you knew it was a she, and knew her name, and felt completely at ease in her presence,” he said.

  “Yeah, but, that doesn’t mean she was real,” Misha argued.

  “What are you getting at, Donnie? Just tell it straight,” Cecilia said.

  “OK, but you can’t freak out either. You need to promise to listen to the whole thing objectively.” Donnie looked slowly at both Cecelia and Misha and waited for their acknowledgment.

  “We’ve always been there for you, Donnie. I don’t see that changing because you took some herbal relaxation,” Cecilia said jokingly.

  “Damn it, CeeCee. I respected your Jewish traditions. I acted as the Shomer. I obeyed all your beliefs. All I am asking that you have a little faith. If not in the spirits, then in me,” Donnie said, a bit annoyed.

  “OK, Dodo. I’m sorry, no more jokes. I promise to have an open mind,” Cecilia said.

  “Me too. Let’s have it,” Misha said.

  “So I took a spirit quest, and I ended up at the Spot,” Donnie said.

  “We were just there a few weeks ago,” Misha said.

  “You’d never know it. All the furniture was intact,” Donnie said. Abbie giggled unexpectedly at the remark.

  “Dude, that was one time,” Misha said defensively.

  “Now who isn’t being serious?” Cecilia asked. “Is someone upstairs? I heard someone.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t resist, and, yes, someone is upstairs. I will have her come down in a few minutes,” Donnie stated.

  “Wait. You have a spirit whatever and come back with a girl?” Cecilia asked.

  “Exactly,” Donnie said, pointing at Cecilia.

  “Dude, I think it’s too soon for another girlfriend. I know this is really hypocritical coming from me, but it’s not fair to her,” Misha said.

  “Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought,” Donnie said aloud. “OK, let me just put it out there.”

  “That’s what I said in the beginning,” Misha said.

  “OK, here goes,” Donnie said, taking a deep breath. “Abbie isn’t really dead. She is, but she isn’t. We’re both vampires now.” Donnie watched as their expressions changed.

  “What?” Cecilia said in disbelief.

  “Dude, how much of that shit did you smoke?” Misha asked.

  “Just enough,” Abbie said as she came down the stairs. Misha got up from his chair and backed up against the sink. Cecilia went quiet and blinked repeatedly in shock.

  “What the fuck! Why isn’t she in the ground? Is this some sort of prank! Please, let this be a reality show prank,” Misha said in near panic as he tried the door to the backyard and found it locked and bolted.

  “Misha, calm down! I told you this was serious,” Donnie said, getting up and going to his friend.

  “Are you going to eat me?” Misha said. “It’s OK. Eat me, and just let CeeCee go please!” Misha said in sheer terror now.

  “I told you we shouldn’t have told them,” Abbie said as she sat down at the table in the chair Donnie had previously occupied.

  “How is this possible?” Cecilia said finally coming out of her shock. “How can you be here? I saw your corpse.”

  “I was turned into a vampire when I was on spring break,” Abbie replied.

  “And you turned Dodo into one too?” Cecilia asked.

  “Yes, I did, but I . . .” Abbie was saying before Cecilia brutally struck her. The blow knocked her back and out of the kitchen chair. Abbie landed, rolled, and instinctively bared her fangs.

  “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, shehasfangs, shehasfangs, shehasfangs,” Misha said, continuing his panic and started to hyperventilate.

  “Abbie, put them away! He’s having trouble breathing,” Donnie said as he tried to help his friend calm down.

  “Sorry, I’m hungry. I didn’t mean to, besides she hit me!” Abbie said as she got up.

  “You killed Dodo! I am going to kill you!” Cecilia said as she began moving toward Abbie.

  “CeeCee, sit down now!” Donnie screamed. The house lights flickered momentarily as a bolt of lightning struck the ground outside. The boom that followed shook the windows and doors and startled everyone. Cecilia sat back down, and Misha took a seat at the table next to her and grabbed her hand. Everyone stood in silence not sure what else to say.

  “So you’re both vampires now?” Misha asked after a few minutes.

  “Yeah, and it wasn’t her fault, CeeCee, so don’t blame her,” Donnie said. Abbie sat down at the table again.

  “I think I should begin.” Abbie relayed the entire story to Cecilia and Misha. Donnie filled in his part of the story. When they were done, Misha and Cecilia just sat there in disbelief.

  “So why tell us?” Misha asked. “I mean you could have just left. I half-expected you to be gone one day anyway.”

  “I owe you two more than that. I just couldn’t leave without telling you why,” he replied.

  “So where are you going to go?” Cecilia asked.

  “Better you don’t know, but I will keep my phone for as long as I can,” Donnie said.

  “I don’t think that is a good idea,” Cecilia said. “You will be better off with one of those disposable phones. If you are going on the run, you should work off cash and use as little technology as possible.”

  “Why do you think that?” Abbie asked.

  “From what you said, these Nazis are afraid of technology tracking them, so I figure it’s because they know how to use it to look for someone,” Cecilia replied.

  “Yeah, that sounds like something these guys would do, and the moment they figure out Abbie is with you, they will start tracking your info and come straight to the house to look for you,” Misha said.

  “OK, Dodo. I know you like to keep it a secret, but how much cash do you have?” Cecilia asked.

  “I have about a million in the safe upstairs, another two in my interest checking account, and another six in my portfolio,” he said.

  “What, are you serious?” Abbie asked.

  “Dude, I know how much you got from the policy. I snuck a peek at the check, and it was nowhere near that,” Misha said.

  “You want to explain?” asked Cecilia.

  “It’s why I never went to work. I have a knack for playing the stock markets. After I paid for the house and lawyers, I had $120,000 from my dad’s half-million-dollar policy. I made the rest,” Donnie explained.

  “That is insane!” Misha said.

  “Not for Dodo,” Cecilia said. “I don’t think anything is beyond that brain of his.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you had that much money?” Abbie asked.

  “Would it have mattered?” Donnie asked. “Not like you would have taken any.”

  “No, not really,” she replied smiling.

  “There were actually several policies,” Donnie said. “There had been a policy on my mom as well and one from Dad’s job. In total, I received two million dollars.”

  “Wow! Dodo, I suddenly feel a lot less guilty about letting you pay for my school,” Cecilia said.

  “It’s all good. The money in the portfolio is making more money than I can spend,” Donnie said.

  “Quit showing off. You need to get a serious plan, take the cash, and leave me and Misha enough money to watch over the house,” Cecilia said.

  “I’ll just sign it over to you both,” Donnie said. “Call it an early wedding present.”

  “Caught the ring, did you?” Misha said.

  “What? When did they get engaged?” Abbie asked.

  “Yesterday,” Cecilia replied smiling.

  “Congratulations!” Abbie said hugging CeeCee. For a moment, the tension in the room was gone, and it was as old times once again.

  “I caught the ring on Abbie’s finger too,” Misha said. The girls took turns displaying their rings and hugged a few more times.

  “I’m going
to miss this,” Donnie said.

  “What?” Misha asked.

  “Normal,” Donnie said.

  “Whoa!” Cecilia said after finishing a hug. Abbie’s fangs had protruded again.

  “Sorry! I’m getting hungry. It’s not safe for them when I need blood,” Abbie said.

  “Let’s go out and find someone for you to feed on,” Donnie said half in disbelief he had just said that.

  “Are you going to kill someone?” Misha asked.

  “No, I don’t need that much blood,” Abbie said. “I don’t have to kill anyone. As long as I am not starving, I can stop on my own.”

  “Will it turn the victim into another vampire?” Misha asked.

  “No, you have to die, we think, for that to happen,” Donnie explained.

  “Does it hurt?” Misha asked.

  “No! You are not going to do that,” Donnie objected.

  “Listen, it’s a practical solution. She drinks from me, and then you don’t have to go out there and possibly get caught in your hometown. Someone might spot her,” Misha argued.

  “It’s just weird to have my girlfriend drink blood from my best friend. We can find a bum or something,” Donnie said.

  “I hate to say it, but Meemee is right. You need to keep a low profile until you’re out of the state at the very least,” Cecelia said.

  “No, it doesn’t hurt as long as you are willing and relaxed,” Abbie replied.

  Donnie looked at Abbie. “Oh no, absolutely not, no way, and no how!”

  “Are you needing blood too, Donnie?” Cecilia asked.

  “No, I am not!” Donnie was getting upset at what these three were plotting. He was not comfortable with it at all.

  “Dodo, listen, you brought us here to tell us what happened because you care about us. We care about you too just as much. If it’s safe, let us help you,” Cecilia said.

  “This is just not right. How can you be so casual about this? It’s unnerving me,” he said.

  “Donnie, if it was me and CeeCee in your situation, would you let us feed off you?” Misha asked. Donnie just stood there and fumed. He realized that he would indeed make the very same sacrifice for his friends.

  “Fine,” Donnie said and crossed his arms.

  “OK, Donnie. You need to listen for his heartbeat. If it starts to slow or beat irregularly and I haven’t pulled away, you need to pull me off him,” Abbie instructed.