Morning Light

We stopped in front of a very large building. It was a five story building. It was built beautifully. It was old looking yet new. The outside was a deep brown with intricate swirls for designs around the door and for separating the stories. The top was a tan color that matched perfectly. It had those rising square things with stone gargoyles on them.

“If you think the outside is beautiful, you should see the inside,” Luke interrupted. He dragged me inside as he explained that only three people lived in the humungous building. The bottom was for mail and all that stuff, like a lobby. Once we got in the elevator, he explained who lived on each floor as we passed it. “And finally, I own the top two floors.”

“Wow, such a huge space for one person,”I commented.

“I like space. I can be pretty clumsy. It’s better not to be crammed,” he explained.

It must be easier to flit in here. I took in the enormous flat. I was embarrassed as I tracked mud into his apartment. I felt like I was breaking every rule of etiquette. I blushed.

“What?” he asked.

“I feel bad because of all the mud,” I explained.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Let me get you some clothes and show you the bathroom. You can just stay here, so you won’t feel bad about tracking more mud in the place.” He laughed at his joke. He walked off towards the stairs on the other side of the room.

I stood there feeling like a fool. I didn’t want to move out of fear of leaving more mud behind, but I wanted desperately to wander in this place. His place was huge. There were paintings hanging on his walls. I was ogling at a picture across the room when Luke returned.

“You like it?” he asked, pointing to the painting. I nodded. “That’s my favorite one.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Yes. Here are some clothes. Follow me.” He led me to a bathroom.

The bathroom could have held twenty people comfortably. It was spacious, clean, and very bright. He started to run my bath for me; he waited until the water was warm to put the shower on. He looked at me, waiting for my response. I was waiting for him to leave. We stood like that for a few minutes, staring at each other.

“Thanks. I can take it from here,” I told him.

I got dressed uncomfortably. I didn’t want to get mud anywhere, and it was odd to be getting undressed in a place I hadn’t been before. I forgot my worries as soon as I stepped into the steaming, hot shower. My muscles relaxed. I stopped worrying about being in a strangers house, as if something from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho would happen. Not like it would kill me anyway. I relaxed even more as the steam enveloped me, making everything foggy. I just let the water pound on my skin, washing the mud away. As soon as I didn’t have a care in the world, I started to wash. His soaps smelled like earth. I wanted to stay in the fresh meadow forever. I didn’t want to walk out of its freshness and warmth.

The cold didn’t bug me as I got out the shower; I didn’t get cold much anymore. I got dressed in his comfy, oversized sweats. I rolled the pants at the waist and let the shirt hang. I put my dirty clothes in a bag that was in the cabinet. I walked out into the warm, inviting hallway. I passed what looked like a small office, and I couldn’t resist taking a sneak. I looked at the famous paintings of Matisse hanging on the wall. The room was dim lit, just two lamps. One his desk, and the other in the back corner. I walked around his cluttered desk. His laptop was halfway opened but on hibernate. Travel papers were everywhere. Was he planning a trip? He had maps and brochures all over the place. There was a picture of very large estate, one identical to my father’s in London, but it could not have been his. Looking at some pictures on his desk, I saw a really old painting of someone named Nina Marie Bishop. She was gorgeous, but something distracted me from her beauty. It was a very old picture; it looked like it came from one of the first made cameras. There was man with pale her, dark eyes, dressed formally in the best attire from that time. The black and white photo almost fooled me. As I stared in shock, I realized I knew the man.

“What has you so fascinated?” Luke surprised me. I even let out a shocked gasp.

“Oh, nothing. Just these old photos,” I said, pointing to the photos. “Who are these people?”

A look of loneliness passed over his face as he peered at Nina’s photo, his first love his thoughts told me. “Her name was Nina obviously. Her small painting has been handed down though my family. She was one of my great grandfather’s wife, but she disappeared after having his first child. The picture just happened to be handed down from son to son just in case they found her. They never did.” While his story was sad, what really happened was much sadder. She was his wife. She died giving birth to his son- a Halfling like me. The Halfling died because it never got the blood it needed.

“This man,- this monster, “ was my very great grandfather.” This cursed animal was my creator, and the one responsible for my sweet Nina’s death.

I wanted to cry for this stranger. He had lost his love, his only son because of this man. This man who was my father. I turned around so Luke couldn’t see my tears; at last, I still can cry. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what? Nina? That happened centuries ago, long before I was born,” he said nonchalantly. He wrapped his arm around me. “Lets get something to eat,” he said as soon as my stomach growled.

“Sounds good. What you feel like eating?” I asked, even though I already knew that answer.

“Whatever you feel like eating,” he answered.

The problem was that I wanted the same thing he did, but I couldn’t tell him that. Oh, I just want some warm deer blood. Sounds good to you? “Um, lasagna. I love lasagna.”

“Okay, how about something that won’t take all day to cook. Spaghetti and meatballs good?”

“Always.”

“Good. I have the meatballs already made. I was going to eat that tonight anyway. I just have to cook the spaghetti and the put it all in the sauce. Go sit down.” He walked off in another direction, leading him to kitchen.

I walked to the front where we entered. I plopped down on the couch, thinking about my father’s past. He was responsible for Luke’s despair? How many other lives was he responsible for ruining? I growled in response. I didn’t want to think about that. I turned around onto my side and grunted. I kept thinking about everyone at home. No! I couldn’t do that. I turned back around to find Luke staring at me.

“You need to stop doing that! Its freaky enough in movies. In real life, it’s a lot creepier.” How did he manage to sneak up on me? Every other vampire can’t even do that. Maybe he was even older than what I can tell. God only knows how old William is.

“Sorry. I did not mean to scare you. Dinner will be ready soon. Where do you want to dine?” he asked.

Dine? “Um… wherever you dine?”
He laughed; its warmth filling his eyes. “I eat wherever I please. We can eat in here if you want? Maybe watch a movie while we eat.”

“Sounds good,” I smiled. I heard an alarm go off somewhere in the back.

“Its done. I‘ll go fix our plates.” He was off before I could say anything else. I walked over to the entertainment center. I pulled the doors opened to find a collection of movies, from cassettes to DVDs. I didn’t know where to start. I loved movies, and he had my favorites.

I heard him this time, but he was doing it on purpose. Man, I must need to get my ears checked. “What movie is your favorite?”

“You would laugh at me if I told you.”

I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear him say it. “I won’t! I promise,” I perked up.

“Phantom of the Opera, the newer rendition,” he mumbled.

“Great! That’s my favorite too!” I hurriedly grabbed the DVD and out it in the player.

“No way!”

“I can sing to you every single song by heart, even Masquerade; I think that song is my least favorite. I like Point of No Return and Think of Me. Oh and [I[Wandering Child[I/] and the mirror song.

“Are all the songs your favorite?” he mused.

“Pretty much,” I laughed. “Ssh! Its beginning.”

I heard his musical laugh and relaxed. I forgot about his past and my father’s. I forgot about everyone at home. I concentrated on the movie and the delicious food. Luke was eating the spaghetti. Huh! He really does he eat human food. I snuggled into the couch and finished eating the spaghetti. I fell asleep before the ending scene of the Phantom’s play.