I Want Her

The next night, I woke up to Jessica’s pale complexion just inches from my nose. I slammed my body into the back of the couch in surprise. Jessica laughed and walked away, her taught butt clenched and released in her micro mini. I could hear Pam, Eric and Chow talking behind the couch, and I slowly sat up.

“Oh good!” Said Pam, seeing the top of my head. “You’re awake. We can tell you this weekend’s arrangement.” I kept staring. “We’ve decided you’ll sing Vampires by Fastball this Saturday night.”

I was silent for a few moments. “Isn’t that a little cliché?” I asked.

“Rory, this entire place is cliché. Do you know what my favorite color is? Pink. But you humans have a thing for the whole gothic vampire statement, so I wear red and black to work.” Pam said, hands placed haughtily on her hips. She then turned away to talk to Eric and Chow.

I laid back down and closed my eyes. I tried to remember my dream. I remembered a rushing sensation. I was flying, soaring over a glittering sea, the bright moon reflected in its choppy water. The scent of icy salt spray washed over my lungs, and my feet touched the thick gritty earth before the water’s edge.

“Rory, get in the car.” Said Pam loudly, interrupting my reverie. I shook my head, stood and followed her, Jessica gliding along after us. As Pam’s car came into view, I felt a rush of air, and suddenly Jessica was sliding into the passenger seat. “You could have just asked” I muttered under my breath as I climbed in the back seat.

Before long, we were in front of Pam’s little house. Pam unlocked the door and we followed her inside. Jessica rushed passed me and locked herself in the bathroom. I rolled my eyes, and sat opposite of Pam in the love seat. It was extremely quiet, so I thought of something to say.

“How long have you been a vampire, Pam?” I asked, hoping this wasn’t an offensive question.

“A long time. How long have you been an empath?” She said back.

“All my life. Eric told you?”

“Yes. He asked me to play around with you while Jessica gets ready. Regrettably, he meant your mind, but your body, but I suppose I could entertain the idea for a while.” She said. I suddenly understood the way she greeted women at the door. Pam apparently batted for the other team.

“O-okay” I said.

“Tell me what I’m feeling.” She said, her blue eyes piercing my face. I let her in, and was surprised to find it easy. Not as easy as Eric was, but still easier than normal.
“Curious. Intrigued” I said, looking away.

“Make me feel what you’re feeling.” She said, her eyes unchanged. She had this unearthly stare that could penetrate steel, keep you fixated and scared.

I sighed a little. Lab rat games were never fun. I swept impatience at her, and she smiled. “So sorry, I wasn’t aware I was boring you. How about… make me feel what Jessica is feeling.” I paused. That wasn’t something I was sure I could do.
“I’ve never done that before” I said.

“Just try.” Said Pam, her eyes still trenchant, but a smile was playing on her lips.
I concentrated deeply. First I let my aura extent. Little tendrils snaked their way outward, moving through the furniture, then the walls. They touched Jessica, and then focused on her. She was relaxed, but fiercely hungry. The same hunger from the night before. I shuttered a little, but pulled it in. However, as I let it settle in my bubble, it changed. It wasn’t the same ravenous hunger that made muscle tissue tingle. It was mortal hunger, the average emptiness. I tried to get that feeling back to send it to Pam, but I couldn’t.

I bit my lip, frustrated. I must have a hard time experiencing something I’ve never truly known. So how to send an emotion I’ve never felt for myself before? I asked myself this, churning ideas over in my head. I closed my eyes and tried a different tactic. Maybe I could try to switch each other’s emotions. I closed my eyes and pictured the floor plan on the house. I could see and feel the two auras close to me. Pam’s was a soft sea green, and Jessica’s was violet that pulsed vivid red. I tried to sweep one towards the other, but I couldn’t concentrate on controlling both of them. Instead, I kind of hooked onto both of them and dragged them towards each other. I felt them pass, and then slip into their bubbles.

I opened my eyes with a look of triumph on my face, but it quickly turned to terror. Pam had flung herself at me, knocking my over and pinning me to the loveseat pillows. Her fangs were bared, her eyes mad with bloodlust. She had my torso straddled between her legs, and I was about to struggle when I saw the maddened look fade from her eyes. Her grip on my arms loosened, and she came back to her senses. She got off me and retracted her fangs, sitting back across from me with her hands in her lap.

“Well that sure was interesting. I’ve haven’t felt that kind of hunger for many centuries.” Pam said, smoothing out her skirt. “Eric will like to try that one.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think that would happen. I was just trying to get it to work.” I said, watching Pam compose herself again. My heart was still racing, and it jumped up a few levels when the door to the bathroom flung open with a bang. Jessica walked out of the bathroom wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, red pumps, and a Fangtasia Tee shirt that tucked into the waist of her pants. Her hair was still wet, but was brushed into a ponytail. She was clean, her makeup was done, and she was ready to go. Pam handed me a bundle of clothes, and I scooted off to the bathroom.

Once I was showered, makeuped and dressed as well, we all loaded into the car and headed back to Fangtasia. The three of us walked back into Fangtasia. Chow was at his usual place behind the bar and Eric was standing behind the tourist booth, restocking the t-shorts and false fangs. Ginger came bustling into the room, with a little bucket and a rag, and she tossed it at me.

“Wipe the tables” She said, before she clicked her way out of the room again. Pam had joined Eric in the corner, and they began to speak in a language I didn’t recognize. I slowly made my way around the room, wiping the sticky alcohol from the table tops while Eric and Pam conversed in the back. I had five more tables to go when Eric met my gaze and jerked his head for me to follow him.

“Jessica, finish the tables.” Said Pam to the red head, who was sitting at the bar, looking at her reflection. Jessica glowered, and stood up looking very pissed off to finish my task. I turned away from them and followed Eric into his office. He motioned for me to sit at in front of his desk. Then he dragged his chair around so that he could sit beside me.
“Pam told me what happened at her house. What did you do exactly?” He said, his face intrigued.

“Well…” I began. It was hard to explain it, because he had never felt what I could feel. “It was like I hooked my finger on both of them, and yanked them towards each other until they switched.” I finally said, sounding like a lunatic.

Eric just nodded. “Can you do it again?”

“I can try.” I said, screwing up my face in concentration. I put the floor plan in my mind again, and felt around with my mind. I touched a few bubbles, and I almost chuckled to myself when I felt Gingers. I mentally hooked on to both Eric’s and gingers emotions, and yanked them towards each other. I was surprised to find it easy, and I opened my eyes to see Eric’s reaction. I actually laughed when I saw his face go dreamily blank and spacey. He shook his head and glared at me while I tried to smother my giggles.

“I meant with Pam, not Ginger.” He said, looking irritated. This however was a façade, because his aura was lightly amused. I smiled at him knowingly. He calculated for a moment, then reached forward and took my wrist. “I want to feed before the Friday night rush.” His fangs flicked out, and he brought my wrist to his lips. I was all prepared, my bubble hard as stone, when he said, “Don’t block it. Feel it, but don’t let it control you.” I swallowed, and let my guard back down, nodding. Eric smiled a little, pulled his lips back, his fangs glinting, and bit deeply into my wrist.