Bloody Memories

We managed to reach the house without any incidents. I was surprised by that. Once I got over the shock of finding vampires in Alt, I realized that the vampire had kept his word.

The temperature had dropped significantly since we left. I fumbled for my keys, my fingers stiff with cold. “Well, our little trip is done.” I said, pushing the door open. He slid past me, into the vestibule. “Are you satisfied with your apparel now?” A snicker pushed through my lips.

He turned and gave me a critical look. "The clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society."

I stood there and blinked at him. He was quoting someone, I could tell by the way he spoke, but it was beyond me. I pulled the keys out of the lock.

“Mark Twain?” He offered, in a tone that made me feel about as intelligent as algae.

My eyes narrowed. Then I realized something. I stood next to the wide open doorway for a few more seconds. He stood in the vestibule, unmoving, his expression turned questioning. “Have you given up on escaping?” I asked as I closed the door tightly.

“Of course not.” He scoffed. “I still have every intention of leaving here and wreaking some minor havoc and property damage.”

“Yet, you didn't leave when you had the chance.”

“I told you I wouldn't escape.”

An idea was forming in my head. It seemed silly, but a lot of strange things had happened to me lately, so why not indulge in off-the-wall theories while I was at it?

“You're right.” I took off my new jacket and hung it up in the coat closet. “You were telling the truth.”

He looked relieved. “So you finally find me trustworthy?” He asked as he set his bags down in the kitchen and began pulling clothes out and removing the tags.

“Oh hell no.” I replied, walking into the kitchen and setting the kettle on the stove. I turned on the flame underneath, heating the water for some hot chocolate. “I do think that you have to tell the truth, though.” I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, gauging his reaction.

Surprise flickered across his face for a brief second. Then his face closed, and I could not read his expression. “What do you mean?” He asked, focusing on his task.

Better to go all in. I took a deep breath. “What I mean is that the only reason you didn't run off is because you told me you wouldn't. You can't lie.”

“That's a silly idea.” He said, much too carefully.

“But, is it wrong?”

He put down the shirt he was holding a little too forcefully and looked directly at me. I turned and faced him fully. We stared each other down for a long moment. I waited. I was no vampire, but I could be patient.

He broke the silence first. “What in the world would possibly make you think of such a ridiculous notion?” He asked angrily.

I pointed at him. “Ha! You can't say 'no', can you?”

He turned away and headed for the stairs. “This is tiring. I'm going to bed.”

I followed him, feeling energized by my triumph. “You really can't do it! You can't lie!”

“Good night.” He said firmly, and vanished.

I blinked at the stairs for a few seconds. I heard a door upstairs slam. He could move quickly when he wanted to.

But, I had won over the vampire. Finally! I grinned and hurried back into the kitchen.

The front of the refrigerator had been painted with black chalkboard paint. It was useful for writing a recipe on, or making grocery lists, or just leaving memos. So far, I hadn't had anything to write on it.

I retrieved a box of white chalk from the drawer next to the fridge. I pulled out one long piece and wrote on the fridge:

Angie 1
Vampire 0

Smiling smugly, I put the chalk away. The water on the stove was boiling now. I fixed myself a steaming mug of hot chocolate and brought it up to my room.

********

A deep, echoing chime roused me from my sleep hours later. My eyes scrunched tightly closed and I rolled over onto my stomach. I was pulling the pillow over my head when I realized that the chime was the doorbell.

I sat up, my eyes reluctant to fully open. I found my slippers by feel and made my way downstairs.

When I opened the front door, Ricky's smiling face greeted me. “Angie, I hope I didn't wake you.” He smiled radiantly.

I rubbed my knuckles into my left eye. “No, 'course not.” I mumbled, stepping aside to let him in. I yawned loudly. “Whassup?” I asked sleepily.

Ricky was dressed for work. He wore a dark red T-shirt that was covered with black smudges, worn carpenter's jeans, and rugged boots. He was also carrying his toolbox. “Dad told me that the closet door in the kitchen needed rehanging.” He walked over to the remains of the broom closet while I stood in the kitchen, waiting for my brain to boot up. Ricky's back stiffened in surprise. “Where's the door?” He knelt down and picked up a long sliver of wood. It was one of the larger remains of the the closet door. I must have missed it when I cleaned up the other day. He looked at me over his shoulder. “Angie, what happened?”

It was then that my brain woke up with a jolt. I jumped guiltily. “uh...” was all that came out of my mouth.

Ricky gave me a sympathetic look. He stood up and walked over to me. “Are you all right, Angie?” He asked seriously.

“More or less.” I said weakly. My eyes strayed over to the living room. The large wall/window was still covered. I stepped away from Ricky and hurried into the living room. I began undoing the tape around the blankets that were covering the window.

Ricky followed me, a puzzled look on his face. “Is the window broken too?”

I shook my head quickly. “Oh no, it's fine.” I was thinking quickly, my hands shook slightly as I hurried to removed the tape. I didn't relax until a ray of sunlight hit my face. I gripped the tape and pulled the rest of it off. I turned back to Ricky, my smile more sure. “I was just trying to watch a movie.” I pointed at the huge TV on the wall. “The glare from the window is a big nuisance.”

Ricky nodded, as if what I said made perfect sense. Bless him. “I'll pick you up a thick curtain when I go to get a new door.” He said. “It'll be better than those blinds.” He pointed to the corner of the room where the vertical blinds had been dumped messily. My hands gripped into fists. I was going to stake that vampire.

“You don't have to bother yourself with the curtain.” I told him sincerely. Why should I make things easier for the vampire?

“Don't worry about it. It's no trouble. Is there anything else that needs fixing?”

It looked like he wasn't going to be dissuaded. My answering smile was so forced it hurt my cheeks. I shook my head. “Nope, that's everything.” I assured him brightly.

He looked doubtful, but he didn't call me out on my lie. I thought of the attic stairs. They would have to be fixed eventually, but I couldn't have Ricky on the second floor, where there was no protective sunlight.

Ricky looked around, as if making sure nothing else was destroyed. “If I go now, I can get the door and curtain and be back here by tonight.”

Tonight? I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost noon. The sun would set just before five. I shook my head quickly. “Oh no, that's okay. Take your time. You can fix everything in the morning.”

“Are you sure? I don't mind.”

“Trust me, it's fine.” I scrambled around in my brain, looking for a plausible lie. “I'm going to be busy tonight anyway..” That was a good lie, and knowing the vampire, it would turn out to not be a lie. The best way to lie was to not give out a lot of information. That way, there were less details to remember later.

I put both hands on his back and steered him through the kitchen and into the vestibule. “I'm a complete mess right now. I need to shower and change. I'll call you later and we can hang out tomorrow. Steven and Cass too. We can go see a movie after you put up the door.” When we reached the door I opened it for him.

He gave me a small smile. “All right. I can take a hint.” He put one big hand on my head. “Take care of yourself, Angie.”

When he was gone, I closed the door and leaned my back against it. I covered my face with both hands. I was shivering all over. Thank God nothing had happened while he was here. Thank God he wasn't hurt.

I couldn't let Ricky come back, but I didn't know what I could say to make sure he stayed away. It wasn't safe here, for anyone.

Not even me.

“What is your name?”

I jumped, looking around wildly. His voice had come from the living room. I walked into the kitchen, looking for him.

Sunlight was still pouring in through the large window. I could just make out his figure sitting at the top of the stairs, where the sunlight could not reach.

I placed both hands on the kitchen table and sat down slowly. Right then, I felt about a million years old. It had taken a couple of days, but the knowledge that I now shared a home with a vampire had finally sunk in fully. There was no way I was going to have a normal life if I couldn't have my friends over without worrying for their lives.

“I asked you your name.” He reminded. His voice was very neutral. I couldn't read any intentions or emotions in it. There was probably some scheme of his at work here, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

“Angie.” I answered dully, rubbing my face with my palms.

“That's not your name.”

“Yes it is. Everybody calls me Angie.” I looked over at him. He hadn't moved.

“Exactly. That's the name you give to everyone. It's not your true name. It's just a nickname, a moniker designed to put up with day-to-day wear. Few people actually use their real name. What is yours?”

His voice had an odd quality to it, I couldn't place what it was. A weird buzzing started inside of my head and I couldn't concentrate. “Evangeline.” I answered unthinkingly.

The buzzing cleared instantly. I glared at the top of the stairs. It had been his doing of course. Though why he would use his mind powers to get me to answer I had no idea. He had lifted my wallet right off of me just last night. He should already know my name.

“What was the point in forcing me to answer?” My voice was harsh.

“I didn't force you to answer. I just distracted you. You answered automatically because subconsciously you felt no danger in doing so.”

“Is there a danger in you knowing my name?” I asked sharply.

His voice was low, I almost didn't hear him. “Oh yes.”

“How so?” I demanded. Anger and annoyance coursed through my veins, heating my blood and banishing that shivery, weak feeling I had felt at the door.

“Don't you read?” He asked mockingly. “Everyone knows that giving out your true name to someone gives them power over you.”

“Bull. That stuff's from fantasy novels. Fiction.”

“Shall we test it out?” His tone turned playful. The shadows obscured his face, so I couldn't make out his expression. “Come here.”

I shook my head. “No way.” I told him firmly. I wasn't even going to let his freaky mind voodoo draw me out of the sunlight.

“Evangeline, come here.”

His tone hadn't changed. It was still playful, casual. I stood up and stepped away from the table.

This wasn't like when he was controlling me. There was no presence in my mind for me to struggle against or repel. Suddenly, I just didn't see any reason not to go over to him.

My mind wandered while I walked out of the kitchen and to the stairs. I paused when my foot touched the bottom step. I looked up at him, waiting in the darkness. He leaned his elbows on his knees and threaded the fingers of both hands together.

“What's your name?” I asked idly.

There was a small pause, he leaned his chin on his hands. “Why do you want to know?”

I shrugged. “Why not? I told you mine.”

He stood up, placing his hands in his pant's pockets. Then he started to laugh.

His laugh broke the spell over me. I blinked in confusion as the fear, anger and annoyance flooded back into my body. He walked away, back to his room, laughing the whole time.

********

This girl was surprising. She was so infernally stubborn that even using her true name couldn't circumvent her single-mindedness.

I briefly considered that she might have some small grain of the quality of strength Katrina had once possessed, but then dismissed the idea. No, it was definitely the girl's pigheadedness.

I looked around my dark bedroom. What to do, what to do... The hours stretched out long ahead of me. I couldn't go downstairs, because that infernal girl had uncovered the window. The laptop had been amusing, but now it didn't work. The television was utter garbage this time of day. I would rather claw my own eyes out than sit through a sitcom.

My feet carried me around the room briskly. I was pacing. I knew what I wanted. I wanted blood. Human blood.

I wanted that girl's blood.

The thought had entered my mind sometime last night that drinking that girl's blood would be the closest I ever got to drinking Katrina's. The fact that I would never have the opportunity to drain Katrina dry made my chest ache. I had wanted her so much. The strongest human I had ever seen.

My throat burned. My hands twitched, their claws wanting to tear into something. My breathing was quicker, more ragged.

I was hungry.

I heard a small knock at my door.

I was across the room in an instant. But, when I opened the door they only thing that greeted me was a cardboard box, sitting on the floor.

The door at the end of the hall closed.

I smiled. She wasn't slow on her feet, I will grant her that.

I bent down and picked up the box. Hiding behind it was a white plastic bottle. I wrinkled my nose. It was more of that disgusting pig's blood. I picked it up anyway. It was better than starving, if only barely.

After I had drained the bottle, I turned my attention back to the box. It had already been cut open. The shipping label had Evangeline's name on it. I sat on the bed and opened the flaps. Inside I found a note which read: Here are a few things for your new guest. - David I crumpled the note and tossed it in the bin across the room without looking, where it landed neatly.

Inside of the box I found a portable telephone, wait, no, they were called cellular phones. Though I honestly couldn't see what they had to do with cells. I picked it up and turned it over. The battery had been removed. I found it in the box, along with the back, and put it back together.

It rang a few seconds later, as I had expected it to. “Lucien.” I answered smoothly.

“Glad to see you got my gift.” Lucien answered, keeping his voice just as smooth.

“I thank you for it, though I don't really see how much use it will be.”

“You'll find uses. This is a far different world than the one you remember. It's much more connected. If you drop out of the network, you might as well drop off the face of the Earth.”

“It's really not that much different.” I said. “This new world.” I lay back and stretched out on the bed.

“How would you know?” Lucien's voice was guarded.

“Evangeline took me out yesterday.” My lips pulled back over my teeth.

“You shouldn't be showing yourself outside.” Lucien warned.

My grin widened. “Lucien, I am the strongest vampire that's ever lived. Katrina's dead. There is no one on this planet left that can stand up to me.”

“Fifty years is a long time.”

“And it would take a hundred for Nora to catch up to my level.” I said easily.

“You're not listening. This is why you have to be kept inside. You never listen! Remember Russia? You would have been staked and beheaded if I hadn't-”

I sprang up in my bed, my ire rising. “I was in no danger!” My voice rose. “I had everything under control, until YOU got in the way!”

“You have to stay inside! It's for your own good!” Lucien shouted.

I flopped back on the bed, irritated. “Why do you even care? You helped Katrina lock me up, remember?”

“That was also for your own good.” Lucien's voice lowered, but I could tell he was seething. “And I have to look after you, even if you don't want me to. You're the only family I have left.”

A cold feeling settled into the pit of my stomach. “Where's your brother?” I asked. There was no response. “Lucien, where's Lucifer?” My voice rose again.

After a long moment, Lucien answered. “He's dead. Nora killed him.”

Every muscle in my body tensed. I had to be careful not to grip the phone too hard and shatter it. I needed the phone right now. I had to know. “Nora?” My voice sounded weak, and I loathed it. “Did she...?” I couldn't finish the question, I felt sick.

Lucien knew what I was asking. “She drank from him, till there was nothing left.” His voice was solemn, with a deep sadness underneath.

The cold feeling in my stomach spread out to the rest of me. Various emotions crashed together inside of me. Rage and remorse, and fear. Fear had finally found purchase inside of my heart. Lucifer had been a hundred years older than Lucien, and twice as strong. If Nora had drunk his blood, her own strength would have trebled. I drew in a sharp breath.

“Father?” Lucien sounded worried, as worried as he could sound. “Are you there?”

“Yes.” I answered, my voice hoarse, but deceptively calm. “Where is Nora now?”

“You can't go after her. She'll kill you. Then she'll drain you, that's what she wants.”

“I'll kill her first.” I said with cold certainty. I knew I would, without pause or indecision. I would rip her heart out of her chest and get Lucifer's blood back. I would drain every last drop out of her and burn whatever was left.

“Look, I have to be in court in five minutes. I will come over and talk to you later.” Lucien said sadly. “Please don't get into trouble before then.”

“Fine.” I agreed, and hung up the phone. I would wait. Then I would extract every bit of information Lucien had.

Until then, I would wait, and brood.

********

I raced down the stairs as the doorbell chimed for the third time, muttering to myself. “I told him to wait until morning...”

When I opened the door, it was Steven who was standing on the porch. He held his laptop bag in both hands, and was wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt. I stepped back in surprise. “Steven, what's up?”

He stepped into the vestibule quickly, as if I might shut the door on him. Which I would have done if he hadn't moved so quickly. It was after dark now and I was Steven's only protection against fanged death. Danny hadn't called me back about those silver bullets yet, so I was a weak defense at best.

“Ricky said you might want some company tonight.” Steven smiled tightly. He never smiled much, his face didn't seem suited for it. His usual expressions consisted of neutral, and faint disapproval. Still, he was a good guy. Ricky had been worried by my strange behavior and had sent him by.

“Steven, I'm fine. Honest.” I tried to smile warmly at him. It felt weak to me, but that was because my stomach was twisting itself into knots. I stepped back, letting him push past, into the kitchen. If I didn't, he would probably just nudge me aside.

He set his bag on the table. “I'm sure you are.” He said as I closed and locked the door. “But Ricky just wants me to make sure. I'm going to check the alarm system real quick, then I'll go. Okay?”

“Fine.” I sighed. “But please hurry. I really am busy tonight-”

He raised his hand, cutting me off. “No worries, this won't take a second.” He pulled his laptop out of his bag and popped it open.

I leaned one hip against the counter and watched the stairs out of the corner of my eye. Sure enough, the vampire appeared at the top. “Has Lucien arrived?” He asked as he hurried down the stairs.

He slowed to a more human pace when he spotted Steven. Steven looked up in surprise. His glasses slid down his nose as he took in the vampire's appearance. The vampire was wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt. The shirt's top two buttons were opened and he wore a black thong around his neck. A small gold cross hung from it. I guess the allergy to crosses was off the list of 'known vampire weaknesses'.

Steven pushed his glasses back into place, then turned to me. “'Busy'. I see.” He went back to his laptop.

I held up both hands. “Whoa, hold on there. You've totally got the wrong idea.”

“No, it's okay.” Steven assured me as he typed. “You don't have to explain anything to me. I understand.”

I glanced over at the vampire, gauging his reaction. He seemed disturbingly amused. I covered my eyes with one hand. “Oh, I feel sick.”

“Ohhh, are you unwell?” The vampire crooned at me. He stepped up to me, taking my hand away from my eyes. His dark eyes were laughing. I gave him an ugly look.

His lips pulled back over his fangs. Some people might have confused that with a smile, but I knew he was baring his teeth at me. He snaked one arm around my waist, his hand settling on my hip.

Then he hissed in pain. He yanked his hand away from me. It had been burned by the silver chain sticking out of my pocket. The silver gun it was attached to was of course holstered in the back of my jeans. I smiled sweetly at him. His eyes narrowed into a dark glare as he nursed his injured hand.

He turned his attention back to Steven. He placed his burned hand in his pocket and looked over Steven's shoulder. “How well do you know these contraptions?” He asked curiously.

Steven snorted. “I could put a laptop together in my sleep.”

“Excellent.” The vampire's expression brightened. “I have one upstairs that has stopped functioning.”

“I guess I can take a look.” Steven offered reluctantly.

“I'll go retrieve it now.” The vampire walked swiftly out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

I walked over to the table and placed both palms on it. “Look Steven, he's not-”

Steven looked over at me seriously. “It really is okay, Angie.”

“No really, I can't stand him.” I blurted out. “He, uh, knew Great Aunt Katrina a few years ago. He's stopped by to pay his respects, and I can't get rid of him.” I gave Steven a pleading look.

“Can't you throw him out?” Steven asked, concerned.

I shook my head. “The lawyer won't let me.”

Steven opened his mouth to answer, but the vampire came back just then. He placed the laptop on the table next to Steven's. Steven's eyebrows raised, he had noticed how quick the vampire was. “Let me know if you can repair it.” The vampire said brightly. “Angie will take care of any expenses.” He flashed his teeth at me again. I gave him an annoyed look back. Then, he headed back up the stairs. “Oh, and let me know as soon as Lucien arrives.” He told me before vanishing.

Steven sighed and opened the vampire's laptop. “You know, I think I'll agree with you. There's something about that guy I don't like.”

“Thank you.” I said in relief. “I'm glad someone agrees with me. Please see if you can fix his laptop, though. I need something to keep him occupied. He's driving me crazy.”

“Will do.” Steven said, giving me another weak smile. This one felt more genuine, and I smiled back.