Sooner Or Later
Time Changes People
FIFTEEN
Claire crossed the space between Ray's and Stormy's, having just helped him darken his windows making it safe for him to be there even when the sun was up. Stormy was downstairs, she looked tired. Claire sat down and looked at her.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine. Over doing it a bit lately, but I'll live." She chuckled at her pun. "I heard from someone today about the hunter."
"What did you find out? Anything about Frank?”
"He's been tracking the group of hunters that attacked you. Frank seems to still be with him and I think the next time they meet, they will tell Frank where you are hiding out." Claire smiled brightly, feeling hopeful for the first time in ages.
"That's fantastic."
"I thought you'd like that news." Stormy grinned and rested her head in her hands.
"Is Rev here?"
"He's resting I should be too." Claire gave her an odd look.
"Oh...OH..."
"Yeah, I know…it was about time anyway." Claire nodding, understanding now. Her insides churned a bit...the question was still in her mind but she didn’t know how to say it.
"Stormy...how- why did you sire for the first time?"
"The same most do. I didn't want to be alone. I felt something special there with them. Why?"
"Just curious." Claire scuffed her toe on the floor.
"Are you thinking of turning someone?" Claire didn't answer. "It's alright if you are. We all do at some point. It's natural and needed right now."
"Needed?"
"Our numbers are low. The hunters are everywhere, we don't want to take over but we don't want to die out either."
"Oh." Claire sighed and played with the fringe on the table cloth.
"Listen, Claire, if you do sire someone make sure that you want him or her that way. When you change them they're like a child. You're responsible for them...at least for a little while. And don't feel guilty, we all need people around us."
"Is that why you changed Rev?"
"Yeah, I did it for the both of us, him and me. And I sired Ray for you... even if Frank does come back, you'll need more than just him, some of just aren't cut out to make it alone in this world." Stormy smiled knowingly and stood up and headed upstairs. "I trust the two of you managed to fortify his house right?"
"Huh?"
"You and Ray...it's safe for him there now isn't it?"
"It's safe from the sun."
"Good."
As Claire thought about it, she felt like it was wrong to go around siring as many people as she could see. She remembered Frank saying something about how a vampire was supposed to only ever pick one human to sire and to care for that human for the rest of eternity. She wondered if that was a lie he had fed her to make her feel special and loved.
She shook the thoughts off.
Claire paced back and forth in the living room of Ray's house. She had come over as soon as she could; the place was far cleaner than it had been the night before when she had left.
"You'll be fine, she's just an old friend."
"From a life I hardly remember. A life, I'm not sure if I can even keep ties with, if it's safe too..."
"I was a part of that life."
"But now you’re part of THIS life..."
"She could be too." Ray said softly.
Claire looked at him, aghast, “You WANT me to turn her into one of us?”
“Well then you would get to talk to her more, more openly you know?”
“But its so wrong!”
“Do you think what Frank did to you was wrong?”
“But that was different, he was just …”
“Trying to look after you?”
Claire nodded.
“Or do you think he was just lonely and he wanted someone to understand him?”
Claire sighed, Jess wouldn't leave her like Ray and Frank might, and it didn't have to be just Jess, she could turn Trina too and Emily. Then the five of them would be together again...What was she thinking? Or more important, was it the monster inside her that was thinking? Who was she to play god, and inflict the life of a vampire to her friends? Would she want her friends to be as scared as she always was? To always be on the run?
Her thoughts were interrupted.
The knock on the door startled the both of them, Claire went over and let Jess in. "Wow, nice place."
"Thanks, it's Ray's. I'm just, staying here for awhile I guess."
"Better than the dump I’m staying in.”
"Aren't your parents helping?"
"Yeah, but you'd be surprised how much properties go for these days, especially two rooms, not far from the city centre with security and all of that."
"I've seen those prices. It’s insane" Ray interjected. Claire nodded. She and Frank never dealt with paying for where they lived...at least not that she was aware.
"Something seems different about you Claire, I just can’t put my finger on it." Claire shrugged her shoulders...
"Time changes people I guess that's all."
"Yeah, I guess that's it." Jess sighed and sat down on the couch.
Claire crossed the space between Ray's and Stormy's, having just helped him darken his windows making it safe for him to be there even when the sun was up. Stormy was downstairs, she looked tired. Claire sat down and looked at her.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine. Over doing it a bit lately, but I'll live." She chuckled at her pun. "I heard from someone today about the hunter."
"What did you find out? Anything about Frank?”
"He's been tracking the group of hunters that attacked you. Frank seems to still be with him and I think the next time they meet, they will tell Frank where you are hiding out." Claire smiled brightly, feeling hopeful for the first time in ages.
"That's fantastic."
"I thought you'd like that news." Stormy grinned and rested her head in her hands.
"Is Rev here?"
"He's resting I should be too." Claire gave her an odd look.
"Oh...OH..."
"Yeah, I know…it was about time anyway." Claire nodding, understanding now. Her insides churned a bit...the question was still in her mind but she didn’t know how to say it.
"Stormy...how- why did you sire for the first time?"
"The same most do. I didn't want to be alone. I felt something special there with them. Why?"
"Just curious." Claire scuffed her toe on the floor.
"Are you thinking of turning someone?" Claire didn't answer. "It's alright if you are. We all do at some point. It's natural and needed right now."
"Needed?"
"Our numbers are low. The hunters are everywhere, we don't want to take over but we don't want to die out either."
"Oh." Claire sighed and played with the fringe on the table cloth.
"Listen, Claire, if you do sire someone make sure that you want him or her that way. When you change them they're like a child. You're responsible for them...at least for a little while. And don't feel guilty, we all need people around us."
"Is that why you changed Rev?"
"Yeah, I did it for the both of us, him and me. And I sired Ray for you... even if Frank does come back, you'll need more than just him, some of just aren't cut out to make it alone in this world." Stormy smiled knowingly and stood up and headed upstairs. "I trust the two of you managed to fortify his house right?"
"Huh?"
"You and Ray...it's safe for him there now isn't it?"
"It's safe from the sun."
"Good."
As Claire thought about it, she felt like it was wrong to go around siring as many people as she could see. She remembered Frank saying something about how a vampire was supposed to only ever pick one human to sire and to care for that human for the rest of eternity. She wondered if that was a lie he had fed her to make her feel special and loved.
She shook the thoughts off.
Claire paced back and forth in the living room of Ray's house. She had come over as soon as she could; the place was far cleaner than it had been the night before when she had left.
"You'll be fine, she's just an old friend."
"From a life I hardly remember. A life, I'm not sure if I can even keep ties with, if it's safe too..."
"I was a part of that life."
"But now you’re part of THIS life..."
"She could be too." Ray said softly.
Claire looked at him, aghast, “You WANT me to turn her into one of us?”
“Well then you would get to talk to her more, more openly you know?”
“But its so wrong!”
“Do you think what Frank did to you was wrong?”
“But that was different, he was just …”
“Trying to look after you?”
Claire nodded.
“Or do you think he was just lonely and he wanted someone to understand him?”
Claire sighed, Jess wouldn't leave her like Ray and Frank might, and it didn't have to be just Jess, she could turn Trina too and Emily. Then the five of them would be together again...What was she thinking? Or more important, was it the monster inside her that was thinking? Who was she to play god, and inflict the life of a vampire to her friends? Would she want her friends to be as scared as she always was? To always be on the run?
Her thoughts were interrupted.
The knock on the door startled the both of them, Claire went over and let Jess in. "Wow, nice place."
"Thanks, it's Ray's. I'm just, staying here for awhile I guess."
"Better than the dump I’m staying in.”
"Aren't your parents helping?"
"Yeah, but you'd be surprised how much properties go for these days, especially two rooms, not far from the city centre with security and all of that."
"I've seen those prices. It’s insane" Ray interjected. Claire nodded. She and Frank never dealt with paying for where they lived...at least not that she was aware.
"Something seems different about you Claire, I just can’t put my finger on it." Claire shrugged her shoulders...
"Time changes people I guess that's all."
"Yeah, I guess that's it." Jess sighed and sat down on the couch.