Call out to the Dead

There was something in me that felt oddly at peace even with all the things that happened the night before.

I sort of felt like I had a friend in a high place when I needed one. As terrified as I was of Michael I knew I was safer with him than with any other vampire... That whole thought makes me sound insane.

I rose, showered, dressed -this time in fall appropriate attire- and went outside. I curled my body into one of the chairs around the patio table. I sat there just staring out into the vast nature surrounding my house. I noticed I didn’t see all the life you tend to see out away from the city. You never saw every animal that wandered through the wood but -if you knew what to look for- you’d tend to see evidence of their presence. I’d wager there was a really simple explanation for it. Animals would be smart enough to avoid the place where the most dangerous predators have been stalking as of late.

If only there was some place I could go and know I’d be safe from them. My rosary felt warm, even in the frigid air that you’d expect to attack the inanimate object first, but no, it was just as warm as when I was sitting inside one of the heated rooms.

“Your house is cold as fuck.” Jo spoke tiredly as she disrupted me from my thoughts. She meandered down the steps heavily and plopped down in the seat next to mine. “Uneventful night?”

This was the first night I didn’t have something bonkers for her to observe. She figured that meant we didn’t have any fanged visitors the night before.

I scoffed. “Not quite.”

She was stunned. “He came back?”

“The rosary is what saved us. He can walk into the house no problem."

Her face drained of all color. “So, he’s still going to kill us isn’t he?”

I paused. “Actually, I think we don’t have to worry about him.” I dropped my head back to look up to the sky. “He just sat on the chaise lounge and told me he was going to be the most interesting person I know. Too bad he doesn’t realize that you’re some pretty stiff competition for that title.” I joked mostly for my own benefit.

She chuckled. “Darling the sway you have over men even translates to the undead. He might be pretty tough competition too. Who knows how old he is?”

Now I really laughed. “I don’t have ‘sway’ over anyone! You severely overestimate the powers of my feminine wiles Joanne.”

“Honey, you just don’t get out enough to know I’m way more than just right.” Then she chuckled to herself again. “Too bad he’s a bloodsucker. He’s hansom in his own way.”

This brought me back to my dream and I couldn’t stop the flush from running to my cheeks. I had to change the subject. “But... Uhh... I wouldn’t say we’re out of the woods yet. Another vampire, Erika, was lurking out here somewhere.”

“Did you see this woman?” She asked curiously. It sounded pointed enough for me to wonder about the direction this was going.

“No. Michael heard her out there. He stayed through the night so she wouldn’t try anything.” I kept my mind going with reasons she asked the way she did. I couldn’t divine a guess.

“Maybe he’s just trying to make you think he’s protecting you. Your vampire knight in shining armor.” She smirked.

“With all that’s going on you know you’re the only one who’d think about this like it’s a romantic comedy.” I spoke with true amused disbelief.

What if everything from last night with Michael was a show? He just wanted to derail my shouts. I mean vampires seemed like they shouldn’t just wait back because someone -even another vampire- told them to.

“Val text me last night -I just got it this morning, just saying signal sucks out here- and said that David’s going to be away. You know when the bar owner’s away we can go play!”

It honestly never ended with her.

“I mean could it be so wrong to get away from the house on vamp hill for the night?” This was a woman built of pure fucking mischief. “Are you just worried Mr Michael won’t be there to protect you?”

Something in me just never knew how to reign in everything I thought. “As I have the rosary maybe I’m not the one who needs protecting.”

The tan girl paled at the thought. “What did he say?”

I wish I wasn’t so desperately in need of a filter from time to time. “Nothing outright but he implied vampires would do morally reprehensible things Jo. Things that we wouldn’t even want to imagine let alone deal with. He implied a more persistent vampire might try to use my friends to get to me.” I sighed, I wished then that I hadn’t actually need to say all that out loud. “Don’t you have any -what do you call it- personal talismans?” I didn’t want to worry about her and feel guilty for bringing her into this.

“No.” She spoke softly. “My faith in everything prevents me from putting anything so preciously sacred in anyone thing.”

There were so many things absolutely beautiful in her spiritualist’s nature even a ‘rationalist’ could see how easily Jo saw beauty in everything. I never thought I’d see the day where it might be her downfall.

“We need to find something else to repel them.” I spoke surely. All I could do was speak words in hopes something would come out useful.

“Do you think you can get Michael to spill some secrets?” She asked carefully. She didn’t want me to think she was asking me to sacrifice myself.

“I’ll see if I can direct the conversation next time I see him.” I tried to sound confident saying this.

Then -in her way- she let her mind go in a different direction and laughed at some new thought that glided through her brain. She held up a finger telling me to give her a minute -okay as I wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon- and got up and jogged back inside.

She took the back door of the house. It led to the lower floor because the stairway up to the main floor would put her closer to ‘her’ room than going through mine.

The house was built on a slope -I don’t know how my ancestors made that decision- the lower floor was more exposed in the back but mostly it was like a basement. There were times in the past when the whole house was occupied. Both floors had use; Life.

When Jo came running back out with a slim black device. Her kindle. Why the fuck did she have to lug all those heavy ass books?

“Why the hell is your wifi password protected? You live in the middle of nowhere. People aren’t coming out here to hack your wifi, I promise.”

I just shrugged. “Maybe it’s just to get on your nerves.” I gave her the password and she went on fooling with whatever she was doing.

Next thing she was shoving the thing into my hands with it already cued up to the first page of whatever book she wanted me to read.

“Don’t ask me what book this is just read it. I’m going to work on my paper for my class tomorrow.” Then she told me how to go to the next page and left me to it.

My next few hours were spent just sitting there reading that book. She obviously didn’t pick it because it was a fine piece of literature that was going to be read by college classes for centuries. A fascinating plot wasn’t the reason either, the plot was sappy love drivel written for young girls. At a certain point -not too far in- I knew what I was reading because I’m pop culture savvy enough to catch on.

I didn’t even finish the book.

Turning the screen off sighing at the pointless waste of those hours of my life that there was no refund for. I made my way inside and went straight for the kitchen. This was the most normal day I’d had since this whole thing began.

Jo was in there scavenging much the same way I was planning to. She looked up at me and smiled. “I’m guessing you love that book as much as much as everyone over 15.

My face rose up into a wry smile. “Yeah, fantastic. I’ve always loved idiot teenagers.”

She laughed. “Not that I disagree but what makes them idiots?”

“Vampires are predators by nature. We’re all at the core animals. That dumb inept girl defied her instincts by chasing down a predator and seeking his affections. That’s like a zebra chasing down the lion for a cuddle.” I waved her out of my way and gestured for her to sit down deciding I’d cook for the both of us. I knew my way around my kitchen better than Jo.

“Well he returned the the attention.” Jo defended still amused.

“He was drawn to her because she smelled like dinner. She was drawn to him because she was an idiot. She was the part of the herd intended to be thinned.” I was just going about making lunch not even thinking about it. Cooking was something fairly natural for me I seldom really thought about it.

“You didn’t feel as though you related to this book at all?” She asked now more honest about why she made me read it.

“You think Michael stalking me, intending to kill me, me shooting him, and him only giving up after realizing he couldn’t touch me is relatable to that teen romance crap?” I asked turning my attention to her fully.

She laughed. “Suppose not. You’re not even a little attracted to him now that he’s ‘protecting’ you and just chatting?”

“I don’t trust him Jo! He’s a killer and not shy about it. He talks about it in casual conversation. He’s not human enough to trust!” I sighed though knowing I’d eventually tell her about the dream and if I didn’t now it’d look like I just didn’t want to relate to the stupid girl. “But he told me I was intriguing because I actually listened to what he told me in the dreams. He said the dreams -the 'haunting' he called it- they do for fun. Last night instead of chasing me, he kissed me, pulled away and said something in another language before going for my neck."

“I bet that was a hot kiss, homeboy’s got some lips.” She spoke with a smirk.

“Joanne! That’s not the point!” I felt the warmth rising up into my cheeks again.

“You thought it was hot too!” She felt the need to rub it in. “Maybe it was just a love bite!”

“Really? I’m going to poison your food!” I shouted in frustration.

“What did he say something sexy in Italian? Something about him ravaging you sexually?” She was having way too much fun with this.

I spoke through my teeth. “I don’t know, I speak one language.”

She let her laughter ease. “Do you remember what he said?”

“Il tuo cuore è mio.” I spoke lacking the natural finess Michael spoke them with.

“Definitely a Latin based language. My guess may have very well have been right with Italian.” Then I saw the gears in her head start to really crank. I don’t know how well she knew Latin truly, but whatever she knew was being worked now. “Mine,” She started piecing it together out loud, “Heart. Your heart is mine?”

I liked it even less hearing it translated. “Oh hell no. Man, when a vampire says some shit like that does that mean my heart’s going in a jar? In his lunch box?”

“I’d bet he doesn’t have a lunch box.”

I kept going like she hadn’t said a word. “What the fuck? I wouldn’t even trust a human dude saying that kind of shit!”

Her words weren’t sarcastic here. “Maybe he actually likes you, he’s probably seen everything a thousand times and here you are ‘Jane Doe’ and you intrigued him. Intrigue is...” She gazed off getting lost in herself. “The spark.”

The significance in the last phrase led me to think she had something else weighing on her mind. When she was ready to talk about it she would. She wasn’t one for holding back.

I groaned. “All I want is to be left alone. Not analyze the ‘spark’ between me and a creature of the night.”

“Tonight we’ll go to the bar and find someone with a pulse that has the spark.”

With that Jo had it decided, that night we were going to that bar.

***

Joanne was dressed to the nines as she did so well, she’d even straightened her long dark hair putting it to her waist at least. She looked way too elegant for our little dive bar.

We drove into town before dark to meet up with the girls. It was cute the way we’d all dressed up like we were going to meet someone we didn’t know.

We arrived to the place as the clouds were changing from pink to purple. Night was taking over, I couldn’t help but feel some anxiety.

A bar’s a bar. This one just like all the rest had loud but unobtrusive music, dim lights, and a small dance area next to the pool tables. This night, when the younger crowd took over, the tiny dancefloor would be used more than ever.

I was at the bar nursing a beer lightly chatting with the cynical bartender watching the girls.

Val was flirting it up. She flirted as she pleased and people sometimes assumed she was easy just because of that. It proved how foolish people were.

Kelsey was recounting some hilarious story with huge animation to a few kids we went to school with. Put a few drinks in her and she’ll be annoying people -in the greatest way- by sitting on their laps and doing her Yoda impression.

Jo was off at a table with Kevin off to the side. There was trouble in paradice. This was what was on her mind earlier.

Life was buzzing through the bar. As much as I liked to be alone I had to admit, I love people watching.

It wasn’t long before I felt someone watching me. I knew by the feeling in the pit of my stomach this wasn’t someone I wanted watching me. Full dark had fallen.

My eyes started bouncing around the room trying to spot the watcher. Every face my eyes landed on were paying attention to anyone but me.

Off in the farthest corner -back by the bathrooms- lost in the shadows glowing eyes surfaced first. These eyes burned gold, this wasn’t Michael looking at me.How can I be the only one seeing glowing eyes in a crowded bar? That has to be something obvious.

Joanne came to my side obviously annoyed with Kevin and ordered a drink. “Denn die todten reiten schell.”

I didn’t look over at her but knew she was talking to me. “How many fucking languages are you going to pull out on me tonight? How many do you even know?”

Her voice stayed low, serious. “Only two. That’s from Dracula, ‘For the dead travel fast.’” She saw the eyes too. “That’s not Michael is it?” She sounded like she already knew that answer.

“Nope.”

The woman emerged from the woodwork, manifesting from the shadows. Erika was a beautiful woman -man was I sick of beautiful monsters- and she didn’t blend in for a minute.

The lights were low, people were dancing and drunk. They didn’t notice the small vampire weaving through them toward me. She stopped in the middle of the dancefloor just smiling menacingly. A statue still figure in the sea of moving bodies was a jarring contrast.

“Why don’t they see her Jo?” I asked trying not to let the hopelessness flood into my voice.

“People only see what their minds are willing to accept.” I think she was fighting to keep her voice strong too. “Who knows how many times in life we simply walk by vampires like they’re not even there.”

Every time you walked down the street you had a disgusting number of brushes with death that you don’t even know about. Day after day you walk by creatures that could end you with little more than the snap of a finger.

I realized the corner she came from was near the backdoor when it opened again and four sets of glowing green eyes came in. The silhouettes were only visible for a brief moment while the door was open. I knew it was Michael in the front subtly waving his arms directing the others before they were all just eyes in the shadows.

They all moved at the same time but Michael was the only one moving like a human, who didn’t just disappear from the shadows. He stepped out into the dim light. He cast me a lopsided grin and winked before effortlessly gliding toward Erika. He really was protecting me.

I turned my head to look at Jo to say something only to see another man -one that I hadn’t seen at the party- with long black hair talking to her already. Michael was covering all his bases.

Michael always seemed to leave me with more questions than answers. The one running right at the front right then was, could I really trust all of this?