Balance Beam

Everything was going to be different after tonight. A wave of nostalgia washed over me as I walked back to the apartment. Several memories flashed in my mind with Geneva and other people from my human life, mostly my family. This woman not only helped raise me as a human, but she has aided me frequently throughout my eternal years so far. It felt so surreal that she would no longer be on this planet.

And all because she wants to help me.

I didn’t want Geneva to die, or for Bram to sacrifice his humanity for me. Not to fight against someone as petty as Alcurd. I couldn’t help but feel guilty. The two of them felt obligated to help me, even though they didn’t really need too. I appreciated the selflessness, but I wanted them both to be alive with me. Why was everything so difficult?

My hands formed into fists as I walked. I blamed Alcurd for making everything so fucking difficult. He’s the reason Geneva is going to die. He’s the reason for Bram having to become a hybrid. He’s the reason Cecile had been staked. He’s the reason I was a vampire in the first place. He was to blame for everything in my life. I hate him. I wish he was the one who had to die.

By the time I walked through the apartment door, tears were streaming down my face. I was thankful that the Fletcher sisters were sleeping; I didn’t want to explain why I was crying. I quietly went to my room, wiping my tears and trying to pull myself together. It was going to get better, it had too. It couldn’t get much worse than this. I changed into pajamas, getting comfortable. I was emotionally tired and needed to take a nap.

It was a cool September evening in the year of 1423. Alcurd and I had settled in a small village a couple years before, posing as a wealthy newlywed couple. We had been invited to a dinner party by one of Alcurd’s human “friends”and despite me not feeling completely comfortable with being around humans just yet, Alcurd had forced me to go.

His friend was Henry Smith, a well respected young bachelor who had caught the interest of many women in the area. Most of them were naturally pale, painfully English, and much prettier than me. I was still very tan at the time, my Italian descent being easily given away. That trait alone made all of the woman in the village despise me. That and I was “married” to the most handsome guy in the town.

My lilac colored, long-sleeved dress was snug against my body and as long as my short frame. I smoothed it out, feeling awkward as I stood next to Alcurd. He was talking to a few gentlemen, Henry being one of them. Alcurd elbowed me in the side, a hint to stop my fidgeting. I just couldn’t though.

“I’m going to get some punch. Would you like some, darling?” I forced myself to ask sweetly. Alcurd shook his head, turning his attention back to the conversation.

I rolled my eyes at his rudeness, just thankful that I could get away for a little bit. After making my way through several crowds of dancing bodies and talking people, I made it to the giant punch bowl that was on display. I sipped on some, trying my best to ignore all the evil glares from the women and the adoring eyes from the men.

“That’s quite the dress, Mrs. Delano.” I turned to see Henry standing beside me, grinning as he sipped from his own cup of punch.

“Thank you, Mr. Smith.”

“Oh please, call me Henry. Would you like to dance?”

I couldn’t tell if Henry was being genuine or if he had taken a liking to me. Since I wasn’t completely sure of what to say, I insisted that he go ask my “husband” for permission to dance with me. I agreed to if Alcurd said yes, but I wasn’t counting on that. He didn’t like to share me. Alcurd had no problem showing me off, hence the tight revealing dress that he had picked out himself, but no one could ever touch me. It was another way for him to have control over people.

To my surprise, Alcurd had said yes. But the glare he sent me from across the room told me that he was not happy about it one bit. He was angry, I could sense it. Henry led me to the dance floor and I began to feel tense. I could always feel Alcurd’s stare on me and it was intimidating.

We got through the one dance and he bowed in front of me. I nodded my head in slight acknowledgement, eager to run off to get some more punch. I just needed to get away from Henry and find Alcurd. I was feeling overwhelmed and I wanted to go back to our home for the rest of the evening. I was even beginning to get hungry again.

“There you are,” I sighed. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” Alcurd was outside in the garden, staring up at the stars.

“You’ve found me. Now what do you want?” he growled, facing me. I contorted my eyebrows and hissed at him, earning a smack on the cheek.

“What the hell?” I gasped, as he smacked me again.

“A lady shouldn’t talk like that, Giselle. Nor should she get catty with her husband,” he grinned. “Now, why have you been looking for me?”

“I’m not ready to be in the public Alcurd,” I whispered so only he could hear. “Can we please go home? I don’t feel well.”

He glared at me, shaking his head no. “I can never have any fun with you, you wench. I don’t know why I bothered turning you. You’re a boring cunt.”

Alcurd left me in the garden, crying my eyes out. He always talked to me in a rude way and mistreated me. It hurt and made me feel worthless. That’s when Henry came out to the garden. He saw me crying and wiped my tears. When we made eye contact for the first time all night, that’s when it started.

Henry Smith and I had started having an “affair”. We were so careful about it and no one knew our secret for months. We acted liked we didn’t know each other, except when Alcurd went out to hunt and I’d sneak over to the Smith Manor. With me being a vampire, it was easy to dash and hide, to be extra quiet. It was completely fool-proof.

Until one afternoon when Alcurd had returned early from his hunting trip. I wasn’t at the cabin and he went into a rage, sniffing me out and tuning into our bond to find me. When he arrived at the Smith Manor, Henry had his lips pressed to mine and Alcurd lost it. He ripped poor Henry to shreds with his teeth right in front of me and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.

I gasped, jolting awake. A sigh of relief escaped me as I realized that it was all just a dream. It had been a few hundred years since I had thought of Henry. I had purposely pushed that memory into the depths of my mind, trying to forget it over the years and I had forgotten it for awhile.

The dream meant something. It reminded me of just how jealous Alcurd is when another man has caught my interest, or vice versa. He’ll definitely find out about Bram and I, and he’d go after him. But this time it’ll be another supernatural being and Alcurd won’t stand a chance. It was time for him to pay, to get a dose of his own medicine.

***

I had decided that I was going to walk with Bram to Geneva’s apartment, not really wanting to be alone. His eyes were red and I could tell he had been crying. When I asked him what happened, he shook his head and ended up mumbling something about Quinn. I nodded, figuring he had broke the news to his best friend. The emptiness in my stomach grew even more.

The rest of the walk was quiet, but I guess there wasn’t really a need for words. We both knew what had to happen, no matter how much we didn’t want it too. In the end it was all going to be for the better, at least we hoped. Memories flooded my head and I shed a couple tears, only to wipe them and pull myself together before Bram knocked on Geneva’s apartment door.

She answered and beckoned us in without saying a word. Sadness lingered in the air and there wasn’t a single word to make any of us feel better. There was a brunette girl seated at the dining room table, who just smiled sympathetically over at the three of us. I could sense she was a witch, a powerful one, and figured she must’ve been Geneva’s friend, the one who was doing her the favor.

“Bram, Giselle, this is a dear friend of mine, Ramona Carter,” Geneva said. I stared wide-eyed at the girl, recognizing her name. She was famous for being the oldest Mother Witch on this side of America.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet the two of you,” she smiled warmly. I stammered and Bram looked at me funny, clearly not aware of the legend in front of us.

“You too, Miss Ramona,” I finally managed to say.

Geneva had made tea for us girls and coffee for Bram. The four of us sat at the table and drank our warm beverages, enjoying our time together. Soon the conversation turned to the procedure of what had to be done in less than an hour. At sunset, a strong vampire is going to come and bite Bram. To make him a hybrid, his first taste of blood must be a Mother Witch, Geneva. Then Ramona was to cast some hocus pocus spell and that would be it.

“That’s it?” Bram asked.

Ramona nodded. “Now this information is older than the two of you combined and has remained a secret for all these years, so don’t go around running your mouths.”

The two of us nodded, turning our attention to Geneva as she began to speak. “Ramona is going to help the two of you out when I‘m gone. She was my mentor, so you both better listen to everything she says. You two will be just fine with Ramona.”

A knock came to the door and Ramona stood from her seat. “Ah, our vampire is here.”