The Vampire's Moon

My vision tunneled, and everything grew dark.
“Will he live?” I asked Michelle.
“Yes,” she answered, “Benjamin will live.” I didn’t see her nod, but I had a feeling she did.
“Good,” I said. I closed my eyes. What was the point of having them open if I couldn’t see? “Michelle?”
“Yes?” Her voice cracked. I almost felt like crying myself, hearing her like that. But I’d made my decision, and I didn’t regret it.
“Tell Benjamin I said I’ll see him on the other side, okay?” I could give Benjamin that, in return for not being able to say goodbye. It wasn’t a joke, either. It was a promise. One last promise between friends.
“I will.” Her voice was soft.
“Thank you.” I sighed. “Maybe it won’t be so bad, death.”
“Even in death there is life.” She said it without hesitation, like it was a solid fact; like she knew without a doubt that it was true. Hey, maybe in her heart she did know.
I tried the smile, but didn’t have the energy to. “I hope you’re right.”
A moment later, my heart stopped, and I felt…something that you’d have to feel yourself to truly understand. The best I can describe it is as a feeling of being yanked upward, and simultaneously being dunked under water. Only, my body wasn’t moving. No, it was my soul. Even though I didn’t have a body, I could still feel. My soul could feel.
Next thing I knew, my vision cleared, and I was standing in a dark place, with a white fog floating at my feet. The only thing I could see was the fog. I reached my hands out to either side of me-my soul had taken on the form of my body-and my hands touched what felt like walls. It was like the darkness had compressed into solid walls, forming a tunnel.
Suddenly, a light formed at the end of the tunnel. A figure stood with it’s back to the light, so I couldn’t see it’s face clearly.
Oh, God, I thought, a light at the end of the tunnel? That is so cliché.
I walked forward through the fog, and stopped when I was close enough to see the figure clearly; about five feet away. I was looking into the face of a woman with white robes on. I couldn’t help but think that the robes were cliché too.
As I looked into this woman’s face-with straight black hair and two golden eyes that shone, deep and caring, like stars-I realized just who it was I was looking at.
“Hello, there, Mrs. Nicksons,” I said. “You are Michelle’s mother, aren’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes, Ricky, I am.”
My eyebrows rose. “You know my name?”
She laughed, a laugh that was gentle and kind. “Yes, I’ve been watching over her since her father died. I watch from the nighttime sky, around the moon every night. She’s seen me there, and it comforted her when she was lonely.”
I smiled. “That sounds nice.”
She smiled as well. “It is, but lately she’s been feeling less and less lonely. I have you and Benjamin to thank for that, Ricky. You don’t know how happy you’ve both made her.”
“Looks like it’s going to be up to Benjamin from now on, though.” I grinned. “I can say I don’t envy him that job too much. She can be a bit difficult to handle when she wants to be.”
“Indeed, she can.” Mrs. Nicksons blinked a few times, looking at me with an odd look on her face. “Say, Ricky, how would you like to watch over them with me?”
My eyebrows rose again. “I can do that?”
“Yes, you can.”
“Then sign me up!” I gave her a wide flash of teeth.
She smiled. “Come on then.” She held out a hand for me.
I took a step forward, then realized something and stopped. “Just a second.”
I know in the movies it always says not to look back, but I had to. I couldn’t leave without saying something first. So I turned around, and at the other end of the tunnel I could see a vision of Michelle bending over my body, left behind.
“I know you can’t hear me, but I’m going to say it anyway.” I took a deep breath. “Michelle, you are the best thing that ever happened to Benjamin, make him happy for me, okay? Benjamin, you’d better make her happy in return.” I couldn’t hold it back any more, and a tear snaked from the corner of my eye. My soul wept. This time when I spoke it was barely a whisper. “The only thing I regret was not being able to find love before I died. You two will have to love each other double for me, to make up for it. You were the best friends I could ask for. As for my parents and my sis…I know that wherever they are, they’ll know I love them.”
I started to turn around, but remembered something last minute. “Oh, and I know most people say ‘don’t cry for me’, and ‘don’t cry much for me’, but I’m not going to say that. I think that crying helps ease the pain. So cry and be happy, because I’ll know if you’re not. After all, I’ll be watching.”
I turned around, and took Mrs. Nicksons’ hand. We walked into the light together, and I was afraid for a moment, but it only lasted a second. I would miss them, surely, but I had meant it when I said I would be watching. I would be, and as long as they were happy, I would be too.
That was the last thing I thought before being completely engulfed by the light, and a sudden vision flashed into my head. I saw a little boy, standing on the hill that Michelle had had her moonlight picnic on. On either side, holding his hands, were a dark haired woman with emerald green eyes, and a man with messy, blond-copper hair and blue eyes. All three of them stood, staring at the full moon that glowed in the night sky.
I smiled. I wanted to see that little boy grow up to be a young man. I wanted to see him find his first love. I wanted to see the look on his face when he would hold his newborn child in his arms for the first time.
Oh, yes, I’d definitely be watching. You could count on that.