Authors: John James Gregory
“What time is it?”
“About three thirty and we are beginning our approach to O’Hare.”
“Did you contact Ms. Arachne Corrick?’
“Yes. She will be waiting for us at Terminal 3, concourse G, gate 3 and we are going to meet her at the American Airlines Admiral’s club. I told her we should be there about four. We are on schedule.”
“That’s great sis… Hey, thank you for letting me sleep.”
“You really needed it and it was no problem.”
***
There are two American Airlines Admiral’s clubs at terminal three but only one of them was open this time in the morning. The picture from the Internet led Elizabeth directly to
Ms.
Corrick’s table. She noticed a metal medical case sitting on the floor alongside the well-dressed woman. It reminded her of one of those special cases used to transport human organs. After a short introduction the pair sat down and ordered coffee.
Ms. Corrick looked at Tom.
“Mr. Hart give me your hands.”
Tom held out his hands and Arachne held them in hers. She closed her eyes.
“Yes, you are carrying the curse.”
Tom looked at the woman.
“That’s it? We flew all this way for that?”
Ms. Corrick let go of his hands.
“No. Now I want you to close your eyes and focus on your body and how you feel. Feel yourself breathing in and out.”
As Tom sat there trying to concentrate on his physical body, the strange woman removed a small pen light, index cards and a pen from her large flower covered purse. She began to write.
“Tell me Mr. Hart… can you feel a tingling sensation or anything out of the normal from somewhere on your body?”
Tom thought for a moment.
“Yes, I can feel my right leg. It feels like it is falling asleep, you know, that pins and needles feeling you get…”
“That is good Mr. Hart. You may open your eyes now.”
Arachne gave Elizabeth the miniature flash light.
“Doctor Hart, could you examine your brother’s right leg? Mr. Hart could you roll your right pants leg up to your knee?”
“Here? At the table?”
“Outside of us and a waiter, the place is empty.”
Elizabeth took the light and looked at her brother.
“Go ahead Tom, it’s not like you have to drop your pants.”
Tom stood up and put his right foot on the chair and rolled up his pants leg.
“Now Doctor, please examine your brother’s leg.”
Ms. Corrick started writing on one index card and started another.
“What exactly am I looking for?”
“A red circle that resembles a ‘bulls-eye’.”
Ms. Corrick finished the second index card and started a third.
“I am not seeing anything.”
“Mr. Hart you can roll down your pants leg and now I will need you to remove your sock and shoe on the same leg.”
Mr. Hart looked at his sister and did as he was instructed.
“Now doctor examine his foot for the same pattern or mark.”
Elizabeth didn’t find anything. She looked at her brother.
“Now Tom kneel on the chair and let me examine the bottom of your foot.”
Tom again did as he was told.
“I found it! It is on the heel of his foot.”
Corrick smiled.
“That is the sign. He is definitely infected. It will go away as you get closer to your first transformation. Unfortunately, that will be replaced with the pentagram tattoo on your chest.”
Corrick slid the first two cards over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth read the writing.
“These are two prescriptions… This one is a sleep aid and this one will keep someone who is trying to sleep awake. I don’t understand.”
“Your brother in the next few days will want to stay awake at night and sleep during the daylight hours. Filling these two prescriptions will slow the transformation process. How much I do not know. It is up to his age and his metabolism. They are said to help.”
Elizabeth clicked off the light and returned it to the strange woman while Tom put his sock and shoe back on. He was getting a weird look from the waiter in the lounge.
“Now what? Can this curse be stopped?”
“I think it could be possible but I am not sure. Here is a name of a woman who might be able to help you.”
Tom took the third card. It showed a name and an address of what appeared to be a night club in New York.
“Who is this?”
“If anyone knows how to stop the transformation, she does… I have a picture of her in my purse.”
“This is the address of a nightclub?”
“Yes. You might plan to sleep here in Chicago or fly to New York and turn in there.”
“Can’t you call her so we can see her as soon as we land?”
“I afraid that isn’t possible… here, this is the only color picture I have of her and it is probably thirty years old.”
Tom and his sister looked at the photograph. It was a pale young woman in her twenties with black hair.
“Her name is Iolana, I don’t know her last name.”
“You don’t have a more recent photograph or a last name?”
“No.”
“This is going to make it very hard to find her.”
“No, it should be easy. She is a vampire and she should still look like her picture. They don’t age you know.”
Neither Tom nor his sister could immediately think of anything to respond with. Finally, Tom looked at the woman.
“I thought vampires hated werewolves? I read about the great war between them back in the middle ages.”
“Many do. I don’t think she is one of those who feel that way.”
“You are not sure?”
“It’s just a feeling… My feelings are usually right and she is the only vampire I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”
“The privilege of knowing?”
“She didn’t turn me. We talked and parted as kind of friends. She could have made me one of her kind but she didn’t. I found her once near death from starvation. I knew what she was and let her draw enough blood to stay alive until I could arrange to get her more blood to save her. I also helped her back to her coffin before the sun came up.”
Corrick is filling out another card.
“Here give her this note from me. It simply said please return the favor you owe me and help this man. He has not transformed yet. I signed it. I am hoping she will remember and help you.”
“She understands this curse?”
“She is your best hope. A werewolf can be changed into a vampire but a vampire cannot be changed into a werewolf. A vampire’s blood is missing the components to make such a transformation. Here, and give this case as a gift from me.”
“What’s in the case?”
“Six pints of Ab negative. It is a favorite among their kind. Don’t open this box. If you keep it sealed it will remain cool for another day. You must see her tomorrow night.”
Elizabeth looked at the woman.
“Should I ask where you got that much Ab negative?”
“I am not without friends or sources.”
Tom picked up the case and looked at his sister who was also standing up. He dropped a hundred dollar bill on the table.
“Here this will cover our coffee and keep the change. It’s my way of saying ‘thanks’”.
The woman took the bill and stared at it.
“If you could, mail the container back to me. The address is on the case. Also, when you see her, don’t take your sister. She may be in the company of others who might not be as friendly as her. Iolana is the only one of their kind that I would trust with such a request.”
Tom and Elizabeth said their goodbyes and decided to walk the woman out to a cab. Tom prepaid the fare and watched her leave. They went back inside with the refrigerated blood and waited for their jet to be refueled. Elizabeth found the flight crew and gave them the next leg of their trip to the JFK airport outside of New York. She also got on the phone and made hotel reservations. It would be morning before they arrived and they would need rooms for themselves and their flight crew.
As soon as the sun came up, Tom was once again falling asleep just as the psychic had told them. A limousine took them to the hotel and the pair followed their bags up to their adjoining rooms. The flight crew would soon be following them. Tom collapsed on the bed still dressed as his sister took up a chair at the small circular table in her room and accessed the Internet. Ms. Corrick had sent an email and that was the first thing she opened. The only unusual addition to her earlier instructions was that she acquire a special cologne for her brother that should help to cover up the scent he was emitting that triggered the violent reaction by the animals at the zoo the day before. Elizabeth quickly located the rum scented fragrance on line. She cleaned up and took a cab to a local vendor and purchased a spray bottle and a ‘splash-on’ version as well.
She was concerned that her brother would be going into a possible den of dangerous creatures. She was now convinced in the existence of werewolves so the addition of believing about vampires was now also in reach. After leaving her brother a note, she decided to get some sleep as well. Sleeping these days always seemed easier if one was so tired, they could just black out. She expected her brother to be up all night. There was nothing she could do about the prescription suggestions that Ms. Arachne Corrick gave her until she and her brother returned to their home state.
It was seven thirty and the sun had gone down for the day. Her brother woke her shortly after that. She could see his mind was wandering and she waited until after they ate before talking to him.
As they had supper in her room, she noticed that the only item out of his order he was eating was the meat. He had ordered a steak as close to rare as possible. She said nothing through dinner. He had also read the email.
“You understand sis, you can’t go with me this evening.”
“I know, but I will be up until you return and I want you to keep in touch with me until you are back in that cab and on your way here.”
“I will.”
Her brother went through the adjoining room door to get ready. She waited until he was dressed.
“Here, this is the perfume or after shave, Ms. Arachne Corrick suggested you wear this evening. It is supposed to hide whatever scent you give off that indicates you are going through the change.”