The lights were low as the bass pulsed through the building. I looked around at the tourists sitting at tables talking and laughing. I feared the roof would fall in on my head as I stared at the glass of absinthe before me.
“And it’s legal now?” I held up the glass taking in the milky green liquid. I held the spoon over the glass with the sugar cube as I lit it on fire with a match. I sat back as it burned,
“Well yeah…I mean it is nothing like what we had in Romania that one summer.” I held my hand up as I held off that memory.
“She was a lovely girl,” we said in unison as we shared a laugh. Setting the spoon on the table, I took a drink as he stared at me,
“I swear you are not the same.”
“I had a lot of time to reflect about the life I was living.” He shook his head,
“No, you seem to be soaking everything in now. You used to live by the seat of your pants – I’d say jump and you were waiting at the bottom for everyone else to join you.”
“I’m not setting the tone anymore that’s for sure. Tell the others that they are on their own.” I downed my drink as I looked into his face.
“That’s another thing…everyone has spread out of the city.”
“So what your telling me is that not only are my favorite places gone, my clothes, my house, but also my friends?” He nodded,
“Marc is here though…and that’s about it. Sure the usual suspects hang around the city but Klaus returned to the desert ages ago.” Klaus Porter, the man I considered my father had returned to his home after spending a lifetime at my side. On many occasions if I felt lost, he always set me back on path.
“Did he have any parting words?”
“Stay away from mental patients,” he said with a laugh. I shook my head as I looked to the other patrons in the bar. A century later and it was still holding up to time. The building had no electricity but was lit by candles set into the chandeliers above. I recalled a time when everything in the place was new.
“No, this place always looked like it was falling apart,” said Octavius as he poured us another glass of absinthe.
“Well it’s a good thing that goddamn hurricane didn’t blow it to bits,” I said as I looked down at my clothes, “which reminds me, where the hell are my clothes?”
“Um not sure, I think they disappeared from your house. I had Marc buy you a few new things.” I ran my hand over my hair as I nodded,
“I’m not shocked, the last sleep I took in the sixties I woke to find myself in a basement and an empty house.”
“Yeah, it was not a good couple of decades for you.” I nodded as I recalled finding my furnishings in an antique mall years later.
“I need to find a new place, maybe a loft downtown?” He shook his head,
“You should stay at your house on Second, the economy is in the can right now.” I sighed as I looked back to the patrons in the bar then back at him,
“Last night you told me I should sell it.” He laughed again as I looked at my watch then at the dark sky overhead,
“So doc, how long until I’m back in the sun?”
“Give it another day or so, I’m almost envious that it’s the one thing you can still do.” I smiled as I stared at my pale arms then realised they were not as pale as his skin.
“I can’t help that I was born into this.”
“No, I suppose you can’t.” He winked as he finished, “Tell me how does it feel to have your heart still beat?”
He waited outside as I entered the blood bank. I nodded to the security guard as I walked down the empty corridor. I wondered what this place looked like on a busy night. I stopped before the unmarked door as I pushed it open. The lights were low as I entered the room. I nodded to the elderly woman holding the clipboard. I handed her my credit card as she gestured to the awaiting person lying on the bed. It was a young girl with long blonde hair. I stopped for a moment as I took in her face. I bit my lip as I looked back to the woman, I wondered if this was a joke. The girl shared the same features as someone I once knew. Her deep blue eyes stared back at me as she tossed the thick paperback aside. She wore a long black sleeveless dress and sandals. Her eyes widened as I sat beside her. I nodded as I greeted her. She managed a smile,
“Hi, I’m a little nervous…I’ve never done this before.”
“I’m new to this myself,” I replied as I motioned for her hand, she looked down then lifted her arm to me. I held her thin wrist for a moment as I looked around the room.
“Phyllis…” I called the to elderly woman, she turned in her seat as I looked to her then the girl.
“The rules are to keep it clean, don’t get naughty Mr. Tres.” She smiled as her thoughts had scanned my own. I nodded as I looked to the girl once more,
“Well so much for doing it the old fashioned way.” Her eyes widened as she smiled,
“I can meet you outside of here if you’d like.” She frowned as I had already taken her wrist and bit down before the last word had left her lips. She let out a small cry as I gripped her arm tight, I drank only what I needed as I let her go. She stared at the wounds sealing as her eyes became large again,
“Make me like you.” I shook my head as I got to my feet,
“I’ve made that mistake one too many times, my dear.” I turned to walk away as she scooted off the bed and began to follow. The elderly woman snapped her head back as she looked to the girl,
“Young lady, you are on duty, you will not be paid if you follow the client out.” The girl realizing her obligations stopped in her tracks. I drank without tasting her soul and only now did it hit me that she had a small child at home. Her name was Jane. I nodded to Phyllis as I headed for the door, I didn’t look back as I made my way out of the building.
“Tell me again that hunting is still in vogue.” Octavius nodded as he stared at me,
“Did something happen back there?” I nodded as I looked out the rearview hoping we were not being followed.
“It was a young girl, she begged me to turn her.” We sped along the freeway as Octavius shook his head,
“You know some of the worst people make it past the pre-screening. Was Phyllis there tonight?”
I nodded as he replied,
“Good, she generally kicks them out. She is not up for games like that.” I rolled down the window to feel the night air, it was cool against my skin. Her blood was still pulsing through my veins as we headed back to the cemetery. I looked to him as he said,
“I figured we could advance your days into the sunlight.” I smiled at him,
“You’re a good friend.”
“Thanks, I can only ask that you do the same when the time comes for me.” I nodded as I reached over and turned on the ipod docked. Soon the car was flooded with the sounds of Aphex Twin. I was glad his taste in music hadn’t changed.
“I’m so glad I didn’t have to explain that one to you.”
“You did…I heard you reading the instruction manual. There was nothing to it, you just plug it in and start uploading your favorite songs.”
“Maybe I liked it when you were sleeping…” He turned off the freeway and turned toward the cemetery already closed for the evening.
We were back to sitting atop the tombs. Already I had spied others keeping watch alongside us. It was not a slow night in the city, we had decided. The scent of death was thick here. I looked to a dark man lounging in the shadows as he nodded to me,
“The great Rent Tres is awake, welcome back my friend.”
“Thank you, Matthieu, how has the night been to you?” He shrugged as he looked to his cell phone,
“Another two hours till dawn and not a single drink. I really hate to pay for it but the truth is most of these humans are infected with some form of disease.” I nodded as I had caught the scent from many of the people in the Quarter.
“If it’s not the crap they shoot into their veins, it’s the goddamn diets they keep.”
“And don’t get me started on the people they share their beds with!” His thick south American accent broke through as he looked to a couple strolling along the tombs. He inhaled the air as he shook his head,
“No good, they have the hpv.”
“What is that? Something new?” He nodded as he cracked a smile,
“Oh it doesn’t seem bad now but it totally gets you later. Almost makes me want to go primal and eat babies…” from the look on my face he broke into laughter, “Oh Rent, it’s been too long. How I missed you!” I hugged him as he held me tight,
“I really wanted to take her out for you. Octavius said she would be her own destruction. I want to believe this for truth.” I managed a nod as I patted his back and stepped away,
“Yeah, you’re a good guy, Matthieu. Stay away from babies!” He laughed a toothy grin as he leaped from the tomb and to another as he continued to scan the city below.
“Babies…” I looked to Octavius as I nodded,
“I think he was kidding.”
“It’s not a bad idea,” he said as he saw he horror in my face, “it was good enough for Vlad.”
“That guy was a real ass,” I said as I stopped, I turned to see a dark figure shoot across the tombs. I looked to Octavius and could see Matthieu still standing on his tomb. I motioned to Matthieu as he nodded to us, we leapt onto his tomb to get a better look. Most times it would be one of our own that was motivated by an insatiable hunger to rush on a victim. We scanned the cemetery until our sights were set on the figure sitting over its victim.
“Who the hell is that?” Octavius moved ahead of us as we followed. Matthieu leapt from tomb to tomb to get a better view as we moved through the cemetery until we saw the dark figure hunched over the woman we had seen walking with the boy moments before. Her throat had been ripped open from the blood that pooled around her. I could see her dark hair spread on the gravel.
“The cemetery has rules for hunting, guy.” The figure whipped around, I backed away for a moment as the pale figure held the woman’s flesh between its teeth. The eyes wild as it whipped its head inhaling our scent. Matthieu sat above watching the display.
“Man, that is some sick shit, not good blood.” The pale figure was a boy with skin as white as the tombs surrounding us. The dark black hair was flat against his head. He bared his fangs at Matthieu as he held up his hands,
“Hey man, I do not want your dirty meal there. It’s all yours, say guys since all is safe I’m headed for the blood bank. Have fun with the Addams boy there.” Octavius waved him off as he kneeled beside the boy, he reached into his pocket as he fished out a syringe. I stared at the blue liquid awaiting to do its work.
“What’s your name kid?” I looked to Octavius as he reached over to tap the boy just as he lurched forward at me. I caught him as Octavius slammed the syringe into the boy’s neck. He let out a cry as he collapsed before me.
“Still potent as ever?” Octavius nodded as the boy dropped before me to the ground. I looked to the girl’s body lying on the gravel then to the boy. I knew the big sleep had not changed the laws of living and dying. I looked to Octavius as he wiped the boys mouth then backed away from him,
“This one belongs to someone that had no idea what they were doing. He’s still in a zombie state…we could complete his change or end it now.” I looked back at the girl then said,
“If what Matthieu says is true, he’ll suffer later on. End it now.” I backed away and headed off to find a wooden object until I heard a small explosion, I looked back as Octavius held a stake in his hand, “I come prepared, my friend.” The boy’s body was gone now and floating in the air around us. I looked to the girl as I nodded to her,
“Oh right,” he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, “uh yeah, we’re down at St. Louis Number 4 – it was a Non Vamp kill. Alright, thanks again.” He shoved the phone in his pocket as he looked to me,
“Well that was exciting.” I managed a smile as I shook my head,
“I need to sleep, we’ll hunt again tomorrow.” He nodded as we headed back to his car.
2.
I awoke with the late morning sun on my face. I pulled the covers to shield the sun then stopped realising that my skin did not burn. I sat up as I pushed the covers away. I sat a moment knowing full well that the blood from the young girl had given me the strength I needed. I looked around the small guest room, I had refused to return to the hotel and my home was in no state to sleep in. I once again was staying with Octavius. He had been a kind friend to stick around this long. I thought about the boy in the cemetery the night before, it was always a mystery to me why someone would go the length to take a sire but then turn them out. In my life I had sired a few but they were long gone now. It was hard to keep a fledgling alive when everyone was set on making them a meal. I had gone to great lengths to stop before the heart gave out.
I noticed a grey shirt and a pair of jeans were laid out on a chair near the bed. I would have to repay Octavius for his kindness. Already he had done far more than most. I dressed and headed downstairs where I heard him talking to Marc.
“I’m telling you, it is a great expense right now. Are you sure you want to set up a house of your own? That house alone needs a lot of work.” He stopped as he saw me standing in the doorway. Marc turned to face me as he nodded,
“Hello Rent.”
“How’s it going, man?” I walked over as I patted him on the shoulder.