Chapter 1: Mrs. Braggart

Leo had always thought it was hard to elucidate the concept of time; it seemed to him that the past and future were always intersecting with live actions. For any moment in the day that one is buying groceries, or mowing the lawn, or writing a poem, the past can interrupt rudely. It was something he had always hated, this ability to see your life in different times. He hated the idea of growing old and becoming worthless to the brave few who actually appreciated his minute presence in the world. If he could have gotten rid of this ability to see his life spread out before with him without damaging his ability to remember how to function, he would have done so in a heartbeat. What Leo did not realize, was that there was in fact a way to freeze his own personal time. And all it took….was a heartbeat.

. . .

"Leo. Leo you did not do this to me. Not after I told you so many times. I refuse to believe such nonsense."

He was standing in the blanched hallway of Fern's apartment building. The pale brown wallpaper was peeling away from the bricks on the wall in such large quantities that it seemed almost as if it was trying to break free from its melancholy bearings. A lone fluorescent light twitched with ugly luminescence directly above their heads. Fern was two seconds away from exploding in his face. It had only been 5 months and he had memorized the insignificant details of her animalistic personality. She was an animal. They were both animals. But, for whatever reason, Fern still contained faint hints of inconvenient humanity. It was funny, the shock effect of seeing what appeared to be an 8 year old girl speak and act in a way that was disturbingly eloquent had worn off. He no longer saw the tiny balled up fists as laughable, or the ill fitting clothes draped over her doll-like body as pathetic. The respect a vampire develops for its maker was a curious thing.

Leo spoke a split second before Fern could start her furious rant. "You know me. I can't contain myself when something smells so good."

"Bull shit she smelled good. Mrs. Braggart is…was 75 years old! She smelled like fast-approaching death and stale socks" fern growled through half-clenched teeth. Her eyes moved rapidly back and forth between Leo's nonchalant expression and the mutilated carcass 3 feet behind him.

"Look, that's just it, she was an old hag. The way I killed her was probably better n' her dying of cancer or developing dementia or some shit like that" Leo rebutted. He shifted on his feet, ignoring the left over blood that was now wasted and soaking into his sandals.

"You ripped her apart! I can't even tell if that's a mouth on her face or if you tore her a new one! If anyone in this building heard her scream we're at risk."

"What do you want me to do? Kill her softly?"

"No, Leo, I want you to drink from the humans I choose for you and I want you to do it silently."

Fern clicked her tongue, a habit she had strangely picked up from being around human children. She stepped gracefully down the length of the hallway and knelt down next to Mrs. Braggart's muddled remains. Leo could see in the way she was moving her little eyes up and down the length of her body that she was already processing the best way to dispose of it. If he had to guess, and he did, he thought she would wrap it up in bits of newspaper as quick as lighting and burn it somewhere no one would notice. The "no one noticing" thing was the most difficult part.

Leo didn't apologize. He had been feeling less and less like participating in silly human exchanges as time went on- or didn't go on.

"I'll burn the leftovers with you", Leo said instead, "the fresh air will do me good."

Fern glared up at him, her white hand curled around what appeared to be a purple-socked foot. "Burn the body? When ever did I say I was going to do that? And no, no- I think it would be best if you stayed at Fangtasia while I take care of this. You've just fed so surely you won't try to slaughter someone else tonight."

"Something else. And no way. I told you I ain't spending another goddamn minute in that poser bar with a vampire that wants every inch of me to be staked. No way."

"Eric does not hate you, used to hate you-maybe. But lately I believe he's been growing rather fond of you."

Leo scoffed. He walked out of the puddle of dark blood, making sure to extend the mess as he started down the hallway. He should have known better.

There was an audible crack that resounded through the apartment hallway as Fern slammed him on his back into the escaping wallpaper. She had somehow managed to use one hand to hang from the fluorescent light on the ceiling, and the other hand to pull Leo up the length of the wall by his neck.

"I can't fathom why you think it is you can get away with acting like a pubescent human boy, but I did not save your life to have you disrespect everything I do for you" she barked, her pearlescent fangs quivering with every high pitched shriek.

"I'm sorry" Leo growled back. She released him, and he slid back down the wall.

Fern, once more composing herself, landed like a cat on the linoleum tile and flipped her red hair behind her ears.

"We're leaving to Fangtasia now. You are not to speak unless I permit you to. Come."

So here it is! Part 2! If anyone is reading this who hasn't already read "The Encounter of a Young Vampire" you should probably go read that one first because otherwise this won't make much sense.

Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated, as usual.