Hey everybody! This was meant to be a one shot, turned into a short story that will have about three chapters. It was a request from someone on my blog and I hope you enjoy it. Reviews are loved! Thank you for reading!
Strung out. That's what Beth felt in the early morning hours as she crept into Mr Emerson's taxidermy room, following the smell of coffee as it attempted to draw her back into her senses. However, the smell of death hovered above all other smells and used its weight to dissipate her high hopes as the animals around her, already stuffed and mounted, stared on with wide eyes. They foreshadowed the inevitable for Beth, yet she found herself staring right back. It was my choice, she thought, I just needed a little more time. Beth knew that when the darkness came it was everlasting and even though the parties would reign on forever in her new immortality, her body would be just as the creatures before her, an unchanging statue.
The home she now stalked through, on the other hand, was all new to her, as was its owner, the maker, but she didn't doubt that he knew she was coming, and the how and why wasn't important at that particular moment. The peace she sought was, but that would only come when blood stained her hands and lips. It would come in death, like all the animals around her had faced, first drained of their blood. Beth could smell it coming from a different room. It was cold and reminded her of iced tea as her thoughts quickly switched focus when her stomach growled. The tantalizing smell was even better than the burnt toast covered in too much butter, sweating on a napkin, as it sat on a table that wasn't in front of her. She could see it clearly, realizing for the first time that even walls couldn't stop her new, all seeing eyes.
Her fingers played over the skins of what looked like a few new carcasses, careful to avoid the pot of boiling water right next to them as she moved out of the room, feeling as if her feet were floating as she walked. The dream state was upon her now that the sun had risen, and everything visually was changing, turning from vividly outlined forms and bright colors, to soft, fuzzy objects silhouetted in nothing but bright light that made her blink over and over again.
"That's what happens when you make the change," a sharp voice barked from behind.
Beth jumped and spun around to see an older man glowering at her, and sporting a long, white braid of hair. He was holding the cup of coffee she'd sniffed out, and sipped it, even as he frowned while examining his unexpected, expected guest.
"She told me you were coming. She didn't say when. Hmmpf," he grunted and the crease in his brow shifted, turning into a rather lighthearted look that drew the corners of his lips into something of a smile. "Well, come on!" He jerked his head over his shoulder, encouraging her to follow. "Let's get you fixed up a bit, before you have one of those undead day panic attacks. Though you must be a strong one, considering you're still standing on your feet." There was another small grunting sound followed by laughter as he peaked at her from under his armpit as they walked.
His steps were as silent as hers and Beth could tell he had been practicing for a while, in fact, he made it look easy. Everything about him made living a half life look easy and the wonderment of it all made her frown as they entered his kitchen where she was happy to take a seat. "How do you do it then?" she asked. "Why live in torture. Why not give in?"
"Family!" he snapped, jerking the fridge open. "Somebody's got to look out for them." He pulled a root beer from the shelf and let the door slam shut as he shuffled to the counter to pop the top and pour half its contents into a mug. "Besides, I get the best of both words this way. I consider it an art form these days, and I still get to enjoy the sun." He chuckled at the personal joke, considering even as a half, the sun was still taboo. "Beth is it?"
She nodded and licked her lips. It was animal blood, but it still smelled like everything she wanted in a meal.
Her condition was noted by her present company as he popped the mug into a microwave and heated it to just the right temperature. "Well, you can keep calling me Mr Emerson. It's the way I prefer it. Here you go." He sat down beside her with a curious look of his own now stamped on his face.
This made Beth hesitate as she held the mug in both hands.
"Drink up," he advised, grabbing a corner of the napkin that held his toast without looking away.
"Thank you," she whispered, casting her eyes downward as she took the first sip. It was comforting, the way hot chocolate used to be on a cold day.
"It still can be, either way." Mr Emerson hadn't wasted any time when it came to learning the tricks of the trade, and the mind gift was one of his best. He caught her thoughts and gave his in return. "My guess is, David wants you whole."
The vampire's name caught her off guard and the blood went down wrong as the voices started to swim through her head. It seemed that even in the daylight hours, they could summon her and she felt a pull in her veins as she started to choke. The cup slipped from her hands and it spilled out over the table.
Beth was now in a state of shock as she gasped, but found the old man right behind her.
"I should've known," he said, cursing under his breath as he pulled her up out of the chair and carried her into the living room, towards the staircase. "Come on, use your feet! You can sleep the day away up here. My grandson's room is empty and I think you'll like it just fine."