Chapter 7

The woman fainted. Owen caught her as if she was light as a feather.
"Mom!"
Abby moved close to Owen's ear.
"She's ok...it's just a shock to see you."
"I...know..." Owen fell silent.

Abby looked around to see if anyone else was watching. She glanced at the open door.
"We need to take her inside...but she has to invite us in."
Owen looked at Abby.
"Even me?"
"Yes..." Abby's voice trailed off as a distant memory rose up in her mind. She knew first-hand that being a relative didn't matter.
Owen patted his mother's face gently.
"Mom...wake up..."
She stirred. Her eyes opened. Looking up at the face of her son brought her fully awake.
"Owen!" She threw her arms around him and held him tightly as tears formed in her eyes. "My little boy!"
Owen hugged his mother in return. It felt good. The feel of her. The smell of her. His senses now brought him more information than when he had last seen her. He could now hear her heart beating in her chest. It was a good sound.

Owen whispered to her. "Mom...can we come inside your house?"
She was sobbing now. Turning her head to kiss his cheek, she answered him. "Of course you can! ...My baby boy..."
Abby had drifted into the background. She observed the reunion with curiosity. She saw the warmth between the two beings and it made her heart ache. She was very pleased for Owen, nothing made her more happy than seeing him smile. But she also could not stop her memories from washing over her. Memories of a long-dead time...a long-dead life forever banished to the mists of time. Her eyes glistened with tears in the dim light. Emotions conflicted within her.

"Let's go inside, Mom."
"Yes...let's go inside." she answered.

Owen carried his mother into the open door. If she noticed that her little boy was carrying her as if she were a baby, she didn't show it. He set her down on her dingy couch.
"Mom...can Abby come in?"

Owen's mother turned to look at Abby for the first time. She saw a little girl dressed in a dirty, loose-fitting dress, standing staring at them from just beyond the open door. Something about her manner suggested great sadness. Owen's mother felt sympathy for her immediately.
"Yes...of course...Abby?...you can come in too."
Abby smiled slightly and stepped inside the door. She silently moved to sit on a chair in the corner.
Owen's mother turned her attention back to Owen.

"Owen! I can't believe it's you!"
Owen just smiled shyly. It felt very good to see his Mother again. But it saddened him to see how tired and...old...she looked. It had only been two years, but she looked far older than the last time he had seen her. He stroked her cheek and wiped away one of her tears.

"Where...where have you been? It's been two...years...Owen...that night you...the pool...the police said..."
"I'm sorry Mom...I just HAD to leave. I was afraid...that...maybe I would get blamed for what happened."
"Why would they blame you, Owen? The police said...the coach and the other kids saw some older kids come in and start a fire...and they started threatening all the kids...they were probably drunk..."

She stroked Owen's hair.

"They think those boys were part of a cult. Satan worshipers. They had killed those other people, remember? ...God works in mysterious ways. They were tempting fate. I'll bet they just sacrificed each other...they never caught the ones that did it...probably older men that brought those boys into the cult...one of their sick rituals."

Owen just let his Mother think what she thought.

"But NO ONE ever thought you had anything to do with it, Owen! They thought you were...dead at first...but a few days later they thought you were kidnapped by the cult..."

She held Owen close.

"I never stopped praying for you Owen! I knew you would come home!"
Owen's eyes filled with water. Abby had told him before that vampires can cry...but he didn't know for sure until now.
"You can tell me all about it later, Owen...we need to get you cleaned up...those clothes...you're cold as ice...no shoes! Where have you been staying?"

Owen shrugged.

"Just different places..."
She kissed Owen on the forehead.
"Well you go get in the shower and I'll wash these clothes."

Suddenly appearing full of energy, she rose and guided Owen toward the back of the trailer. Abby watched them go and fidgeted with her fingers until Owen's Mother returned.

"And you! Abby? You're a sight too...you'll have to take a shower when Owen is done."
Abby rose. "Yes ma'am."
Owen's mother smiled.
"Call me 'Jennifer'...not 'ma'am'...or 'Jenny' if you like."
Abby smiled weakly.
"Yes ma...umm...Jenny."

Jennifer regarded Abby for a moment.
"You're a pretty little thing...I guess Owen was staying with your family?"
Abby was afraid of this. She was a terrible liar. Owen always knew what to say in times like this...but he was in the shower..."Hurry up, Owen!" Abby thought to herself.
"My family...I don't know where they are..."
"Did they drop you two off and go to a motel?"
"That sounds good" Abby thought.
"Umm...yes."
"How old are you, sweetie?"
Another question. Abby thought quickly.
"I'm 12...more or...um...12!"

Jennifer smiled at the strange little girl.
"Oh I'm sorry...I shouldn't be hitting you with all these questions."
Abby smiled as warmly as she could and shrugged.
"So you are two years younger than Owen...he's 14 now and..."
Jennifer stopped. She just realized that Owen had not gotten any taller since the last time she'd seen him. That seemed odd. She went into the kitchen to fix him something to eat. "He must not be eating very well..." she thought.

Abby peeked around the corner at Jennifer. She then looked down the narrow hallway toward the bathroom where Owen was taking his shower. She contemplated bolting for the front door and making a run for it.
"I'll go check on Owen."
Jennifer looked around at Abby.
"Check on Owen? He's in the shower."
She peered at Abby intently.
"Girls aren't supposed to walk in on boys when they take a shower, dear."
Abby sensed she had made a mistake.
"Oh yes...I meant...I was going to knock on the door..."
"He'll be ok...just sit down and wait."
Jennifer eyed Abby suspiciously.

The bathroom door opened and Owen came in wearing a towel. Abby brightened quickly and smiled at him. Jennifer took note.
"Owen! Put on some clothes! I've got your clothes in the back bedroom."
Owen smiled at them both and exited the room. Abby sat back in her chair feeling uncomfortable. She shot a quick look at Jennifer...who was looking at her as well. Abby quickly looked down at her feet.


Abby stood under the shower head and let the water wash over her. She was glad to be out of the room. Owen's mother made her feel nervous. Abby could hear the conversation between Owen and Jennifer filtering through the wall. Even her heightened hearing ability couldn't make out the exact words. Abby decided to rush back to hear what was being said. She hurriedly dried herself and threw on some of Owen's clothes that Jennifer had given her.

Abby walked into the living room as Owen and his mother were talking. She stood by a wall that had a large crucifix mounted upon it. Abby gazed at it for a moment and wondered why anyone thought that...people like her...would be hurt by it. Abby didn't think she was evil. She hated what she had to do to live.

"I can't believe how little you've grown, Owen...you look exactly the same...have you been eating right?"
"Yes...I guess I'm a slow grower."
"Well...I'll get you fixed up...making your favorite...macaroni and cheese!"
She pinched Owen's cheek. He looked at Abby and shrugged. Abby smiled back. Owen had told her about how often he'd eaten "mac and cheese".
"I'm...not really hungry, Mom."
"Oh that's crazy...you need to eat something...both of you."
"We just ate though..." Owen insisted. Abby nodded in agreement.
"Fine...ok...ok..." Jennifer raised her hands in surrender, pushed the pan to the back burner, and switched off the stove.
"What we need to do is get you two in bed...it's almost two in the morning!"
Owen and Abby looked at each other and grinned.
"We're getting up early tomorrow and going to see Abby's parents and then we'll go down to the police station and straighten all this stuff out about the pool and all."
"But Mom...we're not tired."
"Nonsense, Owen...is that why you're not growing? Staying up all night?" She walked over to him and took him in her arms.
"Well no more of that, my sweet boy...it's time you kept regular hours."

Jennifer would not be swayed. She placed Owen in the back bedroom and put Abby on the couch. The two had at first attempted to share his bedroom but Jennifer had loudly vetoed that idea.
"What have you two been doing all this time? This is not proper behavior...you'll sleep on the couch, young lady!"

Abby reluctantly settled down on the couch under the blankets Jennifer provided. She pouted as Jennifer turned out the lights and went to bed.

It wasn't 5 minutes before Owen was at her side. Grinning.
"Owen!" Abby whispered.
"It's ok...she can't hear us...nothing can hear us."
"But still...what if she comes in here?"
"She won't...I heard her pouring her wine...she'll be out soon."
"I don't think she likes me...I don't want to..."
"Ahh...come on Abby...come in my room...it'll be ok."
Abby had no will to say no. She rose and the two moved silently down the hall and into Owen's bedroom. They settled down on his bed and listened until Jennifer's breathing became slow and regular. Owen then smiled at Abby and pinched her. As she playfully slapped his hand he pulled her pants down and off her legs.
"Owen!" she punched him in the arm.
"What?" he grinned at her.
"Are you crazy? We can't!"
"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"

The two little vampires giggled and fell together.

4:00 am

"Owen..."
"What?"
"The sun...what will we tell your mom?"
Owen had no idea.