Sullen and Haunted

V: Come Away with Me

The birds were singing. My spirits were high. Even in my slumber I felt invigorated. I felt myself sit up, still quite asleep and unaware of my motions. I moved to the bureau and felt my hand grip the hairbrush. The tingling of the bristles against my scalp helped me gain my senses. I blinked several times as I finished detangling the ends and studied what objects were on my bureau. Something felt different. Could something be missing?

I surveyed the top and quickly tallied what was there. The hairbrush, the perfume bottles, my jewelry box was open as always...

Where is the picture of my mother and I?

I felt my hands go through my hair nervously.

I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and insure I was awake and aware. I went back and silently searched through the various papers and the trinkets that it could've been under. It wasn't there.

I could feel my throat gain an ominous lump and my eyes felt like they were draining. My mother was the mother I knew and loved. Not the mother she was now. Not the monster she was now. That photo is the only object of proof I have for myself that she ever existed...as I want her to exist again.

I choked back several sobs and gently sat on the foot of the bed. I felt as if I could break with the slightest touch. It felt as if nothing could console me.

"Alexa? Are you all right?" A groggy Connor arose and place a firm hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine. I lost something, that's all."

"I'll help you find it, so don't worry. Oh, I took this from up there," He pointed to the bureau. "It comforted me last night. It made me think of what having a mother could be like."

He held the picture out for me. I almost shed tears of happiness.

"You had it! Oh, Connor! I thought I lost it! Thank you!" I kissed him and exhaled the relief deeply.

"I'm sorry, Alexa. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I just didn't think to look over there. You know me, worst-case-scenario before logic kicks in."

He rubbed his thumb under my eye where an unfelt tear must have escaped.

"That is your mother, correct?" He pointed to the woman that I resembled in the picture. "You two look alike."

"Yes it is. That was her almost two years ago."

"What is she like? Tell me about her." He put my hair behind my ears and relaxed beside me.

"She's your loving mother in a lot of ways. Every morning before school she would have my favorite cereal ready to go even if I didn't have time to eat it. I would always shovels spoonfuls in my mouth just so her efforts weren't wasted."

He smiled.

"I remember every Saturday morning the kitchen smelled of eggs and oatmeal, and every Sunday it smelled of bacon and hash browns. Those were Dad's favourite weekend meals, especially Sundays because it kept him awake during church. My brother and I didn't care about the breakfast. We knew Mom would make it how we liked it. She always made things we loved."

"Where is your mother now? You speak of her as if she's passed away." He seemed to console with his voice at the tender subject.

"Well, in a way she died. I'd like to think of it as her body is here but her spirit is not."

"What happened, Alexa? Please talk about it."

I inhaled as if my lungs were going to die any minute. I haven't spoken of this since it happened.

"She, uh, well...she was walking home one night to get some dog food. Poor Anubis was starving to death and frantically running about because his pan was empty when it was full at the same time everyday. Dogs love following their routines, especially when it comes to food." I grew nervous. "She was probably two or three yards from our front door when something grabbed her. She was pronounced dead in the hospital but she wasn't dead. She was changed."

"Something turned her into a vampire?"

I nodded. "My mom is somewhere in this world feeding off of people. I hope her body is dust so she can't hurt anyone else. But I don't know if she lives, I haven't seen her since the hospital. She bit the doctor and ran out. She looked at me once with malace in her eyes before she bolted out the door, blood staining her teeth and mouth."

Connor rubbed my back consolingly and I felt my heart break all over again. I haven't cried over my mother in nearly a year.

I thought I could handle this now...will I ever?

I breathed deeply but I couldn't hold it in. I could feel myself shaking from sobs and leaning against Connor.

An emotional breakdown all before breakfast.

He only left to give me a tissue and a glass of orange juice.

"How about I attempt making you breakfast this time, Alexa? Maybe you can teach me something." He smiled.

I laughed lightly. "You got it."

I further wiped my eyes as we went into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator.

"How about some bacon, eggs, and pancakes? Let's go all out."

"You want to go all out because I'm the one cooking it." He laughed.

"You gotta learn sometime!" I shot back, grinning.

The eggs were a cinch. He was a quick learner when scrambling and frying. The bacon went well also. Especially the part where he had to beware popping grease. But the pancakes on the other hand...

"A-choo!" He faked a sneeze, shooting pancake flour into my face.

"This means war!" I grabbed a handful of pancake flour and shot it towards him.

He ducked, but he was still covered. He charged towards me and rubbed his hand all over my face. I licked my lips, tasting the dry, bland flavor of the flour. I admitted a fake defeat.

"You got me, Connor. I guess this is for making you cook. I apologize-" I looked at my feet, appearing ashamed.

I saw him come towards me by his feet. I bolted to the sink and turned on the water.

"Alexa...?"

I shot him with the faucet sprayer. He stood still, taking my torture calmly and I stopped spraying.

"Maybe we should get serious again, you think?" I chuckled, taking the running tap water to wipe the flour off my face.

"In a minute," He grinned.

He charged for me and pulled me close to him, causing me to get just as wet as he was.

"We're little devils, you know that?"

He laughed. "Only when we're together."

I smiled up at him and then we took control of ourselves. After the pancakes were (finally) completed, we sat down and hat ourselves the most wonderful breakfast.

"This is what I call a full course meal."

He smiled as he chewed and sipped his orange juice.

"Connor, tomorrow I have to go into work. Do you think you'll be okay by yourself?"

He thought for a moment. "Today is Monday, right?"

I nodded.

"Why do you not work on Mondays?"

"My work is part-time. I requested every Monday off so I could get more rest. I have school Wednesday and Friday nights at the local college. So I basically work during the day and go to school a couple nights a week. But that's beside the question. Do you think you'll be okay here alone?"

"I should be fine."

"I would just be afraid for you if you left to go for a walk and some druggie got you and something bad happened." I looked into his eyes so he could be my genuine concern and nervousness.

"In Quar-Toth, there were bigger things to worry over than druggies as you call them."

"Demons are one thing. Someone with an infected needle is another."

He was silent. I knew he knew nothing of what this world was really like. A thought crossed my mind.

"What are the odds that you'll mend your transgressions with your natural father and be able to stand his company during the day?"

"What are you saying, Alexa? That I should go to that beast's living space and be his 'son'? Especially after I tried to bury him alive under water?"

"Okay, maybe it does seem far-fetched, but it was worth a shot. What about you coming with me to work? Maybe learning a thing or two about the middle class of America."

"Middle class?"

I couldn't help but smile. Even confused he was sweet. His head slightly tilted to the right and his brow furrowed.

"Middle class is a term used for people that work for a living."

He nodded. "That sounds like a better idea. Where do you work?"

"I'm an clerical worker for a local business. I type up things, take messages, mail things, a lot of small jobs."

"Clerical?" Here goes that cute confused face again.

"It'll all be explained tomorrow. As for today, how about we go around the town and I'll show you the place in more detail?"

"That sounds great, Alexa." He smiled.

We took showers and grabbed our coats to see what we could discover.