Alvin led Simon
outside to a far corner of the yard. "Okay." His brother said.
"Now what did you bring me out here for?"
"We are going to
test a few 'abilities' you should have." Alvin told him
confidently. "According to the monster book, you should have
almost all the abilities – and weaknesses – of a real vampire."
"Okay. What do you want me to do?" Simon didn't seem all that happy about this, but Alvin continued.
"First off – can you fly?"
"Of course I can't!"
"You haven't even tried."
Simon growled, a sound Alvin had never heard before. "How am I supposed to know if I can fly?"
Alvin had to keep himself from backing away. It was just Simon – his bookish, harmless older brother. Yeah, right. "Just, I don't know, jump. See what happens."
"Fine." Alvin watched as Simon crouched, then jumped.
"Ahhhhh!" Simon yelled as he hurtled into the air. There was a sound of branches breaking as he sailed into a tree. It was quiet for a moment.
"Well, I don't think I can fly, but I can jump." He dropped from the tree agilely, landing silently on his feet. "And land."
Simon was grinning widely, fangs prominent, and Alvin wondered if he knew how excited he looked to be using these new powers. "Okay, so no flying." He filed that away. "Next up. Can you mesmerize people?"
"Mesmerize? How are we supposed to test that?" Simon asked, brushing the leaves off his pajamas.
"Duh-uh! You need to entrance someone."
Simon cocked an eyebrow. "And just who is my volunteer?"
"Well-"Oh, no. Alvin hadn't quite thought that through. "Um, I guess it has to be, um –"
"You?"
"No!
We should –"
"You're the only one here, Alvin."
"But-"
Unexpectedly he was aware that he was hanging from the same tree that Simon had just leapt from – upside down. "Simon! Simon? What happened?"
Simon was suddenly there, helping him down. "That mesmerize thing? Yeah. I can do that."
"You can? When..."Alvin glowered at Simon. "What did you make me do – besides climbing that tree?"
"You'd love to know, wouldn't you?"
"Simon..." Alvin began ominously.
"Really, Alvin. I just made you do a few cartwheels. And made you climb that tree. Don't you remember?"
"No." That was interesting – and disturbing. Alvin frowned. "Are you sure you didn't make me do anything else?"
Simon grinned, apparently oblivious to the evil look on his face. "Positive."
Going on trust, Alvin decided to believe his big brother. "Okay, but no more of that."
"Oh, and I have some sort of super speed too."
"You do?" Alvin really wished he could remember the last few moments.
Simon nodded. "Yeah. I had to use it to...help you when you fell during a cartwheel."
"Oh. Okay."
"So what's next?"
Alvin almost didn't want to tell him because he looked so eager for the next task. "Well, you did the speed thing, and you definitely have the eye thing down...what about turning into a bat?"
"A bat?" Simon made a face. "Eww. I don't like bats."
"Just try."
Simon screwed up his face and seemed to be concentrating hard. Alvin watched closely, hoping and at the same time not hoping to see his brother transform. Morbid curiosity fueled the former, and self-preservation and love for his brother the latter.
"Anything?" Simon asked after a moment.
Alvin let out a whoosh of breath in relief. "No, not anything."
"Darn it." Simon looked surprised at himself. "I mean – I guess I just expected to be able to do it."
"You did?"
"Yeah." Simon still looked surprised – and a little worried. "I did. Everything else was just so...so easy."
Alvin looked at him, concerned and not just a little bit frightened for his brother. "Okay, yeah. I think this is enough for one night."
"But-"
"We
have school tomorrow, remember?" Alvin couldn't believe the
words coming out of his mouth.
"Oh. Yeah. School." To add to Alvin's astonishment, Simon actually sounded dejected about the prospect of classes. "School."
This was just as bad as the werewolf thing.
0000000000000000
"Simon?"
"Theodore?"
Theodore watched Simon's head peek out from under his covers and glance around. It was still about ten minutes until dawn, and Theodore wanted to make sure that he had this conversation with his brother before the potentially destructive rays of the sun flowed into their room. "I need to talk to you."
"Sure, Theodore." Simon sat up, rubbing his eyes a little. "What's up?"
Theodore sat on the edge of Simon's bed, hesitating. He really wanted to have this conversation with Simon, but he was afraid...no. He wouldn't be. Simon was his brother – and he hadn't deserted him when Theodore himself had been changed into a...a monster. He couldn't desert Simon. "I need to tell you...I was watching last night."
Suddenly Simon seemed
wide awake. "Watching what?"
"When you were, uh,
practicing with Alvin outside." Theodore rushed on. "I wasn't
trying to pry, honest, but I couldn't sleep either, and –"
"Its all right, Theodore." Simon smiled helpfully at him, and even with the fangs Theodore felt reassured. "I don't blame you. I didn't sleep much when you had been turned into a werewolf, either."
"So you definitely are becoming a vampire." There was no doubt in the little chipmunk's voice.
"I'm not planning to become a vampire, Theodore. But there is an advantage to knowing their strengths and weaknesses right now."
"Yeah, I know." Theodore paused. "But...but, you seemed to be having a lot of fun last night."
Simon was quiet for a moment. "I guess I kind of was, wasn't I?"
"Do you...like it?
Having vampire powers?"
Simon looked at him curiously. "Can
I ask you a question first, Theodore?"
"Sure!" Theodore felt anxious to make his brother at ease. "Anything!"
Simon looked at him oddly. "Do you really not remember anything about being a werewolf?"
If he had asked this question a couple of days ago, Theodore would have quickly reaffirmed his apparent amnesia. "Um..." Now, however, Simon had some idea of what was happening..."I remember. Pretty much everything."
"I thought so." Simon, for a moment, looked exactly like his old self. "Why did you lie?"
Theodore wrung his hands. "I think you can guess."
Simon nodded. "You
liked it."
"Not everything." Theodore quickly denied. "I
remember when I was about to attack Eleanor I remembered who I really
was. And I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror once...but,
yeah. For the most part, at the time, it was...fun."
Simon nodded. "I thought so."
"For the first time, I was strong, fast, confident – I wasn't afraid of anything. Its not any fun to be afraid." Theodore paused. "I guess that I was afraid of myself, though, in the end."
"That makes sense, I guess." Simon agreed.
"So what I am asking is, do you like it?" Theodore held his breath as Simon thought for a moment. "Because I am really afraid for you."
"Not of me?" Simon asked.
Theodore thought about that, noting the sad question in Simon's eyes but knowing that his brother would like an honest answer. "No, not of you." He finally concluded. Relief flooded Simon's features. "I remember that even when it was the worst, I never would have really hurt any of my friends or family. I don't think you could either."
"Thank you, Theodore." Simon was quiet. "Then, to answer your question...yes. I do sort of like it. I'm stronger, faster, more...powerful than before. It's me, but not me. It's me plus."
"So...are you going to stay this way? Forever?" Theodore couldn't help it, and the tears started to spill over. Suddenly feeling the need to be close to his brother, he flung himself into Simon's arms. "Because, I understand, but I want my brother here! I don't want to lose you."
Simon rocked Theodore for a few moments. "I don't want to stay this way, not if I can help it, Theodore." Theodore continued to cry. "I'm going to find a way out of this. After all," Simon smiled at him, "I need to take care of my little brothers."
Theodore looked up, his tear streaked face meeting Simon's hopefully. "R-really?"
"Really."
"I love you, Simon."
Theodore took comfort in his older brother stroking his hair, clinging to him tightly. He tried to ignore how cold Simon felt.
"I love you too, Theodore." Simon said.
To be cont.
End of part 5
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