Chapter 5

I didn't tell anybody about my encounter with the bad-blooded boy from the last night's show. Even though Mr Tall seemed suspicious of my strange behavior for the next two nights. My mind was on the boy--the look he gave me when I had refused to blood him had began to appear in my dreams and I could not get it too fade.

It was only Monday evening when I felt a little better, tomorrow was the last performance and then we'd be off again. Which for once I was glad for, I did not want to be around this town much longer than we needed to. Mr Tall had said I could have the night off performing sensing I was still alittle low still. I thanked him and started walking away from the old theatre and found myself in the local town.

It was around midnight so I looked like a lone wolf in the middle of nowhere, I gazed intently at each house I passed, wishing in some sense I was human again so I could share in the joys of family life once more.

I passed a school playground and I held on to the fence tightly as I scanned the tarmac. Midnight here was like it was a ghost school…when in other countries the nightlife is more adventurous than the day life.

I sighed, then turned back to the theatre. I could not bring myself to speak when I returned, Evra kept asking me questions about the area and when I told me to go away in a fit of rage he ran off…and I regretted it instantly.

"Don't take it out on the boy!" Said a familiar voice in my head, it had been appearing most often of late--like someone's conscience when you've done something wrong.

"All he ever did was be nice to you and you threw it back in his face!"

I did not reply to my thoughts…the inner me…the more human and naïve side would have went and apologized to Evra but I did not. I sat there in my basement and then after feeding Madam Octa once more I went into my coffin and closed my eyes for some well-needed sleep…

…BANG

My eyes snapped open. I knew I was in my coffin and it was probably only really early morning since my internal bodily cloak kept telling me I was still worn out, but it was not the time any of the performers would be up. I heard a faint sound of someone scrambling about above me and then as it began to fade I opened the coffin in the slightest way that if the intruder looked at it they wouldn't notice.

What I saw was a small boy--with a familiar looking face, At first it was the brat I almost blooded when I saw it was friend--the blacked haired, green eyed boy…At first I couldn't remember his name when I remembered….

"Would you miss the boy you came with tonight?"

The young boy considered this, "Darren? Yeah I'd miss my friends, Darren especially.

This boy must be Darren, the boy in awe at my act on the night before last. He had something in his small fragile hands--it looked like a box--or a cage! My mind clicked--He was taking my spider!

I felt like jumping out and pouncing on him. When a sudden thought came to me--remembering the sound of shifting in the back of the stage when I spoke to Darren's friend…this boy must have been there when he announced I was a vampire…and he was still going to steal my spider…!

I watched him walk out nervously, and I quickly stepped out after, I was not angry now, I was more curious, as I did so I saw a note on the top of my coffin. Since I was illiterate I could not read every word but I recognized the words of my own surname and four others "I am not Steve".

Putting the note in my pocket I clambered after Darren, it was still dark enough for me to follow, the sun wasn't up yet and even if it was his house couldn't be that far away.

Keeping to the shadows I saw him enter a house on a street near the school I went past, all I had to do was climb up and take my spider back, when my mind said otherwise.

"This boy is quite courageous Larten…almost vampire material wouldn't you say?"

That was certainly not my own conscience talking--it was familiar--and it was loud--vibrating around my brain like a wave--and would not go away. I looked up at the house on last time, realized the sunrise was moments away I had only one option--I flitted back to the Cirque Du Freak camp empty handed and confused.

"Larten…The boy is bold… The boy is brave and you know it--you don't need my ideas to tell you that but he'd make a good apprentice wouldn't you say?"

"Come on you would have blooded that Steve kid if he hadn't have had bad blood…Seba would want you to have an apprentice--he always said students and teachers teach each other in turn, don't you want that wonderful experience…?"

That voice was torturing me. For the rest of my day I did not sleep, my eyes were wide awake in the darkness of my coffin, the words of this stranger vibrating round my skull making my mind go into panic. By the evening I could recite what I was being told and the words were starting to make absurd sense…

The boy would be a good assistant…

That settled it…suddenly the words stopped, as though agreeing to it was the key. I could not go back on my word now…besides Mr Tall must have understood what I meant to do…

"You're not coming with us?" he asked, though he knew the answer.

"No I am not." I replied bluntly, I had had no sleep and no rest for the past 24 hours…all I wanted to do was sleep now…

"I suppose you already know Larten but if you ever want to return here to Cirque Du Freak you are most welcome, come in at your own accord" he announced needlessly, Hiberinus had watched me grow up. He took me in as Seba did…I could not ask for much more.

"I may consider returning…" I muttered, "I do not know when that will be though I am afraid."

"As I said--Always welcome." Mr Tall left me to myself as the Cirque quickly finished their show--without me--and then packed up. Though everyone else was sad to see me go, Han Hands and Rhombus Twobellies shook my hand before leaving--but Evra was the only person I could see who actually felt sorry I was leaving.

"So you must really like it here then!" he said smiling and I shook my head.

"Not really" I answered.

"Well Good-Luck Mr Larten…" he replied and I smiled.

"It's just Larten Evra…and thanks…" I said smirking and watched him walk away another thought flooding my head.

"Not all children are bad…"

I laughed inwardly, hoping that the thought was right, or else I was doomed to an even earlier grave than Seba. "I suppose not…!" I replied to myself and then was left alone with my thoughts.

The night the Cirque left I slept into Thursday evening…I had 72 hours of sleep and didn't need anymore. The next three days were murder. That evening I practiced some swordplay--even though I had no dueling partner it was not that difficult to do on your own.

I had a lot of time to think to myself which I did not like at all because it kept on making me regret my idea of taking Darren on…I just hoped Madam Octa was being properly taken care of and that this plan actually works…

By Saturday Morning I was bored stiff…there was only one thing I had not done--counted my scars…which to pass the time I started doing. First the three running across my back from the my factory days when I stood up for a friend of mine…but I can never remember his name now--it was just too long ago. Then another scar ran down my arm when I first encounted a vampaneze group with just Seba and I, it had been a tiring fight two of us versus six of them. We won obviously, I was lucky enough to kill the leader, and since the vampaneze seemed to think he was the Lord of the Shadows they ran for their lives.

((Author Note: I assume that before the Coffin of Fire most vampaneze convinced others that they will become L.O.S--and obviously were followed but when killed shown to be fakes…))

The Lord of the Shadows…the vampaneze lord who was supposed to lead us--the vampires to our death. A myth in my opinion…Seba and Paris were the only two vampires alive when Mr Tiny came forward and told us of the Lord…which is why they solemnly believe it is true…where I detest it.

Going back to my scars I the remembered the one Arra gave me, I looked down at my waist and saw the diagonal line of a sharp sword--slicing into me--one of the many fights myself and Arra had.

A flood of sadness flooded through me at the mention of Arra, I met her the day I arrived at Vampire Mountain, ten years after meeting Seba. She had insulted me as she would any other new vampire to the clan and so I fought her in combat to prove her wrong…and I actually won. It was a bitter victory--I won by loss of energy but she hated me for years after that…but that changed completely over the course of time to something I felt was the opposite.

Another scar I got was during my Trails of Intuition. One of my tasks was to fight a General to the death…I won ofcourse, but he sliced at my foot a large line going across it. It was never the same again. It was only afterwards I found out that I had killed Mika's mentor. Mika was a fellow vampire friend of mine. He always hated me after that…I was quite glad for him though when he became a prince…in my stead…

So that was six scars--the ten on my finger tips when I became a vampire made that sixteen and I was sure there was one more. When I remembered. The long jagged scar on my face, which could almost look like my mouth, extended at times, caused by that witch Evanna, Mr Tiny's daughter.

Seventeen scars…that was quite a low number compared to my friend Gavner Purl…he had many more scars than I did. His trials were the ones that went wrong and almost killed him…and he had the more violent job of killing and stopping rogue vampires. A job I gave up fifteen years before.

When I heard an ambulance. It was quite late in the day--but I got a hunch. Leaving the basement and feeling the burn sun on my neck I saw an ambulance being swiftly followed by a familiar car. That car I was glad to say had been on Darren's drive…and inside it were two children and two adults--my plan had worked to the full…

When I heard two neighbours watching the event--my ears were alert and I caught every word…

"Oh isn't the Shan family?"

"I think so--Darren Annie Angela and Dermot right?"

"Yes I can see Dermot driving--that's them all right…!"
"Darren's the boy who plays with my boy Alan, your boy Tommy and that wild child--what's his name again?"

"Steve Leonard I think--?"

"Oh yes that rings a bell--"

I grinned--I even knew their surnames now and the names of his family…blackmail was easy enough…I'll have to congratulate Madam Octa later.