Chapter 5

"You're crazy!" he stumbled backward as he yelled at me. "There's no way I'd become your assistant! You must be mad to even thing such a thing!" Mad? No. Smart? Yes.

I shrugged at him. "Then Steve Leopard dies," I stated simply. Indecision was evident in his eyes. He stopped retreating.

"Please, there must be another way!" he begged.

"The issue is not open to debate," I growled. "If you wish to save your friend, you must join me. If you refuse, we have nothing further to discuss."

"What if I—" he started. I cut him off.

"Do not waste my time!" I snapped at the boy, pounding my fist on the table. "I have lived in this dirty hole for two weeks, putting up with fleas and cockroaches and lice. If you are not interested in my offer, say so and I will leave. But do not waste my time with other options, because there are none." I had stayed here long enough, and I was ready to leave now.
Darren nodded slowly and took a few steps toward me. "Tell me more about being a vampire's assistant," he said uncertainly.

I grinned. I had this conversation just where I wanted it. "You will be my traveling companion. You will travel with me across the world. You will be my eyes and hands during the day. You will guard me while I sleep. You will find food for me if it is scarce. You will take my clothes to the laundry." I smiled at that one. "You will polish my shoes. You will look after Madam Octa. In short, you will see to my every need. In return, I will teach you the ways of the vampires." I hope he did not notice that I spoke as if he already was my assistant!

"Do I have to become a vampire?" He still seemed uncertain.

"Eventually. At first you will only have some vampire powers. I will make you a half-vampire. That means you will be able to move about during the day. You will not need much blood to keep you satisfied. You will have certain powers but not all. And you will only age at a fifth the regular rate, instead of the full vampire's tenth."

"What does that mean?" He questioned, confused.

"Vampires do not live forever, but we do live far longer than humans. We age at about one-tenth the regular rate. Which means, for every ten years that pass, we age one. As a half-vampire, you will age one year for every five." I explained. I think he was really considering my offer!

"You mean, for every five years that pass, I'll only be one year older?"

"That is right."

"I dunno," he muttered. "It sounds sketchy to me."

"It is your choice," I said. "I cannot force you to become my assistant. If you decide it is not to your liking, you are free to leave."

"But Steve will die if I do that!" he cried at me.

"Yes. It is your assistance or his life."

"That's not much of a choice," Darren grumbled.

"No," I admitted, "it is not. But it is the only one I offer. Do you accept?"

I watched him thing it over. He was debating whether to run or accept my offer. Then he reached his decision.

"Okay," he said, resigned. "I don't like it, but my hands are tied. I just want you to know this: if I ever get the chance to betray you, I will. If the opportunity arises to pay you back, I'll take it. You'll never be able to trust me." he promised.

"Fair enough," I said. I figured it would be years before that happened. He'd need me to teach him, and that could take a very long time.

"I mean it," he warned.

"I know you do. That is why I want you. A vampire's assistant must have spirit. Your fighting quality is exactly what drew me to you. You will be a dangerous lad to have around, I am sure, but in a fight, when the chips are down, I am just as sure you will be a worthy ally."

He breathed deeply. "How do we do it?"

I stood from my chair and pushed the table away from the center of the stage. Walking over to him, I realized that he is very short! He wrinkled his nose at some smell he smelt. Might have been my smell, but I could not tell.

I showed him the back of my right hand. He stared at my nails for a second. I brought up my left hand and cut open my fingertips. I did the same with both hands. I winced when my nails broke the skin. "Lift your hands," I grunted. Darren was staring at the blood dripping from my fingers and did not obey my command. "Now!" I yelled at him and grabbed his hands from where they were hanging from his sides. My fingernails easily pierced the skin on his fingers.

He cried out in pain and stepped back, tucking his hands to his sides. He rubbed his fingers against his jacket.

"Do not be such a baby," I mocked him. I tugged his hands free from under his arms.

"It hurts!" he roared at me. He was glaring.

"Of course it does." I laughed. "It hurt me too. Did you think becoming a vampire was easy? Get used to the pain. Much of it lies ahead."

I put some of his little fingers in my mouth and sucked on them. The blood flowed into my mouth and I pulled out his fingers. I swished the blood around then swallowed, nodding. He had very good blood. "It is good blood, we can proceed."

I made sure his hands were in front of him, then pressed my fingertips to his. Wound to wound. At first nothing happened, then the gushing feeling started. His blood was moving through my body as mine was flowing through his. Darren's face screwed up in a weird expression. He looked thoroughly grossed out.

When the blood reached my heart I had beads of sweat on my forehead, and I was gritting my teeth. Finally his blood went back into his body, I held the contact for a few short seconds, then broke away from him with a shout. Darren fell on his butt and looked dizzy and sick.

"Give me your fingers," I ordered him. He looked at me while I licked my fingers. "My spit will heal the wounds. You will lose all your blood and die otherwise."

He looked at his blood soaked hands then stretched them towards me. I put them in my mouth again and licked where the cuts were. I gave him back his hands and handed him an old rag I had lying around. He wiped off the blood on it. He looked at the ten little scars on his fingers.

"That is how you recognize a vampire," I told him. "There are other ways to change a human, but the fingers are the simplest and least painful method."

"Is that it? Am I a half-vampire now?" he asked.

"Yes." I said simply.

"I don't feel any different." He was thoroughly confused. I could understand, that is how I felt when I was first changed.

"It will take a few days for the effects to become apparent," I explained. "There is always a period of adjustment. The shock would be too great otherwise."

"How do you become a full vampire?"

"The same way, only you stay joined longer, so more of the vampires blood enters your body."

"What will I be able to do with my new powers? Will I be able to change into a bat?"

I burst out laughing! A bat? What kind of BS are they telling these kids now-a-days? Ha ha ha! "A bat!" I shrieked. "You do not believe those silly stories, do you? How on Earth could somebody the size of you or I turn into a tiny flying rat? Use your brain, boy. We can no more turn into bats, rats, or fog than we can turn into ships, planes, or monkeys!"

"So what can we do?" he asked. He looked irritated at being made fun of again.

I scratched my chin. "There is to much to explain right now. We must tend to your friend. If he does not get the antidote before tomorrow morning, the serum will not work. Besides, we have plenty of time to discuss secret powers." I grinned. "You could say we have all the time in the world."

Not as long as chapter 4, but still pretty decent! :D Enjoy!

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