Chapter Five: You're It
Gabriel played with the cork in his hand, rolling it around and memorizing each and every tiny hole with his fingers. Which number was he on? Six hundred and two? The flames licked at the logs. The brick fireplace gave him no warmth, no solace. The shadows under his indigo eyes were proof that he had not slept for many, many years. He fed when he needed to, but even then it was minimal. He has wasted away, his cheek bones protruded from his statue-chiseled face and did not compliment his sunken eyes. God, I have turned into Lucia, he thought. How ironic. He flicked the cork off of the coffee table and took a long swig of his Cabernet Sauvignon. His butler found it funny that Gabriel drank wine even though he could not taste it. The rich are odd folks.
A life for a life. Oh, how ironic is this ink-and-paper filled world. Gabriel drank deeply until only a fifth of the bottle was left. To my health, he mused. His dark mahogany hair was in disarray, no longer slicked back and gelled.
The telephone rang. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The corner of his mouth twitched irritably. He set the bottle of wine down and yanked the telephone and cord out of its socket and threw it across the room. Then he rose, grabbed a fireplace poker and rammed it through the dismembered piece of plastic several times. Gabriel snorted with disgust and kicked the pieces of plastic, batteries, and other crap into the fire. The flames were quite joyous about having something new to eat.
Someone knocked on the door behind him. Gabriel ignored it. The person knocked frantically for another thirty seconds. Then it stopped. He trudged back to his recliner using the poker as a walking cane.
Something sharp poked his lower back. Gabriel reached behind to retrieve it and found his fingers touching a wooden frame and a panel of glass. He brought it forward, and smiled wearily at the photo. It was a photo of him and Lucia. It was an innocent, carefree Lucia. Her dark blonde hair shone in contrast with his mahogany tresses. She wore a simple white sundress and was happily cradled in Gabriel's arms. His fingers traced Lucia's face and a drop of blood rolled down his cheek and splattered on the glass. Crap. It was after the cruise that Lucia had finally gave in and let him love her. Gabriel's image was just a smidge fuzzier in the picture as if the sun was slowly erasing him away. His expression was amusement with a very cocky eyebrow. The vampire sighed; it was like the light tinkling of chimes. He slipped the picture out if frame and tucked into the pocket of his pants. He tosses the frame into the flames and reached for his remote. With a click, his stereo came alive and new age music came blasting forth. The song was called "Noble Heart", played with a violet and/or flute with perhaps some drums in the background. It was a slow, somewhat sorrowful song. Even a person with a noble heart can die, Gabriel sighed again. I toast to you, knights of the ages.
The song drifted into alternative rock, "So Cold", by Breaking Benjamin. Gabriel mouthed the lyrics to the song and thought if only it could be alright.
"Sir, there is a young lady on the phone for you and—"the man behind Gabriel started to speak and his eyes traveled to the hole in the wall where a certain vampire threw a certain tantrum.
Gabriel rose reluctantly, and followed Adrian, his butler, towards one of the phones located in the hallway. He was still leaning on the fireplace poker. Look, Ma, I'm old, he snickered in his head. Thump. Thump. Thump. Shuffle. Shuffle. Thump. Ring—crack!
The vampire had rammed the poker through the telephone that hung on the wall.
"Call the contractor in the morning, Adrian," Gabriel mused. He darted down the spiral staircase that resembled a dragon's spine. The butler just stood there in shock, his eyes flickering back from the three foot piece of metal sticking out of the wall and the decimated telephone. Call the contractor, Adrian exclaimed privately. He regained his composure soon after.
"But what about the young lady, sir?" Adrian shouted after the vampire.
"I know who she is," the brunette answered, his laughter ringing through out the penthouse. Gabriel quickly grabbed his coat off the rack and rushed out the door. His feet made a soft, shuffling sound against the rug and rushed to his private elevator. This was not the time for stealth. Gabriel pressed the lobby button and straightened his shirt, smoothed back his hair and donned his coat. The elevator musak did nothing but irritate him. The lift slowed and halted with a minor shake. What really surprised him was who showed up.
Ding. "Hello, Gabriel," the voice chirped. The chirpy voiced belonged to a sultry seductress. She had dark, blonde hair that tumbled like waves down her back and over her breasts. A curvy and delectable figure was encased in a skin-tight, silk dress with a low v-neck and slits on both sides that go up towards her thighs. Every time she took a breath, it seemed that she was going to pop out of the dress.
Gabriel just gawked. The elevator doors shut and open repeatedly against his foot, unable to close. He choked, unable to form words. The woman ran her fingers through her luscious hair and uttered a low laugh, winking at him. The lady took hold of hand and yanked him through the elevator doors that threatened to smash him if he did not get off.
"Lucia?" Gabriel finally spoke.
"Yes, Gabriel," the vampress replied with a bright grin
"You look well," he commented casually. His bright blue eyes were glued to Lucia.
"Thank you. I've fed well," she said, erupting into a shrieking laughter that caused every head in the lobby to turn and look. Lucia guided Gabriel through the revolving door, to a limo that waited patiently for them.
The limo driver opened the door and the goddess slid smoothly in. Gabriel followed.
The doors closed with a soft click. The windows were tinted black. Lucia was sitting across from Gabriel so that they were face to face. The vampress wore a smug smile and she patiently tapped the leather seat with a highly pointed index finger. The limo roared to life and it streaked through the streets, ignoring the speed limit.
"It was rude of you not to answer my phone calls," Lucia started. Gabriel's mouth was a fine, hard line. He glared at the siren who wore the face of his beloved.
"Don't glare at me like that!" she snapped. "It's—it's—"
"Rude? Honestly woman, it's been over five years and your vocabulary has not improved one bit." Gabriel finished her sentence with a mocking smile. Lucia gave a soft "humph" and tossed her hair back. It bounced.
"You have grown vain," he said, a frown creased his forehead.
"So? One must cope with what one is given," she purred. Lucia examined her manicured nail and curled her index finger at Gabriel. He inched closer, his eyes troubled and ark.
"So—Lady Serpent, what game are you playing? Chess? Puppetry?" the vampire inquired.
"Ha!" she snorted. "I don't need an ulterior motive to visit you."
"After years of no contact, you show up at my front door—"he growled.
"Elevator!" she corrected.
"Elevator—and expect me not to believe you do not have an ulterior motive?" he continued, his voice slowly rising in volume.
Lucia smirked at him, leaning back, and in one swift motion: kicked off her high heels and lounged seductively across the leather seat. The tension seemed to die, but Gabriel's resentment still simmered on the surface.
Lucia sighed and shrugged. "Alright, I give up."
"What?" Gabriel's eyebrows shot up.
"I—said—I—give—up," she repeated and exaggerated every single word.
In a flash, Gabriel's hand punched through the black screen behind her head and grabbed the driver's collar.
"Stop this car now!" he hissed, ignoring Lucia's screams. The driver slammed on the breaks and sent the vampress rolling off her seat. Gabriel withdrew his hand and kicked the door open. He jumped out of the car and gave Lucia a crisp two fingered salute. His form blurred and with an unnatural breeze, he was gone.
The vampress purses her lips and stared at the concrete irritated.
"Charles?" she asked the limo driver.
"Y—y—yes?" he stuttered.
Snap. Lucia rolled the body out of the driver's seat and took control of the wheel. Such a waste of a meal, she thought before stomping on the gas pedal. The limo zoomed off with a screech and a burn trail.