Life after Death
Five.
Jack raised his fist in the air and glared. Kim approached Jack as Jerry pushed past her. She looked from Jack to Jerry's retreating back and then followed Jack into his office. She covered her smile with her right hand. It wouldn't be wise to laugh when Jack was clearly upset.
"He wasn't like this when he came here," Jack stated, brows furrowed. "Kim he threw a water balloons at me when I opened our office door."
"Aren't you glad he became a member?" Kim asked.
Jack gave her a look, but proceeded looking through a file.
"Jerry's file?" she asked.
Jack nodded. "He is making decent progress. He can get two Dixie cups down now."
Kim wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Jack smiled as he looked over the file in front of him. Jerry was on the right path. A smooth and healthy transition meant a nice and promising vampire life.
"I'm glad. I know you hate the pranks, but I think that is a great sign that he is adapting," Kim remarked. "I think he is even getting some of our harder cases to open up as well."
Jack snorted. "He took three hesitant, scared, and repulsed newbies and turned them to bright and happy campers. I don't even know what he did. The newer vampires turned four days ago."
A week after Jerry's arrival there were three more new vampires. Jack dropped himself in a computer chair, resting the file on the desk. Loud chatter and laughter drifted through the door. Jack smiled. He liked to hear the pure shouts of joy from the newly turned vampires.
"Imagine what he'll be like working here. He could change many lives here," Kim shared, eyes bright as she overlooked the file.
"Don't get too excited. His file is still pretty empty," Jack reminded. "There is a lot he won't tell us."
"Details," Kim stated, waving the statement away. "I wish he wasn't such a lady killer. Some of the girls are complaining. Taylor almost threatened to quit just yesterday."
"I know what you mean," Jack remarked, eyes bright. "And what does he say? What to do girl? What does that even mean?"
Kim shrugged. "Maybe I'm not as accustomed to the lingo of this time period as I thought. I have no idea what that means."
Silence settled upon them. Despite all the questions, Jerry was a good addition to their group. Kim pulled away and frowned.
"Why did I hug you? Now I'm drenched too," she said. "I'm going to change."
Jack snorted.
Jack was alone while Kim was away making a house visit. The house visit was a new concept added to their support group. He was hesitant at first, but understood the importance of meeting with the family members of newly turned vampires. If the new vampire had hostile family members, then the new vampires were encouraged to keep their distance for a while. They often rotated their schedules every other week. They both couldn't be away from the vampire teens and children in their building.
Jack arrived in the cafeteria and sighed at the sight of Jerry. The other vampire hunched over his meal, lips turned down. It seemed Jerry's behavior had changed out of nowhere. He had been nothing but a troublemaking ball of energy a few days prior. Jerry was back from his trip 'home', but seemed upset maybe even agitated. It made him question the goodness of 'home'.
"Hey Jerry!"
Jerry shot up, eyes wide. Jack frowned. All the males jumped around in the room, grunting and hollering at the tiny television stationed in the cafeteria. It was game day and most of them were pumped. Louder shouts and curses rang out, worrying Jack for a second, before he turned back to the teen in front of him.
Jack settled down across from Jerry. "You have been quiet for a few days. You haven't been eating like you should. You are down to one Dixie cup."
Jerry rested his head on his arms, eyes soft. "Maybe I'm not hungry or that thing is back. The one that makes me hate blood."
Jack sighed. Often vampires stumbled and lost their way. They had weeks of progress where they drank and cooperated, but sometimes the new vampires regressed. It was expected. The road to self-acceptance was a bumpy one.
"Sam, is worried, you know?"
Jerry's brows furrowed. "Tell him to worry about himself."
Jack snorted. Sam came to them five days ago. He was eight, the youngest of their members. He had taken a liking to Rudy as soon as they met. Jack remembered when Bethany, a recruiter, brought Sam's tiny body into the lobby. It had been a sad sight to see. Children usually didn't fare well with the transition, but Sam had been a fight. He opened his eyes in the infirmary screeching for his parents and crying. Constance had done the best she could to get him fed.
"He can't do that. He kind of looks up to you a bit," Jack said. "I mean you are both trouble makers."
Jerry scoffed.
Sam deemed Jerry a good friend on sight. He followed him around, poking and prodding. Jerry almost hauled the kid out of his way a couple of times. Although there were arguments, Jack knew he liked the kid too.
"I want to be human again."
Jack's heart clenched.
"Can't I just," Jerry said, eyes wet. "I just – I don't want this."
Jerry rested his head to the table, eyes focused on his unfinished meal. Jack frowned. Silence descended upon them both as Jerry continued to stare at nothing in particular. Sometimes even the most adapted vampires fell. Jack gave Jerry a pat of assurance. He only hoped the teen would be better the following day.
Jack sighed, frowning. Kim glanced up from a file, brow raised. He looked to her instead of at the wall before him. Kim arose from her chair and took a seat on the desk's edge. She reached out, placing her hand upon his own. She began to rub circles into the back of his hand.
"What seems to be the problem, Jack?"
"As you know, Jerry is regressing."
Kim nodded, lips turned down. She continued her soothing massage into his hand. Jack was thankful for her presence. As staff, they enjoyed celebrating the victories of their members. Every time a new vampire took a step in the right direction, they were ecstatic. Every step backward was like a shot to the heart.
"He didn't have breakfast," Kim shared. "Usually he is the most excited for breakfast, no matter how limited the variety is."
Jack groaned, frustrated by the new development. He looked to the papers in Kim's hand, curious. Kim handed over the file and he scanned over a new member's name and progress page. His lips twitched at the mention of their steady ascent. Soon the new vampire would be on the right path. But just like Jerry there was always a chance for regression.
"I choose to be positive," Kim said. "Everyone goes through a slump. He will bounce back. I remember Taylor's transition. She had done the same as Jerry. She didn't want interaction with any of the other vampires, especially us. After a week or two, she adjusted and stayed on the right path."
Jack remembered Taylor's story well. He smiled. Someone knocked. Jack and Kim turned their attention to the door. Kim called in the guest and watched a new vampire by the name of Angel enter the room. She fidgeted from the stares but asked to talk. Jack beamed. She had been one of the more reserved new members. It seemed she would be the first one to talk amongst her friends.
"Angel, everything alright?" Kim asked.
"I'm not sure."
"Have a seat," Jack stated, gesturing toward a chair before them. "Now, what can we do for you?"
Jack walked up the hallway and stopped by an opened door. A medium sized room lay to his right. A mahogany desk rested beneath two large monitors in the room. Taylor reached for the cordless phone, but paused at his presence. She smiled and ushered him inside. Taylor participated in more of the administrative duties of the organization. She never expressed any interest in leading a support group meeting. He often wished she would.
"Hey, Jack," she greeted. "Actually, I'm glad you stopped by."
"Really?"
She nodded, tucking strands of fly away hair behind her right ear. Jack leant against the doorframe ready to chat. Taylor shuffled through her desk drawer, brows furrowed. Staplers and packets of paper rustled while she searched. Taylor paused and remained frozen.
"Hey, you alright?" Jack asked.
Taylor reached into the desk, producing a thick pointed piece of wood from the drawer. It was a stake. He inched toward her, eyes wide. She laid the item upon her desk. He didn't understand. There shouldn't be a stake at a vampire support group.
"I found it early this morning after breakfast," she remarked. "I was coming to my office."
"Have you shown Rudy?"
"No. He hasn't returned from his visit into the city. He is visiting that human friend of his, Phil."
Jack smiled at the knowledge. Phil was a kind man. He was the only human who he trusted. He made a generous donation toward the group last year. It helped stock the fridges with extra food. Phil planned to donate some more money sometime around the next month. Rudy protested at first, because he was worried. Phil's had good business days but his restaurant wasn't the most successful.
"Why hide this till now?" Jack asked.
"I didn't want there to be widespread panic," she stated, eyes on the ground. "I know it isn't something I should have kept this long, but the idea of hysteria worried me. There are so many more new faces than old, and I want them to continue coming. Some of them this is all they have."
Jack understood her concern. Many wouldn't hesitate to leave. The stake wasn't a joke.
"We'll discuss with Rudy when he returns," Jack reminded. "For now, we keep it here away from any eyes, alright?"
She nodded and then went back to the two security screens in the room. He watched her look to the monitors again. Her job required a lot of careful judgment on her part. She was in charge of pressing a button that unlocked their front door for visitors. Jack sighed, leaving her too her task. He disappeared out of the room. He headed back to his own office where he awaited Rudy's arrival. A stake, no matter how small, was an issue. Where there was a stake, there was a slayer. There was a slayer amongst them and no one knew about it until now.
An hour later Rudy returned, chattering loudly on the phone. His loud conversation drifted down the hall. Jack arose from his desk, Kim following closely behind. Rudy waved to them as he headed toward his office. Jack entered the office. Taylor appeared seconds later, ready to explain her findings.
"Rudy, we have a problem," Jack shared, gesturing for Taylor to make her move.
Taylor pulled a stake from behind her back. Rudy narrowed his eyes. Silence settled upon the occupants of the room. Jack rested his palms to the desk, leaning forward. He analyzed the expression on Rudy's face. He frowned at the sight of his furrowed brows and clenched fists.
"Rudy," Jack said.
"I know it is only one stake," Taylor commented. "But I just figured I should bring this to your attention."
Rudy nodded, demanding details. Taylor shared the details of the stake to the best of her ability. Jack wished there was more than just an initial location of the stake, but that was all they had. Rudy leant back in his chair, running his fingers through his locks. Jack was worried. Rudy was hardly a quiet man, so his silence wasn't normal.
"Our security feeds have been clean, nothing out of the ordinary," Rudy said. "We should be worried. This stakes means a slayer masquerading as a vampire is amongst us. This wouldn't be an issue if the intruder were truly a vampire and had come to us for help. But no one has stepped forward. We have to keep an eye on things, everyone. I'll let the other staff know."
"A slayer as a vampire," Jack remarked. "I can't imagine opening the door wide for someone like that. It one thing I can't say I tolerate."
Kim narrowed her eyes at him, but turned her attention to Rudy seconds later. "I can't say I feel the same way, but that isn't the point. Do we let the members know?"
Rudy paused. Jack understood the pause. It would be hard to convince the new members to stay. The idea of a slayer was frightening. Slayers were nasty members of society. Slayers were just as terrible as rogue vampires. Informing the younger vampires would lead to nothing but a mass exodus of members. They wouldn't trust their ability to ensure their safety.
"If we lie, then it will be worse," Kim shared. "We can't be careless. If anything, this is the time we have to be more vigilant. We have to enforce the curfew around here. If you are staying within these walls there is a curfew. If you have your own home then you are free to leave but all members have to be home before the curfew, preferably during the day. I suggest we even move group time forward."
"Forward? Kim, we can't do that. We can't have a bunch of vampires heading to us in broad day light," Jack said. "Think of what the humans and slayers would say. At least at night, we have the illusion of protection. The darkness acts as a great disguise. You move the time up to say five, we will have even more trouble."
"Jack, I don't see the difference. Slayers can navigate in the day or night," Kim reminded.
"I rather they be forced to navigate through the night," Jack remarked. "We are more familiar with the night than a regular human. Vampires have always been creatures of the night, no matter the different vampires out there."
"Okay, enough," Rudy cut in. "I won't watch a discussion descend into an argument before my eyes. Both of you are right. We keep an eye on our surroundings, move group forward an hour and enforce a curfew for all. Sunsets at 7, for now. Almost dark, but not pitch black. We shorten the time group meets and let them out early. Unless there are any other suggestions?"
Jack pondered a bit. Although he didn't like the early meeting time, he could agree that they had to take some drastic measures. If new vampires kept seeking guidance and help, then they needed to ensure their safety as the staff. Support had no purpose if their vampires were under attack.
"Tonight we'll combine both our support groups, children, teenagers, and adults," Rudy commented. "We will hold it in the cafeteria, dispel any fears and answer all questions. We'll be fine everyone. We won't let slayers shake us."
Jack nodded, arms crossed. It would take more than a warning stake to bring them to their knees. Kim's left hand slipped into his right. He looked at the determination on her face and smiled. Kim was a fighter. He knew he could count on her too. They would protect their own. They had to protect their own.
Hey everyone! Long time no see! Thanks for all the patience. It has been quite a while since the last update so hope you enjoy this one. I had fun typing it up!
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