CHAPTER FIFTEEN (THIS PRECEDES THE FALL OF NATIONS...)
Haley Meadows played with her food, pushing the mushrooms around the fancy china plate with her engraved fork.
"...What?" She wasn't above a little whining. "No pizza? I'd kill for a Big Mac..I would kill 'you'..for a taco." She made mention.
"It is coq au vin."
She looked suspiciously at her plate of food. "There's cocoa in here?"
"You shall acquire a more refined palate given time and instructions." He didn't appear too horribly concerned over her lack of sophistication in this instance.
"Now see? That's the way of it, isn't it." She shook her head, exasperated. "You guys are always wanting to change us." The carefully arranged top-knot of blonde curls tilted a bit to one side of her head, soft tendrils escaping to cascade about the small face.
Haley had passed the 'wait' time primping before the oval mirror stationed by the bed. If she stood, and leaned just so, she could see her reflection, she found. She had requested some items before the man had left, which had been given over freely.
A comb..a crossword puzzle, a pen..and some oreos. Well..that item was sorely missing from her 'get' list, she had noted with open chagrin.
"I do not wish to 'change' you..merely enhance what already exists."
"I would never try to change you!" She faithfully promised, keeping her fingers crossed behind her back. "Except for that 'killing' thing and .." She made an 'ewww' face. "That tie..I really hate that tie."
'He'..removed the object, lying it neatly on the end of the bed. "..better?" He cut amused eyes to the woman.
"Oh, well now you're just creeping me out." She frowned back at him. "Stop it."
His smile became a genuine one.
"Light somewhere, you're making me nervous." Haley motioned to a chair.
The man sat, his hands linking together, his forearms resting on the arms of the chair. "I did not put anything in the food. You have my word."
"I don't like real food." She hedged. "Got any fruit loops? I can relate to fruit loops." He was informed. "I'm not high maintenance."
"Why ever not?" He seemed perplexed by her statement. "You should be pampered and spoiled a bit, perhaps..yes?"
"..Yeah?" She found she was not adverse to such a concept. "..Really?"
"I think so." He nodded regally.
The silence came. Haley Meadows hated silences. There was always too many silences in her childhood.
"Your hair is very beautiful. Very becoming. Have I said?" His eyes swept the lovely silk appreciatively.
She touched the back of her nape self-consciously, smiling her pleasure at the compliment. "I..I don't usually wear it like this. It's not really appropriate for crime scenes and the like."
"A woman should be sheltered from the horrors of life, not subjected to their realities."
"Or become the victim of them?" She asked.
"Haley.." 'He' sighed lightly. "I wish I could convince you that I never allowed those women to feel such things."
"The evidence suggests differently, doesn't it."
"Are you truly interested or simply buying time until your 'knight in shining armor' comes to rescue you?" He pondered aloud. "Do you still believe in such fairy tales?"
"As you can pretty well guess, that 'knight' thing flew out the window with dear old dad." Haley told the truth for once. "Why did you drain their blood?"
"If I answer your inquiries, will you..in turn. Answer mine?" It was debated.
Haley was torn between her curiosity and her innate need for privacy and personal space.
He remained silent, allowing her to make the decision in her own time.
"...Sure..why not." She shrugged the slight shoulders, pulling her sweater closer about her body, the warmth having left hours ago.
She disliked his eyes. The way they stared at her as if..he could read her thoughts, maybe or..could see beneath the carefully constructed facade the woman projected to others.
"How did it feel?" He began the ritual, his tone low..gently calming her suddenly frayed nerves. "When he..touched your body?"
Haley thought she had prepared herself for the impact of his inquisition. She had not. "...Creepy."
"You were very young." It was pointed out. "You could not have known what was happening or why. I think..Haley.." He mused, shifting into a more comfortable position in the huge chair he occupied. "That you enjoyed his touch..if only a bit? Perhaps..at first?"
She did not feel the need to dignify the question with a reply. "Why did you drain their bodies?"
"..For...sustenance." He answered readily.
"Excuse the hell out of me?" She had not expected...that.
"Did you enjoy it?" He persisted. "When first he touched your clit? Were you even aware you possessed one? Did he use his tongue?"
Haley shifted her eyes, her stomach churning sickeningly. She suppressed the memories determinedly. "I can't remember. It was a very long time a.."
He stood, his expression thunderously threatening. "You are not being truthful with me!" He strode toward the door, taking Haley by surprise by his rapid mood change. "This session is ended!"
"Oh..were we playing 'Doctor'? I didn't know." She halted his steps. "You never said. I can do the 'Rorschach' ink thingys if you like. I'm good at those!"
He turned the cold stare on her upturned face. "I do not play.. 'games'.." He disdained.
"Well, fine but I think I'm taking this much better than you." She taunted. "Getting a little uppity, aren't we?"
"I will not tolerate.." He stepped closer and she fought the urge to retreat, for his eyes flashed true emotion finally. "Lies!"
"The true 'you', 'doctor'?" She asked quietly.
The man..closed his eyes for a long beat, gathering his control. His body relaxed, his manner..altering. "..Yes, of course. You are correct."
Haley was disappointed to see him regain his edge so quickly.
"Losing perspective is not very intelligent, is it." He..reseated himself. "..Understandably..you will be reluctant to drop your guard so early on." His artistic fingers steepled beneath his chin. He studied her diligently. "...You did enjoy his touch because you loved him and you trusted him explicitly and you believed when he told you of his love for you. Why would you not?"
Haley felt the bile rise in her throat, swallowing determinedly. "Hey..kids, right? Can't frag em with a block of C-4, can't bury them in the back yar...oh..wait. 'YOU' probably could!" She smiled charmingly for him. "Who knows what is in their feeble little minds. Certainly not I."
"And all these years, you have carried the guilt..the shame. Blaming yourself." He continued with his narration. "Is that what he told you? That it was your fault? That you forced him to do the things he did to you?"
"He was just a little scamp, wasn't he."
"Did you come to him one night? Were you missing your mother, perhaps?" He refused to let it go, droning on relentlessly. "Seeking comfort? Did a storm frighten you? What started it all, Haley?"
"I think it was the Democratic Convention in Chicago..either that or Woodstock. Those crazy hippies and their LSD trips, hum?" She scowled her concern. "Dad must have gotten some bad juju from one of his bongs."
"Answer truthfully, please." He admonished.
"...I don't blame myself."
"Not any longer." He rephrased.
"I think you owe me one, 'doc'." She hedged.
"Sustenance as in..the elixir I need to sustain my life forces." He stated philosophically.
"Life forces?" The woman was intrigued in spite of herself.
"What exactly did he 'do' to you, Haley?" It was stated as if he were speaking to a reticent child.
"A paternal kiss on the forehead turned to...a kiss on the lips? A chaste one, yes? The lightest of touches. You thought you might have imagined it?"
It wasn't as if Haley had not shared the tale before, but telling Vincent Duvalier was nothing like this. She tried desperately to separate herself from the reality of what was being said. To keep a distance between that past life and the present.
Haley was very good at such things. But, to continuously...be forced to confront the raw emotions churning inside her...it was taking it's toll, truth known.
"You need blood to live?" She scowled at such a statement. "Did I get that right, Vladmere?"
"It is a..disease of sorts." He allowed her a reprieve. "I have researched it for..a while now. We each have secrets, do we not, Haley. Society has labeled both..taboo, it seems."
Haley processed the implications of his words, her mind unable..or unwilling to grasp the intricacies of such a concept so quickly.
"Were you afraid?" He asked pleasantly. "Of what he made you feel?"
"I was afraid of him." She had never told anyone that before. The fact she had blurted it now, shocked the hell out of the woman.
"And you have conquered that fear..through your chosen vocation, yes?"
"So..you're like a real vampire in that.." She stopped, shaking her head woefully. "And, I can't believe I am buying into this shit."
"It was more than the blood in this instance, as I eluded to before." He spread his hand expressively. "I have been alone for a very long time. I wanted a..companion again. I thought each had merit..in the beginning, but.." He let it go.
"But, you fucked them..they had enough 'merit' for that, right?"
"I am a male, Haley. I have certain needs." He answered calmly. "I am from an era that believed women were for a man's pleasure. Absolutely prehistoric, hey?"
Haley eased the tension from her neck muscles, her fingers kneading the soft skin absently. "You tied them up like animals.." She began softly, her eyes full of malice when they lifted to the man. "You fucked them like bitch dogs in heat..you terrorized them and you expected they would fall madly in love with you?"
"They were not restrained after the first initial hours of captivity. You are losing your perspective, calm yourself, please." He reprimanded.
"You go to hell!" She advised waspishly, her temper flaring incandescently.
The man remained seated, his expression an earnest one.
Haley turned aside, unable to stomach the sight of him. She desperately tried to clear her muddled thoughts, realizing anger would get her nowhere but she was angry.
Angry and unsettled and..frightened. She had no clue how she would..or 'if' ..she would, be able to extract herself from this fucking nightmare.
She felt like crying but..she did not. She took a moment, remembering all the things Vincent Duvalier had taught her. She took a long moment.
She lifted her head, fixing her eyes on the far wall for a goodly beat.
"...Nice wallpaper." She made mention.
"That is ..better." He bestowed his approval.
"So..you weren't always an ax murderer?" She queried.
He..smiled indulgently. "I am not one now. But, I understand the reference."
"This place must have cost you a bundle." She glanced around the elegance. "Just how much money do you have, anyway?"
"Do you require wealth?"
"I wouldn't turn it down." She pulled an incredulous face at him for having asked such a stupid question. "So..how much? Like..say, could you buy an island if you wanted?"
"Yes..if I so desired." He had smiled at such whimsical thoughts.
"How did you make your money? What is it you 'do'..for a living, I mean."
"Besides being an ax murderer, you mean." He teased. "I have spent my time improving my mind..I am involved in several philanthropic ventures. I support the Arts, of course."
"You cleansed the bodies to get rid of the evidence, right?"
"The quirks of your mind." He mused. "I cleansed them out of respect."
"And to get rid of the evidence."
"Well..." He grinned retroactively. "Yes. I used their bodies for my pleasure. I owed them at least that."
"You must realize what you do is wrong..on sooooo many levels." She didn't think he was stupid, at least. Not any longer.
"All humans die, child." He advised gently. "I shorten the process, granted, for a select few but.."
"There is no 'BUT'!" She snapped.
He fell silent again and she sensed his disapproval even though his features were kept stoic.
"... .... ...Ok, 'but' what?" She exasperated after it was clear he would not speak until she expressed her regret.
It was touch and go whether he would continue.
"...But..." He chastised her with his stern expression. "..It matters. The 'way' in which one dies. It truly does."
Haley could not disagree with that one so she kept quiet.
"All humans fear death for it is not a natural process. They were never meant to die..according to your God's word."
"That's kinda weird..you..speaking about God."
"I believe He exists."
"Then you are in a boat load of trouble, aren't ya." Haley reminded.
"Some things cannot be forgiven, yes..you are correct."
"You're ok with that?"
"My decision was made a long time ago. When first I became..what I am, I was very angry. At everyone and every thing. I blamed my predicament on..well.." He turned introspective. "It was a dark time..a horrible time."
"What? You started out skinning the family cat?"
"Would it make you more comfortable if I had?" He leaned forward, his eyes holding an almost mischievous glint. "No..I had no family..or a cat, for that matter."
"What happened to them?" She pulled her legs up to her chin, her arms hugging them close to her chest, caught up in the man's story.
He hesitated, as if debating whether or not to confide in her.
"No..really." She had sensed his hesitancy. "I want to know."
"Why?" It was demanded.
Haley wondered herself but then..it came to her. "..if there is a reason..even one that doesn't make any sense.." She struggled with the explanation. "It seems to help the families of..the person who died. I don't get it but..."
"It holds some sort of closure for them." He appeared troubled for a beat. "None had family except Angel." His brow furrowed even moreso. "But, she was so pure and innocent. I was drawn to her."
"Not to speak ill of the dead." Haley made the sign of the 'cross' over her chest area, for she was about to do just that. "She was a prostitute. Helllloooo!"
"Are you Catholic?"
She was completely baffled by the question, showing as much. "No...why??"
He continued on. "She was pure in the sense, her heart was untouched by the things in life which surrounded her. Innocent in that..she trusted the wrong people, thereby, forced into a place she was never meant to be."
Haley lay her head on her propped knees, his words making her sad.
"Those that.. 'hurt' her..have paid their dues, rest assured." He lifted a noble brow. "Of course..the bodies have yet to be discovered."
She lifted her head, her eyes wide.
"Breaking news." He smiled over at her. "You see? I have my 'noble' moments as well."
"You killed her pimp?" Haley voiced her shock.
"Rather painfully..yes." He leaned back. "Would you like me to dispose of your Father as well?" The startling eyes observed her. "I will."
Haley licked her suddenly dry lips.
"Angel feared him." He ...smiled, resuming the previous topic. "I...did not."
"...You liked her."
"Most definitely, I did. But, alas..she could not get past the fear. She tried very hard to please me, but no matter what I did..or said." He shrugged. "A pity, really."
"You're giving me a headache." She told the truth, rubbing her aching temples soothingly. "I just want to shoot you and have done."
"No you do not." He objected. "You are beginning to understand me. And that troubles you, does it not."
"Big time!" She admitted.
"It is not only my life, Haley...there are others I must protect. They are innocent of any crimes and yet, your world would punish them for my transgressions." He decided to share at least that. "...If not for them. I might actually allow your...whims. I grow..tired. Truth known."
"What the hell does that mean? Other..women?" She asked. "What...'whims'?"
"No.." He put her mind at ease. "Actually..after Angel, I had decided to...move on."
Haley simply shook her head, too wired to trust herself to speak again.
"You are tired..perhaps we should take this conversation up..another time." He arose gracefully. "Do you require anything?"
"A lobotomy?" She asked hopefully.
"Some aspirin, perhaps?"
"How about a shot of Jack?"
"You do not drink..if that rather..pitiful display to which you subjected Captain Brass was any criteria by which to judge."
"...How did you.." She refused to ask the obvious.
"And ax murderer and a stalker." He tsked. "How can I redeem myself, I wonder? From the depths of depravity to which I have fallen. See to what exactly..you have reduced me? I trust you are proud of yourself." He turned at the door, tossing the key to her manacle across the room. It landed at her feet.
"I would truthfully...not have missed that moment for all the tea in China, however.." He grinned down at her. "Just saying." He used her favorite 'phrase' in parting.
He closed the door gently, leaving the woman alone and... contemplative.
.