Lewis Aleman - The Anti-Vampire

Blood runs down my hand toward my wrist from the skinny, shallow laceration she’s made.

My panicked eyes are on her face that stares strangely at my running wound.

“Put it in his mouth.”

I look at my bleeding hand and to his still, emotionless face.

“Do it! Now!” she says, suddenly becoming frightened as she gets a better look at his face.

Drop to my knees before him. Press my lips tightly against his. Cold—sparks have left him.

Slide my clean hand over his lips, pulling them open. Place my crimson finger into his mouth.

Nothing.

Look over my shoulder to Maxine. Her hand on her heart. Face in pain.

Back to Simon. His lips become deep red.

Tears run onto my neck. Didn’t notice them till now.

His face so lifeless. So sad.

My eyes wrench shut. My breaths come choppy and weak—all I can hear. Mind empty. Chest so cold.

Then I feel it. Pressure on my finger. His cheeks taught. Eyes beginning to stir.

Pull my finger out.

His eyes barely open, smile forms, “What’s up, Bright Eyes?”

“Simon!” I squeal.

“Don’t stop—don’t stop! He’ll go out again,” demands Maxine over my shoulder.

Place my finger back in his mouth. His tongue slides over it, sending tingles up my arm and into my chest. Know the feeling is so wrong—so inappropriate, but it lingers.

Color returns to him—the little color that keeps his pale face from looking like death.

Maxine leans over me, her eyes intent on him. Death over my shoulder, life spilling from my finger before me, and I’m caught somewhere in-between .

Maxine sits off to the side, eyes closed, breeze blowing over her golden hair. I sit next to her. So late. Don’t know what time it is, but the sun must be about to break through the darkness any minute now.

I say, “Scary few minutes there.”

Looking straight ahead as if I’m not even here, she says, “Sorry—had no idea he was so far gone. Never seen anyone so dry. Never heard of a vamp dying of being dry—never even seen anybody try to hold out this long before.”

I look back to Simon, who sleeps soundly after having his fill. His color has returned, and his breathing is strong and steady.

She asks, “He never fed on you? The two nights you were together—he never fed at all?”

“No, he didn’t even try.”

Shaking her head, “Must’ve thought you were too delicate—too pristine to feed on. I wouldn’t have fed on him earlier as payment for keeping an eye on you if I knew he was that dry.”

Pause while her words sting the air around us.

“Why didn’t you let him feed off you? I mean, why give him my finger when you could’ve done it yourself?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind.

“Nothing special about it when he doesn’t want it, princess.”

She stares forward, still only acknowledging I’m here with words, not bringing herself to look at me.

I start, “90 degrees just two days ago—where is this breeze coming from?”

“Winter’s coming early this year…besides, two days ago I loved a vampire who may not have loved me— yet , but he liked me as much as any other girl. Now, he’s in love with a little princess, and I might as well be a guy as far as he’s concerned… a lot can change in two days.”

Silence. At least silence between us—the woods chime with consistent buzzing.

“Thank you for helping him, anyway.”

“Don’t thank me—it wasn’t for you. I want him alive because I still love him. Has nothing to do with you.”

“But you stayed—you didn’t run away and leave me alone out here, even when you were mad at me.”

“Don’t start thinking differently about me now, princess. Don’t know how close I was to slicing you instead of the tree.”

A gasp escapes from me.

She continues, “Besides, it was kinda fun watching you stumble through the woods looking for me,” laughs and continues, “I stayed because I promised him—had nothing to do with you.”

Pause.

“Look—I’m selfish and shallow—I know what I am. Just hard to be anything else. Never had anyone to care for—no family, no children, no real friends. Always just taken what I wanted. No one was around long enough to complain. No one’s been around long enough for me to try to be any better for them, so I’m not. Guess that’s how all of us are who haven’t found their prince charming like you…not to mention those of us who found him and can’t have him.”

“Come on now, Maxi,” I say with her looking as shocked by me calling her Maxi as if I had reached out and goosed her, “There are about three billion men in the world—you couldn’t possibly have tried them all out.”

She tries to look angry, but a smile breaks through.

I continue, “You haven’t, have you? I know you vamps are as old as dirt, but all three billion of them—really? How are you not exhausted?”

“You know for something so easy to kill, you’re awfully sassy.”

“A new thing for me—been bottled up for years.”

Her eyes are moist, “Simon does have that effect on us, doesn’t he? Bringing out things we’d never let anyone see before—making us do things we never would’ve.”

I nod, trying to look away from her sad eyes and give her emotions some privacy.

She adds, “Although, I have no idea what he sees in you—don’t think he’ll be happy with you for very long. I think maybe he’s gone blind or lost his mind or something.”

“Do you ever think anything that you don’t say, Maxi?”

“Oh…” she mutters, finally looking in my direction, “I’m thinking something right now, princess.”

She lets the ominous comment settle into me and then looks away again.

Not knowing if I’m making a tenuous friendship or setting myself up for a brutal attack, I place my hand on her shoulder. She doesn’t knock it away, but she stares straight ahead, still preferring the darkness over the sight of me.

Rustling comes from behind us, and we both jump.

Simon stumbles toward us, something glowing in his hand.

“Ruby, tell me she’s not this stupid!”

“What? What is it?” I shout to him.

He tosses the glowing object to me. Maxine’s hand reaches out and catches it. Quickly, she drops it into my hands.

It’s my phone. Words on a screen are so out of place in the darkness of the woods.

He says again, “Tell me she’s not this stupid, Ruby! I just can’t…I can’t even begin—”

“Yes, she’s this stupid, Simon. God bless her; she’s this stupid.”

The glowing words read, “Can’t take this. 2 bored. Coming back 2 NOLA. Turning off phone. U kno where 2 find me.”

Sunday. Going to be a bloody Sunday.

Sunday is Jazz Night. Can’t think of a better reason to shed some blood than being forced to listen to five hours of goatee-stroking, off-rhythm, snap-inducing, pseudo-intellectual, haughty, self-claimed-superior cacophony.

Seriously, I hate jazz more than Johnny. And if you catch my obscure reference, you belong at ‘80s Night with the rest of us.

All I want to catch is Ruby’s blue-maned, careless friend and get the three of us the hell out of here. Keep Ruby’s hand tight in my own. Haven’t feared anything in half a century, but I fear I’ll lose her. Fear it so much it hurts. Been like that since I brought her back into the city.