Vampire World (14 page)
I
searched all over for the masked messenger, but found no one. I wished the
freaking coward would show himself; I was so furious I wanted to scream. But I
couldn’t. I did not want Mr. FreeCut to know anything about the secrets I was
discovering.
In
spite of my anger, I was still curious. After returning to my room I opened the
letter and read the longer than usual message.
'It’s
time to get to business, Janice. You’ve already discovered one major secret.
You have two remaining. You’re lucky to have the ability to learn something
that’s so important to your well being. The first part of the next secret is
located in a very unexpected place. You have to access the private train of a
very powerful organization that you know little about. But you’ll discover a
lot if you continue your search. There is a tunnel that leads to the train
track.
It’s secretly located behind
a wall in the second underground floor of the fireball Recreation Center. But
to get to the second floor, you have to enter the annual fireball contest.
There is a statue of a gargoyle against the left wall. Pull on its right claw
three times. Then the left claw twice. After that, yank on the right claw three
more times. If the order is correct, the tunnel will open. Then go forth
through it.'
I
placed the letter in my purse. I really didn’t want to bother with this
nonsense any longer. But I was intrigued, all the same.
The
next day I woke up ready for work.
When
I arrived, I couldn’t wait to get off because Brett was going to treat me to a
hot haircut that evening. I was so looking forward to seeing him, and to
getting my new hairdo. I’d finally look like a vampire. After that it would be
fireball practice with Brett, great friends, and Mr. FreeCut as well if he
still wanted to come. Could things have gotten any better?
I
ran into Mira. She looked wonderful with her hair twisted in spikes and knots,
together with highlighted tips of frosty silver. I wanted to look like her. And
I was determined to keep my job and earn enough Carns to do so.
“You’re
on your own today,” she said. “But I’ll be nearby. If you need help, just let
me know. Please though, don’t scream for help when you’re in the air. It’s rude
to customers.”
I
set off down the long aisle, passing through the canyon of women’s clothing towering
above me. But the giant shelves did not hide me for long. A family of four soon
came over and started asking tons of questions.
“I’m
looking for the three dimensional dress with the spikes sticking out of it,”
said the mother. “And my twin daughters are both keen to have the brand new 3-D
T-shirts with BloodToura the Clown on them.”
“Sure,”
I replied, trying my best to hide the obvious fact that I was a novice. Without
hesitating, I grabbed one of the retail books and searched through the
cumbersome index.
It
didn’t take me long to find a picture of the BloodToura T-shirts. With a nifty
looking clown face with shrill fangs and prickly hair slapped large across the
front, it was hard to miss. Because these were new, they were located on the
display shelf 20B, which would be pretty easy to locate.
But
the mother’s dress…damn…I didn’t know where the hell that was.
After
several anxious moments, I found the dress I was looking for in the index. It
was located on shelf 9-16-E - almost all the way to the top.
“I’ll
be right back,” I said. Oh, I was blowing it big time.
Up
the ladder I trudged, trying to move rapidly because I was already taking too
long. As I neared the top, greenish sweat beaded off of my skin and my legs
started to hurt. I tried not to look down; I was damn scared. Eventually I saw
the dress I needed. I quickly grabbed at it, and…OUCH….blood squirted like a
fountain from my fingertip. Those damn 3D spikes!
Luckily
the wound clotted rather speedily and I was able to rub the blood under my shirt
so no one would know. I couldn’t be caught looking weak. I climbed down as fast
as possible without killing myself.
“Sorry
I took so long,” I said when reaching the floor. “Come this way.”
I led the family
to the display shelf. The children happily clasped their clown shirts while I
waited to get chewed out for my slowness.
But the mother
was understanding. “I can tell you’re new,” she said.
I told her it
was my first day.
“Well, you’re
doing a really good job,” she continued. “I could never climb those ladders the
way you do.”
The compliment
was encouraging because my legs felt like stone and my cut finger was burning.
I helped four
more customers before lunch. With each one I moved a little faster through
the
index book, and up and down the
ladders. I learned more about some of the hippest and downright bizarre clothes
in the world.
At lunch, though
I was still not perfect, I’d come a long way. Especially with it being only my
first day completely on my own.
The second half
of the working day was difficult, but I survived after helping seven more
customers and making sales. My legs were very sore though, and I wondered how I
was going to survive several games of fireball that evening.
Just as I was
preparing to leave, I came face to face with Mrs. FangCut. Even in her work
clothes she appeared immaculate. She was probably the most beautiful vampire
I’d ever seen. Yeah, I was intimated.
“If you keep
this up you'll be getting a raise soon,” she said. “And don't forget about the
fifteen percent staff discount on everything in the store. Have a nice night.
I'll look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow.”
I said goodnight
to her. Then, on my way out, Mira came over to congratulate me as well. Wow! I
felt like a vampire queen.
“So where do you
like to hang out?” she asked.
“Well, tonight
I’m going over to the Recreation Center to play fireball with some friends.
That's after my boyfriend treats me to a haircut.”
“Oh really? I
enjoy playing fireball too.”
I invited her to
join us, but she said she was busy that night. However, she would be glad to
hang out and play with us in a few days' time. That was fine with me. The more
the merrier.
It felt like I
hadn’t seen Brett in ages when we met in front of the Supermarket. Dressed in a
plain maroon shirt and cute jeans, he looked amazing. I threw my hands against
his muscular body and felt his soft black hair drooping down his back. His dark
eyes were beautiful.
“Ready for the
haircut?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Good. I know
the perfect place. You’re going to love it.”
Because Brett
wouldn’t have his car for quite some time, we rode the train. After a couple of
stops we emerged back above ground onto a bustling downtown street.
“So where are
you taking me?” I asked.
We stopped at a
small salon called BloodCuts. A spinning tube full of fresh blood was above a
door made entirely of fangs.
“Look, there are
posher places than this to get a haircut,” Brett said. “It may not look like
much, but I promise you’re gonna like it.”
I thanked him,
well aware that he couldn’t buy me the world. I didn’t care about that.
Brett opened the
door, careful not to get pierced by any of the teeth. Inside was a small though
crowded reception room full of shadows. Brett and I sat down next to a family
of four.
The hairdressers
were easily distinguishable in the misty air by their multiple glow-in-the-dark
tattoos. One of them approached me. She was tall and thin with hair twisted and
knotted in a magical style. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the striking dragon
tattoo on her arms.
“Looks like you
really need a haircut,” she said. “Miss Straight is definitely not fashionable
in Vampire World. Here are our specials today.”
She handed me a
laminated flyer showing three different, really hot haircuts.
The first one
was called the Twist, with hair braided and twisted into a tornado-like funnel
and highlighted with red and black colors. That cost 75 Carns. The second one
was called the Dragon, a really unique style that unlike the tornado, had some
hair that was actually straight and falling down on both sides. But on top it
was molded and braided into the shape of a dragon with vampire fangs. Flaming
hot, but costing 100 Carns.
The last one was
my favorite: The Blaze. The hair was braided and molded into sexy tubes that
fell all the way down the back. The tubes were colored crimson, black, and even
pink. I loved it, but it cost 150 Carns. Damn, why did I always like the most
expensive things?
It was too late.
Brett caught me fantasizing over it.
“Looks like you
found the one you like best,” he said.
“Yeah, but isn’t
it a little much?” I asked.
Brett grinned.
“Nothing is too much for you. I love you. Duhhhhh!”
I smiled when he
told me he had enough money to buy his father's medicine this week, and have
some left over for a few other goodies.
The hairdresser
was merrily upbeat when I gave her my choice. “You’re going to feel like a new
vampire after I’m finished,” she said. “Just you wait.”
I was taken to a
hard chair and sat down. Behind me was an assortment of sharp objects like
scissors with five blades, razors, cutters with spikes on them, and even
knives.
“You’re not
gonna hurt me?” I asked a little nervously.
“Oh no. Just
relax. You won’t feel a thing. And I promise I won’t draw blood. The last
hairdresser who committed that crime was fired and sent to prison.”
She got to work,
twisting and cutting with her petrifying instruments. Though I felt no actual
pain, there was intense pressure on each strand of hair. I squirmed in reaction
to this.
“Just relax,”
she told me. “It will only be a few more tenths of degrees.”
I tried to do
just that as she placed a helmet-like cap over my head. I couldn’t see a thing.
“This may feel
kinda weird,” the hairdresser said. “But trust me, it’s nowhere near as crazy
as getting a tat.”
It felt like my
hair was being sucked up by a giant vacuum cleaner. It was so uncomfortable
that I started clenching my fists and praying for it to end. I thought I was
dying. Then, at long last, it stopped.
“It’s over,” she
said, removing the death cap from my head.
“You look great.”
I stood up and
peered into the mirror. My first thought was: 'Oh my god, what did I do to
myself?'
Then, as I
checked my new hair makeover closer, I burst out laughing. I really did have
tubes of hair sticking incredibly out in all directions and drooping down over
my shoulders. They were colored crimson, black, and neon pink, just like in the
photo.
“You look
great,” Brett said.
As he paid the
cashier, I couldn’t believe I'd changed my appearance so drastically. Don’t get
me wrong, I loved it. And I loved looking like a vampire. It was still kind of
funny at first though. I had this weird feeling I'd worn my hair straight and
down for years. But why? I didn’t have any memory at all of the style I'd had
before the accident. More than likely it was something wild, just like this new
doo.
After leaving
BloodCuts, Brett and I walked past a whole row of glass storefronts in which I
could see my reflection, so before long I was completely used to my new look.
“Thanks a lot
baby,” I said. “I owe you one.”
“Don’t worry
about it,” he replied.
I gazed at his
bare, smooth skin. “When I save up some money,” I said, “I want to get you a
tat.”
He put his arms
around me, which let me know how much he really wanted one. Well, he was
getting one anyway, whether he liked it or not.
We took the
train back to Mr. FreeCut’s house. He had offered to drive us to the recreation
center, and I couldn't wait for Brett to meet him.
He was standing
by the door when we walked up. “Well, here’s the lucky man,” he said.
They shook hands
and introduced themselves. Mr. FreeCut then nodded toward my drastic appearance
change.
“Janice…wow….your
new haircut looks nice, even to a two hundred year-old vampire like me. I swear
that's the truth.”
I was so happy
to hear him say that.
We rode in the
back seat of Mr. FreeCut’s car. He was very animated.
“I haven’t
played fireball since forever. I hope I don’t mess up your game. You sure you
want an old fart like me around?”
“Of course,”
Brett said, before I got the chance to state the obvious.
Brett and Mr. FreeCut
made good conversation during the drive. They chatted about family, Carns, and
even some history. I was delighted they were hitting it off because they were
far more to me than boyfriend and father figure. They were family.