Vampire World (20 page)

DECISIONS

I did feel a bit
better, though it hurt like hell when I looked at my phone and saw there were
still no messages. I wondered if he even wanted me any more.

   
On the way to work I
seriously thought about ditching my messenger. It made a whole lot of sense to
do so. And if I wanted Brett’s love, which I certainly did, this was something
I would definitely have to do. But I was not going to be the one to make the
first move. If he truly loved me, he had to do that.

   
I tried my best to keep my
composure as the working morning dragged along. I was asked for help from what
felt like a million customers. Some wanted shirts with knives sticking out of
them. Others were more interested in bloody pants. Quite a few asked about 3-D
T-shirts with three-headed dogs on them as well.

   
With all the crap going on,
it was hard to love my job today. The temptation to cry again was high as I
thought of Brett and his wonderful face.

   
“What’s wrong, Janice?” Mira
asked, noticing my mood.

   
“Oh nothing,” I said. “Didn’t
sleep well. Had a rough morning.”

   
I somehow smiled, even though
it was hard to do. I really did love my job. I couldn’t allow anyone, including
my unofficial boyfriend, to make me not love it.

   
After that I felt a little
better for a while. That was, until I checked my phone again and saw there were
still no messages or calls. For the rest of the morning I tried not to think
about it, concentrating instead on climbing up and down the ladders and
searching for clothes.

   
Around lunchtime Mrs. FangCut
told me to come to her office. I feared the worst. She was going to grill my
ass for a poor performance that morning, even though I didn’t think I'd done
such a bad job. But hell, I was out of it today.

   
Stepping into her office, I
grew increasingly nervous. My job meant a lot to me and I didn’t want to lose
it.

   
“How are you doing today?”
she asked.

   
I faked it the best I could.
“Fine,” I told her.

   
“Well, I wanted to present
you with an offer, Janice.”

   
She smiled before continuing.
“You’re one of the finest workers I’ve ever seen at Vampire Supermarket. You’re
great with customers, kind and hard-working, and your sales for a starter are
unbelievable. So, I’m asking you if you’d like to be an assistant manager.”

   
I told her most
enthusiastically that I would, and how honored I was to have this opportunity.

   
“There is one warning I must
give you,” she advised. “You’ll be required to know not only the women’s
department by heart, but the men’s as well. You’ll need to study the inventory
every day, here at work and in your own time, so you can tackle the complex
problems that managers have to face. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

   
“Yes,” I assured her.

   
“Good. I knew you’d be up for
the challenge. You’ll start at the beginning of the next sun cycle. Your pay
then will be doubled. In the meantime, I suggest taking one of the inventory
books home with you to study. It may seem daunting, but I know you can do it. I
have faith in you, Janice.”

   
I left her office with
spirits soaring. Now I had something to be happy about once again. I thought
back to the pitiful job I'd had at the mall. I’d grown so much out of that
nightmare. And now I was on my way to running the best damn clothing store in
all of Vampire World. Hell yeah!

   
My phone buzzed. Bloodflies
danced chaotically around in my stomach as I parted the teeth and read the
message from Brett:
'Janice, I’m sorry. I want to make up. Please.'

   
Damn. I'd gone from feeling
inconsolably sad to top of the world in almost no time at all. Would life ever
be easy and predictable?

   
That evening, Brett and I lay
down together in my coffin with Garlic Moon filtering its beautiful rays in
through the window. It felt so good to be close to him again. I don’t think I’d
ever felt this close before. I'd almost lost him. But now we were back
together.

   
I held him tightly. We
kissed, and it was incredible. Just when I thought kisses couldn’t get any
better, they did.
 
I was so grateful
he was still mine. All mine.

   
“I’ve made up my mind,” I
said. “I’ll stop following the secret messenger.”

   
“Great,” Brett responded. “I
want you to be safe, baby. That’s because I love you.”

   
“I love you too,” I said,
feeling so high.

   
I told him how I couldn’t
stand being away from him, and how Vampire World wasn’t the same magical place
without him in my life. His response was pretty similar.

   
“Look, I apologize for not
taking you to the grave yet,” he said. “It’s a big commitment, and I want it to
be at the best time. Can I make a deal with you?”

   
“Sure.”

   
“Tomorrow after work, I
promise I will take you there. I would take you tonight, but I have to get to
the hotel. Father needs his medicine.”

   
I grew excited. “That’s
great, baby. I can’t wait.”

   
After another steamy kiss we
said goodnight. He snuck quietly out of the house so Mr. FreeCut wouldn't see
him. I felt reborn, knowing that I'd reunited with my better half. And I was
not going to lose him again. Ever!

   
But there was also something
else on my mind. I'd discovered that life in Vampire World wasn’t some straight
and narrow bloody brick road that was easy to follow. There were lots of
unexpected twist and turns. I couldn’t allow even the best relationships to get
in the way of self discovery and knowledge. I was going to call Rob and find
out from him what my secret guide wanted me to know. And no one was gonna stop
me because Brett would never get to hear about it.

   
I peered out my room window
and spotted another black box sitting in the middle of the lawn. I crept
outside and carried it to my room. As expected, it was from my messenger.

   
With much anticipation, I
opened the box. Inside was a black orb small enough to fit in the palm of my
hand. There was also the usual note.

   
'Janice, because I have
the ability to track your location at all times, if I sense you are lost or in
danger, I can talk to you through this device. However, you will not be able to
speak back to me. Keep it on you at all times. When I want to make contact it
will vibrate and a light will blink. Now, contact Rob immediately. You need to
go with him tonight to a special event.'

   
Though I had no clue of where
I was going or how I was going to get there, I didn’t waste time. But halfway
through dialing Rob’s number I hesitated. Great care was going to be needed. I
was about to call one of the rudest and most hateful vampires in the world.
He'd even tried to violate me. Was I making the right decision? If Brett found
out, he’d kill me.

   
After a moment or two of
further thought, I dialed the number anyway.

   
Rob answered.

TRIFANG

“Well, it's no
big a surprise,” Rob said. “I knew you liked me all along. I guess I just have
a way with beautiful vampires like yourself.”

   
I found it difficult to lie
to such a total ass. But I had to. “It’s been a rough few days,” I told him.
“Brett and I broke up recently. And you know, I just need someone to talk to.”

   
He laughed like a devil. “I
knew that pussy wasn’t good for you. You need a strong vampire; one who won’t
dry up like a douche.”

   
“Actually, it’s funny,” I
said, inwardly fuming at the bloodsucker’s insults. “I’ve been thinking about
you a lot, even before I broke up with Brett.”

   
There was a short pause. He
was thinking; something I didn’t realize he knew how to do.

   
“Well, I know I’m hot,” he
eventually said. “Anyway, since you want to see me so badly, there’s something
special I'd like to take you to tonight.”

   
At first I showed hesitation,
and it drove him crazy. I had to play a little hard to get.

   
“Gee, I don’t know…”

   
“Oh come on, Janice! You know
you want me. You know I’m irresistible.”

   
Now I was speechless.

   
“You've already turned me
down once,” he pressed on. “Don’t do it again! Come on. Let me pick you up in
thirty degrees. I want to take you to the coolest party you’ve ever
experienced. Dress sexy and hot. Wear tight clothes. Show off your gifts.”

   
I gave in to his fantasy. I
had to. He was taking me to a TriFang party. I was going right into the bull’s
eye.

   
Remembering to protect
myself, I put on the belt of stakes and concealed them well under my jeans.
Each stake however, dug uncomfortably against my skin.

   
I put on my tight crimson
shirt that showed off my figure to its best advantage. Hopefully this would
help to entice Rob into giving me the information I needed about the special
blood they drank. Of course, there was a risk that it could also draw him to me
in a very dangerous way. That’s why I had the stakes. I wouldn’t hesitate to
stab several in his heart if he dared to mess with me again.

   
I glanced in the mirror while
combing my hair of tubes. Seeing my reflection brought to mind how I'd not been
able to see myself in the small mirror my stranger had given to me. But there
was no time to worry about that now. I snuck quietly outside, careful not to
wake a snoozing Mr. FreeCut. Rob’s hot sports car with flames bleeding over the
glossy paint was parked in front of the house.

   
“Get in,” he said, not
bothering to step out of the car. For a second I considered calling things off
and running back into the house. But it was too late. I got in and the
automatic door shut.

   
“Good to see you, baby,” he
said.

   
His fiery red hair and TriFang
tattoo on his forehead caught my eye. So too did his demonic leather jacket
carrying disturbing designs of rotting vampire heads. I tried to hide the fact
that I was freaked.

   
“What’s the matter?” he
asked. “You should be glad to see me.”

   
“I am,” I said, lying through
my fangs.

   
“I’m glad to see you as
well,” he said. “And I’m really happy you finally got enough sense to leave
your bloody hobo lover behind.”

      
I knew he
liked me. At least sexually. And that was what scared me.

   
He sped his car through the
downtown streets, driving with one hand and caring little for the safety of
other drivers.

   
“So where are you taking me?”
I asked.

   
“A really great party. It’s a
secret one that only I can get you into.” He sniggered. “I bet your ex took you
to the lamest fucking parties ever.”

   
“A secret?” I said, ignoring
his diss on Brett. “Really? Tell me about it.”

   
“I can’t right now. But don’t
worry. Just keep your pretty little mouth zipped for a while and you'll be
surprised.”

   
I puckered my lips and put my
hand next to his free one, deliberately trying to arouse him.

   
I was doing something very,
very dangerous.

   
“What would you do for me if
I told you some secrets?” he asked.

   
I giggled. “Anything you
want.”

   
He continued to speed like a
maniac past downtown buildings, while intermittently staring at my boobs.

   
“That shirt looks hot on
you,” he said. “But you know, you could do better. Remember how I said I wanted
to take you shopping? Well, you really need somebody like me to show you the
ropes. I could pick out clothes that will take you from hot to bloody steamy.”

   
This outraged me. And it only
got worse.

   
“And you work at the Vampire
Supermarket?” he added. “God, you must be blind. Or maybe a little slow. I
don’t know which.”

   
I wanted to pop him in the
face, but held myself in check. Retaining my composure was the key to winning
this game.

   
He drove into what looked
like a large shed that was almost pitch black inside. I was actually a little
scared that he might try to touch me, so I gripped one of the stakes. But
instead, he pressed a lever attached to a wall.

   
With a faint humming sound,
the ground we were parked on moved and the car began a slow descent into full
darkness. I asked Rob where this was taking us.

   
“The organization that just
inducted me has many secret places I’m allowed to visit,” he told me. “Just you
wait. You’ll be impressed.”

   
After descending for what
felt like a long time, we hit the bottom and found ourselves in a large parking
lot full of flashy cars.

   
Rob's voice took on a serious
note. “This is very important, Janice. Anything you see down here, stays down
here. If you tell anyone on the surface about the organization, you will be
killed. So don’t be dumb, like sometimes you are.”

   
After getting out of the car,
he grabbed my hand. His touch revolted me, but somehow I managed to hide the
way I felt.

   
We walked a bit and came to a
door where a collection of good looking vampires were lined up ready to get in.
Some were in flamboyant attire, while others were dressed more casually like
Rob and me. Even so, with the amount of tattoos, piercings and clothing special
effects on display, I felt almost naked.

   
We moved on into a large
dining room with Gothic pillars and a freaky chandelier hanging from the high
ceiling that gave everything a ruddy glow. A number of long tables were crowded
with vampire couples gawking in almost hypnotized fashion at the maroon goblets
sitting in front of them. It was like they were addicted to whatever was inside
and were desperate to start drinking it. They seemed to care about nothing else
– not even each other. Some couples were actually caressing their goblets
rather than their partner. Sickening.

   
I wished I was with Brett,
who would have been able to protect me in this petrifying dungeon. I didn’t
know how far below the ground I was, but I guessed it was a pretty damn long
way. I wanted to get out of here as fast as I could.

   
The emblem of TriFang was
everywhere. On the tables - the pillars - the walls - and of course, on each
member’s forehead.

   
He couldn’t stop staring at
me as we sat down. “I bet your ex couldn’t afford to bring you to a place like
this,” he snickered.

   
My anger with Rob built, but
he said no more. Very soon he was like almost everyone else there, concerned
only with the goblet sitting in front of him.

   
A voice spoke from above.
“TriFang members, thank you for attending this most extravagant social event.
You may now grab your individual goblets and drank the special blood of true
vampires. Since non-member guests are present, rules and regulations apply to
them. Anyone caught breaking these rules will face the penalty of torture and
death. Now, members, take your goblets and feast on the finest blood in the
universe.”

   
Yes, the blood…I needed to
find out information about the blood…

   
With a big display of
confidence, I reached for the nearest goblet. Rob grabbed my hand and yanked it
back. “Didn’t you hear what he just said? You’re not a member, so you can’t
drink 'our' blood. Anyhow, that’s my goblet.”

   
He took a large gulp from it
before adding: “I’ll go get you some animal blood instead.”

   
Here was my chance. I didn’t
hesitate. “So why is your blood different? I thought all blood was the same.”

   
He smirked. “Um…I can’t talk
about that. Are you trying to get me killed or something? God you’re
good-looking, but damn…you’re missing something up there…”

   
He moved off to get me my
drink.

   
By now, the drinking frenzy
was in full swing. Many vampires screamed with joy as they gulped down the
curious blood. Others glowed. Some laughed insanely loudly, making it clear
that this different kind of blood, whatever the hell it was, had very special
qualities. I knew all vampires liked blood, but as I checked out the blissful,
dazed expressions on the drinkers' faces, it was like they'd been drugged.

   
Rob came back, also looking
stoned. “So good…” he murmured, handing me a small paper cup. “Here you go.
Enjoy some non-member blood.”

   
He smiled and took deep
breaths while guzzling more of his own blood. Bizarrely, he looked different
now, actually appearing younger. His skin glowed brightly as he laughed. But
that couldn’t be. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.

   
Slowly but surely I devised a
plan. I was going to get a taste of his blood before I left this place. That
was, if I ever made it out alive.

   
A short while later we were
sitting on a silky, blood-red couch in a relatively quiet and dark corner of
the room with our arms around each other. As before, I couldn’t stand his
touch, or his dirty smell. I tried to imagine it was Brett in my arms, but that
didn’t work.

   
“You know, you really have
beautiful eyes,” I lied, drawing closer to him.

   
He grinned. “Well, I know I’m
quite a catch. I could get any vampire in here if I wanted to.”

   
“But you want me,” I said.

   
He ignored my remark at first
and continued to drink from his goblet, breathing hard with each sip. Now I
knew he loved his blood more than me. But that was okay because I didn’t care a
thing about him.

   
“I think you’re hot,” he
said, licking the dripping blood from his lips. “Why else would I want to be
with you?”

   
“Look, I promise to give you
a night of pleasure, baby,” I said. “But please, I just want one sip of your
blood. Just one. Please.”

   
He gazed hard at me. “I
swear, if you tell anybody…I’ll rip your pretty little head clean off.”

   
“I promise. I swear not to
tell anyone.”

   
“Okay,” he said. “But you
gotta kiss me first.”

   
I did it. Even though I felt
sick, somehow I was able to blot out my revulsion sufficiently to actually kiss
him. It was horrible as our tongues locked and intertwined. It was like kissing
a snake - a snake from hell.

   
“Wow!” he said, coming over
all starry-eyed. “You kiss good.”

   
“Well, I think you’re
amazing,” I responded, heaping on the praise.

   
He lapped it up. “Yea, I am,”
he laughed.

   
I could have wrung his neck
as he stared at me like I was some kind of animal. Give me the damn goblet, I
wanted to shout. Give me the bleepin' goblet!

   
Finally, he handed it over.
“Only take a small swig,” he told me. “And I mean small….unless you want to get
your face knocked in.”

   
Cautiously, I took a tiny
sip.

   
It was astonishing! Within
seconds I felt incredible, almost like I could fly, swim and run a thousand
miles all at the same time and not know how I did it. Everything had a magical
feel about it as I tried to stand up, but the cruel hands of the devil I was
trying to falsely woo pulled me back down.