Melabeth the Vampire (9 page)

David’s beautiful laugh filled the air. Then he said, “So you had strict parents. I had a friend, Will. His parents were like that; he wasn’t allowed to watch certain movies, or listen to a lot of music. So he just snuck around watching movies, and listening to music with his friends.”

I smiled at him; the truth was too hard to believe. I knew that when I said that, but it was easier than making up stories. This way he made the story up himself, like overprotective parents. Boy, if he knew how much he missed the mark on that one.

I said, “Well it’s hard to sneak out with 4 feet of dirt on you. Do you mind if I see what albums you have?”

David laughed again, “Yah that would be fun. Let me get out my collection. I don’t have a lot of CD’s. I do have a lot of cassettes, and I have a walkman in my bag.”

So, for the next hour or so, me and David went through his music collection. We laughed and talked as he pulled out his favorite songs from different artists. It didn’t take us long to figure out we had a lot in common and enjoyed the same music. After a couple of hours I felt how tired I was.

David picked up on this and said, “Go to sleep; I will watch over you, I promise… rest.”

It was weird on how he knew exactly what to say to me. How did he know I needed him to watch o
ver me? I was afraid to sleep on this bus. I wasn’t even sure if I would wake up if I needed to. I must have been tired.

I woke up lying on David’s shoulder. I jumped up “sorry… I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

David looked at me then said, “It is okay, I didn’t mind. Of course all the snoring is probably going to leave some permanent ear damage.”

I gasped in horror. “I am so sorry! I didn’t even know I snored.”

David burst into laughter. I was really falling in love with the sound of his laugh. He looked at me as if trying to read me. “It was a joke. You don’t snore when you sleep. You don’t even move; you have been asleep for 8 hours, and, in 8 hours, you didn’t take one breath. So I checked your pulse. And as you probably know, you don’t have one. So I did the next logical thing; I listened for a heartbeat. Nope, no heartbeat, so I did the next logical step, I leaned your dead body against mine so it didn’t fall into the aisle of the bus. And before you ask, yes you did almost fall into the aisle of the bus. That’s how I came to notice all of this.”

I was speechless. Well, that answered a few question
s. I don’t wake, well not easily. And I did sleep like a corpse. I guess I should have not fallen asleep on the bus, I really screwed up. What am I going to tell him, or should I tell him anything? Maybe I should kill him? No, I like him, bad thought.

Before I could answer him, David said, “Don’t get upset, please. You have been lying on my shoulder for 8 hours now. You don’t see me freaking out or anything. See, I know what you are.”

“You do?” I responded in surprise.

David shook his head up and down in a yes motion. Then he said, “Yes, I have met your kind before, well not normally during the day. I have only met one of you during the day.”

“Really?”

“Really” David smiled.

Well, that made sense; my kind wouldn’t be out in the day much. He must know stuff that I don’t. I had to ask, “So you met one of my kind during the day, where?”

David smiled at me and then said, “Well, the first time was in high school. It was my freshman year. I met her in the library, and we hit it off right away. We would talk for hours, about everything. I didn’t understand why other kids would walk by and laugh at us. I am a little nerdy for sure, but this girl was hot.”

“Prettier than me?” it came out of my mouth before I could stop it.

“She was nowhere close as pretty as you,” David said, with a little bit of blushing. Then he continued his story, “well you could probably guess why people were
laughing. They couldn’t see her, being like you. So everyone thought I was talking to myself; I was picked on a lot after that.”

“Wait, she was a ghost?” I thought this story was about vampires.

“Well, I don’t know for sure.” David said.

“I think I am a little confused, what do you mean you don’t know what she was?”

David put a finger up for a minute. I could tell he was looking for the words to answer my question. “I know there are different kinds of spirits, some you can only see at night; I guess those are ghosts. Then there are more powerful spirits that you can see during the day. Of course I have only seen the day spirits inside buildings. They can speak to you, and sometimes they can touch you. You might call them poltergeists.”

“And vampires?” I asked a little impatient.

“Vampires?” David said.

“Yes, vampires David.” I could really care less about the ghost stories; I was too excited about finding out more about me. Plus it would be dark soon, and that meant Carrie was about to pop into the picture. And now I am thinking David would see her, and then I wouldn’t be able to talk until morning. Maybe I could get David to pretend he couldn’t see her.

“I don’t know anything about vampires. All I have ever seen were ghosts, like you.” David said...

David had never met a vampire, and knew nothing about them. He saw ghosts, so that’s why he acted so strange when I sat next to him. He thought I was a ghost. Quickly I made the decision that I would rather David
think that I was a ghost. He is comfortable with ghosts; I’d probably just scare him, if he knew what I really was.

I said, "I am just wondering if you had ever uncovered a vampire?"

"No… no vampires or ghouls, just different kinds of spirits like you." David said.

I think I better let him know about Carrie, so I said, "David, one thing you should know."

"Yes"

I continued on, "Well you know how girls don’t travel alone… I kind have a friend with me. Her name is Carrie; she should pop in soon. She’s one of those kinds of ghosts that only come out at night, and its already sunset."

"Really," David said with a lot of surprise in his voice. He continued on by saying, "normally ghosts haunt places, and don’t travel. I kind of figured you were a poltergeist that was haunting this bus, two spirits in the same bus. I don’t think I understand you at all. Are you haunting this bus?"

"No" I said.

Then I reached over and grabbed the back of his head, and pull his face towards mine. I have never kissed a boy before. My emotions were everywhere, but, in the state that I was in I must take what I want. I am free, tortured and only have revenge to keep me company.

I want this boy, and I plan on taking him. I stop, inches from our lips touching, and say, "Sorry, I am very impulsive. No more questions about what I am. Just know that I like you, and mean you no harm. I can travel where I choose, and right now I am choosing to travel with you."

David was quiet for a minute. Then he whispered, "Wow, what a way to change the subject. Just let me know before you disappear, ok?"

"Ok." I say. I pull my face away from his. I don’t think I am ready for kissing him. Not yet, soon though. I would like to know what it’s like to kiss a boy.

If anyone listened to the rest of our conversion, they would have thought I started the rumor about blondes. David was explaining a lot of things that I had missed in the last fifteen years.

He didn’t ask anymore about me; I don’t think he thought I was a ghost anymore. Even if he didn’t believe I was a ghost, he was still willing to hang out with me, and I do think he actually likes me. Of course, night came, and, with night, came Carrie.

She reappeared right in front of me. Well, actually inside the chair in front of me. Carrie jumped out into the aisle. The lady she reappeared inside of started to complain to her friend that there was cold air all around her.

Carrie looked at me and said, "Great, a bus." Then she looked around and said, "A full bus, I guess I am standing all night watching everyone sleep. At least I have some new faces to look at. Melabeth, I see you got lucky. That boy you are sitting with is hot."

David chuckled and then said, "thank you."

Carrie got all excited and started to jump up and down, saying over and over again, "he can hear me, he can hear me." She then floated through the air and landed right between me and David. Of course she could pass through objects, well except for me.

"Stop pushing Carrie," I complained.

Carrie started to say, "Sorry, touchy v…"

"Shhh… don’t say that. It's just Melabeth, Carrie." I said venomously.

The next few hours went better than I had imagined. Carrie, I and David got along great. We laughed and talked into the early hours of the morning. Then, after a few yawns, David curled up against the window and fell asleep.

I figured I better get something to eat while David was sleeping. I don’t believe he thinks that I am a vampire. So I explained to Carrie that I did not want David to know what I was. She thought I could trust the boy, but I don’t even trust her.

Most everyone on the bus was asleep, so I snuck down the aisle of the bus on all fours. I moved like a cat; it was no problem to hold my weight on the tips of my toes. I went to the back of the bus and got lucky. All the people in the back rows were sound asleep.

There was a big man snoring, with his arm dangling over the arm of his seat, and into the aisle of the bus. So I snuck up and bit his wrest. He didn’t wake, which did not surprise me. My teeth were sharp, I bit fast and the blood flowed into my mouth. It took a lot of willpower to stop before the man died. I licked the wound and it healed up; he would probably feel a little crappy tomorrow, but he would live.

Sitting right across the aisle from the man was a large woman. I had to pull her arm out to bite her, but she did not wake either. So, after successfully feeding on two adults, I snuck back to my seat.

I felt great, and it was good to know that I didn’t have to kill someone every night just to keep myself fed. Of course, I noticed if I didn’t kill, I needed two humans instead of one. In the future that could be tricky; I will have to deal with that in the future. Tonight I had a full belly, and probably will spend the rest of the night talking to Carrie, and dreaming of David.

Just before sunrise, the bus stopped. It woke up David; we both thought this would be a good time for a walk. So all three of us took a walk around the bus stop; I wasn’t even sure where we were. The morning was almost here, so Carrie was complaining about missing the daytime.

“You guys don’t understand,” Carrie was saying with her hands as much as her mouth. “Yes it is better to be with you all, but I miss all kinds of stuff during the day. Everyone is sleeping and there isn’t a good conversation to be found. Not trying to be mean or anything Melabeth, but you ain't exactly talkative. You never say more than three words, and one of them is usually shut up or some other putdown.”

“Shut up is two words Carrie,” I said dryly.

“So she is mean to you. Is that what you’re sayin’?” David said, with a smile. He was humored by Carrie’s complaining. Of course this just made Carrie more irritated.

“Not you too,
” Carrie said, throwing her hands up in defeat. “You know what she likes to call me don’t you?”

“No
.”

“Slinky
,” Carrie said with a sad face.

David laughed; every time he did I wanted to jump his bones. Then he asked “and what on earth do you mean by that Melabeth?”

“Well,” I start off saying, “see a slinky is completely useless, but still fun to push down a staircase.”

“SEE
,” Carrie yelled.

David burst into laughter, the kind where tears came to his eyes. “You are so mean, Melabeth.” He said in between fits of laughter.

“Great horny toads, you are as bad as her. Great, I must have been some kind of bad to deserve the both of you,” Carrie moaned.

I looked at her, and with the most sincere voice said, “You are my only friend; I will try to be nicer. See, you have to understand; it was my time of the month when I died. So now and forever will I be on the rag; so, in short, get over it. And also I love you.”

Carrie and David both laughed. Then Carrie said, “Now girl I love you too, but you can’t be sayin’ shit like it’s your time of the month when we both know you’re a special kind of mean.”

I smiled my deviant smile; she knew me pretty good already. Of course she witnessed me killing two men, and we shared some of our history. It was kind of weird, but I was really comfortable with Carrie.

We all got back onto the bus; a few minutes later we were heading back down the road. The sun finished coming up, and Carrie disappeared. It took a little bit of convincing by David, but finally he talked me into going to sleep. He promised me on his life that he would take care of me, and I would be safe as I rested. So, for the first time since I started this second life, I decided to trust someone.

It was a big step for me; I still had power over Carrie, and to give David power over me was kind of hard. Also he was a boy, and I was still having a little trouble with the male species right now. Nonetheless, I lay into his arms and fell asleep, to the rhythm of his heart.

When I awoke, David was putting away his journal. I wanted to read it. I looked up at David’s face, and he was smiling down at me like I was someone special. If I had a working heart, it would have sped up. Then David said, “Good morning sleeping beauty. Rest well?”