Bayou Moon (4 page)

             
Maggie ran through the cemetery, moving as fast as her legs would carry her. Then she froze in her tracks as her eyes rested upon the body on the ground. A smile formed across her wicked lips. She began to laugh hysterically. “So you do feed after all, Kreel!”

Chapter Eleven

             
Kreel knew he needed to find answers. He led Charlie out of the cemetery as they both made their way down a darkened country road.

             
“What’s going to happen to the both of us?” Charlie asked. “If that woman returns to look for us, what makes you think she’s not going to finish the job?”

             
“If she returns to the cemetery, she’s not going to find us there. That’s why we have to keep moving Charlie. We have to find someone who can cure us before she can finish the job.”

             
Both of them picked up their pace. Then Charlie stopped walking as a thought came to the old man. “Do you think maybe that old voodoo woman down in the Bayou South of town could help us?” Charlie whispered looking around. “I heard once they know about Zombies and all of that.”

             
“I already told you Charlie, were not zombies!”

             
“But if she knows about that stuff Kreel, then maybe she knows about vampires too, it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask.”

             
“You know people don’t go around her Charlie, it causes gossip,” Kreel sighed and shook his head as he walked towards the old man. “Besides, I don’t even know how to get to her place.”

             
Charlie looked down at the ground and kicked a stone with his foot. “I could show you.”

             
Kreel looked at Charlie gawking. He raised his voice, “Show me? What have you been doing down there you old fool, the voodoo woman messes with black magic!”

             
“She isn’t all as bad as what people say, Kreel. She’s good people once you get to know her, it’s just no one has ever given her a chance is all.”

             
“Damn Charlie, I suppose we could go see if she knows of some cure. But she better not try anything dirty, I already had enough with crazy women tonight to last me a life time.”

             
“She won’t, Kreel. You’ll see, and I bet she can help us. She knows a lot of things, and has good whiskey too.”

             
“Then come on, show me where she lives Charlie.”

             
The two hurried off in the direction of the swamps, hoping the old woman they were about to seek would hold the answers they were looking for. After walking several miles outside of town and then trudging through the dark swamps, they finally came upon a little shack. The old woman that greeted them at the door had no problem inviting them into her home.

             
“That’s what people come to seek from me, answers to their problems. But the answer you seek is only one that can be obtained by destroying the vampire that bit you; she is the one that put the curse on you. If you kill her then the curse will be lifted.” The old woman told them.

             
“Then tell me, tell me how to destroy her. Tell me every way there is to destroy the demon. Tell me old woman, I can’t stay like this. I have already taken one life tonight.”

             
She nodded at Kreel and walked over to an old cabinet that held several powders and jars of unrecognizable items. Then taking something from a pouch, she threw it on the ground at her feet. “The bones will tell us what we need to know; the bones, they do not lie. They say you must pierce her in the heart, before the next full moon. But take heed, you must not fail. The vampire, she is tricky and will do her best to trick you. If she succeeds then you will live your life as a vampire, and the curse will remain.”

             
“That’s all I have to do is kill her with a stake?” asked Kreel

             
The old woman nodded. “Could be it will, could be it won’t. But I don’t think it will be as easy as you think. The vampire, she is strong. Your strength is new, and is no match for her. You must be smarter than her, and see through the lies she will speak.”

             
“How are we going to kill her Kreel, I don’t want to stay like this?”

             
Kreel rested his head in his hands, he wasn’t sure how to answer the old man, and he only knew he did not want to remain a vampire either. He just didn’t know the answer, not yet. “I don’t know Charlie, but we’ll think of something, don’t worry.”

             
Kreel lifted his head from his hands and turned his gaze to the old women. “Will fire also destroy her?”

             
“I’ve no doubt that it would. But if you wish to try, it may slow her down long enough to pierce a stake through the demons heart.” said the old woman

             
Kreel smiled. “I know where she sleeps.”

             
The old woman nodded once again and then laughed. “You see, there is the problem. Although you have not fully turned yet, you both have the nature of the vampire with in you. You both sleep with the sun and rise with the moon. When she awakes, then so do you, when she sleeps, then so shall you.”

             
“Then tell me how to find a way old woman, how do I not sleep long enough to burn the witch where she lies?”

             
“I may be able to give you something to help in your quest,” said the old woman. “But you would have to get close enough to her in order for it to work.”

             
Kreel nodded his head, and then bade the old woman to continue. If she had anything that would help him reverse the curse that had been placed on him from the vampire, then he was prepared to do whatever the old voodoo woman told him.

             
“The vampire, she was once mortal too you know. Some of those human traits may still exist in her and be a welcome weakness to defeat her. I have a strong powder that may put her to sleep, but only for a short time.” She searched again through the old cabinet, and removed an old parchment, and in her hand she dropped a small white stone from it. “This is the only one that I have left, but it should be strong enough for what you ask.”

             
Both Kreel and Charlie stood and walked over to the old woman to peer down at the stone she held in her hand.

             
“Are we going to throw the rock at her?” asked Charlie

             
“Yes Charlie, were going to throw the rock at her. No you damn fool, now would you hush up so the old woman can tell us what to do?” Kreel snapped

             
The old woman looked up at Charlie and shook her head. “Charlie, you’re not right in the head. I think that demon took more from you than just your blood; I think she took half your brains too. I can’t do much for the brain part, but I think I might be able to help you get that dent out of your head.”

Chapter Twelve

             
The old woman put the rock down and walked back over to the cabinet. She grabbed a vile of liquid and handed it to Charlie. “Now Charlie, I want you to drink this, it won’t taste good, but I think it may help you feel better.”

             
Without question or hesitation, he drank the liquid from the vile until it was drained. Charlie made an awful sound and grabbed his head. “I don’t feel so good; my head feels kind of fuzzy.”

             
Kreel’s eyes got wide as he watched the dent in Charlie’s head disappear. Then a fit of laughter broke from him as two large ears popped from the sides of Charlie’s head. “Damn Charlie, you look like a disfigured turnip head!”

             
The old man grabbed at his head feeling the two large ears, and the pointed bump at the top of his head. “Did it change me? Did it work? Do I look different?”

             
Kreel smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Damn Charlie, were you this brainless before half your brains got sucked out? You look worse than you did before, you crazy old fool.”

             
The old woman just shook her head. “You can’t fix stupid.”

Chapter Thirteen

              “So all we have to do is grind that little rock down into powder?” asked Charlie

             
“No, we also have to find a way to make the vampire breathe it in. that’s what the old voodoo woman told us we had to do. Damn Charlie, weren’t you listening?”

             
“Well how are we supposed to do that Kreel? I don’t want to get close enough to her to give that woman a chance to do something else to me.”

             
Kreel stopped walking down the dark country road they were now on leading towards the cemetery. “The old woman said that I just have to make the vampire breathe the powder in. maybe if the witch thought I had finally agreed to be with her, then that would allow me to get close enough to make her breathe it in. It’s the only thing I can think of, but it might just work. I don’t see what else we have to lose.”

             
“And what if she tries to bite us again?” asked Charlie shakily

             
“What makes you think she’s going to bite us again Charlie? Were already vampires, of course I’m still trying to figure out what the hell happened to you.”

             
Charlie lifted his head to look over at Kreel. “I can’t help it Kreel, I just don’t feel like myself. I don’t look all that bad anyways, do I?”

             
Kreel stopped walking and looked over at Charlie. “Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately? Your head looks like something that rolled off the damn turnip truck.” Kreel shook his head. “Of all the fools I get stuck with, I get stuck with you.”

             
Charlie dropped his head and walked down the road behind Kreel slowly.

Chapter Fourteen

             
Maggie clenched her fingers into a fist, allowing the nails to draw blood from the pierced flesh. Her breathing had become erratic, until she felt the madness would devour her thoughts. Looking up into the night sky, her eyes searched the darkness, and knew that the full moon would be upon them soon.

             
She had released Kreel only a night ago. She had thought by doing so that he would change his mind and give himself to her freely. But nothing seemed to be going as she had planned. He had angered her, refusing her as his mate. Even after choosing him, he had accused her of being nothing short of a monster.

             
Her tongue traced the lips that had held his kiss, even if it had been only for a short moment, and then gone just as quickly. Maggie knew the hunger she had felt between them was real; he had wanted her as much as she desired him. She could still remember the hands that had held her, held her to him. From within her mind she relived those short precious moments as the memories of him coursed through her.

             
She had known his every thought, his every desire. She had almost felt him completely give in to her, until he had broken free. She had not bargained on how strong his will would be, and still in the end he had rejected her.

             
And all the while, her desire for him only grew.

             
“No, my love,” she whispered. “No, you are not free. You are mine. You will soon come to see this. You want me. Here”…her words cut short as she listened to the sound that had distracted her. She knew the voice that now approached. A smile broke across her lips, and then parted as the single word escaped them. “Kreel”

             
She wanted more than anything to run to him, to throw herself into his arms. Impatient now, the desire raging in her, she stepped from the clearing, and stood in front of him in the middle of the road.

Chapter Fifteen

              Kreel looked up startled.

             
“I’m as stunned to see you as you are me Kreel, though perhaps not surprised. I’ve been waiting for you to return to me, I knew it was only a matter of time before you would see that I was right.”