Elizabeth and the Vampire's Cabin (18 page)

"This
is the IFFD. You can keep it in your pocket. Look at the arrow, and point it
away from you. Aim that arrow at our agent and push the button. If he's within
a few meters of you, then you'll be able to hit him."

"I'm
in."

"Sign
some forms and we'll make you an agent for a day."

"Wait,"
she said. "How am I getting out of the big force field with Aaron?"

"Once
we abduct our agent, we can undue it. You just make sure you taze him with the
IFFD."

She
signed the forms. Mr. Lion extended his hand to her and they shook hands.

"Rest
here today," he said. "We have a nice bed for you. We'll send you
back before nightfall."

"I'd
rather just go back now. I should be with Aaron."

"I
understand.
 
I know you're taking a risk.
If you would like to be with your friend, then you should be with him. Just
stay in that chair and it will only be a moment."

A
moment later she was engulfed by blue light and she was plummeting rapidly
towards the earth.

Chapter
22: Preparation

Aaron
woke up and flew down from the cave ceiling. The light was dim outside, and he
could tell the sun had almost completely set. He fluttered down to the ground
and turned back into a human. He heard the loud rush of water crashing down
into the stream below him, and he hoped Elizabeth had been able to sleep well.
It was always a given that he would sleep. But he knew half vampires did not
slip into the almost mandatory coma-like sleep that came over all
vampires.
 
All the noise had to make
falling into a deep sleep difficult for her.

He
went to Elizabeth and was surprised that she was still asleep.
 
She typically slept less than him. He could
sleep twelve to thirteen hours, whereas she only needed between seven and
eight. She was still in human form and curled up in the fetal position. Her
head rested on her arms. Aaron watched her for a moment as she rested so
peacefully. He didn't want to wake her. But he knew they needed to move on
quickly. The sooner they found Kyla the better. He believed in Elizabeth's
dreams and knew they had been accurate so far. A part of him believed Kyla was
already dead. But if there was even a chance that they could save her life then
they needed to hurry.

He
gently woke Elizabeth by rubbing one of her shoulders. She yawned and slowly
opened her eyes. She looked up at him and gave him a radiant smile.

"Good
evening, Liz," he greeted warmly. "I think it's time to get
moving." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Not
yet," she replied. She stuck her hand into her pocked and withdrew the
IFFD.

Chapter
23: A Plan in Action

Aaron
and Elizabeth stood in front of Kyla's body. They were both in
tears--particularly Aaron. Kyla had always been one of his favorites. He had
hoped to have her in his life for eternity.
 
As he continued to sob for several minutes, there was no doubt in his
mind that he had loved her. In a way, she had been his first love, even though
that love had been platonic. Thousands of years after their first meeting, he
couldn't help but think, It's true what they say. You never forget your first
love.

Elizabeth,
on the other hand, cried for the same reason Aaron had cried when Ren died.
Aaron cried because Kyla was crying. And now Elizabeth cried because Aaron was
crying. She couldn't help but think, Love is painful.

Once
they had pulled themselves together, Elizabeth locked eyes with Aaron. He told
her with his eyes that now was the time. Elizabeth screamed loudly. The whole
island could probably hear it. Anybody within the force field definitely would have
heard it.

"I
can't take this anymore! You're destroying me," she screamed. "Kyla
is dead because of your pride. You can't let anyone else have your girl. Ren
and Kyla didn't have to die. You could have just voluntarily given me up. This
is your fault!" She sunk down next to Kyla's body and wept over it. The
tears were no act, though everything else certainly was. She hoped their
dialogue would fool the agent and not sound too contrived.

She
could hear the rustle of alarmed birds and other animals. This was good. Surely
that secret agent had to be on his way soon.

"You're
hysterical!" Aaron yelled back at her. "But you're right. If I can't
have you, then no one will."

He
charged her. She had already dipped her throwing knife in Kyla's blood. One she
stood up, she leaped at Aaron and pretended to stab him with the blood knife.
He fake moaned and clutched at the knife against his chest. He drew his coat
around him and fell to the floor convulsing. He then lay still, face down on
the ground. Elizabeth hoped the agent wouldn't think to turn him over. Aaron's
porcelain skin, so healthy compared to Ren's purple, asphyxiated face, would
have been a dead giveaway for their ruse.

And
then she heard someone approaching. He was coming from behind Aaron's body. She
held her breath and her heart beat jumped up into her skull. The agent was fast
approaching through the trees. She could make out the outline of his body. This
was no ordinary person. He moved so quickly she could barely see him even with
half vampire eyes. He moved fast enough to rival even Aaron. She gripped the
tazer in her pocket. But the mystery agent suddenly stopped behind Aaron's
body. She saw him perfectly. And then she screamed out, "Gar???!!!"

Before
Gar could get even a word out, she drew the IFFD and tazed him. The force of
the taze knocked Gar to the ground. Aaron sprang up onto his feet and quickly
moved to Elizabeth. They couldn't ask any more questions of Gar or how he came
to be there. The alien spacecraft had already shown up, shot down a beam of
light, and Gar was fast moving up into the sky. When Gar's body disappeared
into the spaceship, Aaron and Elizabeth thought it would soon leave. But the
spaceship still hovered. Just when they both started wondering what it was
still sticking around for, it quickly zipped away. A letter lay where the beam
of light was. Aaron opened it and they read it together.

Elizabeth,

Thank
you for your assistance. I know I promised to undue the force field, but
maintenance has informed me that it could be up to an hour to undue our agent's
force field. Rest assured, the field will be taken down and this will all be
over soon.

Signed,

Mr.
Lion

Elizabeth
and Aaron stood for a moment, unsure what to do. Finally, Aaron pocketed the
letter and laid down on the ground. He spread his arms and legs wide and
smiled. Elizabeth laid down next to him.

"I'm
just so glad it's over," he said. "And you're safe. I can't believe
it. This all looked so hopeless." He frowned then. "But what I don't
understand is how Gar somehow came back from the dead."

"Maybe
he wasn't really dead."

"No!
He was dead. I have a better sense of smell than you do and that was definitely
a rotting, dead body mingled with the scent of Gar."

"I
guess it doesn't matter now, does it? Speaking of the dead, I think we should
bury Ren and Kyla. Let's put them behind the waterfall in the alcove. I think
it would be a perfect burial place. It could be like a crypt."

"I
think that's a good idea," Aaron said.

Elizabeth
grabbed Kyla and carried her to the alcove. Aaron had gone to fetch Ren. It was
precarious carrying Kyla behind the waterfall. She had to move with her back to
the wall, facing the falling water, and the ledge was only a little wider than
the length of her own feet. But, somehow, she managed to gently edge Kyla and
herself into the alcove. Then she ceremoniously laid Kyla down. Tears swam in
her eyes. Thank you for giving your life for me and rest in peace, she thought.

Soon
after, Aaron showed up carrying Ren. He called for Elizabeth and asked her to
carry Ren into the alcove. His large feet would make it too difficult for him
to carry her through the narrow passageway. Elizabeth noticed he looked
strange. When she asked him what was the matter, he replied, "I just
walked past the place where we found Gar's body. And you know what? It's still
there! Elizabeth, it's still there! Hanging dead as a doornail from a giant
tree. How is that possible?!

"Aaron,
I have no idea. How are vampires possible? How are force fields possible? We'll
figure it out later."

Elizabeth
carried Ren into the alcove and Aaron followed. And then Aaron turned to her.

"We'll
do the burial later, when Joe and Cal can make it. Typically, for a cave
burial, we used to lay rocks, branches, and vegetation on top of the person to
send them back into the earth. And then we would wish them well in their
afterlife."

They
mournfully sat by the corpses, silently meditating and sending out prayers for
the two dead women. After about ten minutes, Aaron spoke again.

"Elizabeth,
you have been wonderful. And I've promised you that I would release you by the
end of the month. Well, we're nearly there. Tomorrow, I'm sending you home.
Marnie and Lyle will sail with you and the dogs to shore. They will help you as
much as you like. If you want, they'll take you all the way to your brother's fiancé’s
in Texas."

"I'm
not going."

"What?"

"I
want to stay on this island with you. I've wanted this my whole life. I just
didn't know. I want us to share this island, in a cabin with a white picket
fence, and our two English Foxhounds."

"Elizabeth,
no. You don't want to stay with me. You have a life to live. A very long life.
You'll grow old, while I stay the same. The resentment you'll feel will only be
natural. And I don't want you to grow old thinking that you wasted your life
with a Neanderthal. In this case a literal Neanderthal. What about Arthur? He
loves you. I know you can't make love, but he's someone you can go through life
with. You guys will grow old together. That's how it's supposed to be.

Elizabeth
said nothing. Aaron wondered if she would hate him. She stayed deathly quiet,
which worried him. And then she darted out of the alcove and jumped into the
stream. Aaron jumped in after her. They came up in the water and she swam away
from him. But he caught up with her. He grabbed ahold of her on the muddy bank
and pinned her on her stomach. She sputtered at the taste of mud in her mouth.

"What
are you doing!" he yelled.

"See,
you do want me to stay with you. You're chasing me."

"Oh
my God, Elizabeth. You are the most manipulative woman I've ever met. It's
because you're still a teenager."

Elizabeth
turned around from under him and she laid on her back in the mud.

"I'm
covered in mud. I think these clothes are going to have to come off."

She
pushed him off and took her clothes off. Then she jumped into the water. Aaron
watched her feeling beaten. Then he took off his own clothes and jumped in
after her. Their heads popped up above the water and they reached for each
other. Aaron kissed her long and hard while he held her close to him.

"I'm
an idiot. Don't ever leave me," he whispered in her ear.

An Epilogue in Space

Somewhere
in space, the Ukla drifted listlessly. It was everything that Mr. Lion had said
it was to Elizabeth: a flying city in outer space. In the front of the ship,
where the two famous "elephant ears" were, there lay most of the
living quarters, cafeterias, offices, research libraries, some small
restaurants, and a few convenience stores. Their entertainment venues were a
large movie theater and theater for live performances. This general region was
where the majority of the work was done, and there were many who enjoyed a good
show after work. In the center of the Ukla was where the inhabitants went to
"play". They had a dirt trail that worked as a track, a gym, and more
stores and restaurants. The only thing out of place in this section of the Ukla
was the large hospital that tended to everyone on the ship. Or maybe it was not
so out of place. Sports injuries were not so out of place. In the back of the
ship were the luxury living quarters. This was where the most prestigious
inhabitants lived. The ones who were considered indispensable. Mr. Lion lived
in this area. However, Detective Blord did not.

Detective
Blord, a lanky blue alien--very humanoid in appearance--left his office in
Gorla Hall. Gorla was one of the larger office buildings on the Ukla. It was
also one of the more unique. It was a giant, open, eight story hallway with
bridges, stairwells, and elevators connecting the two sides and different
stories. Many considered Gorla to be one of the most beautiful structures on
the spaceship. This feat impressed Detective Blord who reasoned that it was
really only a glorified hallway. But there was something about its deep red
bricks, white, stone archways, zigzagging stairs made of lava rocks, and
sparkling glass elevators that brought the word "important" to mind
for most who looked at the structure. Blord, though he would always think of it
as "the glorified hallway," also looked on it with reverence and
would tread lightly on its firm staircases, not lean against the glass in the
elevators, and kept his office cleaner than he had ever kept any of his own
living quarters.