OV: The Original Vampire (Book #1) (3 page)

Josie couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Vinnie. He looked the same the day he was handcuffed in front of her. He smiled:

“Josie?”

She grabbed the railing by the two guys. She laughed awkwardly and felt dizzy.

“Is he for real?” She asked them. The guys laughed.

“Josie, it’s me!” He said from the water. “Watch this!” He got onto the cliff and climbed its ridge to the top. It was nearly fifty feet up. He lunged o
ut and formed a cannonball. He opened his body and did three rotations until slicing beautifully into the deep blue. There wasn’t a sound of him hitting the water. He surfaced.

“Vinnie, do the gold medal special.” One of the guys said.

Vinnie climbed up again and sprung backwards and did twists and turns that were executed so fast that Josie couldn’t comprehend what happened.

“That was five front flips and four Jack knives.” Vinnie said.

He got out of the water and climbed onto the bridge. His wet black hair hid his muscular neck. He hadn’t aged a day, but his eyes held
a wisdom she’d never seen before.

“Wasn’t it just last week we were at the rally?” Vinnie said to Josie with a smile.

Josie was still tongue-tied. All she could do was try not to cry. She looked out at the lake. He waited for her to speak. The other guys climbed the cliff and climbed higher until they vanished into the forest.

“Jesus Vinnie, what happened? You were gone just like that.”

“They had to lock me up. It’s just a game they play. ‘Tit for tat,’ if they really looked closer they would’ve been scared.” Vinnie said.

“What are you going to do now?” She asked.

“My friends and I are waiting for the right moment.”

“Right moment?”

“They’re taking more forest than ever Josie. We have to stop them.” He said.

“They’re
gonna kill you Vinnie. I finally get to see you again and you’re gonna get killed or locked up again.”

Josie spoke comfortably with him, like they were never separated. It was like the next day in class after the rally. Time was elusive, Josie thought. Vinnie stood there. He offered no solution, but was ready for anything. She saw his heartbeat. His veins on his biceps were larger than an ordinary man’s. She spoke up:

“Life has been shit to me Vinnie. You have to see it to believe it.” She said.

“I would. Where - when?”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that.” She looked back at the lake. “I’m in Forks. I work at a grease spoon. It’s next to the garden supply on the edge of town. We have a live band every other Saturday night. They’re playing tomorrow. You should come, if you want to. . .”

“See you then Josie.” He then cupped his hands and made a wild animal noise that ricocheted off the mountainside. His two friends were way up there, as they ran off the cliff’s edge and fell towards the water. It was at least three hundred feet. Josie shrieked
when they jumped and grabbed Vinnie’s arm. The guys fell into the water with a tremendous splash. Josie’s breathing was quickened by feeling his naked skin.

“Okay. Bye Vinnie.” She said, after gaining her composure.

Josie walked the long trail back. Her feet seemed lighter. She felt sexy, a little devious, like high school. She imagined holding Daira’s hand on the walk home. She skipped a few steps, took a deep breath and looked up at the massive trees. They stilled waved at her.

Her shoulders dropped when she saw her dusty car sitting alone in the parking lot. The fun was over. She called her boss and fabricated an apology.

Saturday afternoon was a time for sloth. The community of Forks sat in restaurants all morning, drinking coffee and talking. The only people who exerted any energy were the kids who played softball, basketball, or skateboarded.

Josie went to work and washed herself as best as she could in the bathroom. She was nervous. Her legs shook on the toilet as she applied makeup. She could hear the drunks laughing. It was a good day if they were already laughing, she thought. It was a beautiful day, the sun erased all the shadows, but Josie was in Hell. . .

She would have to endure the same greasy hands pinching and patting her ass all night. And, then there’s Tom. A wave of fear rushed over her spine as she thought about his empty eyes before the knuckles impacted. What a sick world, if I were a cow I would be hamburger right now, she concluded. She ties her apron and enters the bar. The drunks are happy to see her. She takes her first order. She hates even the words of food: “Small chili, side of fries.” Demeaning phrases for a server, the service industry is a whore, she thought.

It’s approaching seven. The band starts bringing in their equipment. The singer taps the
mic and in a deep voice speaks into it: “Test. Test.” There are three lights over the stage: red, white and blue. The lights reflect off the cigarette smoke. Moments later, the drummer hits the snare drum to start the first song. Josie eventually gets into the groove of things and delivers food quickly and cracks a couple of jokes with the regulars. No Tom. More cheeseburgers ate, more beer guzzled, more shit defecated. No Tom. . .

The lights dim, as a single light shone on the guitarist. He strummed the beginning of Stairway to Heaven. Some of the customers thought it was suicide for a band to play, but Josie smiled, as it was funny, beautiful and ludicrous at the same time. She laughed out loud. It was a kind of laughter that purged many emotions at once. She had been through a lot the last two days. The song began to take on a life of its own, as the smile on Josie’s face subsided. She placed her elbows on the bar and listened. The whole crowd seemed mesmerized now, like when the Doors first played the Roxy. Josie’s lips parted as the notes of the song did something to her. She noticed the front door opened. Three dark figures moved in. One figure moved forward.

There was Vinnie standing in front of her. His teeth were whiter than pearl. He defied the natural progression of aging. He was the same Vinnie as in college. It astounded her.

“Vinnie!”
She hugged him.

The song still played as he grabbed her hand. His skin was dry, warm and cool at the same time. She felt a warm rush over her body. He led her to the middle of the dance floor. All the anxiety she felt the last few days subsided. She felt safe, like in a warm cocoon, or in a hot bath on opium.

He pulled her close. She could feel the hard surfaces of his torso. He had on a tight black turtleneck. It wasn’t something worn in Forks. Blue collar couples dancing stared at him. Josie smiled. She didn’t care. She had been lifted to heaven, suspended above the idiocy, the lobotomized civility of Forks.

She couldn’t forget that little kiss fifteen years ago, the way he playfully unfolded her bottom lip. She wanted the flood gate open, a shower of passion to wash over them.

The band was lost again in a musical tangent, as Josie got swept away without a trace of evidence of being swept away by the onlookers. Vinnie swayed her, holding all her weight in his arms. Her feet left the ground. She looked around as if on a merry-go-round. The cigarette stained walls and cracked picture frames didn’t break her bliss. Hearing the bartender yell her name didn’t stop her either. They were like ants around her feet. Just as the song stopped, the second bartender ran up to them:

“He’s here.”

Before the bartender could turn around and walk back to the bar, Tom threw a punch that careened off the cheek of the bartender and hit Vinnie in the shoulder. Vinnie’s eyes lit up. His jawline hardened like stone. His skin seemed to turn white.

Josie touched Vinnie’s arm. It was like the logging rally all over.

“No Vinnie.” She said.

Tom walked closer. Tom and Vinnie were face to face. Tom’s beer belly had
untucked his shirt from his pants. His hair was messy, but the adrenalin of the fight made his body stout. Vinnie didn’t wait for preliminaries. His two friends watched from the side. Vinnie knelt to the floor and drew an insignia of some kind with his fingers on the floor. Then, he shot up towards the ceiling, while digging his fingers into the neck and under the chin of Tom, as Tom piled in on himself onto the floor. Vinnie shot glances at everyone. His eyes were like a cougar’s. He grabbed Josie’s hand as they quickly departed. His two friends stood in front of the door after they left so no one could leave. His friends looked like punk rockers, but with more power and it was enough to stifle the rednecks from chasing Vinnie.

Vinnie drove Josie’s car out of town.

“Oh my God, Vinnie! Oh my God, Tom!” Josie screamed.

Vinnie stared at the road in silence. He waited for her to calm down.

“We can’t ever go back there, Vinnie.”

A wave of emotions passed through her. One minute she was crying and the next, laughing. He glanced over and watched her. The car was silent now and it was late. Vinnie watched Josie’s speed radar for any State Patrol signals. If there was a signal he would turn off the highway. Josie fell asleep on Vinnie’s lap, exhausted, as he drove through the National Forest.

She awoke to the sound of water crashing. She opened her eyes and saw his shirt. He was holding her. The moon revealed the white bubbles of the waterfall. They were on a bridge suspended over a rushing river, near a massive waterfall.

“Where are we?” She asked.

“Marymere Falls.” Vinnie said.

“I didn’t even feel you walking.” She said.

“I flexed my calve muscles.” He smiled.

The moon made everything salt & pepper colored. They were alone in a vast wilderness. The sound of rushing water was hypnotic. He held her and didn’t let go. He started walking.

“Where are we going?” She asked.

“To our home.”
He said.

He walked back down from the river onto the pine covered trail. The sound of the rushing water became softer, until it was just the sound of Vinnie’s shoes on the trail. She leaned her head against his chest and listened to his heart. She wondered if it was like hers.
He turned a corner and started to climb a steep trail. It zigzagged up the mountainside. His heartbeat thumped against her head. Her breath quickened as she imagined that she was under him.

They reached a plateau. I t was like a secret forest. He lied her down on the mossy forest floor and took his shirt off. He lied next to her and stole kisses. She closed her eyes and watched him make love to her on her eyelids. It was like a vision. The vision multiplied and it seemed he had already made love to her a thousand times. It was like her life flashed before her eyes, but it was if impending love, not death.

The dawn approached with various birds in the trees singing. Josie felt paralyzed. Her body smelled sweet. She felt like she had been engulfed in an orgy. Vinnie lied naked next to her. She wanted to look at it, but she didn’t want him to see her looking.

“Where are we?” She asked.

“Storm king.”

“What are we going to do? I’m hungry.” She said.

He reached for his pants’ pocket and pulled out a clear crystal.

“Dissolve it under your tongue.” He said.

It tasted bitter. It tasted like burning roses would taste. Her feet began to twitch. There were jolts of energy coursing down her legs. She wanted to run. First, she wanted to jump on top of him. She felt giddy, almost too comfortable around him, as if she lost her virginity last night and she wanted more.

“
let’s get going.” He said.

They got dressed and looked around. The trail ahead of them climbed high into the forest.

“We have to go up.” He said, sensing her reluctance. They hiked for hours. He walked in front of her and the scent of his body turned her on. They made it to the top of Storm king. They could see the whole peninsula. It was late afternoon. He noticed a thin stream of smoke coming from the trees down below.

“Come on.” He said.

They walked down the other side of the mountain. It was almost dark when they heard voices. There was a bonfire that pushed red embers into the sky. They crept closer. Josie felt light-headed. There was something bothering her. They heard laughter and rock music. There was an aluminum cylinder that reflected firelight in the corner. Two guys stood next to it and drank from it. It was a keg.

Josie stood up and walked towards them.

“Josie no!” Vinnie said. She kept walking.

“Hey Larry!
Hey. . .Larry!” She said. “It’s me, Josie.”

Vinnie stayed behind. He heard her talking to the guys. There were a lot of grunts, laughter and one-worded statements. Vinnie shook his head. He placed a crystal under his tongue and waited. Josie began to introduce Vinnie and waved him over. The crystal had dissolved, as a wicked disassociation entered Vinnie’s Consciousness. His heart shrunk as his muscles grew. Ready for combat, it took all of Vinnie’s strength to refrain from violence.

“Hey, nice to meet you.” Larry said, as Vinnie came out from the woods and shook his hand. Vinnie was not accustomed to formalities, or even normalities. Being around people made Vinnie sick. He looked around as if the woods were spinning. He felt the heat of the fire. One of the guys wearing a Big Mac shirt stared at him.

“Hey man.” The guy spoke. “You look really familiar.”