Tomorrow's Dead: The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles (34 page)

“What the hell did you do, Poe?” asked Morales harshly.  “This isn’t the Middle East!”

“I shot the guns of those two leeches, and they exploded in their faces.  The rest
you can blame the victims.  They took matters in their own hands.  But luckily they’re
all alive like John Danby asked.  Hope you know how to sew back pervert balls, my
friend.”

S
HE
SHIFTED
AND
LAID
her other cheek against the cold stone of Sainvire’s tomb.  “There’s no more need
for the likes of me, a violent beast.  After two of those leeches died from infection,
everyone looks down on me.  Now they think I’m going to allow victims to cap their
victimizers, which I probably would.  Joseph suggested I plant spring crops in the
Valley.  Imagine me a farmer?  It doesn’t seem so bad really.  I’m actually thinking
about it.  Four days at the field and three here.  The train to North Hollywood is
truly efficient now. 

“Habib sends me the best foods, and no one demands anything of me anymore.  Michelle
is a top-rate law enforcer.  I’ve only seen her twice since you died.  She’s fair,
Percy tells me.  And she can run in high heels.  Killers are obsolete now, and I only
know how to kill.  Thank goodness for Passionada who cooks dinner for me every Friday. 
She’s the only one who treats me like a normal person.

“And you know how clumsy I am at everything else.  I’m useless.  I don’t think Morales
appreciated what I did to those leeches.  Human rights he said.  Yeah, whatever. 
Getting raped is no picnic.  And to tell you the truth the catharsis I saw in those
women’s faces calmed me.  So I’m obsolete, and our friends are pushing me to be Farmer
Julia.”

“On the contrary,” echoed a voice in the empty house of the dead, startling Poe. 
It was Perla.  “Your influence and skills are always needed.  You rescued those women
and brought those leeches in like we asked you to.”

Poe straightened her spine.  She felt embarrassed for talking to the dead.  She removed
the stethoscope from her ears and slowly placed it on the floor.  “You’ve been eavesdropping.”

“Just a little,” said the mother of Plasmacore.

“Not nice,” said Poe.

“I apologize.  I haven’t been nice for a while, but my mind is straight now, and I
am doing my best to help Maple and the rest feed the people left behind.”

“Glad for you.”

“You can join us.  Everyone respects you.”

“F that.  I’m incompetent at everything unrelated to shooting, gutting, and torturing. 
Besides, I’m waiting for Kaleb to wake up.”

“He’s dead, Poe.  The bullet never dislodged from his head.  You’ve got to move on.”

Poe grimaced.  “I’m not as changeable as you, Perla.  First you want to kill leeches. 
Then you’re planning to make their imprisonment sweet and cozy.  I know Sainvire is
alive.  For a dead man, that is.  No amount of dissuasion from my friends can change
my mind.”

“We all appreciate your faith in Sainvire, Poe, but most likely his body has turned
to after-mash.  He’s gone.”

Poe nodded instead of laughing off her friend’s assessment.  “Alright then.  If Kaleb’s
turned into the Swamp Thing, I’ll go to the Valley and plant spring harvest with the
farmers and bring bushels of corn back for you all to consume.  I can’t do much damage
there, can I?  All you have to do is open the crypt.  You’re a vampire now.  You’re
strong enough to slide the lid off.”

Perla was aghast.  “I can’t do that.  That would be desecration.  Joseph would have
my neck.”

“This is between us,” said Poe cunningly.  “No one needs to know.  If we see sludge,
we close the lid, but if his body is intact, then he’s alive and imprisoned.  Either
way, I’m out of the crypt.”

The two debated until Perla’s armor was chinked down to chalk.  Her somewhat chubby
face looked worried.  The scientist didn’t like to do things that didn’t make sense. 
“Fine.  We don’t tell anyone about this.  I need you to move on with your life.  You’re
so young, and you have a long life ahead of you.”

“Sure.  I’ll start dating and traveling to SF and San Diego as an ambassador or whatever. 
I promise.  Just open his crypt.”

Perla shook her head in defeat.  She crossed herself and momentarily bowed her head
at a beatific marble statue of Mary.  With vampiric strength, she pulled the entire
tomb out and placed it on the ground.  Poe’s heart was thudding like a pack of hyenas
was in pursuit.  Perla heaved the lid off effortlessly and gasped.

Sainvire lay in once piece like he’d just fallen asleep.  No sunken cheeks, no smells
of decay.  Three bullets lay by his neck.  His once bald head had grown down to his
ears. 

Poe backed away though her dreams had come true.  She sat under the statue of Mary
and hugged herself. 

“My God, Poe.  You’re right!  He might still be alive,” Perla cried.  “Go get Joseph
and the boys.  Tell them to get down here.”

Poe buried her head in her knees.  “You do it.  I can’t.”

Perla nodded, ran up the stairs to the church, and sought their friends.  As hopeful
as she was, Poe didn’t dare look at him in case his body was merely preserved.  She’d
waited months for this miracle to be revealed.  She’d always known.  They’d only have
to wait for Sainvire to awaken, and all would be stunning again. 

Morales, Joseph, Michelle, Perla, Maple, and Danby arrived within minutes.  Joseph
glanced at Poe who looked like a small child chided for misdeed.  She was rocking
back and forth.  Morales studied Sainvire’s body quickly then knelt next to Poe. 
He hugged her tightly and Poe wound her arms around T-Doc’s neck.  They watched Joseph
examine the uncorrupted body of Sainvire.  With excitement and disbelief in his voice,
he said, “He’s asleep.  My pal must be alive.”

“Let’s take him up to the hospital,” suggested Danby.  “We wouldn’t want him to wake
up in the mausoleum.”

“John’s right,” seconded Maple.  “Let me carry him to the hospital.

Joseph nodded and watched Maple carry Sainvire’s body like it was a pillow.  Joseph
picked up the stethoscope from the ground and walked over to Poe.  With one knee he
knelt in front of her.  His brown eyes were shining.  If vampires could weep, Joseph
would have bawled his eyes out.

“Sis, you were right.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t have your faith.  Even I thought you lost
it, so I ask your forgiveness.”

Morales let go of Poe and sat farther away on the lawn chair.  A Bukowski book lay
by the chair.

Poe shook her head.  “Nothing to forgive.  Nothing at all.  I have lost it.  I stole
Morales’ stethoscope.”  Everyone stared at the device, and their tenseness lifted
at the absurdity.

***

World spread about Kaleb Sainvire like butter on hot bread.  A second wave of Christmas
joy put a smile on those who’d known or been rescued by the selfless vampire.

Poe visited her slumbering love after showering.  She wore her freshest clothes that
added femininity to her usual dry outfit of black t-shirt and olive pants.  The third
day she chose a bright red blouse with gray slacks and red Adidas shoes, the brand
Sainvire preferred.  She stared at the bathroom mirror as a touch of red lipstick
brightened her lips.  Out of embarrassment for being so girly, Poe stopped at that. 
She combed her obsidian hair and debated with herself whether or not to hide her scar
with a concealer.  She decided against it, rationalizing that Kaleb might not recognize
her without the centipede scar.

An excited Joseph knocked on the door of her loft.  “Poe, Kaleb’s alive!  And you
look good,” he threw in.  “Wanna hop on?  I’ll zip us over there.”

“He’s awake?”  Her nerves were buzzing in every fingertip.  Without protestation,
she jumped on Joseph’s back as he ran like a cheetah to the hospital.  Poe was thinking
of her hair when they reached Sainvire’s room. 

He was sitting up and sipping a glass of Plasmacore in his hospital bed.  Laughing
with him was a giddy crowd of 12 of his closest friends, including the pixie-haired
Jenna who refilled his glass with a gleeful smile on her face. 

“Remember when you pulled me out of the burning building outside of Santa Cruz?  I
owe you big for that one, Kaleb,” said the jaunty voice of Jenna.

“Yeah, I remember.  How can I forget?  You were screaming like a banshee,” said Sainvire
in a voice a touch rough from disuse.

Jenna bending over Sainvire made Poe lose her composure.  The tornado that was Joseph
blowdried her hair, and she tried to straighten it.  Everyone kept quiet as Sainvire
looked at Poe with curiosity.  He smiled kindly at her but turned toward Jenna again. 
Poe was crushed. 

Joseph and the buddies in the cramped hospital room shared confused looks.  Joseph
put his arm around Poe’s shoulder and brought her closer to Sainvire’s bed.  “Hey,
Kaleb, here’s Poe.  She insisted you were still alive.”

“Oh my.  Forgive me, Poe.  I thank you for rescuing me.”  He reached for her hand
and squeezed it.  “I’m Kaleb.  Nice to meet you.”

Poe’s limp hand fell on the mattress.  He didn’t recognize her, yet he recognized
everyone else in the room.  Her stomach hurt.  The bullets had erased her from his
memory.

Joseph was as shocked as Poe.  “No.  You don’t realize, Kaleb.  Poe is—”

Poe slapped Joseph’s back to shut him up.  “I’m a big fan of yours.  I’m glad you’re
alive and well.  Nice to meet you, too.”  She flashed white teeth at the vampire she’d
loved her entire adult life and turned to leave.

“Thanks again, Poe.  Say, is that your first or last name?” 

Poe swallowed hard and willed herself not to cry.  “Julia’s my first name.  I’ll see
you around.”

Morales intercepted her in the hallway.  She shrugged.  “That’s just how it is, Morales. 
Besides living through torture, Revenents, and gunshot wounds, I’m really an unlucky
girl.  Don’t feel sorry for me.  At least I can move on with my life.  Sorry about
filching your stethoscope.”

T-Doc stared at the back of Julia Poe.  Her small body ramrod straight, she took the
blow with great aplomb.  His eyes turned misty for his friend.  Fate had a way of
knifing the already downed.  If Poe wouldn’t grieve for her ill fortune, then Morales
would. 

***

Kaleb Sainvire back again was good enough for Poe, so she told herself.  She didn’t
weep that he no longer loved her.  She was a stranger to him, and she was too tired. 
An asterisk in an outdated history book. 

For the past month she avoided people she knew.  With enthusiasm she worked with scholarly
humans and vamps to restore the Central Library.  She voluntarily scrubbed soot from
the walls and restore books that survived the fire from Quillon Trench’s bombardment
of the sacred place of learning.  Hardly anyone chit-chatted in the tradition of quiet
in the library and fear that the librarian would shush their voices.  She preferred
it that way.

Downtown was small despite its dense development pattern, and she was bound to run
into him.  Passionada’s well intended love match angered Poe so much that she didn’t
talk to the woman for weeks.  She invited Poe for their usual Friday dinners where
the voluptuous woman cooked gourmet food for the two of them and watched a movie or
two.  The shock she received when she found Sainvire on the couch sipping Plasmacore
from a pink mug overwhelmed her.  She had no idea the vampire was going to stop by,
and the experience proved awkward. 

Passionada left them as often as she could with the usual excuses of putting a proper
dinner together.  Poe swore to give Passionada a piece of her mind as soon as the
sham of a dinner was over. 
Kaleb didn’t even eat human food
, she thought angrily.

The master vampire was dressed in dark slacks, a white long-sleeved work shirt, and
tie.  Something he never would have worn.  “I’ve been meaning to see you sooner, Julia,
but you’re a hard woman to find.”

“Been working at the library,” said Poe curtly.  She felt uncomfortable wearing black
Adidas running pants and an “Am I Chopped Liver?” t-shirt. 

“Ah yes.  That’s what Passionada was saying,” he said.  His startling gray eyes twinkled. 
“How do you like it?”

“Pretty fun.”  She looked at the kitchen door and grunted.  Passionada was being too
obvious.  “Listen.  I’m not hungry, so I’ll leave you to have supper with Passionada.”

Sainvire’s face darkened.  “But everyone’s been saying that we need to talk.”

“Well that’s their problem.  I see no need to talk about the past, especially since
you don’t know anything about me.  You’re not the Kaleb I used to know.”

“We were lovers?  I loved you?”

Poe’s throat constricted.  “Was is the operative word.  We’re nothing to each other
now.  I’m completely over you,” she lied.  “Feel free to live your life.  You and
I don’t owe each other anything.”

“But they said you listened to my crypt—”

“Fuck this shit,” mumbled Poe while rising.  “Tell Passionada to stuff her Tofurky
where the sun don’t shine, alright?  And stay away from me, Kaleb Sainvire.  I’m extremely
allergic to you and your downsized personality.”

She bolted out of the room and ran down the emergency stairs.  By the time she reached
the bottom level, Sainvire was waiting for her with a raised eyebrow.  “You’re the
little hero that saved Downtown and the love of my life they say.”

“Well they’re exaggerating,” said Poe, pushing him out of the way.  She stepped out
into the moonless night and inhaled the fresh air.  There was no need to carry flashlights
any longer since the streetlights had been restored.  “They just want a soap opera. 
If I were you I’d shack up with Jenna and have vampire babies.  The men of my life
both died last year.”

“So bitter,” he said in a deep voice.  “For a hero.”

Poe turned to face the tall vampire with an imperfect face and said, “I’m no hero. 
I was a butcher that just happened to save a few people along the way.  I don’t love
you, and I don’t expect you to love me.  You don’t know me, and I sure as hell don’t
know you.”