Dracula: Hearts of Fire (Dracula Heart's) (30 page)

    “What’s it like to be human?”

    “
Yes, well, you were human once.
What’s it like to be a red sheriff then?”

    “
I’m not sure how to answer that. Let’s just say that it’s a serious job and leave it at that. I’m
sure you don’t want any of
the gory details.
A vampire can get used to anything
, including dealing with death.
Dealing with the bad guys does help to a degree
but death is a one-way street
.
But at
least I hear that the Master
is finally getting involved.”

    “What do you mean by that?”

   
“He’s going make more red sheriffs, and hopefully in time people can feel safe again.
Unfortunately I think
it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
”

    Abbey received her cards from Alexander, and again she was looking at four aces. She smiled at him. “Obviously some reverse cheating going on here.
You know that I really don’t care if I lose.
”

    “What, I didn’t give you four aces.
Did I?
”

  
She smiled at him.
“I hear the ceremony to turn vampires into red sheriffs is quite elaborate. Is it true?”

    “It is true but that’s all I’ll say about that.
We are sworn to secrecy.
”

    Abbey reached out and touched his hand, wanting to see if he would pull away but he di
dn’t. It was as if time had halted for a brief moment.
“
It sounds exciting.
Alexander, are you married?”

    “No.”

    “Are you seeing someone?”

    “I’m seeing you.”

    “No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

    “I’ll be seeing you if you’ll allow me?
I am aware of our mutual attraction.
”

   
Abbey was tired
.
“Oh. Ah, yes, I think I’d like that.
I’m so tired that I don’t think my brain is functioning properly.
”

    Alexander reached out and took her hand in his and they stared into each other’s eyes. “
Relax, I don’t bite. Well, I do bite but I won’t bite you.
What would you like to do for a first date?
New York is a wonderful place for first dates.
We could take a long walk through Central Park?
We could take a ride in a buggy?
”

    Abbey smiled as she thought on it, looking a lot like a little girl with a big revelation. “Well, it might be silly but I’d like to see the polar bears at the Central
Park Zoo.
I’ve seen polar bears on television but never in the flesh.
”

    “Not silly at all. We can go this afternoon if you like.”

    “Arym is going out with one of those vampires to learn
how to become a proper vampire
or whatever it is they do
, so we’ll have some alone time.”

    “It’s a date then.”

    “Okay.”

    “My mother will absolutely freak if she finds out.”

    “Abbey, it’s not too late to cancel. We can stop this thing before it starts if you so wish.
You need to do what’s best for you.
”

   Abbey con
sidered it briefly. “No, no. I was just thinking out loud.
How old are you by the way?
I don’t mean to be nosy
but with vampire
s
it’s really hard to tell.
”

    “
I’m
s
eventeen hundred and thirty-four.”

    “Really?
Wow.
You don’t look a day over sixteen hundred.”

    “I use Oil of Olay.”

    “Let me tell you it works
.”

    They
couldn’t help but laugh.

CHAPTER
THIRTY-FOUR

    Insanity had come to visit and had brought plenty of luggage. It made itself comfortable b
ut caused
its host
to be
confused and irritable. Illogical stuff was going on in that mind. The brain had commenced to atrophy
, and small tumors would now be visible on a scan
.
Hallucinations were only a part of it; the way his thoughts were now processed was also aberrant.
Keith stood naked in the middle of the I-95 highway and didn’t like the look of the approaching transport truck. It was black in color and seemed to him that it was a harbinger of bad luck, and sure enough when it hit him it broke every bone in his body and squashed his head like a pumpkin falling from a great height.

    When the trucker turned his head from drinking his coffee he saw the vampire heal; Earl
released his brakes and
continued on its way to avoid a pileup.
The vampire staggered off into the forest feeling vindicated, that black truck had indeed been bad luck, and he had the headache to prove it.
He was seeing things that weren’t there, and some things that were present he
couldn’t see. He ran into the same large tree several times. Vampire insanity
could be temporary or permanent; it could last for years, and
usually ended with the death of the biter.

  
In the woods he stumbled upon a skunk, which to Keith looked like a juicy bag of blood.
He could detect the life sustaining blood in it but not much more.
He
s
talked it cautiously, and each time the animal looked toward him he feigned ignorance.
When he grabbed the animal it of course released its ill-smelling fluid, and as he drank its b
lood it didn’t taste much better
.
Having not quite drained all of the mammal’s blood before he tossed it, and using just the right part of his brain he
inadvertently
created a vampire skunk. The skunk turned on Keith in his state of insanity, sucked more
blood out of the vampire than he
had sucked out of it, and blurred off into the forest in its new state to explore its surroundings and test its new skills.
Keith had created the very first vampire skunk in history.

    Sitting on the forest floor he tried to concentrate on what was happening but it wasn’t easy. His eyes burned and watered from his encounter with the skunk. His nakedness was comfortable enough but wouldn’t be so comfortable for others to see. Keith was so hairy that he could almost pass for a werewolf.
His heart
pumped once which released a rush of endorphins, and it felt like someone had covered him with a warm blanket on a cold winter night.
Keith had the silliest look
of satisfaction on his face.
Life was now upside down in so many ways.

    “You should probably run.”

    Keith quickly looked from one side to the other. “What? Who said that?”

    “I did.”

     “Where are you?”

    “I’m right here.” The oak tree looked down at him.

    “Trees can’t talk.”

    “That bear is going to maul you.”

    “I don’t see a bear.” W
ith that the black bear was on him and took the back of his head off with a mighty swipe. The powerful animal co
uldn’t stand the stench of skunk
and so it ran off
, perhaps saving the vampire’s life.
It had certainly been strong enough to take his head off.

   
As Keith healed he stared up at the tree. “What kind of tree are you anyway?”

    “I’m an oak tree.”

    “Will you be my friend? I don’t have any friends.”

    “I will certainly be your friend. I’ll be your best friend.”

    Keith started to cry
and tears ran down his face
. “I’ve never had a best friend.
” He hugged
the tree repeatedly.
Finally he had found a real friend.
“Come on, let’s
do lunch.”

    “I can’t move, I’m a tree.”

   
Keith and his now inferior brain were trying hard to make sense out of the situation. It would start in the general direction of reality but it was easily distracted. In fact just about anything could take its attention, even things that weren’t there.
“How long you been here?”

    “I don’t know
. Time is slow for trees. A million
years maybe but that’s just a guess.”

    “
Oh.” Keit
h was saddened
that the tree couldn’t budge
. “
The hell with that, come on!” Keith
pulled the tree out by its roots
and dragged
it behind him. “
Boy, s
omething stinks around here.”