Vampire World (19 page)

TRYING
TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL

Recalling all
the vampires who had been spying on me recently, the first thing I did after
standing up was look around for anyone suspicious. It seemed all clear.

Surprisingly,
all the cuts and bruises I'd collected during the insect attack were now gone.
I felt fine physically, although very confused. Should I listen to Martin and
stop following my mysterious stranger's instructions? Or was my messenger
telling the truth? Damn, I simply didn’t know.

Just as I was
about to go inside the house, I spotted a new letter lying on the grass. I
opened it and read.

'Janice, I
want to apologize to you for what happened, and I’m very glad you’re alive. I
wasn’t aware that the security cameras in the organization’s tunnels were
active. Please understand that my intentions are not to harm you, but to help
you discover the truth about your life. And remember, there is nothing greater
than the truth, even if you have to endure the trials it takes to reach it. I
am thankful that you were rescued, but please understand this. Your rescuers do
not want you to know the truth. They want you to be hidden in the darkness of
lies and never see the divine light of what’s real. I’m asking you this. Do not
listen to them. They want you to stop discovering my secrets. But you must
understand that my secrets are your secrets! Please do not underestimate the
truth,
Janice. It may not seem like much right now. But I promise you,
if you are loyal to my cause, good things…make that great things...will come to
you.

Now I can’t
promise that you won’t face further danger. But I will try to do everything
possible to protect you. If you choose to reach closer to the truth, here is
your next task. I know about the one you call Rob. He’s been passionate about
you ever since you rejected him. He’s also dangerous, as you already know. And
here’s another thing: He just got inducted into the organization that you have
learned about. I want you to get a date with Rob ASAP. He can teach you many
things about TriFang. I know you’re in love with someone else, but I said date,
not relationship. Be very cautious around Rob. Most importantly, ask him about
the blood that the organization drinks. It holds a very dark and important
secret that applies to you. You need to figure this out. Be very careful and
make
wise decisions. And please, arm yourself with the stakes that I
gave you. I will try my best to help. You must listen to me, Janice. Good
luck.'

I rested my
weary body inside my coffin, thinking about my secret watcher and becoming ever
more irritated. He'd already damn near got me killed. Now he wanted me to lie
to that creep Rob about liking him. The temptation to refuse was powerful. But
what if he was telling the truth? What if an important secret about my past
really did exist?

Somehow I fell
asleep that night, though it was tough. After just being kidnapped, I was wary
of all my surroundings.

I had the next
day off. So did Mr. FreeCut, which gave us both a rare chance to spend time
together. Our bond had grown beautifully and I truly loved him.

“You’re going to
really enjoy seeing the capitol building,” he said while serving me yummy and
very bloody bacon and eggs. “I want you to learn something about the government
of Vampire World.”

Even as he
spoke, I couldn’t stop thinking about the previous night. I wondered how my
watcher has managed to put a tracking device on me. I hadn't seen him come into
the house, so the whole thing did not make an ounce of sense. I shivered,
realizing that he may have been monitoring my every move. Then another
intriguing thought occurred: Could one of the masked persons who had rescued me
from the forest be my watcher? Hmmmm….

“What’s wrong,
Janice?” Mr. FreeCut asked.

I played it off.
“I’m good. By the way, I really love your eggs.”

He smiled.
“Thanks. Your hair looks great.”

The weather was
good when we set off in Mr. FreeCut's car to the capitol building, a place I’d
never been to before. The blood-red sky was clear and beautiful as the metallic
spikes of downtown buildings came into view. One of the buildings was far
higher and more impressive than the others.

“That’s it,” Mr.
FreeCut said. “I think every vampire should know about our virtuous government,
and most importantly, the freedom we have in Vampire World to vote and elect
our officials. The only rogue state that borders us is a dictatorship. Its name
is BloodFall. Vampires there lack the freedom we enjoy and sometimes take for
granted.”

I was intrigued
as my caretaker rambled on.

“It is important
to know that Vampire World is not only the name of our planet, but also the
name of the wonderful country we live in. With the exception of the land
claimed by BloodFall, the country of Vampire World covers all the rest of the
planet.”

Mr. FreeCut drove
right up to the mammoth, spike-shaped capitol building. Rocketing into the sky,
the crimson granite structure took my breath away. Hundreds of steps led up to
its imposing entrance at the widest part of the building.

“I want to
introduce you to a senator who’s a special friend of mine,” Mr. FreeCut said.
“His name is Senator BloodHunt. His two young children are visiting him as
well. I promise you you’ll like him.”

We climbed the
steps, which were steep as hell. I nervously clasped Mr. FreeCut’s hand.

“Just don’t look
down,” he said. “It will be alright.”

We neared the
entrance that was flanked by impressive Gothic pillars with golden snakes
winding around them. Lifelike statues of vampires lined the red carpeted
walkway leading right up to the main door.

“These are past
senators that the citizens elected,” Mr. FreeCut explained. “You see, the
people vote the senators into office, after which they suggest laws that they
feel are in the best interests of the people. Then they vote on those laws.”

“Well, it sounds
a lot better than a dictatorship,” I replied.

“Trust me, it
is. You would not want to grow up in BloodFall. You'd hate it.”

We went inside.
Just like every other building in Vampire World, it was dark and murky.
 
But there was a majestic charm present
too, and the indoor pillars sparkled vividly. I looked up and marveled at the
interior of this endless spike. It went on forever, up, up and away.

We came to a
reception desk. After receiving clearance from an elegantly dressed vampire, we
stepped through a door and into darkness.

We were now in a
dungeon-like hallway that meandered like a maze. My legs hurt as we climbed
precarious staircases and struggled through constricted hallways. This reminded
me of the library, though much bigger.

“Here is his office,”
Mr. FreeCut said, rapping on a door with the skull knocker.

A tall,
middle-aged vampire with short red hair and a thick beard opened up. I could
hear his two curious children behind him.

“Well hello,
Janice,” he said. “John has told me so much about you. And don’t worry. It’s
all good things.”

I grinned with
pleasure at hearing this.

“You should be
proud that such a good man picked you,” the senator continued.

I told him I
was, and that Mr. FreeCut was the greatest thing that had ever happened to me.

I was introduced
to Senator BloodHunt’s children. The boy was named John, a hyper but very
adorable fellow. He was wearing the famous vampire clown shirt, the 3-D version
of which I sold at work.

The little girl
was very pretty. She wore a dress and a pink necklace, each decorated with
beating hearts. Both children already knew that I worked at the Vampire
Supermarket and asked me a zillion questions about new vampire clown shirts,
especially wanting to know when they would be available. I assured them I would
let them know at the soonest degree.

The dank room
was lined with stuffy bookshelves that rose all the way to the ceiling. Senator
BloodHunt directed me to a bowl of blood chips on a small table. The blood was
refreshing. I’d grown thirsty from climbing all those steps.

While I
continued to nibble on the chips, Senator BloodHunt started to lecture me about
what he did, and why we all should be grateful for having a free and efficient
government. Apparently, he knew about my accident and mysterious past. What he
said stimulated me.

“So why does
BloodFall have a dictatorship and we don’t?” I asked.

“Because we have
a system to protect our government from corruption. If this system fails, like
it did in BloodFall, then we would be in trouble too. We must fight against all
forms of corruption.”

He informed us
more about his current agenda, and I appreciated how he was including a
clueless teenager like me in on this important talk. He discussed passing laws
to help homeless vampires get blood and shelter. He also wanted to make gated
communities illegal.

“I hate the
gates,” I quickly told him. “The gatekeepers are so rude. And you see those
poor thirsty vampires dying in front of them.”

“I’m glad you
think like me,” Senator BloodHunt said, smiling. “You can be the first vampire
to vote against the terrible walls of injustice and class division.”

After talking
for several more degrees, Mr. FreeCut and the senator shook hands. He handed my
caretaker a few books and papers. But during the exchange, he accidentally
dropped some of them onto the floor. I was astounded when I saw the emblem of
TriFang on a piece of scratch paper.

TriFang! Only
the organization that had tried to freakin kill me!

DEEPER
INTO TROUBLE

“What do you
know about this!?” I demanded, pointing to the triangle and fang emblem that
struck so much fear in me.

   
He tried to shrug it off.
“Oh, that was just something I was drawing. Every once in a while I try to be
an artist, just for fun. But honestly, I don’t think I could make it as a
professional. That’s why I’m a senator instead.” He gave a laugh like he'd just
cracked a great joke.

   
I tried to wipe off my frown.
But I couldn’t. All I knew was that my opinion of someone I thought to be a
kind and righteous senator had nosedived.

   
“I didn’t mean for my drawing
to get in there,” he said to Mr. FreeCut. “Must have slipped it in by mistake.
Sorry.”

   
We said goodbye. I shook
hands with him and faked a good smile. But could I trust him now? I didn’t
think so. What a lying punk.

   
After leaving the senator's
office, we headed even higher up the building until reaching a restaurant deck.
From here we were able to enjoy some spectacular views of downtown. Mr. FreeCut
spent the few Carns he had with him by treating us to a plate of hot millifangs
smothered in bloody gravy. Yet even this delicious meal could not erase the
bewildered expression on my face.

   
“What’s the matter?” he
asked.

   
I questioned him about the
emblem.

   
“No, never seen it before,”
he responded. “Why? Is it bothering you?”

   
For a few frantic moments I
considered telling Mr. FreeCut everything. Then I remembered being told keep
what I'd discovered a secret.

   
“No, I’m fine,” I lied. “I
just thought I'd seen it before, but I could be wrong.”

   
Mr. FreeCut wiped some gravy
from around his mouth. “Trust me. I’ve known Senator BloodHunt for years. He’s
a good man and always tries his best to fight corruption.”

   
I wondered if Senator
BloodHunt was secretly at war with TriFang. But if so, why had he lied to me?
Possibly because he didn’t want anyone knowing what he was trying to do.
However, I could be wrong. He might even be a member of the organization
himself. I just didn’t know.

   
On the way home I could not
get TriFang off my mind. Keeping all these secrets to myself was driving me
crazy. I called Brett on my cell, saying that I wanted to spend the afternoon
with him at Blood River Park. I was going to tell him everything, and I
couldn't care less what my freakin messenger told me.

   
After saying goodbye to Mr.
FreeCut, Brett picked me up in his car.

   
The afternoon was gorgeous as
we strolled in the park holding hands, his alternating icy chill and warmth
flowing pleasurably through my body. We passed trees that I'd once thought
looked dead and dismal. But now, even in the daytime, their dappled vegetation
made life in Vampire World only sweeter. Scarlet birds with visible skeletal
bones coasted around above us, while a tranquil river of smooth emerald liquid
with quaint bridges mounted over it ran lazily by.

   
Brett and I climbed one of
the bridges to peer down at the peaceful river. Our arms locked together and I
basked in his sultry caress.

   
“There’s something I have to
tell you,” I said.

   
“You can tell me anything,”
he replied.

   
And that’s exactly what I did
for the next few degrees, giving him all the details about my furtive guide and
the crazy chase he'd been leading me on. I expected Brett to understand that,
if there really was some miraculous truth about me that I was unaware of, I
badly needed to know about it.

   
“What the hell?” he shouted,
grabbing my arm tightly. “Are you crazy? You almost got yourself killed
believing this wacko.”

   
Obviously he did not
understand.

   
The funny thing was, he was
right. But I didn’t want to hear that from a dedicated boyfriend. I wanted him
to understand how I felt from every angle, not just the logical one. I wanted
him to understand me, dammit.

   
“But what if the stranger is
right?” I asked forcefully. “What if there is something about me that I don’t
know?”

   
This only pissed him off
more.

   
“Why are you being so
stupid?”

   
Now I was getting pissed too.
“Don’t you dare call me stupid.”

   
“I don’t like calling you
that,” he came back sharply. “But I've got no choice because you’re letting
yourself be led around by some dangerous nutcase. I thought you knew Vampire World
is full of screwballs? Looks like you forgot.”

   
He could see I was mad, but
carried on anyway. “You’ve got a hell of a lot to learn. I’m doing this because
I love you and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

   
“Love me?” I snapped. “Love
me? You won’t even take me to the grave. And you’re telling me you love me?”

   
I hated fighting. And the
first fight in any relationship is always the toughest. But I couldn’t let him
walk over me like this.

   
“Oh please,” Brett groaned.
“Don’t try to change the subject. Don’t try to avoid the fact that you almost
got yourself killed.”

   
I’d never been this mad
before. For a moment I lost control completely and bared my fangs.

   
He scowled at me. “How dare
you do that! If you must know, I was going to take you to the grave this afternoon.
But that's not going to happen now.”

   
“You’ve been saying that
forever!” I snapped. “I’m sick of hearing it.”

   
He clenched his fists.
“Dammit, I’ve been through a lot lately. Give me a break. At least I’m not the
one following a bloodthirsty murderer around.”

   
I couldn’t take any more of
this. “Take me home!” I shouted.

   
“Fine,” he said.

   
I ran for his car and threw
my sorry self inside. Even though I had stood up for myself, I still felt
terrible.

   
The ride home was done in
total silence and seemed to last forever. While icy tears trickled down my
face, Brett clutched the steering wheel in frustration and didn’t even look at
me.

   
When we finally arrived home
I was expecting some sort of an apology, but got nothing. Not even a kiss. I
stared into his still beautiful eyes.

   
“If you want to be with me,
you better listen to what I say,” he told me sternly.

   
That kind of ultimatum only
made matters worse. I jumped out of the car and ran for the house door without
so much as a goodbye.

   
While laying in my coffin
crying, I felt like I was resting on pins and needles. I'd heard Mr. FreeCut
say that when a vampire is hurting emotionally, they experience physical pain
as well. I waited for my phone to buzz, desperately wanting to receive a call
or text from Brett. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I couldn’t take the rejection.

   
I was supposed to be going
with Brett to Kate’s party that evening, so I called and told her I was not
feeling well. After that, I somehow managed to fall asleep.

   
I woke up with bright
sunlight shining through my window and remembered another of Mr. FreeCut’s wise
sayings. He said that that when things are bad, just looking at the light of
the three suns would make a vampire feel better.

   
Well, right now I was
prepared to try almost anything.