The Vampire Zone

Chapter 4, Continued

     Alex flashed over to him instantaneously just as he had with Emerson. He wasn’t sure if his mind compulsion would have the proper effect on Jason. When a human is angry, their adrenaline is very high. in this state, their willpower is strong, and Jason was very mad. Either way, Alex had to try.

     “You won’t remember this moment.” He told Jason, willing his power towards the young man's mind.

     Jason looked away from Alex. He tightened his lower jawbone and bit his bottom lip in anger. He recited the words back to Alex. “I won’t remember, right.” He then looked back up at Alex with a blank stare. Alex was temporarily relieved at the thought of safety until fury unexpectedly burst from Jason again.

     “Are you kidding me?” Jason yelled infuriated. He screamed the words directly in Alexander’s face, not backing down from him. Jason knuckles slammed into Alex’s cheekbone knocking the vampire back a step. Alex couldn’t believe he had been fooled. His thirst for blood surfaced. He willed himself not to kill Jason. He had killed other humans in the past for less. Jason was lucky that he was Josie’s brother, or he would have already been dead. Alex was surprised when he felt a small trickle of blood on his cheek bone. He reached up to wipe it away.

     Jason watched as the cut on Alex’s face healed before his eyes. It was impossible. Jason's eyes grew wide realizing his error. He saw fury burn in Alex's demeaner as sharpening fangs grew into place where his upper canines would normally be. Alex's posture morphed before him into that of a threatened snake poised to strike. Alex began to circle him with a predatory stance. Everything in Alex was screaming to kill, but with great difficulty he held himself in control.

     “Touch me again, and you won’t have that hand.” Alex threatened in an otherworldly tone. His voice had changed to a deeper and more threatening growl. He sounded more animal than human.

     “Oh God!” Jason whispered hysterically. “What the hell are you man?” He took a step back trying to create distance between them and stumbled nearly falling backwards onto the staircase behind him.

     Alex froze in thought. He then abruptly turned and grabbed the items off the counter that Josie needed, all-the-while, Jason stood stiff in terror. It seemed that intimidation was going to be his only option until he was able to speak with Jason privately. His brothers were going to have to wait.

     “Go now and take these to Josie. Tell her that you're going to the store. We need to have a talk.” He ordered Jason in his demonic tone. “Don’t tell her a word of what just happened. You should know in case you try anything, that I can hear every word that is said from down here.” After what Jason had just seen, he was quick to do as Alex had demanded. He trembled when Alex handed him Josie's things. He was still shaking as he bolted up the stairs. Jason hoped that Alex wasn’t taking him from the house to kill him. He wondered what that monster would do to him if he ran. No. He wouldn’t run. What about Emerson and Josie’s safety? The only way to keep them safe was to just do as he was told.

     Jason came back down the stairs to find Alex faced towards the front door with his back to him. He paused in his tracks as Alex turned to face him directly. He was confused when he saw grief, sadness and anger on Alex’s face and not the face of a monster any longer. What would he possibly have to be sad about? Jason desperately tried to conceal his fear when Alex spoke.

     “We aren’t really going anywhere. I need to speak with you privately.” Alex said now in a calmer voice. Jason tried to hide his fear, but what he didn’t know was that Alex could sense fear like animals could. “Is there somewhere that I can speak with you privately?” Alex asked. It was more of a demand, but Jason could tell that Alex was trying to be more respectful as his voice carried with it no emotion. Jason thought it odd when he noticed that there was still sadness in Alex’s eyes. Was Alex actually a threat to him? He didn’t know. Jason said nothing, refusing to respond.

     “Alright. I can see that you aren’t going to cooperate, so we are going to go have words outside in Josie’s car.”

     They walked out of the house towards the vehicle. Jason went out first while Alex followed closely behind. Jason stopped beside the passenger door to the yellow mustang, holding his breath, knowing that Alex was going to respond to his defiance. If he got in, he would be vulnerable, trapped in a small space with a psychopathic monster. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t hold the fear back any longer as his hands started to shake. Alex quickly closed the space between them, barking his demand.

     “Get in!” Alex demanded at him in frustration, pointing at the car door. Alex silently hoped that Josie hadn’t heard him yell. Jason had no choice. Alex now had him backed up against the passenger door. It was obvious now that Alex had no patience for his disobedience. Alex wasn’t in the mood, and he clearly wasn’t going to be waiting around for Jason to make decisions. He wanted his way, and he wanted it now. Jason nodded reluctantly. With what he had seen Alex do in the house, he had no clue of what else he was capable of. He thought a second longer and decided to comply. He turned with anger and swung open the car door. He grabbed the roof of the car, using it to support his weight as he gripped it to swing himself into his seat. Alex shut the door behind him and was instantly at the driver’s side to get in. He had expected Jason to try and lock him out. So, he got in quickly not allowing him to have the opportunity. He shut the door behind himself and locked it. He then turned to face Jason directly, who was refusing to look at him.

     “I know what you saw inside is confusing.” He paused observing Josie’s brother. Jason crossed his arms in defiance. “I won’t hurt you or any of your family. I brought you out here because I want to tell you the truth. I am trusting you. I believe that you are not a bad human.” Alexander spoke with dignity in his tone. What Jason didn’t understand was that his statement was quite a compliment coming from an older vampire.

     “Human?” Jason questioned. “What is that supposed to mean?” He uncrossed his arms now looking at Alex.

     “Have patience.” Alex said coolly. “I only need you to listen and understand. I don’t want you to fear me. Just because I’m not like you, doesn’t mean you need to be afraid of me.”

     “Who said I was afraid of you?” Jason snapped.

     “I can smell your fear like a pungent odor.” Alex stated matter-of-factly. Jason’s nostrils flared.

     “Well, if you’re not human, then what are you?”

     “I am a vampire.” Alex had only shared his secret with a handful of mortals in his many years. The only reason he was telling Jason now was because he wanted Josie. After what Jason had seen inside, he was going to be a problem if Alex didn’t come clean to him. Josie was worth the risk. If he had been able to compel him, then things would have gone on as if nothing had happened. But a rare-few humans had the ability to resist mind control completely while the only thing that stopped normal humans from being compelled was high adrenaline. The issue now was that vampires could also only erase so much memory. Compulsion needs to be done immediately. Too much time had passed since the incident inside. Even if Jason was now calmed down, compelling him was no longer an option. He had to make Jason understand.

     Jason’s eyes grew wide, and his adrenaline rose again. It was fear. Survival instincts were taking Jason over. The human fumbled at the door to the car trying to get it open.

     “I turned on the child lock before I shut it. You won’t get it open.” Alex said smiling at him. “You aren’t getting out until I let you out.” Alex’s voice was flat with no emotion again. Jason dropped his hands and slouched in his seat, giving up. Jason sat in thought for a time. He realized that if Alex was going to hurt him, he already would have. He looked back over at the mysterious vampire beside him. This time, he seemed more accepting. He was understanding now that Alex in-fact didn’t want to hurt him. He rested his hands on his knees, relaxing a bit. Alex took notice of his gesture.

     Alex decided to give Jason the opportunity to leave. Since the human had cooled down, maybe the option to come back later and sort things out with him could be put out on the table, figuratively speaking.

     “If you want to go now, you can.” Alex told him. He knew that he was giving Jason much more trust than he deserved.

     Jason hesitated to respond. He looked over at Alex in wonder. He realized that he wanted to know more. Alex had saved his sisters life, so he owed him to at least hear him out. He pondered more on the person sitting beside him. He had tended to Josie for hours. What if vampires weren’t as they said in the books and the tv shows? He came to his decision.

     “No. I’m sorry. I am ready to hear what you have to say now.” Jason nodded at him reassuringly.

     “You don’t need to be sorry. I completely understand. You have a right to be afraid of me. But I have not told many mortals what I am.” There was something looming in Alex’s eyes. Jason could see it now. Alex cared. He cared deeply.

     “Tell me everything.” Jason told him.

     “There are 3 types of vampires: the good, the bad, and the in-between. The in-between ones are neither good nor bad, but both. Each has a name. Evelinic vampires live for the kill. They murder for fun and vengeance all the same. Gromolic vampires are their opposites. They never kill humans at all. They believe that all mortal life is sacred due to how short and fleeting it is. And the third type of vampires are the Nomolics. They kill but only to protect themselves from harm or if the situation demands it.” Alex stopped talking for a moment to let the information sink in.

     “So, all vampires aren’t the same?” Jason asked as though he were understanding. “What type are you…?” Alex knew what he meant. He wanted to know if Alex killed humans.

     “I am Nomolic. Each vampire caries a mark to be able to tell what they are. The mark changes if the vampire changes allegiance.” Alex pulled down the shoulder of his shirt revealing the mark he wore on his skin, located on his collarbone. It almost looked like a scar or a very very old tattoo. It was in the shape of a red rose. “This mark is the Nomolic symbol. The Evelinic mark looks similar to a skull but small. Gromolic marks just look like a tiny spiraling vine.”

     Jason nodded in acceptance. Clearly, Alex didn’t consider him to be a threat. But he would protect himself if needed, just like any common human. Maybe Alex wasn’t so different from them after all. This was why Alex had forced Jason to hear him out. He didn’t want to kill him.

     “Evelinic vampires are the most dangerous of all. They never leave anyone breathing. Sometimes they even use them as play-toys before they kill them to drag out the suffering, destroying them from the inside out before taking their lives. Gromolics hardly feed at all. They try their best to coexist with humans. Though many of them that try to coexist end up killed by mortals, because they get discovered. Evelinics and Gromolics hate each other. They often try to convert my kind. They hunt us trying to grow in strength and number.”

     “So, there is like some kind of vampire war going on?” Jason questioned.

     “Something similar to a war in human terms, yes. It has been going on since before I was ever born vampire.”

     “How old are you if that is something you don’t mind me asking?” Jason hesitated in his words. He wanted to avoid insulting Alex, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

     “I am 509 years old. I do have to tell you that my brothers, Nathaniel and Joshua, are Evelinic. They turned Evelinic after the deaths of our parents before we moved here. But, since I am their brother, they choose to protect me. I warn you they are dangerous. They do kill humans.” Alex looked away. He had lived so many lifetimes and seen so much death by his and his brother hands. No creature on earth should have to go through that. Every life should have its’ own natural time to pass.

     As they left the car, Jason sulked walking behind Alex towards the house. How could I have judged him so badly? Jason didn’t know what they had ahead of them, but he knew it scared him for the safety of his family.

     As Alex was walking back to the house, he started to feel the blood lust coming. He stopped in his tracks. He didn’t want to go back around Josie in this state. So, he decided to remain outside. For a moment, the bloodlust tempted him to feed from Jason. But he knew that would destroy their newfound acquaintanceship. He felt like he was finally starting to make progress and getting to know Josie and her family. That was something he wasn’t willing to risk ruining. Alex stopped in his thoughts when Jason tapped him on the shoulder.

     “I have something I have to ask you.” Jason said inquisitively. Alex turned around to face him. “Why have you involved yourself with my little sister knowing what danger you could be putting her in? Aren’t you kind of setting her up to get murdered? I mean, I don’t have a problem with you, but I have a problem with my sister being put in danger?” Jason’s eyebrows rose as he spoke. For a moment he had felt special for knowing a secret like this, but after thinking about it, was this worth his sister safety? Was this worth any of their safeties as a matter of fact?

     Alex stood staring at him. He knew this question was going to arise. He just hadn't expected it so soon. What he didn’t know was his answer for it. Why was he risking Josie’s safety? Alex didn’t answer him. He couldn’t answer him. He couldn’t stop himself from feeling this overwhelming desire to be near Josie. Alex took a deep breath looking down at his shoes.

     “Maybe it would be better if you left.” Jason said sternly.

      “Jason,” Alex said. “I didn’t ask for any of this to happen. It just did. Maybe it’s fate. I’m going to tell you something.” He paused before continuing. “We came here after our parents were killed. Nathaniel and Joshua went overboard with their constant feeding in the last town, attracting too much attention to our family. The towns’ people suspected our parents as the culprits because nobody would suspect harmless teenagers. Eventually, they figured out what we were by observing closely enough, and they killed our parents. Me and my brothers weren’t home. A town mob came to our house. Our parents showed up. They were always the first ones to finish feeding and the first ones to make it back home. And that’s how they were murdered. My parents were Gromolic vampires. They barely fed because they respected human life. By the time we returned home, we found them dead in our living room floor. We smelled the humans, and we knew. I dropped to my knees and their blood. I will never get that image out of my mind. It haunts me. This is why we came to a new town. I’m not going to apologize for being around your sister. I don’t know why, but she makes me feel better, and somehow in all of this, she has become everything to me and…”

      Jason cut him off, stopping him from going on. “Alex, you don’t have to tell me these things. I can see that it hurts you to speak about it.” Jason brought his hand up to Alex his shoulder comfortingly.

     “I need you to do something for me.” Alex stated. “Keep a close eye on Josie. I don’t want Nathaniel or Joshua catching her outside at night. Don’t even let her step foot out of the house when it’s dark. This is important Jason. I don’t even want to think of one of them getting a hold of her. What makes all this worse is if my brothers were to find out that I have been spending time with a human, they might come looking for her.”

     “I don’t understand. I know that my sister is special. But what makes her different from any other human to you?” Jason questioned. Jason still did not like the thought of Alex anywhere near sister. He was still a vampire no matter his feelings.

Again, Alex was struck mute by Jason. The answer was floating around in his mind like a overfilled balloon ready to pop. “Because she special. It has been hundreds of years since I have felt this, drawn to another person this way. I’m still trying to understand it myself. This is something I never saw coming. I never thought that this was going to happen. I expected to feel alone until the end of time, but when I first saw her oh, something hit me. It’s like no matter where I go, she’s with me. I can’t get her out of my head.” Alex couldn’t believe what he was saying. The words were flooding out uncontrollably. He never imagined speaking to them allowed. He hadn’t even admitted what he was saying to himself yet. But strangely, he was standing here telling them to her brother. Boy, how things had turned around. Alex shook his head.

     Jason grew a broad disbelieving smile. He made a small grunt and looked away from Alex into the distance up the road. “Wow, well that’s just great.” He muttered taking a breath. “My little sister is going to date a vampire. Never saw that coming.” He paced a moment placing both his hands on the top of his head in a stressful gesture. Alex couldn't resist the temptation to peer into his mind.

     Alex cringed when he heard Jason thoughts. It’s all a nightmare. Don’t worry. You’ll wake up soon, anytime now.

     Despite his earlier thoughts, he couldn't resist seeing Josie one last time before leaving even though his conscience was telling him not to. As they walked back into the house, Alex once again thought about the moment when Jason had hit him. All this aside, Jason was lucky to have gotten away with his life on that one.

 Chapter 5

      Alex’s need to feed was growing stronger by the minute. He needed to go find his brothers. He knew he should have listened to his instincts. Nathanial and Joshua were probably already out and looking for him. It wouldn’t be long before they tracked his scent to Josie’s house.

      He opened the door to Josie’s room. She was sleeping again. With her previous injury, he understood her need for rest completely. He stood in the doorway gazing at her.