Vampire Born

Office Sketch

I turn over and stare at the clock.  It glares at me reading 03:46.  I know I won’t be getting back to sleep at this point so I get out of bed and go into my bathroom to take a shower.  Luckily, that’s something quiet, so, it won’t wake the others.  After my shower, I get dressed in jeans and a regular shirt.  I go downstairs, grab my sketchbook, and go out onto the patio.  I had turned the patio lights on since it’s still partially dark outside.  I start sketching the landscape the way it looks right now.  Once I finish that, I go inside and grab my colored pencils from their secret spot in the library.  I go back outside and start to shade in my sketch.  While shading, I sense I’m not alone.  I look behind me and there stands Marius.  He looks breathtaking in the very early morning light of the sun just starting to rise.

“Couldn’t sleep?”  He says walking over.

“No.  Not sure why but I just woke up and knew I wasn’t going to fall back asleep.  What about you?”

“I woke up to the smell of a fresh shower, but didn’t think it was real.  So, I laid there until I heard someone down here moving around.  I got dressed and came down to investigate.  Now, here we are.  Two people who couldn’t sleep.”  He smiles his breathtaking smile and it’s a good thing I’m sitting or else I might be mush on the patio.  His smile widens almost as if he can hear my thoughts.

“Would you like some blood since you’re awake?”

“No.  I’m good for now.  If you don’t mind, I’ll just sit and watch the sunrise with you.”

“I don’t mind at all.”  I say.  He sits in the chair next to me.  I finish my shading on my sketch.  I set my stuff down on the table in front of me.

“Can I see the finished product?”  Marius asks.

“Sure.”  I open my sketchbook back up to the page I was just on and hand it to Marius.

“You really captured the essence of the pre-sunrise on the landscape.  It’s breathtaking!  Almost like I’m looking at a photograph rather than a sketch.”  He says with an award-winning smile.  Then he gets this real serious look on his face.  I suddenly hear what he hears.  Our guests are awake.  I take my sketchbook and colored pencils inside and put them in the secret spot in the library.  When I walk out of the library, our guests are walking down the stairs.

“Morning, Dahlia.  So, you’re an early riser too?”  Gertrude says.

“Not normally.  I couldn’t sleep.”  I reply.

“Oh dear.”  Jane says.

“It’s nothing.  It happens sometimes.”  I smile reassuringly.  “Would you guys like a drink?”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”  Robert says.

“No trouble at all.”  I say.  The four of them follow me into the kitchen.  “So, have you four always been early risers?”

“Jane and I have.  Mornings were the only time the two of us had to be alone together.  We could talk or study without anyone interfering.”

“I was a rise whenever until I became a vampire with Jane.”  Robert replies.

“I was always an early riser because it was my time to read any book I wanted.”  Dmitri says.

“So, when do you normally rise, Dahlia?”  Jane asks.

“Usually around eight when I know Marius has been awake for at least an hour.”  I reply.

“Interesting.”  Gertrude comments.

“What do you mean?”  I wonder.

“You rise according to how Hemi rises.  Have you always done this?”  Gertrude asks.  I think about it for a moment.

“I suppose I have.  Or at least since I was sixteen.”  I reply honestly.

“How long have you been in love with Hemi?”  Jane asks.

“Jane!”  Robert scolds.

“It’s alright.  It’s a fair question.”  I say defending Jane.  “Just over three years now.”  I reply then look around to make sure he’s not nearby.

“Have you even met other male vampires?”  Gertrude asks.

“Gertrude.”  Dmitri scolds.

“That, too, is a fair question and the answer is no.  But I have this feeling that Marius and I are supposed to be together.”  I reply honestly.  I finally get the blood heating and pour it into eight mugs because I heard Rose and Lysander up and moving not too long ago.  I let the four of them take a mug then grab Marius’s and head to his study.

“Come in, Dahlia.”  He says before I can even knock.  I enter and Marius is sitting on his couch with a book in his hands.  As I get closer, I see the title.

“The Count of Monte Cristo?  That’s a classic.  Of course, I’m sure since you were around when it was written, it’s just a book to you.”  I say.

“And how do you know I was around when it was written?”

“Well if you were titled a duke in the thirteen hundreds, then you were around in 1844 when that book was published.”

“Someone was listening.”  He chuckles.  “But I still consider it a classic.”  He says with a teasing tone.

“Well okay then.”  I smile.  He chuckles.

“Can I have my blood now?  Or are you going to continue to hold it hostage?”  He teases.

“Sorry, but no blood for you until you stop teasing me.”  I tease back.

“Fair enough.”  He smiles devilishly and I almost drop his mug.  “I promise to stop if…you promise to draw my office later.”

“Only if you sit at your desk during the sketch.”

“Does it have to be my desk?  Why can’t I sit on the couch with you?”

“How am I supposed to draw you in the picture at your desk, if you’re not sitting at it?”

“Fair point again.”  He smiles.  “Do we have a deal then?”

“Yes.”  I offer my hand to him.  He takes it and pulls me close.  He snatches the mug from my other hand and smiles coyly.

“By the way, I never said for how long I’d stop teasing you.”  He winks and smiles devilishly and it takes everything in me to stay upright.

“Well, then I’ll just have to draw you with warts and…”

“Won’t work.”  He interrupts.  “Your threat is meaningless because I know you would never do that to your art.”  His smile is killing me.

“Fine.  You’re right.  That threat is meaningless, but I will have payback.”

“Bring it.”  I just want to lean in and kiss those amazing lips.  His smile deepens as if he can hear my thoughts.  I finally pull myself away from him and clear my head.

“Well I’d better go check on the guests.”

“Until later then.”  He says.

“Right.”  I make my way for the door.

“Oh, and Dahlia.”  He says stopping me.

“Yes?”  I turn around.

“Don’t make me wait too long for that sketch.”  He says with a wink.  I rush out the door and almost run into Robert in my haste to the kitchen.

“Sorry!”  I say.

“It’s quite alright, dear.  No one was injured, so, don’t fret about it.”  He says with a reassuring smile.  “Our mugs are in the water for you.  We wish we could’ve been of more help, but we know nothing about the kitchen.”  Robert says.

“It’s alright.”  I say reassuringly.  “It’s sort of my thing.  I’m the help.”  I say.  I think I hear a growl behind me, but when I turn around, there’s no one there.  I look back at Robert who just smiles and walks away.  I go to the kitchen, grab my blood, and go out onto the patio.  The horses make some noise, so, I go over to the barn and go in.  I stroke my favorite horse and sip my blood.  I am startled when a hand grips my shoulder.  I turn to see Marius looking distraught.

“What’s wrong?”  I ask worried.

“Something very serious!”  He exclaims.

“And that would be?”  I wonder.

“You are not the help!”  He practically yells at me.

“You were behind me.  And you did growl.”

“Of course, I growled!”  He exclaims.  “You are anything but the help!”  He says seriously.  Could this mean he feels the same way?  No!  Don’t think about that right now.  “I want to hear you say that you aren’t the help.”  Marius says sternly.  I look at him and he has the most serious look on his face.

“I’m not the help.”  I say and I know it to be true with the way he’s looking at me.

“Thank you.”  He smiles.

“You’re welcome.”  I smile back.  I hear the back door open and close.

“Dahlia?  Hemi?”  One of the women calls.

“In the barn.”  Marius replies without taking his eyes off me.  Soon the four guests are joining us in the bar.

“Ah.  There you both are.  We wanted to thank you for your help.  We feel strong enough to go out on our own once more.”  Robert says.

“I disagree.”  Marius says.

“Hemi, please.  We’ve caused enough trouble.  It’s time we move on.”  Gertrude says.

“Let’s discuss this in my office.”

“There’s no discussion to be had.”  Jane says.  “We are leaving.  We will return to our village with some semblance of being normal.”

“At least let me give you some money to help you get settled again.”

“We don’t want your money.”  Robert says.

“Just wish us luck and let us go.”  Jane smiles.

“I can’t do that and you know it.”  Marius sys.

“Well then just watch as we leave.”  Gertrude says.  I look to Marius with hopeful eyes.

“Fine.”  He says looking at me then back at them.  “I wish you all the best of luck.”  He grinds out.

“Thank you, Hemi.  And thank you, Dahlia, for everything.”  Gertrude smiles.

“You’re most welcome.”  I smile back.

“Yeah.  What she said.”  Marius says looking away from me and his friends.  I clear my throat.  Marius looks at me then at his friends.  “You’re welcome.”  He says hesitantly and bitterly.

“We’ll see each other again soon, Hemi.”  Dmitri says.

“Take care of yourself, Dahlia, dear.”  Jane says taking my hand in hers.

“You too.”  She leans in.

“Take good care of our friend.”  She whispers in my ear.

“I will.”  I whisper back.  The six of us say our farewells and the four of them leave.  Marius looks at me then goes into the house.  I go into the house and wash the mugs and pan.  I clean the two bedrooms that the guests used.  After that, I grab my sketchbook and head for Marius’s study.

“Come in, Dahlia.”  He says before I can even knock.  I enter.

“How’d you know I was there?”

“I smelled your body wash.”  He replies.  “Are you here for my sketch?”

“Yes.”  I smile.  He smiles in return.  He moves from his spot on the couch to go sit at his desk.  I sit on the couch and start sketching.  By the time I’m done with the initial sketch, it’s nighttime and I should be making a round of blood.  Marius stays in his seat while I go make some blood.  Rose comes into the kitchen just as I finish pouring the blood.  She takes hers and Lysander’s and I take mine and Marius’s back to his study.  I set mine down then go to the library and get my colored pencils.  I return to Marius’s study and color in my sketch.  When I’m finished, I tease Marius by getting up and heading for the door.

“Excuse me, but I want to see the finished product.”  He says.

“I don’t know if you deserve to see it.”  I tease.

“I was mostly good during the sketch.”  He smiles.

“Yeah.  Keyword there is mostly.  You did tease me for a while there.”

“Yes, I know.  But I still think I should be allowed to see the sketch.  After all, it is my office.”  He says with a devilish smile and I go weak.

“Oh, very well.”  I concede.  I take my sketchbook over to his desk and open it to the page of his completed study.  He sits there speechless.  “That bad, huh?”  I say.  He gives me a look that says ‘seriously.’

“You know it’s not.”  He says.  “It’s amazing!  How you managed to capture every little detail is astounding!  I don’t know how you do it.”  He says.  He smiles down at the picture.  “I want to frame this and have it hanging in here.”  He says looking at me.

“Go for it.”  I say smiling.

“Yeah?”  He smiles.

“Yeah.”  I smile wider.

“Thank you.”  He says.

“You’re welcome.”  I take his mug and head for the door.

“Goodnight, Dahlia.”  He says as I reach the door.

“Goodnight, Marius.”  I say and leave.  I put my sketchbook and colored pencils away then head for the kitchen.  I wash the two mugs and the pan.  Rose comes in and says she already washed hers and Lysander’s mugs, but she dries for me.  After that’s done, I grab a book from the library and head up to my room.  I change into pajamas and lay down with my book.  After a few chapters, I put my book down and drift off into a peaceful sleep.

~

As I make the blood this morning, I can’t help but wonder how the four rogues are doing.  They did look much healthier yesterday, but was it right of them to leave so soon?  I pour the blood into mugs and go to give Marius his when Rose stops me.

“What’s wrong?”  I ask.

“The rogues wanted me to give you this today.”  She says and hands me an envelope.

“Thank you, Rose.”

“I just hope it isn’t anything bad.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.”  I reassure her.  “Yours and Lysander’s blood is on the stove.”

“Thanks.”  She says and walks off.  I stick the envelope in my back pocket and continue to Marius’s study.  I knock our secret knock, even though technically I no longer have to, and wait.

“Come in, Dahlia.”  He says after I’ve finished the knock.  I enter and go straight to his desk.  “Morning, Dahlia.”  He grins.

“Morning.”  I grin back.  I set his mug down.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I did.  Did you?”

“Slept like a rock.”

“Good.”

“Indeed.”  He smiles coyly.  I giggle.  “I’d better get some work done.”  His face goes serious.

“Yeah.  I’ve got some stuff to do myself.”  I say.  I leave his office thinking I’ve displeased him somehow.  I wash the pan and then take my blood to the patio to enjoy the crisp morning air.  Rose and Lysander are out there already so, I don’t get a chance to see what’s in the envelope from Marius’s friends.  The three of us chat while sipping our blood.  I finish first and go in to check on Marius.  Marius has finished his blood, so, I take his mug to the kitchen and wash his and my mugs.  I keep the sink full for Rose’s and Lysander’s mugs.  I go to the library so I can see what’s in the envelope.  I sit on the couch and open the envelope to find a letter inside.

        “Dearest Dahlia,

You are just a peach.  We appreciate everything you did for us and everything you do for Hemi.  We hope one day you’ll be able to tell Hemi how you feel and that he’ll share in that feeling.  Don’t be afraid to try new things, my dear.  Life is full of wonderful things even if it’s just in our own little bubble.  If you do get the chance to share your feelings, don’t let him keep you away from the world.  Make sure he lets you explore it, if not with him then at least with a friend.  We wish we could’ve stayed longer, but we felt we’d caused enough trouble by being there.  Anyway, my dear, live life to the fullest.  Don’t go through life afraid to show the true you because if you do, you may end up regretting a lot.

We’ll be in touch once we’ve settled.  So, please make sure Hemi doesn’t try to contact us before we’ve contacted you.  We will miss you, my dear.

                Yours Truly,

                Robert, Jane, Gertrude, and Dmitri”

I fold the letter and put it back in the envelope.  I sit there in solitude for a while before I sense another person present.  I turn to see Marius standing in the doorway of the library.

“Is everything okay?”  He asks.

“Yes.  Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re clutching that pillow awfully tight.”  He motions to the throw pillow in my hands.  I hadn’t realized I’d even taken the pillow into my hands.  I release the pillow and think back to what I was thinking about.  What was I thinking about?  Oh, now I remember.  I was thinking about what the rogues wrote about telling Marius how I feel about him and how things could go wrong or right if I were to do that.  I look away from Marius as if he can read my thoughts through my facial expressions and mutter an apology.

“You don’t have to apologize.  I just wasn’t sure if something was wrong.  I happened to be walking by and saw you clutching the pillow.  Anyway, as long as everything is okay, I’ll leave you be.”  He turns to leave then turns again.  “I’m glad you got to meet some of my friends.”  He says then leaves.  I take the pillow and put it back in its spot.  I curl up and accidentally drift off.  When I wake up, it’s evening and I need to be heating more blood for the four of us.  I go into the kitchen, but Marius is already there heating the blood.

“Hey there sleepy head.”  He teases.

“Hi.”  I smile.  “You could’ve woken me.”

“You looked so peaceful.  I couldn’t bring myself to ruin that peace.”  He pours the blood into four mugs and then stays in the kitchen while I prepare the sink for the pan and the mugs.  Rose walks in.  She looks at Marius then at me.

“Is everything okay?”  She asks concerned.

“Yes, Rose.  Everything is just fine.”  Marius replies.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”  I ask.  She looks at Marius again.

“No reason.”  She replies looking back to me.  I nod at her knowing that she’ll explain later.  She smiles, grabs hers and Lysander’s mugs and leaves the room.

“She was thinking you were in trouble.”  Marius smiles.

“How do you know that?”

“It’s not hard to guess.”

“True.”  I say with a shy smile.  Marius and I continue to stand there looking at each other while sipping our blood.  I start to think about my feelings for him and Marius smiles.  I wonder what has him smiling.  Marius puts his mug in the sink behind me.  While doing so, he lightly brushes my arm.  I close my eyes at the feeling.  Marius slowly pulls away.

“Dahlia, I…”  He starts, but Rose walks in.  He quickly leaves the room.