Aris Returns (29 page)

“What do they want him for? Has he mentioned it to you?” Bob spooned another helping
of pasta on his plate and winked at his wife.

“He swears he doesn’t respond to them. That’s why this is happening to his family.
He doesn’t want to get involved with them again. He’s working hard to change his life
and so far, he’s doing a good job of it. I don’t want to see him in trouble again.”

Colleen poured herself another glass of wine. “None of us do, hon. We’re all trying
to help out here to make sure he isn’t dragged into something illegal.”

The sound of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. Sarah stood, moving to the
sofa. Her purse lay on the armrest. She pulled the phone from its compartment just
as it stopped ringing. She crossed the room back to the table, laying the phone next
to her plate, waiting for the voice mail signal to beep. When it did, she checked
her message.

“It’s Carlos. Excuse me a moment, I just want to make sure everything is okay.” She
dialed the code to retrieve the message. Her face was a blank mask as she listened.
“He wants me to call him and his voice sounds anxious.”

“Go ahead. Call him. Bob and I will clear the table. We can finish our wine in the
living room.” Colleen rose and began to stack the
dishes. Bob shoveled the last of the ravioli into his mouth, picked up his plate then
the couple carried the dishes to the kitchen giving Sarah some privacy.

She hit the recall button. She waited. His phone rang several times then went to voicemail.
After she left a return message, she joined her friends.

“Strange, he didn’t answer.” She looked puzzled. “But he just called me.”

“Maybe he’s at work.” Colleen spoke over the grind of the garbage disposal. “Why don’t
you two go in the living room? I’ll be right in as soon as I rinse these dishes.”

Bob took her by the arm, leading her to the couch. He sat next to her. “Sarah, what’s
with this guy? Why are both of you so interested in some petty crook?”

“He’s not that. He’s a really smart young man who hasn’t had much of a chance. Colleen
sees herself in him. She wants to rescue someone the way you rescued her. She says
she wants to pay it forward. Does that make sense?”

He shrugged. “I guess. But what about you? Why are you so concerned?”

She stared into space for a moment, a look of serious thought on her face. After a
silence she turned to look at Bob and answered. “I don’t know.” She shook her head
as she spoke. “I honestly don’t know.”

#

“You still look really tired.” He grinned his old grin at her as he rested his head
on the recliner. He closed his eyes. “Maybe you need to see a therapist.”

“Very funny.” She aimed the recorder at him and began to take him into a relaxed state.

#

CARLOS HAVARRO, transcript, Session 17, July 2

The great hall was ablaze with candles, many thousands by the light, the feel of warmth.
I stood to the side of the dancers, watching as the Lady Anne bewitched every man
who came close to her. Her green silk gown flashed sparkles of light as the jewels
sewn into the skirt shifted when she spun in the dance.

Suddenly the harsh sound of the heralds echoed throughout the cathedral-sized space,
bouncing off the stone walls like the harsh crash of lightening. The music stopped.
The dancers stood stock still. Their King was coming.

He was always larger than life. Tall, imposing, he entered the room with the step
of an athlete. The courtiers bowed low in his honor. “Continue the festivities.” He
waved his jeweled hand toward the balcony that held the musicians and they immediately
resumed playing.

“Ah, Anne.” She crossed to his side with a perfect curtsey.

“Your Majesty.” Rising, she looked into his sparkling eyes, her smile radiant.

“To the banquet.” She rested her small hand on the curve of his outstretched arm,
gently letting her fingers drape over his soft golden sleeve.

As they led the court into the dining hall, the heralds played the King’s fanfare.
They moved together to the high table. When they reached their places, they turned
to face the court. Henry raised his goblet of gold, then drank it dry. The court applauded
and waited for their monarch to be seated. He sat, followed by his mistress. Only
then did the court take their seats at the dining tables.

Wine flowed and the gold and silver plate reflected the candlelight like fireflies
in the meadows in late summer. Again, the trumpets sounded as the servers began to
bring the food.

The grandest tray was carried by the server in the most magnificent livery. A peacock
served with all its feathers in place and the tail fully furled, created a magnificent
show of color. Inside, the bird was stuffed with other fowl, one inside the other.
It was placed in the center of the
high table between Henry and Anne.

Another trumpet fanfare announced the Master Carver. He carried sharp knives that
glistened with a light of their own and his fingers were heavy with rings of gold.
He approached the high table and performed a low bow. When he rose, the King motioned
him forward.

The trumpets sounded yet another time as he began his craft. He was able to create
a perfect slice for each one at the table; every slice containing every bird yet,
even after carving, the beauty of the sculpture remained intact. As he raised the
gold plate showing his art, the court applauded. He bowed with a flourish then continued
to slice the creation. The servers carried the laden plates to each of the waiting
court.

I was seated on a lower dais, watching Anne. She was animated, keeping the King delighted
and laughing. She took care of his every need before he knew it existed. Before his
goblet was empty, it was filled. Before he ate the last bite of any delicacy, it was
replenished. I could not help but respect her ability to create an air of perfection
around them. I focused all of my attention including my sensitive hearing on their
conversation.

“Hal, my Hal.” She poured him yet another goblet of wine then leaned close to whisper
in his ear. “Do you see how the courtiers mock me?”

The King was startled at her words. “Mock you, sweeting?”

“Yes.” Sadness filled her dark eyes. “Katherine still lives at court. They whisper
behind my back that you do not truly love me.” She lowered her eyes then gazed at
Henry from beneath her eyelashes. She looked forlorn, even to my vampire eyes.

Henry sat straighter in his chair. His eyes searched the court seated below. “Who
would say this? Just say their name.”

Her touch on his arm brought his gaze back to her. “Too many, my lord. While Katherine
still lives at court, I am ignored.” She reached to clasp his hand as unshed tears
filled her eyes. “You must send her away, banish her.”

“Banish her?” Henry’s booming voice was heard down to the lower
court whose long tables were set many steps away from them on the stone floor of the
castle.

“Yes, Henry. While she is here,” Anne filled his goblet once again, “I will never
be recognized as your consort.” She smiled at him conspiratorially, “and our sons
never honored as princes.”

Henry’s face lit like the sparklers from the East. “Our sons? And how, Anne? Sons,
when you will not share my bed?”

“I remain a virgin while Katherine remains at court, until I am truly Queen and our
marriage is fully recognized and honored.” She turned to face him and her eyes shone
in the dancing light of the candles. “I will give you strong sons once Katherine is
sent away.”

He drained his goblet in one long drink, and then slammed the empty golden cup on
the table. “And so, she will be banished.” He stared at Anne for a long moment in
silence, and then laughed. A laugh that shook his large body and turned his drink
bloated face red. “And so we will be married and you will give me sons.”

#

“It seems you have turmoil in your life right now.”

“How do you know that?” She was surprised Aris knew what was happening in real time.
He hadn’t shown up in Carlos’ life for quite a while. The last was the night in front
of her building when he possessed the young man’s mortal mind.

There are times when I am able to see out of his eyes and hear what his mind thinks.
I have no explanation for it other than his consciousness has been opened in some
strange way from the drugs he has taken in the past. I have no control over it, but
there are occasions when he and I are one being.”

She wondered why she always felt so much safer, more secure when she was in the presence
of Aris. “Carlos is in trouble and I’m not sure how to help him.”

“It angers me that I do not have a human body to be your champion. This man will not
relinquish his to me.”

“You must never hurt Carlos.” Anger rang in her words. “Never, do you hear me?”

The voice was smiling as he spoke,
“Ah Sarah. Can you be in love with him?”

She stammered. “I’m not. But he means a great deal to me. I don’t want anything to
hurt him.”

“To live inside his body is not to hurt him. It is to make him into something much
stronger than he is. Something invincible.”

“No. Promise me you will never do anything to harm him.”

“Would you believe a promise from a monster such as I am?”

“I don’t believe you are a monster, Aris. I don’t know for sure what you are, but
a monster? No.”

#

The dark of her bedroom and the comfort of her bed didn’t drive away the thoughts
of her last session with Aris. She wondered why she thought of it as a session with
Aris. Was Carlos right? Was she beginning to forget the whole ordeal was to help him,
not to know more about this sixteenth century creature? Was Aris really a monster?

Thoughts swirled around in her head until she felt dizzy. Was Aris real or was it
a subconscious desire Carlos had to make himself feel invincible in a world where
he was so vulnerable? As a twenty-first-century person, believing in the undead was
almost impossible. What was the answer? Carlos knew nothing about Tudor England or
Alexander the Great for that matter. Where did all of his information come from if
not from Aris? She researched everything that came out in session. Each and every
story was based on historical fact. Not fact about vampires to be sure, but fact about
times and places and people.

In a state of confusion and mental exhaustion, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

#

She smiled at him as she finished her notes. It had been a good talk therapy session
with Carlos. She was glad she decided not to take him into hypnosis. They spoke more
about his childhood, about his need for a “tribe,” a place to belong. She was surprised
when he spoke, once again showing confusion.

“Look Sarah, I know I said I’d stick it out ‘til the end and I will, but I’m just
not sure about the hypnosis part anymore.” He sat slouched in his usual chair across
from her desk, his hands folded in his lap and his chin on his chest. He rarely stayed
in her office after a session as he used to. She wondered what was on his mind.

“I don’t know what you mean, Carlos.” She leaned forward as she always did to let
him know she was really interested in what he was saying.

“Well, I don’t see how you spending all these sessions with this Aris guy is helping
me find out why I’m pissed off at the world.” He sat up straight in his chair and
leaned forward toward her. “Do you? I mean really, do you? Besides I don’t feel so
pissed off any more.”

“Look Carlos, if you don’t want to go into trance anymore, you don’t have to.” Moving
to stand in front of him, she leaned on the edge of her desk. “You vacillate all the
time between not wanting to move forward and being gung ho, let’s go. Just what do
you want to do?”

He leaned back into his signature slouch as he silently stared into her eyes. When
he spoke, he smiled, “How can we stop in the middle of a scary story?” He nodded his
head up and down. “I guess we have to go through to the end whether its death and
destruction or here comes the bride of Dracula.”

#

The July afternoon was hot and humid. The flowers limply hung their heads. The two
women sat in the shade of a big, very green maple tree and sparrows pecked a piece
of a hotdog bun that had fallen on the ground. They enjoyed a late lunch in Lincoln
Park
whenever they found time. It was a perfect end to a hectic week and Maggie and Sarah
both leaned back into the bench, stretching out after they finished eating. “I guess
it’s time to go back to the office,” feigned disappointment showing in Sarah’s voice.

Maggie looked at her watch. “It sure is. You’ve got an appointment in half an hour.”

“Sorry Mag,” she giggled. “I forgot to tell you, the two o’clock cancelled. We’ve
got another hour’s reprieve.”

“I could have enjoyed my lunch a lot more if I knew that before we ate.” Maggie gave
her associate a fake scowl. She stood. “Want to take a walk since we’ve got plenty
of time?”