Fall of the Mortals (Book 1) (12 page)

“Look at all those flying bastards,” he mumbled.

He heard the elevator behind him. He turned and noticed the elevator was heading to a lower level. He stood there wondering who would be up at this hour other than him.

***

Shaun walked up to the window. Sharon smiled at him with cold eyes. He knew the real woman was gone. She would rather barge through the window and tear him apart to feast on his blood. He knew she could never love him again, as a mortal anyway. Still, he loved the intrigue of the nightly rendezvous with her. In a pathetic sense, it allowed him to feel a piece of his old life was still alive.

“Hello,” said Shaun, putting his hands on each side of the window, trying to be closer than before.

“I have a surprise for you,” said Sharon.

“What is it?”

Kylie came out from behind Sharon. Shaun was awestruck. He was in complete disbelief at the sight of his little girl. He felt shortness of breath. A tear rolled from his eye.

“Kylie?”

Kylie was beautiful. Her orange eyes pierced Shaun to the core. Her long blonde hair was done in pigtails. She wore a pretty white dress and fancy shoes. She stared at Shaun for a moment, standing close to Sharon.

“Let us in, Daddy,” whispered Kylie.

Shaun looked at Sharon but didn’t say anything. His eyes watered.

“Well? Satisfied?” asked Sharon. “Let us in and we’ll be a family again, Shaun. We’ll never grow old, get sick or feel pain,” she added, being very persuasive.

Shaun was bewildered. He looked off, trying to think of a way to make it work. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He struggled over right and wrong in his mind. He remembered Harold saying,
“We’re sure glad you’re with us, Shaun.”

He snapped out of it.

“No. I can’t,” said Shaun.

“Daddy. We miss you,” said Kylie in an eerie whisper. “Please let us in.”

“Stop,” said Shaun.

“Daddy, please,” Kylie pleaded beginning to weep.

“I said stop it!” Shaun hollered.

Sharon and Kylie were silenced.

“I’m sorry,” said Shaun, calming down quickly. “I’m sorry.”

Sharon glared at him with disappointment. The conflict inside of Shaun was too much to bear. He took out his knife, held a cup in his other hand by his pinky and ring finger. He raised the blade over his palm. Sharon and Kylie watched his hand closely, waiting for his blood to spill. He made an incision an inch long across his palm near the thumb. His blood dripped into the paper cup. Sharon and Kylie’s eyes widened. Their mouths opened. They licked their lips, salivating on the joyous treat which was about to come. They held their hands up to the window as if Shaun was going to serve them liquid gold.

“Here,” said Shaun, reaching the cup through the beads and the broken window.

Kylie and Sharon panted, reaching for it. Sharon took the cup; Kylie tried to grab it from her.

“Careful. You may spill it,” Sharon scolded her.

Kylie calmed herself; Sharon helped her drink. Kylie took a sip and flew around in an enraptured spin.

“Yes,” she hollered, joyously laughing.

Sharon guzzled the rest of it down as before, crushing the cup in her face. She licked the remains of the demolished cup, her lips and around her mouth, trying not to waste any of it. She let the cup, which had a trace of blood in it, slip from her hand. It fell down to the pavement unnoticed and landed near some small bushes near the main level of the tower.

Shaun watched them, his former wife and daughter becoming intoxicated over small amounts of his blood. He sighed knowing there wasn’t anything else he could do for them.
What if I became a vampire? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. After all, the time of humans is over. Like Terry said. It’s just a survivor game now,
he thought. He watched them fly around the outside of the window, amazed at their supernatural ability to defy gravity.
If I became one, I would be with my wife and daughter forever and have powers?
he thought. Shaun broke this poisonous mindset.
No! I’m a man. I will always be a man. Always. I took an oath to uphold the laws and protect those I serve
, his conflicting thoughts continued.

Sharon and Kylie floated back to the window.

“Come with us, Shaun,” said Sharon. “A new world awaits you.”

“Daddy. Please come with us,” said Kylie.

Shaun looked at his daughter’s fangs and the evil glare in her eyes. He didn’t trust either of them. Something wasn’t right.

“What about the roads?” asked Shaun. “Are they cleared?”

Sharon stared at him and ignored the question. She hated talking about the roads, cars and him leaving. She enjoyed her personal receiving of Shaun’s blood. Once he and the others were caught, they would be shared with the other vampires, mainly Kristof, and then there would be no more rendezvous. No more treats of Shaun dripping his blood in a cup for her. She sighed knowing it had to come to an end.

“Sharon, the roads. Are they cleared or not?” he asked again firmly.

“Why do you have to leave?” asked Sharon, turning his back to him.

“Don’t leave, daddy,” Kylie added, clinging onto Sharon’s dress and gazing at Shaun with sad eyes.

“Because I must,” Shaun responded. “Now tell me. Are they cleared?” he asked again trying not to lose patience.

“They are,” said Sharon sadly.

“Thank you,” said Shaun, gaining a new boost of confidence.

“At least tell me where you’re going?” asked Sharon.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”

“You don’t trust me?” asked Sharon.

Shaun gazed at her for a moment.

“No. I don’t.”

“Meet me one more time,” she begged.

“Why?” he asked.

“For old time’s sake. Before you leave, see me one more time. Just you and I. I beg you,” she pleaded.

“Fine,” said Shaun. “One more time and then that’s it.”

Sharon cast an evil grin.

“Goodbye, Sharon.”

“’Til tomorrow night,” Sharon responded, drifting away from the window with Kylie.

“Bye Daddy,” said Kylie in a whispery tone.

Shaun watched them fly away. He looked at the palm of his left hand and noticed the several scabs that had formed from cutting himself for his nightly visits with Sharon. He gently rubbed his sores remembering the way Sharon looked even as his mortal enemy. She was so gorgeous. How he wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her and press her body against his. 

He was having trouble. He couldn’t just not see her anymore and walk away forever. She and Kylie were a part of him. For the first time, he felt compromised and he was okay with that.

He turned around. Mark was standing there.

“Whoa!” hollered Shaun. “Oh man! You scared me,” he added panting.

“What are you doing down here, Shaun?” asked Mark with a curious stare.

Shaun went blank. His stress kicked into overdrive. He had to come up with something convincing and in a hurry. He worried Mark had watched him converse with Sharon.

“I uh, was just taking a stroll,” he answered, his voice sounding nervous.

“A stroll? All the way down here?” asked Mark. “On level sixty-eight?”

“Yep.”

“Seems weird,” said Mark.

“Why’s that?” asked Shaun.

“It just does.”

“Well, what are you doing down here, Mark?” asked Shaun, reversing the suspicion.

“I noticed the elevator went down,” he responded. “I wanted to check it out. Know what I mean?”

“Right. Well, off to bed I go,” said Shaun. “G’night,” he added, heading to the elevator.

Shaun noticed Mark glanced at him and stayed behind looking around the room as if something was out of place. He grew uncomfortable watching Mark walk over to the window where he spoke to Sharon. Mark looked out the window and around the framing as if he were a police detective searching for a clue to the crime. Shaun’s blood pressure and anxiety began to rise. He worried Mark would stumble onto something indicating that he had been talking to vampires.

“Coming up?” asked Shaun pressing the elevator button, hoping Mark would stop scanning the place over.

“Nah. You go ahead. I’ll be up in a few,” Mark responded, still looking around
the window
.

Shaun stepped into the elevator, the doors closed and he headed back to level seventy-two. He was now even more uncomfortable.
What if Mark finds something that uncovers what I’ve been doing? The whole world will be against me. No one would understand. I would be deemed a traitor
, he feared.

 Another dark thought festered in his mind.
Who does Mark think he is suspecting me? Mark, Terry and the rest of their posse are nothing but white trash that lay around using drugs. They’re criminals. All of them. I know it. I will stop any of them that get in my way,
he thought.

***

Sharon and Kylie flew swiftly through the city. Trees, telephone poles, cars and street signs whizzed beneath them. They flew around groups of other vampires that were flying through the air, socializing and mingling. Sharon and Kylie changed into their natural form while they were still in the air. Sharon transformed into Miranda. Kylie changed into Alicia, another adult vampire with long, blonde hair, several bracelets on each wrist and a necklace.

They flew to a dark mansion on top of a hill that overlooked Los Angeles County. It was surrounded with palm trees. Flashing strobe lighting came out of the front windows. Large groups of vampires were in front of the mansion talking to each other in mid-air.  Others chased each other around the premises. Some of them drifted around the large house while some sat on the edge of the upper level balconies. Loud, thumping music became louder as Miranda and Alicia flew closer. They flew to a balcony that was crowded with non-sociables.

“Move!” Miranda hollered rudely at the wallflower vampires.

They floated and moved quickly out of her way. One of them hissed at them. Miranda and Alicia flew in through the upper window over the spacious dance floor. It was surrounded with tall speakers cranking music that was overpowering and loud. There was a staircase at each end of the dance floor that led up to a platform where Kristof sat in a fancy chair with a tall back. He sat alone, quietly watching over his vampire party.

The dance floor was crowded, shoulder to shoulder, with vampires who moved around wildly. Some of them made a
Mosh Pit
in which they threw each other around with super strength. They ones thrown to the floor or against the pillars in the room would get up, laugh and dance excitedly some more.

Miranda and Alicia landed next to Kristof who sat and stared straight ahead not saying anything. He waved his right hand and caused the stereo to shut down by itself. The music stopped. Some of the guests below growled at the sudden sound of silence on the dance floor.

“We have news,” said Miranda, snickering. “It’s good.”

Kristof didn’t respond at first, but remained in a stare looking forward. He looked gloomy. 

“I am four hundred years old today,” he said softly. “This is my party.”

“So it is,” Miranda responded.

“I’ve heard the sun is millions of years old,” he said, as if he’d been pondering about it the entire day. “Do you think it is?”

“Possibly,” Miranda answered, glancing at Alicia, wondering why he was asking such questions.

“I will be here until the sun falls,” stated Kristof. “Perhaps I will be here for millions of years too?”

Alicia and Miranda glanced at each other.

“Maybe,” said Miranda.

“Am I handsome for a four hundred-year-old vampire?” asked Kristof looking up at Miranda, his eyes shining orange. He looked sad. 

“Of course you are, my love,” Miranda responded, kneeling at his side, caressing his hand. “You are the lord of this world.”

“Am I a lord or am I a damned creature?” he asked.

“The mortals have fallen at your feet,” said Miranda. “There are none that could challenge your power.”

“Except for the tower people,” Kristof replied, his voice stiffening. He opened his mouth gnashing his fangs. “Their mere presence insults me.”

“They will fall too, my lord,” said Miranda.

“What news do you bring?” he asked.

“He’s taking the bait,” Miranda answered. “The one called Shaun.”

“He believes you are his wife,” said Kristof, chuckling at his own ominous plot.

“Yes.”

“All according to my plan.” Kristof formed a sinister smile.

Kristof sniffed. “What’s that?” he asked, sniffing, rising from his chair.

“What do you smell, my lord?” asked Miranda.

“It’s you,” Kristof responded.

“Me?” she asked.

“I smell the blood of man in your breath,” said Kristof, widening his eyes and taking Miranda roughly into his arms.