The Vampire (THE VAMPIRE Book 1) (20 page)

We walked around some more, looking in shop windows. We had to stop at Aeropostale so Riley’s mom could buy something for herself and then we spent too long in Filene’s. By then I was getting kind of bored.

And then just as we were coming out of Filene’s I saw him at a distance. He had his back to me, talking to that guy he was with, and the word just popped into my mind: Vampire.

And then he turned and looked right at me. The look on his face scared me. He had a totally serious expression, one that looked a little worried even. I needed to take a long deep breath. And then I thought the word again: Vampire. And a cold shiver ran through my body. He was definitely staring at me. No doubt about that.

I couldn’t look at him after that. For a moment it totally freaked me out. It was crazy to look at him and to think that word. Because I wasn’t being at all funny. And the way he looked at me when I was thinking it was kind of a shock.

We were walking away in the opposite direction now. And suddenly I felt like there was no reason to be afraid. Vampire? Seriously? That word, and the very idea of it….being real. I admit that
did
scare me. But it was like I knew I didn’t have to be afraid of him.
Well, of course not! Vampires aren’t real. As much as I might want some of them to be sometimes
.

Suddenly, I wanted to look at him more. I wanted to get closer now. I wanted to talk to him, to see his eyes, to hear his voice. I wanted to know as much as I could about him.

We stopped again to look at some clothes in a store window. He was walking slowly behind us and he stopped too. We moved on and it seemed like he was following us. Then, somehow, he was ahead of us! He was still moving slowly, looking in store windows too and it seemed he was looking back to see if we were following. I am pretty sure Riley’s mom and the other two didn’t even notice.

Vampire
. I looked in his direction. It was such a crazy idea.

We had stopped to look at the displays of Godiva chocolates but I was still staring at the spot where I had seen him last even though he was out of sight now. I must have been daydreaming like I do sometimes because then Riley’s mom was asking me if I was okay. And then all three of them were staring at me. I nodded and said sure I was okay.

We walked around some more and I didn’t see him anywhere. I kept thinking about him. I was wondering if it was true, if it could possibly be real. I was starting to make a joke of it in my mind—
HA! I saw a real vampire!! At the mall!!!
I was pretty sure the guy walking with him was not a vampire though. Not even sure how I knew that, but I did. I just had to know if it was really true, and not just my crazy overactive imagination like our creepy science teacher once told me I had.

“What?” I said, suddenly realizing someone was repeating my name.

Casey rolled her eyes at me. “I
said
, you probably want to go to the bookstore too, so you can check out all the new
vampire
books.”

I just looked at her and laughed. I couldn’t help it. If she only knew.

“And why is that so funny?” Casey asked. “You know you want to.” She looked kind of mad.

“I read other stuff too. Lots of other stuff.” I shrugged. “I’ll go if everyone else wants to go.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Riley’s mom said. “You should each pick out a book.” So, we went. And I almost couldn’t believe it: he was in the bookstore! I thought maybe he had followed us, but then he was already there when we got there.

I looked at him—really looked at him then and I think I just knew. And it kind of took my breath away. It just couldn’t be.

Well, who needs to look at vampire books when you have the real thing standing right there? The books are for when you don’t have the real thing. But he and the other guy were moving toward the cashier now. I was in kind of a panic because I did not want him to leave.

But there was nothing I could do.

I impulsively selected a vampire book that looked like it could be worth it and said I was ready to go. Of course, none of the others were. I had to wait for them and it seemed like they were taking forever. I just wanted them to hurry up. He had left the store already and I stood near the door anxious to see which way he went. I was worried he was going to leave the mall now and he would be gone forever and I would never see him again and I would never know the truth for sure. Even though I was already pretty sure. Why did they have to take so long and look at so many books?

If I could find him again, if I could only get close enough, if I didn’t lose my nerve, I might be able to say something to him.
Something? Like what?
“Uhm, excuse me—but I was just wondering—are you a real vampire?” I thought how crazy that sounded. And what if I was wrong? What if he laughed at me? How embarrassing that would be, especially in front of Riley’s mom and the other two. They think I’m weird and crazy already.

But I couldn’t remember any feeling this strong before. I always trusted my feelings but I was having trouble trusting them this time. Something this unusual and amazing and unbelievable had never happened before. I’ve never felt more sure of anything. But I just needed to know the truth and be absolutely certain about this. I needed to know I could still trust my feelings, especially about something as strange as this.

We finally left the bookstore and Riley reminded her mom about getting the ice cream. I didn’t want anything. I was shaky and sad and upset. I couldn’t eat. After the others got what they wanted, we started to walk toward the mall entrance where we had come in. Time to go. I didn’t want to leave and I was lagging behind the others, still searching for him.

And then—I almost couldn’t believe it.

I spotted him at a distance ahead of us. He and the other guy were sitting on benches and we were going to have to walk right past him. I got nervous, excited, scared for a minute…I was trying to think of what I could do or say…I just needed to talk to him for a few minutes. I couldn’t think of a plan…the others would be right there, watching. It seemed pretty hopeless. Even if I just said hi as we went past… but what good would that do?

And the next second Riley’s mom said she needed to stop in the card shop, which was opposite the benches, and why didn’t we go and sit on those benches right there and wait for her.

I got to the benches first and I sat down right next to him. Then I began to feel more nervous and scared than ever and I began to feel a little more unsteady and it was hard to breathe. I have never had all that happen at the same time before. I just steadied my mind and kept my focus, and took several full breaths like I learned in Mom’s yoga class. Then I didn’t feel so weak. I think maybe just being next to him caused me to feel that way. I did feel a very powerful energy coming from him and it was having an effect on me, for sure.

I still can’t believe I said it—I just blurted it out and for a moment I felt like a total jerk— I told him he looked like my favorite vampire, the way I pictured him that is, from a book I was reading. Well, it was partially true. And he did not laugh at me. That made me feel better. He nodded with a serious expression. And we actually talked about vampires in books for a few minutes. I just kept looking into his eyes the whole time.

He asked me some questions. I am going to think of those and write all of them down later, Snark. He has the smoothest softest voice you can imagine. A voice that makes you focus on just his face and forget everything else around you.

I started babbling, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to keep talking to him. To keep him there. I was noticing everything about him….the strangely beautiful color of his eyes. They’re like some gemstone I have seen somewhere before but I don’t know the name of. And that scent again…kind of hard to describe, but a natural scent; almost like the way the earth and the air smells after it rains…it makes you feel good, happy. It made you want to be closer to him.

He told me his name is Laurent and he pronounced it the way a French person would. He spoke a few words of French to me and I told him my name…oh! I forgot to ask his last name!

Damn!

I kept thinking I needed to touch him, that it was important somehow. I knew it was a freaky thing but I had to because then I would know more things about him. Sometimes I can do that with objects or people, if I touch them. And I was thinking of how I could do that, and then he reached out and touched my wrist and was admiring my bracelets.

He said how much he liked them. I said I could make some for him if he wanted, but then I did a stupid thing and I just gave him some of mine. If I had just said I’d make him some that might have been an excuse to see him again.

He seemed very surprised I would just give him some of mine or offer to make some for him.

And when he touched my wrist, and I touched his hand—it was all just so clear. It almost knocked me over. I did feel myself sway a little. I still kept thinking it couldn’t be true…but I saw his life… so many years and so many people…a lot of sadness…so much…it almost made me cry but then there were joyful things too and peace sometimes… though it never lasted long for him. I saw places he has been, things he has done and all of it was just rushing past… it was like he opened a door to himself and I could see him,
really
see him. But then he saw me too. I knew what he saw, and how unhappy I was sometimes and it made me a little embarrassed. And much of it had to do with this crazy ability I have never asked for and never wanted.

He said to me: “I know how difficult it is to be so different from everyone else. To view the world in such a different way and still have to be a part of it.”

And I knew he really did understand and I did not want to cry in front of him and the others even though they really weren’t even paying attention to us. In a way though I did want to cry, for both of us. I felt very close to him.

I found out our birthdays are in the same month! His is October 3. He would not tell me how old he will be. I could not tell his age exactly, but I do know he has lived a very, very long time.

I tried to keep him there, asking him what things he bought in the mall, just saying anything to keep talking to him as long as I could.

Then Riley’s mom came out of the card shop and it was time to go. I didn’t want to leave. I was taking my time. I bent down then, pretending to tie my Skecher because I had spotted something on the floor near where he was sitting. It was a small silvery charm and it looked kind of old to me.

I picked it up thinking it might belong to him. If I held it I might learn more about him. I believed I knew the truth about him now, but my mind still wasn’t accepting it totally. I think I was still looking for more proof.

But I didn’t have time to get any thoughts or feelings from holding the object because then he asked if he could take my hand. I got a little scared thinking maybe he knew I had picked it up and I was afraid he would be angry I tried to hide it. I kept it in my right hand and he took hold of my left. And then he kissed my hand and spoke some French words to me again. I was so happy I even forgot I was still holding the charm tightly in my other hand and I didn’t realize it until later when we were in the car.

I didn’t mean to hide it and take it. Then again, if it is his, I am very glad to have it!

And when he kissed my hand that was when he told me.

Truly. Vampire. He did not say it in those exact words. But I heard it just as clearly as if he had spoken them. He was still sitting on the bench and I was standing next to him then. He looked into my eyes and then he nodded.

“I know you know the truth. And I know you can be trusted to tell no one.” I heard those words in my mind. I nodded my head. He told me he thought we would meet again. I wanted to believe it.

I felt a little bolder now. When I said goodbye I called him Vampire Laurent because I knew it was okay to tell him in actual words that I knew and accepted the truth. Even if the others heard me, it wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t know what I knew. He nodded.

Then it was time to go. As we walked to the mall exit I was thinking how strange it was that he just happened to be there. And how it happened I had gotten a chance to talk to him and confirm the truth.

I looked back at him as we reached the exit, and I was thinking as I looked at him: Did you make Riley’s mom go into that card shop so we could talk for a few minutes? And he turned to look at me then. Even from the distance I could see him smile just a little.

After we were driving for a while, and we had stopped at a red light I asked Riley’s mom if she found what she needed at the card shop. I didn’t see her come out with a purchase from there.

She looked at me in the rearview mirror with a confused expression.

“No…. I think I just wanted to go in and have a look around. I didn’t really need anything.”

I leaned back in the seat as I nodded, thinking about that.

I realized then I was still holding that charm in my hand. I believe it is his, and maybe I was meant to find it and to hold onto it for some reason.

****

After Raven finished writing the entry into her journal, she read it all over again, and then slowly read it once more, satisfied with what she had written. Then she carefully ripped out those pages. She held these over the flame of a white pillar candle on her desk. When the pages caught fire, she placed them into a large glass bowl that had been intended as a future terrarium project and watched as the pages curled into smoke and then fell into ash.

Chapter 10

Montreal

Augere was disappointed there was no train service between Boston and Montreal. “There should be,” he stated with more than a hint of irritation.

He had already purchased two tickets for a special art exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal. Now Jason was instructed to make flight arrangements and to reserve two junior suites at a hotel within easy walking distance of the museum. Augere had specific requests regarding air travel: he wanted to pay extra to have an empty seat beside him.
He really takes this personal space thing very seriously,
Jason thought. Maybe he just wants to distance himself from the hired help. Jason frowned, though he doubted that was the case. When he had completed making the arrangements, he was to contact Genier and give him the travel details.