Friday, February 10, 2012
I can’t believe what I’ve done. I don’t know what to do. I am completely and utterly LOST! Houdini said that maybe if I typed about it I would be able to at least calm down.
So here’s what happened. On the eighth I went to see Joan at Mickey’s. She was there dressed smoking hot. I couldn’t believe that this girl would take five minutes to spend time with a wretch like me. I even dropped by the local gas station and picked up a rose for her.
Sure she smiled, and we talked a bit over some pool, but she declined any time I offered to buy her a drink. Anyways I got slightly tipsy. I was kind of on a power rush after making choices without Houdini, and when the waitress came by I was nervous enough that I just kept saying yes.
She suggested we go back to her place for breakfast, and I knew what that really meant. Well at least I thought I did. So we went back to her place.
It all started great! We were kissing and making out like teenagers. I noticed her skin was a little cool to the touch, so I asked her about it. She said she just needs to be closer to me and took off her top. We continued on, and I was doing good. I figured I was going to make a home run tonight!
Then she asked if I was in to fetishes. I wasn’t sure what she meant by that, but I did not want this to stop. I said “Yeah.”
She gave a wicked smile and then she said “Well you are going to love this then.”
Next thing I know she was biting into my neck. At first it was painful, but very shortly pain gave way to euphoria. She was drinking my blood, but it felt great! Then I blacked out.
I don’t know if I was going to heaven or hell or nirvana, but I could definitely see a light and feel the warmth of something comforting me. Just as I was about to reach to it, a chill struck me. The light was receding, replaced by a black filth. Everything the light represented, that blackness was not.
I awoke to a metallic taste on my lips and Joan smiling over me. It was the first time I had seen her with fangs. I panicked. She said a few words to me that I didn’t understand in my fear, but all of a sudden I felt the panic subside and become only a minor part of the whole scene. I later found out a whole day had passed.
Then I noticed the voice. The voices speak in shrieks half the time, and sometimes like a record being played a little too slow, that is when it isn’t just murmuring to itself in the back of my head. Like laughter in a void of blackness it resides there taunting me. I didn’t understand it, but I asked it if it was Houdini. It’s hard to describe, but it was almost as if half the voice hushed, while the other half cackled. Covering my ears didn’t help to silence them. That’s when Joan handed me a magic 8 ball. I asked if the voices were Houdini, and before the murk had cleared to reveal the answer, the voices said “Yes, Definitely” just as the answer revealed to say “Yes- Definitely”.
A wave of weakness came over me. My knees started to tremble a bit and I sank back to the ground. Joan said, “You have to feed.”
I said, “I think McDonalds is open.” I became dreadfully aware that I was hungry, as if I hadn’t eaten in months, and the thirst. Well that was the worst. It felt like I had half the Mojave in my throat. We got into her yellow Volkswagen Beetle and made our way to Mickey D’s.
“That won’t fill the hunger” she said. “But if you insist we can go.”
I did insist. I ordered a double quarter pounder with cheese, fries and a drink. The more I ate the worse the food tasted. I could tell it wasn’t the quarter pounder though. I finished the fries, burger and drink and still felt just as empty as I did before. She pulled into a bar parking lot next to a dumpster. The bar was a dive, the sign used to say “The Cloistered Clam” but several years ago someone shot it out. It was the place where Ken met Alice.
“What are we doing here?” I asked. My stomach was feeling a bit queasy after all that food.
“You are going to need to vomit soon. You can do it by the dumpster or inside. In your condition I’d recommend the dumpster.” She said.
I went into the enclosure that hid the dumpster and started retching. While back there I asked Houdini if I should make a break for it. Joan was crazy, this whole thing was crazy. I didn’t know what to do. Houdini shrieked the answer “Better not tell you now”.
I then heard Joan talking to a guy and flirting with him a bit. “Hey there honey, wanna have some fun.” she said.
An inebriated voice slurred, “I’m always ready for a little fun.”
The sound of kissing followed and I was wondering what the heck was going on. First I get a girlfriend, then she does something freaky to me. Then she sprouts fangs. Then she tells me I can’t eat, and anything I will eat comes right back up. Now she’s getting ready to mess with some other dude right in front of me? This was messed up.
I was about to rush out mad when they came tumbling around the corner into the enclosure. I was about to say something when she said “NOW!” and she bit hard into his neck drawing blood.
The redness of the blood drew my eye, I could smell it from five feet away and I could sense the thrum thrum thrum of the heartbeat, pulsing more of it to the surface. The void in my belly took shape in a darker version of me. I lost control and cast Joan away. That’s all I remembered for a bit.
The next thing I know, I’m looking into the murky eyes of this man who was alive not five minutes earlier. His head smashed in half an undigested double quarter pounder. With a pang I realized I recognized his face. I had just drained Ken.
Now if it had been Tom or Jim, I might have felt worse, but Ken…. Well I figured he probably had it coming. To be quite honest I had always thought about the possibility of doing it myself, but I never did. Then the enormity of what had happened hit me.
Joan was one step ahead of me. “Don’t freak out. Lets get this stiff in the garbage.” She said.
I was in a daze as I loaded Ken into the dumpster. She smiled at me.
“We’re in luck. Someone used this one for a tire dump earlier today.” With that she took an old sheet and threw it on top of Ken’s corpse. She lit a cigarette, gave it a good drag and flicked it into some papers at one corner of the dumpster. They caught fire very quickly.
We drove off, all the while I was looking in the rear-view watching the fire climb. I only hoped that someone would call it in. I asked Houdini if I should call it in and shook the 8 ball. Houdini responded “My sources say no.” The voices quieted and I realized that Joan was talking to me again. The tone sounded like she was trying to tell me something important and so I asked her to repeat what she was saying.
“OK kid, this is whats up,” she said. “You drink blood to live.”
“I’m a vampire?” I asked.
“We don’t use that word.” She said with a little heat. “From now on you refer to anyone like us as Kindred. That stiff we just shoved into that trashcan-”.
“He was my father”. I interrupted.
Joan started cracking up, then as soon as her face could be serious again she asked, “Serious?”.
“Yeah.” I said.
“Holy shit, that’s heavy.” Joan said. “Well, get over it Eight, and while your at it, lose your friends too. Say some stuff about an overbearing girlfriend, you know, typical lies you guys say to each other.”
“Those aren’t lies, sometimes girlfriends really are-” This time she interrupted me.
“Anyways, that stiff you used to call ‘dad’”.
“I never.” I started to interrupt.
“Is called kine now”. She continued. “They are our food. We can have relationships with them, use them, even turn them into what we call ghouls by sharing blood with them. But the bottom line is until you drain them and put your blood in, they are kine.”
“So what if I want to make my friends vamp-kindred?” I asked.
“You don’t do that without the princes’ permission.” She replied. “There are rules to our society that each one of us follows for the most part.”
“The Prince?” I asked.
“Yes, the Prince. The prince of this city is Camille La Blanc” She said.
“Wouldn’t that be Princess?” I asked.
“In our society our girl and boy parts don’t work any more, and any female is as dangerous as any male. That being said, most references deal in the masculine. Now are you going to let me finish?”.
“Okay.” I said.
“So here’s the thing, I’m not going into the traditions in specifics, but rule number one is the most important. Don’t get caught being a kindred. When you feed, do it in a secluded place. If you cause fang wounds, lick it. Kindred are older than any one would like to think. If you believe in all that bible mumbo jumbo, the rumor is that we are all progeny of Caine himself.”
“Ok, so I’m a vampire-” I said.
“Kindred” she corrected.
“That has pointy fangs and has to drink blood for a living. Don’t let anyone know. So, what happens if someone finds out?” I said.
“Then it becomes your responsibility to fix it. Kill the kine or make sure they can be trusted.” Joan said.
“What nut-job is going to believe that vam- we really exist?” I asked.
“Most people will dismiss it as delusion, however there are those out there who hunt us. If they catch even one whiff of a hint and you’ll be hip deep in shit stew.” She said.
“So what happens if someone finds out, but these hunters don’t?” I asked. “Do I get an Oops ticket from this Prince?”
“The Prince will weigh the consequences of your actions. If you’re lucky she’ll just cut off your arm as a subject lesson and make you heal it back. If you’re unlucky she’ll tell all the other vampires in the city it’s OK to eat you. That’s called a blood hunt. The Prince doesn’t issue tickets, she has others take care of the business. Usually the results are lethal.” Joan said.
“OK, so what else do I need to know on this?” I asked.
“Don’t make other kindred without asking permission, don’t cause a scene, respect popular places of business and commerce, and don’t try to get a suntan.”
“That’s real? I can’t see the sun anymore?” I asked.
“Yeah, and wood through the heart causes us to enter a deep sleep called torpor. If you are caught out in the day in that state, you’re screwed.” Joan said.
“So when do I get the cape and cowl?” I asked. “And why did you pick me?”
“There are some blood born abilities that I will teach you from the blood of our progenitor. He was a nutcase called Malkav. We can share his gift sometimes, walk around unseen, and see the unseen.” Jane said. “As to why I picked you, between the eight ball and standing up to Liquid, I didn’t see that I had a choice. You were originally going to be food, hopefully one that stuck around a bit. But if I didn’t turn you then Liquid would probably find some way to turn you into red jelly. Liquid is the Sheriff, the enforcer of the Prince. Don’t piss him off… Anymore.”
“OK, anyone else I should look out for?” I asked.
“Anyone who is a Primogen. We’re all divided into what’s called clans and they are the leaders of each clan. I could give you descriptions, but it’s a lot to take in, and some of the stuff I’d tell you wouldn’t make sense until you see it for yourself.” She said, “The Nosferatu are a prime example.” I saw her shudder and something told me I probably didn’t want to run into these guys.
By this time we had drove to my apartment. I didn’t realize where she was taking me, I was so busy asking questions and listening.
“Grab only what you need.” She said. “I don’t have that much space at my place.”
I was questioned out so I just went inside and grabbed some clothing, my pillowcase full of cash, computer the original Houdini and my pool cue.
When I came out she eyed the pool cue and then looked at me with the ‘you have to be kidding me’ look. My only response was “I gotta make money somehow.”
So I’m shacking up with Joan for the time being. It’s coming near daybreak and she’s complaining that I’m typing too loud. Anyways I hear I have to meet this Prince character very soon, so Ill have to see. It’s going to take some severe adjustment. Bodies in cold blood and the like. I’ve calmed down now too, so I imagine I can go to bed now.
