Episode Four: The Sisters

“You’ve had quite attention on you,” greeted the Vampiress.

She suddenly emerged out of nowhere as Chase closed the front door. She almost gave him a heart attack.

“What a wonderul way to say hello!” Chase was being sarcastic.

She had loosened the long fangs and that hungry look. She looked normal; a bit, kinda, well-sort of. She did try. Chase wished he could cut his tongue because the Vampiress would have if she knew what he was thinking.

“Okay, how come this house doesn’t even have a telephone-”

“We vampires don’t trust the cable guys.”

Chase thought she might be wise than she looked.

“Good point. And you don’t even have a cell phone with you.”

“The line kills people a lot faster than a vampire could suck human’s blood.”

“Very, very, useful information but totally unnecessary.”

Miss Delacruz gave him a glare. Chase tried to sound normal as he possibly could. He wasn’t used to hearing ‘those things’ but he was trying his best not to freak out. He had heard much weirder stuff from his aunt’s junkie boyfriend. He was the reason Chase was afraid of girls in the first place.

“You don’t have Internet and I don’t see any other people around here.”

“There are some living things but they aren’t humans.”

“Again, totally informative but let’s just leave that aside.”

It wasn’t frightful enough to be living in the mansion with a vampire, he didn’t need to know there were other ‘creatures’ as his housemate.

“So actually how do you get the information?”

She hissed and there was the black aura that suddenly rose and influenced the mood of the room. Chase thought he had a dark cloud above his head and it started to thunder. Of course, that was all his imagination.

“I have spies. But according to you, it is better if you do not know.”

Chase was feeling very suspicious but it seemed a good choice not to know. She settled in on the sofa. She looked like she had just woken up from a good night sleep.

“It’s weird. Usually when vampires don’t eat a human but did suck his blood, wasn’t I’m supposed to be a vampire too?”

She gave Chase the ‘bimbo look’; like he had just asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

“Outrageous! Vampire? You?”

She then burst into a big laughter. Which scared the hell out of Chase.

“Not anyone can be a vampire. It’s hereditary, not something you can earn. Only a true vampire would inherit it from their parents. And we do not make it a habit to leave a human to live right after our meal.”

Of course, Chase was an only exception.

“It has never been done before,” she added.

The in occurred to him. He felt betrayed.

“So you mean- I could have died that night? And you didn’t tell me about it?!”

He was getting all worked up. She stays undisturbed.

“It was not easy for me as it was for you. Holding back from consuming your soul? Blood gives us the energy but the soul provides us with something more. It was lust, impossible to resist!”

She seemed like she was about to lose control but remained calm.

“Anyway- I’m expecting you to keep out of trouble. As in now, I am your legal guardian and henceforth if any events shall come up in your name, I would have to be present at your local community. And that would rise up talks and destroy my reputation. I will not allow it to happen!”

Chase was holding back. He wanted to argue with her but he made a deal NOT to. And he must keep his words.

“Consider this as my first and forever last warning.”

She was about to get up and go somewhere when she was alarmed. The look on her face worried him too.

“Silence! What day is it?”

“Tuesday?”

“Blast! Curse the human’s calendar! I had forgotten! Today is the day of ‘The Visit’!”

She snapped her fingers and out of nowhere, the hallway was noisy. The sound of flapping wings, loud screaming and taunting echoed the mansion.

“Master! They will arrive anytime soon,” said an eerie voice.

On the Vampiress feet was a two feet tall bald creature. It had claws, dressed in a suit and had yellow eyes. Chase froze.

“Why did you not warn me, Stideous? I have a human being in my watch! They will kill him!”

The Vampiress and the creature called ‘Stideous’ looked at Chase with anxiousness. Chase was holding to his breath. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He wanted to ask what was that ‘thing’ on Miss Delacruz’s feet, but his voice betrayed him.

“Wha-wha-wha...” he couldn’t continue.

Miss Delacruz tapped her feet and her black robe started to dress itself on her body. Then loud footsteps were heard coming toward them. Chase almost bounced off from his position when a big muscular monster, as the size of a big truck and tall as a giraffe, stomped his feet and bowed at the Vampiress. On his back, he saw the big monster handed the Vampiress a red stick. She let out her fangs and hissed terribly it almost bleed Chase’s ears.

“Stideous, we must do the charm at once!”

“Yes, my Queen.”

Miss Delacruz picked Chase up and looked directly into his eyes. Her voice seemed to multiply and changed by every second.

“Repeat after me!” she ordered.

“I shall be yours and yours forever hold. I do not turn my back, leap you forward or hiss in your sight. I shall be yours and to you I may serve only. My protection is under your care and my fate will eternally be tied to yours.”

Chase wanted to freak out but Miss Delacruz won’t let him. She stressed him to repeat after her enchantment. He repeated after her and the front door was flung open by the strong force of a tornado. Thunder and lightning roared the sky. Chase felt his body temperature started to climb up. His blood was literally boiling on the inside and every drop of water that was left within him was drained out. For a moment, he was floating in the air without the Vampire’s grip. A white light shimmered and he was dropped onto the floor. He was unconscious. A speeding vehicle pumped its exhaust to its maximum power and the blast shook the ground. Stepping out from the spinning twister were three other vampires.

***

"Just finished the ‘Enchantment Spell’ I see,” said the blonde vampire.

“Yes, even my nose can trace the strong odour!” said the red-haired vampire.

“Please sister, invite us in,” pleaded the brunette.

Miss Delacruz ordered Stideous to place Chase on the couch while she welcomed her sisters. She hugged the brunette and the blonde sisters and gave an air kiss to the brunette sister. But the visitors were more interested on Chase.

“He smells wonderful!” said the blonde.

“Emilia, Jocelyn, Tara, I forbid you from touching him. He is now officially my servant, and forever shall remain one” warned Miss Delacruz.

Emilia, the blonde one and Jocelyn, the red-haired vampire sniffed Chase like two dogs smelling their prey.

“A rare one!”

Tara, the brunette sister pushed them aside to take a good look on Chase. She placed her right hand on Chase’s forehead and started reading his brain. Her hand moved on to his chest and she closed her eyes tight.

“Where did you find him?” asked Tara.

She looked like she was about to faint. The other two watched from afar. They knew better than to meddle in their youngest sister’s affair.

“He found me,” replied the Vampiress.

The air was tensed. Not a sound was heard except for the beating of Chase’s heart.

“Why are you two referring this human as a ‘he’? You know we aren’t to recognize its’ status!” urged Jocelyn.

“May I, dearest sister?” Tara asked.

The Vampiress hesitated whether to trust Tara with Chase. Tara tried to convince her sister still.

“You know I am forbidden to harm a human. Let me just take a look at him,” convinced Tara.

“Not here. In my bedroom.”

“Thank you, Yvonne.”

Tara bowed to the Vampiress.

“Stideous, if you may?”

The small creature was standing there all along. He nodded to help Tara out. He had guided the big monster to carry Chase to the Vampiress’ bedroom. Jocelyn and Emilia waited for an explanation.

“What business do you have with the mortal?” asked Jocelyn.

She was a bit arrogant especially when it pertains to humans.

“Your journey might have be somewhat tiring. If you please, I’ll lead you to the dining room and we shall discuss of this matter later.”

Jocelyn and Emilia didn’t look too happy but they were too tired and hungry to argue. They followed her lead.

***

Tara landed her exhausted back against the wall as she watched Chase regaining consciousness. His body had cooled off and everything felt the same. Well, most of his body parts where right where they were so he was thankful for that.

“You’re not supposed to wake up that fast,” joked Tara.

Chase looked to his left and saw a brunette girl, almost as the same height as he was, dressed in white robe. He was embarrassed to find his shirt was no longer attached to his naked body. He pulled his bed sheet higher to his neck.

“Who are you? And why are you here?”

Tara walked toward him and sat on the edge of the bed. Chase backed away until he reached the wall. Tara didn’t say anything for the next five minutes except to stare into his eyes. But, her stare was somewhat odd. She seemed as if she was searching for something.

“That’s rude of me, pardon. I’m Tara Delacruz, Yvonne’s youngest sister.”

Hearing that didn’t make Chase budge. He guessed she must be a vampire too. But it was weird knowing Miss Delacruz had a sister, and she was pretty too. Only, she was much fairer and more approachable. Then Chase realised it was the first time he had found out about the Vampiress’ first name.

“Yvonne? You mean the Vampiress?”

Tara chuckled. Chase’s intensity ceased off. Knowing she was a vampire, made him less shy.

“Yes, the Vampiress.”

“Wow. I always refer to her by her last name or her title. I wonder if she would kill me if I call her by her first name?”

He was thinking. Tara smiled widely. She had never met an interesting young man before.

“Some nerve you’ve got there,” she pointed.

“Well, try living a week with her and everything else in this life seems less scary. Except for girls of course. That never changes.”

“No wonder my sister took you under her care. She even cast the ‘Enchantment Spell’ on you. She must really like you.”

He took it as a compliment. Well, it wasn’t everyday you get praised by a vampire. Then Chase remembered about what had happened right before he collapsed.

“What is this spell really?”

He checked his forehead. Explaining all about the spell would take hours and hours of complicated sentences. Tara decided to just give him a simple definition for him.

“It is to prevent my other sisters, and my others from harming you.”

“Wait-you said ‘other sisters’. How many sisters do you have?”

“The vampire’s family isn’t really like yours. Vampires don’t get married. They just-get together. Biologically, we’d have hundreds and hundreds of other flesh in blood. But we made a pact to stick together. So it’s just me, Yvonne, Jocelyn and Emilia.”

He started to feel sorry for them.

“That must sucks.”

Tara had a feeling he understood how they felt. The sheet started to glide down to Chase’s stomach without his realisation. Tara saw the fresh mark on his neck.

“Can I take a look at that?” she asked.

“The mark?”

She nodded.

“As long as you don’t take a bite, I don’t mind. It still sting.”

“It does? Let me help with that.”

She took a clear look and her fingers ran through the scar. It gave Chase a tingling feeling on the inside. She spoke some words of the ancient time and just like that, the scar dissolved in the skin. The pain was gone.

“Wow, thanks!”

“You’re welcome.”

“It had never been done before, as far as I know. She had a strong will power to stop from killing you.”

She sounded like she saw what had taken place. She said it had never been done before so there was no other way she could have known that fact. Chase suspected something and Tara was old enough to read humans’ common facial expression.

“Forgive me, again but I had to take a look at your mind before I could heal you.”

“So you saw what happened that night?”

“Yes.”

“What bout other stuff?”

“Well- that too. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“Are you kidding? That’s so cool! You did it without reaping my soul?”

She nodded.

“That’s good enough!”

Tara was relieved. Chase was surprised she was very different from the Vampiress. She was way polite and kind By now, Chase was imagining how cool it was if he could see what others saw and experienced.

“As a ‘Gatherer’, I gather information of humans’ activities, culture and technology. Anyway, I know this is personal but I just had to ask. You haven’t lost your ‘Big V’ yet. Based on my research, mostly all teenage boys would have lost it by the age as early as 16. For vampires, we would usually lose it at a more ‘mature’ age. So I was just wondering.”

Chase blushed. It was something personal but he didn’t mind talking about it.

“Not everything revolves around ‘that thing’ you know. It’s not really that big of a deal.”

He didn’t sound too convinced.

“You need not be embarrassed by it. I am not.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re in the same boat.”

Comparing yourself to a vampire wouldn’t really make that difference but it was comforting for Chase, a bit.

“There is something that I want to try. Something that I am allowed to do. If you permit it?”

Chase didn’t know what she was talking about but he owed her for healing him.

“You healed the scar. It’s the least I could do. Whatever the favour is.”

“Close your eyes.”

In Chase’s mind, he thought she would want to try and suck his blood or read his mind again. He figured it couldn’t be worse. So he closed his eyes voluntarily. She scooted forward and held his neck. He thought for sure she was going to bite him. But then his lips felt warm and soft. Tara had kissed him and suddenly he felt a jolt ran through his mouth.

“Ouch!” he cried.

Apparently, Tara got shocked too.

“I told you not to touch him,” scolded the Vampiress.

Chase got his first kiss and laughed because he was jolted because of it. It was definitely a kiss he could never forget. Tara found it funny too and chuckled. The Vampiress on the other hand seemed angry.

***