Suzanne was at Tom’s apartment, going through her luggage bag for the umpteenth time. They were set to fly to the Maldives first thing in the morning and Suzanne was sleeping over at Tom’s place for the night. His apartment was closer to the airport. Plus she liked frolicking in Tom’s bed.
That evening, Suzanne sat at the edge of Tom’s king-sized bed, wearing only Tom’s sweatshirt her little black underwear and a pair of orange socks. With one knee tucked under her chin, she went through the items in her luggage bag one last time. She had OCD when it came to packing for a trip. One time she spent a whole day just to pack a little tote bag for a trip down to Kentucky.
The bedroom door was slightly ajar and she could see Tom watching the news in his dimly lit, but cosy living room. Suzanne never did like watching the ne
Suzanne stepped into the brightly lit lobby of the nursing home. The white LED downlights from the ceiling bounced off the cream painted walls of the lobby, giving the place a cheery feel, contrary to what Suzanne was feeling at the moment. Behind her, the automatic glass door gently slid to a close as a mistletoe above her head swayed gently. Her arrival startled the nurse who quickly stood up from her desk at the reception to greet Suzanne. She had been knitting a sweater for her child. “Ms Summers! I wasn’t expecting you tonight. You know that visiting hours are over. Your grandma’s probably getting ready for bed too,” the nurse stood up, confused to find Suzanne here so late at night. Suzanne usually called before coming over, and sh
4 hours earlierHendricks slammed the dark mahogany door shut and frantically locked the door. His hands shook as he fumbled with the cords to pull his pale blue blinds shut. Outside, the wind began to pick up. Hendricks slumped onto the floor and scratched his balding head furiously with both his hands. His mouth twitched nervously as he eyed his apartment. “Harry? Harry, come here,” he called out in a whisper, afraid to be heard from outside the apartment walls.
At the Alma Mater Home for the Aged, two figures emerged from the shadows as Suzanne left her grandmother’s unit. With their faces obscured by their hoods, they watched Suzanne sprint down the corridor into the lobby in silence. Then suddenly, just as she was about to enter into the lobby, she stopped and turned around, as if sensing their presence. Suzanne strained to see in the dark, but all she could see was the spirit of Mr Firash on his rocking chair.She was about to walk back to her grandmother's wing when the nurse called out to her. Suzanne turned back to the lobby and did not return.
The Delta had just taken off. It would be another 15 more hours before they would touch down in Seoul. Suzanne was drained, physically, mentally and emotionally. Just hours ago, she had lost someone dear to her; Hendricks. He had been like the grandfather she never knew. She had grown up under his tutelage and was a patron of his potions and talismans. The man was a genius talisman maker. As a child, she would spend hours playing with his ‘son’ while her grandmother and Hendricks discussed ways to better their craft. Suzanne couldn’t believe that he was gone. We didn’t even get to say goodbye. I’m so sorry Hendricks.
“Good afternoon. This is your captain speaking. I'd like to thank everyone for choosing Delta Airlines. This is Flight 86A. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 33,000 feet at an airspeed of 400 miles per hour. The time is 2:25 pm. The weather looks good and with the tailwind on our side, we are expecting to land in Seoul approximately fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. The weather in Seoul is cold and cloudy, with a temperature of 5 degrees for this afternoon. If the weather cooperates we should get a great view of the city as we descend. The cabin crew will be coming around in about twenty minutes to offer you a light snack and beverage. I'll talk to you again before we reach our destination. Until then, sit back, relax and enj
Tom stepped up, instinctively shielding Suzanne with his body, covering her petite body behind his towering frame. Suddenly, he believed every horror story he had read as a child, that they were all true; the undead walking amongst the living and feeding off them. At that very moment, he wanted to run away, more than anything. But he stood firm, he would protect Suzanne with his life if need be.The vampire found this amusing, “How sweet.”
Vlad the vampire began his tale of long ago. ‘In the beginning, HaShem created the heavens and the earth. He saw that it was good and created the first being, to rule over the earth. That being was my father. He was the first and greatest of our kind, and because he was from the very beginning, father was beautiful, wise and full of love. But he was lonely, so HaShem created a companion for father. The companion was mother. Their powers were great, far greater than the powers I wield today. Father would often busy himself tending the creatures of the world and communicating with HaShem and because of that, mother felt lonely.
'We had all but scattered across the earth, but father hunted us down one by one. And then, there were only a few of us left. My sister and I stayed with mother, we were the youngest in the family. A few were hiding elsewhere. I believe father came for us last. When he found us, we were surviving on the blood of lizards and snakes. All the other creatures had all but been consumed. We were weak, father would have no problem finishing us off. But father loved mother the most. She was his first love.