A new segment
“No, Dash! Don’t hurt her!” Simon cried, flinging himself between the oncoming Dash and the cowering Aubrey. Marshall’s heart flew into his throat.
“Dash, stop!”
Dash froze in mid-lunge, stumbling back on his heels. There was dead silence in the room, save for the sound of Aubrey’s stifled sobs. Simon fell to his knees beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
“She’s a vampire!” Dash exclaimed in exasperation. “A hit like that wouldn’t hurt her! So what if it did? Don’t you get that she just tried to kill your best friend?!”
“But she’s my friend, too!”
“Enough! Just stop it!”
Dash and Simon looked over as Marshall staggered to his feet, small drops of blood falling from his arm and echoing as they hit the floor. Aubrey’s eyes glowed faintly red as the scent hit her, and she shuddered. Dash hissed in annoyance.
“Calm down.” Mars put a hand on Dash’s shoulder. The two looked at each other for a long, tense moment, and then Dash shook his head.
“You can’t. That’s nuts.”
“You can’t, either,” Mars said, jerking his head in Simon’s direction. “Look at them. If you hurt her… Simon will never get over it.”
Dash looked at the two kids kneeling together on the floor, Aubrey clutching Simon’s sleeve. She was still sobbing, and Simon was murmuring words of comfort. He met Dash’s eyes, and in that moment, Dash knew that if he tried anything, Simon would do anything to stop him. The risk wasn’t worth it.
“Fine. Do what you want,” he told Marshall. “But remember what happens if this all goes to hell.”
To his surprise, Mars smiled. “I remember. But don’t forget, Dash- Aubrey was human once, too.”
Dash blinked- obviously the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Mars nodded once for reassurance, then he knelt in front of Simon and Aubrey.
“Aubrey, I know you don’t want to do this.”
She shook her head, face pressed into Simon’s shirt. Simon peered over her shoulder, fear written all over his face.
“You won’t let Dash hurt her, will you?”
“No, Simon. Everything will be all right.”
“She’s fighting it. She doesn’t want to make you a vampire, you know. She’s not like that.”
“I know. We know.” Marshall looked pointedly at Dash, who was still clutching the wooden stake tight in his hand, knuckles white. Dash scowled at him, but he ignored it.
“Marshall?” Aubrey’s voice was muffled. Marshall turned his attention back to her.
“Yeah?”
“Can you… can you wrap your arm back up? I can’t concentrate…”
“Yeah, hang on.” Marshall stood up and walked towards the bathroom, grabbing Dash’s arm and dragging him along.
“Teller, what the hell-“
“I’m not leaving you there with her,” Marshall said matter-of-factly. “I’m not that naive.”
“You think Simon can hold her back if she can’t resist?”
“Yes, I think so. Now stand here and watch my back, will you?”
“You just said-“
“Dash! Just do it!”
Dash muttered something under his breath, but didn’t openly protest. He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, silent as Marshall ran water over his arm. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the smell of blood was still rather strong in the air.
“Ugh,” Marshall lamented. “I can’t believe this is in any way appealing.”
I don’t know why I was ever tempted.
“That’s what makes you human.”
Marshall stopped mid-rinse and peered over at Dash. He couldn’t see the expression on his face, just the tension in his shoulders. And he didn’t know how to respond.
In the meantime, Simon sat on the floor with Aubrey, looking in the direction Marshall and Dash had gone. She hadn’t looked up at all, but her sobs had subsided.
“Are you feeling any better?” Simon questioned.
“The water is helping. Washing the smell away.” Aubrey sniffled. “Simon, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-“
“Aubrey, it’s okay. You can’t help it.”
“I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be this.”
“Does anyone?”
Aubrey looked up at him, startled. He looked embarrassed that he’d been so forward, face turning red. She didn’t seem offended by the question, though.
“No. Not unless you’re sick to begin with.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“Okay, that’s better.” Marshall came strolling back into the room, stretching his arms out in front of him. Dash followed close behind, looking surly but more subdued. The stake was no longer in his hand. Aubrey looked at the two of them, her blue eyes still watery. A thought struck Marshall then.
“You’ve been a vampire a long time, haven’t you.”
Simon and Dash looked confused by the remark, but Aubrey nodded. “How did you know that?”
“I think if you were a… younger vampire, there’s no way you could’ve resisted my blood like you’re doing now. Or interacted with people so naturally like you do with Simon. Or wandered out in the sun and not turned into a pile of dust.”
Aubrey half-smiled. “You’re observant, Marshall. One of the most observant humans I’ve ever met, and that’s saying a lot.”
“How… how long have you been a vampire, anyway?” This time it was Simon who spoke. And this time, Aubrey didn’t have a ready answer. She frowned, deep in thought for several moments.
“Well, I don’t really know,” she admitted finally. “Two hundred years? Three hundred? Time isn’t the same for me as it is for you, Simon.”
“Are we really having this conversation?” Dash suddenly interjected, surreptitiously placing himself between Marshall and the children. “The longer she sits here, the more her control will slip. Am I right? All she has to do is wait until our guard is down, then bam! Teller here becomes vampire feed.”
“Dash-“ Marshall began.
“No, he’s right.” Aubrey took a deep breath, then shakily got to her feet. Dash tensed, but she didn’t move any further. “The longer I stay here… I’m just tempting fate. No vampire has absolute control.”
“What are you saying?” Simon stood, a feeling of dread building in the pit of his stomach. “Aubrey, what do you mean?”
“I mean…” Aubrey looked at him sadly. “I have to say goodbye.”
“You… you can’t! You haven’t been here that long! There’s so much… so much we never got to do, and…” Simon’s lower lip began to tremble. Aubrey didn’t say anything, but she put her arms around him instead. Dash turned away from them, looking horribly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Marshall just stared at the floor.
“Where will you go?” Simon asked.
“I don’t know. For now, probably as far as possible,” Aubrey said and looked back at Marshall. “I’m sorry for everything. I don’t want to be a danger to you, so… this is best.”
“You could come back someday, when this is all over,” Marshall suggested, though he didn’t know how feasible that really was. But he felt strangely guilty for the whole mess along with the need to give Simon some hope. Aubrey nodded.
“That… sounds nice.”
Simon sniffled and backed out of her embrace, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Setting his jaw firm, he looked her in the eyes.
“I won’t forget you.”
“I know. And I’ll keep you in my thoughts, Simon.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then hurriedly made her way to the door.
“Aubrey?” Marshall called after her. With her hand on the doorknob, she froze.
“You… you don’t know any way to cure me?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, no. But he-“ she inclined her head in Dash’s direction- “might be able to help you with that.”
“What?” Dash demanded. But she said nothing more and disappeared into the moonless night outside. Mars, Dash, and Simon stood for a while in the front hall after that, no one really knowing what to do next.
“She… she’s really gone, isn’t she?” Simon wasn’t crying anymore, but his voice still sounded shaky. Marshall walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders.
“Yeah, but I think she’ll come back eventually. I’d bet on it.”
“And maybe she can explain what the hell she meant,” Dash muttered, staring, as he often did, at the marks on his hands.
“Dash, stop!”
Dash froze in mid-lunge, stumbling back on his heels. There was dead silence in the room, save for the sound of Aubrey’s stifled sobs. Simon fell to his knees beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
“She’s a vampire!” Dash exclaimed in exasperation. “A hit like that wouldn’t hurt her! So what if it did? Don’t you get that she just tried to kill your best friend?!”
“But she’s my friend, too!”
“Enough! Just stop it!”
Dash and Simon looked over as Marshall staggered to his feet, small drops of blood falling from his arm and echoing as they hit the floor. Aubrey’s eyes glowed faintly red as the scent hit her, and she shuddered. Dash hissed in annoyance.
“Calm down.” Mars put a hand on Dash’s shoulder. The two looked at each other for a long, tense moment, and then Dash shook his head.
“You can’t. That’s nuts.”
“You can’t, either,” Mars said, jerking his head in Simon’s direction. “Look at them. If you hurt her… Simon will never get over it.”
Dash looked at the two kids kneeling together on the floor, Aubrey clutching Simon’s sleeve. She was still sobbing, and Simon was murmuring words of comfort. He met Dash’s eyes, and in that moment, Dash knew that if he tried anything, Simon would do anything to stop him. The risk wasn’t worth it.
“Fine. Do what you want,” he told Marshall. “But remember what happens if this all goes to hell.”
To his surprise, Mars smiled. “I remember. But don’t forget, Dash- Aubrey was human once, too.”
Dash blinked- obviously the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. Mars nodded once for reassurance, then he knelt in front of Simon and Aubrey.
“Aubrey, I know you don’t want to do this.”
She shook her head, face pressed into Simon’s shirt. Simon peered over her shoulder, fear written all over his face.
“You won’t let Dash hurt her, will you?”
“No, Simon. Everything will be all right.”
“She’s fighting it. She doesn’t want to make you a vampire, you know. She’s not like that.”
“I know. We know.” Marshall looked pointedly at Dash, who was still clutching the wooden stake tight in his hand, knuckles white. Dash scowled at him, but he ignored it.
“Marshall?” Aubrey’s voice was muffled. Marshall turned his attention back to her.
“Yeah?”
“Can you… can you wrap your arm back up? I can’t concentrate…”
“Yeah, hang on.” Marshall stood up and walked towards the bathroom, grabbing Dash’s arm and dragging him along.
“Teller, what the hell-“
“I’m not leaving you there with her,” Marshall said matter-of-factly. “I’m not that naive.”
“You think Simon can hold her back if she can’t resist?”
“Yes, I think so. Now stand here and watch my back, will you?”
“You just said-“
“Dash! Just do it!”
Dash muttered something under his breath, but didn’t openly protest. He folded his arms and leaned against the door frame, silent as Marshall ran water over his arm. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the smell of blood was still rather strong in the air.
“Ugh,” Marshall lamented. “I can’t believe this is in any way appealing.”
I don’t know why I was ever tempted.
“That’s what makes you human.”
Marshall stopped mid-rinse and peered over at Dash. He couldn’t see the expression on his face, just the tension in his shoulders. And he didn’t know how to respond.
In the meantime, Simon sat on the floor with Aubrey, looking in the direction Marshall and Dash had gone. She hadn’t looked up at all, but her sobs had subsided.
“Are you feeling any better?” Simon questioned.
“The water is helping. Washing the smell away.” Aubrey sniffled. “Simon, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean-“
“Aubrey, it’s okay. You can’t help it.”
“I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be this.”
“Does anyone?”
Aubrey looked up at him, startled. He looked embarrassed that he’d been so forward, face turning red. She didn’t seem offended by the question, though.
“No. Not unless you’re sick to begin with.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“Okay, that’s better.” Marshall came strolling back into the room, stretching his arms out in front of him. Dash followed close behind, looking surly but more subdued. The stake was no longer in his hand. Aubrey looked at the two of them, her blue eyes still watery. A thought struck Marshall then.
“You’ve been a vampire a long time, haven’t you.”
Simon and Dash looked confused by the remark, but Aubrey nodded. “How did you know that?”
“I think if you were a… younger vampire, there’s no way you could’ve resisted my blood like you’re doing now. Or interacted with people so naturally like you do with Simon. Or wandered out in the sun and not turned into a pile of dust.”
Aubrey half-smiled. “You’re observant, Marshall. One of the most observant humans I’ve ever met, and that’s saying a lot.”
“How… how long have you been a vampire, anyway?” This time it was Simon who spoke. And this time, Aubrey didn’t have a ready answer. She frowned, deep in thought for several moments.
“Well, I don’t really know,” she admitted finally. “Two hundred years? Three hundred? Time isn’t the same for me as it is for you, Simon.”
“Are we really having this conversation?” Dash suddenly interjected, surreptitiously placing himself between Marshall and the children. “The longer she sits here, the more her control will slip. Am I right? All she has to do is wait until our guard is down, then bam! Teller here becomes vampire feed.”
“Dash-“ Marshall began.
“No, he’s right.” Aubrey took a deep breath, then shakily got to her feet. Dash tensed, but she didn’t move any further. “The longer I stay here… I’m just tempting fate. No vampire has absolute control.”
“What are you saying?” Simon stood, a feeling of dread building in the pit of his stomach. “Aubrey, what do you mean?”
“I mean…” Aubrey looked at him sadly. “I have to say goodbye.”
“You… you can’t! You haven’t been here that long! There’s so much… so much we never got to do, and…” Simon’s lower lip began to tremble. Aubrey didn’t say anything, but she put her arms around him instead. Dash turned away from them, looking horribly uncomfortable with the whole situation. Marshall just stared at the floor.
“Where will you go?” Simon asked.
“I don’t know. For now, probably as far as possible,” Aubrey said and looked back at Marshall. “I’m sorry for everything. I don’t want to be a danger to you, so… this is best.”
“You could come back someday, when this is all over,” Marshall suggested, though he didn’t know how feasible that really was. But he felt strangely guilty for the whole mess along with the need to give Simon some hope. Aubrey nodded.
“That… sounds nice.”
Simon sniffled and backed out of her embrace, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Setting his jaw firm, he looked her in the eyes.
“I won’t forget you.”
“I know. And I’ll keep you in my thoughts, Simon.” She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then hurriedly made her way to the door.
“Aubrey?” Marshall called after her. With her hand on the doorknob, she froze.
“You… you don’t know any way to cure me?”
She shook her head. “Sorry, no. But he-“ she inclined her head in Dash’s direction- “might be able to help you with that.”
“What?” Dash demanded. But she said nothing more and disappeared into the moonless night outside. Mars, Dash, and Simon stood for a while in the front hall after that, no one really knowing what to do next.
“She… she’s really gone, isn’t she?” Simon wasn’t crying anymore, but his voice still sounded shaky. Marshall walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders.
“Yeah, but I think she’ll come back eventually. I’d bet on it.”
“And maybe she can explain what the hell she meant,” Dash muttered, staring, as he often did, at the marks on his hands.