The Gentle Vampire

Lizzie looked around the clearing in surprise. She thought she knew these woods. She had hiked around them most of her life. Oh, there were times she had been away from them, but she always came back to them. But this was a clearing that she had never seen. And the kids playing around the clearing were strange to her too. In all her years of exploring these woods, she had never run into anyone else. For a long moment the kids froze as did Lizzie. Before any of them could move an older girl stepped into the clearing.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" Asked Emily.

"I believe I am lost." Lizzie replied. "I thought I know these woods."

Emily nodded and waved the kids back into the woods before approaching Lizzie.

“Not many of your kind have stumbled into our world” Emily told Lizzie.

“What do you mean your kind? And what is this about your world? There is only one world.” Lizzie looked confused.

“No ma’am, my best friend, Justin calls it another dimension.” Emi said the word like it was a foreign language. “He knows more about the human world because he lived there when he was really young.”

“Wait a minute. Human world? What are you then?” Lizzie asked even more confused.

The adults had never explained to Emily what she should do if a human stumbled on the school, but she didn’t see what harm this one could do. “This is the world of the Blodsugare. You probably know us as vampire.”

“Vampire? That’s impossible. Those don’t really exist. Right?” Lizzie still looked puzzled and a little frightened. “Besides even if they did exist, they are violent and blood thirsty.”

“I assure you that we do exist, but we have not been violent for a long time. You have nothing to fear here.” Emily calmed her. “Come with me to talk to the headmaster. This is a school, and he will know what to do. I don’t know the way back to your world. I will try to explain some of our history.”

Lizzie nodded at the plan. “No one is going to be looking for me, so I have plenty of time.

Emily felt drawn to this strange human. Humans fascinated her. Justin, her best friend who had recently finished school and gone back to the join the adults, was part human and had lived in the human world for a while. He told her stories about it, but she always wanted to know more. Perhaps this human could tell her more, if she stayed.

The headmaster allowed Lizzie to stay at the school until she figured out what to do. He told her the ways back to her world could only be opened at certain times and places. Each place was different and the one she must have stumbled through was not one he knew about. Besides, it was almost dark and even though the Blodsugare lived most of their lives at night he knew humans slept then.

Emily took Lizzie to her sleeping space and they talked most of the night. They finally got around to introducing themselves and Emily asked Lizzie to call her Emi like Justin did. Emi told Lizzie about the history of the Blodsugare. Up until about 75 years ago they were ruled by what Emi called the Violent Ones. They were what humans had written about and knew. They were of the might is right mind set. They did not care about much except where the next feast was coming from. Anyone who didn’t agree with them either had to flee for their life or was killed. Few humans stumbled into this world and even fewer made it out alive.

Then 75 years ago there was a revolution. The Gentle Ones had taken over. There were now three in charge. Every 10 years the Blodsugare got together and decided who would sit on the council of three for the next 10 years. The Gentle Ones believed that violence got them nowhere.

Over the next few days and weeks, Lizzie settled into life at the school. She rarely saw any of the adults. They taught the children but that was all. Lizzie either wandered around the area or read while the children were in class, then would play with them or tell them stories in their free time. She and Emi got closer as the days went by. Emi told her all about Justin and how they planned on being partners as soon as she finished school. She explained that it was the precursor to the Blodsugare equivalent of marriage. They would live together for a time to decide if they wanted to be together long term and have children together. That led to a discussion about the school and why there were so few adults around. Emi explained that the Gentle Ones had set up several schools to make sure violence did not take over again. Children stayed with their parents until they were 9. Then they stayed at the school for another 9 years, after which they went back to the adults. Emi was only a couple months away from leaving school.

Lizzie shared about the life she had left behind in the human world. She had lost her husband a couple of years ago and her parents a few years before that. She didn’t have any children and work was just a job. She had been very lonely, and her one pleasure was hiking in the woods.

Lizzie was always trying to learn all she could about her new world. Emi could usually answer most of her questions, but there were some that she didn’t know. Like why the Blodsugare had not buildings. Most of them lived in clearings, with a few living in small caves. Most of the Blodsugare hunted for food at night. Usually it was small game with the occasional deer or bear. Most of them had a small garden too. They had a few artisans that made clothing and other necessities and traded them for food. They cooked over open fires. Blood was only part of their diet. Taking blood from a “victim” did not turn that person into a Blodsugare. If you were not born as one, it was a long and painful process to become one. Emi didn’t know the detail because that knowledge was forbidden when the Gentle Ones took over.

Soon Emi left and Lizzie took over Emi’s sleeping space. That was where she had been staying and she was comfortable. The headmaster was okay with it as all the kids loved Lizzie and treated her almost like a second mother. Lizzie didn’t miss much from the life she left behind. There weren’t any friends or family waiting for her. She was happy here. She loved the kids as much as she loved them. But as the weeks and months passed Lizzie knew she needed to find a permeant place here. The school felt like a temporary shelter. She loved it, but it was not home. Emi’s sister, Lucia, noticed this too. Lucia spoke to the headmaster about and they both thought that the best plan would be to send Lizzie to Emi and Justin. It would give her a place to start. They could introduce her to more of the adults and hopefully she could find her place.

So it happened that the headmaster summoned Lizzie and sent her away.

Lizzie found the clearing the headmaster had given her directions to easily. There was no one there, but as it was night she was not surprised. Emi and Justin were probably out hunting. Lizzie made herself comfortable sitting against a tree. As the hours of the night dragged by, Lizzie dozed.

She was awakened by an exclamation of surprise and delight. She barely made it to her feet before Emi was throwing her arms around Lizzie. Lizzie hugged her back and noticed a young man standing back and smiling. His eyes looked familiar, but she couldn’t think why.

When Emi let Lizzie go, she introduced Justin. The three talked long into the day, catching up and getting to know each other.

Days flew as the three fell into a routine. Justin and Emi went out hunting most nights, while Lizzie stayed and did chores around the clearing or walked on her own. The two youngsters both treated her like a mother. Justin even started calling her “Mom”. He explained that he lost his mother when he was little before his dad brought him back to this world.

Often when they were out hunting, Justin and Emi would talk about Lizzie and how lonely she was. Later in the year there would social gatherings so they could introduce her around, but that was down the road. They also weren’t sure how the adults would react to a human in their world. There were some, including Emi’s parents, who were very anti human.

One night, Justin had an idea. “Emi, I feel really stupid for not thinking of this earlier. Dad has been alone since we came back here years ago. We should introduce them.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? I’ll go see what Lizzie is up to and you go invite your dad over for a meal. I’m sure Lizzie and I can come up with something special before you get back.” Emi chided.

Justin was soon in his father’s clearing. “We have a… well I guess you would call her a guest, staying with us. Lizzie stumbled into our world almost a year ago and met Emi at the school. They became fast friends even though Lizzie is more like a mom to both of us. We want you to meet her. Will you come?” Justin asked.

“What did you say her name was?” Spooky’s first question surprised Justin, but he recovered quickly.

“Lizzie.”

“Alright. Let’s go.” Justin was more surprised that his dad wasn’t balking at meeting Lizzie. He usually kept to himself. Justin had to almost run to catch up with his dad.

Emi and Lizzie were sitting by the fire in the center of the clearing waiting for the stew they were making to cook. Spooky stopped just within the trees and Justin heard him whisper, “It can’t be.” Before he came out of the trees and started walking purposefully toward Lizzie.

The girls stood when they saw the men coming out of the woods. Justin hurried forward to make introductions. “Lizzie, I would like you to meet my dad, Spooky. Dad, this is Lizzie.”

Lizzie stared for a long moment. She had forgotten that Justin’s eyes had looked familiar the first time she saw him. Now she knew why they looked so familiar. She took a step forward as she whispered, “Rick.” Her hand went to his face in what looked like a familiar gesture.

Spooky let out a low chuckle. “I suppose I was the last person you expected to see here. I’m shocked you remember me.” His hand captured hers and brought it to his lips for a kiss. The two young people gaped.

Finally, Justin pulled himself together. “It looks like you two already know each other.”

Spooky laughed. “You might say that.” He heard the unspoken question in his son’s voice but was too shocked himself to answer it.

Emi shook herself. “What was that she called you?”

“Rick,” Lizzie spoke up, “I suppose that was his human name. Or the name he went by when he was living with humans.”

“You catch on quickly, my dear.” Spooky answered the question in her voice. The shock was starting to wear off. “My parents didn’t know if I would ever be able to come back here. They also didn’t know naming customs in this world. So, they gave me names they thought would help me fit into either world. Now kids, if you will excuse us, Lizzie and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

Emi and Justin just nodded. They couldn’t think of a thing to say.

Spooky and Lizzie made their way back to Spooky’s clearing, not talking, just glancing at each other like they couldn’t believe the other was real. Once they got to the clearing and sat on a bench Spooky had carved from a log they started to talk.

“What happened to you all those years ago?” Lizzie asked hesitantly. “You never showed up at Bridgeport. I looked for you at all the events.”

Spooky began just as hesitantly. “Well, I met Calla. I knew you were out of reach. I couldn’t tell you what I was or anything about me. Calla came along and I was lonely. She was Blodsugare as well. She wore me down. She was determined to get me. Anyway, before that I kind of stayed away from events I thought you might be at. I fell hard but was convinced that you wouldn’t understand.

“Anyway, Calla and I had a good life for several years. She didn’t know I was part human. I didn’t know it mattered. One of my grandparents was human. Anyway, Justin doesn’t know that when she was killed in the car accident, she was leaving us because she found out about my human grandparent. Before she found out, she told me about the schools that had been set up here. Once she was gone, I decided to bring Justin back here so he could be with others of our kind.

“Enough about me though. What about you?” Spooky asked.

Lizzie took a minute to pull her thoughts together before she replied. “I finished school. Got married. Tried to have kids. No luck there. Worked dead end jobs so we could stay where my husband was working. Drifted along. Lost my folks several years ago. Then lost Sam, my husband, last year. Since then I’ve just been going through the motions. I don’t really belong anywhere or with anyone. Loved walking in the woods, which is how I ended up here. Is that boring enough for you?” Lizzie asked half-jokingly.

“Not boring at all. Hard work if you ask me.” Spooky replied.

They talked for hours, reminiscing, catching up and getting to know each other all over again. The sun was high in the sky when they finally dozed off by the fire. It was two days before they made it back to see Justin and Emi again.

Of course, they had a lot of questions, starting with how they knew each other. Lizzie and Spooky looked at each other with wry smiles. Lizzie told the story. “We were at a reenactment of a battle that took place in the American Civil War. Saturday night was the usual dance or ball as it was known. I was standing off to the side, alone. This handsome gentleman asked me why I wasn’t dancing.” Lizzie nodded to Spooky. “I popped off some snarky comment that he didn’t ask me. That didn’t scare him off. Eventually I got him out on the dance floor. We talked and danced the rest of the night away.

“Before the event was over, Rick invited me to his hometown event. It was there that I learned his nickname, or so I thought, was Spooky. We set up Friday night and Rick and I had a miscommunication and were both convinced that the other was mad at us. Nothing major, just a silly misunderstanding.

“The next day I got to know some of his friends and watched him from afar, trying to figure out why he was mad at me. I took one of the gals in his group into my confidence before the end of the day. That evening at the dance Jen and I maneuvered like crazy to get Rick to dance the first dance with me. It didn’t work.”

“That was you?” Justin gapped. “Aunty Jen used to tell me that story.”

“She remembered me?” Lizzie had to swallow to keep a from tearing up. Spooky squeezed her hand. She continued with half smile. “Anyway, I would see Rick while I was dancing but when I would look for him between dances he was no where to be found. It was maddening. I got progressively more aggravated. Finally, I went on a mission to find him. I did. He was talking to another woman that I didn’t know. Completely out of character for me, I interrupted and dragged him out on the dance floor. I didn’t plan very well. It was a rather fast dance. Talking was out of the question.

“We all rode back to the camp in the back of a pickup. Getting in with hoop skirts should have caused problems, but I was always a tomboy, so I just grabbed Rick’s shoulder and vaulted in. He just happened to be standing there helping the other girls in.” Lizzie smiled at Spooky as they both remembered that night.

“Getting down was a bit harder. I handed Rick one of the little girls that sat on my lap for the short ride, then held out my hand for help. I tripped over my skirt and cursed my tomboy ways. It would have been fun to land in his arms.” Spooky gave Lizzie a surprised look. This was part of the story he didn’t know. Lizzie just grinned back at him and continued. “Later that night after everyone was settling down, we finally got a chance to talk. We took a blanket and went off by ourselves and talked for most of the night. We fell asleep right there on the ground. The next day we said good-bye. That was the last time I saw Rick until two days ago. I never forgot him though. I always called him one of my ghosts.”

Emi sighed and Justin looked sad. It was not the happy ending they wanted.

Spooky noticed the looks. “Lizzie is going to be moving over with me. I know you don’t want to give her up, but we have decided.”

The kids’ frowns cleared up and were replaced with smiles. “As long as we can visit sometimes.” Emi said.

“Anytime kids.” Spooky replied. “Lizzie will like the company. I’ll deal with it.” He joked.

The kids asked lots of questions. Lizzie and Spooky answered as many of them as they could. They talked until dawn. Then Lizzie gathered the few things she had acquired since coming to this world and she and Spooky went back to their clearing.

Over time Spooky started teaching Lizzie how to hunt. She was a fast learner. She also started creating clothes and other useful things when they weren’t out hunting. Lizzie learned the edible plants of the area and started to cultivate some of them so they would be available when they were wanted. Most women in this world did the same.

One evening before Spooky and Lizzie left the clearing, Justin come to visit. He was alone. After they all sat down, Justin started. “Emi and I want to commit to partnership. Emi is talking to her parents now.”

Lizzie and Spooky were not at all surprised. They had been expecting this. They offered their congratulations. Justin left to go back to his home and wait for Emi to get back.

Soon Justin was back with Emi, who was in tears. “Emi’s mom won’t stand up with her. They think she should be with a full blood Blodsugare. So, they won’t give their blessing.”

Spooky sighed. “I should have expected this. I’ll go talk to them, see if we can get this sorted out.”

The kids went back to their home and Spooky left to talk to Emi’s parents. For a bit Lizzie puttered around her home clearing. But the restlessness got the better of her and she went for a walk.

Lizzie wandered along lost in thought. Her life had changed so much in the last several months. She discovered a whole new world, made friends, and found love again. Even more surprising was that it was with someone from her past, someone she had called a ghost for so many years. She and Rick hadn’t talked much about the future yet. What they had was still too new. They were still figuring out exactly what it was they had. All those years and neither one had forgotten the one weekend they had together. Lizzie knew she hadn’t forgotten because it was a single spot of brightness in her dull life back then. She felt like for that weekend at least, she was cared for.

Eventually she made her way back to the clearing she shared with Rick

Rick was back and looking worried. “Where have you been? I was about to start tracking you.”

“I was just walking.” Lizzie explained. “I kind of lost track of time. Did you get things sorted out with Emi’s parents?”

Spooky turned serious. “Emi’s parents are stubborn asses. And don’t tell the kids I said that. Sora and Jess don’t like humans. One of my grandmothers was human and they can’t get past that. They think Justin isn’t good enough for their daughter. So, the kids have some choices to make. They can go their separate ways and find other partners, which you and I know isn’t going to happen. They can wait and see if Sora and Jess will change their minds. Or Emi can find another mother figure and basically disown her parents. I doubt Sora and Jess will ever change their minds. The bias is too embedded in their psyche. Emi may be willing to disown her parents, if she feels close to another mother figure.” Rick looked at Lizzie with that statement.

“Of course, I would do anything I could for her. After all, she brought me back to you.” Lizzie smiled.