Writer's Block

Janine sat at her writing table and stared at the new document she had created what seemed like a million years earlier.

It hadn’t been a million years, more like fifteen minutes, but as she sat, lost in thought, watching the blinking cursor on the laptop screen, Janine felt like time was flying as fast as her racing thoughts.

Those thoughts touched on many things, most idle and unimportant, but others were startling. Some of her thoughts were dark and terrifying.

Usually, when dark thoughts came, she basked in them. Exploring the inner darkness like a goblin mining the shadows, searching for rare and glimmering nuggets that sometimes turned into magic beneath the stroke of her fingers on the keyboard.

Turning dark thoughts into words on the screen was what she lived for. Those words kept her alive.

They paid for the antique writing table she sat behind, as well as her cozy little house. It paid for the comfy pajama pants and tee shirt she wore and the zombie slippers keeping her toes warm on that chilly morning. Her feet were nestled inside the plush zombie's gaping mouths.

It hadn't always been that way. There were a lot of lean years before good timing and amazing good luck turned her self published book about a vampire girl in love into a successful series well on its way to being an online bestseller.

Before the good timing and luck, there were years of toiling away in low paying jobs and living in crummy apartments(when she wasn't crashing with her folks!), while stealing time to jot down character notes, plots, and ugly first drafts in notebooks and on whatever paper was handy. Old receipts. Napkins. Stolen office supplies.

But now she was living the dream of every indie writer.

Writing full time!

Or not writing, as was apparent by the blinking cursor, staring out at her from the blank word document like a judgmental asshole. Mocking her.

Blink- What’s wrong, Jani?

Blink- Got writer’s block?

Blink- Aw, no ideas today?

Blink- Why don’t you just give up?

Blink- Go get yourself a real job!

Janine ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. Fuck you, computer! She sipped coffee from her Charlie Brown coffee mug and didn't even care that it had gone cold.

Then she did what she'd been avoiding all morning. She picked up the hand mirror lying beside her laptop and looked at her reflection for about the 100th time that morning.

She didn't look at her face. Not because it was a bad face or anything. It was a pretty good face, actually. One she was proud of, even on mornings like this one, with no makeup and a tangled mass of bed hair framing it. She was a pretty girl and needed no one else to tell her otherwise, thank you very much.

It wasn't her face that immediately caught her gaze and refused to let go.

It was the twin puncture marks in her neck. Two little holes, already mostly healed, right where she was reasonably sure her jugular was. They didn't hurt, not really. She'd poked at them with a swab when she first noticed them, in her bathroom, brushing her teeth. There was no redness or puffiness to indicate infection. No pus.

Not much blood, either. At least not until after she poked one too many times with the swab.

She wasn't stupid. She wrote erotic vampire fiction, for god’s sake! She knew what the marks looked like, what she was automatically supposed to think.

And that was just ridiculous!

But she also knew the marks weren't there when she lay down the night before. At least she thought they weren't. Most of the night was a fog of too much wine and a half remembered phone call from a friend.

There were only a few rational explanations and the only thing to do was go see someone who could tell her the right one.

- - -

“First off, I want to get a couple of things out of the way right off the bat.” Dr. Jacobs said after a lengthy examination of the marks on her neck. They were in his examination room, Janine on the adjustable exam table and the good doctor on a rolling stool. He continued, “I'm 99.9% sure that it isn't a vampire bite.”

“You're sure?”

Dr. Jacobs folded his arms across his chest and arched a bushy eyebrow. "Am I sure? About which part? The fact that a vampire didn't bite you? Or that vampires don't exist?"

Embarrassed, Janine said nothing.

“Firstly, being 99.9% sure that vampires don't exist, I can safely say that said mythological beast didn't use its fangs to make those marks.” He smiled to take the sting from his words. “Secondly, I'm equally certain you didn't make those marks yourself.” At her hurt expression, he raised his hands. “I had to say it, Jani, otherwise I wouldn't be doing my job. I trust you when you say you didn't do it.”

“Well, okay.” She thought she was doing a good job of seeming nonchalant while, inside, she was panicking. “So what are these, then? Bug bites?”

“Actually, that's probably exactly what they are.” He studied her for a moment then asked, “How long have you been coming to see me, Jani?”

“I don't know.” She said, glancing at the medical posters on the walls and the stacks of tattered magazines lying on the counter. She scratched behind her ear and said, finally, “Since I was a kid.”

“Since you were eight years old.” Dr. Jacobs’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. He took off his glasses, cleaning them with a cloth from his pocket, and said, “I've watched you grow up. You played dolls and my little pony with my girls. I like to think I'm more than just your doctor. I'm your friend.”

Janine blushed and said, “Of course we're friends.”

“Then take my word for it when I say those marks were most likely made by a bug bite. Probably while you were sleeping. That's my best guess, but I think I'm right. I'm gonna give you an anti-inflammatory and some antibiotic salve, but it isn't showing any signs of infection.”

He stood and she followed suit, gathering her things. He scratched the side of his nose and said, “Nurse Linda will be in to clean and dress your wound. She'll also bring your meds.” He opened the door and paused, looking at Janine and saying, “By the way, how's the writing going? The girls ask about you every time they come over.”

“It's going great.” She lied, smiling and meeting her doctor’s gaze. When he was gone, she sat down and sighed. Her neck hurt.

- - -

Janine almost went straight home from the doctor’s office but decided on a quick detour to the Coffee Nook. The Nook was was her favorite coffee shop(of course, it was also her hometown’s only coffee shop, making it her favorite by default.)and she spent an inordinate amount of time there.

As hokey and cliched as it sounded, she usually got a lot of writing done while sipping on a frothy latte, nibbling scones, and visiting with her favorite baristas.

Taking off her sunglasses as she stepped inside, Janine was disappointed when she didn't immediately see her best friend, Kiera. She was the assistant manager and was almost always here.

She tried not to let her disappointment show on her face as she stepped up to the counter and smiled at Liz and Cody. “Hi, guys.”

The pair of experienced coffee slingers were both super friendly and confident as they hustled to take orders and deliver coffees. It was moderately busy and Janine was again surprised that Kiera wasn't working.

Liz caught her eye and tossed a crooked smile in her direction. She said, “Hey, Jani! Your usual?”

“Yup yup!” Jani said. She made a beeline for her usual table but had to make do with the one next to it because of the crowd. She got settled, placing her bag on the table and bringing out her laptop.

She knew she was a cliche, but it didn't bother her in the least. Like every other writer she knew, she had a routine that she tried to stick to. She didn't bring the laptop’s power block with her when she went to the coffee shop. That gave her a pretty solid four hour block of writing time(as long as she didn't get sidetracked by web surfing or social media!)and she found that was a good self imposed limit. Otherwise, she would spend her whole day at the coffee shop.

They didn't mind her holding the table that long because she kept a tab for coffee and snacks that she paid after every visit and she left crazy big tips for everybody working.

Once she was settled, she waited until Liz brought her the first of her many lattes and a fresh scone before turning on her laptop and beginning.

Beginning what, though? She stared at the blank document, at that god awful blinking cursor, and felt a wave of crushing despair as the words refused to come. She sipped her coffee and nibbled her scone and still nothing.

Her hand went to her throat, touching the thick scarf that hid her shame and probable insanity. She closed her eyes and tried to will the panic away.

“Are you okay?”

Janine opened her eyes and found Liz sitting across from her.

The rush had died down somewhat and Cody was wiping down the counters. Liz watched her with concern in her eyes. She was younger than Janine, with the most expressive eyes the woman had ever seen. A very pretty girl with flawless skin and long dark hair. She'd only been working at the Nook for a few weeks, but in that time she’d gone out of her way to befriend Janine. She said, “So, what's going on?”

“What do you mean?” Janine said, looking at the other woman over the rim of her cup as she sipped her latte and tried to get her bearings.

Liz smiled and raised her eyebrows at Janine. “You come here every day that we're open and I watch as you drink your coffee and tap away at your stories in between bites of scone. And while you're not exactly pounding away like Hemingway or Stephen King, you're usually pretty consistent.”

“Thank you.” Janine said, taking another sip to hide her sudden blush.

“But not today.” Liz leaned closer and tapped the top of the laptop with her fingernail. “Today, you've been here for over an hour and haven't typed a thing. So, I have to ask, what's up? What has you blocked? Boy trouble?” When Janine shook her head, Liz’s smile turned wicked and she said, “Girl trouble?”

Janine’s blush came back but she laughed softly and shook her head again. “Nothing like that. I'm just having an off day. Nothing major. It happens to every writer eventually.”

Liz’s smile faded and the look of concern returned, more pronounced than before. She said, “Would it help if I told you you're not going crazy?”

“Wha-” Janine tried to say, but a piece of scone decided to try to kill her suddenly and she spent a full two minutes washing it down with latte while Liz cringed and tried not laugh. “Excuse me.” She finally got out, red faced and teary eyed. “What do you mean by crazy?”

Liz didn't answer right away. She suddenly seemed nervous, almost shy. She gave the shop a cautious look around then leaned closer, whispering, “I'm breaking all sorts of rules just talking to you like this, Jani. It might be dangerous.”

“Dangerous for who?”

“For both of us.”

Jani blinked at the other woman and touched her scarf again. Her eyes dropped to the dark screen of her laptop. It had been inactive too long and went to sleep. Maybe I'm asleep too? Janine thought, her breathing suddenly difficult. She looked up, meeting Liz’s gaze, and said, “What are you trying to tell me?”

But she knew already.

Liz bared her teeth in a smile and, for the briefest of moments, a pair of sharp little fangs were visible. She said, “Like I said, you're not crazy.”

Janine's insides went loose and hot at the momentary glimpse of the other woman's fangs. It was a completely biological reaction.

Once, when she was just a little girl, she'd gone on a camping trip with her family. While on a hike with her dad, they came across a black bear rooting through a trash bin. The bear took a second to notice them, giving them a long dead eyed look before snorting and fleeing into the woods, but her initial reaction was just the same as when she saw Liz’s fangs.

Fear.

The visceral, gut wrenching fear of an apex predator that could attack and devour her without the slightest provocation.

But that was just her fight or flight impulse, trying to overwhelm her conscious mind.

The rational part of her brain(which didn't feel very rational at the moment!)didn't want to fight or fly.

Janine took a shaky breath and gripped her coffee cup with both hands hard enough to turn her knuckles white. Then she took a sip and said, “Well, okay.”

Liz laughed softly and gave a rueful little shake of her head. She said, “You took that a lot better than I anticipated. Some people freak out. I once had somebody throw up.”

Janine’s smile felt brittle and she had to take another drink before she could say, “I kind of wanted to. Freak out, I mean. Not throw up. Though, it was a little touch and go there, for a second.”

“Why didn't you?”

Janine didn't answer right away. Her hands looked frail wrapped around her coffee cup, her nails uneven and ragged. She'd painted them a few days earlier but the gloss had mostly chipped away. She felt unkempt and disheveled, like a ragamuffin, and couldn't help but compare herself to the beautiful vampire sitting across from her.

Liz must have seen her thoughts in her face(or maybe plucked them directly from her mind with some sort of weird vampire telepathy!)because she smiled and said, “It's a sort of magic, like a glamour. It makes us beautiful and appealing to humans. Without it, I'm not nearly as pretty as you.”

Janine still couldn't speak. She had a million questions but her brain was completely deadlocked by the mind blowing realization that vampires were real!

Vampires were real! Holy shit!

“You're breathing too fast.” Liz said, leaning forward and clasping her hands in front of herself. “Close your eyes and take slow deep breaths. Compose yourself before you hyperventilate and pass out.”

It came out like a command, but her tone was gentle, so Janine did as she was told.

Closing her eyes helped and, after a few minutes, Janine felt more in control of herself. She took long slow breaths for a whole minute then opened her eyes.

Liz sat as before, quietly studying her with a quizzical smile teasing the corners of her mouth. She said, “So, yeah, vampires are real. So are werewolves, dragons, angels, demons, and just about every other supernatural and magical creature ever cooked up by the human imagination. It's a big terrifying and amazing world out there and I'm here to invite you to the party.”

Janine blinked her eyes a bunch of times as she analysed the vampire’s words over and over and kept coming to the same stuptifying conclusion. “You want to make me a vampire? Is that what you're telling me?”

Liz smiled again, arching her eyebrows at Janine’s flabbergasted tone. “That about sums it up, I guess.” She glanced over at Cody, who was texting on his phone. She could tell from how his lips were quirked that he was texting his girlfriend. She kept her voice low as she said, “This is usually done differently. There's this whole process, interviews and crap, but I decided to take initiative with you because you're a special case.”

“What makes me special?” Janine narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “And when exactly did you creep into my house and bite my neck? That doesn't exactly inspire trust, you know?”

“I'm sorry and I completely understand you being upset with me.” She held her hands up in a placating gesture. “I take full responsibility. My only defense is that I temporarily lost control when you hugged me last night. I'm really sorry.”

“Whoa-wha-” Janine choked on her coffee this time and it took her another few minutes to get control of herself again. Liz watched her, the sympathy in her eyes almost comical considering the topic of their conversation.

Once she could safely talk again, Janine whispered fiercely, “When did I hug you last night?” Her hand was on her scarf again and her neck burned where the marks were. She felt sick to her stomach. “What did you do? Drug me somehow?”

Liz’s expression became pained and she suddenly had a hard time meeting Janine’s furious glare. Her eyes dropped to her hands, toying nervously with the cuffs of her shirt, and she mumbled, “I said I was sorry.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Janine was exasperated and hurt and completely freaked out as she stood up and started gathering her things. Her flight response had finally kicked in, but not out of fear. She glared at the other woman and said, “You're not going to kill me here, are you? Not in front of Cody, at least. And you can't follow me outside, because of the sun.” She stopped in the act of putting her laptop in her bag and narrowed her eyes at Liz. “Or maybe you can? You're not going to tell me you glitter in the sun or something, are you? Because I don't think my brain can take that on top of everything else.”

“It's not like that, not for me.” Liz said. She put her hand out. “Please, don't go. Not like this.” The pleading note to her voice pulled Janine up short, making her stop. Liz stood and came around the table, standing in front of the other woman. Up close, she smelled of coffee and a subtle perfume that Janine couldn't identify. Liz lowered her gaze and said, “Will you do one thing for me, please? Look at your phone. Check your call log and you'll see that I called you last night , around 9:30. We talked for like an hour and you ended up inviting me over.”

Goddamn it! Janine sighed and checked her phone. Not because she didn't believe her, but because she wanted to do anything but look at the other woman. The whole world had gone insane. She found the call(nearly two hours, actually.), as well as a text message she hadn't noticed earlier.

-Hey, Jani! It's me!-

That would be when Liz arrived at her house. Janine closed her eyes and said, “What did we talk about last night? And why did you make me forget?”

Liz winced, but said, “Nothing earth shattering. Just chit chat, really. I just wanted to talk to you. To get to know you. We got onto the subject of vampires and our favorite books and movies, then writers and directors. After all that, you invited me over.” She ran her fingers through her hair and blushed.(How cute was it that vampires could still blush?)She said, “I knew it was a bad idea, but you were particularly insistent.”

Janine shrugged and said, “I'm good that way.” She narrowed her eyes and moved in closer to the other. She noticed, not for the first time, that she was the taller of the two of them. She said, “Did you tell me what you are?” Before Liz could answer, Janine shook her head and picked up her coffee, chugging the rest, despite it being cold. She said, “This is just too fucked up for me to deal with, right now.”

Liz just nodded, saying nothing. A handful of new customers had come inside but she made no move to go and help Cody.

Janine asked her. “Is Cody going to get irritated with you for taking such a long break?”

“Maybe. But he can't say anything.” She shook her head. “I wasn't even supposed to come in today. But Kiera didn't show up or call-in. I came in to help out.” She smiled at Janine's subtle attempt to change the subject. “Is there anything else you want to know? We didn't have sex or anything, if that worries you.”

Janine blinked and shook her head. The thought had occurred to her but she wasn't about to voice it. She took a deep breath and finally gave up on trying to hold onto her anger, righteous though it was. “I'm still processing the whole vampires are real thing, so you'll have to be patient. So, yes, I forgive you for biting me and then making me forget the whole experience. But I'm still mad at you.”

“Ok, I can live with that.” Liz smiled. “If you want, I can bite you again?”

It was Janine's turn to blush. She coughed to cover her embarrassment and her flushed cheeks, then asked, “Do you guys do this a lot? Ask special people to be vampires, I mean? And what does that mean, anyway? What makes me so special?”

“That's a complicated question.”

“Sounds pretty simple to me.” Janine smiled, showing her teeth.

Liz made a face and shrugged. “Okay, the question is simple enough, but the answer is complicated.”

Janine said, “How so?”

“We don't just go around asking people to become one of us. Not anymore, at least. Back in old days, all a person needed to get turned was a straight nose and most of their teeth. Or gold. Today, we're more selective.”

“So how old are you?” Janine smiled as she asked. That was a question that was taboo for women no matter her species or biological inclination to drink blood.

Liz answered with a wink and a sideways grin. “Older than I look.” She said, “That's one of the questions that doesn't get answered until you get your membership card. Besides, this isn't my interview, it's yours.”

“Is there really a membership card?”

Liz just looked at her.

Janine blushed and said, “So, answer my original question then. What makes me special? It can't be my books, because there are a lot better writers out there than me. Go make Anne Rice a vampire before me, please! Then she can keep writing until the sun dies.” Then she laughed and scrunched up her face, saying, “God, if writing erotic vampire fiction is enough to get you on the island, then there's got to be some interesting characters in that club. A lot of inked up boys and girls with pot on their breath and cobwebs in their hair.”

“So much black lipstick and eyeliner and, oh gawd, the fingernail polish!” Liz said, laughing with her. She thumped the table with her knuckle and said, “Let's take a walk.” When Janine made no move to follow her, she crossed her fingers and placed them over her heart. “I promise not to bite you.” She grinned wickedly, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Not unless you want me to, that is.”

Janine never blushed so much in her life.

- - -

They strolled beneath a cloudy sky and found a shady spot under a tree in the park across the street from The Coffee Nook. Blues Park was just one of dozens of small parks that circled the lake that sat in the center of Matheson. The park had a walking path, a small playground, and a great view of the water.

There were also four picnic tables made out of stained concrete. It was all pristine and well maintained, like the rest of town.

Janine sat down with her back against a tree and Liz sat on the grass across from her, folding her legs Indian style. The day was overcast with the occasional slash of escaping sunlight, but if Liz was worried about bursting into flames or glittering like a unicorn drowning in a glitter bucket, she didn't show it.

Noticing Janine's frequent nervous glances up at the sky, Liz said, “It's okay, really.” She wore sunglasses and a fashionable floppy hat that draped her face in shadow.

“You know, it occurs to me that we're both probably crazy.” She said, watching the park with a rueful little smile. She watched the water for a moment, lost in thought, before saying, “So, how ‘bout you list me the pros and cons of this thing of yours. Two of the big ones come straight to mind. Living forever is definitely a pretty big pro. But having to drink blood to do it is a pretty icky con. Of course, it's probably not that simple, is it? Does it have to be human blood or can it be animal?”

Liz laughed and said, “Whoa, whoa, slow down, cowgirl. One thing at a time. Yes, animal blood is fine. Though there are differences in taste and sometimes, depending on the animal and how fresh the blood is, traits can spill over. The blood doesn't have to be fresh though. With a bit of persuasion and a greased palm or two, a vampire can live exclusively out of blood banks and butcher shops.”

Janine played with the grass at her feet and pushed her hair back. “Is that how you do it? Blood banks and butcher shops?”

Liz smiled. “Let me show you something.” She pulled out her phone and clicked through a couple of screens before passing it to Janine. It was opened to a website that Janine had actually visited before. Strictly as research, she told herself at the time.

It was called BiteMePlease.com. It worked as a sort of hook up service for people that self identified as vampires and the people that wanted to play victim to them.

Until that morning, Janine had made the assumption that the ‘vamps’ on the site were just regular people with their own special kink or people with blood disorders that were kept in check with regular infusions of fresh blood.

She was thorough and always did her due diligence in researching for her writing. At least that's what she told herself. Now, she wasn't so sure. Maybe, all along, she was looking for something else?

And she found it last night.

Or had it found her?

Liz said, “The community is pretty big, actually. A lot of the younger immortals, those under a thousand years old, have adapted to the new technology with ease, realizing quite early on how it would revolutionize our world. Of course, the ancients tend to distrust all technology and modern advances.”

“So, how do you approach these hookups?” She heard how that sounded and winced. “Christ, that sounded bad. I'm not trying to offend you, but this is all still so crazy and unbelievable to me.” She passed the phone back and ran a not so steady hand through her hair. “I feel like I'm losing my mind.”

Liz placed a hand on her knee and stared into her eyes. “And, I repeat, you are not crazy.” Her eyes were filled with warmth and an intensity that took Janine's breath away. She said, “You're taking your first steps in a new reality and that is always scary. If you want, after we're done talking, I can make you forget it all? I can even make your doctor forget that he saw you. It will take a lot of hustle, but I can put everything back the way it was, with a minimal amount of lost time? Is that what you wish?”

“No!” Janine blurted, startled by the panic in her own voice. She caught the other woman's hand and squeezed it encouragingly. She said, “No matter what I decide, I want to always remember this conversation. Please, don't take it from me.”

“Are you sure?” The concern in Liz's eyes was genuine. As was the seriousness of her tone. “This isn't easy knowledge to live with. I've known people to go mad from it. Knowing that immortality is real and the price of receiving it can shatter a person’s mind.”

Janine met the other’s gaze. “I'm sure. Do very many refuse when asked?”

“You would be surprised.” She smiled at a sudden fond memory. “I actually just recently had someone refuse me on their deathbed. He was a very old friend and, for years, I made him the same offer I made you. He always refused. The eternal gentleman, he would just pat my hand and say, ‘My dear, should I change my mind, you shall be the first to know.’ So I waited, every so often repeating my offer, and he kept refusing. In the meantime, he led one of the most amazing lives I've ever witnessed. He was an actor, a writer, an adventurer, he even did a heavy metal album. Would he have done all of those things if he'd taken up my offer when I originally made it? Perhaps. But it would've tainted those achievements, I think.”

“He refused, even on his deathbed?”

Liz nodded, her smile turning sad. Rising, she said, “Let's go back inside. The sun is about to come out.”

“Can I see?” Janine felt a tug, a sudden urge to do as she was asked, but she brushed it aside. It was just the magic toying with her mind. She said, “Unless it hurts?”

Liz’s smile slipped a little, but she sat back down. She gestured at her face. “It doesn't hurt, but my true face isn't as nice as this one.” She leaned back against the tree and looked at the sky, at the thinning clouds, and was suddenly nervous. “Do you have any more questions? I know it's a hard decision.”

Janine laughed softly. “I have, like, a million questions. But I can't think of how to ask them all.”

“I totally understand. Let's go one at a time then.”

Janine thought for a moment then asked, “How does pregnancy work? I don't suppose babies are a part of the vampiric existence? No big bellies or swollen feet?”

Liz shook her head. “But we can adopt. And there is a special bond between yourself and those that you bring over that is much like parenthood.”

Janine didn't say anything. She'd never really thought about that part of her future. A husband and kiddos and a mortgage had never really figured into any of her plans. Whenever she thought about any of that stuff, she got all weird and goosey feeling and usually ended up overcompensating by buying a big unneeded household appliance.

But this would be negating the possibility completely. No kids, not from her own body, at least. No grand kids or family reunions.

No old age at all, actually. Which also made her sad. She'd always sort of predicted a Golden Girls situation in her twilight years. She and a couple of close friends, living together and getting into mischief. She saw herself as the Rose of the group.(Though Blanche was secretly her favorite!)

Just then, the sun came out and the park was bathed in light. Liz sat very still, watching Janine's reaction to seeing her true face for the first time.

Janine studied her friend in the golden light. Liz looked different, but not terribly so. She was still a compelling and attractive woman without the vampiric magic, but it was a haunting and melancholy beauty. Her skin was waxy and pale, her cheeks gaunt and her eyes hollow with purplish bruising beneath them. She looked like what she was. A reanimated corpse. But since she was walking around and talking and everyone knows that zombies aren't real, most people would just assume she was a drug addict or suffering from some dreadful disease.

“So?” Liz sounded nervous. Terrified, even. “Have I scared you off?”

As a response, Janine scooted forward and gave her friend another hug. A quick one though, to lessen the risk of a repeat of the night before. She said, “Thank you for showing me. I know that couldn't have been easy.” As she pulled back and resumed her place in the grass, she gave Liz a crooked grin. “You're still hot, by the way. You've got a kind of rockstar drug goddess vibe going on.”

Liz laughed and, for a second, her fangs were visible. When she laughed and talked, she looked wasted and sickly but alive. It was when her face was still and immobile that the look of lifelessness was complete.

But that didn't frighten or repulse Janine. It intrigued her. She was fascinated by the magical creature sitting across from her. She said, “So, you never actually answered my original question? What makes me so special?”

Liz smiled at her. “If I tell you, will you say yes?”

Janine thought for a long moment, studying her friend’s features in the dappled sunlight. Clouds obscured the sunlight sometimes, creating a strange rippling effect that made Janine's brain hurt. “Can I think about it?”

“Of course. That's part of what makes you special. You're smart, adaptable, and would never leap into the unknown before thinking through all the variables. All excellent traits for a vampire.”

“What's the other part?”

Liz smiled. “You're one hell of a writer.”