"Jennifer? I'm home!" The words escape my mouth before I can even think. I kept my house key, as always, not even thinking twice about it when I left. "Jack?" the words escape her mouth too. "I-I was in the kitchen, making myself dinner..." she drifts off clearly too happy for words. She embraces me, whispering in my ear,"Go wash up and please, get that filthy uniform off." I smile. "Yes ma'am," and salute her. She laughs. "I'll have everything ready when you're done. It's pork chops, by the way, your favorite." I can stomach food but prefer not to think about it. Coffee goes down far better. It's a good thing I managed to get more blood on the way home, a dealing with Rus, as Angelique would put it. I walk back to our bedroom, filled with simple pine furniture and not such empty closets. An ensuit bathroom accompaines it all, and for once, I feel at ease, at home.
I shower and watch the mud roll off my stinking body. Toned arms, legs and a sixpack are new, but no surprise. Training does that to you, I suppose. Hot water rolls down my back in rivulets, as if the days of war are being washed away. Children will look at me and say, "Sir, you fought in this war-what was it like? When I'm old enough, I want to be just like you!" and I won't know what to say.
I step out of the shower and towel off, looking at my face in the mirror. I look older, aged somehow. As if I've got a thousand years of blood, sweat and tears upon my shoulders. Shadows under my eyes, wrinkles forming in my forehead, they all show their ugly faces one at a time.
I dress, donning a polo and slacks, feeling strangely odd. The contrast between civilian and soldier are like night and day. Vampire and human. I take a swig of blood and swallow. It's the monster within me that I need to hide. If only I could.
Walking out to the dining room, I feel glad, at ease."Come, eat your dinner before it gets cold." Jennifer calls out. "Of course my dear." I reply and sit down across from her. But in it's odd way, this feels just so different from the way things used, or should be.
