Chapter 22: Memories of 1999
"No vampire can enter the gate as long as a single peony is blooming... All those who attempted to enter after that day burned to death. All except you.”
I stir from my deep slumber as I felt movements on the far end of the bed. I can still remember my dream of drinking the little boy’s blood as I opened my eyes to see him, fifteen years older. Wesley Whitmore, it can’t be. I thought as I stared at him, removing my shoes and carefully placing them on the shiny hardwood floor. The same long silvery blonde hair, the same bluish green eyes, the same name and the same house. How can I possibly have a memory of him as a five year old?
“I see you’re awake.” He spoke, placing my foot back on the bed.
“Obviously.” I answered, giving him a faint smile.
“I see you’re in the wrong room.” He said, twitching his lips in a small arrogant smirk that lasted for a second. My eyes widen in realization as I looked at the posters of Metallica and framed achievement certificates. He giggled at my reaction. It was then that I finally saw the resemblance he has with Kyle; the adorable smile and the irresistibly cute giggle. “I said, second door to the left. Not room number two.” He said as I sat up straight.
“I didn’t even know the rooms here have numbers. Why does it have numbers anyway?” I asked, fixing my revealing top that’s minutes away from bursting into pieces from the monstrous feeding that I just had.
“This house used to be a hotel. Didn’t Kyle tell you that?” He answered, kicking off his shoes.
“No. I mean yes, he did mention we’re staying in a hotel but why isn’t it a hotel anymore?” I asked.
“Something,” He hesitated at first but as he looked at me, waiting for an answer. He decided to spill the beans. “Something happened here when I was young.” He answered shortly, seemingly hiding something.
“Something like what?” I asked. I inched closer to him but as I did, I heard the lower back part of my dress rip a little. “Oh fuck.” I whispered and he laughed. I didn’t even know he could laugh so genuinely.
“That’s what happens if you eat too much. Turn around; I’ll unzip it for you.” His last statement caught me off guard but then I realized he doesn’t have bad intentions. I turned my back to him and he unhooked the top part. I held the part that covered my chest area as he unzipped the back open.
I turned to face him and inhaled. “Oh, this is so much better. Thank you.” I said and he gave me a don’t mention it look as he removed his suit and laid it on the far side of the bed. “So why isn’t this a hotel again?” I asked, returning to the topic that would lead me to the answers that I seek.
He looked behind him, seemingly checking if someone was listening. “When I was young, my parents celebrated my birthdays by inviting all the guests that had checked in to a huge dinner party. It was the night of my fifth birthday when my grandmother saw me with a little puncture in the finger.” He said and stopped. And I just had to laugh.
“They closed a hotel because you pricked your finger?” I said. “What more would they do if you stumbled and scraped your knee?” I asked, still laughing at him.
“Hey if you’re not gonna stop laughing, I won’t continue.” He said and I motioned zipping my lips. “Good.” He smiled and messed up my hair. I giggled and playfully slapped his hand. With this he stopped frozen and pulled his hand away like I had some kind of virus. He then looked at me, his hand and then the floor.
I pretended not to notice it so I asked him again. “You really don’t wanna tell me?”
“You won’t even believe.” He spoke dryly. Like how he spoke when we were still on the table.
“Try me.” I said and he found courage to look at me again.
“Grandma told me that the puncture on my finger was a vampire bite. I didn’t believe her at first because I personally know I pricked it from playing with the utensils. But then, when they found me with that wound, I haven’t even eaten yet. The kitchen counter was too high for me to reach as well as the tables. So how did I get to play with kitchen utensils? Even I didn’t know. Grandmother tells me that I was just compelled to forget what had happened to me.” He said, letting himself fall into the bed, looking at the ceiling.
“How can a normal person compel you to forget and believe things?” I asked, pulling up my dress’ neckline that seemed to have lowered a bit.
“It’s because they’re not just some ‘normal person’.” He said as he turned his head to look at me. “They’re Vampires…just like you.” He said as he sat up straight to face me and my wide eyed jaw dropped face.
“Wha… What do you mean just like me?” I asked.
“Sshhh. It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone.” He said placing a finger against my lips. “But you’re different. You’re like them, but you’re not. Do you get it?” he asked as he held my stiff shoulders.
“Absolutely not. What are you talking about?” I asked completely bewildered by his accusations.
“Listen. After that night when I got bitten, grandmother had a powerful white witch create a boundary in this house. No vampire can enter the gate as long as a single peony is blooming. That’s why we had the greenhouse; for the winter. All those who attempted to enter after that day burned to death. All except you.” He said with awe swimming in his eyes.
“Wait, why are you so sure that I’m a vampire. Heck, I don’t even burn in the sun or drink blood.” I said as he stood up and rummaged his drawers.
“The witch casted the spell when all the travelers that checked in that day had gone home. The whole house became my play ground. I had access to fifty rooms that I’ve never been into. Every day was a scavenger hunt, looking for things the guests might have left. I found a few interesting pieces like coins, hair pins, buttons and even a flask. But there was one room that was left a mess. And it seemed like the guests that stayed there left in a hurry. I opened the closet to look for random stuff but nothing’s in there. I was about to give up when I saw the empty drawers but then I stepped into this.” He showed me a little carton box filled with buttons, rusty coins, yellowed pictures and green plastic soldiers. He pulled out a gold locket and gave it to me. “It was under the bed.” He added.
I fidgeted the intricate detailing around the edges and read the words engraved to it. “Charlotte Bridge. 1970.” Charlotte; that’s the name everybody called me in my dreams.
I opened the locket and all horror came to me. Imagine your mom telling you that you were adopted. Imagine proving to yourself that what you see in the mirror isn’t what you look like. That’s what it feels like when I saw myself smiling sweetly back at me inside that locket.
“You must have dropped it while you ran away.” Wesley said, sitting beside me and stroking my back.
“This… this can’t be me. And how are you so sure that this woman is a vampire?” I asked.
“The date engraved in the locket was 1970. It means the picture that’s permanently encased in it was taken that year. In 1999 the same girl lost her locket here in my home. And now in 2013, I’m returning it to her.” He said as he handed me a couple of pictures from the box. It was a yellowed picture of the little boy in my dreams blowing a candle in a cake. “Look, this is me the night that it happened.” He said as my dream flashed before my eyes. I started to remember fragments like standing in front of an oval whole body mirror, wearing a red striped dress. I looked at the corner of the room and found the exact same oval mirror where a black electric guitar rested. I also remember hiding a piece of parchment on a squeaky floor board under this bed.
He then showed me the other photograph. “And these are all the guests singing me a birthday song.” Even before he pointed out what he needed to point out, I saw myself wearing the same necklace standing beside my mother Vivian, Aunt Lora, Aunt Margaret and Aunt Veronica.
“Wesley, how can this be happening to me?” My voice cracked in fear.
“I don’t know but I promise to keep this safe.” He fished a lighter out of his pocket and burned the photo. After it became ashes and dust, he looked at me and held my hands. “I promise to keep you safe. And we’ll find out what’s happening to you.”
“Wesley, your whole family’s life goal is to kill as much Vampires as you can. How can I be safe here? I need to go home and find answers for myself.” I said.
“Let’s not talk about that inside this house. We’ll talk about it later but first you have to change. I’ll get your luggage so you won’t be strolling the walls looking like you’ve just gotten laid.” He said and I felt the urge to hug him.
“Thank you Wesley.” I whispered in his ear as he wrapped his arms around me as well.
Suddenly, the door bursts open revealing a seemingly worried Kyle. But as his eyes saw Wesley and I, worry changed into anger. I broke the hug and stood up, not knowing why I somehow felt guilty. I almost forgot that my gown was unzipped but I held it up before my top completely reached my waist. “Kyle,” I spoke his name and Wesley turned to look at him.
His eyes darted from my indecent image, to my shoes on the floor, to Wesley’s shoes thrown on the side and to his tux on the far side of the bed. “Wha…” He seemed to be comprehending something that I didn’t want him to as he looked at my messed up hair and his wrinkled polo neck.
“Kyle it’s not what it looks like.” I said as I bent to grab my shoes.
He went inside the room and forcefully grabbed my arm. “Kyle, let go. Let go, it hurts.” He tried to shake him off as I firmly held my shoes but he won’t let go. He started dragging me out of Wesley’s room but the devil just had to dump more coal on the fast burning forest fire.
“Take it easy on her little cousin. She doesn’t like it rough.” Wesley said as Kyle immediately let go of my arm and swing a balled fist to older cousin’s arrogant smirk. Wesley fell on the floor, making a few floorboards squeak and I remember the parchment I left there in 1999. I’ll get that later.
Kyle dragged me to room number four which was the second room to the left. Clearly I wasn’t paying attention to Wesley’s instructions. If only I didn’t enter the wrong room, none of these was supposed to happen. Kyle kicked the door close and opened the window for the fresh cold forest breeze to enter the room. He stared at the forest, seemingly taking in everything he just saw.
I turned my back to him and pulled out a salmon colored tank top from my backpack. I quickly had it on and added a gray woolen cardigan. I took off my gown and placed it on the bed as I jumped into a pair of white shorts. I was a relief that I was in comfortable clothes once again. I look at Kyle and his diverging brows as he stared at the Carpathians.
“Kyle,” I said as I walked towards him.
“Stop,” He said and I was halted, inches behind him. “…just go Megan. You don’t have to explain anything to me.” His words pierced my heart. Just go? Fine!
I turned to my backpack and wore my shimmery beige loafers. Before I left the room and despite the pain I still felt the need of reassuring him of my dignity. “And Kyle,” I said as he slightly turned his head towards my direction; listening but not looking. “for the record, nothing happened between Wesley and I.” I said as I saw him turn further to look at me but I banged the door close.
The hallway was empty as I remember the parchment I left in Wesley’s room in 1999. After a blink and a wisp of wind I found myself lifting the bed with hand and bending a broken floorboard with the other. Heck, I was fast. I fingered the dark dusty space below the broken floorboard and I found it.
The folded piece of paper was worn and yellowed with age. I slid it inside my pocket and stood up, letting go of the bed that thumped loudly against the floor. Surely it resonated throughout the whole house.
I walked down stairs and saw Mika heading upstairs. Our eyes met and she worriedly asked me about the sound. Uncle George who was following her also waited for my answer. “That might have been Kyle. He’s pretty mad at me.” I answered, feigning sadness that they all bought.
“Why? What happened?” Uncle George asked.
“He accused me of sleeping with Wesley.” I said and shook my head as I took at deep breath.
Mika gasped and Uncle George just shook his head. “It hasn’t even been four hours since those two were in one roof and something like this happens?” He talked to himself as I walked further down stairs. “Where are you going?” He asked.
“Just outside, I need some air and I don’t wanna be near Kyle after he punched Wesley.” I said and even Kathy who just passed by came running upstairs to check the boys.
I ran outside and saw the platoon receiving instructions from Lady Louise. I started jogging into the woods, chasing the slowly setting sun that made the blue sky burn with its warm orange light. As I breathed the familiar scent of wet soil and old wood my feet stepped faster and faster. I can feel the cold wind blowing against my face as my hair flew freely behind me. I breathed deeply and closed my eyes but my feet were still accelerating the speed. It was then that I started to acknowledge my heightened olfactory. I can smell the tree that I was about to bump into and dodge it in perfect timing. I can smell the small creaks and the dry leaves on the ground.
I opened my eyes and found myself on top of a hill. A smile crept on my face as I saw the breathtaking view of the lush green forest and the pink twilight that warmed my skin from the cold forest breeze.
I looked back, making sure that I was far enough that no one could see me as I took the old parchment out of my pocket. I opened it gently as I sat on a huge rock and found a letter written in the most beautiful cursive.
“Dear, me....”
Hope you like it. xoxo C