A vampire's Choice

"I still do not understand what is happening." The knowledge from the last couple of days was like an upside-down puzzle in her head; all the pieces were there, but the picture a blur.

After Lisa had dragged Roger's unconscious body outside, she had fished his pocket for keys. Pressing the button, a soft peep sounded, and looking down the street, the lights of an Audi A8 flashed. Getting his body inside was the easy part; knowing where to go was a mystery. Her prayers were answered when a cellphone rang from somewhere inside. Removing it from the glove compartment, she answered it and was relieved when she recognized the voice.

"Sir, is everything alright? You have not answered any of my calls." Micheal's concerned voice was on the other end.

After she had explained to Roger's butler what had happened, he had directed her to the mansion. Although she had been there before, she had been in too much of a rush to memorize the location. The drive had been about half an hour and took her away from the city, into the woods. There was an eery feeling at nighttime, but she bet this place would look like a fairy tale during the day. There had been nothing around for miles, making her think she might be lost. Just as she had been ready to turn around, a light began to protrude. On the hill, nestled between trees, was a mansion—a gothic-style house four stories higher. A few lights were visible in some of the windows, but not enough to draw attention. Passing through an open gate, the car drove up the pathway, only taking a minute. As she shifted the car to park, the front door burst open and Micheal rushed out, followed by two younger gentlemen. She opened the door and climbed out, about to say something, but he ignored her. Micheal ran to the back door and opened it, gasping when he saw his unconscious master but quickly jumped to action.

"Grab his legs, John. Stan and I will grab his arms." Ignoring Lisa, they went to work removing Roger from the car. They moved fast since, by the time she closed her door and moved around, the men were already carrying him inside. Feeling awkward where she stood, she followed them inside.

The last time she was here, her attention had been on escaping and not the decor, so as she stepped inside, she was blown away. A large chandelier was hanging in the entrance, with two stairs running up on both sides. The floor was dark wood, with even darker walls. The men had disappeared God knows where but she was too enthralled by everything. Closing the door behind her, Lisa moved deeper inside. A hallway sat straight in front of her, leading anywhere, and had a variety of art. Painting littered the walls with a statue at the end of the hallway. The light was too low to see the details, but she knew it is expensive and beautiful. Taking a chance, Lise walked forward, hoping they were down here somewhere and not upstairs. Focusing on finding them, she ignored the paintings and slowly moved ahead. There were three doors to choose from, one on her left and two on her right. Before she could even decide, the second door on her right suddenly opened up, one boy standing there.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to snoop." She felt embarrassed at being caught, so she lowered her gaze to the floor as her cheeks turned red.

"Please follow me."

Without waiting for a reply, the boy turned around and walked. Lisa was shocked by his response and waited a few seconds before she followed him. He moved fast, so she had to jog to catch up, leaving her no time to see where they were going. She kept her focus on the back of his head as they moved along the halls. She didn't pay attention, so when he abruptly halted, they almost collided, but she stopped herself in time. The boy moved to open a door, standing to the side and indicating for her to enter. With a soft "Thank you," Lisa entered, turning around when the door closed behind her. People shuffling behind her made her return, and she finally realized where she was. It was a bedroom, double the size of her shop, with a small table in the entrance, flowers on top. Stepping around it, she took in the rest of the details. More paintings littered the walls, only stopping when she entered the central area. Against the right wall was the bed: a queen size with red sheets. On top was the man she had deemed a monster and by his side the human friend. They both made eye contact at the same time before Micheal looked down at his friend. Abandoning her exploration of the rest of the room, Lisa moved to where Micheal was standing. He ignored her, instead focusing on his friend. Bending down, he pushed his hand behind Roger's head to lift up his neck. In the other hand was a bag filled with a red liquid which he pressed to his lips.

"Drink, sir."

Lisa could hear the desperation in his voice, and her heart broke for him. Even if she saw this unconscious man as a monster, to others, he was family. She remained silent as she watched Roger oblige, his eyes still closed but his mouth latching to the bag. He drank greedily, some of the red liquid dripping down his chin. Bile rose, and Lisa had to stop herself from vomiting. The last time he was drinking it had been blood, so she knows this has to be the same.

The bag lasted a few seconds before empty. Only then did Micheal slowly place his head back down, removing his hand. Lisa remained silent as she watched him discard the bag into the trash, another one already inside. Micheal moved about the room, getting clothes from a closet and placing it on the empty side of the bed. Next, he removed another bag of blood from somewhere and gently placed it on the table, close to Roger for when he needed it. When he was finally satisfied with everything, he eventually turned towards Lisa, a not-so-happy look on him.

"Come with me."

They both left the room, Micheal closing the door behind them and walking to the left. They traveled in silence as they went up the stairs, passing a few entries, before going down different stairs. A few things looked familiar to Lisa until they entered a room she knows all too well.

"Sit down."

Micheal indicated to the chair on the island that Roger was seated at the last time she was in the kitchen. Knowing full well it would not be there, Lisa imagined the blood spilled to stain the top still. But no, only the cream marble top was there. Lowering herself onto the chair, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. The last couple of days had been crazy, but tonight had been the worst.

Micheal could sense the girl needed to talk, so he went to the fridge to grab two Cokes and made his way to the opposite of the table. Pushing one can towards her, he opened the other and taking a big sip before sitting down.

"Thank you." Lisa picked up the soda but did not drink it, only using it to fidget with.

"Please drink. You have had a shock tonight, and the sugar will help."

Lisa agreed, so she opened it a took a small sip which triggered the thirst in her and she downed it, finishing more than half at once.

Micheal watched in silence, and only when he was happy did he begin. "I assume you have some questions?"

The gas bubbles became too much, so when she opened her mouth to reply, a burp erupted. As the sound died down, both eyes locked onto each other until Lisa let out a chuckle. The tension broke instantly as Micheal joined in on the fun. What would usually be an embarrassing moment felt like a joke between old friends.

Minutes later, with tears in her eyes, Lise settled down, her reality filtering in. Micheal did the same, taking an awkward sip of his drink, keeping his gaze averted. He wondered what he could tell the girl, as Roger would not like strangers to know his sordid past.

"I still do not understand what is happening," Lisa announced, answering his question.

Micheal sighed deeply before looking her straight in the eyes, words fluttering in his head as he tried to think of what was best to say.

"The fairy tales you know and love is real. They are just more deadly than you think." Micheal began.

"So, you are telling me that Vampires, werewolves, witches, and other creatures of the dark are real. And living among us."

If her friends could hear her now, they would think she was insane. Hell, maybe she was insane for believing in these things. An internal struggle arose in Lisa as she absorbed the information, one part denying it, but another, minor part, believing those words. How else could she explain what had happened to her, the monsters she had seen, one of them a few yards away from her, asleep in his bed. As the words snuggled into her mind, another picture flashed before her. A man double the size of someone normal with teeth like beasts and eyes as dark as death. She wondered what he was and, more importantly, why he was after her. Once could be a random encounter, but two times. It was not a coincidence.

Micheal knew precisely what was going through her mind, the questions she might have. He had been in the same boat; the only difference was he had been young and grew up with them. His family has been serving Roger Rosseau for hundreds of years, a bond created by death or the lack of it. His great great grandfather had been a lowly servant to a vicious nobleman. One day he was caught stealing bread for his son when one of the guards had seen him. Being brought in front of the nobleman, his punishment was death by whipping. His screams had echoed through the castle, drawing the attention of one of the guests, Roger Rosseau. For an unknown reason, Roger had stepped in and bought the man. Years later in his servitude, his great-great-grandfather had learned of his dark secret, but being the kind man he was, he kept it to himself while continuing his job. On his death bed, the man had pleaded with Roger to look after his son, and so he did. What began as subjection turned into friendship: Roger protecting his family against the cruel world and them in return aiding him. Micheal did not need to serve Roger, but he had grown to love him as a son, even if Roger was older.

"So, what is he?"

The question dragged Micheal out of his thoughts and back to reality. "Excuse me?"

"Roger. What is he? I assume he must be supernatural, since... well... his looks."

Micheal smiled as he looked at her quizzical face. That was most people's reaction when they see him, and only Roger knows why he looks like that. One of the few secrets Micheal was not privy to. "He, my dear, is a vampire. Did you not figure it out with all the blood you have seen him consume."

Lisa's cheeks burned red by his reply. He was right, but who in their right mind would guess vampire. "True, but no sane human would think of that."

Micheal chuckles, "I guess you are correct."

"But there is something I wonder about. Do all vampires look like him: so pale?"

Micheal squinted his gaze at her, perplexed. "Let me get this straight, you just learned about vampires, and your first question is about his skin."

Looking down at the can in her hand, Lisa played with it for a few moments before answering. "The last few days have been hectic. I was attacked, nearly raped, seen my friend's throat ripped out, and attacked again. Not even to mention the thing that attacked me. In the back of my head, I may have already realized that it was not human, but I was too scared to believe it."

Micheal's gaze softened as he reached out a hand. Wrapping it around hers while she held the can, he gave a soft squeeze. "I am truly sorry for what happened. No one deserves that, especially not someone as innocent as you. You said your friend is dead?"

Lisa only replied by nodding her head, the memories bringing tears to her eyes.

A plan forming in his head, Micheal leaned forward, lifting his hand from hers to her chin, softly pushing it up and forcing her to look at him. Lisa blinked a couple of times at his weird action.

"It might not bring your friend back, but we have the resources to retrieve the body and give her a proper funeral. Is there any family we should inform?"

"No, like me, she was alone. We were each other's family."

A tear rolled down Micheal's cheek as her sadness soaked into him. Roger was his family, and he would not know what to do without him. "Then it is settled. I will make the arrangements as soon as possible. You don't have to worry about a thing."

"But, what about the shop. People will see what happened and question it."

"Don't fret. Working for the supernatural has its charm. I will get your shop cleaned, all evidence of what has happened erased. All I need is your keys and the address."

On instinct, Lisa reached to her side, the place where she always kept her keys, but she only touched air. "Fu...” She scanned the room, already knowing it was not there. Suddenly she remembered where it was. She had thrown it out the window before she climbed but was pulled back, leaving her bag in the alleyway. "I lost it at the shop when I tried to run, and it should be in the alley behind the shop."

"No problem, I can go get it. Please don't fret. Everything will be alright."

"Don't make promises you cannot keep." A deep voice spoke behind Lisa.

Swerving around her seat, Lisa met his angered gaze. A look that sends shivers up her neck, a look that made her instinctively push back to get away from him.

Micheal cleared his throat as he stood up, straightening his jacket. Stepping around the table, he came to a stop next to Lisa, also looking at his master. "I am merely trying to help calm her nerves, sir. Besides, it is the least we could do for her since she did save your life."

Stepping into the kitchen, Roger quickly averted his gaze from the woman towards Micheal. "True, but considering I saved her twice, I think we are even now."

Micheal dreaded those words. The one thing he loathed about Roger is his humanity. True, he might not be human, but caring about others is a universal thing, and his master cared about no one. Some days he thinks Roger did not even care about himself. "That may be, sir. But I wish to do this for her, to show my appreciation."

Roger nodded his head. “Do what you must, as long as it does not interfere with your duties."

Without another word, Micheal began to leave the room. As he reached Roger, Lisa spoke up. "My shop is called Sweet Temptations and is on the corner of Circle Drive and Valley Road."

Turning his head slightly without looking at her, Micheal said, "Thank you. I will do my best." Micheal briefly looked up at Roger, and without exchanging words, he understood what his master wanted, so he left for his mission.

The tension rose in the room as the two were left alone. Not knowing what to do, Lisa turned back around and picked up the can she had dropped earlier when she had heard his voice. Something about him triggered an emotion in her, but she did not know what. Even the sound of his voice sends her heartbeat fluttering wildly, eliciting a response she has never felt before. Taking a sip of the drink to distract her, Lisa listened as he moved about the room, curious to see what he was doing, but also scared. Knowing he is a vampire made it worse, and not meaning to, she lifted her shoulders. The top brushed her ears as she tried to hide her neck. All the movies and books pointed towards vampires biting the neck to drink the blood of unsuspecting victims and she did not want to be one of them.

Roger could guess why she moved like that, having heard the whole conversation. He had awakened in his bed, not knowing how he had gotten there. A bag of blood was on the table next to him and after he had hungrily sucked up the wonderful fluid, he ventured from his room, looking for Micheal. Two voices could be heard from downstairs, and as he had approached, the sweet notes from her pulled him closer. For a second, he felt bad for intruding on them, but when he had heard the word vampire, anger washed away his guilt. Roger loved and admired Micheal, knowing him since birth, but telling a stranger his secret was wrong for him. So, he had decided to stop their interaction but regretted it too late. For now, he was stuck alone with her, the woman whose mere touch brought life back to him. The woman who he had to kill. As he stood behind her, he watched as she lifted her shoulders to hide her neck. Roger smirked, knowing she was protecting her neck from the vampire. If only she knew there were other, better sweet spots to bite and drain the blood from. The thought of drinking from her soft skin unknowingly extended his fangs, and he only realized when it pierced his lip, drawing the blood onto his tongue. The iron taste disgusted him and allowed the teeth to return to normal. Slowly walking around her to sit on the seat Micheal had occupied, Roger took his time. He could hear her heartbeat picking up, her fear washing over him. For a split second, he lavished in it before he once again felt sorry for her. As Roger dropped down, he kept his eyes on her while she was intrigued by the can in her hand. It was a reason not to look at him, but suddenly he wanted her gaze on him. He wanted to see her multi-colored eyes stare at him. It made him think of Rebecca.

Taking a deep breath, Lisa spoke, "If you want to be alone, just let me know. I can leave." She began to rise.

Roger did not want that and quickly shot his hand out, resting it on hers. Sparks erupted where their skin made contact, making Lisa freeze. Trying to play it cool, she slowly lowered herself again. Roger was shocked by the touch. The only other time he had felt this was with Rebecca, but weirdly enough, this was stronger.

"Sorry." Roger slowly let her go, taking his time to enjoy the feel of her before he let her go.

Lisa pulled back her hand, still holding the can. His touch sent butterflies frantically flapping in her stomach and a low heat forming down south. She wondered if it was a vampire thing or a Roger thing. "It is alright."

"To answer your question. No, you can stay. I can imagine you have a few questions that Micheal could not answer."