Bitten

“Abigail?”

I am sitting on the kitchen counter letting the sweet melody of Coldplay’s Clocks fill my ears.

“Hmm,” my eyes lazily shift from the kitchen window to Mason who is washing the dishes.

“I’m going to take Hannah out today I think she is getting tired of being inside all day.”

Is he asking for permission?

I swing my legs forward and jump off the counter.

“That sounds like a good idea,” I grin at him and walk towards the kitchen table skimming my fingers over the top as it wobbles a bit.

“And maybe look for a job,” I freeze.

He wants to leave.

A frown pulls at the corner on my mouth.

“That’s cool,” I say with my back still towards him.

“You know to help you out with food, bills, and rent. I don’t want to be a freeloader and especially when I have a daughter to look after.”

Speaking of working I need to call Wanda and see if I can still work at Starbucks.

Scratching my scalp as I think of something good to tell her for me not showing up the past couple of days.

“I can probably get you a job if I can convince my boss to give me mine back.” I shrug and turn to him slowly.

“That would be great!” He smiles at me.

Wanda wanted to know where the hell had I been for the past couple days and I lied through my teeth saying that I had a bad case of food poisoning.

She was understanding and said that my shift starts at five in the morning the next day. When I told her that I had a friend living with me and that he needed a job she was hesitant but I said that she wouldn’t have to worry that I would show him the ropes. She agreed.

“So...” I walk out of my room when I hung up on Wanda.

Mason is on the couch with Hannah on his lap as he bounces her around.

“So?”

“We start tomorrow at five.”

“What? No interview? Filling out an application? Nothing? I’m hired just like that!” He is a spectacle.

“Yup,” popping the ‘p’.

“That’s great thank you!”

“Don’t thank me just yet we need to find you a babysitter and go shopping since you don’t have the clothes to go to work with.”

“Babysitter is tricky but clothes I can go to my old roommate and get my clothes from there.” I nod and sit down next to him.

Babysitter, babysitter. Who can be Hannah’s babysitter? Wes? No, she can’t stand being around him...well this is going to be a tough one.

“I’m drawing a blank on the babysitter.”

“I think I know who but I need to go talk to her. Umm, do you mind spending the day with Hannah while I run some errands,” shaking my head he gets up and walks to the door. “Leave me a note if you decide to go out.”

I nod and he is out the door.

“We’re going to have to get your daddy a phone to make his life so much easier,” I cooed at Hannah who inters laughs and claps her hands playfully. “Where do you want to go? The playground?”

“Play! Play!” She screams in a fit of laughter.

“I guess the playground it is,” Hannah is ready to go out with some white little shoes, khaki shorts, and a white shirt. Her hair is in pigtails that curl at the bottom.

I put my note on the fridge.

~We went to the playground and then maybe some lunch see ya later!

Putting on my sunglasses I grab her diaper bag I have no idea if she’s going to need it but better safe than sorry.

Hannah didn’t want me to carry her downstairs she wants to walk or more like crawl them. It takes us a while to get to the bottom but I am no hurry.

Once on the ground floor, she lifts her head to look at me and then lifts her hand waiting for me to hold her hand. All her small hand could grasp is my index and middle finger.

We walk out into the street and start walking towards the playground her little eyes fascinated by everything around her. She looks like a kid at a candy store and my eyes wouldn’t leave her delightful face.

As a human, I would have to keep my eyes glued to the ground or at least in the path that I am walking on but as a vampire, I don’t have to do any of that.

We reach the playground and Hannah releases my hand and runs to the sandbox and starts playing with a couple of other kids there.

Scanning the area I see that the parents are sitting on the benches and that others are chatting with other adults. Not wanting to make friends with anyone I walk over a soft patch of grass close to Hannah and sit there while she plays with her new friends.

Things are not as relaxing as I thought they would be.

Vampire senses are heightened and the noises and smells are irritating. The smell of sand and grass is not so bad but the smell of diapers that needed changing is another thing.

The birds chirping and squirrels squeaking I could handle but the conversions around me are disturbing.

"So you slept with a prostitute last night? You cheated on your wife! She’s going to kill you.”

My eyes scan the area around until the lip movement matches the words. Its two men in their early thirties maybe.

“I’m tired of it I’m going to leave her.”

“What about your son?”

Their conversation is merely a whisper but I feel as if they are yelling it to the whole playground.

I don’t want to hear any more. Eavesdropping is not a habit of mine but I can’t do anything about it now. Trying hard to ignore their conversation my ears listen to someone else’s conversation.

“Look at her butt!”

“That’s nothing look at her boobs!”

I am ready to grab Hannah and leave but when I look at her she is happy playing with those kids and she deserves some fun she’s been stuck in my small apartment for some time.

Taking a deep breath I concentrate on her I close my eyes and think of only her. Her little rapid heart beating against her chest and she relax breathing makes me relax back into my spot laying down, close my eyes, and stay there.

“You’re getting used to her aren’t,”

That voice I know anywhere, Wes.

“What makes you say that?” My eyes remain closed as keep concentration on Hannah.

“No normal vampire could stand being around...walking meals.”

Something brushes against my arm and I can feel him laying down next to me.

“Your eyes are getting darker and you need to feed soon or your amazing control will wither away and you will do something you will regret.”

“You’re testing my control every time you show up, you know that?”

I repress a hiss and try to keep calm, but he knows how to push my buttons.

“Yeah, I know,” I don’t have to look at him to know that he is smirking at me. “Tonight it’s your turn to fulfill your part of the bargain. See you at ‘Neon’ midnight sharp. Dress the part.”

His arm brushes against me as he gets up and leaves. When I know he is long gone I release a frustrated sigh and open my eyes.

“Hannah are you ready for some lunch?”

I guess its time for me to find out the dark side of being a vampire. I don’t want to do it but a deals a deal and anything to keep them safe I will do.

Hannah drops the sand in her hands and runs to me as a daughter would to mother and hugs me as tight as her little hands would let her.

I will keep you safe little one.