The Guest & The Change

The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden


CHAPTER 1





Jo stepped out the front door. He found himself momentarily dazzled by a bright violet sky as the sun appeared from behind fuzzy clouds. Glimpsing a flash of dark, he turned towards it, his heart racing. He was met by a searing pain as fangs sank into his exposed neck.

Jo passed out.

When he awoke he found himself lying on his living room floor, on the pink spotted rug Sarah had bought for his girls. The curtains were drawn; a little light peaked through casting shadows across the room. Jo’s head spun as he pulled himself up onto the black leather sofa and reached for the reading light. He wasn’t scared, he was confused. What the hell just happened? As he clicked the light switch the room illuminated. Nothing looked odd; it was the same room he and his family had lived in for 5 years. Toys over flowed from the toy box, books and DVDs were crammed onto bookshelves.

Looking towards the clock he saw it was 7 ‘o’ clock, time to go to his sisters. She had called earlier and invited him over for dinner. Jo’s wife and kids were out visiting the parents in law, so he had the house to himself.

Jo reached for his neck. It felt fine. Tentatively standing up, he walked across the room to the large ornate mirror above the fireplace. His neck looked normal. No bite marks. - Just the beginnings of stubble around his jaw. Jo inspected his appearance more closely. He did look a little haggard. His short, dark hair was messy, probably from lying on the floor. His eyes, normally deep brown and clear, looked bloodshot and were shadowed. He took a deep breath and put his fingers on the mantel piece as he looked into tired eyes.

He remembered bright light dazzling him. The sun must have been about to set behind the scruffy conifers lining the horizon. He remembered seeing movement. Something undefined had approached him. Fast. He hadn’t even seen what it was. But he had felt two dangerously sharp points pierce his neck. And, at the time, he had known they were fangs. Vampire fangs. That would explain why he hadn’t seen anything clearly. Vampires are fast. He was dazzled. But if he’d stepped out the front door and been bitten by a vampire, what was he now doing on the living room floor? Why was he ok, or pretty much ok? Why were there no bite marks? More to the point, why was he not dead?

Jo had heard of vampires. He had read about them. Everybody had read about them. He knew people said they were real. He had even heard reports of killings in the area. There had been speculation. There was always speculation. But he had never seen a vampire. Neither had anyone else he knew. Plus, there was no actual evidence for vampires.

He continued to peer at himself in the mirror. Did I get bitten by a vampire? And if I did, how did I end up unconscious on the floor? Is it possible the vampire bit me, then healed me?

Jo had heard this was possible. But why would a vampire do this, and why wouldn’t it take away his memory of the bite? If he had been healed by vampire blood it would mean that, if he died now, he himself would turn into a vampire. He shuddered. He felt a sickening feeling creeping up his body, into his throat.

Of course, there was no reason for him to die now. It seemed pretty unlikely. He would probably be fine. But then, if he had been bitten by a vampire, and been healed, could he unknowingly be part of some bigger plan? What if the vampire planned for him to die? Shit, what if he was already dead? Jo’s breathing quickened, what was wrong with him? He was getting so carried away. Taking a deep breath he tried to pull himself together. Ok, think logically, he told himself. It’s ridiculous to think that I was bitten by a vampire. I wasn’t. There must be another explanation. I was on the living room floor. I remember I was going to my sisters. She’s going to be pretty annoyed when I’m late. I wouldn’t have taken a nap on the floor. I wasn’t tired. I would remember. I must have passed out.

There must be something wrong with me, that’s why I look so pasty and drawn out. Maybe I should be headed for the hospital right now? But I feel OK. If I’d passed out I may have dreamt the whole thing. I may have hallucinated that I actually left the house, and the reports of deaths may have triggered the vision of a vampire.

Jo thought about this. This explanation did seem more likely. Not that he’d ever passed out before, but these things did happen. Maybe he should stick his head out the door and check, he thought. Regardless of his new explanation, his pulse still quickened. What if there really was a vampire out there?

God, he was becoming completely deluded. Taking another deep breath, he strode out of the room, down the dimly lit hall, into the white bathroom. He splashed his face with ice cold water and dried himself on a soft white towel from the rack. He took another deep breath, preparing himself for action.

Jo grabbed his jacket and put on a scarf; not much protection from vampires, but it would protect him from the cold at least. He picked his keys off the hook and headed for the door.

***

Sarah pulled up at her parents’ house. The large, detached timber structure radiated warmth in the early evening light. Bea and Megan were chattering in the back.

‘Me out first.’

‘No. Me out first,’ they argued.

Megan, the oldest, undid her own straps and pushed out first, as soon as Sarah opened the door. They owned a typical people wagon. Lots of space, lots of mess. Sarah stuck her foot in the foot well and leant in to unstrap Bea. Bea pulled out her little arms and Sarah gave her a quick hug before letting her climb down on her own. Megan had already run off ahead and was pounding on the door.

‘Grandma, Granddad, we’re here!’ she shouted, before they’d even had time to open it.

Sarah looked up and walked up the steps holding Bea’s hand.

The door opened to Grandma and Granddad with big smiles. Megan immediately threw herself at their legs in a big hug. As Sarah and Bea reached them they exchanged greetings and Grandma lifted up Bea, giving her a hug, while her Granddad ruffled her hair and gave her a kiss.

Grandma pulled Sarah aside.

‘We have company,’ she said. ‘He’s in the kitchen.’

Sarah raised her eyebrows at her mother, wondering about her tone of excitement, her secret whispers. Who could this man be? And why was her mother flustered?

Feeling a little nervous, the familiarity of the situation gone with the addition of a guest, Sarah walked through the cozy living room, where welcoming sofas and a warm live fire tempted her, into the kitchen. Her mother was at the stove, Bea on her hip. Leaning against the worktop, glass of wine in hand, was the unfamiliar guest.

Sarah caught her breath. Oh my God, he’s unbelievable! Unbelievably beautiful. His eyes, warm and dark with long eyelashes. His jaw, rugged and defined. His lips. Sarah quickly looked away from those, feeling her cheeks redden. Dark hair falling around his eyes. Mmm. Her blush deepened and she tried not to look too shy as her father came in and introduced them.

‘This is my daughter, Sarah, and her two children, Megan and Bea.’

Megan had followed her Granddad in but she was staying close to his legs, unsure of the intimidating new man. Yes, that’s it, he’s definitely intimidating. And he looks powerful, I bet he’s quite muscular under that shirt and leather jacket. Dressed entirely in black too, that definitely adds to his mystique.

Stop thinking this way. Remember Jo?

Feeling guilty she smiled at the man.

Then, as he smiled back, her heart skipped. No. It melted. This is not happening.

‘And this is Daniel,’ he continued.

Daniel put down his glass and stepped forward, holding out his hand. As Sarah took it a shock, like electricity, went up her arm. She felt the urge to pull away, surprised at her reaction. But his eyes and his smile held her in place. When he let her go she stepped back and turned away to pour herself some wine, to get her breath, and to not let her parents see her reaction. Her mother sent her a knowing look though, which just made Sarah’s cheeks feel even hotter.

‘Daniel has just moved here, he’s staying in The Woodman - that old hotel just out of town, till he can get a place.’

Sarah took a gulp of wine before speaking, ‘So, how did you meet my father?’

Daniel looked at her steadily but Sarah couldn’t maintain his gaze. Feeling like a silly teenager she kept looking away and had to remember to breathe.

‘I just started working at his office,’ he replied in a smooth southern drawl, ‘selling the cabins in the woods.’

This sounded like an entirely ordinary thing to say, it was almost unbelievable. - How could someone with such an extraordinary presence do something so ordinary?

As her father started talking about work Sarah helped her mom, Alice. Alice had made a chicken casserole; Sarah lifted the lid and it smelt delicious. She opened the oven to check the potatoes. They were done and just keeping warm, so she busied herself with setting the table. Alice had gone into the living room to entertain Megan and Bea. They were pulling numerous toys and games off the shelves onto the wooden floor and being very noisy - as per usual.

Alone in the dining room Sarah sat down and drank some more wine. I’m crazy, how can someone affect me so much? I’m hardly going to be able to eat! Poor Jo, at least he’s not here to see me act like this.

Sarah got up and poked her head around the door, ‘Hey mom, can we stay tonight so I can drink?’

Megan and Bea proceeded to jump up and down echoing - ‘Stay night. Stay night. Stay night.’

Alice laughed and said that it was fine, then silently mouthed, ‘Gorgeous isn’t he?’ and winked, making Sarah feel even guiltier.

She mouthed back, ‘That’s not the reason.’ But her mother just laughed and went back to playing with the kids.

***

Jo opened his front door. It was now dark and his way was lit by Victorian style street lights. He walked down the path, as quickly as he dared without actually running, and rounded the corner where his car was parked. Fumbling to find his car key he inserted it into the lock and climbed inside. Once inside he immediately reached for the internal lock, pressed it down and all four doors locked simultaneously. Jo sighed in relief, heart still pounding.

Something caught his attention - a dark shape materializing to his left. He felt nausea threatening to rise and swallowed. Then he realized what he was seeing was a bat. It flew down then swooped up towards the roof. There it landed and hung upside down. Jo could have sworn it was looking at him. Its eyes glinted in the lamp light. It was the largest bat he had ever seen, not that he saw them often. This new presence calmed him; he felt like he wasn’t alone. This gave him the confidence to insert his key in the ignition and turn, starting the engine. Jo eased off the clutch as he accelerated and drove up the drive to the main road. Here he paused wandering which way to go. He had two options. He could either drive through town, or go via Quarry Bridge where the road would be more precarious, and more fun. As he took the second route he saw the bat swoop down behind him and felt comfort in the knowledge it would stay with him.

***

Sarah finished setting the table and opened another bottle of red wine. She breathed in the scent before heading to the bathroom to refresh herself. In there she looked herself over critically. At least she’d put on something half decent before heading out. She was wearing her nicest skinny jeans which showed off how toned her legs were from all that hiking in the woods, Bea and Megan in toe. Well, she tended to carry Bea in a big rambling backpack especially designed for the purpose. It kept her fit, and kept Bea and Megan occupied during long hours when Jo was working. It allowed her space to breathe in fresh air.

On top she was wearing an antique cream top with a floaty Pre-Raphaelite vibe. She felt tired though and was wearing minimal makeup. Ferreting in her bag she dug out some tinted lip-balm and a little eyeliner, and set to work. She also put on some perfume she found at the back of the cupboard - probably a gift her mother had never bothered to wear. Sarah smoothed her naturally blond hair with her fingers to tame fly-aways and finally felt a little happier about her appearance. She hoped it wasn’t too obvious she’d made the extra effort. She headed back to the dining room, lit some candles and put on some classical music.

Taking a deep breath she wiped her clammy hands on her jeans and shouted, ‘Dinners ready’. She did not want to behave like this was a special occasion. She would try to act normal.

Her kids ran in, Megan first, and started organizing the seating arrangements.

‘Me sit here, Grandma sit there.’

‘No, me next Grandma,’ said Bea.

Grandma was close behind them, ‘Why don’t I sit in between so I can sit next to both of you?’

At this point Granddad walked in.

‘I want to sit next to Granddad too,’ said Megan. She was always first off the cuff being the oldest. Bea soon chimed in.

‘Me next to Granddad.’

Sarah rolled her eyes.

Megan looked livid, ‘No, me!’

‘How about I sit next to you Bea and Granddad sits next to Megan,’ suggested Sarah.

At this point their guest entered the room. He looked stunning and completely relaxed. Leaning against the doorframe, glass of wine still in hand, he said, ‘How about me, where shall I sit?’

Megan and Bea fell silent. They were happy to stay as far away from this new man as possible.

However it was a reciprocal question. There was only one seat left, which would be nearest the door, between Granddad and Sarah.

Sarah slid into her seat, and as everyone settled down Daniel pulled out his chair and sat down alongside her. Their arms were almost touching, only an inch away. Sarah was very aware of her body and whether any part of it was anywhere near him. She couldn’t even look at him, and busied herself with fussing over Bea and making sure she was ok and sitting down properly.

‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ Grandma said reassuringly to Bea and Megan, ‘I’m just going to bring in our food’.

Sarah had left her mum to dish up as she had cooked - Sarah did not want to take credit for her mothers’ efforts.

Sarah could smell delicious tantalizing scents drift in from the kitchen. Her mum emerged with the ceramic dish holding the homemade casserole. She placed it in the middle of the table, ‘No touching kiddies, it’s VERY hot,’ she emphasized, before going back into the kitchen for the cooked potatoes.

Trying to ignore Daniel, who was sitting silently to her right, Sarah leant over and began dishing up casserole for Megan and Bea. She gave them each a chicken drumstick and picked them out veggies from the stew. They would not eat a scoop of casserole if it was placed on their plates - Sarah had to divide it into individual segments if it was not to be rejected.

Sarah turned to Daniel and tried to sound confident, ‘Would you like some casserole?’

‘Yes please,’ he replied (He’s so polite, thought Sarah), ‘I’m very hungry, it’s been a busy day.’ He said. He half smiled, the corner of his mouth curling up in a way Sarah couldn’t help imagine had hidden meaning, while he looked secretly amused.

Alice had returned with the potatoes and taken her seat. Everyone helped themselves and began buttering them. The children’s chatter helped to cover Sarah’s silence as she tried to remain calm. His arm was so close.

She took a steadying breath and tried to chew her food. Her father, Keith, picked up the bottle of red and refilled their glasses. Alice and Keith, being either side of Megan, fussed over her while she tucked into her food. Even Bea started to eat her casserole. Sarah was relieved she didn’t have to hassle them - her parents were an exciting enough influence to give her a break.

But Sarah could not relax, she was aware of Daniel’s every movement. Every time he took a bite. The sound of him eating. Every time he picked up his wineglass.

Her parents weren’t paying him any attention; they were fixated on their food and grandchildren.

Sarah decided to be brave; she looked over towards him, after swallowing the food already in her mouth. He was already looking her way, still with that half amused look on his face. As if he’s aware of how uncomfortable he’s making me. And how attractive I find him.

‘Where have you come from Daniel?’

‘Oh, I’ve lived lots of places,’ he confided with a smile, ‘But most recently I moved from not so far away, a little town in Alaska.’

‘Alaska? Wow that must have been incredible’, said Sarah, imagining walking in icy landscapes.

Where they lived in Canada had plenty of snow and ice in winter too, but the more extreme weather always appealed to Sarah.

‘Incredible? That’s not the response I usually get. Most people associate further north with cold and depression.’

‘No, I find cold and ice inspiring.’

Daniel looked amused, again, as though this was not the response he was expecting from her. He also looked freely intrigued; his eyes boring into hers, as though he was searching her.

Sarah looked down, embarrassed, and slowly chewed her food before returning to the conversation. God, he was intense, he really did take her breath away. But he made her feel funny. She was not entirely sure of him. What was it about him? Something she didn’t trust? Was it merely his unbelievable attractiveness, his secrecy, or his confidence in an unfamiliar household? Hey, maybe he’d been here before.

Sarah drank some more wine. It was a good job she could stay tonight as she was already on her third glass. The food her mom had made was good, and the combination of getting some food inside her - and the confidence the alcohol fuelled, allowed her to ask the next question.

‘Did you move here with anyone?’

He smiled; he must know I find him attractive after asking this question, thought Sarah. He must also know I’m married.

‘No, I moved here alone.’

Sarah felt relieved, but tried not to show it. God, what if her parents saw? Although would they really care anyway? It’s not like they’re so fond of Jo. And they know we’ve had, and still do have, our problems.

***

Jo drove furiously out of town and round the winding back lanes. He reached Quarry Bridge and parked his car. He got out and leant against his bonnet, looking across the Quarry Lake and cliffs in the darkness. It was a vast space and he breathed in the night air, smelling the scent of conifers on the breeze.

It was chilly but now he didn’t feel the cold. And he no longer felt scared. He was peacefully relaxed and at ease with himself. As the bat landed next to him on the bonnet and materialized into a dark haired man, he didn’t even blink.

‘Beautiful evening, is it not?’ the vampire said with a hypnotizing stare.

Jo just nodded. He didn’t even flinch as the vampire leant across and, with one fast movement, snapped Jo’s neck.

***

The vampire wasn’t yet sure what he planned to do with Jo, yet he had decided Jo would be useful to him. It hadn’t been a hard decision turning him into a vampire. He had done it quite a few times over the centuries and realized how useful it could be to have an ally in a new town. - Especially with Daniel being around. He could never tell what Daniel might be planning, so it would be good to have extra muscle around, just in case.

He hadn’t yet decided whether he would let Jo go back to his old life and live with his wife and children. It would be a risk, he may become exposed. He probably wouldn’t be able to control himself. And he wouldn’t always be there to help him.

Maybe he would just keep Jo hidden, teach him to hunt at night. There were plenty of bars in town, dark and dingy, where they’d hardly be noticed leaving with different people each night. Jo would have a ferocious appetite as a newly turned vampire.

In fact the vampire, Sebastian, couldn’t wait to find out what Jo would be like. The transition into a vampire was a funny thing. Sometimes people kept their human personalities and resisted the change in lifestyle. Other times they embraced it, hunted wildly and forgot their human connections. Sometimes they tormented the connections they still remembered from their humanity, they haunted them or killed them.

He wondered how Jo’s family would fair. Hmm, if Jo killed his family it probably would get noticed. Sebastian decided he would keep Jo to himself for now, he would train him and turn him into the sort of vampire he wanted, away from outside influences. Sort of like a pet project. It could be fun to see him struggle and possibly go a little crazy.

Sebastian lifted the now dead Jo off the floor and opened the trunk. He pushed him into the back, where nobody would notice, and slid into the front seat himself. He reversed out of the quarry parking lot and headed further into the woods.