Whisper

Chapter VI

The two women sat in the little white room, the tape recorder on the table. Rebecca sipped a coffee–Dani sat in her chair, her drink in front of her. She toyed with the little coffee stirrer that stuck out of the top of the coffee. Rebecca had snuck the coffee in before Dani arrived, and she was thankful for the warm drink. They had hit some cold weather, even though it was almost summer.

Rebecca reached over and clicked the recorder on. She cleared her throat, took a sip of her drink, and began:

"Everything was so overwhelming in those first couple of months. It was wave after wave of emotion and sensation, day in and day out. Laurent did not send Alexis away–and he did not send me away, either. He kept us together, a little merry band of vampires. We were a family, and neither Laurent or myself wanted to lose Alexis. For all the trouble he and I had caused, Laurent still loved the both of us. He did put a rule in place though: Alexis and I weren't allowed to be alone together. It was something we all agreed to, to keep the peace. Alexis remained at the Inn, and he met us each night at the road that led from the estate to the village. We fed together, we walked together, and we discussed our plans. Laurent was ready to move on, ready to go back to America. His home was waiting for him.

"The night we departed, December 28th, I spent a few hours with my mother. She was on the verge of death. I wanted so badly to turn her, to make her into a vampire, to give her eternity with her books. I almost did, but Laurent stopped me. I wasn't ready for that responsibility, I hadn't gotten myself under control–how could I justify teaching another? So, in blood stained tears, I left my mother's side and we loaded into Laurent's carriage. Our luggage would arrive at the port in time for our departure from France. My father saw us off with a weary look. I could see that he had suspicions, that my mother's words had finally sunk in. He thought it best that I leave without incident, so he waved me off with a kiss on the forehead.

"As we waited at the port, Laurent and Alexis taught me the Little Drink–a small bite, taking only a mouthful, then letting them go. Doing that multiple times in a night was enough to satiate my hunger. They spoke in hushed whispers at night, in our small room above an oceanfront tavern. They thought I didn't hear them, but I did.

"'She isn't ready for the voyage, Laurent,' Alexis said, sipping his brandy. Laurent downed his entire glass and poured himself another. 'She may never be ready. We need to be careful.'

"'She will be ready, please trust me on this. I can keep her under control, Alexis," Laurent whispered around his glass. He drained it. Alexis poured them both another glass. He reached out and touched Laurent's hand–they laced their fingers together and shared a secret moment between themselves. I couldn't read either of them, but I felt like that was a good thing at the time. For all my indiscretions, I was concerned about sharing Laurent with Alexis. Call me whatever you want, I was jealous of their connection.

"Both men came to bed after a few more glasses of brandy and more hushed words. Alexis climbed in on my right, and Laurent on my left. I rolled over and slid into Laurent's arms. He held me tight to his chest and we fell asleep. The day passed without incident.

"The next evening, it was time to board the ship. Our luggage had finally arrived, and the ship was ready to get underway. There were so many people boarding the ship that I feared there wouldn't be room for everyone. Laurent had secured us the only private civilian quarters on the ship. Most of our luggage was stored with the other cargo, but we brought one small chest each into the room. Alexis would be sharing the quarters with us, and I had thought the small room over the tavern had been stifling.