The Spiders' Tale

7. Vivian

He forgot for a moment what laid beyond the front door. The closer he approached, the more he realized the smell of blood was not a lingering of the bowl in Dr. Winston’s house. When he was about to step up the stairs of the porch he froze, remembering the reason he didn’t want to enter again. While he didn’t move any closer, he did not back away. He only stood and stared.

He didn’t know what to think, so he didn’t think of anything. His mind was loud with the flittering of incomplete thoughts and reactions. Finally his fangs retreated and he found the words to whisper, “Papa.”

There were heavy, hesitant footsteps behind him. After a moment of silence Dragomir turned and found Wallace Dodds. As he pushed the thin locks of his light brown hair from his face, he mumbled, “Hey, D-Dragos.”

Unable to swallow the lump in his throat, Dragomir nodded in response.

A boy three years younger than himself and almost just as tall, Wallace was one of the few people Dragomir grew up with. For as long as he knew him, he always lived just across the street.

For a moment neither of them spoke. Finally Wallace sighed, looking from Dragomir to the house before them. “I know,” he whispered. “I’ve been staring at, at the door myself. It’s strange to th-think...” His breath shuddered. “And by a v-vampire. My mother says she can’t, can’t remember our town’s last vampire attack. I - I can’t understand how this, this happened.”

“Wrong place at the wrong time,” the other answered wistfully. They silently stood and stared at the house for another moment, Dragomir deep in thought. His father was dead. His love was to be wed in April. What was left for him here? What could he realistically do now? In the course of a few hours, he lost everything he cared for, all at the hands of one person. If what Dr. Winston said was true - if Dragomir was a danger to every mortal he loved - what would be keeping him here? All the factors told him to leave - to run far, far away and never return. He would forget all he knew and was used to, immersing himself in a world where he knew nothing and no one. He would be alone, but at least he would be guilt-free.

He closed his eyes. He couldn’t leave - this was his home. All his neighbors knew him and loved him. Even if they knew he was a vampire, they would...well, they might... Would they still love him? But this town - these people - they were all he had ever known.

Then he remembered Todd’s suggestion to kill Marius.

“Come on,” mumbled Wallace, breaking his train of thought, “It’s a little too cramped for you at my house, but I can think of a beautiful girl who’s eagerly awaiting your arrival at hers.”

Again Dragomir nodded, and together the boys stepped up the cobblestone hill to the VanDer lot. After climbing the front porch steps and arriving at the door, Wallace pated his friend’s back. “Take care, Dragos. God be with you.”

“And also with you,” he weakly replied. After watching his friend down the hill, he turned his attention to the door and knocked. The mid aged woman with thick black hair answered, eyes suspicious as usual. Having the appearance of a wise Romani gypsy, her brow was somewhat wrinkled over deep-set, heavy-lidded eyes.

“Hello, Dragomir,” she greeted him, voice low with age and demanding respect.

“Hello, Mrs. VanDer,” he answered. He wasn’t expecting her. He thought Natalia would greet him - the maid.

Her eyes wandered about his face, catching his gaze and then dropping it. After a moment she stepped aside the entrance.

“Thank you,” muttered the youth, crossing inside.

“The pleasure is mine,” she replied. After closing the door behind him, Mrs. VanDer turned to the nearby coatrack and humorlessly laughed. “It seems our neighbors don’t know what to do. It’s All Hallows Eve, but do the games and festivities carry on? Who is still in the spirit for bobbing for apples, ah? Who will tell a ghost story now?”