Criminal

Chapter 5: Answers

After much waiting for eight tonight, Darren came downstairs to walk with me to the restaurant. The hope of a supportive friendship between us was enough to renew me for the walk. A positive relationship with the other half of my family could save me after my loss. It was nice to walk after sunset, so I wouldn't get burned. I wondered the reason for that. We continued on the sidewalk, when I asked, "Do you walk everywhere? Do you know how to drive?"

"Because of my illness, I haven't even gone to school. My life has been getting driven to appointments, and not letting my parents noticed my failed attempts to get decent soul essence."

"I understand." I couldn't imagine the rough life he had so far. Hopefully, my friendship was useful to him. I kept track of the houses we passed, so I'd remember how to get there myself.

After about ten minutes of walking, we've arrived at the place. The restaurant looked closed, but with my enhanced sight, I saw the people. We approached the counter while I checked the people there. Most of them looked like regular people, sitting in wooden booths. The dark red walls and counters suited this place.

While we sat on stools, a slightly older girl handed us drinks. I gulped down the much needed cool liquid while the girl talked to Darren.

"You're here." She didn't sound pleased. "Is that girl here too?" She didn't seem to like that mention girl, either.

"No, she won't be coming here again soon."

"Oh, good." She turned to serve someone else.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, since I needed all the information I could get, and I didn't care if I seem nosey.

"My girlfriend. When she discovered the vampire thing, she got freaked out." He spun the wineglass around as he held it, watching the blood swished around before drinking it.

"Oh," That reaction made sense. "Is everyone here a vampire?"

"Most are, but some just want to talk to their vampire friends. Others let them drink from them, but that's done in private in the back rooms."

"Good." I said, thinking it would be triggering to see someone get bitten.

The girl turned back to me. "You seem new. I'm Gretchen. How did you become a vampire?"

I stared at my empty glass, wondering how much I should say. "One bit and drained blood from me and my mom last night, but only I survived to become one." I said it all to help me accept it.

"Aw, that's horrible." She leaned down to be at my eye level. Normally, I'd disliked this type of attention, but she's too pretty for me to get annoyed. A leather dress covered her essentials while twin brown braids went to her thighs. I couldn't imagine having hair that long, but it's impressive. "What can I do to make it better?" The softness in her voice sounded like genuine compassion.

Find who did this and bring them to me, but I couldn't say that. "Refill my drink." I slid my glass to her.

"Alright." She took it to refill.

This gave me more time to ask Darren questions. "Does the temperature of the blood matter?"

"No, soul essence can stay inside it for weeks, at least. Because soul essence likes to be happy, a positive vampire can go a month without needing more."

That's good to know because this was irritating. Plus, drinking blood reminded me of last night. "Why do vampires get burned from sunlight?"

"The sun is harmful for the skin, but the soul reduces that." He seemed bored by my questions by looking anywhere but me.

I'd talk to Gretchen instead. She came back with my refill. "Do you know who could've attacked me and my mom?" It was a bold question to ask, but it should be okay.

"No." She blankly looked at me, just as puzzled as I was. "Since blood from dead people is useless to vampires, it makes no sense for that to happen. Whoever did this must've wanted her gone, but they would've used simple ways. Doing it the typical vampire way would've drawn unwanted attention."

That was what I figured. "The vampire left deep gashes like an animal attack. My dad told me there're werewolves too. Are they in conflict with vampires?"

"Not really, and I'd know as a werewolf. We don't act differently from regular humans. The only difference is vampires have no soul, werewolves have two souls, and humans have one."

I imagined vampires and werewolves being more dramatic, but there's nothing too special about them. It may be better to be human because your essence wasn't manipulated. Those upgrades came at a heavy cost.

"How come some people are werewolves? Why do you work here?" These questions weren't as important as finding my mother's murderer, but knowing these people could be useful.

"Long ago, wolves were hunted a lot to protect people and their livestock. Those wolf souls became vengeful souls, but to move past their hatred of human, they choose one to possess. If you're lucky, you become friends with your wolf soul, but a positive relationship doesn't always happen." She turned her attention toward wiping the counters. "As for working here, I needed a job and an undercover restaurant for vampires sounded the least boring." She grinned at her own joke.

A hallow and hungry feeling came over me when it's been a whole day since Fay died and I came no closer to finding who did it. I learned much about vampires and werewolves, but I didn't care about that. I finished my drink and asked for another.

Gretchen was taken aback by my third drink of the night, but my misery was making me hungry. Even Darren glanced at me. For a depressed guy, he had only one glass. The next drink was warm and thick. The gooey texture and taste alarmed me, but it wasn't bad and worked as well as the others. I glanced at Gretchen, who figured out what I was thinking.

"We try to keep the texture a certain consistency, but sometimes there isn't enough time. That blood hadn't been in the fridge or had an anticoagulant added."

"So, is all of this donated from Dr. Sawyer's office?"

"Yeah, he's Darren's doctor who turned him."

I faced Darren. "I should meet your doctor." Doctor Sawyer must have advice for helping me find my attacker and helping me turn back to human.

"We'll go someday." He hopped off the stool. "Let's go home. You had enough."

I nodded after finishing the drink and slid off my stool. Gretchen and I waved goodbye to each other before I continued my walk to Darren's house.

Half way home, I needed to use the bathroom. "Darren, do vampires pee?"

"If they drink too much, like you did." He playfully smirked at me.

I gave an annoyed glare, clenched my thighs together, and walked faster. By the time we made it back, I needed to run. He chuckled at me as he went to his room, and I made it to the bathroom. It came out the same as it went in, much like my period, which might be gone now. It wouldn't be missed, and I'd make sure this won't happen again.

Looking in the bathroom mirror, I was glad to look the same. Classic vampires had pale skin, but I maintained my Hispanic skin. It wasn't as vital as my soul, but holding on to my human self was important to me.

When I came downstairs, it's almost ten, and I remembered I have school tomorrow. I lay on the couch to go to sleep. Nick said I could stay, and I was too far to go home. I was tired, but not as much as I'd normally be. I shouldn't need school as a vampire now. My grief could be an excuse to get out of it, but I knew that's wrong. Perhaps, I should've, since my time in school turned disastrous.