Succubus

Chapter 16: You! Shepherd!

Chapter 16: You! Shepherd!

Bridgeton Community Center was a Mecca for the elderly. They came in droves to attend Tai Chi classes, speed walk around the jogging course, or just sit around the lawn and talk for hours. The gym occasionally hosted a basketball game, but other than that it was haunted by future ghosts.

Tara went there to get away from people her age. All day people had held the door for her and asked to speak with her after class. A few offers for the Big Dance even came in. It felt nice, but she had to turn them all down. The deal had been for her to find Adriel. Based on what Vine had told her, he would not be interested in helping a girl cheat.

Tara watched as the elderly circled the gym over and over. The room echoed with the sound of soft footsteps. Tara hoped that tonight another demon would appear and tell her how to deal with such a stupid, unsympathetic, problem.

Pieces of a dozen conversations made their way back to Tara. A fight with a neighbor over a swimming pool was entering its fifth year. The ladies in mahjong circles had a bracket filled out for the highschool basketball teams. The only interesting thing Tara heard was a rumor of a boy seen swinging a sword out by the park once the sun went down.

The jogging ambience was interrupted when one of the old ladies fell. It wasn't a hard fall, but she was old so it could easily have made the front pages. The other elderly crowded around her and waited for someone to call an ambulance. Tara slowly got up and began looking for her phone.

Tara caught the smell of marble. A young man stepped out from behind an older man, but a second ago there had been no one there. He had wavy blond hair and a smile that seemed too genuine to be real.

Before Tara could dial the final "1", the boy was leaning next to the old lady.

"Let me take a look before the EMTs get involved Mrs. Maddox," the boy said.

The old lady gave a slight gasp then a sigh. The boy released her ankle and she stood back up. While she was busy telling her friends that she was fine the boy began heading toward the exit.

Tara was already out of her seat and moving. She wasn't sure if there would ever be another opportunity this good, so she practically ran to catch up with the boy. In her mind she saw herself tackling him, kissing him, and beating his head in with her fists, but she didn't have time to dwell on why that thought was in her head.

The boy was almost out the door. Tara was sure that if he left her sight he'd disappear. She picked up the pace.

"Nice work back there," Tara said once she was a few steps away. She tried not to breathe too heavily.

"Just wanted to make sure she was alright," the boy said. He looked at Tara sideways. Something was off with her, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Are you at Bridgeton High? You don't look familiar," Tara said. Anyone would remember him, she thought.

"I'm a prospective student," the boy lied. He lied badly, as though the lie was a big snake coiling around in his stomach.

"Where are you visiting from?" Tara asked.

The boy's face went blank. He couldn't stop his eyes from looking up for just a second. "Canada," he finally said.

"Are you sure it's not heaven?"

He tried to play it off with a laugh, but it just came out forced and awkward. "No, that's silly."

They continued walking together. The boy clearly thought the conversation was over, but he had no idea how to leave without being rude. It was the same dilemma as having a cat on the lap.

Without realizing it they'd walked near the Anglican church. Tara felt the headache coming on and she couldn't hide her grimace.

It all suddenly clicked. Realization dawned on the boy's face, as well as horror. "You're Vine!" he shouted.

"Tara actually. She's in here though," Tara said while she tapped her chest. "You must be Adriel. You're a hard guy to find."

"What's Vine doing here? She's not supposed to be here for decades. And only in people's dreams!" He was thinking out loud. "This is breaking so many rules." He looked up at the sky, as though retribution were already on its way.

"It'll be fine. If you didn't know she's here then heaven probably doesn't either."

Adriel's face went serious. "They know. They haven't told me because they're dealing with it in a different way."

Tara felt nervous for an instant, but then she saw an angle. "Guess I'll have to lay low. Where do you stay?"

"The flock isn't allowed to know about me. I appear where I'm needed, nothing more."

"Aren't I a member of the flock? Tara needs your help getting out of Vine's spell," Tara said with a grin.

Adriel's brain rebooted. "I'll figure out a way to get both of you back where you belong." Something dawned on Adriel. "How long have you two been together?"

"Today is day two, why?"

"Have you had any strange dreams?"

Tara thought it was a strange question, until she considered the circumstances.

"I went to a mall with Vine, and an art museum with some middle aged woman with an accent."

Adriel had a terrible poker face. It made Tara feel like she was at the doctor waiting for bad news.

"The succubus part of you is feeding. I don't really understand it, but it could be a problem if you keep doing it to people in town."

Tara remembered what she'd read the night before. Succubi needed sexual energy. Maybe for the middle aged remembering a date night was enough? A wave of guilt hit Tara. She hoped the woman was alright; she'd been nothing but kind.

The guilt vanished and an evil idea took root in Tara's mind. It could have been Vine's influence, but Tara felt surprise somewhere in her chest. It was as though the succubus was shocked anyone could think of such a thing.

"You be the food then."

"What?"

"You've got to protect the flock. If you let me go I'll keep feeding on different people. How long until someone dies?" It was a heavy bluff, assuming succubi could kill by feeding. Adriel seemed panicked enough to think so.

"You're just a mortal, why would you kill the other people here?" Adriel asked.

Tara felt taken aback by how genuinely sad he seemed. It was as though he weren't used to living in a world where people might serve themselves.

"I don't want to, but what else can I do? Vine needs food and I don't know how else to get it for her."

Adriel put on a brave face. "All right. I'll do it."

They stood apart from each other without saying anything. A squirrel ran by.

"What do we do now?" Adriel asked.

"I'm not really sure. You can take me to the dance but that's not for another week. Can you give me your phone number?"

"I don't have a phone, but I will hear you if you ask for me."

"Brainstorm some date ideas, I'll try and make sure I don't eat any of the townspeople at night."

Adriel sighed, "Got it."

Again they stood across from each other. The mood felt similar to that of a work email. If things stayed the same Tara would have to eat the entire town.

"Come here," Adriel said. He pulled Tara in for a hug. He felt warm like the sun, and there was no awkward feeling like in most of the hugs Tara had been in.

Adriel let go. Tara tried to find the words, but she was at a loss.

"People in relationships do that. I'll think of more things. Don't eat anyone!" Adriel waved goodbye and disappeared behind a tree.

Tara suddenly felt very full. Bridgeton was safe from her for the night.