The Town of Anton

Chapter Five

"Pansy and Deacon?" I muttered.

The confusion swallowed me whole as I sat there staring deeply at the two words. It was all so strange to find out that a hot vampire and a strange cashier were my protectors. I just couldn't part with it. The whole situation itself was unearthly.

What was Pansy if Deacon was a vampire? How were they going to protect me if the mysterious man shows up? I didn't know the cost of danger until it followed me to Anton. And that right there was a dangerous thing to think about.

Bitterly regretting ever coming to this town, I waited until nightfall to go to the store. I wrapped my arms around my body for warmth. It was so cold that I could see my own breath as a bitter wind blew passed me.

It was when I got to the alleyway that things got warmer.

The air smelled rather bad and the heat was unwelcome. I walked a little further and got a whiff of something foul and covered my mouth. Before me was a man seated in a chair against the wall with his head facing down. I walked closer only to discover the awful stench came from him.

With one hand covering my mouth, I used my other hand to wake him. He looked like he was sleeping as I shook his shoulder.

He wouldn't budge.

"Sir?" I shook him again, causing his head to cock back. Blood began to pour from his gut and neck as fear filled his eyes. He was only just starting to die when I found him. And the fact that I knew this man was all the more reason to cry.

Guilt settled in. "I should've helped you."

"You're a fool if you think you could've helped him." The deep voice sounded so familiar that I dreaded the presence standing behind me.

Turning around, I saw him. Right before my eyes was the man I spent my four years running from; the man who I watched kill my parents.

"What do you want from me?"

"What makes you think I want something?"

"Because you killed my parents."

"They deserved it," the man said. "They were stupid. A waste of my time. They kept me away from the one person who could save me."

He took his sweet time scaring the hell out of me, that's for sure. He was smart too, because I still couldn't see his face under his hoodie and the darkness surrounding his figure.

"But I have to say," he continued. "You are much prettier in person."

"Leave me alone," I cried, falling against the brick wall. "You must go."

"You fear me, don't you?" His chest collided with mine. The air was thin as his breath reeked of death and his teeth stained of blood. I could only wonder why he hasn't killed me.

I replied, "I fear death."

"But I'm not here to kill you." He then said, "I'm here to meet you. I want to know what it is about you that makes everyone's blood boil with passion."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb with me, sweetheart. I can smell him on you."

The only person he could be talking about was Deacon. And if he could smell him, then did that make him a vampire too?

"Please just let me go," I begged.

The brick wall was starting to feel uncomfortable and stiff, but that didn't stop him from leaning in towards my ear and whispering, "You'll know who I am someday, and when you do, you'll fall for me just like you fell for him."

I closed my eyes. Hearing him speak was like jabbing me with needles. They both felt painful and they both knew how to hurt me in ways I couldn't explain.

He vanished as soon as I opened my eyes. I collapsed to the ground with my back still against the wall as I gasped for air. I never knew how much fear I could handle until I was left trying to find ways to make him escape my mind.

And then someone appeared before me. His gray eyes latched to mine as he picked me up in his arms. I didn't know where he was taking me, but all that mattered was that he rescued me.

                ...

In one of the four living rooms was a blue couch in front of a fireplace. I was placed on the couch with a warm blanket and a nice body to lay my head against. And even though he was as cold as a freezer, I was getting used to the feeling.

I let out a cheesy smile. "I'm glad you're here."

"I couldn't leave you alone after what happened."

"I thought he was there to kill me." I still felt the mysterious man's presence. His breath was like a drug that didn't go away. And his voice, so deep, had me paralyzed from the waist down to the point where I couldn't move. Was this even possible? Could a man like him be able to control me?

The fire's heat sent calm and relaxation up my spine as I thought more about Deacon and what about him was so breathtaking. But then thoughts of Pansy appeared and caused me to ask, "What is Pansy?"

"I'm a vampire," said a voice from across the room. From the way her blonde hair glowed in the dimmed light allowed me to recognize who she was.

I jumped from my seat. "How did you get in here?"

"Your mother invited me in a long time ago," she said. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I came with some really bad news."

Everything always had to be bad. Bad news, bad gifts, bad people, bad everything. I just wanted something good to happen. But as I saw her tiny frown, I knew it wasn't good.

And then I peered over at Deacon. By the look of curiosity in his face, I could tell that he had no idea what she was about to tell us either when he asked, "What is it?"

Pansy's panic could be seen through her eyes. "Bones has killed almost everyone in town for her. But when I tried to stop him, he only grew stronger and stronger with every kill."

How could a name like Bones make me twitch? The name screamed beware of danger, yet the mysterious man only knows how to create it. He was like fire and ice, but without ice. I should have been as scared as Pansy, but somehow I wasn't.

"It's getting closer to the full moon," replied Deacon. "And that means Saige needs to be somewhere safe."

"The safest place I know is here," I said.

Deacon looked at me. "Bones knows where you are. And he could be just beyond those front doors listening to our conversation and just waiting for you to walk outside."

But he can't come in. Isn't he vampire? I couldn't connect the dots of what he was, but I figured out that Bones was the mysterious man. And with mystery left misery that etched pain in my heart and soul.

"Can we talk about something else?" Painful memories started to blow in again, and just the thought of my parents made me not want to speak or even think of him.

Deacon asked, "Like what?"

My mind floated away from the room for a minute. And when I came back, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about. "Vampires."

"Excuse me?" Pansy then asked, "Why vampires?"

"If you two are going to be my protectors, I want to know about them." I almost regret ever asking them, but I couldn't live not knowing their stories.

Pansy was the first to talk. And by how she talked, she seemed to love the attention.  "I've been seventeen years old for 77 years. I was turned in 1939 at the Wizard of Oz movie premiere. My date turned out to be a vampire and was very friendly with my neck."

After finding out how old she was, I was afraid to know how old Deacon was. And being in love with him and all, I didn't want age to come between us.

Deacon's voice was calm as he replied, "Pansy turned me in 1985 at a county fair. She was just passing through each town, feeding off the lonely ones until she found me. I've been seventeen since then."

31 years wasn't bad compared to 77. But I felt obligated to ask, and even though nobody gave me an answer, I still wanted to know. "What am I?"