Oliver stared in surprise as Mama Marie appears to be healthy and unharmed. Her skin didn't have any dust or leaves—neither did her dress for that matter. Holding in her left hand is a sleek, brown cane whose bottom was buried in the red dirt.
"Hello, children." the chef greeted wearily. "Did anybody miss me?"
Oliver gives her the hairy eyeball. "Where were you?"
Mama Marie sighed, "I was in the woods."
"Doing what?" he asked.
"Getting blood for Amelia," she replied surly, tossing the sack in the vampire's direction.
Eagerly, Amelia catches the IV pouch, removes the cap, and drinks it greedily. The red liquid sloshed into her pale mouth as her sharp nose inhaled the rusty nickel and animal bile perfume.
As she takes in the long sips, Amelia's hunger pains began to subside, the purple veins swelling on her forehead vanished, and her sharp fangs became human teeth.
Even though he was relieved to see his friend feasting, Oliver looked at the old chef as if she had come back to life.
Old or not, Mama Marie had a weird sense of humor. She thinks it's funny leaving people behind, not even caring for the fact that time is their situational enemy.
To be honest, Oliver was glad to meet someone who met his father days before his birth, however, Oliver never understood where his father was and why Mama Marie would rather work with Jake instead of a nursery home.
He also didn't know why she abandoned the duo or what her true motives were, but for now, Oliver wanted to solve a case and go home to his lonely mother.
With a disgruntled sigh, the old woman tethered her stick forward and allowed her aching feet to walk across the sunbaked floor.
Her gray locks swept out of reach from her black sunglasses. Wrinkles streaked Mama Marie's weary face as the white light shined down her black pores.
"Well come on now," Mama Marie hollered. "Adventures don't wait for anybody."
Oliver obediently followed whereas Amelia jogged after them, still draining its contents.
"What's wrong, son?" asked Mama Marie. "You seem quiet."
"It's nothing," he lied. "I'm doing fine, Mama Marie."
A wrinkled smile appeared on her cracked lips.
"Oh," Mama Marie smirked. "that's good."
Amelia finishes chugging down the dark crimson beverage, swipes the bloody mouth with the back of her right hand, then stuffs it in her right jeans pocket for safe keeping.
Stuffed and completely satisfied, Amelia rubs her stomach then happily gave thanks to Mama Marie, who smiled in response.
"You're welcome," the blind chef says. "I suspect you were starving on your journey, so I killed some squirrels for you."
Amelia grinned widely. "I guess I should apologize for my rude behavior earlier."
Mama Marie places her wrinkled hand on the vampire's cold shoulder then says, "You are forgiven, child."
Then pivoting her small body to Oliver, the old chef asks, "how are you feeling, sonny?"
"Fine," he said, brushing away the stench of a rotting corpse.
Just then Oliver remembered Jessica's apology to Mama Marie.
"Oh, before we left camp, Jessica wanted to apologize for mistreating you when she was alive."
YOU ARE READING
Mirror, Mirror (Book 2)
FantasíaSequel to the Esterville Series. Rather than giving the class a lesson, Oliver Harper's History teacher, Ms. Fern, takes her students on a journey to Camp Esterville, a place where the fire of '87 began. There, they meet a charismatic camp counsel...
