Chad Gadya

On-Brand Vampires

    I had once eaten an etrog — plain and unadorned. The sour taste has filled my mouth and though I rinsed my mouth several times, the bitterness lingered on my tongue. The bitterness in my mouth now was even worse.

Saul's words played in my head like a song on repeat: These humans killed my brother; I'll see that they get the fate they deserve. As I sat up, I wondered if Saul was right to hate us. Should we oppose him simply because he was a demon? Did he choose his birth any more than we did?

     I couldn't go back to sleep, but I laid down on the ground and snuggled next to my friends again to try to keep warm. A chill swept over me that has as much to do with the dream than the weather. It was hours before the sky lightened and my mother roused everyone. "Are you okay, Breina?" my mother asked.

      "I had another dream," I admitted.

       "So did I," Marzipan said. "I was laying in a patch on sunlight and chewing on old newspapers . . ."

     "Mine wasn't anything like that," I said quickly as she trailed off.

     "What a shame," Marzipan said. "Newspapers are quite tasty; they have a nice texture."

     "What it another nightmare?" Kuni asked.

      I nodded and related the entire dream to them. I didn't share the guilt twisting in my stomach like a havdalla candle, but Kuni gave me a sympathetic look as if he understood more than I was letting on.

    Alexandros was looking skywards. "The chalkydri should be here soon," they said.

       "I hope so," my mother said. "We should get to Siberia today?"

     Alexandros nodded. "We're not far away now."

     My mother was the first to spot the chalkydri. They were just dots in the distance, but within minutes they became larger and more visible. They landed on the ground and I ran forward. I found the chalkydri I had ridden yesterday and gave it a pat on the head, earning a contented purr in return.

      Kuni was already on his chalkydri's back and so I mounted my own. I felt more comfortable this time. Perhaps it was because this was supposed to be a shorter trip or perhaps it was because my nightmare had scared me worse than any fall from the sky could.

      The chalkydri leapt and began flying. When they flew, a breeze formed around them, making my brown hair trail behind me like a horse's mane. Kuni's face was glowing like a Shabbat candle as we flew onwards.

     The flight was shorter than last time. It was barely noon when the chalkydri started their descent. The land below us was snow-covered even in the summer and I wished I had the coat I had packed for the trip with me. My chalkydri landed on a snowy hill and I slid off its back, scratching it behind the ears. "Thank you," I said. "You shall be a blessing. Your descendants shall number more then the stars in the sky and you shall be as loved any goat."

      "What was that?" Marzipan asked, hopping off of her mount's back.

    I flushed. "An adaption of the Lech L'cha."

Marzipan surprised me by coming over and nuzzling my hand. "I liked it the part about goats."

I petted her fur, still soft despite our trials and tribulations. Kuni was saying goodbye to his chalkydri and I saw tears in his eyes. My mother and Alexandros were chatting again and I made a beeline towards them. "So, what now?"

"We find Gehenna," my mother answered.

"Do you know where it is?" I asked.

Alexandros and her exchanged glances. "I've never been there," Alexandros admitted.