Sarah And Friends (Part One)
I watched him running towards me excitedly, his hand clutching his dark brown satchel and his light blond hair flying with the wind, even his greasy black leather jacket was billowing behind him as his steps echoed across the stone steps. I sat at the top, cuddled in my dark blue hoodie, pushing the purple rim of my glasses a bit farther up my nose as I looked up to greet my friend. My own satchel that almost perfectly matched his sat in my lap giving my hands something to pick at other that the purple rubber band that encircled my wrist. He finally reached me as he bent down, his hands on his knees as he heaved.
"You..won't believe...what I just heard...this...this is gonna be BIG!", he said breathlessly, his hands making a big gesture at the word 'big', a wide grin on his face.
"Come on then, out with it man!", I said excitedly, patting the spot next to me on the steps. We were on the stairs that led up to the library of our college university. The sun had set at least an hour ago and a cold chill had spread through the evening sky. Daniel's blond hair looked nearly as white as mine underneath the bright street light that illuminated us. He plopped down next to me and hurriedly pulled the tape recorder from his dark brown satchel and rewound the tape inside for a moment before hitting play.
"So, you sure its okay for me to record this?", I heard Daniel's voice in the recording say. Behind him were the sounds of glasses clinking and a quiet roar of talking. It sounded like he was recording in a bar or club.
"It's okay, we won't say or name or who you are, so when it plays on air they won't know its you", I heard him assure whoever he was speaking to.
"Well...alright man, listen. I work an important job in this city, and I see weird shit every day. But things have gotten crazy man...real fucking crazy. We've been finding these cadavers lying in streets and in lakes...real pretty cadavers too, always a looker. But that's not the weird part...the weird part is it looks like whoever killed them...took their blood. A lot of their blood. Like a god damned vampire or something. Their necks are always smashed or twisted horribly...almost as if someone is covering their tracks by doing that shit.", a gruff male voice said in the recording.
Daniel's finger clicked the tape recorder off, not having the patience to listen to the rest of the recording. His bright eyes were staring at me and his mouth was slightly agape.
"Did you hear that?! That was a local beat cop! I told him I was with WkkR Late Nites to get some kind of crazy cop story and I landed pure gold, Spence! Someone out there is trying to be a vampire...or is one!", he said excitedly, his shoulder nudging me softly.
Supernatural things had always been our shared interest ever since we became good friends several years ago. We shared stories we'd overheard or watch spooky movies together. We would meet up after my university classes and before he had to turn in his stories to the late night radio talk show he worked for. He would play the recordings of stories for me and I would show him my notes I would take down...or drawings of creatures I kept in my own satchel. Most of the creatures I had drawn lately were Japanese mythological creatures like kappas or yokai. He was always so patient with me while I explained to him things that he wouldn't understand since he wasn't obsessed with Japanese culture like I am.
“Danny...you hear stories like that every other week, what makes this one so special?”, I said to him, nudging his shoulder back gently. A few people descended the steps next to us; a couple of late night faculty members that shot glances at the two of us. People always mistaken me and Daniel for being more than just best friends. I know things like that shouldn't bother people...but it does when people judge us cruelly for it because of me. They whisper things over their shoulders about the girl that pretends to be a guy...or the guy that pretends to be a girl. They honestly didn't know what I was and I was too quiet and nervous to try to explain myself to them. Daniel had put it best once ‘Some days its just easier to be Spencer than it is to be Sarah’. Daniel had even been the one to give me the name Spencer, he said it would make me feel better...and it did.
Daniel’s fingers fidgeted with the black tape recorder, tapping buttons to make the tape fast forward to a certain part. He would press play for only a second or two before skipping or rewinding the tape more, as though he was looking for a certain cue.
“Aha!”, he said as he seemed to have found the right part as he pressed play once more and held the tape closer to my ear, as though I was listening for something in the background.
“I have a story for you...”, a quiet voice said. This voice too sounded male, but was much smoother and articulate. “Oh really? And what’s your story?”, I could hear Daniel laugh, his voice much closer to the recorder.
I could hear a rustling noise as if cloth ran over the microphone. “Wait wait wait...give me a second...This is D. Malloy with another late night story for you folks listening in to WkkR Late Nites..and just who might you be good sir? What’s your story?”, I giggled at hearing Danny use his radio voice. He made himself sound so professional when he did it.
“My story is too long for you tonight...meet me here tomorrow night and I’ll give you a story worth broadcasting”, the gentle male voice said, this time closer to the recorder.
“Eh? Well that’s fine”, Daniel had said, sounded a tad bit rejected and the recorder once again clicked off.
“This guy...this guy was something, Spence! He had this crazy aura around him, the room seemed to fall silent for him! I was totally getting a weird Dracula vibe from this guy”, Daniel said to me, his hand pointing at the recorder he held in his hand.
“You gotta come with me tomorrow night, meet this guy with me and listen with me! I can just say you’re also with the radio, no one knows who all works in radio stations”, he grabbed my hand as if he were going to beg me.
“I’m...I’m sorry Danny but you know I have classes. I can’t spend all night in a bar with you just waiting to get a story from a guy that may or may not show up again. We've done this song and dance and you know how I am with crowds...and with meeting strange new people”, I had said to him, looking away from him. I couldn't stand to see his face lose it’s spark.
“But Spence...this guy talked to me more after I put away the tape. He told me his name is Louis. Spence..I think this could be it...I think he’s the one...I think he’s a vampire”, he said slowly, as if it was going to change my mind. All I could do was shake my head no. I hated crowds. I hated crowds of drunk people.
He stood from the steps and collected his satchel and hung the strap around his shoulder quietly.
“I understand, Spencer. I just...”, his eyes were staring out at the night sky as he spoke, his hot breath hitting the cold night air causing it to become a billowing fog. I watched him sigh and turn back towards me, the light blue eyes shimmering down at where I sat.
“I just wanted you to be there”.
Those words would haunt me for the next week. A whole week without a single word or appearance from Daniel. I listened in to the radio station every night to hear his stories. The first two nights the regular nightly DJ made apologies for the lack of Daniel’s story and played back old audio files of some of his old stuff. The last night of the week the DJ announced the end of the late night stories. Danny wasn't coming back.
After a full seven days had passed, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to find him. I had to know what happened to my friend.
I stood in the mirror of my room looking at my reflection as I combed my short white hair. My brown eyes stared back at me as I looked at my attire. I was dressed to be Spencer this evening, wearing a black sweater vest over a nice lavender dress shirt with black slacks. I felt more confidant when dealing with people when I looked like this. Being able to switch gave me an edge, I felt. As I pulled the sleeves of the shirt down my arms, my fingers brushed against the purple rubber band and I let my sight flood with a short vision of me and Daniel. The rubberband used to belong to him, he often kept it on his own wrist but had given it up to me when he had to travel away for an extended period of time. My short vision brought strength to my determination to find him.
I paid a visit to the bars I knew Daniel to frequent for his stories. I asked the bartenders, the patron saints of booze and the ladies of the hour if they had seen him lately. All of them replied that they hadn’t seen him for at least a week. The last bar I paid a visit to was one that I had been to many times with Daniel during their slower days when only the regulars sat around to keep to themselves and drown in booze and sports. I sat on a stool at the bar, trying to get information from the barkeep.
“You have to have seen him recently! He said he was going to meet someone here for another story! Someone here must have seen something! Please, help me find him”, I pleaded with the man.
“Look kid, I don’t know where he is. Call the police and tell them the story. I’m sure he’ll turn up somewhere”, the man said, washing a large beer mug before stepping away to serve an actual customer.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My fingers fidgeted with the purple rubberband on my hand underneath my sleeve. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run. I wanted a friend.
“Are you alright?”, a soft voice asked of me.
I turned my head to see a young man that sat a few seats away. He almost looked too young to be in a bar, with auburn curls and large innocent amber eyes. He had a soft smile and pale skin like mine. He was wearing a black tshirt and tattered jeans with a leather band around his wrist and silver necklaces hanging from his neck.
“I’m fine”, I answered quickly, looking away from him quickly, pushing the purple rim of my glasses further up my nose. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him sliding off the stool and approach me slowly until he leaned against the bar next to me, his arms on top of the polished counter.
“You look scared”, he said softly, almost teasingly.
“That’s just Sarah, she’ll be okay”, the barkeep said from the other side of the bar, turning from a customer.
“Actually, it’s Spencer”, I said quickly again, not looking at the young man.
“Right right, Mister Spencer and Fairer Sarah”, the barkeep said, as though it was a mantra he repeated to himself to remember what name to call me whenever he saw me.
“Ahh..I understand now”, the young man said. “You can call me Armand”
I cleared my throat and took a quick glance at him. His face was still plastered with a warm smile and his eyes seemed to absorb the light in the room, making them almost irresistable to look away from. He looked like a little kid with a secret to tell.
“I lost my friend. His name is Daniel Malloy. He went to a bar to meet someone a week ago and I haven’t seen him since. He’s 5’9, white, blond hair, light blue eyes and he’s 22 years old”, I told him. “Have you seen him recently?”
I glared at the young man as I heard him chuckling softly at my statement and question. His hand covered his mouth as he chuckled and he straightened a bit once he noticed my death stare.
“Daniel Malloy? The kid from the radio station?”, he asked and I nodded. “The one that goes around the city asking for strange stories?” Once again I nod. “The one with the mole here...and here?”, he asked, his right hand pointing to the middle of his neck, just below his adam’s apple, his left hand pointing to a spot on his hip. A spot that Daniel did have a mole..but it wasn’t exactly a place that he would just show to people.
“How did you know that?!”, I exclaimed.
“I’ve seen him recently.”, he said, his hand now held his chin, as though he was deep in thought. “Let’s see...the last time I saw him was about...oh...last night”, he said, smiling. After narrowing my eyes at him, my glance alone accusing him of lying, his face grew softer.
“Seriously though, I just saw Daniel last night, you don’t need to worry about him anymore, love”, Armand said gently, his hand reaching out to grasp at mine. I flinched at his touch but stayed still and allowed his hand to touch mine. “If you don’t believe me...then...come with me and I’ll show you that he’s alright, okay? Do you trust me?”, he asked. His large amber eyes were staring into my soul. Red flags were being erected in my mind but things began to feel a little hazy. I couldn’t pinpoint why I felt wary of the young man and yet I felt the need to follow him and see where he would lead me. Armand was smiling again. His smile was too innocent.
He pulled his hand away from mine to pull forward one of the many shimmering silver pendants that hung from his neck that laid against his chest peacefully. It was a simple necklace that unlike the others was held by a black lace instead of a silver chain. The pendant he held in his hand was a lucky coin, like the ones you get from asian shops or at conventions. This coin looked worn and slightly chipped in a few places.
“This was his, wasn’t it? You gave it to him, didn’t you?”, he asked of me, still holding the necklace out for me to see. I hesitantly reached out to let my fingers come into contact with the metal coin. I closed my eyes as my mind focused on the coin, a vision coming into my view. This vision shown me the coin necklace being passed from one person to another. The first person pulled the necklace over his light blonde hair to offer it to another figure who gracefully let it slide down his auburn curls to rest around his neck. Daniel did give this to Armand...
I opened my eyes to look up at Armand, who was eyeing me curiously. I shifted nervously in my seat as I pulled away from him again and cleared my throat once more. Even though I felt more at ease knowing that he truly did know Daniel, I couldn’t keep my nervous nature.
“I...can see visions.”, I said shyly “Sometimes when I touch objects I see visions associated with the object. Its...a strange gift, I know. But I myself am strange and unusual”.
Armand’s eyes brightened and he nodded in understanding.
“I too am very strange and unusual”, he said chuckling warmly. “Come with me now, please”, he said, his hand once more finding my own.
I was being led out of the bar and into the cold street. Armand held my hand like we were lovers, his other hand tucked into his jean pocket. It was already dark out, the only light was the flickering streetlights that lined the sidewalks. Even though I hadn’t fully decided to follow Armand, I felt safe walking with him at his slow pace.
“So...how do you know Daniel?”, I asked of him.
“You could say we met through an old friend of mine. He was calling for my friend..but I was the one to answer him. And I’m happy that I did, your friend is very lovely”, he replied happily, his eyes shooting a glance to me at his last remark.
“How long have you known him?”, I asked, tilting my head at his strange words. Our pace remained slow and we walked right next to each other, his hand still holding onto mine almost possessively. Studying his features, I attempted to pull my hand away from his and to my relief he allowed it to slip through his grasp.
“We met a handful of days ago. You know, he mentioned you”, he said as his hand came behind me to lay flat against the small of my back. We were turning away from the main street that held the bars and lights and down a sidewalk path that led to a suburban area with nice homes and sparsely spread out small lamps to light the driveways to the large houses.
“He told me of his friend that he protected. A curious young lady that was sometimes a handsome young gentleman.”, he shot a smile at me. I felt my face blush a little at his smile. I’ve never had someone walk with me this way, or handle me in this way. His voice spoke in a soft and yet deep tone that you may save for your lover and with the way his hand felt against the small of my back, I could feel flutters in my stomach.
We were approaching one of the larger houses on the block, our steps trodding along the empty driveway. I could hear Armand’s hand pulling keys from his pocket, the jingling of the keys echoing around us. His hand pulled away from my back as we approached the door and as his hand reached to unlock the door, he turned towards me.
“I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you”
The house was dimly lit with small lamps and filled with warm modern wooden furniture and smelled of warm things like cinnamon and inscense. The walls were lined with fine paintings and heavy bookshelves filled to the brim with books and various media. I could hear a soft stirring in another room as Armand welcomed me to his home, closing the door behind me. His hand dropped his keys upon a small table by the door as his knuckles tapped at the wall of the entryway.
“Daniel, I’m back and I’ve brought someone with me I think you’ll like this time”, he called out.
I shuffled in place by the door, feeling timid and a little wary to be standing in a strange new place with a stranger so close to me. I could hear soft footsteps approaching from the other room, and the person that came in my vision was definitely not Daniel. A gentleman came into the room, he looked like he could be one of the respected professors from my university. He had very light blond hair like Daniel’s, though his was tied back in a ponytail. His blue eyes seemed bright and kind. He stood taller than both me and Armand and he had a very patriarchal air to him. He wore a dark red jacket and fine slacks. Certainly he was the owner of this house, and he looked upon me with a curious look.
“I would appreaciate being alerted to visitors of my home as well, Amadeo”, the man said, his hand held out towards me in greeting. I kept my hands by my side and bowed to him quickly, nervously tugging at the purple rubberband at my wrist. “Please, make yourself comfortable, Sarah”, the man said to me.
I felt my heart begin to race faster as I heard the stranger say my name without having introduced myself. I stayed in place nervously, biting into the side of my mouth, wanting to leave the house and go home suddenly. But the tall gentleman approached me slowly and placed his hands on my shoulders, his thumbs rubbing soft circles against my collarbone.
“You’ve no need to be so frightened, child. Now please, have a seat and let yourself be calm”, he said gently, leading me away from the doorway to a soft couch that sat against a wall next to one of the many bookshelves. Looking around I noticed that Armand had left the room and leaving me alone with the tall gentleman.
“Who are you? How do you know my name?”, I asked quickly and coldly, glancing at the gentleman as he took a seat on an armchair across the room.
“My name is Marius.”, he replied calmly, his hand against his chest. He settled into his chair and crossed one leg over the other.
“That...didn’t answer my question”, I nervously added.
“I’m sure your friend will explain everything in due time”, he smirked.
“Hey Spence”, a voice said. I turned to see Daniel and Armand standing in the room. I didn’t even hear them approach...I though to myself, but it didn’t matter. Daniel was here. And he was alive.
I jumped from my place at the couch to throw my arms around Daniel who nervously wrapped an arm around my shoulders, patting my back. I held onto him tightly and closed my eyes.
“I thought I’d never see you again”, I nearly cried. Daniel felt cold and hard in my hands and I felt his arms pull me away from him slowly. His usual bright blue eyes looked faded and tired and his normal big wide smile was nothing more than a smirk.
“What’s wrong Danny...you don’t look like yourself”, I said to him softly.
“Spencer...I’m...I’m a vampire now. So is Armand...and so is Marius”, he said softly, his eyes dropping away from mine.