Standing there shifting my weight back and forth on my feet as I needlessly try to sort out what is going on. “Who are you?” Again, I probed then quickly thinking about his words. “Better yet, what are you?” I looked straight at him.
He stood there still and quiet for a moment, then began to speak again. “I am Larkyn Thorpe. I… “, he hesitated.
“Well? Out with it.” I became more bold and agitated.
“I am what humans refer to as a vampire. But I am not what the humans portray us as. Just like you are not like what the humans portray you as. Witches do not eat babies or sling fireballs from their hands.” He trailed off with something like, ‘at least not like in the movies’.
I giggled loudly. It was more of a ‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing’ kind of giggle. He looked down at me with his face slightly scrunched but not in a distasteful way. It was just enough for me to recognize he was serious. I was not drunk enough or I was too drunk. I wasn’t entirely sure which may be the case. I finally gave in and walked closer to the man and sat down on one of my bar stools. I dropped my head, rubbing my temples, trying make sense of all this.
“You don’t seem unwell or crazy. But how can this all be? And what are the Engia witches? And how would I be a part of them? I’ve never heard of them nor has my family ever even mentioned the name to me. I am so confused. And I’m a little taken aback. I don’t know how to process all of this information. I am pretty sure if I do process it at all, it makes me a little crazy. Who would ever believe any of this? And what if I do believe it, what does that make me? Who does that make me?” At the end it was more of a declaration to myself aloud rather than actually talking to him.
“I assure you Ms. Grimston. I am not crazy or sick. I am of sound body and mind. There are simply just more categories of people out there than just humans. Or what we like to call them Nohums (No-hue-mms), which means Normal Humans. Technically, we are all humans of sorts, we are just different form the norm.” He seemed to blither on. Though, I didn’t mind. He had an enticing voice and I found it very arousing.
He stopped talking and I came to as my mind was wandering. “So, you are telling me there are more of us, witches and vampires? Are there other kinds of abnormal humans?” I just stared at him with a worried look on my face.
“Yes.” He breathed simplistically. He reached out and touched my hand in efforts to comfort me, I think. “We are different. We are the same. Just as before, when you thought humans were all different and same. They all have different looks, feelings and preferences, yet all bleed and breathe the same. It is just like that, we just have small abnormalities that make us genetically different. Some Nohums have classified my kind as a disease. That is simply not true. It isn’t a disease we are afflicted with. We are born as such, we can be born to two Nohums, such as I was. It is just something that happens. And you as well, you were born to two Nohums but your Great Grandmother Arla on your father’s side was an Engia witch. Though, she denied her abilities and never spoke of them. I met her when she was quite young. There are only a handful of my kind left and only a few of your as well. We have many things in common, young witch.” He ended on a note that sounded like he was trying to connect to me.
Once he was done speaking, I realized his hand was warm, not cold like the movies at all. And he spoke of meeting my Great Grandmother when she was a child. But how? Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain in my head again. I was back in the cold damp room and the stinging in my neck had returned. I couldn’t move or speak. But my wits were about me this time. I started looking for clues. Where was I? I again faded away.
When I woke up I was lying in my bed clothed in yesterdays outfit. I jolted up with force. I looked around. Where was Larkyn and did he have something to do with this? Ugh. I hated feeling like this. I peeked over at my alarm clock. 3 o’clock AM. Well, once again, I had lost a significant amount of time. But I didn’t seem to have a terrible headache this time. I seemed to be just fine. But I didn’t see Larkyn around anywhere. Where had he gone?
I collected myself and headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. And I find none other than Larkyn sitting on my bar stool. He was sitting there as if he were waiting on me to wake and come find him. It was strange and familiar all at the same time. I hadn’t had a man in my life for a long time and now I couldn’t seem to get rid of this one. Not that I had truly tried that hard to do so. Unfortunately, I had a thing for the weird and unusual and let’s face it he was both.
“What happened?” I inquired groggily.
“You, well, you sort of fell on me.” He said with a slight worried grin.
“What do you mean? I fell on you?” My face light up a bright red. How embarrassing.
“I believe it to be one of your visions, Miss Grimston. You sort of go unconscious when they happen. And I just placed you in bed where you’d be comfortable and sat and waited for your return. I also made sure no one else entered the premises.” He made this remark with intent.
“Who would be on my property anyway? But thanks, I guess.” I shrugged.
“There are others looking for you. Specifically, your type of human — Your type of witch.” He drew this sentence out as if he didn’t want to really admit it.
“You mean like you? The only difference I see here, is that you found me!” I turn away from him and folded my arms. “And I can’t seem to get you to go away.” I mumbled under my breath.
“I will leave if you wish, Miss Grimston. But I am not like the others. And you are now in danger of them finding you. I have found you. It was not that hard, since you weren’t cloaked. Also, you didn’t ask for me to leave, so why would I have thought to do so?” He sadly dropped his head.
“You heard what I said? How? I said it in an inaudible tone,” I paused. “No way! No way, you could have heard me from over there. And stop calling me that! My name is Tabitha, or Itha if you prefer. And how would I be cloaked; I didn’t even know what I was. I STILL don’t! And… ” He cut me off.
“I am a vampire, my senses are heightened. I am stronger, faster, hear, see, taste and feel more advantageously and more strongly than Nohums or even those that are witches. It is part of my design as a vampire. And I apologize Tabitha, I will not call you that any longer. Most witches cloak themselves without knowing it usually, it is like it comes innately to them. Do you own crystals or candles or herbs?” He tried to help with his line of questioning, of this I was sure.
“I see. Yes, I do. I own two very old crystals and several candles. I also own a strange statue that belonged to my Great Grandmother Arla’s parents. But it is in my storage shed. And I haven’t moved it since I moved in here.” I droned a bit.
“That’s it! Grandmother Arla was a witch whom denied her ancestral powers but her parents did not. They passed down their totem to her in hopes of helping her see the way. The totem possesses cloaking power. You should have had it in the house all along. It shouldn’t leave your home. Tell me it is small, something you can keep on your personage at all times?” His eyes gleamed a bit with his interest.
“Yes. It is small enough I could probably make it into amulet.” I had read enough paranormal romance novels to know what amulets were. And since my life seemed to be turning towards the paranormal side, I figured… Why the hell not? “I can encase it in glass and metal and wear it around my neck. I believe it is in the old jewelry box that belonged to Grandmother Arla. I have a lot of her stuff since my parents died.” I bowed my head in sorrow for a moment, as I remembered my parents and their smiles.
“That is brilliant news. You need to have it on you at all times. This will cloak you. It will ensure no one else can find you. I will always be able to find you because now I have your scent. And we are sort of linked psychically.” He sat calm and still for a moment. “May I talk to you about the help I need from you?” He asked this in such a quiet way that it made him seem almost childlike.
“Yes. Go ahead. It isn’t like I have anything else better to do at this point.” I grimaced. I didn’t like being asked for help from strangers. It was weird and I just… well, I just didn’t like it.
He looked up from beneath his long eyelashes and pleaded with his eyes. “I am in trouble. There is someone after me. They think I owe them something that I do not. They think I should pay with my life. I’m not really particularly willing to give up my life so easily. See, I had a friend. She was much younger than I and not of my kind. I am a few centuries old and she is only a few decades old. But she is different like us. They think I have hidden her away from them. But that isn’t the case, she was taken from me. She was my partner in our business and my closest confidant. Though, we were never romantically involved she does mean very much to me. I need to know where she is located and I need to be undetected as I try to go and rescue her. Do you understand?”
“What is she? How am I even able to help? And who is after you? Are they abnormalities too? And who have her?” I had so many questions. Questions that led to more questions.
**Copyright**
Written By: Stacey Estrada
[This portion of the story was brought to you solely by me.]
Bloodthorne Tribe 