Lesbian Vampire Ch. 04 - That Which Haunts You

"It doesn't mean anything!" exclaimed the vampire. "You kissed me because both of us wanted you to. Christ."

Rhea half-heartedly said, "This just isn't me."

The vampire looked at her, searching but otherwise inscrutable. She stood and said, "Of course it is." Lucy sauntered towards a lounge chair across from the couch. "You nearly died just earlier today" she called back. "No one can blame you for feeling hungry for a little bit of life."

Hungry. The word echoed in Rhea's head.

Lucy watched Rhea, perfectly still, like a house-cat lures a cricket. Her chair was oddly shaped, the entire seat was a round circle, like a lily-pad with a backrest. Lucy stretched across it and leaned into a massive pillow that seemed to swallow her lanky body whole. Her legs reached across the cushion and her bare feet hovered in mid-air just off the edge.

She seemed so at ease, thought Rhea, and was surprised at her own envy. Rhea, of course, would need to leave this place. Away from the vampire and her beautiful clothes and books. Back to her room, alone.

Except for the nightmares. And Bethanny.

"I'm sorry," said Rhea. "These last few hours have been so different from what my life is."

Lucy regarded her for a few moments. Without moving, she said in a blase voice, "Maybe that's a good thing?" She smirked at Rhea.

Rhea paused. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Good." said the vampire. "And don't worry, my love," she called from across the room. "I shan't tell a soul about when you... became distracted. By me," she added smugly.

Rhea rolled her eyes, "I'm not swearing you to secrecy."

Lucy propped herself up on an elbow and looked over at Rhea. "We'll have to protect your reputation, darling, it's simply indecent," said the vampire, mock-solemn. "You might even need to bind me."

"Stop," said the witch. Again she found herself smiling. The vampire was always teasing, always. Rhea feared the warmth of Lucy's words would tear her apart. She wondered if she should go.

"You won't make me forget it, though," said Lucy. There was a lascivious quality to her words. Rhea didn't respond. The vampire flopped on her back in frustration when she couldn't get a rise out of her. "I think you underestimate your coven, darling," she called out. "They're not all shrinking violets. I don't think they would deny you a fling with a vampire."

"Didn't you just say we were the rumored prudes, or whatever?" retorted Rhea.

"Not prudes," clarified Lucy, who still lay on her back, eyes on the ceiling. "Just serious. And weird."

"Well, whatever they told you, remember: witches like to talk." said Rhea with disdain. From the couch she scanned the books that lined the shelves, dotting the off-white walls with color. "It's a bad habit."

"Well," Lucy mimicked, "the mountain witches told me they've had a hefty handful necromancers from your coven over the years who come to learn their sex magick."

Rhea's eyes snapped to Lucy and she dropped her jaw, playfully scandalized. Lucy nodded and with a smile and said, "See? No one can judge you." Rhea deliberated for a few moments then asked "Did they tell you who?"

Lucy laughed. "Sorry, my love, you'll have to ask the witches on the mountain yourself. Although I'm sure it can't be too hard to tell, after a few years on a secluded island. Think back: who among you was scratching the walls and screaming for raw meat only to return perfectly reasonable after a weekend away?"

Rhea ignored her. Hungry, again sounded across the witch's mind like scattered flashes of lightning. Consistently blase, the vampire intoned, "Just to put it out there: I wouldn't mind another go if the mood strikes. Takes the edge off, and all. I wasn't entirely joking about the bind, darling, if you're afraid of people finding out," offered Lucy. "I bet under the right circumstances, it could be fun." When Rhea still did not respond Lucy added, sarcasm apparent. "Bind me like your students. Like the dead witch and Sweetgum and the damn cyclone."

Rhea sprang to her feet as realization struck her and looked at Lucy dead on. The answer was so simple. "Sweetwater is bound, like the dead witch." The cyclone had managed to bind her guide to silence. She would have sworn, of course that it was impossible. That spirits couldn't be silenced by magick. She would have sworn the cyclone was impossible too; but she saw it and it nearly sucked her in like an errant noodle hanging from a hungry lips. Hungry echoed through Rhea's mind.

"I think the cyclone is somehow binding one spirit to a location, and silencing the others," said Rhea. Sweetwater's presence had dimmed the moment Rhea asked them to seek out the dead witch. "But there's no binding spell I know that's...contagious like that," said Rhea. "Binds have to be cast at a direct target."

"But you were there, sort of," said Lucy. "How come you weren't affected?" Rhea had been affected though. It nearly ate her alive.

"You said I kissed you because nearly dying made me hungry for life," Rhea said with deliberation. Lucy gave her a confused look, "Wait, so now we're back to kissing?"

"The cyclone was hungry," Rhea said, and continued to pace.

"Say what now?' asked Lucy. "As if it were feeding?" Rhea nodded. "Sweetwater isn't linked to a body, like I am. So the cyclone reacted differently. It silenced them and tried to eat me." Fear ran through Rhea and her eyes found Lucy's.

"So," said Lucy, "We have a magick cyclone that simultaneously holds, silences, and feeds. Also it's impossible."

"And yet," said Rhea. She rubbed her neck.

"What do you think the killer is going for with all this?" mused the vampire. "They've unlocked powers heretofore unknown. Why use it to collect spirits?"

Rhea exhaled. "Why do you feed?" she asked.

Lucy gave her a strange look, as if snakes began to grow from her head. "Why do you feed?" the vampire retorted. Rhea answered, "My body compels me to. Or it will stop working and I'll suffer. Or maybe die."

"Well, same," said Lucy. "The Gift compels me to. It demands blood. Or suffer a punishing hunger and turn into a raving monster."

"To take something's life force and make it your own," mused Rhea.

The vampire rolled her eyes, "If you're trying to be dramatic about it I guess."

"A tornado of fire is already pretty dramatic," said Rhea.

"Tornado of fire?" asked Lucy, sitting up suddenly.

"Yeah," said Rhea. "It looked like it was made of fire. I mean, fire also shouldn't exist in the otherworld but when I got too close my body back in the physical realm felt like it was burning."

Lucy leapt up from the round couch-bed and moved so quickly t it looked like she was floating. "That book the vampire gave me," she called over the Rhea as she sorted through the books on her desk, "it mentioned a fiery tornado. I didn't think of it until now." She retrieved the book; it's old pages were bound by a fragile leather cover. Lucy handled it gingerly as she returned next to Rhea on the couch. "It's in Latin. A lot of 15th century biblical nonsense but--" She slowly turned the pages, careful not to disturb the generations of protection magick that insulated the old tome. Lucy found the page and began to read. "A tornado of fire, spirals of smoke and sulphur that separates the spirit from the body."

The reek of the cyclone filled Rhea's nose at the memory.

"It's hard to make out." Lucy said. "These are actually just loose pages of the writings by a witch who masqueraded as a priest in the Catholic Church."

Rhea gasped-- each corrupt witch felt like a new violation.

Without looking up, Lucy said, "Your mind needs rest. Go home. Maybe tomorrow will bring some clarity." Rhea did feel drained. Lucy continued, "It might take me a while but I'll translate the book and see if I can make sense of what this man was up to." Rhea stood. Still absorbed, Lucy then said "I'll also try to get some answers from my client. See if he has any information on where the hell this thing came from."

"Ok," said Rhea, "I'll see you tomorrow." She walked toward the door and her footsteps echoed across the hardwood.

Lucy stood and crossed her arms. She tilted her head as she studied Rhea. The hoods of her brow cast long shadows down her face and made her eyes look black. "There's something I must tell you, darling," Lucy intoned, her voice loaded. The vampire stared at her for a few silent moments then said, "If you pleasure yourself at the memory of our kiss, I'll know."

Rhea's brows flew up in shock. She then scoffed, reasonably sure Lucy was lying, and paced towards the door. She turned the lock and fought the urge to look back with no success.

Lucy still watched her from across the room, smug as ever.

****************************************************

Rhea ran through the streets of the empty city. The soles of her boots slapped the wet asphalt with each stride. A creature followed her. It looked like a cat but larger than any she'd ever seen. Rhea saw only short glimpses as it ducked between abandoned cars or loped between the shadows of a trash can, lit up like a beach bonfire. The rancid smell of burning garbage hit her nose. She kept running, but the cat kept her pace with ease. It moved gracefully through the shadows, dark like ash.

She was running back towards the coroner's lab. She needed to warn them; Lucy and the other vampires were coming back.

To drain them until they were dead.

.

A tree that lined the abandoned street erupted into fire as if struck by lightning. It crackled, engulfed in flames that stretched up toward the sky. It's colors were a point of sole brilliance against the gloomy backdrop; grey fog rolled through the streets. Rhea pressed forward. The cat was on her heels now; the timbre of it's growl engulfed her body.

But she wouldn't let them die.

She turned down the alley; the scattered lights had burned out save for the one just above the door, which had been smashed and hung off its hinges.

Rhea was too late.

She ran down the alley and into the building. The harsh overhead lights flickered; they had been partially ripped out of the ceiling and suspended only by their cords. She could hear sparking as the light wavered. The large window panels were smashed-- industrial glass crumbed all around. Large streaks of blood lined the sections of glass that were still in the frames, like arms had sought a futile escape. There were still nude cadavers on steel tables. A body in a bloody lab coat lay slumped across one. Rhea continued running until she reached the quarantine room. She opened the door and the acrid smell of cleaning agents flooded her senses and her eyes watered.

She walked into the room. It was empty. Even the body-- untouched by death-- was gone. The room had been sterilized clean and all traces that she ever existed just wiped away. Exterminated with bleach and alcohol and cleaners that had a sickly-sweet smell created in laboratories. Hot tears burned her eyes and bitter rage flooded her mouth.

She thought she had more time.

Then Lucy was behind her.

"You're too late," said the vampire. It sounded muffled, like she had a pillow pressed to her face. Rhea spun around. Lucy stood there; her pupils were tight points, like a cat who had cornered a bird. Her red hair was loose and floated nearly sentient around her head, serpentine. Rhea felt the familiar pang of lust. The corner of Lucy's mouth twisted up into a crooked half-smile. Rhea from the inside out. She then frowned and raised a clenched fist. She tried to smash it down onto the vampire's face, to shatter the image of Lucy and all the terrible things she made her feel.

The vampire caught the fist with ease and drove Rhea backwards. She collided with the examination table behind her, pinned by the vampire's impossible strength. The vampire released her hand. Rhea reached up and ran her fingers through the vampire's soft red hair. She squeezed her fist and pulled Lucy's hair, hard. A smile broke out across the vampire's face.

Rhea yanked Lucy's head down and held it, their lips a few millimeters apart. Rhea pressed a kiss to the vampire's mouth. Lucy's hands wrapped around her, lifting her to sit on the metal cadaver table. She tore at Rhea's clothes.

Behind the vampire, Rhea could see Greta looking on in horror. Strange, thought Rhea. That is the way it had to be. The rest of the witches from the island were there too, as were the murdered vampire and his girlfriend. They watched from dark hollows where their eyes used to be, their skin a greyish-green. Even the errant spirit Rhea helped earlier watched as she was ravaged by the vampire. Lucy crawled on top of her.

Something wild surged from deep within Rhea and she screamed. It was an ancient scream and it's wild power threatened to disintegrate her from the inside out. Lucy reared back; her sharp fangs glistened as the witches wailed all around.

****************************************************

When she opened her eyes it was nearly noon. Still the waking world felt hazy, as if she were shuffling through life as a camera whose lens had been covered in vaseline. She ventured towards the kitchen in the hopes of finding coffee. Mercifully, Bethanny wasn't around.

It was in the shower when the memories of the dream came in bits and pieces. She ran her hands across her body and the water poured off her. Her throat hurt as if she had been screaming. Between her legs she still felt Lucy's hands on her.

She walked back into the room to set up her laptop when she noticed her phone. Notifications of missed texts and calls were crammed in the display. She began sorting.

From Rachel: Not sure if you saw this yet

From Kivan: Girl, pick up your phone.

From Lucy: This is...unexpected.

From Greta: Dhey stillen anDroDy! Ba b8a hhy??

Rhea clicked the link Rachel sent. It took her to a video--a broadcast of a news segment. The logo, in screaming yellow, was fixed in the corner of the screen. The anchor, in a dark suit and striped tie, looked into the camera from behind a desk in the studio. "And now the bizarre case of a body stolen from a coroner's laboratory in a heist that left staff mysteriously incapacitated and police baffled. We go to Trisha on the scene for more." The video jumped to a reporter with a long bob and a muted blazer, her voice tinny through the speakers of the phone, "Unidentified assailants broke into the county coroner's office and stole the body of a woman killed only a few days ago. There is currently no known motive and police have no suspects." The camera cut to footage of the alley Rhea walked just last night. It was now sectioned off with police tape, behind which cops in hazmat suits gestured towards each other. The reporter's voice played over the footage. "The alleged perpetrators invaded during the night shift using this back alley entrance. When police were called to the scene, they found staff on-site confused, disoriented, with little to no memory of what happened. Only that they were ambushed by about a dozen people in dark clothing and ski masks covering their faces."

The video cut back to the reporter who clenched an oversized microphone. She gestured sharply with her free hand for emphasis. "Staff at the scene were rushed to a hospital and most survived the attack uninjured." Poised shock at the audacity of the crime sat prim on the reporter's face. "There is still no known cause for the confusion and memory loss. Many of the staff were diagnosed with symptoms related to blood loss, despite having no wounds and little blood being found at the scene. One worker who was hit over the head--" The footage cut to a lab worker strapped to a gurney being wheeled toward an ambulance; Rhea didn't recognize him. He still wore his white coat. The EMT, also in a hazmat suit, walked alongside and pressed a bundle on the worker's bloody head wound.

"They bit us like cougars!" screamed the man strapped to the gurney. He looked into the camera crazed, spittle flying. The EMT rested a cautious hand on his shoulder, his body restrained by straps. The footage jumped back to the reporter, "Environmental contaminants are suspected..."

The video was interrupted by a call. The words 'Lucy (vampire)' popped up on the screen. She accepted and answered with a plain "Hey."

"Darling! Good afternoon. I hate to jump right into business but have you seen the news?" Lucy's voice was chipper, nearly sing-song.

"I have," responded Rhea, "and when do you sleep?"

"Oh, here and there," said the vampire, distracted. "But let's focus on the most urgent matter: what are your thoughts on the whole 'body being stolen' thing?" She was flippant, of course, but Rhea heard stark layers of tension. Rhea, however, felt suspicious-- Lucy had infiltrated the lab and orchestrated the feed. And she was a good liar. Had she then wanted to steal the body, it would have been easy. "I'm not sure," Rhea said cautiously, "In total honesty, I just woke up not too long ago. But..." she paused for a few moments, to give the impression of deliberation, then snapped in anger, "Do you think it could have been one of the 12 vampires you let in the lab?!"

"Hmm," responded Lucy, ignoring Rhea's ire. "I'd wondered that myself. Pleasant dreams?" Lucy responded.

Rhea rolled her eyes. "Not exactly," she said, "I'm going to call the librarian on the island and ask if he can tell me about what I saw yesterday."

"Excellent," said Lucy. "We'll set out around sunset. Remember we stay overnight." The air went out of Rhea's lungs. She had forgotten there wouldn't be enough time to make it back before sunrise. "Right," she said. Then she asked Lucy, "and they can...host you safely?"

Lucy paused, "Yes, I've been there many times. They have a decent set-up." Then she added, "thank you." Rhea's ribcage felt tight and she willed herself to breath slowly.

Lucy continued, "Although, I'm not averse to locking myself in a closet or a windowless garage if need be." Rhea smiled. "Ok, I'll be there at dusk."

"I can pick you up," offered Lucy. Rhea thought of Bethanny and her warning about bringing a vampire around. Rhea said, "I think it's better if I meet you there. I'll call you when I'm outside."

"Right," said the vampire. Rhea said goodbye and tapped the screen to disconnect.

She fired off a text to Kivan. His call came through moments later. On the screen was a photo she had saved of both of them. They smiled and stood on the balcony of a restaurant back on the island, arms around each other. They coerced his husband to take pictures, as usual. He began speaking as soon as her picture popped up on the screen. "Greta is going nuts," he said. "She wants to call the whole thing off. Said it was a mistake sending you to work with a vampire."

"Hmm," said Rhea. It was painful to imagine Greta upset but she knew nothing of the stakes. Silence hung between them as the memory of the witch's screaming face flooded her mind.

"I think I need to stick this one out, Kivan," Rhea finally said. "This is bigger than we thought."

"Oh?" he asked. Rhea told him everything as fast as she could.

A deep frown line emerged across his forehead as she spoke. Kivan was composed, always, and exacting. Something was very wrong.

"Am I hearing you want to stay?" he asked, hesitant. Rhea nodded. "Well," he continued, "I can't say I'm not relieved. This, everything you told me, is...not good." Rhea gave a singular nod; in the self-view of the video call she saw she wore the fear on her own face.

"But this seems like it's getting out of hand," he continued. "Police, media. It sounds dangerous."

"Lucy's the reason there's no surveillance footage." Rhea spoke rapidly. "The robbery must have happened right after we left." Again, Kivan was silent. Rhea didn't know what she wanted to hear.

"I still think she's hiding something," Rhea said.