“Wow, you’re the first guy at Cedar Hill High to turn Tamika down. She gets with just about everybody.
Todd shook his head in silence.
“Everyone except for me.”
“I see… so... who do you like Marvin?”
Marvin ignored Jessica’s question and asked one of his own. “Did Bristol say why she was going with Todd Winters?”
Jessica sat back in her seat and exhaled. “I guess that answers my question then.”
************************************
On her first day at Cedar Hill High, Bristol had heard all of the rumors about Todd Winters, the captain of the football team. At lunchtime, a girl named Kristie had come up to her and told her the latest rumor.
“I think Todd Winters wants to meet you! Isn’t that greaaaaatttt!?”
Bristol had sat there bearing no expression.
“Great!”
************************************
She shook Todd Winter’s hand and instantly received a bad vibe from him. She read his thoughts, and the first thing she saw was that he wanted to drug her and take advantage of her. The aroma of his blood was tainted with steroids and leftover remnants of marijuana and cocaine.
Looking deeper inside her memory bank, she saw that Todd had taken advantage of quite a few under class girls dating back to his sophomore year. She saw that he had intimidated the girls and scared them into silence.
“You’re more beautiful than everyone claimed you were.” He said while showing his television worthy smile. His exterior was impeccable; it was like the physique of a body builder covered up the spirit of the devil.
“And you don’t look as good as everyone claimed you did.”
“Oh, you have a slick mouth don’t you? At Cedar Hill High, they have a rule about slick mouths.”
“And what’s the rule oh Todd the God?”
Todd laughed, then stared her in the eyes. “The only way a girl can have a slick mouth is if she’s on her knees!”
A small crowd had started to gather after seeing the obvious tension between Todd and the new girl. Bristol had gotten into enough trouble already that day, so she wanted to ease up on a lot of the negative attention that she was getting. In the past 200 years, she had never gotten this much attention on the first day of school.
“I’m sorry Todd. Please accept my apology; I’m new here, and… I guess I’m just nervous.”
“What are you nervous about?”
She could hear the lust in his voice, could detect the betrayal in his heart and the devil in his thoughts.
“I’m just nervous because I don’t know anybody, that’s all. And it’s my first day here.”
“Well, don’t be nervous… How about you take a ride with me after school and maybe I can show you around?”
“I don’t think my boyfriend would like that too much Todd.”
“You’re talking about that gay boy Marvin? He’s a wimp. You need a real man like me. So how about it Bristol?”
The crowd had cleared out and went to class because the tardy bell was about to ring. After a while, it was just the two of them in the hallway.
“As a matter of fact, since we’re already late, how about we just go to the bathroom right now Bristol?”
“Nah… how about we just skip the last class and just take that ride you were talking about?”
************************************
Bristol got into Todd’s Nissan Altima and sensed imminent danger. Her strong sense of smell told her that he had raped many virgins in that car. It was despicable and made her sick to think of how he took advantage of those young girls. Careful visual detail to the seats saw that he had had a female in the car as early as the previous day.
She knew that if she killed him, her father and mother would waste no time having her relocated to another part of the world. Usually she wouldn’t mind, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to spend some time with Marvin, her new friend.
“Where are we going Todd?”
Todd had taken a backstreet and was driving through an abandoned park. There was a path already made from where he had frequently driven his car in and out of the park. The pine trees were thick and she could hear hundreds of snakes in the distance.
She was able to hear rattlesnakes from 10 miles out if she concentrated. She smelled abandoned beer and food containers from when he had taken advantage of women with the rest of his friends. She smelled used condoms, and knew that the body odor matched Todd Winters.
Then she smelled something that hurt her. It was a set of bones.
They smelled of soil as if someone had tried to bury them, but hadn’t dug the hole deep enough. Todd parked his Nissan and put the keys into his pocket.
“This is one of my favorite hangout spots Bristol.”
Bristol looked at Todd Winters carefully. He had blue eyes and silky, thick hair. He had low sideburns and a small goatee. She looked at his health and saw that he had suffered many head injuries as a star running back on the football team.
She noticed that he was a person who couldn’t understand the word no and would snap if a girl wouldn’t give him what he wanted.
“This sure doesn’t look like a hangout spot Todd.”
“That’s because we haven’t made out yet baby. I am the greatest thing that will ever happen to you Bristol.”
Then he made his move on her. He grabbed her arms and pinned her against the passenger door.
“Why don’t you make it easy for yourself and get into the backseat like a good girl?”
“Haha, that’s funny… I would… but I’m not a good girl.”
“Really… well I like bad girls. Are you a bad girl Bristol?”
Bristol burst out laughing in his face. “I’m the baddest girl that you will ever meet Todd. In fact, after you get your hands off of me and get your stinky breath out of my face, I’m going to bury you beside the female that you killed 2 months ago.”
Todd looked as if his entire world had crashed before his very eyes.
“What are you talking about!?” He yelled at her.
“You know what I’m talking about, so get your hands off of me!”
“Someone has lied to you, and it’s unfortunate because I’m going to kill you because of it!”
Bristol knew that she was at least 50 times stronger than the average man, so as soon as Todd lunged across the seat, she threw him against the window. Quickly, she reached for his neck so she could grab him and hold him still; but when she reached for him, he was gone.
What in the world? She thought as she looked around frantically trying to figure out what happened. She didn’t see him anywhere.
It had been over 100 years since she she’d last felt fear, but in that moment, she was scared out of her mind. How could a mere mortal just disappear into thin air and not leave a trace? She was a vampire and didn’t even possess those types of abilities. She opened the door carefully, thinking that maybe he was lurking on the ground waiting for her.
But that couldn’t be right, because she hadn’t even seen him get out of the car.
The thick smell of pine blanketed the abandoned park, but it did nothing to cover up the smell of death that seemed to surround her. The sun was still out, but she couldn’t see it because the trees blocked the entrance of all light. In broad daylight, the park looked like a gigantic shadow.
She started walking towards the smell of the dead body, but as soon as she took 3 steps, Todd appeared in her path.
“What are you?!” Bristol demanded as she tried to get within distance to read his mind.
“What are you?” Todd responded as he stepped back out of her 10 foot range.
Bristol took off running at Todd full speed, her body turning into a blur as she tried to tackle him and take him down. As soon as she was within 2 inches, Todd disappeared.
Bristol was get
ting impatient and nervous because this creature seemed to have a skill set that she had never witnessed before on a vampire or a human being. There was no doubt that this thing could take her out if and when it wanted to. But she would not back down. She hadn’t backed down for centuries, and saw no reason to start at that moment.
Lord Aslar had promised to protect her, so she called upon his protection as she headed back in Todd’s direction. She was motivated at first, but then she stopped dead in her tracks.
Todd seemed to be covered in fire, and it looked like an illusion; but she couldn’t afford to find out if she was right or wrong. Fire was the only thing that could kill an Aslaric Vampire.
“So, what is it that you want from me?” Bristol screamed desperately?
Todd’s eyes turned red as he spoke. “I want you to stay away from Marvin! I was sent down here from Lord Aslar himself 3 years ago, because he already knew that this situation was going to happen.”
“Wait… you’re an Aslaric Vampire?”
“I’m an Aslaric Vampire with all of my powers! My sister sacrificed herself for 225 years for Lord Aslar, but this took place 3,000 years ago. I suppose he does the same routine every 1,000 years or so. If you’re wondering why you can read my mind, don’t stress yourself; because you can’t read my mind. I have the power to create a mental illusion of things for you to see and believe. I have the power to create false smells even in the distance.
For instance, you smelled snakes in the distance, but that was not true. You thought you smelled a buried body in the distance, but that too was false. I also have the power to vanish into thin air. Those powers and more will be available to you if you keep your promise.”
Bristol was shaking her head in disbelief. If Lord Aslar already knew 3 years in advance what was going to happen, then he must already know if I’m going to fall in love with Marvin or not.
“I know what you’re thinking Bristol, and the answer is… he doesn’t. Lord Aslar knows everything that’s going to happen in your life except for anything involving love. Since he has no love in his heart, there is no way that he could possibly be able to detect it in yours. I am simply here to help guide you so that you can make clearer decisions.
I am here to help you successfully make it to Lord Aslar’s kingdom.”
“But why didn’t Aslar trust me? I haven’t done anything wrong in all of these years… Why would he send you now?”
Todd clenched his teeth together. “I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that Bristol. I’m sorry.”
“No you’re not. You’re not capable of having compassion if you were made in Aslar’s likeness, am I right?”
“You’re wrong! I’m capable of having anything I please. That includes love, compassion, and even children.” Todd exclaimed, suddenly defensive.
Bristol sighed, her exhalation doing nothing to calm her cold nerves. “You’re lying Todd! If you were telling the truth, then why are you still doing Lord Aslar’s dirty work? Why are you still working instead of raising or caring for your children and family? Why?”
Todd shook his head, and sadness seemed to enter his body. “Because Lord Aslar’s work is never done. Lord Aslar has provided for me and my family the gift of immortal living. Having this, means that I have time to do anything he asks me to do. How could I not have time to do his work when I’ll live forever?”
Bristol was shocked at what she was hearing. She wondered to herself if her family knew about this. “So you’ve been doing assignments and taking orders for how long now Todd?”
“1500 years now.”
“1500 years? I thought he would uphold his end of the bargain and let you live freely? I don’t think I want to finish my end of the deal now that I have this information-”
“Hold it Bristol! You wait just a minute! Your agreement has been written in blood, therefore there is no way to break the contract. If you do decide to do something that you know Lord Aslar won’t like, there will be war on your family.
Your powers will be stripped, and the person or people that you love will lose their lives. They will be eliminated first. Not only will there be war on your family in the physical sense, there will also be war on their souls after they are dead. You must listen to me Bristol, please do the right thing by Lord Aslar.”
Bristol went silent for a moment.
“So if I give you my word, will you leave?”
Todd stared at her for a second. “Yes, if you tell me that you’re going to do the right thing, I will absolutely vanish from Cedar Hill High school.”
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled through Bristol’s mind as she considered what the consequences would be if she reneged on her promise. In the beginning, her family never mentioned anything about being punished if she fell in love, so she was irritated that it had come up so many years later.
“Sure Todd… I promise.”
************************************
Patrick was at Marvin’s house waiting for him when he got off of the bus.
“Man, how in the world did you manage to go to school late and come home before I did?”
Patrick smiled at his friend. “Hey man… I parked beside your house.”
“Parked what?” Marvin was confused, because he didn’t even know that Patrick had a driver’s license, much less a car.”
“The Hummer.” He said with a nonchalant attitude.
“The Hummer? Where in the world did you get a Hummer from Pat?”
“Hey bro, why are you tripping so hard? Lucy Pellino’s brother let me roll in it. Well… let us roll in it.”
“And what do you have to do to roll in Lucy’s brother’s Hummer?”
Pat smiled at Marvin. “What do we have to do you mean?”
“Why do you continue to include me in stuff without my approval? And what is it that we’re supposed to be doing Patrick?”
Patrick looked around the neighborhood for a second, as if he felt someone watching him.
“Come on Marv, let’s talk about it in the truck.”
Marvin reluctantly walked to the truck and climbed in. He fastened his seatbelt and looked around. Despite being leery of Patrick’s intentions, he couldn’t help but to be impressed at how luxurious the vehicle was. The panel was wood grain and matched the steering wheel. There was a GPS navigation system in it and four TVs.
The seats were soft and comfortable and had individual temperature controls that could be set to the passenger or driver’s preferences. Patrick cranked the huge vehicle up, pulled out of Marvin’s yard and cruised up the street.
He turned the sound system up and the bass was so heavy that it literally cleared Marvin’s throat for him.
Wow, this is amazing! He thought as they drove past some of their classmates who were standing outside on their porch. He was truly loving the attention.
Patrick pulled the vehicle into traffic and turned the sound system down several notches. “We don’t want to get a ticket in this bad boy.”
“Pat, man; so you’re telling me that Lucy’s brother just handed you the keys and let you get the Hummer? You sure you didn’t steal it man? This is getting too weird.”
“Hold on, I’ll tell you about it in one second… but in the meantime, can you grab that backpack off the backseat for me?”
Marvin turned and looked. “I don’t see a backpack in the seat… Oh, here it is on the floor. I got it.”
Patrick drove through Cedar Hills without a care in the world, listening to Rick Ross’s new album.
“Man, this cd is banging!”
Marvin nodded his head in agreement. “It definitely is banging. I agree.”
They had driven 15 miles out to the tiny town of Owling, GA when Patrick pulled out a cell phone and made a call.
“Man, how you get a cell phone Pat?”
Patrick ignored him as he made his phone call… He spoke into the phone in a series of
whispers and codes as he made a left on Industrial Boulevard. He turned up the street and stopped at an abandoned storefront. He put the truck in park and took the bag from Marvin.
“O.K., look… we get paid $1,000 each to make the same trip we just made every few days or so.”
“What?!!” Marvin was puzzled. He couldn’t even comprehend the statement that Patrick had just made to him. “What’s the catch?”
“Oh… we have to bring these bags down here with us. That’s the only catch.”
“Well, what’s in the bags Patrick?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?!?!”
“Lucy’s brother, Tony told me never to ask and never to look into the bag!”
“But what if it’s drugs man? What if it’s something that could send us to prison Pat? Have you thought about that?”
Patrick looked at Marvin and spoke aggressively. “Man I ain’t got nothing! My mama and your mama are both struggling, and here is a chance for us to help them both out! Why don’t you just join me in trying to make some things happen!? Tony has never had any problems, so why would we have any? I want this money Marvin. Plus he said we could share the Hummer. You get it one day, and I get it the next day; just like that.”
This brought a smile to Marvin’s face. “Just like that huh?”
“You heard what I said Marv… just like that.”
************************************
CHAPTER 7
Marvin had never counted so much money in his life. He was in his room on his bed counting it over and over. He had counted it at least 25 times since he’d made it back to the house.
I wonder what my mother is going to say… I wonder if she’ll let me pay the bills with it or if I should just pay them on my own and tell her later. I don’t know what I should do, but what I do know is… I’m balling!
It was getting late and he hadn’t even bothered to eat dinner or do his homework. During his entire time in high school, he had never forgotten to do those two things by a certain time. It was his routine, and he had been sticking to it for years.
He looked at the clock and knew that it was time for him to practice his jump shots, but since he didn’t eat, he didn’t have the energy. Instead, he lay there until he fell asleep.