After a quick assessment I decided to continue driving and leave Richard to doze in the passenger's seat. The next few hours were spent in the rusted out car in silence. Driving wasn't all that hard even though the dazzling lights of the oncoming traffic threatened unsuccessfully to blind me.  

Once we left the city, the late night traffic was much more bearable, and I increased the speed of the unyielding vehicle cautiously. I watched the time and calculated. Our first stop in the journey was quite achievable. The only variable was Richard. No doubt he'll need to eat along the way, stretch his legs, and use the washroom as well. And he needed more fluids. So it was with this consideration I pulled into a highway rest stop and woke Richard gently.  

“Hey.” It took a few seconds for the boy to stir. “Are you hungry?"  

Richard groaned, and shrugged off my hand. I let him be, and soon he blinked his eyes open and looked around. “Huh?”  

“I thought you might be hungry."  

“Hmm.” He stared at me and blinked again. 

“Yeah. Wow, I am really hungry.” Richard glanced at the rest stop, eyeing the sign that said Restaurant. 

“Ok, I have a little bit of cash on me.”  

The boy's eyes caught mine briefly.  

“What?” I asked. 

“Never mind.” Though he dismissed it, but I could see in his eyes that the question he wanted to ask was still there.  

“You'll be alright, but be quick. We shouldn't stay too long. Wash up and buy some food that you can eat in the car.”  

“You should wash up too. I can still smell… blood on you. There's even some in your hair." I grabbed his wrist as he caught a lock of my pale hair with a finger. I loosened my grip and let his hand fall to his side.  

“I prefer to stay away from people, especially groups of them in public places like this. It's going to rain soon, so I can worry about washing then. Right now though, you need to feed yourself, and clean up.”  

Richard nodded and exited the vehicle. I watched his thin form head towards the entrance. I could tell by his posture he wanted to look back over his shoulder. He pushed the door open and walked up to the counter, casting a furtive glance around the place. When the waitress addressed him he seemed to shy away as he spoke. She nodded and tilted her head to the side. She stepped away from him and ducked her head through what was  presumably the kitchen door. After a moment Richard faced towards the car where I was waiting. Abruptly he stood and called over to the waitress again. She turned and pointed towards a hallway next to the kitchen doors. The sign above it said Toilet.  

“How charming.” I muttered to myself. 

I refocused my attention and regarded my surroundings fully. It really wasn't a busy spot, though it was the middle of the night. A few vehicles including a couple of semis were parked around the place. It was a rural area, with homes dotting each side of the road up until this point. Some were farms; some were simply homes on sprawling lots. There was a gas station perhaps five hundred meters ahead on the opposite side of the road. Between here and the station was a dirt road leading off to a camp site. It was nearly empty.  

“Camping season is over.”  

Richard returned from the washroom and sat down at the counter. He looked noticeably more refreshed. The waitress approached him and spoke. The boy shrugged and shook his head. The woman studied him further, her mouth set in a half frown. He seemed nervous. Suddenly the woman turned around, and placed her hands in the opening in the wall. In the next second she pulled out a paper bag that was folded close. She slid it over to Richard on the counter. He handed her some cash. She motioned for him to wait a moment. She turned reached down below the counter. I watched her and got a surprise. What she produced were a couple of pop cans.  

What followed was a mild argument which resulted in Richard taking his order and one can. She winked at him and watched him leave.  

“That was nice of her.” I said once he was seated and closed the door. The small scratch and bruise on his pale trusting face might have something to do with the woman's generosity, but I didn't mention it.  

“Yeah.” He glanced over at me and blushed.  

“So what did you get?” 

 “Oh, just burger and fries.”  

“And a Sprite?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Well, I'm going to fill the tank down the road at the station. You can eat while I do that.” He nodded and tore into the paper bag, and as I drove the varicosity of his appetite was startling. The smell of the food began to permeate within the space of the car. By the time I had turned off the engine beside the pumps the burger was gone, and he was stuffing the last handful of fries into his mouth. 

Outside, the smell of gasoline hung heavy in the air, I stood between the car and the pump, staring over at the attendant. Thankfully, he was bored and barely watching the TV screen that illuminated his face. Middle-aged and unkempt, he suited the place well. The man looked up at me as he wiped his brow. My eyes locked onto his and he froze. Keeping his gaze pinned to me, I began to use my peripheral vision. It had been awhile since I last did this, so I was careful. I grabbed the nozzle of the pump and opened the gas tank cover. I inserted the nozzle, and squeezed. The gas poured into the car's tank.

“You shall not remember.” I muttered half under my breath and half in my mind. I repeated the phrase for the entire time I held his gaze.  

Though the man hadn't moved at all, I spotted movement elsewhere. A couple of women were approaching the station, their voices were high and nasal and they seemed to be laughing and giggling. The first few drops of rain began to dot the ground with moisture. I withdrew the nozzle of the pump and placed back in its cradle. I leaned back against the car and waited until the women passed through the space of my gaze. I broke my contact and reached for the car door, turning my back towards the station. I opened the door and leaned in. Richard glanced up in the middle of a gulp of Sprite.  

“All gassed up are we?” He asked me after swallowing. I nodded. He glanced behind me at the station. “Are you going to pay?” 

“We'll see.” I turned my attention to the mirror on the driver's side door. I could see the attendant’s perplexed visage regarding the car and I. He glance at the women on the other side of the counter, and flicked his eyes over at something. He glanced back at the pumps. His eyes seemed to glaze over a moment. Then the man shrugged and flicked something on his right and addressed the women with a grin.  

“Fancy that,” I said sitting behind the wheel once more. “You got free pop, and I got free gas.”  

“What! How?" Richard gasped with a shot glance back at the station as I started the vehicle. I put it in gear and began to pull away slowly. He grabbed my arm. The warmth in his grip was distracting me.

“Won't we get caught?"  I didn't answer him right away. I could hear his heart pumping excitedly. He sat back frowning and shoved the pop in a cup holder.  

“Oh,” I told him. “That fellow back at the station is the least of our worries."

He remained silent and stared out into the darkness whizzing past his window for the next few hours. The next time either of us spoke it was to tell him I was pulling over. It was a secluded niche nestled between the zig and the zag of the winding road.  

“Stay in the car.” 

“Alright.”  I opened the door, stepped onto wet rocky ground, and pressed the door shut behind me. I glanced at the hilly region around me.  

“What are you doing?"  

I turned to find Richard standing on the other side of the vehicle. 

“Just stay in the car, Richard. I'm just getting my bearings." I turned away and walked towards a slight rise on the other side of the road. From here I saw that my travel companion heeded my advice. I crouched low and remained still for quite some time. My fingers laced through the tall grass, the rain soaked my clothes and my hair fell heavily before my eyes in thick strands. I concentrated with eyes closed on the immediate area. I sensed small tunnels on the far side of the hill. I heard the nervous skittering of rodents below me. I focused my energy towards one and called.  

After a few minutes I opened my eyes and there, two feet in front of me was a small groundhog. It twitched as my eyes locked onto it. It chittered with a squeak, and trembled in the rain. It was on the edge of fleeing but couldn't. Both of us remained there on the small rise, exposed to the rain. The wind had picked up, and still neither of us moved. 

My eyes drew upon the small creature. The only images could siphon out were of the immediate area, scurrying through the grasses, dodging the clutches of owls.  

I grinned and narrowed my eyes.  

The critter let out a terrified squeal.

 Not a moment later, a silent shadow shot towards the poor creature. It squealed sharply as talons griped its body. At very last moment, luminous golden eyes fixed on me and my eyes returned the predator’s gaze. Flailing wings, damp feathers scattered the air, and the owl struggled in the air before me. I dove into those yellow orbs swiftly. This hunter's territory was vast, and I found what I needed quite easily. I could smell the blood dripping from the crushed form in the owl's clutches. 

I broke my hold and with a screech the owl flew away into the darkness of the night, dropping its crumpled prey within a few hurried strokes of its wings.  

I raked my fingers through my hair before returning to the vehicle. Richard eyed me cautiously.

“What?” I doubted that his eyes could have followed all of my movements, however, the look in his eyes told me that he had seen some of it. 

“Uunhm n—nothin'.”  

“Everything's just dandy. We're close now.” 

I brought the car back onto the road and drove onward while Richard stared blankly through the windshield.  

It wasn't long before I spotted the entrance. The narrow dirt path was made to seem long forgotten to mundane eyes. As I approached I saw signs of the camouflage that even I would otherwise miss if I hadn't known where to look. I slowed to a stop and peered down the shady lane. The trees seemed too close to be natural. Richard followed my gaze.  

“Are we going…” He gulped. His heartbeat raced, and his brow moistened. “down there?”  

“Yes.” I saw that his eyes widened a fraction before he stole another glance down the way. His hands balled into fists. His face twisted with trepidation.  

“Richard.” I called snapping his focus back to me. “Richard! This driveway is not what it seems. You're frightened and that's alright. If you were driving you would pass by this spot without a glance. And if you had stopped here you'd want to leave, running away if you had too. But I'm driving, and I'm driving down there. You will stay in the car no matter what you see or hear. You'll think you're seeing and hearing things. Close your eyes if you have to. Look at me if you have to. Turn on the radio. Just don't leave the car. Don't leave my side. Understand?”  

He nodded vehemently.  

I started the car down the gloomy lane. 

At first Richard just stared down at his hands, wringing them slowly on his lap. Then his eyes were darting around in the car anxiously. He twitched once or twice before something spooked him enough to jump. That's when he began staring out through the window. He was panting and trembling now, head whipping about trying to catch glimpses of shadows among shadows.  

It was dark, but I could see. I saw no tracks ahead of us, and I didn't have to look in the mirror to know that there were no tracks behind us either. Threaded between the trees were thick dark shapes. Probably bushes, but not all. The tangle of tree limbs created a caged corridor that even made me anxious. Though, for an unused path it was far from rough terrain.  

I sped up.  

The path narrowed. 

I frowned.  

Then Richard cried out so loudly I nearly swerved out of instinct. The side of the car grazed up against a wide tree stump.  

“Richard?”  

He was squeezing his eyes shut.  

“Breathe deeply! Just take deep breaths, Richard.” As he began to do so he calmed noticeably. He faced me, twisting away from the window beside him, keeping his eyes clenched shut. I kept my eye on the road. At one point the path disappeared entirely into the gloom. The closer we got, the more Richard twisted in his seat. He clamped his hands over his ears, grimacing in pain.

 “Stop.” He groaned.  

“No.” I stayed calm.  

“Please.”  

“No. "  

“Turn back!” Richard fumbled at the car door.  

“No! "  

“I have to go back!”  

“Stay in the car!” I was losing my composure.  

“I CAN'T!” The boy's voice was shrill.  

“YOU WILL!” I bellowed back. 

The boy's eyes snapped open and his mouth worked as if the air he was breathing suddenly turned solid. The car slid into the shadows that enveloped the path. The passenger door clicked open—Richard was scrambling to escape. I lunged over him and slammed the door shut. I twisted around and held his head in both my hands. His eyes were seeing something behind me, through me. He was screaming soundlessly into my face. His saliva splattered across my lips I was so close. His body was buckling under mine. He was clawing at me and tearing himself, writhing with total abandon. 

I hit him—hard. Hard enough to break the skin.  

Shit!  

I ignored it and reached into the windows of his soul.  Almost instantly Richard's screamed pummeled me at full volume and once the shock of that passed I noticed the car was still running. It bumped up against something and stopped moving. I looked around briefly. A few hours before daybreak, and precisely where I wanted to be. I turned back to Richard to gage his state of mind.  

The boy was staring at me. He was terrified but seemed to have gathered some wits about him.  

“Are you alright?”  

“I guess.” He stifled a sob to get his reply out. “Please don't get me to do that again.”  

“I'm sorry.”  

Richard cleared his throat, wiped the sweat and tears off his face and pulled at his clothing. The scent of his fear still clung to him. Reluctantly, I moved back to my seat and shut off the car. 

“Do you need a few minutes?”  

“No, I'm good.” He glanced around. 

“So is this it?” I could tell he was still shaky. His rebound impressed me though.  

“It is.” I confirmed. 

We both regarded the view before us. Not the crumbling toppled stone barrier the car had rolled into, but the shabby old manse on the slight rise behind it. Tendrils of fog laced through the tall dead grass all around the desolate grounds. I opened the door stepped out of the car. Richard did the same looking back down the way we came. I glanced that way brieflyand saw only fog and trees.  

“And we came here because it's safe?” Richard asked me incredulously.  

“Oh this place is safe.” A silky voice told us. “I can assure you of that."  

Richard jumped with a yelp at the sound of the new voice. I simply turned and smiled.  

“Well, wonders never cease, Viktor. I honestly never thought I'd see your perfect porcelain white face again.” Standing within a break in the stone wall, was a woman. As she spoke she savored each syllable, as if the very act of speaking was a delicacy. Her gaze fell upon Richard languidly, but I sensed the intensity beneath her facade.  

“It's been a long time hasn't it?" I said.  

“Yes my dear Viktor, and I have been ever so lonely.” Her luminous eyes flashed green momentarily reflecting what light there was here, mostly from the lights on the car. I heard Richard gulp. His eyes were drawn to her. Swathed in a generous cloak, and a gown that boasted lushly, only her fine teardrop face radiated icy cool beauty. Her delicate fingers absently twirled the end of her dark auburn locks.  

What a tender young boy you've brought me.  

He's mine.

“Such a shame.” She gave a short mirthless giggle and glanced over at me. 

“Now Viktor, where are my manners.” She delicately picked her way through the grasses and approached Richard. In spite of the abundance of clothing, each and every movement she made seemed to emanate from her. It was like a tightly controlled storm of exuberant energy wrapped up in a petite and precise form. She was beautiful and so much more dangerous. From our perspective she had seemed imposing. Now, standing in front of a scrawny teenage boy and barely meeting his chin, she just seemed short. I took great pains to keep that thought to myself. Her lips tightened ever so into a smile.  

“I'm Lady Clementine LeRoux. I'm pleased to welcome you, the both of you, into my home.” She offered the back of her hand towards Richard, and cocked her head a few degrees. He gaped at her then at me before taking her hand politely. I saw the chill shoot along Richard's spine, no doubt shocked by the cold of her flesh. At the contact the Lady curtsied. Richard leaned towards her, bending to kiss her hand. 

“What a fine young gentleman! You may call me Lady Clem." She watched him as he withdrew from her. I saw the current of desire within her. She reached up and caressed his cheek. Her fingers came away from his skin streaked with red. She applied the color to her lips and licked them. She sighed heavily, her body swelling with the motion.  

I could still have him. I'll give you so much for him, more than you know.  

Just try it, I warned her. 

So sweet...

“We came—” I began.  

“I know why you came.” She turned and offered Richard her arm. 

“I knew you were coming well before you entered the Lane. You still need more training Viktor. Enough pleasantries! Come,” she shot a glance at Richard who stepped forward and took her arm. “Day approaches and I grow weary."  

We passed through the break in the wall where she had appeared, and immediately I saw that within the grounds was evidence of careful consideration of appearance. The place looked overgrown and dilapidated. It wasn't. It was purposefully nurtured and fed by Clem’s unnatural age and power. The place had a primordial beauty. I had been told at one time that she came over with the original settlers of the area to carve out a niche for herself in the new frontier. Something about the wild untamed nature of this land stayed with her, and she became reclusive, and strange.  

The first wave of fatigue caught me at the door. I steadied myself and peered within. The building was in remarkable shape. It had a similar air to it as the grounds. At first glance it all seemed unoccupied, though inside was clear of dust and debris. She led us deep into her home.  

“I'm afraid time is running short, and I must forgo the pleasure of a detailed tour of my home.” She stopped just shy of the kitchen’s entrance in a small alcove. She faced Richard sternly.  

“Viktor and I shall retire below. We need to discuss a few details before the day begins. You may find a suitable room upstairs to rest and sleep if you need to." She leaned closer tilting her face towards his ear. “Try not to break anything and do not leave the grounds under any circumstance, boy. You would not survive.” 

I saw Richard's complexion drain of color. Clem then turned to me expectantly. I offered my arm and she took it immediately. 

“See you after sunset, Richard. Get some rest.” I told him as the Lady waved her hand revealing an open door before us. He simply nodded. Darkness spilled out between us and he was no longer there, or at least no longer visible even to me. I followed Clem’s lead downward. The inky blackness began to drag on longer than I expected. Suddenly we were at the foot of a staircase. The Lady LeRoux slipped her arm from me and strode into the wide expansive room. Her composure had changed.  

“So tell me why have you come?” She stepped up to an ornate wardrobe and hung her cloak up. She glanced in the mirror at me. I couldn't see her reflection but her aura was so tightly controlled that it mirrored her image. I didn't answer her. 

“Oh, come now. I know why you came with him but do you?” She turned, her gown swaying to her body's movement. I glanced around to take stock of my surroundings: candle’s flaming mutedly, yet not truly burning; furniture that would dazzle most collectors into a stupor; and finery that even impressed me.  

“Come, sit with me.” She motioned to a seating area with a serving set of some kind. I walked over. She sat, and I across from her.  

“Will he be alright,” I indicated with my eyes, “up there?”  

“Oh Viktor, you amuse me.” She stared at me with her compelling eyes. Something in them told me she had just made a decision. “I've missed you.”  

“You? You never miss a thing, isn't that right?" I suspected she had divined some deeper purpose about the situation, undoubtedly she was correct. All there was left to do was play along and have her reveal it, in her way. 

“It astounds me that someone so perceptive can be so blind." She reached over to the array of decanters at her side and lifted a small intricately carved silver one.  

“Blind men can distinguish others by scent alone.” I watched her.  

“I'm not talking about the senses overcompensating for another. I'm talking about you and that child.” She poured a dark liquid into two small crystal goblets. She handed me one.  

I brought it up to my nose. It smelled metallic and bitter. She smiled at me as my thirst welled up inside me.  

“Enough talk. Drink." She sipped at hers. I noticed she had poured less into her goblet. I sipped at mine. A rush of energy spread through my body  

“Do you ever dream?” She asked me in all seriousness.  

I shook my head. The last time I dreamt, was, a long time ago.  I sipped more eagerly, until I finished the last drop.  

“Well you will tonight,” she told me. “Dreamer’s blood. Very rare.”  

She set down her goblet with a clink and slowly made her way towards a wide low bed that I had failed to notice earlier. The candlelight dimmed further, signalling sunrise no doubt. I rose, and approached Clem. Without any effort her dress slid from her body into a soft heap at her feet leaving her tiny pale form with only her dark locks for cover. Her hands found my body—I was at her side. My clothes left me as Clem's lips brushed up against mine. I could taste the blood wine there and... and the traces of Richard's blood. I took the bait. She drew me onto the bed. 

This new savage passion spiked within me, yet it was tempered from the onset of daylight above. Bitter and sweet played a short duet. I gave and took, as did Clem—though she was greedier than I, and more... talented.  And then, I dreamt.