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The roof of the townhouse was peaked. But not side to side... front to back. Three dormer windows faced the street (small and truncated as it is). The rear looked down on a tiny, urban yard. It was private and dark. City crickets (acrobatic, dancing cousins to their roachy kin) sang never-ending odes to the night. Few windows peeked out on this scene. The next street was commercial and a solid brick wall blocked out almost everything.
Tomas and Sarah lay out on the cool, grey slates, contemplating the heavens. He said - It is written in the Biblical Commentaries that every soul is represented by a star. Saints have bright ones. Sinners, the most dim...... But even those countless suns must die. I wonder if they knew? The commentators, I mean. Perhaps The Milky Way is a great procession, arcing 'cross the firmament from First Times to the Last?
And what of other fires? What of other hearths? - said Sarah. Do they have souls with minds as big as ours? I know about Europa now and all who live and swim there. What other worlds await? Do their vampires drink another kind of blood? Is their night dark as ours?
Tomas passed her the pipe, an old, finely tooled, Ottoman antique. She took it, inhaled deeply, gave it back and sighed......
Vampires can tolerate alcohol and certain other, shall we say, more exotic intoxicants as well. Tomas gets a special blend from a 'familiar' in University City. I know not the herb, nor how it is fashioned. But the life-eaters like it. Baylah calls it catnip.
The year dies tomorrow, but the next night is born. Fifty seven, seventy three. - said the trim, 'young' vampirino. 'And I shall make in you a new heart and a new soul, that ye be inscribed in The Book of Life once more.' - whispered Tomas. My one thousand and twenty third year. Or perhaps it's only been nine hundred and sixty? Decades are so easily misplaced. At least as far as I can tell. I do lose count. - said the romantic Andalucian. But you know what bothers me?....... Sarah listened to his heartbeat. What? - she said......... I shall have no grave. I shall leave no bones. Oh, maybe a few unburnt shards will remain, but nothing identifiable. When a vampire dies.... And we do die..... the 'cool' blue flame destroys us all.... 'Immortality,' what a joke. Seen any dinosaur vampires lately?... Well, that's what I mean...... He reached over and touched her..... You are still so new...still so human. What does time taste like to you?
His auburn haired consort thought for a moment and said - It still feels the same. Two years. My God, it's only been two years. College takes longer than that. Ask me when the moon drifts deeper into space. You know it's doing that. They say every year it drifts further and further away. Imagine, 'Papa' remembers a bigger moon than that. Do you think he'll be back?..... But her mate just shrugged. Although they both supposed that he would.... eventually.
Doctor Franklin used to attend New Year services at Mikveh Israel. He prayed with the Christians too. That was his way. Tomas used to see him there. Looked almost exactly like an old Quaker meeting house. In fact, synagogue means 'meeting house.' One of the pews still has a tiny brass plaque inscribed with the name 'Tomas de Macabea.' New people sit there now. But they still polish up all the history.
Sarah was hungry. She gave up a meal last night. Now she'd have to wait til after The Service of Atonement. Not that the tradition was hers, but she loved Tomas and did it for him.
He felt her sacrifice, opened a vein, offered his wrist and gave her sustenance. She took it.
And up in the sky a certain star seemed to brighten for a moment, before settling back into a clear, gold, warm, pure light.
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Tomas and Sarah lay out on the cool, grey slates, contemplating the heavens. He said - It is written in the Biblical Commentaries that every soul is represented by a star. Saints have bright ones. Sinners, the most dim...... But even those countless suns must die. I wonder if they knew? The commentators, I mean. Perhaps The Milky Way is a great procession, arcing 'cross the firmament from First Times to the Last?
And what of other fires? What of other hearths? - said Sarah. Do they have souls with minds as big as ours? I know about Europa now and all who live and swim there. What other worlds await? Do their vampires drink another kind of blood? Is their night dark as ours?
Tomas passed her the pipe, an old, finely tooled, Ottoman antique. She took it, inhaled deeply, gave it back and sighed......
Vampires can tolerate alcohol and certain other, shall we say, more exotic intoxicants as well. Tomas gets a special blend from a 'familiar' in University City. I know not the herb, nor how it is fashioned. But the life-eaters like it. Baylah calls it catnip.
The year dies tomorrow, but the next night is born. Fifty seven, seventy three. - said the trim, 'young' vampirino. 'And I shall make in you a new heart and a new soul, that ye be inscribed in The Book of Life once more.' - whispered Tomas. My one thousand and twenty third year. Or perhaps it's only been nine hundred and sixty? Decades are so easily misplaced. At least as far as I can tell. I do lose count. - said the romantic Andalucian. But you know what bothers me?....... Sarah listened to his heartbeat. What? - she said......... I shall have no grave. I shall leave no bones. Oh, maybe a few unburnt shards will remain, but nothing identifiable. When a vampire dies.... And we do die..... the 'cool' blue flame destroys us all.... 'Immortality,' what a joke. Seen any dinosaur vampires lately?... Well, that's what I mean...... He reached over and touched her..... You are still so new...still so human. What does time taste like to you?
His auburn haired consort thought for a moment and said - It still feels the same. Two years. My God, it's only been two years. College takes longer than that. Ask me when the moon drifts deeper into space. You know it's doing that. They say every year it drifts further and further away. Imagine, 'Papa' remembers a bigger moon than that. Do you think he'll be back?..... But her mate just shrugged. Although they both supposed that he would.... eventually.
Doctor Franklin used to attend New Year services at Mikveh Israel. He prayed with the Christians too. That was his way. Tomas used to see him there. Looked almost exactly like an old Quaker meeting house. In fact, synagogue means 'meeting house.' One of the pews still has a tiny brass plaque inscribed with the name 'Tomas de Macabea.' New people sit there now. But they still polish up all the history.
Sarah was hungry. She gave up a meal last night. Now she'd have to wait til after The Service of Atonement. Not that the tradition was hers, but she loved Tomas and did it for him.
He felt her sacrifice, opened a vein, offered his wrist and gave her sustenance. She took it.
And up in the sky a certain star seemed to brighten for a moment, before settling back into a clear, gold, warm, pure light.
****************************************
please hit the SHARE BAR. please write a COMMENT. thank you and good night..
