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“Thosaigh mé ag smaoineamh gur goideadh an fear óg tú uaim do mhaith! (I was beginning to think that this young man had stolen you away from me for good.”)
“Not at all Paddy as if I could leave you. Nah, we just had a few loosed end to finish up in Italy and you may have noticed we did a bit of renovating to Sean and Mary’s house and have moved in there. We brought a few new pals with us.
“Ya Kalib jr. is scared of them”
Poor ole kalib” I said as I ruffled his head and ears.
“I called this pup Kalib too cause I wouldn’t remember a new name and he came to that name. He’s blind too like the original.”
“Really, he’s blind, I’d never have guess that.” said Alec.
I smiled at Alec. He really was so sweet. I was amazed at how easily he had accepted me into his life. Just on my say so alone and when I kissed him and he responded that first time I knew he was the one for me for sure. I had been about to go hunting when I saw him walking up to Sean and Mary’s home. I knew by his scent that he was like me yet I sensed no danger from him. In fact I felt nothing, which was very strange. I was very in tune with people and could usually sense what they were thinking which made me a great listener. I thrived on company since my brother Adam had moved to cork to live with his beloved Karen I had felt so alone. I had none of the compulsions to drink blood - human flavour that is. I personally liked deer flavour. I had many imaginary friends until paddy had come along to live followed closely by Sean, Mary, and their lovely son Seamus. He befriended me from a very young age. While his parents developed their farm I would keep an eye on the young fella. We were close like brother and sister and he knew every flower, tree, animal and bird, he could even make bird sounds so the little critters would swoop down and perch on him while he tended his herb and flower garden. Paddy used to be the farmhand on their farm and as we were the only humans living nearby we became a family. Even though I was a vampire I never lost my human tendencies. Much needed to fit in. IWould hear Mary and Sean discuss me at night sometimes when they were in bed, how I never seemed to age, or have a husband or kids of my own. They decided they did not care, I was they are friend and they loved me like a daughter. I felt so happy. Then Seamus fell into the river, banged his head on a rock and never surfaced. Kalib found him. Kalib was only a pup. He jumped it to try, help but the current dragged him into some briars along the bank, and they scratched his eyes blinding him. He somehow managed to drag poor Seamus by the jumper to shore and sat by his body howling mournfully until Sean and paddy came out with torches to look for Seamus. They were worried. Seamus was a good man, bit soft in the head, a simpleton; he was always wondering off but was never late for supper. That was their first inkling something was not right and so began the search. Paddy he thought he heard kalib is howling but Sean thought it was the sudden wind that had whipped up. I was the sudden wind that had flown by them. I raced towards the scent of kalib. All traces of Seamus were gone and I knew he was dead and it broke my heart. Ok I have feelings, no heartbeat but I became numb. I carried both Seamus and kalib to the men. Sean fell to his knees and shrieked a wail that tore me to shreds. He was devastated to lose such an innocent soul but he also had the job to go and tell Mary. He knelt crying over his son for about an hour. Kalib joined in howling and even paddy and I keened with grief. I had no tears but I was totally gutting. Mary heard the howling, rushed out, and collapsed next to the body of her only son. She had a pained terrorised look on her face. She shrieked one sound only a howl of grief and then she went numb and silent. She just sat their heartbroken. I carried each of them into the house so they would not catch their death of cold sitting there in shock. Paddy too and kalib. I laid out Seamus as I had done with my own family a century ago. I washed the mud from his body and his hair. I smoothed his features as best as I could and I got his eyes to close eventually. That face will haunt me forever. I felt as if I too had lost a son. I did everything robotically, slow and methodical. Sean and Mary held each other too grief-stricken to do anything. I made them very strong tea with lots of sugar in it to try to bring them around long enough to bury Seamus. Paddy acted as the priest and we buried him in his lovely flower garden where he was at his happiest. Little birds perched on the cross above the ground. Mary and Sean cried out when we put his coffin that I had for them into the ground. Both of stopped speaking for about six months. Mary would sit at the kitchen table and just stare out the window, crying often but mostly just staring. Sean was the opposite; he tore into the farm work up at 5am and not into bed until he fell into it at midnight, doing much more that he able to, but forcing himself to carry on as if nothing had happened. Nothing had changed. Until one night I had been in making the supper as I had done every night since Seamus’ death. I had the fire on in the range. I had basically taken over marry’s work in the daytime and Seamus’ work by night. I would do as much of Sean’s work as I could. Every newborn calf was called Seamus.
“Seamus would love that fella; sure we’ll name it after him.” Poor Sean, Mary had not spoken to him in 6 months nor anyone for that matter. One night when he came in for his supper Mary got up and started to bustle around him taking off his jacket for him and kissing his cheek and asking him how the calving was going. Then she started rambling about how she had to start making quilts for the beds for the upcoming winter.
“What beds Mary? There’s only our bed now,” he replied stuttering as if he were afraid it would set her back again into the silent world. I made myself disappear as best as I could.
“Oh that’s right, Seamus won’t need his this year, and he’s sleeping with Holy Jesus in Heaven along with his little sister who grew her angel wings in my tummy. God bless em both” and she began to cry. Sean wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him.
“Thank god you’re back to me Mary” eventually as the crying became slow sobs.
“I thought I’d lost you too.”
“No, Sean, I’ll always be here and I love you, thank you for being so patient with me.”
“Mary, I love you too, don’t worry, I’ll always be here for you too” and he kissed her lovingly then. I slipped out unnoticed and left them to rekindle in private. From that day on they became even closer to each other and Mary became her old self to an extent. Seamus’ grave was kept immaculate, there were always flowers growing around it, and the little birds would come and perch on the cross. I carved a tombstone for him with a little bird on it with my fingers. They were sad to see but pleased too that I had it done anyway. Paddy put it in place and we had a new funeral with a few decades of the rosary for the repose of his soul. They did not have any more children after that. Paddy’s hips gave out one winter and he had to pack in his job. Kalib as always was his faithful dog and companion. He was really old now and had outlived most dogs at this stage. I would say he was minding paddy. I took over his chores on the farm until one day Sean and me were bailing hay and Sean said to me
“Faine do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Sure sean” I said, “Fire away.”
“Sorry to ask this but how come you’re our friend this past 60 years, what’s your secret? We have all grown old and yet you still look like a fresh faced teenager. Please tell me what your secret is. My first instinct was to run away. I could not tell them I am a vampire so the word that came to mind was angel. When I said that to him, he looked at me and said, “Oh, I thought so, your skin sparkles in the sun, did you know that?”
“No, I hadn’t really paid much attention to that” I replied, but ya I knew that, I loved that it did made me think of mini rainbows.
“Does it bother you?” I asked worriedly even thought I could feel him sigh in relief.
“No, sure how could it bother me, you’ve helped us so much since we got here and minded us when Seamus died. I do not know how we would have managed things without you back then. I know I never said it, but thanks. I was more aware of what your were doing, but unable to speak” he said as tears started to well up in his eyes. I patted his arm and said
“It’s okay, I sensed you appreciated me. Ye took me in as your own and Paddy too, it was like having a family of my own again.” He gave me a hug, one of his bear hugs.
“God bless you Faine.”
“I have to go up to check on Paddy and Kalib and see how they are managing and I have to go away for a few days, but sure I’ll be back again in about a week or so. Once I had Paddy checked I popped into Mary, she was making her annual quilt. Crocheting loads of little squares to be darned together when she had enough of them, around 150 or so, then she would make a fine quilt that went over the top of the blankets and it helped to keep them snug.
“Mary, hiya, how’re ya? I’m off away for a week or so might just check up on me wee brother and his missus to see are they behaving themselves. I‘ve just checked that Paddy has all the supplies he will need until I’m back again. Will ye be all right while I’m gone?” I asked her.
“Sure of course we will, you’ve never taken a holiday girlie bought time you did. I dare say me and Sean will manage a week without our guardian angel watching out for us out here.” I gave her a hug and a kiss and told her I’d see her soon.
As soon as I left the house I could smell it. A new scent, like spicy vanilla. I was planning to go hunting but stood shell shocked when I saw him. His dark hair and red eyes, he looked lost, out of his depth, drowning almost. He had a gift! Well I had too and I used his one to hide myself so I could observe in silence. He didn’t even look my way. I knew immediately he was of my kind, but sensed no ill will about him, pain and hunger, but not the crave blood hunger, more a nurturing hunger. So I went down to the farm and watched him. No one knew or was aware that I was there. He sat down by the fire as Mary fussed over him. I knew in her mind she was pretending he was Seamus and yet I knew by her excited heartbeat she had guessed how like me he was. Cold and solid to touch and beautiful. One of the perks of being a vampire, you get to be beautiful to attract the ‘prey. She was used to me so didn’t take too much notice.
“You’re perished with the cold, come sit by the fire and have some of this homemade broth.”
I watched Alec, what a lovely name, as he accepted everything that was done for him and when Mary showed him up to Seamus’ old bedroom, I saw how he took in the crisp sheets that Mary prided herself on. I saw his smile of happiness at being accepted into their day-to-day life and laughed uproariously at his ignorance of farm life. I knew by the way I felt drawn to him that he was the man I’d waited for just over a century for. I was going to follow him and find out where he lived, find out if he had a mate, which I doubted. Mates don’t usually travel alone, looking lost, unless his had just been killed. Something had caused him to look so lost and to cause the amount of pain that was emitting from his body.
Then I saw the reason!!!!! He had gone off to hunt. I stayed behind to observe Mary and Sean. I smelled the vanilla twin and her mate approaching. I could literally taste the evil. I could sense and thanked god she couldn’t see me thanks to Alec’s gift. Even though he’d gone to hunt I was within his range. She knocked on the door and for the second time in a century I could feel my heart stop. There was no way I could save them and it broke my heart again to not be able to do so. She was too powerful. Now at least if Alec were here at least we’d be equally matched. As it is, it took everything in me to not go and try to save them. I heard Sean roaring and Mary race upstairs. She was so cruel this new one and I literally smelled of vanilla and evil. I had to run away. I couldn’t listen to their deaths. So I ran and caught up with Alec and raced past him. He looked up in surprise and I could see his face as if time slowed down. Something clicked in his head and he dropped the wolf he’d just drained and turned and raced back to the farm. I followed him. I had to know who this evil person was so I could plot my revenge on her.
“No, you can’t have killed them, why? Jane I hate you.” and he jumped on her back and was trying to pull her head off.
“Brother dear, you don’t believe I could let them live, they’ve seen you and know you’re not human. Then he was on the ground writhing in pain. I knew then that I would be using that particular gift against her in time. She stopped and Alec ran off. I followed her and the man next to her who wasn’t her mate. He was disgusted with her and told her she killed the old couple out of spite and took off running. So I tailed them without their knowledge and found myself in a town called Volterra, Italy.
“Not at all Paddy as if I could leave you. Nah, we just had a few loosed end to finish up in Italy and you may have noticed we did a bit of renovating to Sean and Mary’s house and have moved in there. We brought a few new pals with us.
“Ya Kalib jr. is scared of them”
Poor ole kalib” I said as I ruffled his head and ears.
“I called this pup Kalib too cause I wouldn’t remember a new name and he came to that name. He’s blind too like the original.”
“Really, he’s blind, I’d never have guess that.” said Alec.
I smiled at Alec. He really was so sweet. I was amazed at how easily he had accepted me into his life. Just on my say so alone and when I kissed him and he responded that first time I knew he was the one for me for sure. I had been about to go hunting when I saw him walking up to Sean and Mary’s home. I knew by his scent that he was like me yet I sensed no danger from him. In fact I felt nothing, which was very strange. I was very in tune with people and could usually sense what they were thinking which made me a great listener. I thrived on company since my brother Adam had moved to cork to live with his beloved Karen I had felt so alone. I had none of the compulsions to drink blood - human flavour that is. I personally liked deer flavour. I had many imaginary friends until paddy had come along to live followed closely by Sean, Mary, and their lovely son Seamus. He befriended me from a very young age. While his parents developed their farm I would keep an eye on the young fella. We were close like brother and sister and he knew every flower, tree, animal and bird, he could even make bird sounds so the little critters would swoop down and perch on him while he tended his herb and flower garden. Paddy used to be the farmhand on their farm and as we were the only humans living nearby we became a family. Even though I was a vampire I never lost my human tendencies. Much needed to fit in. IWould hear Mary and Sean discuss me at night sometimes when they were in bed, how I never seemed to age, or have a husband or kids of my own. They decided they did not care, I was they are friend and they loved me like a daughter. I felt so happy. Then Seamus fell into the river, banged his head on a rock and never surfaced. Kalib found him. Kalib was only a pup. He jumped it to try, help but the current dragged him into some briars along the bank, and they scratched his eyes blinding him. He somehow managed to drag poor Seamus by the jumper to shore and sat by his body howling mournfully until Sean and paddy came out with torches to look for Seamus. They were worried. Seamus was a good man, bit soft in the head, a simpleton; he was always wondering off but was never late for supper. That was their first inkling something was not right and so began the search. Paddy he thought he heard kalib is howling but Sean thought it was the sudden wind that had whipped up. I was the sudden wind that had flown by them. I raced towards the scent of kalib. All traces of Seamus were gone and I knew he was dead and it broke my heart. Ok I have feelings, no heartbeat but I became numb. I carried both Seamus and kalib to the men. Sean fell to his knees and shrieked a wail that tore me to shreds. He was devastated to lose such an innocent soul but he also had the job to go and tell Mary. He knelt crying over his son for about an hour. Kalib joined in howling and even paddy and I keened with grief. I had no tears but I was totally gutting. Mary heard the howling, rushed out, and collapsed next to the body of her only son. She had a pained terrorised look on her face. She shrieked one sound only a howl of grief and then she went numb and silent. She just sat their heartbroken. I carried each of them into the house so they would not catch their death of cold sitting there in shock. Paddy too and kalib. I laid out Seamus as I had done with my own family a century ago. I washed the mud from his body and his hair. I smoothed his features as best as I could and I got his eyes to close eventually. That face will haunt me forever. I felt as if I too had lost a son. I did everything robotically, slow and methodical. Sean and Mary held each other too grief-stricken to do anything. I made them very strong tea with lots of sugar in it to try to bring them around long enough to bury Seamus. Paddy acted as the priest and we buried him in his lovely flower garden where he was at his happiest. Little birds perched on the cross above the ground. Mary and Sean cried out when we put his coffin that I had for them into the ground. Both of stopped speaking for about six months. Mary would sit at the kitchen table and just stare out the window, crying often but mostly just staring. Sean was the opposite; he tore into the farm work up at 5am and not into bed until he fell into it at midnight, doing much more that he able to, but forcing himself to carry on as if nothing had happened. Nothing had changed. Until one night I had been in making the supper as I had done every night since Seamus’ death. I had the fire on in the range. I had basically taken over marry’s work in the daytime and Seamus’ work by night. I would do as much of Sean’s work as I could. Every newborn calf was called Seamus.
“Seamus would love that fella; sure we’ll name it after him.” Poor Sean, Mary had not spoken to him in 6 months nor anyone for that matter. One night when he came in for his supper Mary got up and started to bustle around him taking off his jacket for him and kissing his cheek and asking him how the calving was going. Then she started rambling about how she had to start making quilts for the beds for the upcoming winter.
“What beds Mary? There’s only our bed now,” he replied stuttering as if he were afraid it would set her back again into the silent world. I made myself disappear as best as I could.
“Oh that’s right, Seamus won’t need his this year, and he’s sleeping with Holy Jesus in Heaven along with his little sister who grew her angel wings in my tummy. God bless em both” and she began to cry. Sean wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him.
“Thank god you’re back to me Mary” eventually as the crying became slow sobs.
“I thought I’d lost you too.”
“No, Sean, I’ll always be here and I love you, thank you for being so patient with me.”
“Mary, I love you too, don’t worry, I’ll always be here for you too” and he kissed her lovingly then. I slipped out unnoticed and left them to rekindle in private. From that day on they became even closer to each other and Mary became her old self to an extent. Seamus’ grave was kept immaculate, there were always flowers growing around it, and the little birds would come and perch on the cross. I carved a tombstone for him with a little bird on it with my fingers. They were sad to see but pleased too that I had it done anyway. Paddy put it in place and we had a new funeral with a few decades of the rosary for the repose of his soul. They did not have any more children after that. Paddy’s hips gave out one winter and he had to pack in his job. Kalib as always was his faithful dog and companion. He was really old now and had outlived most dogs at this stage. I would say he was minding paddy. I took over his chores on the farm until one day Sean and me were bailing hay and Sean said to me
“Faine do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Sure sean” I said, “Fire away.”
“Sorry to ask this but how come you’re our friend this past 60 years, what’s your secret? We have all grown old and yet you still look like a fresh faced teenager. Please tell me what your secret is. My first instinct was to run away. I could not tell them I am a vampire so the word that came to mind was angel. When I said that to him, he looked at me and said, “Oh, I thought so, your skin sparkles in the sun, did you know that?”
“No, I hadn’t really paid much attention to that” I replied, but ya I knew that, I loved that it did made me think of mini rainbows.
“Does it bother you?” I asked worriedly even thought I could feel him sigh in relief.
“No, sure how could it bother me, you’ve helped us so much since we got here and minded us when Seamus died. I do not know how we would have managed things without you back then. I know I never said it, but thanks. I was more aware of what your were doing, but unable to speak” he said as tears started to well up in his eyes. I patted his arm and said
“It’s okay, I sensed you appreciated me. Ye took me in as your own and Paddy too, it was like having a family of my own again.” He gave me a hug, one of his bear hugs.
“God bless you Faine.”
“I have to go up to check on Paddy and Kalib and see how they are managing and I have to go away for a few days, but sure I’ll be back again in about a week or so. Once I had Paddy checked I popped into Mary, she was making her annual quilt. Crocheting loads of little squares to be darned together when she had enough of them, around 150 or so, then she would make a fine quilt that went over the top of the blankets and it helped to keep them snug.
“Mary, hiya, how’re ya? I’m off away for a week or so might just check up on me wee brother and his missus to see are they behaving themselves. I‘ve just checked that Paddy has all the supplies he will need until I’m back again. Will ye be all right while I’m gone?” I asked her.
“Sure of course we will, you’ve never taken a holiday girlie bought time you did. I dare say me and Sean will manage a week without our guardian angel watching out for us out here.” I gave her a hug and a kiss and told her I’d see her soon.
As soon as I left the house I could smell it. A new scent, like spicy vanilla. I was planning to go hunting but stood shell shocked when I saw him. His dark hair and red eyes, he looked lost, out of his depth, drowning almost. He had a gift! Well I had too and I used his one to hide myself so I could observe in silence. He didn’t even look my way. I knew immediately he was of my kind, but sensed no ill will about him, pain and hunger, but not the crave blood hunger, more a nurturing hunger. So I went down to the farm and watched him. No one knew or was aware that I was there. He sat down by the fire as Mary fussed over him. I knew in her mind she was pretending he was Seamus and yet I knew by her excited heartbeat she had guessed how like me he was. Cold and solid to touch and beautiful. One of the perks of being a vampire, you get to be beautiful to attract the ‘prey. She was used to me so didn’t take too much notice.
“You’re perished with the cold, come sit by the fire and have some of this homemade broth.”
I watched Alec, what a lovely name, as he accepted everything that was done for him and when Mary showed him up to Seamus’ old bedroom, I saw how he took in the crisp sheets that Mary prided herself on. I saw his smile of happiness at being accepted into their day-to-day life and laughed uproariously at his ignorance of farm life. I knew by the way I felt drawn to him that he was the man I’d waited for just over a century for. I was going to follow him and find out where he lived, find out if he had a mate, which I doubted. Mates don’t usually travel alone, looking lost, unless his had just been killed. Something had caused him to look so lost and to cause the amount of pain that was emitting from his body.
Then I saw the reason!!!!! He had gone off to hunt. I stayed behind to observe Mary and Sean. I smelled the vanilla twin and her mate approaching. I could literally taste the evil. I could sense and thanked god she couldn’t see me thanks to Alec’s gift. Even though he’d gone to hunt I was within his range. She knocked on the door and for the second time in a century I could feel my heart stop. There was no way I could save them and it broke my heart again to not be able to do so. She was too powerful. Now at least if Alec were here at least we’d be equally matched. As it is, it took everything in me to not go and try to save them. I heard Sean roaring and Mary race upstairs. She was so cruel this new one and I literally smelled of vanilla and evil. I had to run away. I couldn’t listen to their deaths. So I ran and caught up with Alec and raced past him. He looked up in surprise and I could see his face as if time slowed down. Something clicked in his head and he dropped the wolf he’d just drained and turned and raced back to the farm. I followed him. I had to know who this evil person was so I could plot my revenge on her.
“No, you can’t have killed them, why? Jane I hate you.” and he jumped on her back and was trying to pull her head off.
“Brother dear, you don’t believe I could let them live, they’ve seen you and know you’re not human. Then he was on the ground writhing in pain. I knew then that I would be using that particular gift against her in time. She stopped and Alec ran off. I followed her and the man next to her who wasn’t her mate. He was disgusted with her and told her she killed the old couple out of spite and took off running. So I tailed them without their knowledge and found myself in a town called Volterra, Italy.
