Finding Midnight (2 page)

“Next you’re going to tell me you are a
vampire,” Summer joked.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Summer. If I was a
vampire I wouldn’t be riding in this wacky car. I’d fly to the
cottage in bat form and meet you there. Besides, you know me; I
don’t take someone’s word for truth without some kind of proof to
back it up.”

“So you’re telling me Nick is a bona fide,
blood sucking vampire?” Summer said.

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

“Why would he admit something like that?”
Summer asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because he really
likes me?” Tori said in a huff, crossing her arms across her
chest.

“Tori, that’s not what I meant. I mean, a
secret like that exposed? That could cost him his life.”

“I know, but it’s not like I’m going to tell
anyone.”

“But you just told me,” Summer noted.

“Well, duh? You’re my best friend, but I’m
not going to tell anyone else.”

“So did you break it off with him, then?”
Summer asked.

“No…why would I?” Tori asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because
he’s a
vampire
?”

“Are you kidding? I think it’s the coolest
thing ever. I mean, he’s gorgeous, he’s dark and mysterious, and to
top it all off he’s a vampire. It’s like a goth girl’s dream come
true,” Tori giddily exclaimed.

“Aren’t you worried you might be his next
meal?”

“No.” Tori’s brows furrowed. “He explained
his eating habits and it’s not like in the movies, you know, where
they go all crazy ripping apart people, blood squirting, limbs
flailing. Some feed on people, but most feed on animals.”

“Animals? So he goes around killing
animals?” Summer said, swerving the car a bit.

“No. He doesn’t kill anything. He’s no worse
than a mosquito, or any number of animals that feed on blood. He
just wants to survive, like any other living being. Vampires and
other hematophagous are less cruel than some animals. For instance,
a lion will kill its prey, where a hematophagous doesn’t; it just
takes what’s necessary to live.”

“I’m sorry, Tori. You’re right. I never
really thought about it like that. I guess it’s not so far-fetched
to think there could be a species of human that does the same. And
you’re right; they don’t usually kill their meal. I’m really not
trying to make you mad. I’m just worried about your well-being and
your safety.”

“Nick isn’t going to hurt me, Summer…he said
last night that he loved me. That’s why he wanted to come clean
with his secret. He didn’t want to get any more attached to me if I
couldn’t handle what he was.”

“He loves you, huh? That’s big! How do you
feel about him?”

“I really, really like him, maybe even love
him too. I’m not sure yet.”

“As long as he’s not killing anything and
has no plans on hurting you, I guess I’m cool with it as long as
you are happy,” Summer said as she pulled up to Midnight Manor’s
gate and turned off the doggy mobile.

*****

It was still light out as they made their
way to the huge ornate wrought iron gate. At some point in its
lifetime the gate had been white, but now the paint was peeling and
the iron rusting, making the gate appear to bleed.

“This has got to be the coolest place in the
world to live,” Tori said, looking through the bars of the gate as
Summer searched her pockets for the keys Sister Mary Louise gave
her.

“I think you mean the creepiest place in the
world,” Summer corrected.

“Are you kidding? It’s great. Look.” Tori
pointed excitedly. “You even have your own personal graveyard—how
cool is that?”

“Swell,” Summer said with little enthusiasm,
fumbling with the key. The lock was old and rusty and Summer had to
wiggle the key back and forth before the lock finally turned. The
gate squealed as it relented and admitted them passage. Tori was
aflutter and she appeared to Summer to be frolicking like a faerie
as she stepped inside the gate.

The Manor itself was straight ahead but no
lights were on, as far as Summer could tell. It looked abandoned
and run down. She thought back on what Sister Mary Louise said
about the house only needing a little love. Summer thought to
herself,
more like a whole lot of love and its own construction
crew
.

She followed the happily dancing Tori as she
pointed out all the creepy highlights on their way to the tiny
cottage. It was nestled in the far right corner of the property,
backed up against the dense woods and foothills to Plumas National
Forest. Several hundred yards from the house, Summer noted the
cottage was indeed in need of paint…and a new screen door, a new
roof, a good trimming of shrubs, vines and vegetation around the
house and about a gazillion other things.

To the left was a view of the graveyard Tori
was so thrilled about and a tangled mess of vegetation Summer could
only assume was the herb garden she would be in charge of getting
into shape. As they stepped onto the little porch, the floorboards
creaked painfully and Summer was sure her foot would go completely
through if she didn’t watch her step. She found the keys again to
unlock the cottage door. The whole time, Tori jabbered on about how
great the manor, the grounds, and the “cute” cottage were.

Summer found a wall switch inside the
doorway and flipped it up, revealing the contents of the room.
Though it was in dire need of paint, Summer was pleasantly
surprised. It had lots of windows, a tiny stone fireplace, what
looked to be an overstuffed loveseat, a little kitchen and a tiny
table with two chairs. French doors set on one side opened to what
looked like a sun room. Two doors could be seen from where she
stood, one she hoped was a bathroom, and the other she assumed was
the bedroom. Tori flew around the little cottage, flipping on
lights and checking behind doors and cabinets.

The cottage, though it needed some work, was
actually quite adorable, homey, and somehow comforting. Summer
liked it—she liked it a lot. They heard a toot of a car horn and
Tori asked, “You going to be okay here or should I tell Nick I’m
staying?”

“No. I’m good. You have fun,” Summer said,
looking around then tossing the manila pouch the sister gave her
and her purse on the sofa.

“You sure? Because Nick would totally
understand my staying, or he could join us and hang out here to
keep you company,” Tori said.

“I’m fine; in fact, aside from having a
graveyard a stone’s throw away, I like it. Might even start a fire
and read a book.”

“Okay. If you are positive,” Tori said,
eyeing Summer closely. When she determined she was indeed okay, she
hugged her and said, “See you tomorrow.”

“Thanks for everything, Tori. Have fun.”

“We will,” she said as the door shut on her
last word.

Summer took a detailed inventory of her
surroundings as she walked through the house alone. Wispy, sheer
white curtains in the bedroom covered French doors to a porch
facing the woods. The bed was an old, warm-colored walnut with a
high headboard that didn’t squeak when sitting on the mattress. She
liked this point so much that she bounced up and down on the bed in
pure delight not to hear the ear-piercing sounds to which she had
grown so accustomed.

An ancient but lovely quilt covered the bed
and it was obvious Sister Margaret had fluffed the pillows and made
the bed, for there on the pillow was an orange M&M—her
signature mark (every Christmas Sister Margaret set a single
M&M on each of the girl’s pillows in the orphanage). Summer
smiled as she slipped the M&M quickly into her mouth.

She unpacked her few belongings into the
dresser and closet, then lit a couple huge altar candles the nuns
obviously brought to put on the grate of the fireplace—a pretend
fire in May.

She made her way to the kitchen, unsure of
what she might find. The cabinets were thick with old paint and
needed a good yank to reveal their contents. Whether from the
sisters or the owner of the cottage, she had everything she needed,
dishes, utensils, a few pots, and an ancient old gas stove. Someone
had even supplied her with a small microwave you might find in a
dorm room. Checking the fridge to see what the sisters had
provided, she found it was obvious Sister Margaret had someone else
do the shopping since there was food other than fruits and
vegetables.

She found macaroni and cheese, bread, peanut
butter and jelly, and frosted Mini-Wheats for breakfast—food she
might actually eat. Feeling her first night in her new home
deserved a hot meal, she made the mac and cheese, but to make
Sister Margaret happy, she pulled out a small can of French cut
string beans and warmed them in a beat-up old pan. Okay, so they
weren’t FRESH vegetables but they were vegetables, she could argue
with the sister.

A noise on the porch made her heart lurch.
She slinked to the window to check if someone might be there. She
thought she saw a shadow move. Breath caught in her throat as she
crept silently towards the window for a peek. Her eyes darted to
every dark niche, but she saw no further movement. She wrote it off
as new place jitters and the breeze that was picking up
outside.

After she ate and cleaned up, she grabbed a
blanket off the back of the sofa and settled in with a book. The
candles flickered as air leaked from the old tin flue. The silence
was amazing and even a little scary. After spending all her life in
an orphanage, silence was something she could never get enough of.
Now it was almost too quiet. It had been a long day with
graduation, work, moving into a new home, and finding her best
friend was dating a vampire, so not long after starting her book
she found her eyes heavy and her new pillow calling.

A double-sized bed seemed enormous compared
to a lifetime in a twin bed and she enjoyed spreading out. She was
painfully aware of every noise and shadow that as the wind made the
trees sway and moan, but sleep won out in the end.

*****

The next morning, Summer found a note on the
dogmobile.

Ms. Raine,

I would appreciate if you would not park
your atrocity of an auto in front of the manor gate. If you must
drive it, then please park at the side gate, out of sight. The side
gate can be found off the small dirt road to the right of the
property. If you must have visitors, please see to it they too park
at the side gate. I would rather not see or hear any such
things.

I also expect you will be starting on my
garden immediately, since it is part of the agreement. Please stay
to your side of the property. I don’t want you snooping in my
business.

Regards,

Ms. M. Midnight

What a lovely welcome to my new home
,
Summer thought as she chuckled. She climbed into the SUV and headed
for work.

As usual, Summer and Tori walked to the park
on the corner for lunch.

“So how was your date with the vampire?”
Summer asked.

“Perfect,” Tori purred. “The more I learn
about him, the more I find him incredibly intriguing.”

“Of course it doesn’t hurt that you’ve been
in love with vampires since you were five,” Summer interjected.

“Yeah. That helps.” Tori giggled. “It’s not
like the movies at all, no coffins, no capes, no garlic. I mean he
was born just like you and me. Who knew? It’s nothing like I
expected.”

“Why? Are you disappointed he doesn’t want
to bite your neck?” Summer said in a very bad Transylvanian
accent.

“Ha ha! Very funny. It’s just different. So
how was your first night at the manor?”

“Good,” Summer said without much
enthusiasm.

“Good? Not fabulous, amazing or
wonderful?”

“No. Just good.”

“Did something happen?”

“No. I mean, well, no. I just had a weird
dream…I guess it was a dream.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I thought I saw a shadow walk by the
bedroom window a couple of times, but I’m not sure. I think it was
just a dream or something.”

“Hmm,” Tori said, rather worried.

“I know that ‘Hmm.’ That’s your
worried/distrusting ‘Hmm.’”

“It’s just when Nick picked me up yesterday
he was acting very odd.”

“Odd for a vampire? How would you know?”

“You’re hysterically funny today,” Tori
said. Summer giggled. “But seriously, he asked me a bunch of
questions about the manor and old Lady Midnight and he seemed
concerned.”

“What did he say?” Summer asked.

“He asked if you knew any ‘old souls.’”

“‘Old souls?’ Did you tell him I am now
neighbor to about a hundred old souls in my very own
graveyard?”

“He didn’t think he was sensing the dead. In
fact he wasn’t sure what it was and he said he had never sensed
anything like it.”

“Does he often get these ‘senses’?” Summer
joked.

“No, I mean, he can tell when another
vampire is near, but he really seemed concerned for your
well-being,” Tori said.

“Well, now that is something, but I’m sure I
will be fine. Maybe he’s just sensing Ms. Midnight. She left me a
lovely note on the car this morning.” Summer reached in her pocket
and handed Tori the note.

“What an old bat,” Tori said. “I mean, the
dogmobile is not a glamorous ride but it’s not like she keeps up
the place.”

“I know, right? But in all fairness, it is
her house and I don’t mind, especially if this other gate is closer
to the cottage and I don’t have to walk through the graveyard every
night when I come home.”

“But that’s the best part about your place,”
Tori exclaimed.

Summer rolled her eyes as she picked up her
leftover wrappers, napkin and paper bag and then they started back
towards the clinic.

Chapter 3

With the days stretching longer as the
summer solstice approached, Summer found she had more daylight to
play with and took full advantage to start in on her obligation to
Ms. Midnight.