Simply Spooky - Going Back To Find You By PG Forte

A MEAL BEFORE DYING
(an excerpt from GOING BACK TO FIND YOU)

The Thursday before Halloween…

“I’m not sure about these candles.” Hailey Conner Bennett gazed critically at the lamps Lizbeth Petersen had painstakingly arranged on the steps leading up to the door of her brightly painted wooden caravan.
“How do you mean?” Liz was pleased that she was able to keep the snarl from her voice. A big orange cat had wandered over while she and Hailey were talking. When it started pawing at the little glass cups Liz shooed it away. “Not sure about what?” 
“I’m not sure they’re a good idea.”
Which was tantamount to saying nothing. Liz counted to ten and forced a polite smile. “Why is that?”
“Well, they’re a fire hazard.” A faint crease between Hailey’s brows revealed an uncertainty that the predator in Liz found irresistible—in a chase-her-down-and-drain-her-blood kind of way. “Don’t you think? I’m sure the fire marshal will. Especially with all the children who’ll be running around.”
Fair enough. Sapphire Falls first annual Halloween Festival had definitely been postured as a family-friendly event. And as the former mayor and current Director of Tourism, Hailey had both a point and a legitimate reason to involve herself in Liz’s business. But, all the same, Liz had to appreciate the irony. Being a vampire, she was undoubtedly much more concerned about the possibility of fire than even the most scrupulous of fire marshals.
“Not to worry. I’m using flameless candles. They might look real, but they’re battery-operated LED lights. The best part is that they’re all on automatic timers, which should look suitably spooky to any of the children who happen to be around when they start going on or off by themselves. Spooky or magical,” Liz said, correcting herself. “Depending on their outlook, I suppose.”
“Oh, good. I guess I should have realized you’d have thought of something so basic.”
“I wouldn’t be much of a psychic if I couldn’t intuit that. Besides…” Liz felt a surge of pride as she patted the exterior of her cottage on wheels. “I have to protect my investment. This is my home, you know, as well as my livelihood.”
Hailey’s gaze swept the camper once more. “You don’t live in it, do you? Full time?”
“Yes and yes.” Liz chuckled at the surprised expression on Hailey’s face. “Listen, I spent more years than you need to know about stuck in one place, dreaming of the day I could just pick up and go anywhere or anytime I felt like it. Now that day is here, and I’m determined to make the most of it.”
Hailey shook her head. “I couldn’t do that. Not just because Sapphire Falls is my home, I’d get claustrophobic.”
“It does take a certain temperament,” Liz agreed. She studied the woman for a moment, trying to disguise her hunger. Hailey was so poised and polished. She was young, healthy, strong—just the way Liz liked her meals. It was all she could do not to drool. “You probably have closets bigger than this.”
A frown creased Hailey’s brow. “I don’t know why you’d say that.”
“Professional psychic, remember?”
“Oh. Right.” Hailey continued to look uncertain, which Liz suspected was an uncomfortable state for a woman who was so clearly used to being in control.
She smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay to admit it. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
“Well, in that case…” Hailey’s own smile reasserted itself. “You might be right.”
“Maybe you’d like to see inside?” Liz held out her hand invitingly. She let a hint of compulsion bleed through her voice. Her fangs pulsed in anticipation when Hailey responded, moving toward her in a dreamlike manner. “That’s it. Come on up. Let me show you around.”
Liz stepped back, moving out of the way so Hailey could enter. She did so hesitantly, blinking in surprise as she glanced around the interior of Liz’s new home. “Wow. This place is amazing.”
“Thank you,” Liz replied, surreptitiously pressing the door’s secret latch so they wouldn’t be interrupted. She took a moment to cast her gaze around the room as well, trying to see the place from Hailey’s perspective.
Satisfaction surged. It was amazing. She was enormously proud of the job she’d done. After Felicia’s death had freed Liz to make her own decisions, she’d taken her share of the clan’s inheritance money and used it to commission a custom mobile home loosely based on a traditional Romani vardo. She’d paid a pretty penny for all the little extras. Hand-carved wooden panels covered the interior walls, their Art Nouveau curves picked out in gold. The velvet drapes and repurposed oil lamps gave the room a mysterious air while keeping it comfortably dark. Her bedroom was a marvel of vampire engineering, arranged to be as cool and lightproof as possible, its entrance hidden, like the lock she’d just engaged, to keep the curious from entering and the nervous from escaping. With the addition of an extra-large shower and mini fridge—crucial for cleaning up accidents and storing emergency rations—she was all set. And with the money she hoped to earn at this weekend’s festival, she would finally leave Nebraska behind her to see some of the rest of the country, maybe even make it out to the coast before she died.
She refocused on Hailey, only to find that the woman had drifted alarmingly close to the little table Liz had set with a crystal ball, her favorite deck of cards and a jet and amber pendulum that had belonged to her grandmother. “Don’t touch those,” she cautioned. The sound of her voice made her cringe. She hadn’t intended to speak so sharply.
Hailey cocked an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”
Liz felt herself flushing. Barking at one’s dinner was never a good idea. And, really, why should Hailey know anything about energy flow or protocol? Why would she even assume Liz was genuine? Even among other vampires, Liz had encountered ignorance and skepticism aplenty until she’d proven herself and won their respect. She should be used to it by now. She was used to it. It was just that ever since Felicia’s death, Liz’s moods had been growing more and more mercurial. Feral. The word shivered through her consciousness, sparking fear, despair and resentment. After all this time, when she was so close to achieving her dreams, she was losing her mind.
She forced another smile. “Sorry. You can touch the cards, if you’d like. But the other tools have been cleansed and consecrated for my own personal use. If you touch them, I’ll have to clear them again to remove your energy signature.”
“Sorry.” Hailey pulled her hand back. “I didn’t know.” She gazed at the table for a moment then turned to Liz, her expression curious. “So, if I might ask, how did you learn all of this? Did someone teach you? Is it something you’re born with?”
“A little of both, actually.” Liz shrugged. “At least in my case. Psychic ability runs in my family. My mother’s people have always been witches.”
“Always?”
Liz grinned. “Well, to be honest, I can only trace my family lineage back for about three hundred years, but—”
“Only three hundred years?” Hailey shook her head. “That’s impressive!”
“I suppose.” It would have been more impressive if the bulk of that wasn’t her own personal history. Obviously, Hailey wouldn’t have any way to know that. 
“I was thrilled when you contacted me about taking part in our festival,” Hailey confided. “Especially since it was my idea to run those ads you responded to. Now that we’ve met, I’m even more excited. I know everyone’s going to love having their fortunes told by a real professional. Which is not to suggest the other fortune tellers aren’t genuine, but your setup is so unique.”
“Thank you.” Liz said, uncomfortably aware that it wasn’t Hailey’s ad that had inspired her, and that she was far from being what anyone would call a professional. 
Up until now, most of her readings had been done for free, a few for barter, and the rest at Felicia’s express command. Felicia had never grown tired of boasting about how she’d outwitted Liz’s grandmother, how the older woman’s supposedly greater powers had been no match for her own. Liz had never been able to convince Felicia that she’d done no such thing. As Granny would have been the first to tell her, being able to see the future didn’t mean you could change it; only a fool would tempt fate by trying. Though she’d said from the start that both Liz and her brother Robert were marked for darkness, Granny had never really explained what she thought that meant.
Maybe she was trying to spare them. But it was exactly that kind of cryptic remark—never elaborated or acted upon—that had prompted Liz to ignore the old woman’s warnings in the first place, to strike out on her own, and end up in Felicia’s clutches. 
Prophecies, as Liz had learned the hard way, were often self-fulfilling. 
After that debacle, Liz had given up reading for herself. Who needed the disappointment of false hope? Or the paralyzation brought about by unwarranted fear? Sufficient unto the day is the evil therein—that was her motto, and she was sticking to it. But for right now, doing readings for others could help fund her travels, would provide them with value, and keep her well-fed. Where was the bad?
And speaking of staying fed…
“Why don’t you have a seat?” Liz murmured, moving closer to where Hailey stood. She placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder and urged her into one of the chairs. “Pick up the cards, and I’ll show you how it’s done.”
* * *


After Hailey left Liz’s wagon, just slightly unsteady on her feet, a few ounces lighter—something she’d likely appreciate when she stepped on her scale tomorrow morning—and with no clear memory of what had taken place, Liz sat on her front stairs and gazed out at the night. The cat had come back, and she petted it absently. This was hardly her first visit to Sapphire Falls. She’d come here repeatedly over the years, though not often enough to attract attention. She’d watched successive generations of the local population grow up and die and be replaced by others just like them. She loved it here. But in just a few more days, she’d be on her way. Off to see the world. She wondered if any of it would live up to her expectations.
Sapphire Falls is my home, Hailey had said; Liz envied her. She couldn’t recall ever having felt that way about any place. Thinking about that was too depressing, however, so she decided to concentrate on the cat. Mostly orange with white paws, he had a large scar behind his left ear. If he could talk, she imagined he’d have some interesting stories to tell. He crawled into her lap, purring loudly, but even with the distraction, Liz found her mind drifting back to her own problems.
It was possible she could live for several more years, or even several decades—assuming she kept herself fed and somehow avoided running into anyone who wanted to kill her. She’d heard of other feral vampires who’d done it; hopefully, those weren’t just urban legends. But “possible” and “likely” were two different things. 
She took a deep breath, and another look around, trying hard to appreciate what she did have. What she had was tonight, a furry new friend, her pretty new wagon. And this place—which she’d always been fond of.
If she were human, she’d absolutely want to settle in Sapphire Falls. But she was finding this Halloween festival unexpectedly stressful. 
Maybe she’d feel better once it was fully dark. Although really, with all the houselights and streetlights, the pumpkin-shaped lanterns illuminating the gazebo, and even her own ersatz candles just blinking to life, she doubted it would ever be truly dark here.
Not like she remembered from years gone by. She missed those nights with an ache that reached all the way to her bones.
She missed sitting by the riverbank waiting in blissful anticipation of what the night would bring. The sand would be cool and soft between her bare toes. Her ears would strain, hearing only the sound of the river at first, grumbling to itself as it stumbled over rocks along its way to join with the Missouri. Then a rustling in the leaves would draw her attention, would whisper a warning. Her heart would pound. Her breath would catch. She’d pick up the faint slap of footsteps approaching. She’d rise and turn and… There’d be the heat of another’s body pressed tight against her own. Strong arms banding around her…
The cat on her lap kneaded her leg. His claws punctured her skin through the thin fabric of her skirt. Liz let down her fangs and hissed at him. He laid back his ears and stared back at her, but he didn’t seem inclined to bite, so she resumed petting him and forced her mind back to the present, to the pleasant view before her, all the colorful decorations, and felt her jangled nerves respond—but not in the way she’d wanted.
A discordant hum of voices carried on the night air. The scent of prey came from every direction. From families, safe in their houses, settling into their evening routines. From tourists walking the deserted streets, heading to the diner or the bar, or back to their hotels. Her stomach grumbled. Her fangs ached with need. She’d only just eaten. How could she be hungry again this soon?
Her growing appetite was a problem. Her need to ingest copious amounts of blood on an increasingly frequent basis had been getting worse for months.
When Felicia died, Liz, and all her family, had been shocked. It was the end of life as they’d known it. Everything was different now. Everything had changed. But for the longest time, they hadn’t really grasped what all those changes would mean.
As their disbelief faded, it left behind an undeniable feeling of elation. They were free! For the first time in ages, they could make their own decisions. Shock soon gave way to a sense of purpose and, for a short period of time, everyone in the family worked together, joyously pooling their talents. New lives and new dreams began to take shape. That halcyon period didn’t last long. All too soon, everyone’s tempers began to unravel. Then their nerves, their appetites, their minds—they began losing control of everything.
Vampires weren’t meant to be on their own, to make their own decisions. When they’d been turned, it seemed as though some indefinable part of their soul had been broken. Some quality that had made them human had been either mangled or destroyed. Their minds could no longer cope with freedom.
Fights broke out between them. Things were said that could never be taken back—if they even wanted to. Mostly they didn’t. More and more often, they began to avoid each other, to go their own way. As though by keeping their distance from one another they could keep from acknowledging what they knew to be true. The worst had happened. They were turning feral.
The sound of a scuffle reached Liz’s ears. She jumped to her feet, startling the cat, who leapt down the stairs and disappeared into the shadows. Liz ignored him, focusing on the sounds, the smells…A grunt of fear. A hint of venom. A whiff of blood. Food. Her predator mind took over. She hiked up her skirt and ran toward the gazebo.
The structure had been given the full-on holiday decor treatment. Liz found herself barreling through the pumpkins, leaping over hay bales and dodging potted mums before landing in a crouch just feet from her prey. Shock and recognition pulled her to her feet.
“Rob? What are you doing?” She hadn’t seen her younger brother and nest-mate in over a month. Clearly, he’d gone out of his mind in her absence. He had to be crazy to be feeding like this. Out in the open, this early in the evening, with a victim who was un-entranced, un-subdued, and obviously unwilling—it wasn’t just wrong, it went against every survival instinct he should have possessed. “Stop that. Now!”
Rob’s eyes blazed as he turned his head and loudly hissed. “Go ’way, Lizbeth.”
What? No. Liz opened her mouth to argue, to pull rank, to be the voice of reason they both desperately needed her to be, but what emerged was a sub-vocal growl that had the bats veering away at explosive speed. Her lips pulled back in a snarl that left her fangs exposed and glaringly visible. The woman in Rob’s arms shrieked. Too late, Liz slapped a shaking hand over her own mouth.
Robert stared at her, his expression stunned. She watched as he pulled himself together, then focused on the woman struggling in his grasp, whispering soothing words until she stilled. He bent his head to kiss her, then dipped lower, running his tongue along her neck, sealing the small punctures he’d made. Finally, he let her go. “I’m sorry,” he said, his charming smile just the right shade of rueful. “Did we scare you? My sister and I are actors. We’ve been hired to work at the haunted house this weekend. We’ve been practicing, trying to stay in character. You know how it goes. I guess we got a little carried away.”
“Yeah, you d-d-did.” The woman stuttered in reply. “You’re g-gonna be great. B-b-break a leg, or…whatever.” Then she turned and fled.
“Fucking hell,” Rob muttered as they watched her go, headed toward the relative safety of the costume shop, one of the few businesses open this late. “That’s a meal I couldn’t afford to skip.”
Liz glared at her brother. “Are you crazy?”
“Yes, Liz.” Robert slumped on the bench that circled the gazebo and raked his hand through his hair. “I’m crazy. You’re crazy. We’re all completely nuts. Isn’t it obvious?”
“I’m not crazy.”
“You’re not?” Robert’s laugh held a nasty edge. “Did you or did you not just expose your fangs to an un-entranced human?”
“An un-entranced human you’d been feeding from! In public!”
Robert slumped forward. “Don’t remind me. Shit.”
“You can’t—”
“I know!”
Liz bit back the rest of her complaint. Her brother’s voice was so raw it tore at her heart.
“I’m just…tired, Lizzie. So tired. And hungry. And angry. I’m angry all the time.”
“Hangry,” Liz replied in agreement. “I know. Me, too.”
“Don’t.” Robert’s lip curled in disgust. “Enough with the stupid slang. It’s the worst thing about this new century.”
“Well, maybe not the worst thing…”
“It is,” Rob insisted irrationally. “The absolute worst. There’s nothing I hate more.”
Liz sat beside him. She refused to be drawn in. There were plenty of things worse than slang. But she would not engage in such a ridiculous argument. “Really, though, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”
“You know what’s wrong,” Rob snapped. Then he sighed and tried again. “It’s the hunger mostly. I can’t keep up with it. No matter what I do, how often I feed, I’m always hungry. And even when I can feed, I’m almost afraid to.”
Liz frowned. “Afraid?”
“Of what I might do. Maybe I’ll take too much or stop too late. Maybe I’ll drain somebody without realizing. It’s why I skimp on the venom.”
“That was intentional?” No one intentionally skimped on venom; it was suicidal. If word got out, if humans actually started to believe in vampires; it would be the end of everything, their entire way of life. None of them would know a moment’s peace or safety ever again. “Tell me you’re joking?”
Rob shook his head. “Did it look like I was joking?”
“Rob…”
“If my prey’s unconscious, what’s to keep me from going too far? How can I be sure I’ll stop in time?” He shot Liz a stubborn look. “I wipe their memories when I’m finished. There’s no real harm done. So, what’s the problem?”
“No harm?”
“No real harm, yeah. Just a few uncomfortable moments that they won’t even remember.” Rob glared at her. “Don’t act all sanctimonious, Miss Fang. I’m sure you’re just as bad. Or, if not, you will be soon. I know I’m not the only one who’s going through this shit. Maybe I’m more honest about it than you, but we’re all having these problems. Everyone I talk to says the same thing.”
Liz hesitated. She wasn’t. Yet. Unless she was and had been wiping her own memory afterward. Was that even possible? Was this a sign of things to come? Oh, gods, would it really come to that?
“Come back to my place with me,” she urged. “I have some bagged blood. I know it’s not the same as fresh but—” She broke off as Rob made retching sounds. 
“Not the same? Lizzie, it’s awful!”
“C’mon, it’s not that bad.”
“It is, too!” Rob shook his head. “It’s vile. I’d rather starve.”
Liz refrained from pointing out the sad reality. Rob would be lucky if he lived long enough to starve. In all likelihood, he’d find himself on the sharp end of a stake long before then. “At least try it. It’s better than what you’ve been doing.”
“No!”
“Okay, fine. We won’t talk about it anymore.” Liz cast around for a less contentious topic of conversation. “So why are you here?”
“Here?” Rob looked at her blankly.
“In Sapphire Falls.” It wasn’t that far from home, but it was a fair drive just the same. He shouldn’t have had to travel this far just to feed.
Rob eyed her slyly. “I’m probably here for a lot of the same reasons you are.”
“Really? Setting out to see the world, are you? Hoping to make a little pocket change over the weekend?”
“Tourists, Lizzie; the very large, very temporary food supply. Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed them. They’re all around us. And the weekend’s just getting started.” He smacked his lips and smiled in a way Liz did not find reassuring.
“You’re not saying there’s no food at home, are you?” That couldn’t be so. If Rob and the others had exsanguinated all of Merrick County…surely, she’d have heard about it.
“Funny. Of course there’s food. But as it happens…I like variety.”
If so, it was the first she’d heard of it. “Then why don’t you come with me when I leave next week?” she suggested. “We’ll travel the festival circuit. There’ll be new tourists at every stop, all shiny and uneaten.”
“And each of those stops will put you in some other vampire’s territory, won’t they?” Rob replied, predictably. They’d had this discussion before. “No, thank you.”
“I still say it’s better than staying here.”
“And I still say you’re wrong. Tell me one way in which it’s better. It certainly isn’t safer.”
“Maybe I’m not looking for safe.”
“No, I know you’re not. You’re looking for happy ever after. What d’you think, Liz? You think if you make it out to the coast in one piece there’ll be a warm welcome waiting for you? You think that guy you’ve been pining away for even remembers you? You were history to Jason the minute he hopped that train.”
“You don’t know that,” Liz said hotly. “You have no idea what happened. Any more than I do. Maybe he had no choice. You remember what it was like, don’t you? Floyd was—”
“Dead, Lizzie. Floyd was dead. And Jason could have spoken with his new sire, if he’d wanted. He could have asked to be one of the people left behind to take care of the ranch. He didn’t have to go west.”
“Maybe he did. Maybe he asked to stay and the answer was no.”
“I saw him off at the station. He didn’t look like he was under duress.”
“What?” Liz stared at her brother, open-mouthed. “You never told me that. For weeks after he left you told me you had no idea what happened to him.”
Rob shrugged. “I didn’t want to upset you.”
Like she hadn’t been upset anyway? Liz shook off her sense of dismay. “Anyway, that’s all beside the point. And I have not been ‘pining away’ after anyone. This has nothing to do with Jason.”
But it did, a little, didn’t it? Rob wasn’t wrong about that. There had always been, in the back of her mind, the tiniest of fantasies of how she’d finally make it out west. She’d be standing at the edge of the ocean, marveling at its size. Thinking about how much it reminded her of the river back home—or how little it did. She wouldn’t know ’til she saw it. When, all at once, she’d hear his voice saying, “Lizbeth, my darling, is it really you?” And she’d turn and gaze once more into the eyes of her own true love…
A silly, girlish fantasy, perfectly suited to the silly girl she used to be.
“We’ve talked about this, Rob. I’ve spent my whole adult life reading about all the fabulous, exotic places I thought I’d never get to. I just want to see something of the world before I die.”
“It’s a dipshit plan. You think you’re ‘going for your dreams’ or something? Well, you’re not. You’re giving your dreams up. Why, Lizzie? Where’s the sense in that?”
“Oh, Rob.” Liz shook her head wearily. Now she remembered why she’d left home in the first place. Because she couldn’t take any more of these fruitless arguments. She knew something about Rob’s supposed plans for the future—expanding the family, forcibly turning people. If anyone’s plan qualified as “dipshit,” it was his. “What you’re talking about—it can’t happen.”
“Why not? It’s no different than what Felicia did. All we want is to live as we always have. I’ve talked to the others; most of them agree. Why should we be driven from our home? Why should we have to leave?”
“Because everything’s different now. What you’re planning is wrong. It will hurt people. If y’all can’t see that, you’re already crazy. There’s no way to stop what’s happening. We’ll go crazy, then we’ll die. Believe that or don’t. Doesn’t make much difference.”
Sooner or later, their erratic behavior would attract the wrong kind of attention. Then, either the human authorities would get called in, or another House would step up to take care of the problem they posed. Either way, the media would eat it up. Reporters would swarm the area; they’d be like pigs in mud reporting on the event. The family would be branded a cult and carefully planted stories would emerge, detailing their strange, quasi-religious beliefs and hinting that the members had been victims of abuse. Their deaths—either the result of a horrific shootout, fire, explosion, or in a supposed mass suicide—would be featured for days on the evening news.
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” Rob insisted. “If we pool our resources—like we did at the start—if we build the nest back up rather than letting it fall to pieces, there’s no reason to think we can’t succeed.”
“There’s every reason to think that! Do you even hear yourself? Do you not realize how futile this is?”
“We have a plan, Liz. Saturday night. We’re gonna pick up all the fresh blood and bodies we need at the paintball battle. It’s gonna work out—you’ll see. But the more of us who get on board with this, the better our chances. You’re gonna be in town, aren’t you? Why don’t you join us?”
Liz shook her head, feeling weary, feeling trapped. “Oh, Rob.”
“What’s a few hours out of your life to save your family?”
Once before, she’d wanted to leave. Her brother had argued with her then, too. “You’re asking me to give up my dreams again, to sacrifice my only chance for happiness.” Last time, he’d been right to stop her. She’d had no real choice in the matter; she’d have died for sure, and Jason, too. This time…she’d die either way. So what did it matter?
If she had nothing else, she at least had the freedom to choose when and where she died. And it wouldn’t be in Sapphire Falls. And it wouldn’t be this weekend!
“That’s not what I’m asking.” Rob clutched her hand. “I’m asking you to give us a chance. Why give up your life without a fight? If this works the way I think it will—the way I know it will—we’ll be free to do whatever we want. You’ll have all eternity to travel.”
“Eternity, huh?” It sounded good. It sounded impossible, but oh, so, nice. And she was so tired of arguing. She could understand the appeal of Rob’s quixotic plan, could understand why the others were willing to go along with it. Because what if he were right? What if they could succeed? What if she could have the life she’d always dreamed of? What price would she pay to make that dream a reality? What price wouldn’t she pay? “Tell me again what I’d have to do?”

AUTHOR BIO

USA Today Bestselling Author PG Forte inhabits a world only slightly less strange than the ones she creates. Filled with serendipity, coincidence, love at first sight and dreams come true.
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Originally a Jersey girl, and forever a California girl at heart, PG currently resides in the beautiful Texas Hill Country where she continues to write contemporary and paranormal romance in a variety of sub-genres. The common thread linking them together? Her stories are always centered around themes of friendship, family, and heartfelt feelings.
 
Even the vampires? Yes. Especially the vampires.