Chapter 31
As the autumn chill became more wintry and frosty the vampires spent those nights attacking Mr. Smith as he lay in his sick bed. More care was taken to slip in and out of the house, as now a servant was nearby to tend a small fire in the bedroom fireplace and care for Mr. Smith in his weakening physical state. Susie fought back giggles of glee and satisfaction as she controlled and savored the once strong and powerful man's declining health and imminent descent toward death. She loved the feeling of power and the control she had never known in her life before her transformation.
Ruthie, on the other hand, was alarmed at Susie's growing lust for blood and her uninhibited joy in her new power and her feeling of conquest and self-satisfaction that accompanied it. Ruthie feared this was an extremely dangerous combination that could eventually draw discovery and death to them all. Susie had hinted at using their power to annihilate all oppressors and even asked Ruthie the whereabouts of her former master. It still gave Ruthie chills to even think about the violent abuse she suffered from her master and never wanted to see him again. Becoming a bloodthirsty vampire was not her choice but she preferred living her present life as an evil being to her former life as a victim and helpless servant, helplessly allowing herself to be submissive and dependent on a man who used her and abused her. She was happy to leave the past behind and was adamantly averse to seeking him out even for revenge.
Next, in an attempt to hunt down Amy's oppressor Susie tried to raise some anger in Amy by describing her perspective on Robert's disappearance. She coldly told Amy how she believed that Robert had abandoned her intentionally, probably after planning his escape for some time. The devastating pain on Amy's face melted Ruthie's heart and she tried to comfort her the best she could. The next evening Amy woke up with her faith in Robert fully restored but her mistrust in Susie had grown to equal Ruthie's.
"Don't you blame your father for your being a vampire?" Susie asked Amy after she rose for the evening.
"No," Amy asked warily, "why would you even ask such a thing?"
"He forbid you to see Robert and promised you to a man of his choosing," Susie explained, " you must carry some feelings of resentment toward your father, don't you?"
Ruthie nervously looked up from her Bible. She guessed Susie was still trying to raise anger in Amy and feared Amy's reaction. She felt that Amy was already in enough pain caused by the loss of Robert. She didn't need Susie bringing up more unpleasant memories of Amy's past.
"No," Amy replied sternly, "I do not. When Ruthie and I used my father's cellar as a lair I resolved any feelings of anger or resentment that I had for my father. I would have been with Robert as a result of any situation my father was responsible for. I would have happily repeated my actions even knowing then what I know now. Robert will return to me no matter what anyone else believes."
Disappointed at her failure to manipulate Amy and Ruthie into seeking vengeance from their former oppressors, Susie sat down with a sigh, "Then who will we use for a victim next? We've been following Reverend Williams with no luck at finding him evil. It's too dangerous to feed on his flock and feeding on the Reverend, which would solve our problem, is forbidden."
"Yes," Amy replied, "tonight will be the final night of Mr. Smith's life."
"Yes," Susie grinned, "what a wonderful night this will be."
"I don't like the way you've been acting," Ruthie spoke up, "you love murdering too much. It can only end up bad. You're going to forget to be careful and get us all killed."
"What do you mean?" Susie asked in defense, "that's what we are now, murderers, sinners, tools of the devil as you refer to us?"
"That is true," Ruthie replied, "but you are enjoying it too much."
"Why can't I enjoy it?" Susie asked, "Amy enjoys it, don't you, Amy?"
Amy looked uncomfortable. She didn't want to admit her enjoyment, even though she and Ruthie had discussed it before, "Of course I enjoy it, Susie," she answered reluctantly, "but that's what we are. We need to drink blood, but we have to remain logical and self-preserving. If we give in completely to our lust for blood, we are certain to be discovered and killed."
"What good is having all of this power; strength, invulnerability to things that would kill a mortal human-lack of food, the elements, disease-if we don't have the freedom to take advantage of it?"
"I don't think anyone has ultimate freedom," Ruthie said, "I dreamed all my life of being free from my master and mistress. I know my mother did too. But now I realize that nobody is completely free. Even now that I'm free from my past and have more power and strength than the strongest man, I have to be careful how I use that power or I won't have it for long. Eternity is a long time to be burning in hell. I don't want to die any sooner than I have to."
"Yes," Amy agreed, "we still have a responsibility to ourselves. If we allow ourselves to use our power freely, we would draw attention to ourselves and soon be discovered and destroyed."
Susie sulked in her chair seeming to process the advice of her two companions and abruptly changed the subject, "I have an idea to have Mr. Smith die in a most humiliating manner."
"What is your idea?" Amy asked with apprehension.
"We could carry his body to one of the alleys and allow the authorities to find it instead of him dying in his soft bed at home," Susie smiled in appreciation of her plan.
"The authorities would only hide his identity like they did the man in your house," Ruthie said.
"I agree with Ruthie," Amy said, "besides it would be dangerous to transport his body into town. It would also raise questions among his family and the authorities. He's been unable to rise from his sick bed for days. How would he arrive downtown on his own? They would be sure to conclude that he had help traveling."
"Yes," Ruthie added," it would appear that he was murdered. That's what our plan was seeking to avoid."
"Yes," Amy said, "the whole plan of draining him slowly is to disguise his death as a mysterious illness that causes him to weaken and die gradually."
"Fine," Susie relented, "I was simply looking for a way to destroy his reputation."
"Isn't killing the man enough?" Ruthie stood in agitation, "you want to ruin his reputation as well?"
"Yes, I do," Susie replied passionately, "I want to destroy him completely."
Ruthie and Amy exchanged looks of displeasure.
"Susie," Amy stood and joined Ruthie across the table from where Susie sat, "you must keep control of yourself. You mustn't allow your lust for revenge and blood cloud your reason. We must retain control of our senses."
"The two of you have no imagination and no sense of adventure," Susie accused.
"Any impulsive acts on our parts only end in problems and regret," Amy explained, "in fact, I was acting on impulse the night we met. I was careless in murdering your Mr. Strapper and careless in leaving him alive to attract Reverend William's attention. I was also careless in bringing you away and transforming you into one of us before learning exactly what circumstances you were suffering."
"Are you saying you regret knowing me now?" Susie demanded angrily, "Am I not living up to your standards and expectations?"
"Not at all," Amy explained, "I'm simply trying to make you realize the dangers of acting on impulse. Much, much worse things could happen to us than possibly attracting the attention of a powerless minister."
"Of course," Ruthie interjected, "his power could rise considerably if he solves the mystery of his parishioners' murders and exposes our identity."
"Then he would become a hero," Amy said, "perhaps even a legend. We certainly don't want that to happen, do we?"
"No," Susie was subdued, "we certainly don't."
"I'm very happy that you understand," Amy smiled with relief, "now let us visit Mr. Smith for the final time."
A warm flickering glow from the fireplace could be seen in Mr. Smith's bedroom window as the vampires traveled by mist up the rear of the house for the final time. Inside the room the sound of crackli
ng embers accompanied the glow of the flickering flames while the girls stood still and silent behind the window drapes waiting for the nursemaid to leave the room. She sat wearily next to the bed waiting for her employer to either awaken and need her attention or give in to his affliction and end her term of employment. Eventually, she rose stiffly and left the room after a momentary stop by the fireplace to stir the ashes andadd a log.
Susie hastily approached the bed to administer the final attack that would kill Mr. Smith and allow her the vengeful satisfaction she had been looking forward to. She paused over him, her mouth open and ready to inflict the fatal feeding. At that moment she realized she wanted as much satisfaction as possible during the final attack. In her greed for having Mr. Smith punished for her suffering, she became determined that he didn't drift quietly into death. With her mouth still open, sharp fangs shining in the firelight, Susie shook Smith until his eyes opened weakly. As she enjoyed watching the drowsy expression on his face change from confusion to terror she greedily bent over him and drank the remainder of his blood. When she rose she was not only satisfied physically from the feeding, but satisfied emotionally by the expression of terror still frozen on Smith's lifeless face.
Outside the house moments later Susie laughed a deep satisfying laugh while Ruthie and Amy stood by concerned, but not surprised, with Susie's disturbing reaction to Mr. Smith's murder.
Susie ceased her selfish enjoyment when she noted their disapproving expressions and Amy said, "That was quite a shameful display, Susie."
"What do you mean?" Susie asked as they quickly moved toward the city center.
"For one thing," Amy pouted, "you were extremely selfish and left nothing for me."
"Oh," Susie frowned, "I'm sorry. I was so consumed with the ecstasy of the act that I forgot. I really do apologize, Amy, but there really wasn't enough in him for two people anyway."
Ruthie looked shaken and angry at Susie's sinful joy, "You have to start repressing your love of murder, Susie. I know you believe that it's natural for us to murder, but murder is murder no matter how you explain it."
"Yes," Amy added, "that is the other thing. We talked about this before leaving the lair tonight."
"How dare you scold me about this again," Susie glared, "do you want to know how severely I controlled myself? My impulse was to tear his head off and drink the blood from his gaping neck, then strip off his skin and lick the blood that coats its walls."
Amy and Ruthie stared in horror.
"Yes," Susie said, "that would have raised some very serious questions by the authorities. Therefore, I settled for waking him long enough for him to see the attack approach and for me to enjoy the look of horror on his face. I'm sure the authorities will mistake the expression for the pain of his soul leaving his body or some other nonsense and we will remain safe. I'm not ashamed for taking pleasure in the power I had to take that evil man's life and the power I had to cause such an expression of pure terror. The same expression of terror my dead coworkers suffered the night they were trampled by the horses in the street."
"Good Lord!" Ruthie exclaimed shakily, "I don't know if any amount of prayer will help cleanse your soul of that confession."
"But I'm sure you'll try anyway, won't you?" Susie said sarcastically.
After a few minutes of silence Amy said, "I suppose you are gaining control over your impulses, Susie, if what you say is true."
"Are you questioning my honesty?" Susie asked.
"Certainly not," Amy replied, "I've just never known such hatred."
"Neither have I," Susie said.
"I hope you never hate that strongly again," Ruthie said, "I hope instead you can learn to forgive."
"What fun is that?" Susie muttered.
"Well," Amy brightened, "tomorrow evening we should find a front page story detailing Mr. Smith's life and death in the afternoon paper."
"Maybe a special edition," Susie laughed, "being the prominent businessman he was."
"Presently, Ruthie and I need to feed," Amy announced as they entered an alley leading to the wharves. The alley harbored only a cat and a few rats, which Ruthie skillfully gathered and drained as she passed through. Her hunger quenched, Ruthie was eager to walk along the wharves and feel the cold air in her hair and on her face and pray for Mr. Smith and Susie. She hoped Amy would be able to find a suitable victim in the area to leave more time for strolling and praying along the waterfront. Keeping their hoods on as always to hide their faces, the three vampires slowly slipped along the river bank in the shadows of dark, silent buildings and occasional trees searching the air for the scent of blood and cautiously watching for anyone who might be loitering or working late along the wharves.
Suddenly Amy signaled her companions to halt and they pressed their backs against the clapboard side of a carpenter's building. They all heard the low voices of a man and woman from behind an overturned rowboat on the shore and waited for one or both of them to emerge from their hiding place. From the bits of conversation that was overheard, the woman was a prostitute waiting to be paid for services performed. Amy looked toward Ruthie who stood on the other side of Susie waiting for Ruthie's signal that one of these sinners would be an acceptable victim. After a moment the man and woman appeared from their secluded space and the man passed by ahead of the woman. Ruthie nodded reluctantly to Amy and Amy's arm swiftly reached out and she caught the prostitute by the throat as she passed. The man never looked back or noticed the prostitute disappear as he hastened back to his everyday life.
Amy swiftly pulled the middle-aged woman's throat to her waiting mouth and sunk her teeth into the skin, which was trapped under her vice-like fingers before the woman had a chance to scream out. The sudden gasp of air she had taken when she felt herself being pulled off her feet by Amy's supernatural strength was the only sound she made before dying. In moments the prostitute was lying dead and drained of blood at Amy's feet.
Susie knelt down and began searching the woman's clothing and pulled out a few coins, "Look at this!" she exclaimed as she rose.
"Money," Ruthie said when she looked at Susie's palm "what do you want with money. We just take whatever we want."
"Do you want to live in cellars and attics forever?" she looked from Ruthie to Amy.
"What are you suggesting?" Amy asked.
"We can have the means to rent a decent room," Susie explained as she pocketed the coins.
"That would be much too dangerous!" Amy replied, "We would be exposed and unprotected during the day. Just remember how your landlady made herself at home in your rooms while you were away."
"We could get ourselves a guard, Amy," Susie explained, "he could keep out anyone who tried to enter during the day."
"No," Ruthie said, "I won't make an innocent person a slave to me. That would be as bad as murder. It would still be denying another person his own life to lead."
"How is that as bad as murder?" Susie argued, "We wouldn't be killing him. Besides, maybe it would be an improvement over his present life, depending on who we choose."
Amy looked pensive, "It would be so nice to have decent furnishings and a fire in the winter."
"Amy!" Ruthie scolded, "We've discussed this before when you wanted to stay in our first lair, remember?"
"What?" Amy's mind was forced from her fantasy of luxury and fireplaces, "yes, that's right," she remembered, "yes, it's much too risky. Just imagine what might have happened if we had acted on that idea. Mr. Smith or his construction workers would most certainly have overcome our guard eventually and found us."
"But you weren't renting that house," Susie pointed out, "you had no legal claim on it. If you were renting or owned the property you would have been safe."
"Maybe so," Ruthie said, "but that still leaves the problem of forcing someone into a life of slavery."
"That's correct," Amy sighed, "we cannot take away a man's life unnecessarily for our comfort."
"I'm glad you agree," Ruthie was relieved.
"T
he way the two of you waste your power and give up all that you could gain by it is absolutely incredible," Susie seethed, "you are more powerful than anyone in the world, but you cower in fear living in dusty cellars when you could be luxuriating in mansions filled with servants."
"Let's dispose of this body and discuss this later," Ruthie suggested.
"Yes," Amy lifted her victim and peered out from behind the building before stepping out into the open. The area was deserted as she carried the lifeless body past the overturned boat and dropped it lightly into the cold quiet river.
After a short walk along the riverbank the vampires returned to the silent dark cold church and their lair below. Ruthie immediately lit the candles and continued the prayer she began by the river. Her cold hands lay faithfully on her Bible as she whispered her prayers for the souls of their victims as well as the killers.
Susie and Amy quietly hung their cloaks and Amy drew Susie aside so as not to disturb Ruthie's concentration.
"Susie," she looked into Susie's angry face, "you must realize once and for all that we mustn't do anything to bring attention to ourselves. For one thing, it would be dangerous for anyone to recognize us. We are all considered to be missing. People would be filled with curiosity and demand explanations for our sudden disappearances and reappearances. That wouldn't even be the worst thing to happen. How could we even begin to explain how three girls from three completely different backgrounds and parts of town came to disappear but find each other? The worst thing would be for people, unbeknownst to us to discover and recognize us and keep their knowledge a secret, but follow us to find our lair and our true identities. If we were to attempt to live like civilized residents and take a room of our own it would soon become known to our neighbors that we are unseen and unavailable during daylight hours. Even a guard couldn't prevent curious meddlers from attempting to learn our secret. Do you understand?"
"I understand that we must live in fear of being discovered for eternity," Susie resentfully replied.
"Yes," Amy said, "we must protect ourselves forever."
"Perhaps," Susie suggested, "if we move to a larger and strange city we could try to rent rooms."
"I will stay in this city until Robert returns," Amy vowed, "I only hope and pray he can find me here without being in the lair where he left me."
"What if he never returns?" Susie asked.
"I know he will," Amy began her bedtime grooming.
Susie sighed, "I suppose I have no choice but to live in dark cellars and attics forever," she took the coins from inside her skirt and set them on the table quietly so as not to interrupt Ruthie's prayers.