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Published: 10 April 2023

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The Tiny Vampire From Outer Space That’s Bitey XV: Beach City Election

Marcus and Shadow have returned from their Beach City Vacation. Now, it's time to help Julian with his Beach City Mayor election campaign. Marcus sees it as a large step in the correct direction when it comes to taking over Beach city in the name of the vampires.

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Chapter 1 – Hunting Grounds

Marcus woke to his wrist device dinging. He looked at it. The construction crew had finally emailed him the plans for the hunting grounds. The timestamp said they’d emailed it an hour before dawn.

“Long night.” Marcus had long since stopped trying to work that late into the night, and most nights, he had his watch set to silent from the hours of 4 in the morning to 9 at night. That last hour was meant for him and Shadow so he could get them both fed, showered and in bed and possibly watch a movie until the sun rose.

Marcus slid out of the bed. He leaned back over the bed and tucked Shadow in before grabbing a pair of sweatpants out of his dresser and putting them on.

He looked around the room. No Shari with food and hugs and no Mia. Marcus made a contemplative sound, then turned his head when he heard a knock on the doorframe.

“My apologies,” Mia said. “I’m running a little late tonight.”

“Shadow’s not usually up for another forty minutes or so,” Marcus said.

“I have blood and bloodchocolates. The bloodcakes didn’t turn out. That’s why I’m late. I have a new batch curing in the oven,” Mia said.

“What was the problem with the bloodcakes?” Marcus asked as Mia set the food on the vanity.

“I’m not used to modern ovens. I had the heat too hot. They turned into bricks,” Mia said.

“Alera can probably help you with the oven,” Marcus said.

“She actually stopped by to see how I was doing just as I took the first batch out,” Mia said. “She worked on the oven temperature while I described how we usually make them.”

“Good,” Marcus said.

“Bloodcakes?” Shadow sat up in the bed and looked around. “I smell bloodcakes.”

“Not yet. Not even you would have been able to bite through the first batch,” Mia said. “I have a new batch baking though.”

Shadow huffed.

“I’ll get Shadow fed and dressed if you want to monitor those bloodcakes,” Marcus said.

“Thank you,” Mia said.

“Is it cold out?” Shadow said from inside her closet.

“It’s snowing,” Mia said as she started to walk out of the master bedroom.

“Snow,” Marcus said. “I thought we were too far south on this planet for that.”

“There’s white stuff on the ground,” Mia said. “And it’s cold out. I don’t know why it snowed.”

“I’ll have to watch the news when I get downstairs,” Marcus said then turned to Shadow. “Wear your fleece.”

Shadow put on some fleece leggings, thick socks and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

Marcus grabbed the jugs of blood off the side table. When Shadow emerged from the closet, he handed her one. “It’s open.”

Shadow drained the jug while Marcus drained his. “I think that was an extra-large blood.”

Marcus finished his. “That is good. That puts my blooddolls to shame.”

Shadow laughed. “We’re not selling these are we?”

“No,” Marcus said. “The jungle food is for us or whoever books a stay at our jungle resort.”

Shadow grabbed a couple bloodchocolates and ate them. “They’re warm.”

Marcus grabbed one and ate it. “She did manage to heat those a little bit. I think they’re even better.” He grabbed a few more and ate them. He reached for another one and realized there was only one left. “Did you want this one?”

“Go ahead. I’m waiting for bloodcakes,” Shadow said.

Marcus ate it. “Let’s see what’s downstairs.” He picked up Shadow and carried her down to the kitchen. “The bedroom ran out of bloodchocolates.”

“I have more,” Mia said. She motioned to a bowl on the table. “Fresh from the stove.”

Marcus set Shadow on her feet and walked over to the bowl. He sampled one. “How’d you heat these?” He grabbed two more and ate them.

“Really carefully. They have to be cooked to firm, but if you leave them in just a little longer, they end up staying warm for a few minutes,” Mia said.

“These are great.” Marcus ate a couple more. And then another one. “I’m done.”

Shadow laughed.

“Shadow wanted to know when the bloodcakes are going to be finished,” Marcus said.

Mia looked at the timer. “Twenty minutes.”

“We can scan the news while we wait,” Marcus said.

Shadow followed Marcus into the back parlor.

Marcus turned on the TV to the news. He hadn’t had a reason to watch the news since the riots. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on in Beach City other than the election, which he was fairly certain Julian would win.

The first newscast was a blurry shot of the spaceship that left the pyramid city.

Marcus grumbled.

“They don’t know anything,” Shadow said.

Marcus listened to the reporter then laughed. All the man could say was that it was presumably some off-worlders that decided to go home. That was true enough.

The second news program was of the election. It showed a picture of Julian and the current mayor. It briefly announced their platforms and showed the candidates answering questions. The mayor was first. He claimed he would treat off-worlders better and make Earth a more welcoming planet. Marcus heard many members of the audience laugh and a few gasp.

“There’s no way that’s true,” Marcus said.

“He unintentionally let everyone know that there are off-worlders here,” Shadow said.

“I’m not sure he was believed,” Marcus said. “But I didn’t think that they made that news official either.”

“There’s Julian. How’d they do that?” Shadow asked as she pointed to the TV.

Marcus looked. Julian was on the screen. “Maybe…” He started to say maybe the same way they got him in the commercials, but Marcus didn’t think that was possible. “I have no idea.”

“Is that Julian’s commercial?” Oliver asked as he stepped into the doorway.

“It’s a speech of his, but I don’t know how he’s appearing on the TV,” Marcus said.

“Special suit,” Oliver said. “And some pretty fantastic software.”

“I’m sorry I missed the development of that,” Marcus said then paused his words as Julian started talking.

A man asked Julian how he’d clean up the city. Marcus wasn’t surprised when Julian gave a no-nonsense answer that amounted to increasing the police budget, especially for the overnight hours.

Then, he was asked how he could increase employment for those who could only work at night. Marcus wasn’t surprised when Julian had to think about that question. Finally, the answer amounted to increased safety will help businesses extend their hours.

“Not bad answers,” Marcus said.

“I thought they were okay,” Oliver said. “He’s not a politician yet, so he doesn’t quite sound like one.”

“I think that might be to his benefit. A lot of the mayor’s answers seemed cliché,” Marcus said. “When was this done?”

“I think a night or two after you left. This is one of Julian’s commercials. Though, they took out the before and after in this version to make it look more like a news story,” Oliver said. “It’s been running for a couple nights.”

“When’s the election?” Marcus asked.

“A week,” Oliver said. “Well, technically the election cycle is two weeks. The week before and the week of the election.”

“Fast campaign season,” Marcus said.

“It doesn’t run on for years,” Oliver said. “They try and get it done quickly.”

“How’s Julian looking in the polls?” Marcus asked.

“We’ll have that answer later tonight. Julian is leaving to meet with them in a few minutes,” Oliver said.

“Does he need me to go with him?” Marcus asked.

“Let me ask. Alera was helping him with his suit,” Oliver said.

Marcus waited.

“He said he’d love it if you could come tonight,” Oliver said.

“I better put some better clothes on,” Marcus said.

“What am I doing tonight?” Shadow asked.

“I’ll call my sire. You can go with her to Ocean City if she hasn’t left yet.” Marcus dialed his sire on his wrist device.

“Marcus, what can I do for you?” Lucia asked.

“Are you still bringing the boys by?” Marcus asked.

“I should be at your house in five minutes,” Lucia said.

“Shadow would like to go with you to Ocean City,” Marcus said as he walked out of the parlor and into the kitchen.

Shadow followed Marcus.

“Of course. I can pick her up when I drop the boys off,” Lucia said.

“Thank you. We’ll see you in a minute,” Marcus said. He ended the call. “She’s coming up the driveway.”

“I’ll pack you both some snacks for the road,” Mia said.

Marcus watched as Mia replicated two bags then proceeded to fill them with jars of blood and bloodchocolates. “Did you learn to use the replicator?”

“Alera showed me again when she helped me with the bloodcakes.” She paused. “Oh, the bloodcakes.” Mia opened the oven.

Marcus handed her a padded glove.

Mia put on the glove and took the tray out of the oven. “These look better.” She set them on the stove. “They just need a minute to cool.”

Marcus wrapped his arms entirely around Shadow when she reached for one. “Not yet.”

Shadow squeaked and huffed.

Mia turned around. “Oh.”

“You have to watch her like a hawk sometimes,” Marcus said. “She has been known to grab things out of hot pans.”

“Oh, little vampire. Don’t do that,” Mia said. “You’ll get burned.” She tested the bloodcake at the edge of the tray. “It’s going to be a couple minutes yet.”

“Come upstairs with me. You can help me pick out a suit,” Marcus said. He picked Shadow up and carried her upstairs to the master bedroom.

Marcus opened his closet and turned on the light.

Shadow hopped inside. “Professional suit?”

“Something nice,” Marcus said.

Shadow sifted through Marcus’ suits. “I didn’t know you had this many.” She grabbed a dark gray suit and a dark purple shirt with purple gold cufflinks. Shadow walked out of the closet.

“Are you trying to tell me something?” Marcus asked as he took the suit from her.

Shadow looked at the suit then laughed when she realized the color combination she had picked out. “I wasn’t.”

Marcus chuckled as he dressed in the suit. “I know what’s on your mind. We’ll try and get some private time when we get back.”

“We could get some private time real quick right now,” Shadow said.

“I’d have to wear a mutto shield,” Marcus said.

Shadow grumbled. “I’m not in the mood to feel fake real mutto.”

Marcus looked at his wrist device. “The full moon is tomorrow. We’d make a mess otherwise.”

“Nevermind,” Shadow said.

“I thought you might change your mind.” Marcus led Shadow downstairs. “Is my sire here?”

“She’s getting the boys settled in the cabin,” Oliver said. “I think Julian is ready.”

“You’re snack bags,” Mia said. “I put bloodcakes in both.”

Marcus grabbed his and handed Shadow hers.

“And here’s a bloodcake for the walk.” Mia handed Shadow a bloodcake in a napkin.

Shadow took a bite of it. “Thank you.”

Marcus led Shadow out of the stone house to the cabin.

They entered through the back door.

“Are we late?” Marcus asked.

“Nope. Right on time,” Alera said as she walked into the kitchen.

“Have Marc or Shari made an appearance tonight?” Marcus asked.

“I haven’t seen them,” Alera said.

“Has anyone else woken up?” Marcus asked.

“We think we have two that might be up later tonight or tomorrow,” Alera said.

“What are their names?” Marcus asked.

“Marcus the third and Agnes,” Alera said.

“Agnes?” Marcus asked.

“It means sacred. Sabina liked it,” Alera said. “We sat around trying to think of a good name for her the other night.”

“Agnes is fine,” Marcus said. “We may want to give Marcus the third a gans.”

“We could. We didn’t think of one,” Alera said.

“I don’t want us to start getting them confused,” Marcus said.

“We could just rename him,” Shadow said. “He’s not awake yet. He doesn’t know his name.”

“Good point,” Marcus said.

“We could name him Maro,” Shadow said.

“That’s not bad,” Marcus said.

“Maro Carboni,” Alera said. “That has a nice ring.”

“Do you think it’s too close to bone marrow,” Marcus asked.

“Oh, it might be,” Alera said.

“What about Cris?” Shadow said.

Marcus chuckled. “Are we trying for joke names?”

“That would be short for crisis in English,” Alera said when Shadow looked confused.

“Let’s keep that on the burner,” Marcus said. “Have the childer do some more brainstorming.”

“I can do that,” Alera said.

Lucia stepped into the kitchen. “I have the boys settled. They’re playing with the other childer. Are you ready, Shadow?”

Shadow finished her bloodcake. “I’m ready.”

“Did you remember a bag of snacks?” Lucia asked. “We may be gone a few hours.”

Shadow held up the sack. “I have my snacks.”

“She’s ready with snacks,” Marcus said.

“Great. The food is still limited in Ocean City,” Lucia said.

“We haven’t set up a shelter there yet,” Marcus said.

“Actually, there in the process of getting one ready. I ran into Sadie the other night,” Lucia said.

“Oh, that’s right. I did tell her to open one,” Marcus said.

“She’s got the building. They’re moving equipment and supplies in,” Lucia said.

“I should probably check my email. I bet all that information is in there,” Marcus said.

“It probably is,” Lucia said. “She was very busy and tired the night I spoke to her. I suppose she also thought I’d tell you. She probably gave me too many details about the project.”

“Well, I trust my family, so that’s fine, and if she tells one of you, it’ll get back to me,” Marcus said. “However, I should get out there sometime in the next couple nights and see how it’s going.”

“It’s right downtown,” Lucia said. “You’d love the location.”

“I may try and get over there tomorrow night,” Marcus said. “Maybe later tonight. It depends on how long this meeting is with Julian.”

Lucia nodded. “Let’s go, Shadow. I’m running late.”

Shadow walked out of the cabin with Lucia and stepped into the passenger’s side of the van. She closed her door.

Lucia got in on the driver’s side. She closed her door, started the engine and turned the van around so they could leave the property.

“Was Marcus not doing anything interesting?” Lucia asked.

“It’s not interesting to me,” Shadow said. “He’s going with Julian to a campaign meeting.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t like that,” Lucia said. “It’s a whole lot of talk about speeches and strategies when it comes to winning political campaigns.”

“That sounds more boring than I thought it would be,” Shadow said.

“You’ll like this better. You can pick out some outfits while I check out the store. Then, we’ll stop by that hotel I might buy, and I’ll take you over to the new shelter,” Lucia said.

“That’s a much better night,” Shadow said.

“What was your other option?” Lucia asked.

“Entertaining myself or studying with the childer,” Shadow said.

“This was definitely the best option,” Lucia said. “Plus, we never get to spend any time together. I see all the other grandchilder all the time but never you.”

“I’m usually busy with Marcus,” Shadow said.

“Well, let’s have some fun tonight while we do a little business.”

Shadow watched the road while Lucia drove. “Isn’t this where Marcus’ old boss lives?”

“It is,” Lucia said. “But he’s not the same vampire he was. I’ve ran into a few more vampires that worked for him since I tried to drop off Ortho. They have all said that when they worked for him, he was the best employer they ever had. Generous. Understanding. He’s none of that now.”

“That’s too bad. Marcus liked him,” Shadow said.

“He’s a greedy, uncaring son of a bitch now,” Lucia said as she glanced at the clock on the dash. “Do you want to take a shortcut?”

“What kind of shortcut?” Shadow asked.

“This kind of shortcut.” Lucia opened a portal and drove the van through it.

Shadow gasped.

“We’re running really late,” Lucia said as they drove in a straight line through the Umbra.”

“This is a little more excitement than I wanted,” Shadow said as she hung onto the armrests. The Umbra wasn’t known for its smooth ground.

“You’re okay. We’ll be leaving in a second.” Lucia opened a second portal.

They landed on the road with the Ocean City sign twenty feet in front of them.

“What was that?” Lucia asked.

“What was what?” Shadow asked.

“Did you see a castle in the Umbra?” Lucia asked.

“Oh yeah. Marcus and I visited it during the storm. Some vampire named Seneca owns it,” Shadow said.

“I need to look him up. That name sounds familiar,” Lucia said.

“Do you have Umbra history books?” Shadow asked.

“I have them for both Umbra and Chivitas,” Lucia said. “I found them the other night when I was unpacking in the new house.”

“Marcus might be interested in those,” Shadow said. “Actually, both Marcuses.”

“I’m going to look up Seneca when I get home,” Lucia said.

“Marcus didn’t know who he was. He said he was ten thousand years old.”

“He might be if it’s the Seneca I’m thinking of. Hell, he might be older than that,” Lucia said as she drove into Ocean City.

“Is he older than Jaq?” Shadow asked.

Lucia glanced at Shadow. “Don’t ever say that name in front of Marcus. But, I think he’s older than Jaq. Maybe not by much, but I do think he’s older.”

“This is making me feel like one of my childer,” Shadow said. “Everything is older than me.”

“At two thousand, you’ll stop counting,” Lucia said.

“What happens at two thousand?” Shadow asked.

“Well, a lot. You’ll see twenty-five generations of living creatures. You’ll see entire governments form, grow and collapse. Your entire way of life will change about ten times. You’ve already lost a planet. You may see that again. Although, we hope not.”

“Does anything good happen?” Shadow asked.

“Oh, of course,” Lucia said. “You’ll get to see all your childer grow up and get their own lives. Or in our case, expand the clan. You’ll get rich then richer.”

“Was Marcus rich?” Shadow asked.

“His lifestyle, from what he’s told me, was much the same as it was centuries ago, but I don’t think he was hurting for money, and I think he had quite a bit put back.”

“So, he didn’t have to work,” Shadow said.

“I don’t think he did, but I do think it gave him a sense of purpose, and it kept him up to date, which was why he did it. Now, he’s working to rebuild that fortune and provide for you, your childer and all of us, but you should have seen all that when you bonded.”

“Not really. His lifestyle was never extravagant, and the bonding doesn’t really show you the motivation. Although, you can feel strong emotions.”

“Interesting,” Lucia said as she drove. “We’re almost to the hotel.”

Details

Published: 10 April 2023

Hits: 501

The Tiny Vampire From Outer Space That’s Bitey XIV: Vampire Vacation

Marcus and Shadow finally take their vampire vacation, but it isn't to a luxury vampire resort. They haven't purchased that yet, but Marcus' sire is working on it. Instead, they travel back to the Jungle of the Vampire and the Pyramid City where they first met the Jungle Food. There's only a few things standing in their way, like a sudden tropical storm, some dehydrated vampires, Area 51 and the Space Agency.

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Chapter 1 - The Umbra

Shadow looked out the uncovered RV windows. Outside, there was an inky, hazy blackness. She thought it might be a lot like standing in the middle of Earth's new purple clouds if they were darker and black. She turned to Marcus. “You said we shouldn't go in without an exit, or we'll get trapped.”

“I said you shouldn't go in without an exit. I didn't want you to get trapped. It can take a long time to find someone down here if you don't know where they landed,” Marcus said.

“Do you know how to get us out of here?” Shadow asked.

“I do,” Marcus said. “So long as we don't move the RV.”

“I'm not sure that makes me feel better,” Shadow said. “What happens if we move the RV?”

“I'll still open a portal, but we may land further down the road or anywhere on Earth,” Marcus said.

“What about landing on another planet?” Shadow asked.

“I've never heard of that happening,” Marcus said.

“Why is this even here?” Shadow motioned to the outside. “I thought this was exclusive to Umbra.”

“We have the ability to move through the darkness,” Marcus said. “It would make sense that there would be something on the other side of that darkness. Regardless of the planet. Our abilities were the same on Chivitas too, but I have no idea if these are connected. Even if they are, I'm not sure what age vampire could actually jump through a portal to another planet. They'd have to be older than me. I doubt even Jaq could do it.”

“But what else is out there?” Shadow asked.

“I don't know,” Marcus said. “Did you want to take a walk?”

“How would we find our way back?” Shadow asked.

“The wrist device has a local mapping feature. I'll just set it to this location,” Marcus said.

“Do we know that it works down here?” Shadow asked.

Marcus looked at his wrist device. He set the home location to where he was standing. “Let me walk outside.”

“Do you want some real clothes first?” Shadow asked.

Marcus looked down at his sweatpants and t-shirt. “Maybe some shoes.” He grabbed a pair of socks and athletic shoes from his suitcase and put them on.

Shadow put on a pair of sweatpants and her socks and shoes. Then, she followed Marcus to the side door of the RV.

“Wait here,” Marcus said as he opened the door.

Shadow watched as he stepped out and walked a few feet from the RV. She was surprised at how clearly she could see him. She'd expected him to disappear in the fog-like haze that seemed to always permeate the Umbra.

Marcus walked about fifty feet from the RV. He could still see it when he turned around. In fact, the visibility was quite good. He looked down at his wrist device to make sure it was tracking his course. It was. “It's working. Come on. Don't forget to close the door.”

Shadow hopped out of the RV. She closed the door and walked over to Marcus. “Are you sure it's working?”

Marcus showed her. “But just in case.” He took Shadow's wrist and set her device to track their location with her current spot as the 'home'. “Yours is now set too.”

“Okay,” Shadow said.

Marcus took a hold of her hand and led her further away from the RV. “It is an interesting landscape.”

“Rocky,” Shadow said.

“It's almost like steps,” Marcus said as they walked. “I see something up here.”

“Is that a house?” Shadow asked.

“Looks like a castle,” Marcus said. “Or a palace.”

“Is that possible down here?” Shadow asked.

“Maybe. Let's take a closer look.” Marcus led her down what looked like a path to the front door. It was lined with black trees that had dark purple leaves. Darker than Marcus had ever seen.

“Could anyone be living in that?” Shadow asked.

“No idea,” Marcus said. “But if we run into anyone and they're not friendly, I'll deal with it.”

“How?” Shadow asked.

Marcus released Shadow's hand and stepped back a few feet from her. He let out his vampire. “Because I look like this down here.”

Shadow screamed and jumped backward. Marcus was nine feet tall with twelve-foot wings with horns and claws that made him look even bigger.

Marcus grabbed Shadow with a tendril before she fell into a tree and scuffed herself. “Guess you didn't see the mutto.”

Shadow laughed as she steadied herself. “No, I saw the fangs and horns first.” She looked lower. “Whoa. That's a mutto.”

Marcus reverted back to his normal form. “I'm guessing you don't want that one.”

“I think that's too big,” Shadow said. “Also, that's absolutely terrifying.”

“Which is why I'm not worried about whatever might be in here,” Marcus said as he took her hand and led her the rest of the way to the building.

“How did they make this?” Shadow asked.

“Probably used tendrils to move the stones,” Marcus said. “Probably took more than one vampire too.”

“Like fifty,” Shadow said.

Marcus climbed the stairs with Shadow. He turned around and looked back the way they came. He could just barely see the RV in the distance. “At least ten.”

“Do we knock?” Shadow asked.

Marcus turned and looked at the doors. They were fifty feet tall, and the knockers were halfway up the door. “I guess so.” He created two tendrils and used them to lift the knockers.

When he dropped them, the sound echoed.

“Those doors are heavy and so are the knockers,” Marcus said.

“How heavy?” Shadow asked.

“Heavier than every spaceship we've been on put together,” Marcus said.

“I hear something,” Shadow said.

Marcus stepped back and pulled Shadow with him. “They're opening.”

“No one is on the other side,” Shadow said.

“They didn't vibrate open.” Marcus looked beyond the doors into the foyer. There was a massive staircase at the far end.

“It's not dusty,” Shadow said.

“It's immaculately clean,” Marcus said.

He stepped to the edge of the doorway to get a closer look at the interior.

“I don't think anyone's home,” Shadow said.

“I don't think so either,” Marcus said.

“Are we going in?” Shadow asked.

“I haven't decided,” Marcus said. “I don't know what opened those doors, and I'm not sure what opens them once we get inside if they close.”

“I don't want to get trapped in there,” Shadow said.

“Neither do I,” Marcus said as he stepped back and scanned the exterior of the building. There were windows, but they looked like they were all sealed with some type of glass. He looked higher up the building. It did look like it had walkways on the roof, and there were probably stairways that led up there.

“What do you think?” Shadow asked.

“I'm not sure,” Marcus said. “Do you want to explore it?”

“We are stuck here for a few hours, and it's the most interesting thing I've ever seen down here.”

“Well, let's see what it is and if there's anything left from whoever built it,” Marcus said.

Shadow walked into the massive foyer with Marcus. “Smells good.”

“Smells like Umbra and food,” Marcus said. “Though, I can't tell which direction either smell is coming from.”

“Do you want to go up, down, left, right or straight ahead?” Shadow asked.

“Straight ahead. Let's see if there's a backyard,” Marcus said.

Shadow walked past and under the massive black stone staircase. A set of glass paneled doors resided behind the staircase. “Whoa.”

“That's an incredible backyard.” Marcus pushed the door open. He looked down and saw a stopper. Marcus flipped it down with his foot. “That'll keep the door open.”

Shadow stepped into the backyard. It was full of purple and red-leaved trees and all kinds of flowers. “Someone really spent a lot of time on this.”

“Someone brought seeds down from a planet,” Marcus said. “Though, I wasn't aware the ground here could grow anything.”

“I wonder what they're watering it with...”

Marcus looked around the enclosed backyard. It seemed the house wrapped entirely around it. “No idea. Whatever's feeding it isn't visible.”

“There's a hammock and a gazebo,” Shadow said.

“It's large enough to be a family estate,” Marcus said.

“Seems empty now,” Shadow said.

“It's possible this thing has been here for thousands of years,” Marcus said. “They may have eventually left to live on Earth.”

“Could Lord Blackwell have lived here?” Shadow asked.

“It's possible,” Marcus said. “And he is on Earth now.”

“Didn't you hide him?” Shadow asked.

“He's in a hidden room in the basement,” Marcus said. “We covered it with a tapestry to stop the childer from trying to open the door. We don't want them to accidentally spill an Umbra One on him.”

“Oh, yeah,” Shadow said. “Knowing Sabina, she'd drop a bloodpudding on him.”

“She probably would,” Marcus said as he looked around. “I don't think there's much else to see out here. This is just a private garden.”

“No, but it gives me ideas for our property,” Shadow said as she turned to walk back into the massive house.

Marcus walked back into the house with her. “Let's see if we can find the kitchen. I want to know what they were eating.”

They turned right and walked into another large room off the entrance room.

“Gallery?” Shadow asked.

“It would seem so,” Marcus said. “I think this is actually a large… Very large hallway.” He motioned to the doors on either side.

Shadow walked down the corridor to a large door at the far end. She opened it. “This is a kitchen.”

Marcus stepped into the kitchen and looked around. “Looks like a living creature kitchen.”

Shadow opened the refrigerator. “It's empty.”

Marcus looked. Then, he opened a few cabinets. “Also empty.”

“They couldn't have stayed here if there was no food,” Shadow said.

“It could be that they took it with them when they left,” Marcus said. “Let's look at the bedrooms.”

Shadow followed Marcus out of the kitchen to the foyer and up the stairs to the second floor. The front door was still open when they passed it.

Marcus opened the first door on the second-floor hallway. “Bedroom.”

“Master?” Shadow looked.

“No,” Marcus said.

“Nice bed though,” Shadow said. “It'd be even nicer if it had blankets.”

“Doesn't look like anyone has ever used that room.” Marcus checked the next room. “Never used.”

Shadow opened the third door. “This one is made.”

“That looks like a master bedroom, but it's not at the end of the hall,” Marcus said.

Shadow hopped into the room. She took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. “It's soft!”

Marcus laughed when she splatted into the pillows and blankets. When she crawled under them, Marcus set his wrist device's alarm to go off in three hours. The bed in this room was twice as big as the one in the RV, and he was just as exhausted as Shadow.

By the time he had his shoes off, Shadow was asleep. Marcus joined her.

***

His wrist device sounded sometime later. Marcus turned it off then opened his eyes. The room was just as it was before they decided to take a nap with one exception. There was someone standing in the doorway.

Marcus slid out of the bed, careful not to disturb Shadow. He turned his gaze toward the creature and realized it was another vampire.

“Do you live here?” Marcus asked.

“Sometimes,” the vampire said. “I'm Seneca.”

“I'm Marcus. This is Shadow.” He motioned to the pile in the bed. “How long have you been down here?”

“What year is it?” Seneca asked.

Marcus told him. “That's the year on Umbra.”

“Ten-thousand years,” Seneca said.

“That's a long time,” Marcus said. “A lot has changed on every planet in that time.”

“I know. I leave here sometimes,” Seneca said. “When I arrived on Earth, the living creatures dwelled in caves.”

“They have homes now. Some advanced technology,” Marcus said.

“I know. I was there tonight,” Seneca said.

“I guess you missed the storm,” Marcus said.

“I didn't see a storm. It was cool though,” Seneca said.

“The weather is cold right now,” Marcus said. He sat down on the bed and put on his shoes.

Shadow inhaled and sat up. She turned her head. “Oh...”

“This is Seneca. This is his house,” Marcus said.

“Nice bed.” Shadow slid to the edge.

Marcus picked up Shadow's shoes and put them on her feet.

Seneca grinned. “She has red hair. Where did you find that one?”

“In a food line,” Marcus said.

“Are they still disagreeable?” he asked.

“Very much so,” Marcus said as he stood. “How did you get here?”

“On Earth?” Seneca asked.

“Yes,” Marcus said.

“I went into the Umbra for a walk,” Seneca said.

“Must have been a long walk,” Marcus said.

“You could say that,” Seneca said.

Marcus eyed the vampire. He didn't entirely believe him. Marcus had just finished telling Shadow that accomplishing that type of feat would be nearly impossible, and Marcus still believed that. He wasn't sure being over ten-thousand years old was old enough to undertake the challenge Seneca was suggesting that he accomplished.

“You don't believe me,” Seneca said.

“You would have been walking for half your unlife,” Marcus said.

“Well, not quite that long,” Seneca said. “I made stops along the way. Saw Chivitas.”

“What's between here and Chivitas?” Marcus asked.

“Sanguis,” Seneca said.

“Not the Planet of the Rings,” Marcus said.

“Planeta Anulorum,” Seneca said. “No. I've never been there. I've heard of it, though.”

Marcus nodded. “What was on Sanguis?”

“Same as on Umbra and Chivitas. Vampires,” Seneca said.

“Anything special about them?” Marcus asked.

'Not particularly,” Seneca said. “Being from Umbra, you'd likely have the same opinion of them as I did. They were a subspecies. No remarkable telepathy. No shadow manipulation. They did have the ability to control living things if the living thing happened to look them in the eye. They could also change shape. Mist. Bats. Wolves.”

“You're right. That's not terribly remarkable,” Marcus said.

Shadow slid off the bed and stretched.

“Well, I suppose we shouldn't linger in the bedroom,” Seneca said then motioned for Marcus and Shadow to follow.

Marcus picked Shadow up and carried her downstairs to a large parlor.

“It is a remarkable house,” Marcus said. “Have you thought about rejoining the population of any of the planets?”

“I think about it sometimes, but I doubt I'd have much in common with the new vampires,” Seneca said. “Please, have a seat.”

Marcus sat down in a large stuffed chair. He kept Shadow in his lap. “It is remarkably quiet in this area.”

“It is. I guess that you’ve noticed on other trips that you can hear screaming and see moving creatures,” Seneca said.

“Correct,” Marcus said.

“You can catch those,” Seneca said. “If you're in your demon form. They're food.”

“I haven't heard that before,” Marcus said.

“It's a lost knowledge,” Seneca said.

“Very lost. I've never heard of any vampire doing that,” Marcus said.

“Well, they're not in this area because I'm in this area, and I caught everything,” Seneca said. “Or most of everything. Obviously, some escaped to warn the others not to come here.” He paused. “Speaking of that… Would you like something to eat?”

“No, thank you,” Marcus said. “We actually can't stay very long. We were just escaping the storm on our planet.”

“Of course. Well, I suppose I should let you get on your way,” Seneca said. “Come back. Anytime.”

Marcus stood. He set Shadow on her feet. “Of course. Thank you for your hospitality.”

He led Shadow out of the castle.

[He was weird,] Shadow said to Marcus.

[Very. Did you notice the color of his skin?] Marcus asked.

[He was gray and kinda black,] Shadow said.

[Probably from draining those creatures,] Marcus said.

[Or his age,] Shadow said.

[He’s old enough to be a meat-eating vampire,] Marcus said as they approached the RV.

Shadow waited for Marcus to open the door. Then, she stepped inside.

Marcus stepped inside and closed and locked the door.

“Do you think the storm is over?” Shadow asked.

“It should be about over. We've been down here about four or five hours,” Marcus said.

Shadow sprawled across the couch. “Why didn't you come down here for the war, instead of sleeping through it?”

“It didn't occur to me,” Marcus said. “If it had, I probably would have.”

He walked up to the front of the RV and sat down in the driver's seat. He started the engine and opened a portal about five feet in front of the RV. “Ready?”

“I'm ready,” Shadow said.

Marcus put the RV in drive and drove forward through the portal.

They landed on the road in a heavy rainstorm.

“I think the storm is still here,” Shadow said.

“It is, but at least it's dark,” Marcus said.

“Where's the jungle?” Shadow asked.

“Up ahead. We're actually several miles further inland,” Marcus said. “Come up here and sit. Bring some Umbra Ones.”

Shadow made some Umbra ones and walked up to the front of the RV. She sat down in the passenger's seat and handed Marcus his food.

Details

Published: 10 April 2023

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The Tiny Vampire From Outer Space That’s Bitey XIII: The Uprising

Earth's sky is now purple, and the humans have noticed. It's not a rare sun effect or a trick on the eyes, and rioters demanding answers have appeared on the streets of Beach City. Marcus is less than thrilled and has vowed not to put up with that behavior on another planet.

Audio Sample

Sample Chapter

1. Chapter 1

2. The Sky Is Still Purple

Marcus walked downstairs in a pair of sweatpants. He turned on the TV in the back parlor to listen to it while he tried to figure out what he wanted to eat and what he wanted to feed Shadow.

Nothing looked good. Marcus would have preferred to hunt tonight.

“Sire!”

Marcus closed the refrigerator and turned his head toward the doorway. “Shari, did you bring food?”

“I have two Umbra Ones,” Shari said as she held the containers up. “Is little sire up?”

“She is not,” Marcus said. He took the Umbra One from Shari when she handed it to him. “Is this a special Umbra One?”

“It’s cherry,” Shari said.

Marcus tasted it. “It’s pretty good. Is that what Shadow’s is?”

“It is,” Shari said.

“You can take that to Shadow,” Marcus said.

“Does she need help?” Shari asked.

Marcus looked at her. “Who told you she needs help?”

“Um, no one,” Shari said.

“You’re observant. I guess that’s a good thing,” Marcus said. “I think she needs a shower. If you want to start the water for her.” He started to drain his Umbra One. “Just the water, please. Don’t embarrass her.”

“I won’t.” Shari hopped out of the kitchen.

Marcus drained his Umbra One on the way into the back parlor. He wanted to watch the news for a minute.

He frowned when he saw the images and immediately called Lucia.

“Marcus. I guess you’ve heard,” Lucia said.

“Come here,” Marcus said. “Those protests look serious.”

“They’re all up in arms over the purple sky, demanding the government give them answers and stop trying to tell them it’s an effect of the sun,” Lucia said.

“Are they out front of the apartment building?” Marcus asked.

“No, but the images on the TV make it look that way. They’re closer to the beach than they are here,” Lucia said.

“Is it continent wide?” Marcus asked.

“It’s all over this planet,” Lucia said. “Cities and towns mostly.”

“Well, come out here. It’ll be safer,” Marcus said.

“I’ll pack some bags and get the childer ready. We’ll be out there in a couple hours,” Lucia said. “What do you want to do about the shelter?”

“Are they burning and looting?” Marcus asked.

“Doesn’t seem like it,” Lucia said.

“I may head over there as soon as I get dressed,” Marcus said.

“You’re not dressed yet?”

“I came downstairs to get Shadow some food and watch the news. Shari beat me to the food, so she’s feeding Shadow and helping her. I’m making phone calls.”

“Shari’s a good little helper,” Lucia said. “But what does Shadow need help with?”

“The question is more like what she doesn’t need help with,” Marcus said. “You know how Umbra had everything automated?”

“I do,” Lucia said. “I didn’t have any of that stuff though.”

“Well, Shadow had all of it,” Marcus said.

“Oh crap,” Lucia said. “So, she can’t wash.”

“Can’t wash. She can barely choose her clothes,” Marcus said. “And if it’s got a zipper or hooks or anything like that, she can’t fasten it. Once she’s dressed, she’s good.”

Lucia laughed. “Marcus, it would take you half a night to teach her all that.”

“If I had half a night,” Marcus said.

“Well, maybe I’ll do it,” Lucia said. “Depending on how long I’m there.”

“Usually, I do it,” Marcus said. “We’ve had some conversations about it.”

“And you told her it doesn't matter,” Lucia said.

“I like doing it,” Marcus said.

“There’s no way you have time to wash her and dress her every night,” Lucia said. “You need to teach her or you need to let me teach her. Hell, even Shari could teach her. It’s got to be fixed, Marcus.”

Marcus sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll be there in a little more than an hour,” Lucia said.

“I’ll see you when you get here.” Marcus ended the call just as Shadow and Shari hopped into the back parlor. “You two look good… And smell good.”

“I found scented soap,” Shari said.

“Are you all zipped?” Marcus turned Shadow around. “Oh, this is the dress with hooks.”

“One of them. She has several, but I thought this would be nice because it’s thicker and longer,” Shari said. “We got the straps on too for the long socks.”

“Thank you, Shari. I appreciate it,” Marcus said. “Your grandsire will be here in about an hour.”

“Oh great. We can play cards. Is she bringing Octavious and Ortho?”

“She is,” Marcus said.

“Ok. I better hurry then. I still have to do my classes,” Shari said.

“You better hurry,” Marcus said then grinned. He looked at Shadow after Shari left. “Did she embarrass you?”

“No,” Shadow said. “She actually showed me how to wash, so I can do it next time.”

Marcus ran his hands down his face. “I’m sorry, Shadow. I guess I should have shown you. My sire was a little miffed I hadn’t shown you either.”

“I told you you should have taught me,” Shadow said.

“I guess she showed you the zippers and straps too.”

“She did, but she said I’ll never be able to do the hooks,” Shadow said.

“No one would be able to fasten the hooks by themselves,” Marcus said.

“You’re disappointed,” Shadow said.

“I’m disappointed that I didn’t do it when you asked the other night, and one of my childer beat me to it,” Marcus said.

“Well, you can still do it, but you’re getting busier,” Shadow said.

“I know,” Marcus said. “It’s fine.”

“You’re not dressed,” Shadow said. She slid her hands down his chest.

“I’m heading upstairs to shower and dress now.” Marcus leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll meet you over at the cabin. If they’re doing reading, I want you doing it.”

Shadow huffed.

“Huff all you want, but go do it,” Marcus said.

Shadow grumbled as she walked out of the parlor and out the front door of the stone house. Marcus was in a terrible mood tonight.

She spotted Jacob on her walk to the cabin. “Jacob.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He walked over.

“Can I have a bite?” Shadow asked.

“Big bite or little bite?”

“Little bite,” Shadow said. “It’s a horrible night, and I don’t even know why.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He held out his arm. “Right there.”

Shadow sank her fangs into his forearm and drank deeply for a few seconds.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yeah. Thanks,” Shadow said.

She continued on to the cabin and entered through the back door.

“Shadow, are you hungry?” Alera asked.

“I just ate,” Shadow said. “I found Jacob.”

“Jacob?”

“One of the jungle foods,” Shadow said.

“Oh, you named him,” Alera said.

“I thought it’d be easier than yelling, hey, food,” Shadow said.

Alera laughed. “Where’s Marcus?”

“Showering and dressing. He wants me to read,” Shadow said.

“Ok, I think Shari and Marc are working with Sabina on reading. Let me check.” Alera walked out of the kitchen and into the back parlor. “Are you guys reading?”

“We’re teaching Sabina,” Marc said.

“Can Shadow join?”

“Of course,” Marc and Shari both said.

“Shadow, you can come in,” Alera said.

Shadow walked into the room.

“Here.” Marc handed her a writing book and a pencil.

Shadow sat down on the floor and put her book and pencil on the coffee table.

“Is she a childe?” Sabina asked.

“No,” Shari said. “This is our female sire, but she’s older and only knows Latin.”

“Oh,” Sabina said. “I can’t write either one.”

“We’re going to fix that,” Shari said.

Shadow opened her book. “What’s mother?”

“Mater,” Marc said. “The words are ‘Mater accedit ad copia’, but the English is ‘The mother goes to the store’.”

“Oh, that is a lot of words,” Shadow said.

“English is long,” Marc said. “They spell out every single word.”

“But it’ll show you a picture, and you can write the words and sentences,” Shari said.

“Okay.” Shadow practiced writing the words. She laughed.

“What’s funny?” Sabina asked.

“Mater scribit,” Shadow said. “Or, I guess in English, the mother writes.”

“Looks accurate to me,” Marc said then laughed.

“Is every childe here yours?” Sabina asked.

“Yes,” Shadow said. “Why?”

“We showed her the other childer,” Shari said.

“And then said don’t bother them,” Sabina said.

“They’re still sleeping and growing,” Shadow said.

“Someone said he plans to number the rest,” Marc said.

“Um...” Shadow contemplated. “Well, I don’t know. I guess, to be more specific, we don’t know.”

“What don’t you know?” Marcus asked as he stepped into the doorway of the parlor dressed in a pair of black slacks and a black long-sleeved, button shirt.

“They asked how we were naming the rest of the childer,” Shadow said. “And why we might just give them numbers.”

“Oh. We don’t know,” Marcus said. “It’s an ongoing debate.”

“Why would they not be named?” Shari asked.

“Because these are childer ten through forty,” Marcus said. “They’re not firstborns.”

“Oh,” Shari said. “I didn’t know there was a difference.”

“Neither did Shadow. That’s why we’re still discussing it,” Marcus said.

“Shadow?” Sabina asked.

Marcus motioned. “My Bonded. Please, don’t confuse her for another of your siblings, even though, she needs to learn the same things you do.”

“Why doesn't she know?” Sabina asked.

“Because she was borne on Umbra and didn't have a need to learn new cultures or languages, like I did,” Marcus said.

“Wasn’t the trip here six months?” Sabina asked.

“Sabina,” Marc said. “It’s really not appropriate to keep questioning our sires like this.”

Sabina frowned and looked around.

“It’s fine. Sabina is extremely young. She didn’t hatch with half the knowledge you have, Marc, so we’ll show some leniency in this instance,” Marcus said. “Shadow was working on other skills during that time. Skills I will eventually teach you.”

“Oh, no. I’m behind too!” Sabina said.

“You won’t be for long,” Marcus said. “You’re new siblings will see to that.”

“Speaking of our new siblings,” Marc said. “We can help name them if that’s the problem.”

“It’s part of the problem,” Marcus said.

“Well, we can name them,” Shari said. “Or help you name them.”

Marcus contemplated. “What do you think, Shadow?”

“I think that’s fine,” Shadow said, even though the names were only part of the problem.

“All right. You can name the next one,” Marcus said. He grinned when all the childer ‘yay’d’. “Shadow, are you done with your lesson?”

“Uh, almost,” Shadow said. “I don’t know what this thing is.”

“Let me look.” Marcus walked around the table. He leaned down and looked at the image. “The word is bat, looks like a carved wooden stick to me.”

“Oh yeah,” Marc said. “That one is really hard. We had to look it up.” He picked up his tablet and typed words into the search bar. “Here. Sire. This explains that bat.”

Marcus took the tablet from Marc and read. “Oh. Shadow, it’s for a game. You hit a ball with that bat and then run around a square. The game is called baseball.” Marcus showed her the image of the field.

“Oh. Good grief. How is anyone supposed to know that?” Shadow wrote the word and then wrote a sentence.

Marcus read her sentence and laughed.

“What’d she write?” Marc asked.

“The bat is hitting a ball,” Marcus said. “And she drew a ball next to the bat.”

“That’s not bad,” Marc said. “How’s her spelling?”

“She spelled is with a Z, and there’s only one T and L,” Marcus said. “But this is better than it was.”

“What’s it supposed to be?” Shadow asked.

“Like this.” Marcus took her pencil and wrote the sentence above hers.

“Oh. This is so confusing,” Shadow said.

“You’ll get better at it,” Marcus said. “Let’s try this next one. What’s the picture?”

“Another ball,” Shadow said.

“Okay. Spell ball here.” He motioned then watched. “Now, write a sentence with ball.” Marcus watched and laughed.

“What’d she put?” Sabina asked.

“Ball is hard to spell,” Marcus said.

The childer laughed.

“All right. Shadow and I have things to do,” Marcus said.

“I’ll save the book,” Shari said.

“Thank you. She’ll be back to work some more in it later,” Marcus picked Shadow up and carried her out of the parlor. [That was a more intense conversation than I wanted this early in the evening.]

[They were pretty intense tonight,] Shadow said to Marcus.

Marcus carried her out the back door. “A little privacy might do us some good.”

“Treehouse?”

“Good idea.” Marcus carried her to the treehouse and up the stairs before setting her on her feet.

“What do we need to talk about?” Shadow sprawled across the bed.

“The riots,” Marcus said as he watched her. “Did Shari put boots on you?”

“She did,” Shadow said.

“Did she show you how to fasten them?” Marcus asked as he walked over to the fireplace and lit it.

“She did,” Shadow said.

Marcus turned around once the fireplace was flaming. “Do you know how to take them off?”

Shadow laughed. “Yes.” She sat up and pulled on her boots.

“Don’t get in a hurry. Those won’t slide off like your sandals.” Marcus walked over and unlaced them. “You’ll break your foot.” He tossed the boots on the floor.

Marcus sat on the edge of the bed. “I think half the time it’s not that you don’t know, it’s that you’re lazy. Watch.” He leaned down and unlaced his shoes before removing them. “If I toe these off like you do your sandals, I’d scuff them. Probably pull off the heels too.”

“I thought we were going to talk about the riots,” Shadow said as she slid into his lap.

“We are.” Marcus slid his hands up her sides before kissing her. “But I also have other things on my mind… Which you can’t hear because I dimmed everything the other night because you were getting stressed by it. Do you feel better now?”

“Yes,” Shadow said.

Marcus kissed her again as he opened the Bond to its previous level. He should have done that last night. Their hot tub adventure might have been more pleasurable, not that he could complain.

Shadow laughed at his thoughts. You didn’t like the hot tub?”

“It could have been better,” Marcus said between kisses.

“Marcus, do you have the news on up there?” Oliver yelled from the ground.

Marcus turned his head. “Not yet.”

“You may want to turn that on. Are you still decent?” Oliver asked.

“Unfortunately.” Marcus slid Shadow out of his lap before standing and grabbing the remote for the TV. He turned it on to the news.

Oliver walked through the door of the treehouse. “It’s not my goal to interrupt, but it’s getting worse in town.”

“I see that,” Marcus said. “Lucia and the childer should be here any time.”

“That’s probably a good thing because they’re burning buildings,” Oliver said.

Shadow rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah. Burning the buildings will get the sky to turn back to blue and the government to tell them why it turned purple.”

“Too bad we can’t drink them. It’d be a good opportunity to take the childer hunting. The older ones anyway,” Marcus said as he watched the screen. “That’s too close to the shelter and apartment building. I have to go into town.”

Shadow huffed.

“You could still do a culling,” Oliver said. “You don’t have to drain them to kill them.”

“That is true.” He looked at Shadow as he grabbed his shoes. “Put your shoes on.”

Shadow put her boots on.

Oliver leaned down to make sure they were tied. “Good job.”

“Shari showed her earlier,” Marcus said as he put his shoes on.

“Do you want the other childer?”

“Marc and Shari,” Marcus said as he picked Shadow up.

“I’ll tell Alera to get them ready,” Oliver said. “Are you driving?”

“No,” Marcus said. “We’ll portal in.”

Oliver held the back door open for Shadow and Marcus once they got to the cabin.

“Are they ready?” Marcus asked.

“Almost. I had them change into their jeans,” Alera said.

“Shadow, do you want to change?” Marcus asked.

Shadow looked down at her dress.

“You’ll stand out in that.” Alera walked over to the replicator and programmed a new set of clothes. She handed them to Shadow.

Shadow took the clothes and walked into the hall bath to change.

“You won’t stand out. You’re going to blend into every shadow on the street,” Alera said to Marcus.

“I didn’t plan it that way, but I like these clothes.” Marcus turned his head when Julian walked into the kitchen. “Julian.”

“Sire, I was wondering if I could go,” Julian said.

Marcus looked at Julian. He was wearing black jeans, a long-sleeved black turtleneck and his boots. “Did you change?”

“I did, sire. I was hoping,” Julian said.

“He was in the TV room when I told Shari and Marc,” Alera said.

“Okay. You can come. Was Arrian interested? Or Camille?” Marcus asked.

“I don’t think so,” Julian said. “They were watching bugs bunny.”

Marcus nodded. “You can join. I can handle one more.”

“One more what?” Lucia asked as she walked down the hall into the kitchen.

“Childe on a hunting trip,” Marcus said.

“Are you going into Beach City?” Lucia asked.

“They’re getting too close to the apartment building and shelters,” Marcus said.

“You can’t eat them,” Lucia said.

“That doesn’t stop us from killing them,” Marcus said.

“I guess I’ll go. Help you keep track of the kids,” Lucia said.

“Are you sure? Where’s Ortho and Octavious?” Marcus asked.

“Watching bugs bunny with the girls and enjoying some snacks.” Lucia motioned down the hall.

“All right,” Marcus said. He wasn’t going to argue with his sire. Plus, with three childer and Shadow, he was going to need another set of eyes.

“Sorry that took me so long,” Shari said. “I couldn’t find my black jeans.”

“It’s fine. Your grandsire and Julian are coming too,” Marcus said.

“Great. This’ll be fun!” Shari hopped.

“You can’t drain them, or you’ll get sick,” Lucia said.

“I know,” Shari said.

“The goal is to keep them away from the apartment building and the shelter,” Marcus said. “If they approach our block, they die. It is that simple. I am not going to tolerate this behavior on another planet.”

“Okay,” Marc said.

“I understand,” Shari said.

Marcus opened a portal. “To my office at the shelter. We’ll talk more there.”