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Ch12
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Death By Touch
12
I laugh once more as one of the many paper pixies before me continues his story. “He did no such thing!”
“Aye, but he did laddie. He would do anything for you. You told him that you didnae like the woman he was seein’ so he did what he could to get rid of her.” Paper pixies have been arriving everyday since Sir Gargilre’s death. He made them before his death and scheduled them to come if Relief had not done her job. She was not to blame though. She was just so much of a delight to have around that I wouldn’t bear her to leave. Along with the paper pixies, I have had no use to leave my home or feel lonesome. It is a pleasure to have the paper pixies and Relief near. The paper pixies were all pages from Sir Gargilre’s journals from over the centuries. The first few were most depressing, until I had come into them. It had shed a whole new light upon my old companion that I had not seen. A side of him that had only filled with happiness once he had met me. I did not know that his life was so depressing.
“But that? Of all of the things he could have said or done, he did that?” “Aye. He said ‘you pilfering little whore, I cannot stand you. Your body and your breathe reek of mildew and fungus, and I cannot fathom why I had ever fallen for beast such as you!’”
I laugh once more, knowing that Sir Gargilre had loved that woman with all his heart and, attempted to, secretly moped around for months. I hadn’t known that he had done it for me. I had not known that he had left his love for me. I should feel sorry. I should feel awful, but I hated the wench. It was bad enough she was mortal, but on top of the she reeked of fish and never kept herself properly. I was not happy with his choice. “I truly did not know that he had done that, and all for me.”
Relief comes and leans against the paper pixie’s shoulder. “Why is it so hard to believe Dark One? Ferdinand loved and admired you. He worshiped you. You were like the father he never had.”
My laughing comes to an abrupt end. “I know. I heard his journals from his earlier years. They were not ones to hold happiness and the pleasures of being loved. I at least had that, if only from one person.”
“Do not lie to yourself, Dark One. More than one person has shown you love and kindness from over the centuries.” Relief puts her tiny hands on her hips as she has done since she has arrived.
A gorgeous face flashes through my mind, as does the most musical laughter I have ever heard graces my ears. I close my eyes and reopen then slowly. “So paper pixie, are there any other things written upon the front and back of your page that you must share?”
The paper pixie and Relief share a brief glance before he speaks. “Nae laddie. That be all the information on me. There shall be another here by tomorreh evening’.”
I nod. “Very well then, you may go and converse with the other paper pixies fluttering above.”
“Aye Dark Un, as yae wish.” Just before he is able to flap above, Relief swings in front of him.
“Before you go and converse with the others, I must know. What may we call you? All pixies here have chosen a name, and so must you.” She flutters there patiently waiting.
“Aye, lovely lassie, yae may call Gregory O’Reilly. ‘Tis was one of the men the Ferdinand had meant during this time that stole away the wench. Afterwards, Gargilre was grateful once he found a sweeter smelling woman.”
Relief and I both chuckle. “Then, welcome Sir Gregory Orally. We hope you enjoy your new home.”
“Aye, I have nae a doubt in meh mind that I shall be enjoyin’ livin’ ‘ere.” He flutters up to converse with the rest of the pixies, as Relief stays to keep me company.
“You know that you may go and surround yourself with their presence Relief. I shall be fine on my own for just a while.” I lay back, legs outstretched, on the couch and close my eyes. I feel the wind speed up in front of my face.
“Yes, but you are not fine Dark One. You are denying a very important part of your life that shall be affecting you in the near future.”
I open my eyes to see the spirit pixie only and inch away from my face. I blow at her and she goes back several inches. I close my eyes as I say, “I cannot deny. It is impossible for me.”
“Then you are ignoring it completely. You are blocking it from your mind, when you know that you should not. Dark One, please.”
I open my eyes slightly.
“Do not do this. Admit it to yourself. I know for a fact that you shall feel so much better after you do.”
I close back I my eyes. “I wonder how Miss Remembrance is doing. I have not heard from her in almost a month.”
“Dark One!-”
Relief’s rant is thankfully cut short the agony of my phone. I look at it and smile. “I was just speaking of you, Miss Remembrance.”
“You were?!” She squeaks in sheer glee.
“Yes, I was saying how is has been almost a month since the last time we have encountered one another’s presence.”
“Well, would you wish to have another encounter with my presence, as you so put it?”
“It is night. I see no harm in leaving my home for a few hours and stretching my legs. Where shall we meet?”
“Marge’s Café, it’s a couple blocks from campus.”
“I shall arrive within a half hour.”
“Alright, Dark and Handsome. I shall be waiting upon your arrival.”
I end the phone call and rise from my spot on the couch.
“Who was that?”
I walk into my bedroom and change into my crimson suit, button up dress shirt, tie, dress shoes, and dark glasses. “I know you are clueless as to who that was Relief.” I step out of my bedroom and step towards the door.
“So you are going to go see Remembrance?”
I raise my eyebrow at her. “Why so eager with me meeting Miss Remembrance?”
She gives a nonchalant demeanor. “I was only curious. Tonight was the first time you have spoken of her in what seemed ages ago.”
“Very well,” I grab my crimson cane and top hat. “I shall see all of you when I return.” I step through the door, drop down the elevator shaft, and out into the night. Chuckles. I enjoy down that so much. The somersaults my stomach makes never gets old. It is the only way I get that feeling anymore. Ever since… The musical laughter floods my ears once more. I shake my head. “No time to bring up past memories, Miss Remembrance is waiting.” It truly amazes me at how willing I am to go and converse with a mortal female and to also not have the urge to feed upon her. I have not felt the urge to feed since I have met her. It truly amazes me. It is as if she the persona of someone in my past. I just cannot place whom.
I arrive at the café, walk through the doors, walk across the room. I bow once I reach my destination. “Good evening Miss Remembrance.”
She jumps, turns around, and place her hand over heart. “Dark and Handsome, you about gave me a heart attack.” She smiles and stands. “Next time, watch how you introduce yourself, especially to me. I was about to roundhouse kick you in the head.”
I chuckle. “That would have been a very big mistake on your part. Shall we sit?”
She blinks. “Sure, but do you want anything before we do?”
“A nice cup of chamomile tea and a nice cranberry scone.” I smile as she crinkles her nose and makes her way towards the front of the quaint little place. She truly is a phenomenon. She has nothing but blacks and reds since the first day we met. I am beginning to believe that that is her normal wear.
“Alright, here is your chamomile tea and they were out of scones so the chick up there told me that you like these as a back up.” She sits after setting down my tea and several miniature blueberry muffins fresh from the oven.
I immediately look up towards the front area and stop a blond haired woman in her early forties smiling back at me. I smile back and sip my tea. “Remind me to personally give her a generous tip before we exit this establishment.”
“Sure,” she draws out the word before continuing. “So what creature are you exactly?”
I look over to Miss Remembrance. “Pardon?”
“The last time we talked, you said that you weren’t a vampire. Well, if you’re not a vampire, than what are you? I mean, I know you can’t be a werewolf because they don’t mind the sun. But what exactly are you?”
“I am a creature that was once not one.”
“Huh?” The look of confusion upon her face was priceless.
I chuckle. “I am a creature that was once mortal.”
“You were human? When?” She asked, intrigued.
“Yes, I was a mortal being. I have not been one for a little over a millennium now.”
“Well what creature were you turned into?”
“I was turned into a creature that is both consumed by evil and darkness.” I give her a solemn smile. “It is a curse actually, in my eyes anyways.”
“Why do you call it a curse?”
“I call it curse because of things it prevents me from doing. It prevents me from making physical contact with a person. I have not been able to touch a mortal or creature in almost seven hundred centuries without there being consequences.”
Her eyes open wide. “Are you kidding me?! You haven’t had physical contact in that long?!” She slams her hands on the small table making it wobble and me having to pick up my tea before it spilled. Everyone in the café turns to stare at us.
“Correction, I said that I have not made physical contact with anyone creature or mortal without there being consequences.”
She sits back down. “Whoa, I don’t like being touched by most people, but that would just be sheer torture for me.” She looks back at me and quickly adds, “No offense to you though.”
“No offenses are taken, Miss Remembrance, I assure you.”
“So what are the consequences?”
“Pain, death, or both. it is usually both.”
She stop playing the fingerless gloves on her hands and gawks at me. She smiles nervously. “Y-you’re kidding right?”
I shake my head. “I wish I were, but I am not.”
“So that is the reason you don’t want your tutees to touch you?”
“Yes, that is exactly the reason.”
“Those girls behind you are checking you out?”
I look at her, taken aback. “Pardon?”
She laughs, “You seriously need to improve your vocabulary Dark and Handsome.”
“I believe you are getting me mixed up with yourself.” I smirk, “Miss Remembrance.”
She rolls her eyes, “Anyways, those chicks behind you a checking you out. You know…How do I put this? They, uh… have a lustful eye for you.”
I nod, now understanding. “Ah, I see.” I turn around in my chair and see two very curvaceous young women behind me; the once closest to me was wearing a lavender and white vertical striped minidress, with a tied not for a strap resting upon one shoulder and the other bare. The girl farthest from me was wearing same as her friend, only her dress had horizontal stripes, not vertical. I smile and tip my hat in greeting. “Ladies.”
They only look at each other and begin to giggle.
I smile and turn back around to face Miss Remembrance, thoroughly surprised that I did not have the slightest urge to feed on the two young ladies behind me. “What?”
The look on Miss Remembrances face almost matched the look on Sir Gargilre Ectmech’s wife’s face the first and only time I saw her. “What was that?”
I smile. “I was only being polite Miss Remembrance. Do not become a green-eyed on me just yet, if not at all.”
She becomes wide-eyed. “I am not jealous.”
I chuckle. “Your actions speak louder than your words Miss Remembrance.” I chuckle even more as her face puffs up and turns red with embarrassment. “It is fine Miss Remembrance. I actually find it quite flattering.”
Her face deflates and stretches to the opposite of the café. “Really? You do?”
I watch as the two girls behind me leave, out of the corner of my eye, leaving Miss Remembrance and I being the only two occupants in the establishment, other than the employees. “Yes, actually, it is quite refreshing to know that those feelings are still possible for you to feel even after knowing my creature and the dangers of just being near me.”
She shrugs. “I figure I just have to be careful around you.”
We both smile at one another content, but for only a moment. For something flies through the air and crashes into my half full cup of tea. Pieces of the cup and the tea itself fly over the small proximity around us. Miss Remembrance and I look at one another sharing the same look of astonishment on our faces, then down at the ball of black flame on the table. I groan. “What do you want now you papier-mâché project gone array?”
The flames swirl around it as it gets in my face. “I, sadly, have come to give you information and coordinates for the funeral.”
“Fine, then give them and be gone.”
It growls. “Very well then.” It holds its hand towards the table and burns coordinates into the table. It points. “That’s is wear it shall be held this Monday coming at noon sharp. You must hear old fashioned clothing, which, in you sorry case, means your normal wear. The color is black. Come prepared for anything.”
“If that is all, than be gone from my sight. You are already working on my ever raw nerves.” I blow it across the room.
It hisses but happily leaves.
“What was he talking about?”
I look at Miss Remembrance.
“What funeral? Who died? How long have you known?”
I sigh. “It was the death of an old companion of mine. I have known of both the death and the funeral since our last encounter.”
“What?!” She, for the second times since being here, bangs her fists against the table and stands. “You’ve known for a month and didn’t tell me?! Dark and Handsome-” She cuts her own self off and slowly sits. “Dark and Handsome, is that why you were so upset the last time we met? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I flick my wrist and the cup reforms almost half empty with tea. “I did not say for it was not your business to know.” I take a sip of my tea.
“Well it is now Dark and Handsome.”
I stand wan walk up to the counter and hand the blond haired women her tip, then head towards the door. “I believe that I shall go for a nice long stroll.”
Miss Remembrance was right behind me. “Can I come with?”
“I would rather be left alone at the moment.”
She nods, following me out the door. “Well, I have to go somewhere tomorrow, but I can help you look for the place where the funeral’s going to be held at before I do. We can start looking around six in the morning. Let me help Dark and Handsome, please.”
I turn to face her, from a card in my hand, and let it float into hers. “That is only a block for my home. Meet me there and we shall look.” I turn and leave. “Have a better evening than I Miss Remembrance.”
Leave it to an annoying paper pixie from Sir Ferdinand’s wife to ruin my perfectly good mood. Sigh. I did not want for Miss Remembrance to know of this. I have no real reason, I just did not.
“Sucky-Ducky?”
I quickly lift my head and smile in relief at the very sight of my overvescent friend. “Good evening Miss Melarvious.”
She looks at me hurt.
“What is wrong, Miss Melarvious?”
“You’ve never called me Miss before Ducky.” her bottom lip begins to tremble. “D-d-did I do something wrong that night?”
I instantly knew what she was speaking of and let in a sharp intake in surprise of what she believed was happening at this very moment. “No! No, Melvie, you did nothing wrong. I fully and completely assure you that you did nothing wrong that night. It was happiest of all the centuries since that blasted chance, Melvie. I swear.”
She relaxes and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “Then why did you call me Miss, Ducky?”
I hold up my hand to stop her from wiping her eyes like that and let a black kerchief materialize and float over into her hand. “I have just had a bit of a rough night is all, Melvie. What with what happened to Sir Gargilre rearing its ugly head once more.” I sigh. “I have been reminded of it everyday for almost a month, but it has now only saturated my mind with the realization of the entire matter.”
She tilts her head. “What happened to Sweetie Ectmech? Is he hurt?”
I look at her. “Have you not-”
Before I may finish, someone steps behind Melarvious grabs her, and twirls her.
She squeals and giggles with excitement.
Confusion.
Once the person sets Melarvious down and she notices my expression, she explains, “Sucky-Ducky, this is my friend, sort of kind of, boyfriend Lex Lankwood. He’s new to the city.”
The boy steps forward and holds out his hand, glowing with a thousand watt smile. “Pleasure to finally meet the guy that my lady right here’s been talking about for the past couple weeks since I’ve met her.” He wraps his other arm around her shoulders and kisses her cheek.
I stiffen. “You are gargoyle, no?”
He blinks and slowly lowers his hand. “Uh, yeah, I replaced one of the gargoyles that had sort of made his home on top of the old cathedral a few blocks from here. I think his name was Ramón.”
I give a solemn smile. “Ah, yes, Ramón. Has it been long since his passing?”
Confusion envelops his face. “Huh?” Something in his mind clicks. “Oh! No, no, you got it all wrong. He didn’t die. He just took my place at a cathedral in Ireland. He wanted new surroundings and my parents were ready to get rid of me.” He smiles sheepishly. “I’m a bit on the rowdy side at times.”
I nod.
Melarvious chimes in. “So what happened to Sweetie Ectmech, Sucky-Ducky?”
I look over to the boy---that has to be no older than seventeen, eighteen years old---and his movie star features, fire red hair, and Caribbean ocean eyes. What did Melarvious see in him? Before I can speak, weeping is heard.
Melarvious looks around her. “What’s that? It sounds like it’s coming towards us.”
Just then, and weeping paper pixie flutters into Melarvious’s outstretched hand. I, once again, give a solemn smile, knowing exactly what information that paper pixie holds. “Be thankful that yours is weeping. Mine attacked me when my invitation to thee sad affair was sent.” I give a stern look to the boy. “Comfort her afterward, she shall need it.”
He only nods as I turn and leave to the loft.
“I am sorry for the news that I must bestow upon you, but you have been invited to…”
I could already hear Melarvious’s weeping as realization of the situation began to set in upon her.
