Kindred
by C.E. Gee
Charley drove south on
Crystal Lake Drive.
At his boss’s house, he drove around back, switched off the engine,
kept the radio playing.
Moments later a back door opened, a delivery emerged. It was Kara
this time, Charley’s favorite. Kara was the only delivery that
talked to Charley.
Kara settled into the front passenger seat, handed Charley the delivery
ticket, fastened her seat belt.
The ticket indicated a Circle Boulevard address, elapsed time to be one
hour. Charley had made many deliveries to that address, knew
exactly where it was.
After turning North onto Crystal Lake Drive, Charley asked, “How you
doin’?”
It being late in the evening, the Sun had dipped below the
horizon. But there was still enough light for Charley to grab a
glance at Kara as she replied, “How do you think? But Eliodoro,
he tells me this’ll be my final session, then I’ll be immortal.”
It was Friday, traffic from the university was heavy; it took Charley
several minutes to reach the indicated address.
Charley parked at the curb. Kara walked to the house.
Without ringing the doorbell or knocking, Kara opened the door, went in.
Charley wrote the time on the ticket, drove back to the house on
Crystal Lake Drive, again parked in back.
Charley went to the house. He opened the sliding glass door
adjoining the deck, went in.
There were no lights shining.
The doorway had embroidered drapes. Charley slid open the drapes
enough so light from the full moon allowed him to see that no one else
was in the room.
Charley heard footsteps. Eliodoro emerged from the hallway.
“Hey, Eli,” said Charley. “What’s new?”
Charley’s boss managed a cold smile; his eyes echoed the coldness.
With a thick Romanian accent, Eliodoro replied, “Not many deliveries
tonight. I suspect most of our associates will be going out to
feed upon free-range prey. The college students here, they are –-
how do I say this? Their blood is tasty.”
Charley nodded knowingly.
Eliodoro continued, “It being such a pleasant Friday night, students
will be out late. So will I. I’ll give you all your tickets
in advance. You’ll have to come into the house to fetch your
deliveries; they have poor awareness of time; only dawn and dusk marks
their existence.”
Charley nodded again, saying, “There’s something I need to talk to you
about.”
“Please -- sit,” said Eliodoro, patting the backrest of an easy chair.
Charley sat. Eliodoro strolled across the room, sat on a couch.
Before Charley spoke, he stifled a chuckle. His boss was such a
cliché.
Despite his age, Eliodoro displayed a full head of dark hair. He
was clad in a silk smoking jacket over a white silk shirt. The
outfit was made complete with an ascot, black slacks, black
slippers. Prepared to go out for the night, Eliodoro sported a
black cape.
“This is going to sound strange,” declared Charley. “I guess I
got a thing going for Kara. However, I don’t feel she has the
same interest in me. So I wanna become like she’s becoming.
Maybe that’ll win her over. Can you help me, Eli?”
Eliodoro, with a flippant wave of a hand, sniffed, replied, “My dear
boy, I’d like nothing better than to help you. I am always on the
lookout for additional associates.
“Do you have any idea where Kara and our other deliveries came from?”
“No.”
“Most of them were my former drivers.”
Charley’s eyebrows went up as Eliodoro esplained, “After my
drivers figure out what exactly is going on around here, they either
want to become associates, or –- oh dear, how should I say this?
Please don’t be alarmed. They’re rendered unconscious, tied to
cement blocks, are delivered to the bottom of the Willamette river.”
Grim faced, Charley made no response.
Eliodoro went on, “Kara, after tonight’s session, will become an
associate. Tomorrow night we will move Kara to a house I own over
on 27th street.
“Meanwhile, I will promote your relief driver to full time. She’s
been pestering me for more hours anyway. Then, you can be a
delivery.
“Don’t say anything to Kara. I’ll schedule you as her first
delivery. I think you’ll appreciate surprising her.”
“Thanks, Eli.”
***
Two nights later, a grey-colored Nissan parked at the curb in front
Kara’s home on 27th street. The passenger door opened.
Charley emerged, strolled up the walk, rang the doorbell. The
Nissan sped away.
The door swung inward. Charley stepped through the doorway. Kara
closed the door.
“Charley?” Kara asked, her voice tinged with surprise, “What are you
doing here?”
“What do you think?”
Kara paused a moment, asked, “Do you know what you’re getting into?”
“Nice play on words,” mockingly replied Charley. Kara frowned her
lack of understanding. Then she caught on, flashed a smile.
Charley proclaimed, “We need to be together. I love you.”
Charley was wearing one of his work shirts. It had a collar.
Charley undid the top two buttons, spread open the shirt at the buttons
and collar, tilted his head back, closed his eyes. The couple
embraced. The fangs caused much less pain than Charley had
expected.
Charley and Kara lived happily together forever and ever.
Well, perhaps “lived” is not the proper word here.
Let us say, they were “undead” happily together forever and ever -–
kindred spirits if you will -- kindred.
THE END
© 2015 C.E. Gee
C.E. Gee (aka Chuck) misspent his youth at backwater locales within
Oregon and Alaska.
Chuck later answered many callings: logger, factory worker, meat
packer, Vietnam war draftee infantryman, telecommunications technician,
volunteer fireman and EMT, light show roady, farmer, businessperson.
Works in progress include short stories and his blog at
http://www.kinzuakid.blogspot.com
E-mail: C.E Gee
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