“Oh, that will be perfect. We’ll see you around seven,” she replied.
I moved the boxes from the truck into my new living quarters, but decided it wasn’t a good idea to unpack my things until I tested my boundaries with the other new resident. The odds of my departure has jumped to a whopping fifty-fifty since my time spent around children was completely nonexistent. I wasn’t certain about my expectations and I had no gage for my response, so my only plan was to continue with extreme caution.
As seven o’clock approached, I left my apartment in the basement and walked to the back door entering the kitchen. The screen door was closed with the other door standing wide open, which apparently was going to be the norm around here, so it looked like an open invitation to me. I needed to gain access inside without being noticed, so I silently opened the screen door before I entered and shut it without a sound.
This wasn’t how I wanted to begin my life among humans. I hated lies and deceit, but I understood some lies were necessary to conceal my identity, although I didn’t want to be part of any that weren’t necessary. I tried to convince myself I was no different from one in the witness protection program and I lied to protect myself and the ones around me.
From the kitchen, I heard laughter and soft conversation. I shut my eyes tightly and listened for the telltale sign of a human’s presence and I recognized the slow, faint gallops belonging to Anna and the irregular beat belonging to her husband. Grady had a pacemaker and every sixth beat, the pacemaker would fail to sense a beat and send a short, low voltage pulse to stimulate the ventricle of his heart. I listened closely for the rhythm I didn’t recognize and easily found the faster pace of the third rhythm, a typical sound for a stronger, healthier heart belonging to a child.
My eyes remained closed and I inhaled deeply. It wasn’t difficult to differentiate between the old and the young and I instantly knew the difference. This child’s aroma was fresher and richer in red blood cells while Anna and Grady were anemic and unappealing, as were most aging adults, hence, my choice to live among an older population.
There was a time when the alluring aroma of this child’s blood would have sent me over the edge, but when I recognized the monster I had become, I withdrew into a world filled only with fiends like myself. I couldn’t help myself from finding the child’s blood was appealing because it was my nature, but I never felt more in control than in this moment. My level of confidence shot through the roof, which was a much needed confirmation.
I returned to the backdoor, exited and collected the bouquet of flowers I brought for Anna before I knocked on the screen door, making my presence known.
“Curry, come on in, we’re in the dining room,” Anna called out and I laughed at myself for thinking about how I worried she would invite the wrong person inside her home.
I entered the house and walked to the dining room where I found Anna, Grady and a young girl sitting at the table. She was a beautiful child, but she didn’t look like her portrait at all. Her hair was curly, instead of wavy, and cut just below her shoulders. The color was different, light brown with heavy blonde highlights hanging in ringlets around her face. I recalled Anna’s description of the portrait, a child’s dream, and perhaps her granddaughter didn’t look like herself in her dream or maybe the dream wasn’t of herself at all. Seeing this child made me realize I felt a connection with the portrait, rather than the child herself.
I became aware of how I had studied the child for too long and turned my attentions to Anna, handing the bouquet of flowers to her. “Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady.”
“Oh, look Grady, what a lovely bouquet. You could take a lesson from Curry,” she said with mischief in her eyes.
“You haven’t been here a full day and you’re already making me look bad, young man,” Grady chuckled.
Anna headed toward the kitchen saying, “Thank you. You are such a polite young man. You didn’t have to do that.” She returned with a perfectly arranged bouquet in a water-filled vase and placed it in the center of the dining room table. She invited me to join her at the table, saying, ”Come have a seat. You arrived at the perfect time because we just finished dinner and we’re ready for dessert.”
I hadn’t given any thought how to pass off not eating the dessert because I was consumed with the fear of meeting this small, helpless child. Solomon had warned children were highly intuitive and sensed things adults couldn’t, so I was nervous when I spoke to the child saying, “You must be Chansey. How old are you?” I asked in my softest voice, not wanting to frighten the young girl.
Her large golden, light brown eyes looked at me like I had three heads, sending a wave a fear through me, as I waited for her response. “I’m seven, but I’m Lorelei, so why did you call me Chansey?” It wasn’t the response I expected, and because I was rarely surprised, I didn’t care for it at all. My kind didn’t tolerate the unexpected well.
I attempted to hide my reaction. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Lorelei. I’m Curry, and I apologize for mistaking you as Chansey.” I continued in my softest voice.
Since this wasn’t Chansey, where was she? It was risky coming here to meet her because I stepped into the unknown and my relaxation turned to frustration. There was no foul this time, but what if it had gone another way?
I inhaled deeply, searching for Chansey’s scent, but came up empty handed. There should have been some lingering scent left behind, even if she wasn’t here now, so I didn’t understand.
Grady spoke up, saying, “Lorelei lives next door. Her parents needed someone to watch her until her grandmother could make it here to pick her up.”
I was irritated, but it wasn’t the child’s fault, so I continued, “Well, it looks like we are neighbors then, Lorelei.”
“My mama is having a baby and my Nanna is driving over to pick me up so I can spend the night with her,” Lorelei explained.
“Well, I believe congratulations are in order for the big sister,” I congratulated.
Anna spoke up as she returned from the kitchen with dessert. “I’m sorry you missed Chansey. She was scheduled for the evening shift, so she won’t be back until late tonight, but I’m sure she’ll want to meet you tomorrow.”
Well, she couldn’t be a young child if she had a job. That was encouraging, but I still needed to meet her as soon as possible, which apparently would have to wait until tomorrow. Since I faired well with this child, a woman old enough to stay out working late at night shouldn’t be a problem.
“My famous peanut butter pie,” Anna said as she passed a slice my way.
“Oh, Mrs. Emerson, I’m allergic to peanuts,” I declined and was strangely disappointed by my rejection because something within me wanted to try it.
Anna looked disappointed and said, “Well, that’s a shame. This is one of my best desserts.”
Grady showed no sympathy as he reached to take my slice saying, “I’ll take his piece. I’m not allergic.”
Anna shook her head and said, “You’re an old goat,” as she passed my slice to Grady and he showed no remorse as he started devouring the slice intended for me.
“Do you still have a lot of unpacking to do?” Anna asked.
> “I have everything but the furniture inside. My friend will be here soon to help with the heavy stuff. Oh, and I forgot to ask you about something earlier. Do you have internet service?”
Anna answered while Grady remained at the trough. “We do, but I don’t know a thing about it. You’ll need to ask Chansey and she can tell you anything you want to know about it.”
I would definitely be doing that and the sooner, the better. The small hours of night weren’t always so small and internet helped pass the time when I couldn’t be up freely making noise.
I was busy thinking of an exit strategy when I heard my saving grace, a knock at the front door, and knew Lorelei’s grandmother had arrived.
“Mrs. Emerson, I’m going to slip out the back so you may see Lorelei off. I still have a lot of unpacking to get done.”
I knew she wasn’t ready for me to leave and I hoped she wouldn’t insist I stay. She didn’t and I was grateful. Lorelei’s grandmother had likely saved me on that account.
“Alright, then, we will see you tomorrow,” she said.
I left through the same door I entered and returned to the room of scattered boxes. I wanted this to work and I needed this to work. Everything felt right and this still felt like home to me, even if it was the basement. Only one pending question remained; would Chansey make living here impossible for me?
Chapter 5
It was well past dark thirty when Solomon knocked at the door. I opened the door, not giving him the chance to offer an excuse, and said, “I decided you weren’t coming. Where have you been? It’s going to look weird moving furniture this late.”
“Where’s the fire?” he said in his normal, carefree manner.
“I’m in no hurry, but these people do go to bed at night around here. I don’t think it’s wise to be making lots of noise at all hours of the night,” I scolded, as if he were a child.