CHAPTER 24: THE ORIGIN

There was an hour or so left before the plane would land. By now, most of the passengers on the plane were sleeping, tucked away in their dreams. Suzanne, however, was awake, she sat in the sleeper chair and stared out the window. Outside, flashes of lightning could be seen within the clouds of the midnight sky. The rumbling and groaning of the sky did not sit well with her. She wondered how many more lives below had been lost and felt like a coward for hiding in the plane.



But how could she warn them? No one would believe her. No one would believe them.



Tom slept soundlessly beside her. Suzanne stole a glance at him and saw dark circles under his eyes. He must have been more tired than he let on, she had not noticed them before. Slowly, she reached out her hand and gently ran it through his hair.



*My dear Tom, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this.*



She shouldn’t have let him come. He was safer away from her, it seemed that the black mist was mainly attacking clairvoyants, for reasons unclear to her.



*All we do is speak to the dead and help guide them to the rainbow bridge. We’re not wizards who fight with demons*, Suzanne heaved a sigh.



“Care to join me for a drink, Summers?” the vampire asked. He too was not sleeping, but then again, did the undead ever sleep?



‘Do you have coffee?” Suzanne asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to wake Tom. She got up from her seat and walked gingerly over to the bar where Vlad, the vampire stood.



“Instant, but they taste horrible,” the vampire made a face. He took a sachet from a little black box on the bar top and peeled it open.



“There, how is it?” he let Suzanne take a whiff. The aroma of coffee powder invigorated her, Suzanne had become addicted to coffee ever since the nightmares started. They kept her from falling asleep too easily.



“Smells fine to me,” she pulled out a wine glass that hung from the overhead rack and emptied the coffee powder into it. Wordlessly, the vampire poured hot steaming water into it.



“Good quality glass they have here,” Suzanne said, making a small talk before stirring the coffee with a metal spoon that was laying on the bar top. She raised the glass to her lips and took a sip, it was scalding hot, just the way she liked it.



“Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?” the vampire asked as he sipped his red wine, or was it blood?



Suzanne sucked in her breath, there was so much she wanted to ask, so much she needed to know, but right now, she needed to know where the vampire stood. Was he with them or was he not?



“Did you give Hendricks the paper?”



“Ahhh, that, yes. I took the liberty of visiting the Vatican Library and tearing that pungent page out. I’m surprised it was still kept in such good conditions,” the vampire answered as a matter of factly.



“So you knew Hendricks?”



“We were acquainted once, a long time ago,” the vampire nodded before polishing off his drink.



“Then you should know he’s dead,” Suzanne could feel her blood starting to boil. Surely Vlad would have known that the black mist would eventually come for Hendricks too?



“My child, I have already told you. This is not my fight. I am but a messenger in this trying time.”



Suzanne could not believe her ears, “And you just sat back and let Hendricks die?! He told me you saved his life before! Why couldn't you do it again?!” She slammed her glass on the table, breaking it.



Tom stirred and opened his eyes, having heard the commotion.



“I merely said we were acquainted, I never said anything about saving his life,” the vampire was strangely subdued, he poured himself another drink.



Suzanne shook her head, “But Hendricks said…”



“You were mistaken. It was not me, and I will not be joining your fight,” with that, the vampire shut her down. Tom got up from his chair and walked over to where a red-faced Suzanne stood. The glass had cracked into pieces and there was a cut on Suzanne’s finger.



The vampire eyed the blood trickling down her hand and licked his lips, “You might want to have that cleaned up before I suck it.”



“You’re not joining us in this fight?” Suzanne asked one last time, her heart sinking. Vlad would have been a formidable ally.



The vampire shook his head nonchalantly.



Tom quickly pulled a tissue paper from the tissue box on the bar top and wrapped it around Suzanne’s finger protectively. Suzanne glared at the vampire, “You said your kind had nothing to do with this calamity, but sitting back and not taking a stance is just the same as killing…”



Suzanne turned around, and pulled Tom away with her, “We’re heading back to our own seats. Mr Vlad has made it clear, he’s not with us.”



With that, Suzanne stormed out of the first-class cabin, with an apologetic Tom in tow.



The vampire remained silent for quite some time as if contemplating on what Suzzane had said.



*Sitting back and not taking a stance is just the same as killing….*



“Perhaps you are right,” he chuckled and made his way to Celine. She had woken up to find herself semi-naked and started to giggle with glee. The vampire stood, towering above her as she stripped herself bare before standing back up to face him in all her naked glory. She grinned at him seductively as she unzipped his pants, dropping them onto the floor. The vampire remained silent but in one savage motion, he grabbed her, crushing her to his chest before raising her thigh and slamming himself into her. Celine screamed in both ecstasy and pain.



In the economy class, several passengers awoke from their slumber to confusion, having heard the piercing scream. Many were worried that the plague had come, and started to signal for the flight attendants. It took some time before everyone calmed down, and by then, the plane was starting to descent. They were going to land soon.



Thousands of miles away tucked in the wooden chest of the late Hendricks' home was a black and white photo of two young men. They were laughing jovially, each with a hand on the other’s shoulder, it was obvious they were the best of friends. One of them was a young Hendricks, short and lean with a brown beard and a twinkle to his eyes. The other was a devastatingly handsome with dark hypnotic eyes. And at the back of the old photograph was a short handwritten message, it read;



*To my dear friend Hendricks,*

*Live well.*

*Vlad.*