Chapter Seventeen: Gray Areas

Lorraine had finished her homework and tried to stay up to wait for her mother. At midnight, she fell asleep, unable to keep her eyes open any longer. When she woke up on Wednesday morning, the first thing she did was check Suzan’s bedroom. When she found the bed made, she was overcome with worry. *“Maybe she came home late, and left before I woke up.”* She tried to assure herself with the thought, but there was still a sense of dread, which unsettled her through the morning. She tried calling her before leaving for school, but her phone went straight to voicemail.

She arrived at school a little earlier, which she had decided on doing from the night before. She needed to talk to Bates and ask him all the things she needed to know. She entered room 404A, and found Bates Bright sitting with a thoughtful look on his face. “Good morning Mr. Bright.”

He turned to her and gave a tight smile, “Morning Lorraine, you’re early.”

Lorraine nodded, put her bag on one of the chairs in the first row, then took a seat, “I wanted to talk to you, if that’s alright?”

Bates nodded, “Sure, what is it?”

“I saw Cedric leaving your class yesterday morning, and…” She wasn’t sure how to approach her question. “I know it might not be my place.”

Before she could continue, Bates interjected, “He’s the one who turned me. It was back in 1845.” Bates let out a sigh. “I was in a really bad place back then, my life was worthless and for some reason I can’t fathom, Cedric saw something in me. He decided that I was better than the life I had.” Bates recalled the first time he had seen Cedric. He remembered that night as if it had only happened yesterday.

*Birmingham, England
*1845

*The bar looked nothing but shady. The walls were dirty, and the slurred loud voices of men rose in the air, while the lewd laughter of women accompanied it. The smell of sweat and alcohol along with the men’s nasty breath float in the air. Bates walked from the bar with a wide grin on his face, a falter in his steps and a sway in his movement. He reached a table and greeted the other drunk men on it. “Bates, you’re late today my man.” A bald man grinned at him showing yellow teeth.
*
He sat down on one of the stained wooden chairs and a woman approached him, her breasts were on his face as she sat on his lap. “Hello love.” He said with his mouth on her neck, sucking on it slightly.

*The woman merely giggled with a crude moan, “Oh, Bates. You just know how to greet a woman”
*
It was then that the door to the bar opened, allowing a gust of the cold night air to blow inside. Bates looked up, just like everyone had done, and there entered a man. However, he wasn’t just any man. He looked out of place with his expensive clothes and posture. To everyone his appearance was that of a wealthy gentleman. Even the men had to admit how handsome he looked. His jet-black hair was combed to the side to perfection. His electric blue eyes assessed the place with judgment obvious on his sneer.

*It was the first time Bates had laid eyes on Cedric Bloodworth, and his life had changed from the moment. His long-wasted nights on alcohol and women became a memory. Cedric came to him like an angel, saving him from himself and from his world. *

Bates returned to the present, and his eyes focused on her. “I was bewildered by him. He held himself in such a graceful way, which made me envious. Everything about Cedric was shocking, a little frightening, but enchanting nevertheless.”

“So, why does he hold such a grudge against the Vancsura. You said they were hunted through the years. I assume he was the one hunting them?”

Bates nodded his head with a grimace, “He made it his life mission to hunt every single one of them down.”

“But why?”

“Doesn’t it always come to the love of a woman?”

His question was a good enough answer to Lorraine. She drew the conclusion right away, “Darla.” Bates nodded his head again and got off his chair, walking to the window, and giving his back to Lorraine. Sometimes he wondered if he was slightly biased towards Cedric. He wondered if he saw some good in him, which didn’t actually exist. “Did the Vancsura witches kill her?”

“One of them did or had a hand in it, I’m not really sure.” He turned to face her, “He never really liked to speak about it. The only reason he told me is because I witnessed him killing one of them. A young girl no older than sixteen. He didn’t hesitate nor think.” Bates shook his head, a sad look on his face, “It drew a wedge between us.”

They heard the bell ringing loudly, signaling the beginning of the class. Lorraine’s eyes drifted to the door, then decided to ask one final question, “Why did it feel like you didn’t want to talk about Cedric around Aiden?”

Bates let out a sigh, and walked to his desk. “Aiden sometimes sees things in black and white, but Lorraine there are several shades of gray.” The look on her eyes held a message, one that was directed to her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t figure it out. She got up, grabbed her back and went to her assigned seat in the class.

Judy entered and joined her. “You’re a bit early.” She sounded tired, and when Lorraine looked at her, she looked like she had a sleepless night.

She only nodded, “Yeah, are you okay? You look a bit tired.”

Judy only nodded, “The whole Mike thing is worrying me sick.”

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The mayor was sitting in his office glaring daggers at Fisher, who had brought a stranger to him claiming the man can help them with their vampire problem. “Cedric Bloodworth, I presume?” Cedric nodded his head, “Fisher tells me you have experience in solving the kind of problem we’re facing?”

“Yes, I have been hunting vampires and other creatures of the night for a very long time. I know all there is to know about them and how to get rid of them.” Cedric knew there was nothing better than being on the inside. *“What’s better than the mayor and the sheriff?”* When mayor Huxley nodded, Cedric decided to continue, “I will look over the cases, and I will get rid of the ones behind it.”

Huxley let a cigarette, “Color me curious, Mr. Bloodworth. Why are you doing this? And how did you know that we have a vampire problem?” The man was suspicious, rightfully so.

Cedric only shrugged, but kept a professional face, “I have a special hate for vampires. They killed my family, and since then I’ve been hunting them down. And as for how I know, I watch the news, and anyone who knows what to look for, would know vampires are behind it.”

Seemingly convinced with Cedric’s back story, Huxley turned to Fisher and gave him a curt nod. Taking that as his cue to share the information, Fisher turned to Cedirc, “I’m sure you heard about the Jonas family.” When he received a nod, he continued, “The news stated the bodies of Linda and Adam Jonas were found in the woods after having been missing for a week. Well, that’s not true.” The sheriff paused, allowing the information to sink in, “It was a ploy we put together. Both bodies had puncture wounds and were drained of blood. We found their bodies twenty four hours after their death.”

Cedric furrowed his eyebrows, “But their son is really missing, right?”

Fisher nodded his head, but Huxley was the one to continue, “The bodies were found in the living room of their own house, Mr. Bloodworth. We suspect that their son is the vampire behind it.”

“John has been out of town for a year. He goes to Thomas Nelson Community College in Williamsburg. He returned to the town a week prior to the incident.” Fisher clarified.

“Fisher tells me you’re the one behind the death of that vampire that attacked Judith McMillian.” Huxley changed the topic, “I thought that could be the end of our problems, but I received news yesterday that there was another victim that arrived at Valley’s Mercy Hospital. Same M.O, drained with puncture wounds. But she was alive, still unconscious though.” The way he said the last words made it seem like he wished she wasn’t.