Chapter 9

They drove for what seemed like 30 minutes. They stopped at a dog compound.
“We will be using Sled dogs for the rest of the journey,” Mr. Ondrink said, getting out of the car.
Jessica also got out and put her backpack on her back. Mr. Ondrink puts in his security code at the door and in they went.
“I did not know you have dogs,” Jessica said, looking at all the dogs.
“These are not just any dogs, these are actually not dogs at all, they are snow wolves,” Mr. Ondrink laughed as the first wolf jumped on him, wagging his tail, followed by a couple more. All the wolves were howling and barking with excitement.
Ann was done at the library, leaving just after mid-day, having found no real books on what she was looking for. She was about to go home when she saw in the distance a burnt-down building. ‘Must be the compound,’ she thought to herself. She started to walk over to the burnt-down compound.
The compound did not fall within the town perimeter and therefore did not fall under the spell that Mr. Ondrink and his pack placed over the town.
As Ann got near, she could see a man lurking around the compound. The man seemed to be dressed in layers of animal skin falling apart. Ann noticed the man paused and then he looked in her direction. The next moment he moved with super-speed towards her and comes to an abrupt halt as if he ran into a wall.
Ann got such a fright that she stumbled and lost her footing. Her heart rate was high. She could feel it beat as if it was about to jump out of her chest.
The man looked wild and crazy. He seemed confused at the surroundings and the invisible wall. He tried, again and again, to get to Ann.
Ann realized that this must be a vampire. He was dressed like the prehistoric people in the museums. He had long dread hair that looked black. He looks like a native Alaskan tribe member. The prehistoric vampire must have been set free with the glacier her dad was warned about. Ann felt her pocket for her phone. It wasn’t there. ‘Must have fallen out when I fell,’ she thought, searching in the snow for her phone. Ann knew she must urgently reach her dad.
Ann noticed the Vampire has calmed down and was now just staring at her. Ann slowly approached the vampire, unsure where the spell wall was exactly. As she got nearer the Vampire tried to get to her again, giving Ann a clear indication as to where the wall was. Ann’s heart rate settled a bit and she no longer felt too much fear. She curiously stood right in front of the Vampire.
“Wow, it’s like looking at history in person,” she said out loud.
The prehistoric vampire made sounds back at her. He pulled his young face into a frown, wondering why this human was not listening to him and why was she making such strange sounds.
“Ann,” Ann said, touching her chest.
The Vampire tried again to get to her. Ann jumped a little, startled at his unexpected movements. The vampire seemed to be desperate, Ann noticed, “must want blood. Guess this is what a starved vampire looks like.”
“Ann,” Ann tried again, touching her chest.
“Uhm,” the prehistoric vampire touched his own chest.
“I promise to listen to Ann,” Ann said slowly, hoping the Vampire will repeat after her. But he just made his strange sounds. Ann noticed the pitch of his voice and realized he was trying to compel her.
“I promise to listen to Ann,” Ann tried again, slower, touching her ear. The Vampire tried to repeat what she said but failed miserably.
Ann kept on trying and eventually, the Vampire managed, “I. Will. Listen. To. Ann,” he said slowly, like a toddler learning to talk, touching his ear, and pointing to Ann.
Ann decided to test if it worked. “sit,” she ordered, showing him to sit and sat herself.
He frowned at her and then started to scream in agony as his skin started to boil. Ann could not see his skin boil, but she knew what was happening. She quickly jumped up and coached him again to sit. He did as she said and calmed down after sitting. Ann noticed the anger on his dirty but beautiful face.
Ann could see he needed to feed, but she was scared to offer herself.
“I will not hurt Ann,” she said slowly, showing the motions of someone hurting another.
The prehistoric vampire just shook his head at her.
“Say it,” she pointed to her mouth. “I will not hurt Ann,” she said again, slowly.
The vampire frowned. He knew what she meant, but he didn’t want to say it as he had intentions to harm her, harm her greatly.
Ann showed her wrist and then pretended to drink from her own wrist and then gestured her wrist to him. “I promise not to hurt Ann,” she said again, looking at his hungry eyes.
“I promise not to hurt Ann,” the Vampire now eagerly agreed just so that he can drink.
Ann slowly put her arm through the invisible wall but before she could even blink, the prehistoric vampire grabbed her arm and pulled her over, eagerly drinking. Ann wanted to make sure he will stop and not drink her to death. “Stop!”
The vampire did not stop immediately. He was in pain as his skin boiled, but he could not bring himself to stop. The burning of his marble skin intensified.
Ann was getting worried. “stop! Stop!” she yelled out.
He let go of her arm and just looked at her, blood dripping down his mouth. He wanted more and was breathing heavily, using all he had not to grab her and drink again. He looked at her neck and can hear and saw the vein in her neck pulsing.
Ann noticed he was looking at her neck, but she knew if he drank from her neck with a larger artery, it could be the end of her.
She offered her palm again, and he eagerly drank again. Ann felt herself getting intoxicated.
The Vampire saw Ann’s life from birth to now. He learned her language and everything she has ever learned. This was such a strange world he has woken up to, he thought to himself. He saw she has been with vampires and frowned at the thought of the Hybrid.
Ann was on such a high that she didn’t realize that the Vampire has stopped. He drank too much, and she was near death.
The Vampire, now with the knowledge of this modern world he found himself in, picked Ann up and took her to the part of the compound that did not burn down. He laid her down on the bed. He bit his own wrist and held Ann’s head to position her to drink. Ann was not responding. The Vampire was getting worried, understanding now what a Vampire’s promise meant. If she dies, he will burn forever. In his time, there was no such thing as boiling skin from a promise. They simply did as they pleased, and the humans offered them sacrifices. They drank a human to death and did not have to feed for weeks. When he was drinking from Ann, he learned the agreement that this period had. He realized that he was millions of years old.
“Ann, you have to wake up! Drink!” he said in fluent English. He tried to force his wrist deeper into her mouth. He finally felt her drinking. Ann can feel herself recover. She stopped and looked up at the Vampire. “you can talk now?”
“Yes, I learned everything about this world when I drank from you. Your father is a hunter?” he asked, not recalling any Vampire Hunters from his period.
“Yes, why?” Ann asked, sitting up, feeling better.
“Nothing, just millions of years ago there was no such thing as Hunters.”
“Oh,” Ann said, standing up. “I have to get home,” she said, about to walk out.
The Vampire moved quickly and blocked her way, “not so fast.” He was about to take the necklace when she warned him, “don’t touch it.”
He immediately pulled back his hand, not wanting to boil again. He wanted to remove it to compel her to come back soon.
“Will you come back?”
“Yes, in two days’ time,” she said, meaning it. “But only if you promise now to never compel me,” she said, looking into his blue eyes, thinking it was strange for him to have such light eyes when he looked like a native to the area.
The Vampire sighed, “fine, I promise to never compel you.”
“What is your name? Surely not Uhm?”
“We went by sounds and that was the sound that was referred to me. So, since you found me and are the first person I come in contact with, please choose a name for me.”
“How about, Michael? It is a common name and easy to remember,” she asked, moving to pass him.
“Michael, I like it.”
“Ok, bye, see you in two days’ time, don’t let anyone see you,” Ann said, leaving.
Michael stared after her, watching her walk away and stopping just behind the invisible wall, searching.
Ann found her phone and was happy that it was still working. She looked back at the compound and saw Michael looking at her. She waved and walked away.
***
After using sled dogs to reach Mr. Ondrink’s ancestral village, Jessica was excited to enter an Igloo. The villagers eagerly welcomed Jessica. Jessica felt uncomfortable; it was as if these people think she was some sort of royalty. The villagers showered Jessica with handmade gifts. Mr. Ondrink tried to keep the villagers at bay by talking in a language Jessica didn’t understand.
Mr. Ondrink showed Jessica to enter one of the Igloos. Inside, a fire was burning. Jessica felt claustrophobia. It smelled like a mixture of herbs burning. Jessica looked around. Only men, mostly old.
Jessica looked around. She wanted to tell Mr. Ondrink that she felt overwhelmed. When she does not see him, she panicked.
Mr. Ondrink did not leave her. When he entered the Igloo, all appearance spells dropped, and every person appeared in their true human form.
“Jessica, sit down, be calm,” Mr. Ondrink signaled Jessica to sit in the middle.
“Mr. Ondrink?” She asked, confused. She recognizes the voice of Mr. Ondrink in the old man in front of her.
“Yes, sit and I will explain.”
Jessica took a seat in the middle of a circle of men, on the ground on a woven carpet. Jessica felt uncomfortable and confused. ‘I don’t remember drinking or taking anything. Why was Mr. Ondrink looking different?’
Jessica noticed all the traditional clothing the old men were wearing. She also notices a couple of wolves next to some of the men. One man places a piece of animal fur over Mr. Ondrinks' shoulders. Mr. Ondrink allowed another man to place a head bonnet on his head. Jessica noticed the feathers look familiar. It reminded her of the project Ann did about Snow-owls.
Mr. Ondrink picked up a bowl of herbs in front of him. Jessica noticed that all the men had a bowl of herbs in front of them. The old men crushed the herbs and hummed. Jessica wondered what they were doing and wondered why Mr. Ondrink was not explaining to her what was happening.
The old men stood up one by one. Once all of them were up, they danced around Jessica. Jessica was confused, not sure if she should also get up or stay on the ground. The men sprinkled the crushed herbs over Jessica. Jessica shut her eyes, not wanting to get anything in her eyes. Jessica curled her legs up to her chest and hid her face against her knees. She giggled within, finding it hilarious.
Mr. Ondrink was worried because Jessica’s eyes were closed as he knew when she opened them again her block will be removed and because her eyes are closed, she will not see the slower appearance of the Spirit Wolves. Mr. Ondrink knew he cannot stop telling her to open her eyes as it could mess up the ritual of removing the block.
The old men moved slower and finally came to a standstill. The old men all bowed down in front of Jessica.