Bayou Moon (5 page)

             
Kreel felt the cold dread and panic return. He was about to tell her that he had no feelings for her, only that of disgust and hate. But he remembered the stone he held in his hand. “I have come back to you Maggie, but not yet. Can we meet in the cemetery tomorrow night?”

             
Maggie frowned and furrowed her brows. “Why do you not come with me tonight Kreel, why wait to begin our lives together my mate?” she looked around him and straight at Charlie who stood quivering where he stood. “Does it have something to do with your friend?” She looked at Charlie closer. “Do I know you?”

             
“I can be with you Maggie, I only ask for this one thing, give me this one request Maggie.” Kreel hoped by changing the subject that the vampire would take her attention off of Charlie.

             
She turned her sites back to Kreel at the sound of his words. “My love,” Maggie said softly. “You told me that once you thought I was a monster, that my days would be numbered and end by your hand. How do I not know that this is not a trick, a lie?”

             
Kreel swallowed. “I do, but I don’t want to leave unfinished business. It’s not much to ask Maggie.”

             
As Kreel began to walk towards her, Charlie grabbed his arm to pull him back. “What are you doing? She’s evil Kreel.”

             
Kreel pulled out of the old man’s grasp. “Hush Charlie, I know what I’m doing. I don’t have time for your old foolish ways.” Then as he walked over to Maggie, he slipped the stone into his pocket.

             
Kreel sighed, pulling her tightly into his arms. “I never wanted to leave you, Maggie. Give me this one night, my love, please?”

             
Maggie stared at him for a long moment before she spoke, pondering his words. At last she spoke. “Yes. I will give you the time you ask for; if you promise that you will come to me.”

             
“I will,” he whispered, “If you truly love me as much as you say, then you must trust me Maggie.”

             
“You have given me back life Kreel. I will wait for you.” Maggie traced her finger along his lips. “Tomorrow night then.”

Chapter Sixteen

             
“Think about it Charlie, if I would have said no, neither of us would be free tonight. That crazy witch would have flown off the handle faster than one of Jeb Cooper’s hound dogs. By giving us some extra time, we can get that stone ground down into powder.”

             
“Is that what you were really doing Kreel? I was afraid you had decided to be like her.”

             
Kreel looked up at Charlie from where he was pounding the stone down into powder like the old voodoo woman had told him to prepare. “I don’t want to be a vampire any more than you do you old fool. I just had to make the demon believe that I did.”

             
“What if it doesn’t work?” asked Charlie, “Are we going to die?”

             
“Yes Charlie, were going to die. Damn Charlie, were already dead. She really did a number on you didn’t she? I think you’re getting more dimwitted by the second you old fool.”

             
Charlie put his head down and was silent for a moment. “There’s something I want to tell you Kreel.” Charlie fiddled with a few rocks on the ground before going on. “I don’t have a wife to go home to, my sweet June passed away some years ago.”

             
“But you always talked about her when we worked the late shift here at the cemetery. Why didn’t you ever say anything before?” asked Kreel

             
“Awe I don’t know, I guess I was just make believing. It made me feel good to believe she would be there at home waiting for me.” Charlie sniffled and wiped his sleeve across his nose. “It’s a hard thing being lonely Kreel; it’s hard not having anyone in the world.”

             
Kreel felt bad for the way he had been treating the old man. He knew the old man didn’t deserve being turned into what he had become. “You’re not alone Charlie, you have me.”

             
Charlie looked over at Kreel and smiled. “You really mean that, you’re not just fooling?”

             
Kreel smiled and threw his arm around the old man’s shoulder. “You bet I do!”

             
The sun was now beginning to rise off in the distance, just as the tiredness began to come upon them both. Gathering up the powder, Kreel placed it into a small pouch. “Come on Charlie, let’s find a place to rest safely, we have a big night ahead of us when the moon rises.”

             
The two walked off together in the direction of the mausoleum, just as the day began to stir with life.

Chapter Seventeen

              Kreel and Charlie awoke with the new moon, each gasping for the breath to fill their lungs that brought life to both of them once again. By the time the moon was full in the sky above, they were both making their way out of the mausoleum and into the night. They had gathered the powders the old woman told them to prepare, taking them; Kreel put them into his shirt pocket, being careful not to breathe any of the potent powder in. The last thing he wanted was for the plan to backfire on them both.

             
“You stay out of the way Charlie, I will handle this. I know you may not mean to, but I don’t want to take any chances of you bumbling things up.”

             
“I would feel better staying out of the way anyways Kreel, that woman scares me.”

             
An owl screeched in the distance as a slight breeze blew through the trees on the boundary of the graveyard, and Kreel knew the time was near. Somewhere out there in the darkness, Maggie was approaching. Then there was the sound that told him he only had a few short moments, and he turned to Charlie grabbing the old man’s arm and spoke in a hushed but stern tone. “I mean it Charlie, no matter what happens I want you to stay hidden. Even if things start to go bad, don’t try to play some hero. I want you to run, run down to the old woman in the swamps if you have to. Don’t stay around here, do you hear me Charlie? I want you to give me your word that you will do as I say, promise me old man!”

             
Charlie hesitated and then nodded his head. “I promise Kreel, I’ll do as you say.”

Chapter Eighteen

             
The sounds of the night came alive with the chirps of crickets, and the animals that scurried through the forest of trees. The moon the old woman had warned them of was now upon them. Kreel’s senses became more alive as he became more aware of the sounds around him. What he was becoming would take over entirely if he could not break the curse that had been placed upon both him and Charlie. Kreel staggered in his step for only a moment as the old man came to his mind. He did not dare turn and look in Charlie’s direction as that would only call danger to the old man’s cover. Kreel knew that the old man was safe; he also knew that only he himself would be able to handle the job his steps were now taking him to. Kreel watched the line of trees in front of him knowing that somewhere hidden within them, Maggie was watching. He only hoped that after tonight, the vampire that had placed the curse on him would no longer exist, therefore, never posing a threat to him or anyone else again.

             
Holding her balance against a tall willow, Maggie watched from the darkness as Kreel approached. Her lips curved into a smile as she relished the very sight of him. “Had I really thought to doubt my mate, before my eyes he comes to me this very night.”

             
Before Kreel reached the very boundaries of the trees, Maggie stepped from the darkness as her lips held a smile that sent an ice cold shiver down Kreel’s spine. As he watched her, Maggie held out her arms, beckoning him to come closer, and he swallowed his fear and moved closer to the demon before him.

             
Maggie gazed upon him, the words she spoke soft. “It would seem I have allowed my foolish ways to cause doubts, I was not sure if you would really show. But here you are my love.”

             
“I told you I would Maggie, didn’t I?” Kreel’s hand trembled as he fought the urge to grab for the powder; he knew the time had to be right. He kept the hand by his side as he steadied his breathing and peered into the vampire’s eyes.

             
“Come with me Kreel; let us start our new life together with our first hunt as mates.”

             
Smiling uneasily, Kreel thought quickly. Grabbing Maggie’s hand, he raised it up to his lips and kissed it softly just as he heard the soft moan escape the vampire’s lips. “Why so much of a rush Maggie? The night is beautiful my love.” Kreel gestured his hand to the cemetery surrounding them. “Can you not hear the sounds of the night? Let’s stay here for a while Maggie, both you and I, together enjoying this.” Kreel only hoped that his words would persuade her.

             
Maggie looked at Kreel with a fire that began to return to her eyes. “Why do you find excuses to delay leaving with me Kreel? You claim that you wish to be with me, but you find every excuse not to. I am beginning to think that your words are only lies again.”

             
Kreel frowned falsely. “How can you trust me, if you doubt me every minute Maggie? Didn’t I keep my word and come tonight? You disappoint me Maggie, I thought you trusted me.” Kreel turned away from her hoping that his words would work on the vampire and buy him the time he needed. He hoped.

Chapter Nineteen

             
She gazed up at him, the fire retreating from her eyes. “I don’t doubt you my love, I’m sorry,” she whispered. “We can stay here for a while longer if that is what you would like.”

             
Kreel’s plan was working; he turned back to her, grabbing her hand, he kissed it as he led the vampire to a stone bench in the middle of the cemetery. He urged her to sit as he readied himself to stand in front of her and release the powder in his shirt pocket onto her senses. Kreel gathered every bit of strength that he had knowing this would be his only chance. Just as Maggie sat down, Kreel gathered the powder into his hand and stepped in front of the vampire where he was looking down upon her.

             
“My mate stands above me as if he wishes to tell me something?” said Maggie as she watched him with a smile on her face.

             
Kreel smiled back at her, rocking his body slightly with uneasiness, as he opened his hand in front of his lips. Then with one single blow from him, the powder was set free upon the vampire’s senses. “I warned you that you would never own me demon, my life will now belong to me once again. For tonight, your life is the one that will end!”

             
She looked up at Kreel with disbelief in her eyes.

             
“I promised you Maggie, your life would end by my own hand.”

             
“How dare you try to manipulate me!” screamed the vampire

             
Kreel watched as she stood and glared at him with a fire in her eyes that burned more brightly than he had ever seen it before. The vampire was angry with no sign of the powder working as the old woman had promised. The plan had failed. He backed away from the demon, and with each step that she came forward, her balance began to wither. The powder was working after all, just a little slower than he had hoped.

             
She lowered her head as if to fight the effects of the powders drug. “Tonight, I will not die alone my love.” Then she lunged at Kreel.

              Charlie had been hiding in the bushes back by the mausoleum when he spotted the moon reflecting its glow off of something that lay on the ground. As the old man got a better look, he suddenly realized that it was actually his bottle of whiskey that he had lost when he had been attacked. A smile broke across old Charlie’s face as he reached for the bottle. That is when he heard the wails of the vampire; the plan had not gone as Kreel had planned.

             
As Charlie peered around the bush to get a better view, he saw the vampire lunging for Kreel. He had promised that he would not interfere, but Kreel was his friend and the only person in the entire world that he had. Gathering up his strength, the old man opened up the bottle and placed it to his lips.

             
Charlie could feel the whiskey renewing his strength. It revitalized him like it never had before. Charlie felt alive!