Running From the Night (2 page)

Chapter Three

“Man, you will never believe what just happened to me,” Jelani said into the phone between sips. “In fact, I’m gonna wait till I get home to tell you this. You won’t believe me, but I want you to at least see that I’m not insane when I tell you this.”

“Tell me what, man?” his roommate pressed. “You can’t just leave me hanging like this!”

“Trust me, man. I can’t talk about it right now, not here and not over the phone. I’ll see you in a bit. Quite frankly, if this place was open till dawn, I’d probably stay here till then.”

“What? Dawn? Dude, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Just …” Jelani closed his eyes. “Just relax. I’ll see you in an hour or two. Just kick back.”

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “Alright, whatever. See you then.”

Jelani ended the call and rested his head in his hands. How should he handle this? On one hand, he most certainly witnessed a murder. Two, in fact, though the second one might not yield any evidence by now. He thought to call the police, but what would he tell them? He was jogging around Stanley Park at nine o’clock at night and stumbled upon a couple of vampires drinking someone’s blood? He escaped and was saved by an assassin who then tried to kill him, and was then saved by some ominous guy and a fine-looking female who practically vanished?

He sighed and took a long draw on his latte. “I really gotta stop drinking these,” he muttered, taking another sip. He sighed again. “What to do, what to do?”

“About what?”

Jelani nearly jumped out of his chair. He tried and failed to look like he was grabbing a napkin to wipe the table with, and looked up to see a concerned smile beneath a set of hazel eyes.

“Jumpy?”

“Ah, no, I just …” he stood and gave her a hug, fully enjoying the press of her body to his despite tonight’s events. “Didn’t expect to find you here, Alisha,” he said, pulling a chair out for her.

“Really? You were expecting to see me somewhere else?”

Jelani shrugged. “Work, home, the gym.”

“Whatever. You know I come here to read occasionally. I’m surprised to see you here this late. Don’t you usually go for a night jog then wrap the night up early, like a devout monk?”

“Monk? Okay, alright. I see you’ve got jokes for me tonight. Okay.” His skin prickled at her responding titter. How long had he been wanting to put “the moves” on this girl? He’d had the hots for her for longer than he cared to admit to himself, but had never made a move. His roommate, Daniel, had warned him too often that he’d better make a move before someone else did, and Jelani knew he was right.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Does that mean you’re buying?”

Jelani smirked at her. “Yup. Just give me some cash and I’ll go buy it for you.”

Alisha leaned back in her chair and covered her mouth. “Ah, hah, okay. If it’s like that, I can get my own.…” Jelani laughed and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Please, girl. You know I’m kidding. What can I get you?” The responding smile made his heart skip, just a little. The combination of those hazel eyes and her dark complexion was hypnotic.

“Just a short caramel latte.”

“You don’t have to put on the dainty act on my account.”

She waved a hand at him. “Yeah, whatever. You just keep drinking these calories this late more often and come talk to me.”

Jelani couldn’t help but nod at the sound logic as he left for the counter.

“Hi there!” said the smiling girl behind the register.

“How’s it going?”

“I’m good, thanks” the girl replied, seeming pleasantly surprised that he’d asked.

“That’s good,” he said. “I’d like a short caramel latte with soy, please.”

The girl rang in the order and took the money, glancing at the waiting Alisha. “She’s a cute one. Dazzling her with a late night coffee drink, hmm?”

Jelani’s eyebrows rose, and he laughed quietly. “I guess it’s possible. Gotta start somewhere, right?”

“Good luck!” the girl said brightly, handing him his receipt and calling out the order.

While waiting, Jelani leaned on the counter, checking his text messages. Three messages, all from the same person; Melinda. He almost snarled. The girl was pretty and had a bright personality that a person could instantly fall for. But she was also a tremendous tease, and it was long past getting on his nerves.

“Short soy no whip caramel latte.”

Jelani capped the drink, thanking the barista, then returned to the table. “Miss me?”

“Painfully so, my love.”

“Well here’s a steaming hot token of my affection,” he replied, handing over the drink. When she took it from his hand, she extended her fingers just a bit farther so that they slid across his. Nice.

“So tell me,” Alisha said, holding the cup with both hands. “What’s troubling you that you’re trying so hard to hide?”

“Hmm?” Jelani looked at her, and found those piercing hazel eyes difficult to evade. Since the first time they’d met, it always seemed like she could read right into him. He loved looking into those beautiful eyes, but he also knew that those were eyes you couldn’t lie to.

“I’m good. Just got some stuff on my mind.”

She arched a thin eyebrow at him. “Really? So you’re going to sit there and lie to me? Really?”

He looked up to meet her eyes and almost laughed at how guilty he must have looked. “Something happened to me tonight that I’m not really ready to talk about right now.”

“You don’t think it would help?”

“Trust me. Right now, you don’t wanna know.”

She stared at him, read the seriousness in his face. “Okay. I’ll take your word for it. You’ll never catch me volunteering for more problems in my life. But if you do need help, Jelani, just ask. Even if I can’t physically help your situation, sometimes a different perspective or thought process can help you figure out a problem.”

He stared down at his cup for a time, then looked up into those all-seeing eyes, and smiled. “I’ll remember that, Alisha. Thanks.”

“Any time. Just remember what I said, okay?”

Jelani nodded. “So how are you and Phillip?” he asked, not really wanting to know.

Alisha frowned. “Has it been that long since we’ve spoken?” She turned the cup in her hands before taking another sip. When she looked back up at him, he knew the answer. Suddenly, he did want to know.

“Everything not alright?”

“Was that a tinge of hopefulness?”

“What are you talking about?” Jelani asked, panicking. He could feel the heat rising to his face. “I just asked how you two were doing and the look you threw me suggested not so good.”

“We’re no longer together.”

“Oh, man, I’m sorry, Alisha,” Jelani lied. “Damn. I’m sorry to hear that. You okay?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “The only thing that performance was lacking was crocodile tears. I think I’ve got some eye drops in my purse if you want to do another take.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll admit I don’t really care for the guy.”

“Two months ago you gripped his hand so hard it was sore for the better part of a day, Jelani.”

“It was?” he replied, trying not to laugh.

“He wouldn’t admit it to me, but he kept flexing it, and every time I got near it, he would make sure I didn’t touch it. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you were trying to crush his hand.”

“Of course not. If I was trying to crush his hand, I would have squeezed harder. My Pops always taught me that a man is supposed to have a firm handshake, not let your whole arm be shaken by another guy. Get him something to work his hands with, firm up his grip.”

That raised eyebrow twitched. “Not my concern anymore. We’re done, remember?”

“Care to share?”

“Not really. I’ll just say that we have too many differences. We want different things.”

“Like?”

She sighed. “He wants to move to the island and start a big family.”

“And I’m guessing you don’t?”

“I may want to start a family one day, but not now.” She looked out the window and Jelani was afforded an unobstructed view of her delicate neck, her high cheekbones and beautiful profile. He’d never met a girl as dark as her with eyes that color. For Jelani, it always came back to those beautiful hazel eyes.

Her head never moved, but her eyes flicked back at him, absolutely catching him staring at her. “Something interest you?”

“You’re an interesting person.”

“Thanks.” She took another sip of her latte. “Sometimes it felt like he was trying to hurry up and saddle me with an armful of kids on a ranch to make sure no one else caught my attention, or that I caught no one else’s. He treated me well enough—”

“He didn’t have a choice,” Jelani interrupted. He’d known Alisha for only half a year now, but one thing he had learned about her from the start was that she tolerated mistreatment from no one. She had an infinitely kind heart, but also an iron will.

She shrugged. “True. But I tried to talk to him so many times about it. I tried to tell him I wasn’t going anywhere and to just be patient.” She looked in his eyes, and Jelani could see a need to be understood. “I’m not trying to have a family right now. I’m just starting my career at Earthtech, and I want to travel. Experience new things and meet different types of people. There’s so much to see and learn in the world.”

“I totally agree,” Jelani said. “It’s a huge world, and I want to see as much of it as I can.”

“I can surely believe that, California boy.” She smiled at him. “I love it here in Vancouver, but I still find it odd that you would opt to move here. Less sun, fewer black folks …”

Jelani laughed. “Well, I’m kind of a ghoul, as I’ve already told you. I love rainy weather. Not that I don’t love the sun, but I like the gray and the rain too. I keep telling you Vancouverites that you don’t know how good you’ve got it. Okay, you’ve got all this rain, but it’s a rainforest! You’ve got huge redwood trees and evergreens carpeting the mountains. Stanley Park, three local mountains, skiing, hiking.” He waved a hand. “The list goes on. Tell you what. You go to downtown L.A. and I promise you the air quality is not as clean as the average garage here in VC.”

She laughed. She always laughed when he called Vancouver
VC
. “So passionate! Canada should make you an honorary Canadian.”

“Yeah right.”

“Sorry to interrupt, folks,” one of the staff had come to their table, holding a broom. “Just wanted to let you know we’re closing up in about fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks,” Jelani said, and Alisha smiled at her.

“Gonna go for another jog?” she asked.

He tried not to shiver when the image of that bloodstained face and those milky white eyes and elongated teeth flashed though his mind. “Ah, no. I’m going to go home and wrap the night up.”

“Of course. Up at dawn for your morning chant to the sun, like a proper Gregorian Monk?”

Jelani sighed. “I’ve told you. Gregorian chant is sung as a single vocal line in free rhythm and a restricted scale, which is plainsong, and in a style developed for the Medieval Latin liturgy.…” He rolled his eyes when she smiled at him. “You like baiting me, don’t you?”

“It’s so easy,” she confessed.

“You’re the only one who can manage it, you know.”

That eyebrow twitched again. “And why is that?”

Because if we were someplace else, I’d love to tackle you right now. “Dunno.”

“Mmm.” Her round lips pressed together playfully.

Oh God, I’ve got to get away from her before I make an ass out of myself. “Want to go home?”

“What?” She frowned at him. “You’re asking me to go home with you?”

Too late. “I meant, would you like me to walk you home?”

She studied him a moment. “Maybe another time. I’m meeting some girlfriends in an hour at Leaf.” She smiled deviously at him. “You’re welcome to attend, if you’d like.”

“Ah, no, thanks. Though I’d love to be surrounded by clucking chickens for the chance to get pecked once or twice, I’m gonna have to pass.”

“Wow, so I’m a chicken?”

“No, you’re the swan.”

Now Alisha rolled her eyes. “Alright, time to go.” They stood and made their way to the door.

“Have a great night!” the friendly girl from the register said, waving around her broom. They both waved back, and when Alisha turned her back, the girl winked at Jelani. He smiled and shook his head.

“I guess it’s goodnight,” he said, helping her into her coat.

“Looks like it.”

“Guess I’ll see you when I see you. Have fun at Leaf.”

“Thanks.” As he turned to leave she called out to him. “Jelani.” He stopped and turned. “Maybe keep in touch, okay? Don’t be such a stranger.”

He filtered in a small portion of the enormous smile hiding behind his calm façade. “I can do that.”

“Goodnight. Be careful.”

“You too.”

***

Chapter Four

On his walk home, Jelani mentally scolded himself. How could he possibly have thought to offer to walk Alisha home after what happened tonight? That freak, whatever he was, could still be after him. As far as he knew, two people were after him!

His eyes darted from left to right as he made his way up Robson Street. The last thing he wanted to do was walk down any quiet streets right now. Ironic, since normally he would go out of his way to travel the quieter streets, as there was less cigarette smoke to navigate, and fewer encounters with someone trying to get you to sign something, join something, or part with your hard-earned cash.

“That was really stupid,” he thought aloud. What if she’d agreed to let him walk her home and one of those freaks had found him? He tried not to study the face of every person that gave him more than a cursory glance as he made his way up the inclining street. Once he reached Cardero Street, he turned left and increased his pace. The street was not wholly dark, but much darker than he would have liked. He replayed the encounter in his mind over and over as he walked down the street, moving toward Coal Harbour. No matter how many times he tried to tell himself that his imagination had run wild at the sight of all that blood, he couldn’t deny what he’d seen.

Those milky white eyes, those elongated teeth, the way the blond guy was crouched over the twitching body, and the blood all over his face. Either they were some kind of maniacs escaped from a mental institution that bought some fangs and white eye contacts, or they were something out of a horror movie. He nearly jumped across the street when a bush shuffled to the left of the sidewalk. A few seconds later, a skunk came wobbling out of the brush, sniffing around in all its nearsighted glory.

Jelani laughed, and the skunk turned toward him in alarm, its tail sticking straight up. “No need for that, my friend,” Jelani said, backing away a few steps. “You go ahead and make it your way, and I’ll go mine.” The skunk continued to stare in his general direction before finally spinning around and disappearing back into the bushes.

Jelani took a quick look around the empty street. He didn’t know whether he was relieved or nervous that there were no people around. Not that he would have wanted anyone else to be killed in his place, but there was always at least a degree more safety in numbers. Whatever those guys had been, he doubted they would be quick to attack him in the presence of so many witnesses.

Fast stepping like a power walker, Jelani finally crossed Georgia Street and came to the walkways of Coal Harbour. The smell of the salt water and the sound of the ocean had an immediate effect, and after a few deep breaths, his nerves were beginning to settle. He couldn’t believe how blessed he was to live in one of the most sought after—not to mention expensive—places in the west end of downtown Vancouver. Within two years, things had fallen so well into place for him, Jelani almost thought he was the unwitting participant in some reality show.

After falling in love with the city, nearly seven years ago, he’d applied for a work visa. His uncle had some connections with an attorney who had advised him in the best way to apply, and two years later, he actually had a permanent resident status. After three years of waiting tables while transitioning his web business, he’d finally managed not only to have acquired enough clients to build and maintain websites and troubleshoot full time, but he also had landed a particularly fun gig as a motion capture—referred to in the industry as mo-cap—and voice actor for EA, one of the biggest video game developers in the world.

He walked up the steps to his building and swiped his card at the door. Once he was inside the building, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least he’d made it home. He looked around the immaculately kept lobby and shook his head, smiling. Jelani had always been taught to work smart and hard for what he wanted, and through most of his life he had done so. In the last few years, he often stopped to take a look around and just marvel at the many good things that manifested in his life.

“Always remember to count your blessings,” he said, quoting his grandmother. “I need to give her a call.”

He started to take the stairs, like usual, but the draw for dinner and relaxation was too strong, and he hit the elevator button, stepped in, and pressed number ten.

O O O

“You sure took your time,” his roommate said.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Jelani replied sarcastically. “I’ll call next time I’m gonna be late.”

“You know what I mean. You can lay off with the honey business.” He waited for Jelani to take off his coat and shoes. Daniel Ng was one of the talented physics programmers at EA. He and Jelani had met almost a year ago after a session for an action adventure game that was sitting on the shelf in the living room. Daniel had called him a narcissist after Jelani had said how cool it would be to control himself on the TV. A few laughs and many video game conversations later, and a close friendship had flourished ever since.

“So you gonna tell me what happened? You look fine enough to me.”

“That is due to more than a little luck.”

“Do tell.”

Jelani sat in his cushioned chair across from the couch and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Dude. I don’t know where to begin with this. It sounds utterly absurd to my own mind, and I know what happened and what I saw.”

“Just get on with it already and tell me what happened.” Daniel draped an arm over the back of the couch and smirked at him. He was definitely what any girl would consider very attractive. Black hair combed up in those hair spikes a few inches long, almond shaped eyes, and a winning smile. He also was a few inches taller than Jelani, at about six feet two inches tall, and with an athletic physique. He’d laughed when Jelani first called him a pretty, Russell Wong-looking bastard.

Jelani took a deep breath. “Okay. So I was out jogging, and decided to go around Stanley Park. I stopped to take a break, and just as I was about to get going again, I heard what sounded like a muted scream and some scuffling up one of the dirt paths leading inside the park. I crept toward the path and looked in.”

“I thought you said black folks don’t go snooping around when bad things happen,” Daniel said, referring to the many times Jelani complained about how stupidly the black people died in movies.

“I can’t speak for all of us, but we don’t. And I wasn’t planning on it. What I was planning on doing was looking to get a good enough description of what was happening, get away, and call the police.”

“So what happened?”

“The guy heard me.…”

“You know how to be quiet, Jelani, and he heard you?”

“Hey man, he must have super hearing or something. Anyway, he heard me despite the fact that I was barely moving, and turned on me. Now here’s the part where you resist the urge to call the loony-mobile on me. His eyes were white, there was blood all over his face from where it looked like he’d been eating on someone, and he had elongated canines.”

“Get the hell outta here!” Daniel said, throwing his head back. “Man, come on! It was dark out; the moon is out and you witness an assault or, hopefully not, a murder. But white eyes, fangs, and blood? You did not see a vampire, Jelani. You didn’t.”

“Look I’m not disagreeing with you, here. I’m telling you exactly what I saw. Exactly. And it gets better. Another guy I hadn’t seen managed to get the drop on me. I tried to sweep his feet, and it was like I tried to trip a tree. The guy didn’t budge! I was forced to pull my knife, and managed to score him on the back of the neck and in the side of his arm. It was like I did nothing to him.”

“That’s all you did?”

Jelani looked up at him. “What was I gonna do? Kill the guy? I hadn’t planned on him not feeling any pain, or I might have been a little more aggressive.”

“Alright, so you met up with two ghouls eating on an unlucky guy who happened across them.”

Jelani stared at Daniel a moment, then chose not to respond to the sarcasm. “Yeah, and once I got free of the big one, I took off.” He shook his head as he remembered the details. “Look I’m not the fastest sprinter in the world, but I’ve won more than my share of gold medals since I was ten. I was in a full sprint, man. I was sprinting like first place was life, not a medal. I could hear these guys behind me, almost talking conversationally. Then I felt a hand grab me, and the next thing I knew, I was flying uphill on another of the dirt paths leading into the park. Uphill, man. And while I was trying to get my head together after the tumble, they were right there.”

He held a hand up when Daniel went to speak. “No, no, wait. There’s more. Big man is pretty much about to put my lights out. He leaned his head back, and his canines elongated right in front of me. Right in front of my face, man! And I watched his eyes go from light brown to white. You can tell me it was my imagination, or fear, or whatever, but he was right in front of my face. His eyes changed color. I have no doubt in my mind he was going to take a bite out of me.”

Daniel sat staring at him for a few moments. “Look. Obviously, you know I’m going to tell you this is impossible, and that out there in the dark, being attacked, you saw things that your mind may have embellished. At the same time, I’m not gonna insult you either. I know you well enough that you wouldn’t just come up with this, and the fact that you look very serious is making me nervous. Have you called the police?”

Jelani laughed. “And tell them what? I was out for a late night jog, saw two guys eating a third, and almost was eaten myself? Spotted a couple of vampires and made a daring escape?”

“Well, you better figure out something. How are you going to keep this quiet? It’ll eat your conscience alive.”

“My conscience will be fine, because once I figure out the right thing to do, I’ll do it.”

Daniel leaned forward. “Well, while you’re figuring out what the right thing to do is, think about this. The longer you wait to call the police, the more questions they’re gonna ask. It will look a little odd to them that you witnessed this and waited a day or two, or however many, to call them.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Jelani replied. “I can call anonymously and give them all the details I can remember that fit around all the other stuff.”

“Fair enough.” Daniel frowned, as if remembering something. “So from what you’ve suggested, you stumbled on a couple of vampires. Just for the sake of argument, if they were vampires you could have been an Olympic track star on steroids and still not have had a prayer of outrunning them.”

“I didn’t, remember.”

“Yeah, but how did you get away?”

“Now that’s where it gets interesting.”

***