Friday, April 13, 2007

I noticed that the usually active vampire was fatigued. He has been home every night. No wonder he was so quiet just now when we were outside. I don’t remember him feeding. The veins were blue and throbbing in his neck and his forehead. “Hey you need to go and eat.”

No reply, Lestat was asleep, lying like a foetus on the couch. He didn’t budge. Louis prodded him with elbow, shoe and pokes.

“Nn…”was a vague reply. Then he said, “Lemmealone. Tired.”

I should not have dragged us the long route back. I wanted to see some fireworks, and there was a row of street buskers. Colorful costumes, procession. The gentleman had allowed me to.

“Louis how long has he not fed?” I asked.

2 weeks! OMG, overstrain in their terms. They could not go without for so long and Blondie was sick. He could’ve in the past, minus blood donation and exertion. The fatigue extent was so sudden that he fell asleep already!

“Was he depressed? Anything he mentioned,” Louis replied, shaking him. Princie was limp, as if he was comatose. At one point, he kicked half heartedly. A shoe flew off.

“No.”

“Darling, wake up. Wake up! You’re much too weak, c’mon. c’mon.” I called his name as well, mentally.

I Entered into dreamshifting.

Hmm? Voice but no one.

I shouted, Get up now! To drink! The place was dark, anti reality.’Stat where are you?’

He appeared in a translucent state, very small. He was not wearing anything. Where was this place?

‘Yay, dreamshifting. Like me!’ I took his hand, fading and solid once more. ‘I want to sleep.’ He yawned and turned to go into the darkness.

Louis’ voice was far off when he called our names. ‘No man, come out. Wake up.’ I reached for the waking world.

I felt two hands on my back. I stretched.

Stat’s eyes were open, very violet. He looked pallid, but he recognized us. He smiled kindly. “Hello. You called? What’s matter?”

Groggily, the preter sat up and rubbed his eyes.

“You didn’t hear us? Feed,” Louis adamantly shouted. His hair was mussed up. He had chewed till his lip was bleeding.

I held his shoulders tight. “Stat,” I choked, almost crying. The blond rose from his lying down position.

“Oh. Don’t worry. Was going to.” He stood up quite stable and made for the door.

“Are you all right?” I said. Lestat stopped, his back straight. He paused as if to think what I meant.

Marcus returned at this moment, banging open the door. His shirt was dirty, slight curls messy and bobbing. Still in his uniform, my bro tossed down his bag and unloaded his socks and shirts. Louis complained how untidy this was. “Yo people. Hey, um, Le-man, how’s it going?”

I ran to the front. The blond said he was fine, but his tone was shaky. “Are you hungry? I am kind of, so got to go now.”

“Okey dokey. I got first prize! Thanks for the encouragement!” Marc exclaimed. He dug in his bag and found a trophy.

“Great! I am happy,” Louis replied. Lestat smiled at us and then vanished. Louis lifted up his bag and dumped it on the sofa. Marc took his trophy, running up to me.

“What happened? I didn’t say but he looked, sad.”

He placed it on the table. We helped to load some clothes into the washing machine.

We updated Marc on what was so far. “Sometimes, I ask him, have to keep reminding him, to go out. tat’s not doing that anymore,” Louis said gloomily. “Here.( held out a sock which he took and placed in) Can you talk to him?”

The machine tossed the uniform about.

Marcus was ready with what happened at school. Stat likes to hear our stories a lot. I was not too caught up in worry. Louis set to making some foodie for us.

The vamp entered around ten thirty. He was still a walking zombie. I said that.

Really? You don’t want me anymore? -------- Lestat mused, laughing. Not full colour in his cheeks, only the veins weren’t so pronounced.

I shook my head. Marcus began talking. He perked up and exclaimed, “Wow! I’m so glad you won. Uh huh….” I watched him sit down and look at the trophy. Lestat made some sounds of listening and gestured at some junctures. I took his hand that felt soft on the outside, but as you press harder, the stone skin is firm.

“Thank you for allowing me practice, guys, I Will do my homework this week onwards,” Marc replied.

“You had better. Don’t want teachers to complain,”Louis grumbled whinily. He laid his hands on Lestat’s back. The blond reached back, tipped his head to gaze into his lover’s face.

“Please promise you’ll eat regularly.”

“Alright. I will,” Bratp said tiredly. He blew up a wild strand.

When they were still asleep, I used the phone. “Omaga, I need help. It’s Lestat. He’s not feeding well.”

“I’m sorry, he is a nice child. I regret to hear this. Is it because he is concentrating on something? I know that they do get very perfectionistic at their hobbies.”

I knew what he meant. But I couldn’t permit this to continue. Omaga said that he was sure recovery would kick in and it was temporary. Easy for him to be calm.

The owl read me. “Bianca, I’m sorry. I cannot do anything. If I interfere, Lestat may be angry. You should respect his privacy.”

“Could you tell Marius? He has authority.” Not easy a feat, Stat never followed anyone’s rules. I hoped it could be an exception, as he was helping out new fledglings these days. They advised those vamps lost in the wildness of their Blood, and adopted them in.

The owl was quiet. I almost thought he had hung up. Then, “I’m still here, my child. What do you find in common? He is from 1790 and before.”

“Lots. I enjoy his style of making things comical and he tries to compromise. I want him to get better.” We went beachcombing for shells, cooking with Louis, teasing our visitors, making art on papers, looking at the rosaries and going to church. I didn’t want him to die.

Omaga consoled me that it would be all right. “Ask him why.”

I recalled how succinct his answer was. “Shall I accompany him more? He feels lonely, maybe that is why. But my dad rented a chalet. We’ll go there for 2 months. How?”

I considered not going, but dad’d be angry again. He had put in effort to make a holiday, but I didn’t always appreciate these attempts. I just did not want to move house when I had settled down. That score was not gonna be wiped out by some hol. I know it is nice to be together as a family, but I don’t want to leave Stat when he’s so weak.

They’re more important to me than my usually absent father. The time passed.

I decided not to tell them I would leave next month. Connections were almost impossible. I meant to call just the night before from my cousin’s , but my phone went MIA. I finally got the answering machine at 12 midnight, using my cousin’s phone. “Monsieur de Lioncourt! (his merry tone) I am busy. Leave a message ok? I’ll call as soon as I’m home and free. Bye bye.”

I remembered. It was too late. He had arranged to meet this Sarrah Keenox. And he must be having a Drink at the same time. Louis would have gone along since he must not be alone. I left-“ Hey I’ve gone to this resort. So sorry not to tell ya. Almost no connection there, but I will be fine. With family. I love you.”