The Spirit Vampire: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Protection


Eve woke up in the middle of the night, convinced that she was being watched. She sat up and looked at David. Again, he was still asleep. She laid her head against the pillow and puzzled over this strange feeling. It wasn't the first time this happened. She had experienced this on most nights for almost a month. It hadn't bothered her at first, but she was losing precious sleep and becoming increasingly unsettled.

With that thought, Eve slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake her husband. Her sense of unease increased as she tiptoed towards the large window. She paused, took a deep breath and snatched the curtains open.

There was the briefest flash of white, then all Eve saw was the backyard and all she heard was the heavy beats of wings. She laughed to herself. "I must have scared away a bird."

A movement caught her eye. It was a large feather fluttering onto a bush. Mesmerised, she walked outside to examine it. The feather was as beautiful and white as newly fallen snow and over a handspan long. Eve racked her mind for a local bird capable of growing such a thing. In the end, she decided to carry it inside and ask David about it the next morning.

Eve was woken by David's alarm four hours later. While he shuffled into the bathroom, she turned to her bedside table. She gasped. A thin layer of dust had replaced the feather.

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"Excuse me, Mrs. Goodman." Eve jumped in her seat. It wasn't just due to the icy breath on the back of her neck; she recognized the voice as Therron's.

"I believe you dropped this." Therron opened his hand to show her bracelet.

"Thanks! I must have dropped it at the counter."

Without bothering to ask, he sat at her table. Eve raised her eyebrow. She wondered why he should turn up at her favourite café, over half an hour's drive from his house. In fact, once she thought about it, she had glimpsed him a few times before in her suburb and he was never with Catherine. Why would he come here so often when everything he could want is so close to him?

Therron spoke up first. "And how is your - baby?" His face was as expressionless as ever, but Eve noticed the contempt in his voice.

"She's fine thanks," she grated.

Another tense silence followed before he looked from her belly to her face. His eyes narrowed. "Mrs. Goodman, you need to know that -"

He was interrupted when Eve jerked her seat back. "I'm sorry. I have an appointment soon and can't stay around. Have a nice day!" She grabbed her handbag and almost rushed outside, certain that he was stalking her - or perhaps her baby.

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Therron stared at Eve's retreating back. He hadn't realized that such a heavily pregnant woman could move so fast. A glance at the table informed him that her croissant was only half-eaten and the coffee had barely been touched. "Unlike her to waste so much," he murmured, "She must suspect me, but there will be other ways to settle this."

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Eve watched with anxiety as David drove out of the garage. She knew that he had to attend the interstate conference, but she felt more vulnerable than ever, with nobody to protect her. Catherine trusted Therron too much and she had too little evidence to be able to speak to David or the police. When she lost sight of the car, she drew every blind and locked every door. She decided that she would not visit the café. In fact, she would not leave her house at all.

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Eve found herself outside three days later. It was the anniversary of her mother's death, so she brought a fresh bunch of flowers to her gravesite. Eve rubbed her eyes as she placed the flowers in the vase. She had been careful to show that her house was empty, using a torch or candles rather than the lights at night. The doorbell had been ignored and she had even hesitated to answer the phone, despite knowing that David called every day. None of these had lessened the strain on her. She knew that her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

At first, she thought she was hallucinating when she heard her name. "Eve," the warm voice repeated.

She gaped at the grave. "M-mother?"

"Darling, it's so good to see you again. I just wish it could be under happier circumstances. That Therron is dangerous. You must leave and stay out of Melbourne until Dave returns. Therron won't dare harm you if you're not alone."

"Is that what you've come to tell me Mum? But where should I go? Surely Therron doesn't know where I am!"

"Therron has not been fooled. He's just planning and biding his time. Listen! He is not human, but a spirit vampire."

"A spirit vampire?" Eve could not believe this, yet she had never before imagined meeting her mother's ghost either.

"One that consumes human souls."

"Why is he interested in me? What could I have done to him?"

"You aborted him."

"I what?"

"Have you noticed that he has your green eyes and long face? Do you know he is 25, the same age as your oldest child would be if he had survived?"

Eve's mind filled with memories that she had pushed aside so long ago. She had been seventeen and careless. Her first boyfriend had left her when she told him about her pregnancy. She knew that she was not ready to raise a child yet, not when she was still at school! Eve had not dared to inform her strict, Christian father. Abortion seemed to be her only option. She remembered her impatience as she sat in the waiting area and her relief when she was told that her foetus was almost too small to see. Eve had not wanted to think of him as a baby, even though she had regarded Catherine and now her youngest one in this way. After the procedure, she had not mentioned that time to anyone, including her mother.

"Therron was raised from the dead and made into this beast," her mother continued, "Now he has become jealous of the baby. He wants to her and he's not prepared to wait for her birth. Go to another town. Visit one of your friends."

"And Catherine?"

"She is safe. Therron befriended her long before he discovered who she is." With that, the voice faded away.

Eve stared at the grave and then looked up to the sky. "Lord, I know that I've sinned against Therron and I'll make up for it any way I can. Please help my baby. Give me a sign." She waited for what seemed to be a long time, wringing her hands and feeling the tears streaming down her face. There was no reply.

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It was almost nine o'clock. Eve had packed everything and now sat on the edge of the couch, waiting for David's call. She'd tell him that she would be at a friend's house in Geelong for the next few days, but say nothing about spending the night at a motel. She knew that her friend would be happy to have her, even at a day's notice.

Eve grabbed the receiver as soon as the phone rang. "Hi Dave."

"Sorry, this is Father Raphael of St. Joseph's parish. You are Eve Goodman?"

Eve suppressed her disappointment. "Yes. How do you know me? I haven't been in any parish for years."

The gentle voice chuckled. "I have my ways. You are being troubled by a spirit vampire, are you not?"

Eve's relief was immense. God had listened! She poured out everything she knew about her situation, Therron and her mother's appearance while the priest listened sympathetically. He did not seem at all surprised by anything she said.

"Eve, if you can meet me tomorrow at 9:00 p.m., I believe I can solve your problem. Do you know where St. Joseph's is?"

"Yes. It's on Hosea Road."

"Good. And don't worry about Therron. I assure you that you won't meet him tonight."

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Catherine hummed to herself as she prepared for work. The weather promised to be sunny and her mother had sounded happy when she called last night. This was welcome because she had seemed tired and stressed over the past few weeks.

The soft sound of footsteps alerted her to Therron's presence.

"Hi," she said. "You're up early today."

"I wanted to see you before you leave."

Catherine laughed. "Well that's unusual. You normally sleep in as long as you can."

Therron's face appeared even more somber than usual. "What will you be doing this evening?"

"I haven't anything planned. Did you want to go out for dinner?"

"We ought to see your mother."

Now Catherine was worried. "Why?"

"There's something you need to see."