16. The Life and Undeath of Hugo Dodds

Chapter 16

The Life and Undeath of Hugo Dodds

L ight spilled into the wine cellar as Alice opened the door. The candles of the wall sconces roared to life, illuminating the rest of the darkened room.

“Good evening, sleepyhead,” Alice said as she entered.

“Is it morning already?” Hugo asked, rolling over on his side to face Alice. He was laying down, hovering about shoulder height, and covered up to his neck in a blanket draping over him. “Do you know your Air Walk wears off after a few hours?”

“It’s after sundown, not morning,” Alice replied. “And yes. Yes, I did.”

Hugo sat up; his legs dangled as if he were sitting on an invisible ledge in the air. He wore a ruffled up, black T-shirt and matching boxer briefs.

“Do you also know what it’s like to slam into a stone floor when it wears off?”

Alice stood with her hands on her hips, a smirk on her face, and sadness in her eyes. “Can’t say I do.”

“Well,” Hugo started as he floated down to the ground with his blanket in hand. “Even as a vampire, it hurts. Like a lot. Especially if you’re sleeping. I’m leaving a terrible review for this air bed-and-breakfast.”

Alice lowered her head and chuckled. “I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

“Nope. I may be undead, but my humor is very much alive.”

Undead . The word sent a chill running through Alice’s nerves. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to hide the pain, to stop herself from bawling her eyes out and reducing herself to a blubbering mess on the floor. She kept herself busy—her mind busy—vampire proofing the house so Hugo wouldn’t have to lurk in the shadows of her wine cellar away from the sunlight.

Every window was now covered in thick, light blocking curtains. The windows of their bedroom were reinforced with black wood paneling, sealing it off from the outside world, so he could sleep in their bed once again. Alice went through every room to ensure Hugo could move freely throughout the house at any time, day or night. She believed this was her fault, and she would be doing everything she could to make him comfortable.

“I’m kind of starving. It’s weird. It’s like a different sensation. Like I’m hangry and woozy and irritable all at the same time,” Hugo said.

“It’s the vampire frenzy,” Alice said in a solemn tone. “If you go too long without feeding on blood, you’ll frenzy. You’ll rampage until the thirst is quelled.”

“I take it a candy bar won’t fix it?”

Alice chuckled, hiding her tears as she bent over at the comment. She hesitated for a moment before scolding Hugo, but her voice betrayed her true emotions with a playful undertone. “I’ll stake you myself if you don’t stop with the jokes. This is serious.”

“Hey. I know,” Hugo replied. “Elizabeth used to joke with me all the time. I never understand how she could joke with everything she was going through . . . until now.”

Alice wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I figured I have two options. I can sulk and not change the outcome. Or I can joke and not the change the outcome. If I can’t change anything, I might as well laugh. Right?”

Alice laughed, covering her mouth with her hands. “I love you so much right now,” she said, her words muffled behind her fingers.

“You only love me because I’m a vampire.” He ran his fingers through his hair. Hugo smirked as he lowered his head, his eyes glaring at her from below the top of his eyelids. He winked. “And that makes me more of a scoundrel. I bet you love bad boys.”

“I’ll stake you right now if you don’t calm down,” Alice blurted as she crossed her arms.

“The stereotypes of vampires are true. I feel . . . different. Like a teenager again. If you know what I mean?”

“Yes. Yes, I do. You’re not the first vampire I’ve dated, remember? I’m well aware.”

Hugo straightened and moved toward Alice, dragging the blanket behind him. “So, how do I stop myself from frenzying? I’m willing to try new things, but I really don’t want to cross that line.” Hugo locked onto Alice’s neck.

“Ez is on her way. She’s taken care of it,” Alice answered, rubbing her neck.

“Good.” Hugo breathed a sigh of relief. “How’s she doing?”

“Ez? She’s okay. Concerned, but okay,” Alice replied.

“I meant your reflection.”

“Oh. She’s . . . she’s not well. She’s sobbing and wailing and crying.” Alice paused, staring at a spot on the stone floor. “She won’t talk to me.”

“Does she blame me?”

Alice shook her head no.

“Do you blame me?”

Alice locked eyes with Hugo. She wanted to tell him the truth. She wanted to let out every emotion she held back. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. Sadness. Hurt. Despair. All of it. She wanted to lay it all out for Hugo to hear. But she held back. It wouldn’t have mattered and would only make things worse. She kept her strong, brave face for him. For her. For them .

“I don’t blame you.”

“Liar,” Hugo was quick to answer. “What about Max?”

“I dropped Max off at the Raskins. I didn’t tell them about you. I couldn’t. I didn’t want them to worry. I only told them we thought she’d be safer with them, so the Savinos couldn’t attack her and use her against us.”

“Good,” Hugo replied in a low voice. “I saw her face. I saw the fear. She knew I was different. And now, if I frenzied and did something to her, I couldn’t . . . I couldn’t forgive myself.”

“She doesn’t have to stay there forever, just for now.”

Hugo nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Just for now.”

They locked eyes, not knowing what to say. They stood in silence, frozen. Hugo fiddled with the blanket in his hands before wadding it up into a ball. Alice wanted to shout, to let everything out, but held her mouth frozen.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” Hugo broke the silence.

“Don’t be,” Alice replied. “It’s not your fault.”

“You can keep telling me it’s not my fault, but deep down . . .” His words trailed off.

There was only the silence again.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. “I get it. Like you said, if you can’t change the outcome, you might as well laugh.”

A smile played on Hugo’s lips as he lowered his head and let out a soft chuckle. His eyes roamed the wine cellar, finally settling on the bottle of Air Walk resting on her workbench. He stole a quick glance at Alice. “So, what’s it like dating a vampire?”

Alice returned a half smile. Her fingers tapped against her arm, rubbing the cotton fabric of her long-sleeve black shirt. Shifting in her stance, she traced one of the stone grooves with her bare foot.

“As I said before, they suck,” Alice replied.

“Funny,” Hugo said with a hint of sarcasm.

“But those nights—” Alice added .

“What about them?”

Alice twisted in her stance, twitching her eyebrows. She held back all the lurid details she wanted to tell Hugo. The nights became a wild realm, filled with the electric energy of untamed beasts, where lovers reveled in the ecstasy of exploring and indulging in their primal passions. The thrill of dating a vampire was like no other. Alice’s heart fluttered as her imagination conjured images of how her and Hugo’s nights could play out.

“Let’s just say . . . it was fun.”

Hugo jumped up to his invisible shelf and leaned back with his hands behind his head. “Care to have some fun?”

Alice dropped her arms to her sides. “Are you going to be like this from now on? Because if you are?—”

Hugo jumped down. “I’m joking. But I feel so charged up, I think I’d lose it if you touched me.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“Hopefully soon or else . . . hopefully soon. By the way, did you see their present?”

“What present?” Alice asked.

“The bag. Did they not leave it?”

“No. What bag? What was in it?”

“Alice, it’s—” He paused. “Maybe they put it in my jacket pocket.”

“What is it?”

“You have to see it.”

He left the wine cellar with Alice closely behind. She steadied herself against the wall as they ascended the creaky wooden steps.

They entered the hallway and moved to the coatrack by the front door. Alice had placed his leather jacket there after cleaning up. Hugo took the jacket and sunk his hand into the pocket. He moved on to the next pocket.

“It’s here,” Hugo said.

Alice held her breath with anticipation.

He withdrew the gift held within and handed it to Alice.

Alice gasped. Distress clouded her eyes as she concentrated on the sight of the red knit hat. She recognized the hat immediately. It was her hat.

She took it from Hugo. Her fingers clutched it tighter the longer she held it.

Alice sniffed it. The fresh notes of strawberries confirmed her signature perfume. Alice’s breath shortened. Her heart raced as it thumped against her chest. She gulped.

“Is that what I think it is?”

Alice clutched the hat to her chest with tears in her eyes. Hugo hugged Alice. She laid her head on his chest, finding comfort in his arms. She wanted to speak. She wanted to audibly confirm his suspicion, but couldn’t. She was frozen in silence. It was Sam’s red knit hat. Her mind slipped back to the night with Sam.

“My head is cold. Buy me a hat,” Sam commanded Alice. She stopped in the middle of the crowded shopping area on Essex Street.

Alice took a few steps before turning to face her girlfriend. Her hands were on her hips, her head to the side. “I told you to bring a hat. Why didn’t you bring your witch’s hat?” Alice tugged the brim of her curved pointy hat.

“Unlike you, I prefer not to broadcast what I am, thank you very much,” Sam replied.

“Look around you.” Alice motioned to the throngs of people overwhelming the street as they continued by in their Halloween costumes. “It’s Halloween in Salem. I think you’d fit in.”

The sky was dark, and the October air was crisp. Street lamps illuminated Essex Street as it filled with revelers partaking in the Halloween activities. The shops were filled to the brim. Street performers struggled to maintain their space as waves of costumed people moved past. Witch costumes of all varieties. Skeletons. Classic monsters. Vampires. A couple with carved pumpkins on their heads. It was heaven to Alice.

Sam pouted her lips and drooped her shoulders. “Buy me a hat. Please.”

“Why don’t you buy it?”

“Because then it wouldn’t be special. It would be from you,” Sam replied.

Alice blushed and smiled. She rocked back and forth, looking around at the various shops. “Do you really want me to buy you a hat?”

Sam moved closer and held Alice’s hands. She leaned in and whispered in a long, drawn-out answer, “Yesssss.”

As the melodic word washed over Alice’s ear, a symphony of emotions danced inside her soul. The solitary sound warmed Alice’s heart in the crisp, cold night. In one word, Alice was transported back to their private evenings, where their expression of love transcended everything. Alice was a sucker, and Sam was playing right into her, toying with her emotions. Alice lowered her head, biting her lip.

There was a pause.

Alice locked eyes with Sam, losing herself in Sam’s steel-blue eyes. Alice smiled.

Sam smirked.

“I don’t know how you do it, but I can’t say no to you.”

“Thank you,” Sam said with glee. She let go of Alice’s hands and headed toward the nearest store. “I want a red one.”

Three knocks at the door interrupted Alice’s memory. Her head swirled from the rush of emotions. The hallway spun. Alice took a step back to catch herself.

Hugo grabbed her arm. “Are you okay?”

Three more knocks.

“I’m fine.” Alice rubbed her forehead. She set the red knit hat on the console table. “I’m fine. The knocks startled me. I’m . . . I’m on edge. That should be Ez at the door.”

Hugo let go of Alice. He pulled back the curtain. “It’s her,” Hugo said as he turned the diamond shape ornate knob to let her in.

“You. Couch. Now,” Ez commanded as she entered. She pulled a wheeled cooler behind her.

“Nice to see you too,” Hugo said.

Ez snapped her fingers. “Couch. Now.”

Hugo shut the door and went into the living room.

Ez stopped the cooler in front of Alice. Her shoulders slumped, and her arms stretched out for a hug. “How are you, kiddo?”

Alice hugged Ez, giving her a tight squeeze. “I’m fine. I’m fine. We’re managing.”

“You’ll be okay, kiddo. You’ll be okay,” Ez reassured her.

Alice stopped hugging Ez, but kept both hands on her shoulders. Alice motioned with her head to the red knit hat on the console table. “They had Sam’s hat. They gave it to Hugo.”

“One issue at a time. One issue at a time,” Ez said as she searched the hallway. “Where’s my little buddy? I have a treat for her.”

“I dropped her off at the Raskin’s house. We didn’t want—” Alice paused. “I didn’t want Hugo to hurt her if he frenzied.”

“Good thinking. Give this to her the next time you see her,” Ez said as she removed a dog treat from her coat pocket. “Please be a dear, and put these into the fridge. Bring me one. I’ll go look over our patient.”

Ez removed her coat and placed it on the rack.

Alice didn’t need to look inside; she already knew what was in there. She took the cooler handle and went into the kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator door. It was packed with food and open wine bottles. She bent down and rearranged the contents. She opened the cooler and pulled out pint bags of blood—donations from a blood drive. Ez had used her connections to secure a month’s supply for Hugo. She stacked the blackish-red bags neatly on the bottom shelf. She shut the door and grabbed the last one in the cooler. She went to join the other two in the living room.

“Let me see,” Ez said.

Hugo pulled back on his lip to reveal the sharpened fangs protruding from his mouth.

“How do you feel?” Ez asked.

“Nauseous. Woozy. Like my body is on fire and a hand is grabbing and squeezing me,” he replied.

“Your body is getting used to the transformation. It’ll calm down. Eventually,” Ez said. “You’re now undead. Your body is at peak physical health. Heart rate low. Cholesterol low. Testosterone and pheromones . . . very high. All at optimal levels. Your body is a perfect specimen of health for someone considered undead. I take it you’ve had urges of all kinds.”

“That’s an understatement,” Hugo replied.

“It’ll calm down, and you’ll be fine. From now on, your body will heal fast,” Ez added.

“Any chance to fix this?” Hugo asked.

“You’ll be fine. Stay out of the sunlight and away from wooden stakes,” Ez said. “Now for the fun part . . . feeding.”

Alice handed her the pint of blood. A white sticker with an oversize O covered most of the blood bag. Ez removed the rubber band and unraveled the PVC tube. She pinched a bloodless portion, withdrew scissors from her pocket, and cut the tube.

“Pinch here,” she said as she handed the tube to Hugo. “Now drink.”

Hugo placed the tube in his mouth and sucked it like a straw as the blood flowed through the tube. “It’s sweet,” Hugo said in between drinks.

“Keep drinking,” Ez said as she turned to Alice. “Kiddo, let’s go talk.”

“You can tell me the bad news,” Hugo said.

“Drink!” Alice said.

Hugo shrugged his shoulders and continued drinking.

Alice turned to Ez. “Let’s go downstairs.”

They headed for the basement when the noise of Hugo gagging caught their attention. They turned to see Hugo convulsing and heaving. Alice’s face turned pale with fear.

Hugo clutched his abdomen and doubled over. With a mixture of guttural growls and violent belching, it sounded as if his insides were being ripped apart by something unholy.

The sound intensified until a torrent of thick, crimson blood gushed forth from his mouth. The blackish-red, macabre liquid splashed all over the hardwood floor. A splattering hit the red velvet couch and coffee table. A trail of blood dripped from his quivering lips, painting his chin red.

Hugo trembled, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath. Sweat dribbled down his face. Alice gasped and covered her mouth. Ez observed the events unfold without flinching.

“Ahhh,” Hugo wailed in agony. “It burns coming out. It burns.”

Ez snapped her fingers. The fluids disappeared. Hugo’s chin was clean, and the floor and furniture were free of the pooling liquid.

“Keep drinking,” Ez commanded. “You’ll get used to it. No matter how hard or disgusting or awful it tastes, you keep drinking. At least one of those a day. Two tonight. Do you hear me?”

Hugo nodded in agreement. He picked up the now almost black tube and resumed with his evening feeding. Ez and Alice continued downstairs.

They made their way into the wine cellar. The heels of Ez’s pumps echoed off the stone floor as she entered and shut the door behind her. The lights and shadows danced along the stone wall.

Alice moved over to her workbench, not daring to look Ez in the face for her upcoming scolding. She couldn’t. Alice knew this was her fault, and she had to hear it anyway. She twirled a pestle around in one of her mortar bowls.

“How are you doing, kiddo?” Ez asked.

“I’m okay,” Alice said.

“I didn’t ask if you were okay. ”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

“Alice,” Ez said. Alice snapped over at the mention of her full name. “Don’t tell me you’re fine. You’re not. Just . . . just tell me.”

Alice stopped twirling the pestle and turned to face Ez. She crossed her arms and leaned against her workbench. Her eyes watered as she held back tears. Her lips were pursed, holding back the words she wanted to say.

Her fingers danced along her arms to a nervous rhythm only she could hear. A beat created by her anxiety and fears echoing through her soul. Her touch was light, as if she was holding herself back out of fear she’d strike harder in deserving punishment. Each sensation grew her anxiety.

Alice finally said, “I . . . I’m barely holding it together. Holding it together for him. I know what this means. I’m well aware of what could happen, and I’m frightened.” Her tapping became more erratic as it matched the unease gnawing at her core.

She continued, “I messed up. I should have brought him with me or stayed behind . . .”

She paused. Alice scanned the room, her eyes darting from corner to corner, searching for an answer. The motionless vats. The empty wine presses. The bottles stacked neatly on the racks. Their special rack in the back. She begged the universe for an answer, pleaded for reprieve, but only found silence.

She stopped tapping and took a deep breath. She gazed at Ez with her red, tear-filled eyes. “I should have dealt with it. If I did, then Hugo would’ve never met me, and he’d be fine. He’d be great. He’d be normal . . . not what he is now. All because of me.” She sobbed as she buried her face in her hands.

The clicking of her heels against the stone drowned out Alice’s bawling as Ez moved to hug Alice, the top of her head resting slightly below Alice’s shoulders. Ez patted her on the back. Alice breathed deep.

“It’s okay, kiddo. It’s not your fault,” Ez said.

Ez’s arm was like the comfort of a warm blanket. Alice closed her eyes and relaxed her hands. She leaned her head into Ez’s shoulder. Her anxiety quelled with each breath she took.

“Then why does it feel like it is?”

“He made the choice. He knew what he was doing. It wasn’t you. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Thank you.”

Ez gave two taps on Alice’s back and let go. Alice stood up and wiped away the tears in her eyes. She sniffled to pull back any further tears.

Ez locked eyes with Alice with an intense, unrelenting gaze. “I need to know. Are you prepared?”

Alice’s lower jaw twitched. She attempted to focus on Ez, but her gaze became blurry, which left Ez as nothing more than a colorful blur. Anxiety coursed through Alice’s body. Her heart raced. Her neck muscles tensed up. A high-pitched noise drowned out all sounds, leaving her in silence. She tried to gulp, but nothing happened. The gnawing sensation froze her in place.

“Are you?” Ez asked again.

Alice could only nod her head yes.

Ez surveyed the wine cellar, examining all the motionless equipment. Her eyes lingered on the bottles ready for transportation to her club. She turned back to Alice.

“So, what do you want to do? Do you still want to move?”

Alice stood upright and pulled her shoulders back. She took a deep breath. Her anxiety filled veins emptied, replaced with a fiery rage. The rage built in her stomach and spread out to every inch of her body. She furrowed her brow and locked eyes with Ez. Her eyes filled with an intense malice mentally directed at two unseen people.

“I’m not leaving. We’re not leaving. We take them out or else they take us out. There’s no other way. If they want a war, well, they got one.”

“Great,” Ez said. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”