0318: The Vampire's Daughter, Book Four

Mina, Mary and Susan were on an empty freighter heading back to China. Although Mary had arranged for plenty of blood prior to leaving, Mina had refused it. She let her wounds heal slowly with time, rather than take the life of another she had not selected herself. And since she was too damaged to be involved in the process, she couldn't simply find a temporary feeder. Mary, however, had taken to feeding off several of the crew members—each of which believed they were sleeping with her.

Susan spent most of her time enjoying the trip. Unlike her normal routine since entering the vampire world, though not a vampire herself, she spend most days out and about the deck and most nights sleeping. The crew of the ship, about thirty or so men, had taken a liking to her. It seemed they enjoyed having a child around to protect, watch after, and, when there was time, play with.

Mina and Mary talked a little, but of nothing important. They didn't discuss the last night in which a little girl had so beaten an ancient. They didn't discuss why that little girl had been allowed to make all of the decisions of late, including the one to visit Mina's sire in Asia. They both simply hid their minds from each other. They might as was well have talked about the weather. Moreover, Mary was too afraid to ask Susan anything and actually tried to avoid her. Mina did not avoid Susan, was not afraid of Susan, but did not attempt to engage the girl either.

Mina was simply waiting. She knew that nothing she said would change what was happening now. That Susan was in complete control, or at least something or someone was in control and was exerting that control through Susan. She also knew that her sire, one of the four, would be displeased when she showed up unannounced with a small child after having disappeared for months. She wasn't sure how to explain, again, that Susan was the one they had been waiting for. Her sire was so certain is was Thomas or Elizabeth. Or, at the very least, a vampire. How could she convince her sire it was a little human girl?

“We have been on the ship for a very long time,” Mary stated one night, returning to their suite after taking advantage of one of the crew.

“Yes,” Mina answered. “You know very well that we've had numerous problems with the ship.”

“I know, but it just seems odd.”

“Does it?” Mina asked.

“Doesn't it?” Mary asked in return.

“No, in fact, it doesn't. You said to me that Susan thought it would be a good thing for this trip to take a long time. That is exactly what is happening.”

“Yeah, but how could she...” Mary stopped and looked at Mina.

Mina was looking at Mary as if in deep thought. “I'm sure it's just bad luck,” she eventually said. What she thought, however, was completely different. She wondered how Mary could still be so willingly ignorant of what was in front of her. Mary wasn't a child, yet she looked at the world through a child's eyes. Mina was certain that the reason for the delays was Susan. Not that Susan made them happen by doing anything, but that here presence caused them to happen in some way. She was certain that if they had boarded another ship they would have experienced the same delays.

As she was thinking these things, Susan walked in. “Hi,” she said. “How are you feeling today Mina?”

“Much better.” She looked at her face in a mirror, “I believe I'm almost healed.”

“That's good,” Susan said. “The crew is hoping that we'll be able to get to a port in Australia in a couple of days for repairs.” She had said Australia very slowly, having been coached by the crew on how to say it properly. “After that, they say it's just a short trip to port!” She was genuinely excited.

“They have said that before,” Mina replied. “We'll just have to see if this ill fated ship ever gets us to where we want to go.”

“Don't be such a sour puss,” Susan said, walking over and giving Mina a big hug. “You know very well we'll get there, when the time is right.”

“I'm sure we will,” Mina said, unable to help smiling at the little girl who only a short time ago had so hurt her in a fight that she was still recovering from her wounds.

“I'm gonna go to bed,” Susan announced, breaking the bear hug.

“Sleep well,” Mina replied, watching as the girl walked out of the room.

“You two freak me out sometimes,” Mary announced after a polite time had passed.

Mina replied, “We should. I'm going on deck.”



[The Vampire’s Daughter: An ongoing vampire story. Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. All rights reserved.]