0319: The Vampire's Daughter, Book Four

After arriving in Australia for more extensive engine repairs than could be performed at sea, Susan was chauffeured around by the crew to all the interesting tourist sites within easy reach. Mary spent her time roaming the streets and night clubs, while Mina attempted to contact her coven in New York.

After several failed attempts, however, Mina knew something was amiss. Unsure how to find out what had happened, she came back from shore and walked into Susan's room. Long asleep, Mina gently woke the young girl by rubbing her arm.

Grunting slightly, Susan lifted her body up to a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. “What's wrong?”

Mina looked at her quizzically and said, “I believe you already know.”

“What does she know?” Mary asked, returning earlier than normal.

“You are home early,” Mina stated.

“Yeah. I don't know why, but I just wasn't into going out tonight. What does Susan know?”

Susan just looked at Mina.

“I have tried several times to contact my coven in America without any success. What has happened?” she asked Susan.

“How would she know that?” Mary asked sarcastically.

Mina looked at Mary and then at Susan and repeated the question. “What has happened to my coven?”

After a long pause, Susan said, “It was their time.”

Mina stood and strode angrily across the small room to a window overlooking the port. Mary just continued to watch, not quite sure what to make of the situation. She was never quite sure what to make of Mina and Susan. It was almost almost a bond of love, but never without a twinge of hate.

Finally, Mina turned and asked, “And who decided that it was their time? Sabastian?”

“It was Sabastian, but he didn't decide it was their time.”

“Then who did?” Mina demanded angrily.

“You know the answer to that,” Susan replied quietly.

“Your all powerful Lord on high who peers down from the heavens to dictate life and death! Is that what you'd have me believe?”

“I wouldn't make you believe anything. And it's not like that. But I would think you would have seen enough by now to understand.”

“Isn't it? Isn't it like that?” Mina threw at the girl. “This faceless deity who is all powerful picks and chooses who, what, when, how. He makes it all happen however he wants. One person dies another doesn't. I like that one, I don't like that one.”

“That's not it and you know it.”

“How can it not be like that? Why did my coven die an not some other. Because it was their time? Who decided that? Someone must have, otherwise it wouldn't have been their time. It would have been chance, bad luck.”

Mary listened intently, more confused than ever. Mina, an ancient, was talking about deeply theoretical constructs with a child. She would have expected the elder to be the teacher, but it seemed the opposite. It always seemed the opposite.

“You know it isn't like that,” Susan said.

“Then why do innocent babies die? Why do humanitarians get killed by savages? Why do little girls get raped?” she asked Susan, without actually knowing what she had said.

Susan's eyes opened wide and her face went blank for a brief moment before her face went dark and her features hardened. It had been a long time since she had thought about her mother and how she had sold Susan to pedophile drug dealers for heroin.

When Mina saw the change in her face, she stopped. Everything stopped. The world stood still, and for a brief moment Susan let Mina into her mind to see. Mina began to cry as she walked over to the little girl still sitting in her bed. Putting her arms around Susan, she said, “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know what I was saying.”

Susan held her, comforting as much as being comforted. “It's not like that. We have free will.” She began to cry with Mina.

“I just don't understand yet,” Mina said.

“You will before it's over.”



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