Child of the Nineties

Copyright (c) Noelle Adams. All Rights Reserved.

‘Who’s Tatiana?’

Alex stared into her rear-view mirror. Rachel was looking at her, her eyebrows knitted together. Damn. She knew that it would come up soon enough, but she hadn’t thought that it would be so soon. She focused her attentions on the road before her. Without looking back in her disciple’s direction she muttered, ‘Tatiana was my third, after Charlotte and Rebecca. I probably never should have made her. Her temperament was... unsuitable.’

‘So, she was a mistake?’

Those words caused her chest to tighten. ‘There was always a power struggle with Tatiana. Our ideologies clashed, and over a year ago she left.’

‘You let her go? Just like that?’

‘Yes,’ Alex took a breath. Her hand strayed to the mobile phone and she severed the connection. The silence of the vehicle immediately comforted her. Charlotte would have criticised her for avoiding the issue once again, but in thinking about Tatiana she was forced to acknowledge her errors of judgement, her stubbornness and at times when it counted more than anything even she could comprehend, the complete misuse of her gift.

At least with Rachel she had finally got things right. A child of the 90s and a student of the occult, she was as fascinated with Alex and the whole concept of becoming an immortal creature of darkness, as Alex was with her. Alex had liked the child since she first spotted her behind the counter in one of the local video-shops. The petite brunette, with spectacles balancing on the bridge of her nose, sat absorbed in something on her lap. Locks of hair had escaped her shaggy shoulder-length cut and hung across her face, preventing Alex from reading her facial expression. Intrigued, she drew closer and saw for the first time that the girl was writing in a notebook, and continiually referring to a yellowed copy of The Vampire Lestat. Alex placed the video she had selected on the counter and the girl looked up. She seemed momentarily taken aback, but with a smile she pushed aside her book and writing pad, and stood to serve her. As she was taking her money, Alex casually remarked, ‘You into vampires?’

The girl, realising her research material was still visible on the other side of the counter, smiled, ‘Yeah. It’s an interest of mine.’ She glanced at the video Alex had selected. ‘The Hunger? I guess you’re into them too.’

‘You could say that.’ Alex glanced around the shop. It was well past midnight, and apart from herself, the only other customers were a trio of teenage gang members ogling the porn videos at the other end of the shop. She turned to the girl, ‘It must get quite lonely here sometimes.’

‘No, not really. I like the night. It’s quieter. It helps me think more clearly. Always a bonus when you have to study.’ She handed Alex her change and pushed the video across the counter to her. She smiled, ‘There you go. Pleasant viewing.’

Alex tapped the plastic box with her fingers, ‘You- you’re not from around here, are you?’

‘Is it that obvious?’ the girl laughed. ‘No, I’m not. Just moved here from Illinois to pursue my dreams of fame and fortune.’

‘In the film industry I’m guessing?’

‘Yeah, well, ideally. That’s why I’m at film-school. I wouldn’t even mind being taken seriously as an author, but for now I’m biding my time here. You know, a video shop; that’s where Quentin Tarantino got his start.’

Alex nodded. She liked the girl and her immediate friendliness. It was unusual to meet someone like her in Los Angeles, especially someone so trusting and willing to communicate with a stranger who could end her life by simply reaching over the counter and taking hold of her by the throat. But then again, she didn’t know that.

The girl was still talking. She had pulled out her book and writing pad and was waving pages of scrawl that could only be her attempts at a screenplay. ‘This is my project for class. We had to select a chapter from a book and transform it into a good couple of pages of a script. Lestat is my favourite book.’

‘Who’s your favourite character in it?’

‘Probably Gabrielle, and I think Armand too. They’re both fascinating.’

Alex leaned over the counter, ‘What time do you get off work?’

The girl’s smile faded as she spoke. ‘Three.’

‘Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me when you’re finished?’

Rachel lost her colour. She mumbled to herself, ‘I guess you’re more into The Hunger than I thought.’ She looked up at Alex, ‘Look, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I’m not like that. I’m not a lesbian.’

Alex burst out laughing. It took her a good minute before she could calm herself. She smiled at the terrified child, ‘Neither am I. I just wanted to know if you would like to talk about creatures of the night sometime. It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone whom I felt I could talk to. A fellow enthusiast.’

Rachel eyed her sideways. ‘I don’t know.’

‘I won’t force you. I’ll come by here again just after three in a black BMW. If you’re still here, I’ll pick you up. If not,’ she shrugged, ‘then maybe some other time.’

‘Um, okay.’

Alex had left the shop and returned at the appointed time to find Rachel sitting on the curb, waiting for her. Relieved to see at least someone else on the street at that time in the morning, Rachel hopped into her car. Her first words were, ‘I can’t be in my right mind if I’m doing this. For all I know you could be some crazed vampire after my blood.’

‘No need to fear that. As far as feeding goes, you’re not my type.’

They talked the remainder of the night, and by the time dawn arrived and Alex had dropped Rachel off at her decrepit apartment building, she had already come to the conclusion that she would be a perfect uncomplicated addition to her family: she was lonely, had no friends in the city and had minimal contact even with her own human family. Even better was her acceptance of the truth two weeks later. When Alex finally revealed her true nature and just how old she really was, Rachel’s response had not been one of terror or even disbelief. She had simply shrugged, ‘Wow, what moisturising cream do you use?’

Within three weeks of that moment, she had herself decided to take up Alex’s offer and become a creature of the night. Alex, with Charlotte’s assistance, had transformed her. She was the first of her disciples born not out of necessity but choice alone.