The Cul De Sac Hermit

This is of course a vampire tale, but told in an classic, romantic style. It is a fantasy tale, and not a blood gore bath horror.

 

I can still remember the first day I saw him, as he passed by. It was a strange encounter for me. Yet, I took it with a grain of salt. I mean, I was only twelve years old at the time. How else was I suppose to react. It really was not much of a big deal. Actually, it was not really an encounter even. I just saw him as he passed by me with his car. I could hardly see inside the vehicle. The windows on the car were dark, and there was a glare from the hot sun that day, and yet, it left a funny feeling inside me. Something strange I could not forget. There was a powerful feeling that made my heart jump and skip a beat, as the car went pass me. I watched as the vehicle drove to the end of the street and turned right. The car was gone, and I was surrounded by the neighborhood kids, who kept asking me what I saw. But, they were just kids like me. Then we all heard the ice-cream truck, and that was the end of it. We headed our bikes for the music, and the relief of cold treats on such a hot day. Soon, it was easily forgotten by them. But, not by me.

 

    I was only 10 years old when my family first moved to the neighborhood. A nice quiet town, with a small school and a lot of old trees, that stood like guardians watching over us. It was a beautiful little town that hid in the heart of central Minnesota. There was only a population of about 300 people. It is quaint, peaceful and has very few problems of any kind. I worried I would be bored, with such a place. We came from the large city of Duluth and there is always something going on year-round. While we moved in some of the locals came by to briefly introduce themselves, and welcome us. This kindness helped to ease my mother's tensions a lot. She was very nervous about the move, but our father had to get away from the pollution of the city. It made his allergies very bad, and his brother had a business here that he needed help to run. It was a perfect set up, and they jumped at the opportunity. It was a typical, ordinary kind of moving day. The air was warm, and soon I saw kids come by to see the new neighbors. I was glad to see there was a lot of kids around in the area. Maybe it will not be so bad after all.

 

    For now the next few days would be busy trying to settle into the new home, and a nice place it was. The house was an older style, but very clean and had a lot of modern updates. The woodwork on the stairs was very nice. And I loved the upstairs and the big windows in my room. I could see everything from up here. There was a large branch that went in front of my window. Not only did it offer privacy from the street, but it made me feel like I was in a tree house. I fell in love with this room. It was decorated to look like a girls room, and the walls had a lovely country theme to it. A mural of trees and flowers covered all the walls. Someone had painted it very nicely, and had some creative talent. I quickly claimed it before my older sister did. This was mine, all mine.

All our bedrooms were upstairs, while the main living quarters was downstairs. I hurried along to get my clothes put away, but all I could think about was playing and making some friends. I only had two months left of summer vacation before school started, and I wanted to enjoy it. Not to mention, hopefully make some new friends, because friends in a new school is always nice.

 

    Finally the time came where I was able to get out of the house and do a little exploring. It was my first outing, and the sun shined bright. The sky was a nice color of blue, with not a cloud in sight. I got on my bike and decided to take a quick tour of the town. I slowly pedaled along trying to take in the new sights around me. First I decided to go around our own block, and then the next and so on. Many people were outside enjoying the nice hot weather. We rarely have hot days like this, so most put chores aside to bask in the sun. Many of the homes on the blocks were older but well cared for. A lot of them had that old house style, but they had new siding and lots of updates. And a lot of the yards were nice and clean. A very clean town actually. The people here must care about their town, that was obvious. I saw a lot of gardens and trees, and wonderfully kept lawns.

I decided to turn and head down the main street of town, to see what was here. There were a few businesses. Two bars, a bank, a fix-it shop, an insurance place and the communications office for the area. It did not take me long to get to the other side of town. There on the left I saw a lake, and there was a dock with some kids fishing. I pedaled over to check out the lake and meet the kids. As I approached they turned to look and size me up. I rode up to say hi and introduce myself. They seemed shy at first, but they quickly opened up and soon we all were fast friends. You know how it is at that age. Easy to make friends, and have fun. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and fishing. Some of us got hot and decided to get our feet wet. Soon we were splashing each other all over. It was a great afternoon, and I was glad to have some friends now.

 

    It was late and we all had to get home for supper. So we quick made plans to meet tomorrow at the lake to go swimming. Soon we got on our bikes and headed for our homes. One by one the kids dropped out of our group as they turned into their driveways to head for their houses. There was only three of us left when we were just two blocks from my home. The others hollered at me to stop. I did, and they yelled, "Come here we have to tell you something important." We happened to be at the beginning of a block that made a circle cul de sac. They started pointing to the middle of it, and I looked.

" You see that small road over there?" They said at the same time. I looked around and yes, there was a small road that went between some trees. It looked like an empty lot and all there was, was this road.

"Well, that is not really a road. It is a driveway. Never, ever go down there. Our folks said an old hermit lives there and no one bothers him. He does not like to be bothered or have anyone go on his property, so we stay away." I looked at them funny and asked, " Who lives down there?"

One of the boys, Josh, came over close to whisper. "Just some old hermit. He is very old and never comes out. My dad said his father use to tell him stories of an old man who lived down there. No one has ever seen him. He must be very old, and grouchy, so we stay away. Thought you should know, so you do not go down there and get into trouble." I turned my bike towards home, and began to pedal away for our driveway. " Well thanks for the warning. I will remember." I yelled out loud as I rode away, and that was that. It was easily forgotten. I was just too busy having fun. It was summer and I was going to make the best of it.

So I did just that and the summer flew by. What with making new friends, swimming, fishing, and the town activities and festivals, it soon was autumn, and school started. A lot of us kids played at the school playground during the summer, but now all we wanted to do was avoid it. But I was a kid living a normal life. It was a great time. The time went by without giving the hermit a second thought.

 

    Then on the summer when I was 12 years old, it just happened. I was riding my bike around waiting for my friend, who lived on the same block as the hermit. In the distance I could hear a car. The sound of it was coming from up the road. My big city curiosity got the better of me, and I rode my bike over to the end of the little drive-way. I looked hard and saw a car coming towards me. A red two door car, with very dark windows, slowly drove past me. I could not see inside very well, but I swear I could see the outline of the person driving. For some reason I did not see the outline of an old man. It looked like someone tall and this person sat up very straight. There was no way it could have been an old man. But the glare of the sun played tricks on my eyes, and I felt a little dizzy from the heat. I watched as the car drove away. The tires stirred the loose gravel as it blew around the dust in the strong breeze. I felt very weird as if time had stopped. I felt like I was standing still as all the world moved around me. Suddenly my friend came over and asked me if I was alright. His question snapped me back to reality. So this was my first strange encounter. It was soon forgotten as my friend and I headed for the lake for a cool swim. But that night I could not sleep well. I felt warm despite my open window and the cool breeze. It felt like something was around. I had that creepy feeling like someone was watching me. I could not shake the feeling. It was the start for some very bizarre dreams for me.

Night time became quite an ordeal for me. At first it was just feelings that would wake me up. I could feel someone there by my bedside, but as I started waking up, the feeling went away. It would come and go. Sometimes I went many months without those dreams, and sometimes they would happen for several nights in a row. The dreams were becoming more realistic and vivid. And over the passing years they became more intense and nerve wracking. I did not know it was the beginning of something strange entering my normal life.

 

    By the time I reached 16, it was unnerving my dreams. I could awaken now and see someone in my room. I would try to move or scream, but I could not. I was paralyzed, and no matter how hard I tried to move, My arms felt like lead. Many weekend nights I would have friends stay over. It seemed to help me sleep better, knowing someone was close by. Other than the dreams though, I had a very normal teen life. My father was much happier and healthier being away from the big city. It made me feel good to see my parents spend a lot more time together. They did not argue as much anymore. Back in Duluth they would argue all the time. I guess the stress of the city, and my father,s poor health while we lived there was hard on the both of them. Many times now they go to bed early to spend intimate time together. My sister, Terri and I would just turn the stereo or tv up a little louder. I mean really, what kid wants to hear their parents having sex? But it was much better than all that arguing they use to do. Moving here made them slip back into their second childhood.

 

    My sister,s room was next to mine and she often came to check and see if I was alright, after one of my bad dreams. Sometimes I would be so scared I would cry and she would slip into bed with me and hold me all night. I loved her dearly for that. Funny, she was quite caring and understanding for an older sister. She was 2 years older than me, but she was always by my side to help. Of course she had her friends and I had mine. I often wondered if she was nice to me because she figured if we got along so well, that I would not snitch on her whenever she came home late from a date. Or that time she had her boyfriend stay the night and had him sneak out the window early that morning. She had one girlfriend over a lot though, and I never did understand why they spent so much time alone, until one night I wanted to borrow a cd from her and walked in on them in bed making out. I had no idea my sister was bi-sexual. She kept it a good secret, and I was here next to her room. She did not want our parents to know yet. She said she would tell them when she was older, hoping they would take her more seriously about it. I myself did not mind at all, and I did know she was kind to me because that was the kind of person she was. The other kids always came to her for help, whether it was school work or emotional support. I loved her and I made sure she knew that. I felt very lucky to have her there for me during my terrible dreams. She often worried and wanted to tell our parents. They did come to me when I was younger if they heard me scream or cry. But as I got older I tried real hard to keep quiet, and brave for them. I did not want to scare or worry them. And besides my sister was there a lot right away for me. We really did not want to burden the folks.

Terri had this silly theory that I am dreaming about someone in my room because I was alone so much. I was often asked out a lot, but I turned them down. I saw my other friends who were always burdened with being tied to a relationship. They always seemed to be upset over everything their boyfriend or girlfriend did. I was not ready for that. I was glad actually to be footloose and fancy free, and not have to worry about a significant other. And besides my dreams bothered me enough. I did not need more anxieties.

 

    For the next year my dreams happened about once a month, and the intensity was sometimes unbearable. Terri took to sleeping in my room a lot with me. It helped me feel better, but now I was seeing very clearly someone in the room with us. One time I felt someone's hand touch the side of my face and I could feel fingers run through my hair. I thought I woke up and saw someone. I could clearly see someone kneeling down beside my bed. The moon shined bright through the window. This person was definitly male looking, and had very darkened looking skin, and long dark hair. He looked like someone who would be of a Native American background. Strange, I thought. I do not remember seeing any Native Americans that lived around here. Then feeling paralyzed, I tried to speak and ask his name, but I fell back asleep and saw the shadow behind my closed eyes move away from me. Suddenly I woke up, and I was covered in sweat. My heart was racing, and I had trouble catching my breath. Terri came over to hold me. she softly spoke to me as she held me, " oh my dear sis, my sweet Cary, what is wrong, when will this end for you?" I just held her and hoped that whatever was going on would finally play itself out. I knew right then and there what I had to do. I had my secret suspicions. Deep down I felt it had something to do with the hermit, and it was time to put an end to this once and for all.

 

    Even though I was 17 now, I still did a lot of bike-riding and walking around the town. So, it was not unusual for me to be out and about so much, which was in my favor. I had made up my mind I was going to find out who this hermit was, and if he was the one responsible for my crazy nightmares. Of course nothing bad ever happened in my dreams, but to awaken and think you see someone standing by your bed is very scary in anyone's eyes. I began spending my time over the next two weeks to see if this hermit ever came out into the open. For days and days I would spend my time riding and walking around the very block he lived on to see if that car would ever show up again. But nothing ever happened. I did not ever see that car. I began to wonder if I was just going crazy. Could it be I was just having lucid dreams, or experiencing sleep paralysis? Or worse some kind of psychotic disorder? I did not know what to believe anymore and I had no where to turn. All I could do was keep up the detective work and hope for the best. I did not even tell Terri what I was up to. I really did not want anyone to know. And if my findings were not fruitful, I would see about getting some psychological help with my bad dreams.

 

    After those couple of weeks with no results, I decided that a night time visit to this hermit's house was the only way to get any idea of what he was about. It took me many nights to get up the courage to go. During that time of making that decision I had another one of those dreams again. I saw him so clearly this time. He definitely had that Native American look to him, even though he seemed to be in quite modern style clothing. Then I fell back into sleep and when I actually awakened he was not there. It was morning, and I felt very tired. So very strange all this, and why me? Why was this happening to me? And what could I do to stop it? Or did I want it to stop? Time was running out for me and school started again. It was my last year of high school, and while others were making plans for their future, I was making plans for a nightly outing. Once and for all I was going to find out the truth. I began to wonder many strange things, about myself and my life in general, and where this decision would lead me.

I purposely took a nap that afternoon on friday after school. I wanted a clear head for the night. I did not want to be so tired that I would make a mistake. This was hopefully going to be the night of some answers to my unanswered questions. Some of my friends were planning their fun for the evening. Going to a dance, or a movie or their dates in general. But I myself was going on an outing like no other. I had to make my excuses to my friends who asked me along. I told them I was tired and feeling ill. Actually, I was very tired from not sleeping well, thanks to the dreams. So of course looking tired and red eyed made my story more believeable.

 

    Finally it was past midnight, and all was quiet in this sleepy little town. My sister had her friend over, so I knew they would be busy all night, and my folks were long asleep. They had a long day at the store helping out my uncle. He was getting ready for the fall hunting season, so my folks took over the store for him during this time. My uncle love to hunt and timed his vacation time for it. He was alone and had no family of his own, so hunting was his vacation.

I got all dressed in dark clothes, and wore a dark hat to hide my light-colored hair. I wanted to make sure I was hard to see, and with the moon only a sliver, I had the night sky dark for me as well. I decided to walk where I needed to go, carrying only a flashlight. Even my shoes were black. I knew I would not be seen.

It took me a few more minutes to get my thoughts together after I dressed. I had it all planned out, and really there was no turning back. I had to do this. Once and for all I needed some answers, no matter what it meant. I quickly stuffed my bed a little so if anyone peeked in, it looked like I was in bed sleep. Old movie trick I saw, but when I went over by the door, it seemed convincing enough to tired eyes. At least I hoped so anyway. Oh and one more thing. I always sleep with the radio on quiet, so I turned that on as well. Perfect it all seemed to me. Now I felt satisfied enough to go and cure my curiousity.Quietly, I went over to the window to open it. I had taken the screen out earlier in the day and hid it in my closet. I figured that would make too much noise if I tried to do it with the night-time quiet. Carefully I slipped open the window, and crawled through it. I never knew that someday this big branch would come in handy. Although as I carefully climbed down I figured I should be doing something more teen like. For instance sneaking out to a party, or a late date. But no, not me, I was sneaking out to try and discover who this hermit was and if he had anything at all to do with my nightmares. For a moment before I jumped down to the ground, I asked myself, do I really want to do this? Should I forget it, and crawl back up the tree and start dating and worry about what outfits to wear, or if I plan on going to the prom, or if I wanted to go to college? What was I going to do? It took a few moments for me to decide to press on with my mission, but it seemed an eternity.

 

    The night had a nice crisp clean smell to it. There was still the lingering flashes of lightning to the east from the thunderstorms of earlier this evening. Now was the cool fresh breeze left behind, as the sliver of the moon began to peek from behind the last few clouds. The cool night felt good after the warm, dry air we had been having. I stopped for a moment to soak in my surroundings and give my eyes the chance to focus against the darkness. It felt strange to be walking along the streets this time of night. A bit like freedom, and the quiet was wonderful. I really enjoyed the peace and quiet here now, but it took me a long time to get used to it. For now it was soothing, relaxing and most of all I was alone with my thoughts and the mission I had. Quickly I looked at my watch and saw the time. From the talk of my friends, I knew that the county cop comes through town about 2:00 am to make his rounds. I had 45 minutes to get where I was going. I had no problem there being it was only a couple of blocks away. I hoped to find out what I wanted to know,and be back home before that. Quickly, I moved along hoping to keep from being noticed. I knew that was not a problem, for most of the houses were dark inside. Only three I saw had lights on. I knew they would not be looking out for anything. One was a night owl, and watched tv late, and the others were mothers with new babies. So they were to busy to worry what goes on at night in such a quiet little town.

It seemed like a long time before I turned down the block of my destination. Each step I took seemed to be making enough noise to awaken the whole town. But I knew that was just my crazy imagination talking. Impossible to hear my soft shoed footsteps, but the pockets of water here and there made it seem all the more noisy. Funny how one's mind thinks such silly thoughts when in a difficult situation. Quietly I walked along, looking straight forward at my destination. Nothing was going to stop me now. With each step I could hear my heart beat 20 times, before I took my next. My nerves were very much on edge, and it seemed I would never get to the end.

 

    I heard the meow of a cat, and saw it's shadow pass along quickly, from my side vision. It felt like some kind of omen, but I did not believe in such things. I knew there had to be some simple explanation, for my dreams. I was not a religious or spiritual person, but I also knew that sometimes the impossible was possible. These simple thoughts raced through my mind as I took my first step down the drive-way. This first step for some reason I marked in my mind as something significant. Like my first step to the beginning of a long journey. I shook my head from these crazy thoughts and walked ahead. Amazing the way this place was set up. It looked like an empty town lot, except for the large trees dotted here and there. The drive-way was short, and stopped as it entered the piece of property. A very nice town lot indeed. As I walked closer to the backside of the property I saw that there was a nice woods back here. It is so well hidden from the large trees, and really I never took the time to pay attention. The woods bordered this whole end of town. I saw ahead that the small drive-way started again and entered into the woods. The hermit must of owned some of this acreage, and decided to build further back into the woods for the privacy. By rights, from all the scary movies I ever watched, this going ahead would be a bad thing to do. But it did not feel scary at all. Actually, it has a nice cozy feel to the place. I walked along the drive-way and seen the woods was left in it's natural state. No clearings of any kind and from the deep shadows around, it seemed untouched. The only clearing was along the road here. It was hard to tell in the dark just how far this road went. There was no lights of any kind. I was able to see right around me, but not too far. So I was sure if he was here he could not see me. I had my flashlight but I knew it would give me away in this darkness, so I just kept walking. It did not take long, and soon I could see a clearing ahead. I checked my watch, and hit the light button. I seen it only took a few minutes to walk to this clearing. Ahead it opened up and there I saw the outline of a house. As I walked closer I noticed the woods was like a circle around the house. Very nice, and I felt a little scared, but it was so cozy that it eased my tensions. Besides my curiousity killed any thoughts of running home.

 

    Step by step I moved my way to the front door of the house. I was very scared, and I had trouble deciding if I was shaking from nervousness, or the fact that it was cool and damp out here. I stood by the side of the door and listened carefully for any noise that might indicate someone is inside. No sounds at all, just an eerie calm about the place. There was a couple of statues beside the doorway but I paid no mind to them. I carefully walked along the side of the house, and stopped at each window to see if there was any sign at all of anyone inside. Each window was dark and quiet. Great, now I was beginning to feel like a thief. I should quit this madness and just go home, but I was too determined to get some answers. From my walk around the house I noticed it was made out of big round logs. A nice cozy log style home. Very nice indeed. The house was simple in design it seemed. The windows were of a modern style and looked quite new. I checked each window to see if they would open, but no luck. Every one was closed and locked. I looked to see if there were any basement windows, but there was none. It looked like there was no basement and no second story either. In a matter of minutes, I had gone all the way around the house and I was back at the front door again. Odd there was no back door that I remember seeing. But I was so nervous my mind was missing details I supposed.

A second look around and I noticed the statues were made of wood. Nice detail carvings of dogs or wolves. They were sitting down on their hind quarters and looking straight ahead as if on guard. Also, I finally noticed there was a small roof that covered over the front door area. I was about to just give up, but a silly thought entered my head and I reached for the door knob. Slowly I turned it and bingo. I could not believe it. It was unlocked, and the door cracked open. Oh boy, now I was scared. Although unlocked doors here are not uncommon. I had checked the whole place and it seemed no one was around. Could be he left and forgot to lock it. Happens to us all the time. Break-ins are rare in this town so no one really thinks about remembering to check their locks. But what if he was inside and just sound asleep? I have been very quiet, and would not of disturbed anyone sleeping. Everyone says he is very old and no one that I know checks up on him or ever comes down here. What if he was dead? Well what do I do? Go forward, or turn home before I get into trouble? I was too curious and actually, I was a bit angry about the dreams I had. It was disturbing my life as a teen, and it kept me from feeling totally normal. I still had this aching feeling this person had something to do with it. The angry feeling gave me the courage I needed to open the door the rest of the way, and quietly I slipped in.

 

    It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust. It was quite dark in here compared to outside, so I grabbed my flashlight out of my pocket. I knew there was a risk in having it on but it was small, only a penlight. Actually, it was dark and any little light would of been noticed. But it was enough to keep me from bumping into anything, just in case he happened to be asleep. I figured it was worth the risk to have it on. My eyes focused a little more and getting around was fairly easy. The main living area was decorated in a simple, yet elegant design. The whole place had that north woods appeal, and the smell of wood was prevalent. I saw there was something hanging in the main big windows. I went over to investigate and saw they were dreamcatchers. They were not the cheap store bought kind. These were obviously handmade, and the woven design was very delicate, and almost seemed to be made of spider-webbing. The feathers were real, and they looked like they would of been from a crow or raven. Very nice, the best I have ever seen.

The furniture in here was simply a couch and a few cushioned chairs. The table in the middle was beautiful. The bottom looked like it was a stump of a tree. The top was wood, but it was round and had the natural curves around the edges. It looked to be directly cut from a tree, and then simply sanded and polished for the top. The grain had the age rings in it. What a beautiful piece of work. I noticed it was not covered with magazines or books like most coffee tables. That would of been a terrible shame to cover such a piece of art work with such clutter. Although I noticed across the room there was a wall full of books. Everything in their place, I guess was the rule here. It bothered me that it did not have that lived in look around the house. I mean it was clean, but there was just no sign that anyone used the place.

I saw the fire place and had to go look at it. It was very intriguing, and seemed to be quite a piece of art work also. It was done in rock, and there was a mantle shelf that was made from a log that was cut in half. On the top of the shelf were lots of little wood carvings of wolves, all in different positions. Also, I noticed there were two wooden statues on either side of the fireplace. These were of wolves as well, and one was laying down curled up as if it seemed to be cuddling by the fire, and the other one was turned to the side and sitting on its hind quarters, with it's head down as if it was watching the other. In the middle of the hearth was a charcoal incence bowl and some burned candles. the smell was intoxicating, and seemed to be lingering around as if it was just recently burned. This should of been a warning to me. But I was not in the mood to heed any warnings right now. I also noticed as I moved my light around, that on each side of the fireplace there was paintings of wolves. A very large one of a wolf's head and the other was a pack running through the woods next to a small river. This person liked wolves and took it to quite an obsession.

Everything that had to do with art had a wolf theme. It was amazing to see all this and it did have me mezmorized, but it still did not help me with my dilemma. I needed to do more investigating, and I saw something to my right that caught my eye. I walked over along the wall and saw something I did not notice before. A dark doorway, that blended in with the shadows. I shined my light down to the floor and saw there were stairs that went downward. Funny, I do not remember seeing anything that looked like this place had a basement or a downstairs of any kind. It was very dark, and in my mind I was thinking all kinds of wild thoughts. All those horror movies I watched I would of been telling the character to turn around and run. But this was not a movie, or a paragraph in a book. It was real life and I was tresspassing. I was old enough, and could get arrested if caught in here this time of night. But once again those angry thoughts entered my mind. Somehow I could feel that this hermit was responsible for my bad nightmares, and once and for all I was going to find out!

 

    Anger can be a good motivator when in a scary situation, and so I did the foolish thing and went down the first step. Slowly I went along down into the darkness. Step by step I went and to my amazement the stairs seemed to spiral. I also noticed that most basements have about 10 stairs to go down and this one went way past that. How far, I did not dare count, and what the hell was down here anyway? A torture chamber, or a dungeon to lock up people who intrude? What if this guy was some kind of psycho killer? My thoughts raced as every horror movie scene I had ever watched went through my mind. Then ahead I saw there was a faint orange glow, and the scent of burning wood. A fireplace down here? Must not be to far down to allow such a luxury and to have the proper ventilation.

Suddenly I realized, what if he is down here, and asleep or worse, waiting for me? This was too weird and I knew I should just run back home and forget all this. But I heard a voice in my head inviting me to come in. A familiar voice that I could not remember for some reason. I felt compelled to go forward, but I hesitated. I was shaking so hard I could no longer hold my light, and my mind had to make the decision. Go forward and find out what this was all about, and hope it finally puts my mind at ease? Or do I run home and hide and just forget it all?

My mind seemed to take forever to think all these many thoughts. I looked at my watch once again. My hands were shaking so bad it was hard to read the numbers on the dial. It was nearly 2:00 am. The cop would be making his rounds soon. Even if I bailed now there was not enough time for me to get back home, before he drove through town. Would it be so bad to go back? But I had already come this far and turning back now would seem silly, whatever the answers were. Good or bad I had to keep going, didn't I?

I was confusing myself with too many thoughts. It was hard to make any decisions at this point. It was late, I was tired, and my youthful mind was cluttered with many scenarios. I stopped and took a long slow deep breath, and quietly let it out. Relax and take a few minutes to think, I told myself. Ahead I could see the soft orange glow of the flames from what ever fire was down here. The shadows of it danced along the side of the wall to my left as I took a few quick steps forward. The wall had a slight curve to it and I was able to see the opening. It was like a curved archway that entered into what seemed a large room. I began to feel a bit like that little hobbit character. I understood now how he must of felt before entering the dragon's lair. He had no idea what laid ahead in the chamber, and he kept questioning if he should go forward or turn around and go home. It always seemed so superficial to me that scene. I just figured he was thinking should I be brave, or run home with my tail between my legs? I began to see the deeper meaning behind such a situation like this. I realized at that moment that this was no longer, about my bad dreams, or the hermit, or how brave I was. This was a journey for me. A journey about finding out about my true self. This was going to be my awakening of my deeper self. I felt it, and knew that I would not make it back before the dawn. I had to decide if I wanted to take this journey, and indeed I was ready. I gathered what little courage I had left, and took my first step towards the preverbial dragon's lair.

 

    Quietly, I stepped along closer to the doorway. It was very nerve racking, and I thought I would become sick to my stomach from bad nerves. My breathing was heavy as I went over and stepped to the side of the doorway. This indeed was a large room. Quickly I stuck my head through the doorway to see if someone was in here. Funny, it seemed empty of anybody. So like a fool I entered, tresspassing into unchartered territory. I walked in the room, with my body shaking uncontrollably from fear of this unknown. I walked over to the right side of the room and saw there was a large wooden table with lots of candles on it, and they were all lit. That is what was causing the flickering light, and it lit up the room quite nicely, and even gave off a nice comforting heat. The smell of wood was the incense that was still smoldering away on the last few bits of charcoal. Must of been sandlewood, and the smoke from it was intoxicating. I noticed there was clay trays under the candles to catch the wax. And on the wall were lovely cavestyle paintings. The whole place felt like a cave down here, and the ceiling was a nice cozy height. Not real high, but a little higher than the upstairs ceiling. The cave paintings were of animals. Wolves, bobcats, lynx, and deer covered the entire walls. It was very well done and seemed a shame to hide this grand artwork down here away from adoring eyes.

I walked around the room and saw the modest furniture. It was really set up with no rhyme or reason except to just have a place to sit comfortably. Another table had books and magazines splattered all over it. It seemed a lot more lived in down here than upstairs. I enjoyed looking at the paintings along the walls and all seemed to be of animals or landscapes, that resembled the areas of Minnesota. Then on the far left wall was a beautiful mural of a forest. The wall was covered with all the trees of a lovely Minnesota woods, especially the wondrous evergreens that were painted with quite lovely detail. A beautifully detailed vision of a Native American village with the tee-pees dotted here and there was painted in a clearing near a large meadow. Also, in a wonderful spectacle, here and there hidden in the trees were little birds, and in a few places you could see white-tails from behind the tall jack pines. It was breath-taking, and done with such care to make it feel so very real. Even a little river that you could almost hear bubbling along. On the opposite side of the river not too far from the village was a painting of a man. He was standing along the river and what a gorgeous creature he was. His long flowing hair was white as snow, and he was very tall and slender in build. He had me totally mezmerized. I felt compelled to go closer and take a deep look at this painting of this intriguing man.

The features on his face were feminine and soft. His hands were elegant, yet seemed to be very strong, and he seemed to reach them out over the water. He was made to look as if he was facing the village, and seemed to be like some sort of ghost watching over the forest. His skin was pale like a scandanavian god. I reached out with my hand to touch the side of the face of the painting. Strange how it seemed almost real. It sent a feeling of electricity through my fingers. Quickly I pulled my hand away and kept deeply admiring this portrait. Secretly, I was wishing that this, was the hermit I was seeking.

" That is Archer, my long ago master, and now, friend and mentor. I am the hermit that you seek." Said a very soft spoken and gentle voice from behind.

 

    My heart jumped and skipped along at a fast pace, then suddenly it felt like it stopped. I felt weak with fear, and my legs were like lead as I tried to turn around. It felt as if I would not be able to complete the task as simple as it was. I was shaking so hard that it seemed like I would go into convulsions. Turning around seemed to take a very long time, but actually it was just a few moments. Then I looked around and in the chair sitting quietly was a man. Not just a man, but the man! Carefully I looked him over and realized this was the one I saw in my dreams. My breathing became very heavy and it seemed I needed to gasp for air. I felt my legs grow weak and start to give out. Before I hit the floor he was there to catch me and hold me up. He helped me over to the very chair where he was sitting before. I was scared and yet, I felt very safe here. I leaned back in the chair, and closed my eyes and breathed in slow and deep. Soon I felt more calmed down and was able to finally collect my thoughts.

Across from me he was sitting in another chair, looking intently at my eyes. Such a strong feeling of connection was there as I gazed back into his. Such dark, peircing eyes, yet there was a soft glow that danced around in the flickering candlelight. His hair was just past his shoulders and tied back in a loose ponytail. His hair color was dark as night, and his skin had a nice caramel color, and he seemed very youthful in age. His face was very masculine in features, but still retained a feminine softness around his full lips as he smiled at me with a reassuring grin. His appearance definitely was Native American, but his clothes were quite modern. Black jeans with a black silk shirt. Around his neck he wore a hematite necklace that had a wolf head amulet that seemed to be made out of turquiose. He wore a couple of turquiose rings that had a wolf head as well. He was very beautiful and I realized I was starring and turned away. He laughed out loud and seemed amused by my blushing.

" It has been a long time since I have had someone admire me like this." He spoke with a playfulness in his voice. Not taunting, but in a nice way. I was silent and I had trouble trying to form any words at all. This did not seem to not bother him. It seemed like he knew already what I was thinking. So he patiently waited for me to get the courage to speak.

 

    The time slowly passed by and I could no longer take the silence, as we both just starred at each other.

" So are you the one who has been giving me these bad dreams, that haunt me?!" I blurted out in a sort of rude manner. He seemed to take it with kindness and patience. He did not answer me and it unnerved me a little.

" Well are you going to answer me?!" I said with an edge to my voice.

" Who do you think I am?" He softly spoke.

" I think you are a nut-case mister hermit or whoever you are." I answered back with more edge to my voice but still in a quiet manner.

 " I am just curious as to what you believe?" His starring at me made me so uncomfortable and yet I wanted to get this over with.

" I believe, that you are this so-called hermit everyone talks about, and that you are some kind of magician, and you somehow haunt me at night. All I see is visions of you in my room and then you disappear and it frightens me. You are like a ghost, or some movie monster that sneaks into peoples rooms to feed on them like some evil demon or vampire."

I tried not to have tears as I spoke. I coughed because my voice was losing its grip and I was thirsty right now. I threw my arms up in disbelief at what I just blurted out of my mouth. He just shook his head, and made a gesture with his hands wondering if I might say more. Foolishly I continued.

" But more likely, I am just having some sleep disorder, and this is all crazy and I do not understand anything anymore!"

I suddenly felt a wave of emotions over-whelm me and I began to have tears stream down my face. I was so overcome by all this and I felt I must be dreaming this. It can not be happening.

" I am sorry for seeming so evil. It was not my intent to scare you, or upset you."

"Then how did you do it? How did you come into my room unseen? And why did you do it?!" My voice was firm, shaky, cracking and full of too many emotions. He quietly sat in the chair and looked thoughtful at me. He stood up and walked over to kneel down beside me and hold my hands in his. How warm and comforting this simple gesture. It was unexpected, and I looked into his eyes wondering who he is? He smiled at me and then my hands went cold and I began to shiver. His fangs revealed beneath his smile, told me this was no ordinary person. Fear once again filled through me.

" Oh my god! Your a vampire?!" I tried to push him away and make a run for it, but it was no use! He was strong, and carefully he shoved me back down into the chair! I kept trying to fight to get away, but it was no use! Then suddenly I just stopped. I saw the look of concern on his face and realized he was not going to harm me.

He leaned into me and softly spoke in my ear, " Trust me I am not going to hurt you." Somehow I knew this and believed him. I relaxed and he loosened his grip on me. I almost felt as if he was trying to mezmerize me into calming down.

" Really. That is such a petty and crude thought. Using such a gift to entrance someone." He quietly said with a bit of disgust in his voice. Startled by his words, I asked, " How on earth did you know what I was thinking?"

" Just a little telepathy." He answered back. Finally, I just quit trying to think of how to get away. It was no use anyway. I was becoming much to curious about this man. I wanted to know all about him. Who he was, where he came from, how he became the way he is now, and if he planned on turning me, or killing me. He quickly backed away and went to go sit back down. He leaned back in the chair and covered his eyes with his hand. " Please, do not think so many thoughts at once. It hurts my head to have such a busy and frightened mind bombarding me with so much emotion."

" Oh, I am sorry. I did not know." I said and tried to sit back and relax. After some time I felt more calm as I realized he was not going to harm me in any way. " I will tell you about myself, but please promise me you will not tell anyone. I mean no one."

" I won't say a thing. I promise. Besides you would know if I did. Wouldn't you?" He just slowly shook his head and smiled a little smirk as if taunting. I looked at my watch again. Nearly 3:00 am. I only had a little time left before I had to get back.

" Do not worry dear. I will be brief." He said while relaxing into the chair in a casual manner and putting his feet up on the table between us. I myself sat forward and stayed alert. I wanted to hear every word, and I also was afraid of going to sleep.

 

    " Well, my young one, my story goes back only a few hundred years. My tribe, The Sioux, lived along the headwaters of the Mississippi."

" You mean over in Itasca state park?"

" Yes, that is what it is called now. But back then it was just the land of my people. Our tribe was peaceful and highly religious. Spirituality and ritual was a daily part of our life. We loved nature and the spirits that dwelled around us. We rarely had problems with invading warrior tribes. My grandfather said his father was a great warrior who fought to protect our land and people against the invaders. In his time our tribe lived further south and was always burdened with the neighboring warrior tribes trying to take over. The leader of our tribe was tired of losing his strongest men and healthiest women to these warring tribes. So he sent out scouts to look for land that was quiet and would lead us to a more peaceful existence. They came back with reports of the birthplace of a nice river, and it was far away from others. So he packed up the tribe and left to go there.

 

    I was always grateful to have been born into our tribe. The ritual of manhood was always so much easier to follow and obtain than the warring tribes. Grandfather told stories of terrible torture the young men had to endure to prove their strength. How much pain you could handle was their way, not our way grandfather said. My father became the healer for our tribe. The ritual we had for manhood was much different and more spiritually based. I remember my rites. It was amazing. I was made to go through a fast for 5 days, and an intense cleansing in the sweat lodge also for that 5 days. Then I was lead out into the woods naked during the night. There I had to stay for 5 days and meditate. I remember after several nights of this, I heard footsteps come over to me. I looked and a pale spirit sat down beside me and we just looked at each other for a long time. Then he told me who he was and that he would like to choose me for a very special journey, and that it was up to me to decide. He said he would come for me once I had come of age. Then he left me alone.

After the last night and the morning dawned, I went back to the village. Father asked me to explain what had happened. I told him the pale spirit appeared to me and spoke to me. Father had tears in his eyes, and asked me what I choose to do? I told him I wanted this spirit journey that he offered. Father hugged me and said my choice was final. On my 18th year he would come for me. I tried during that time to enjoy the pleasures of this earthly life, but it was not enough for me. I always dreamed about him and what he said intrigued me. Grandfather said I was born with a strong, wandering spirit. He told me I would never really be truly happy in this earthly life. I was born with a wandering soul, a knowledge seeker, and this pale spirit knew this.

 

    So in my 18th year I waited for the inevitable. Grandfather said that he will come during the night when the time is right. And that I will disappear with him, like a spirit. Scared me and yet I was intrigued. I felt like I was special and yet I felt I did not deserve this honor. Grandfather and father told me this is who I was and that he will come soon. They said they would miss me and that I would see them again, and not to despair, and that was that. A few nights later while I was asleep he came in and kneeled beside me. He took my hand and I awakened. I went with him. No arguments, no fear, no regrets. As we left the village for the forest, I turned to look one last time. I saw grandfather and father waving at me in the distance. They somehow knew. I was glad to see them one more time. I raised my hand back to them, and then I turned around to leave. It was done. My journey began that night and has been going ever since."

 

    I sat there pondering over every word he told me. I was intrigued and took a few moments to let it all sink in. It was quite an unusual tale for me to swallow. and I felt as if I was watching a very good actor. My logical mind was at war with my eyes. My head hurt from being tired and trying to comprehend what he told me.

" But you were human. How on earth did you become a vampire? Did he bite you like in the movies? Did you have to drink his blood?" He looked at me and smiled a devilish grin. He seemed to know what I was thinking. Of course he knew my thoughts, common sense would of told me that. But, there was more to the look in his eyes that gave away something. My logical half was not sure what that something was. Again he spoke with patience. He leaned back with a calm and relaxed look, and tilted his head to the side as if remembering something.

 

    " No, it was nothing like that my dear. It was nothing like in the books and movies of today. This was more like a long spiritual journey. My companion let me look back and linger a little more. Then he took me by the hand and quietly we walked along for a long time in utter silence. He knew I felt sad about leaving. His silence was out of respect. He had this leader type quality about him. It was the first thing I fell in love with about him. We walked all night and I needed the time to sort out in my mind what I was doing here with him. I went over my life, and I realized this is where I wanted to be now, alone with him. I know now that he was doing me a kindness being quiet and taking me around the woods for a long walk. It was his way of giving me the time to sort out my feelings and make sure this is what I truly wanted. I squeezed his hand tight, and I think he knew I did not want to go back. Reassured of my decision to stay, he took me to where he lived. He was living in a small modest shack deep in the forest. Probably a temporary home to some fur-trapper. The shack was simple with simple furnishings. A table and a few chairs, plus a small bed. Not even a place to cook. More than likely the person was here just for the warm months and cooked outside. Of course a being like him did not need anything to sustain his life. This place was our present home, and after a while, he told me the tale about himself and who he is. He told me his name is Archer, and he had been living here for so long that he lost track of the time. He said he remembers being here during the time before the Romans attacked the lands of his people. At least that is what he could figure. It did not really matter anymore to him. Past is past, and there is no changing it. This proved to be one of his favorite sayings.

 

    He told me everything little by little over time, and we spent the months getting to know one another. It took a long time for me to understand it all. I did ask him finally how he became known as the pale spirit. I waited so long because I was a little scared to find out. We knew the tales of those who had faced him, and we called him one who hunts and attacks like the wolf. He told me the tale of how he was passing through and saw some men attacking a young women. He said she was fighting them hard, and made it obvious she did not want to go with them, so he went over to help. They wanted to attack him, but instead he attacked them. The young woman watched as I fed. Scared she ran back to her tribe and told them what happened. Ever since then he became known as the pale spirit or the forest dweller. The people that lived here showed such devotion for his act of kindess that he decided to make this his new home. Over time he witnessed how the warring tribes harassed the peaceful ones, so he became know as our protector. We have worshipped him ever since. Not as a god, but more like our protecting spirit. The leaders of our tribe had developed a great respect for him. We often brought herbs and sage to the alter we made for him in the woods. He was our guiding spirit. And he seemed to have a special kinship with wolves. So our tribe adopted the wolf as our helping spirit. Hence the obsession I have for wolves. We brought him those who had done harm for judgement. If the accused wandered back to the village we knew we had judged him or her wrong and made amends. Those who disappeared, we knew their fate. We had very little trouble with others who had conquering on their minds. Some considered the woods haunted by an evil spirit. The stories ran wild, from the travelers passing through, but we did not care. We felt safe knowing he was around.

 

    Then finally came the time for him to ask me if I wished to become like him. To be here always with the earth and to watch over her inhabitants. I wanted it so bad. I had the terrible ache to learn all I could about this world around me. After my decision, he disappeared for a couple of days. Upon his return, he told me to follow him. So on the evening of the full moon, I followed him very deep into the forest to a small shack that he used sometimes for peace and quiet. It was simple inside with a small bed and nothing more. He told me to lay down and relax, for this was going to feel a bit weird. I told him I was ready for whatever it would take to be like him. He stood across the room from me and suddenly his face took on the same look as a wolf on the hunt. His eyes took on an ethereal glow, and seemd to look right through me. Scared, I asked him if this was going to hurt. He laughed, as he walked over to me. I felt a strange sensation in my heart, as he slowly took a few steps over to me. With each step I felt like I had to gasp for air. It felt like he was pulling the very breath out of me. Then he kneeled down beside me and his lips parted as he drew them close to my throat. Softly his lips caressed along the vein I felt pulsating in time with each deep breath I took. I felt his lips press hard against the side of my throat and he began to suckle lightly. It was a strange sensation. Each time he sucked in, I felt my breathing get deeper and harder to obtain. This is what drowning must feel like.

Then he became more aggressive and with each draught he took in, I felt a little more of my life leave me. I could feel his teeth as they slowly pressed in against my skin and I could feel more of my very breath being pulled out of me. It hurt some, and yet was a bit sensual as well. Each draw he took in with a long deep breath, and soon I began to relax, and my body felt limp. I tried to move but could not. Slower my breathing became, and I felt myself go into a deep sleep. Was I dead? Was I asleep? These thoughts were going through my confused and lethargic mind. Then nothing but total darkness.

Suddenly, early one morning I awakened with a terrible shiver, and I felt a terrible pain in my head. I thought something was wrong with me. I was so cold and could hardly move. Archer told me it is how it is suppose to be. He came to my bedside and told me to take some of his energy. Shocked I had no idea what he meant. He reached out and gently held my head and told me to drink in some of his energy from his throat. Quickly I obeyed, hoping something would make this awful feeling go away. I pressed my lips to the side of his throat and felt the pulse of his energy pulsating against my mouth.Then I felt a tingling on my lips and it began to spread out over my face. The warmth felt good, and I began to suckle on his neck and I felt his energy filter along through me. I began to feel warm again, and a surge of energy rushed through the very core of my soul. It felt so wonderful, as if I had just come back to life. I pulled away amazed and still not sure what was going on. Archer just looked down and smiled at me, saying that I was definitely on my way to making a fine vampire. That was the first time I had ever heard that word before. I laid back down, and he leaned over and kissed me on my lips. Ah, so sensual he is I thought as I fell back into a deep sleep. The most relaxing sleep I had ever known.

 

    Archer spent the next few weeks by my side helping me to strengthen my new body. I felt so weak and cold and yet after a drink of energy from him I felt better. It was very weird to just sleep and then feed. Each time I did get a little stronger, and by the time of next full moon I felt strong and ready for anything. I took my place by his side to learn all I could from him about the mysteries of life. He tried to teach me about this word vampire and what it meant. Of course it was much different for me back then to learn about it. We did not know what a vampire was suppose to be, so it was easier for me to understand it. Of course now it is so muddled with myth, legend and half truths and stories of bloodshed and demons. No wonder new ones are so confused and full of fear."

 

    He paused and seemed to be thinking some very deep thoughts. The look on his face was that of someone lost in time. Quickly, without trying to be rude, I looked at my watch again to check the time. It was near time for me to get back, and I was getting a bit impatient. The last thing I needed was any kind of trouble. He took notice of my apprehension and seemed to snap himself back to the here and now.

" Sorry, for getting a bit off track. I know you have to get home so I will be brief. Getting back to the past, Father and grandfather came together to visit once in a while. Then after some time had passed, father came alone. Grandfather had died of old age. Strange to think of him as gone. And I noticed father was getting old. Soon he would be gone also. This bothered me a little. Archer by now had become my master, and he knew how I was feeling. He simply said to me that I would be here always, and that this is the way of things, some stay, some go. He said that I chose to stay, past is past, and you can not change it. His words were encouraging to me, and he taught me well to learn how to cope with the changes we saw happening.

 

    Time passed on quickly. I had been on a few hunts with my master, but I yearned for my first solo. Then my chance came one evening as I was walking along the river. I saw a man beating up a younger man. I went over to try and stop him. The attacker saw me and asked if I wanted the same? He let go of the young kid and as soon as he was loose, he ran away. The man had white skin and was dressed in furs and animal skins. I told him I was ready, and I smiled at him. He screamed at me as he turned in fear to run from me.

 " I know what you are, I heard the tales of the forest dwellers! Stay away you demon!"

I was tired, but the thrill of the chase exited me. I chased him for nearly a mile. Then I caught up to him and from behind I knocked him down and lunged for his throat. It was incredible! I hit the side of his neck so hard that my teeth sunk in a little to the tender flesh! Careful I eased up a little to savor the rush of energy. I began to feel by body warm, and almost go into convulsions as I quickly began to draw his life into me. I went into quite an estactic state of mind and once I was done, I realized I could taste some blood in my mouth. The man was laying limp on the ground and did not awaken. Archer came up behind me, and patted me on the back.

"So you got to him first? Wow, I had been looking for him for a while, my dear wolf."

" Wolf? Why did you call me that?" " Well you have to have a new name. I have a hard time pronouncing your own name and I can not keep on calling you my young one. You seem to have become quite an accomplished hunter."

 

    So from that moment I adopted my new name and personality. The wolf became my personal guide along this journey. Eventually as the decades went by the woods took on new sounds, and people. White men came and settled in. They hunted the land heavily, and did a lot of trapping for furs. It was hard on my people, and then men in uniforms started coming and forced my people into what they called reservations. My people were treated like prisoners in their own homeland. Broke my heart, and Archer told me it was time to move on. He knew I should not be witness to this. Anger and revenge would fill my heart, and that is not what I needed. So with regret, I said goodbye to my homeland, and I left man to do his bidding. There was no stopping or interfering. This was too big for even us to change.

 

    We wandered here and there, and eventually we came upon the north shore of lake superior. He now lives there with a human friend. I myself decided to strike out on my own, and came here. At the turn of the century this place was very private, but it grew and now is what you see today."

 He leaned back and that was it. The end of his story. I took the time to sit back and ponder what I should think about all this. It was quite a story and it was getting late. I had to get back soon. Time was slipping by quick. I had to get home.

" So do you want this same journey?" Wolf asked me quietly.

" You mean become a vampire like you and roam for eternity over the earth?" I had to admit it had me intrigued. It was impossible though.

"But how? My folks would think I was missing and all the town would be looking for me."

"This is a long spiritual journey and it should be taken very seriously. I see the same wandering spirit in you. It is a whole new life and you must decide and find a way to make it work. If you have any doubts about me or my story, here let me help you home, then you decide what you want to believe."

He quickly lunged for me and pressed his lips to my throat. I tried to fight him off afraid he might turn me right now and to hell with his nice words. Suddenly I felt weak and tired. A strange sensation filled my whole body and I felt a strong, deep sensuality as he held me. Too soon I was deep asleep.

I woke up with a start. I looked at the clock and saw it was past noon. Wow, what a headache I had. I was very tired despite sleeping so well. Was I dreaming again? It was crazy and weird how I felt. I knew in my heart it was real, but my logical mind kept telling me, no I am crazy. I knew what I wanted. I wanted to live on and explore all that the world had to offer. I spent the next hour going over what happened during the night. I chose to believe.

 

    So during my last year, I made plans. I did not have anymore bad dreams and I did not see him either. This time I went on faith. I went to school, had a boyfriend, got good grades, went to my prom, had amazing sex with said boyfriend, and I wondered as I laid next to him, is this the kind of life I want? I did not feel as truly happy as I did talking with wolf that long ago night. I knew I made up my mind. I went ahead with my crazy plan and told my parents I got a job back in Duluth. Told them I was ready to go to work, and get reaquainted with my old friends there. Told them I needed to spend some time in the big city. Summer and graduation came and went. I spent most of the summer with my family, friends and work. This was my time to think and reflect. I needed the space to decide if I wanted to go through with the journey wolf laid out before me. I respected Wolf for giving me the time alone to decide. He never once interfered and I slept very well.

Then came the time to quit my job here, and tell my family my new job in Duluth awaits. This was so hard for me to do. I felt like I was lying to them, but, I could not turn down the offer of a lifetime. I knew I would not be able to see them for a long time and it hurt. I loved my family and they were good to me. So many thoughts went through my mind and yet I kept going forward. My spirit cried out for more. So much more. I wanted to be a vampire, no matter how hard it was to be one. And I knew my first painful experience would be leaving my family behind. I knew deep down it would not be the life of glamour and glory so many fictional books try to portray. From wolf's story I understood it would be a life of wandering and hardships.

 

    All too fast came the dreaded morning to leave. My folks got up early and fixed a big breakfast. Tears were in all of our eyes. It was not that far away, but still we were close and it seemed the other side of the world. After a long chat over coffee, I filled my mug for the journey north and said my tear filled goodbyes. Then I got into my car and waved out the open window as I backed out of the driveway. I stopped for a few moments to think about my life here and to wonder once more if this is what I wanted. The moving here and meeting the hermit was so unexpected. Would I still be going on this journey if we had not moved here? Was it destiny? I had flashbacks of our life here as I backed the car out into the road. I knew what to do and I put the car in gear and slowly drove away. I silently cried the first few towns as I drank the rest of my coffee. I realized by the time I turned onto the interstate that would take me into Duluth, I am doing what I want. This is me and who I am. Wolf must of seen my wandering spirit inside this body, just as Archer saw it in him long ago.

I stopped at the rest area at the top of Thompson hill to take a break and stretch. I went bathroom and washed up and got a cola from the vending machine. As I looked out over the city I thought to myself, such simple little pleasures, washing up, drinking an ice cold cola. I thought long and hard about what I had been through, and where I was going. I quickly left for my car and headed for the city. I was afraid if I linger too long I would start crying again.

 

    Ahead I saw the city of Duluth. It was a beautiful afternoon as I made my way through traffic, to the scenic drive on the other side of the city. Wolf said Archer lives out this way somewhere, and when I began to wonder how I would ever find him, a familiar red car passed me and pulled out in front. I smiled and followed along behind. My journey was just beginning. I turned on the radio and an old classic rock song began playing.

I wondered and worried about Archer and what it would feel like to meet someone like him. For now it did not matter. I put the thought out of my mind and softly began to sing along with the lyrics. It made me relax and I smiled. Finally I felt like I was free to be myself. I knew now where I was going, into eternity.

The end for now.

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Jessica :D]

Very nice. I always liked vampires, and this was a nice read.