"A Vampire Christmas"

On Christmas Eve night, a family of vampires travel to a nearby town where they and other vampires celebrate their holiday.

“A Vampire Christmas”

 

by Tommy Guerin

 

         On the magical night of Christmas Eve in the town of Thirsty, vampires gathered in Blood Square to pay homage to their Santa Claus, Langton Reeve. Lit by each vampire’s glowing countenance, Blood Square shined with excitement in anticipation of Reeve’s annual midnight appearance on top of BS’s clock tower. But on this particular occasion, the town’s tradition was profoundly impacted by a traumatic event, and thusly marked the end of the white-light faced, crimson-cloaked gift giver’s visit.  And Christmas thereafter took on a new meaning for all.

 

         Upon nightfall, in a quant cottage located a few miles from Thirsty, the family Dims prepared for the festivities with each check of their Victorian attire"especially little Mollie Dim. Mollie faithfully awaited Reeve’s arrival, for this was her first Christmas celebration as a recently turned vampire. Her adjusting to death, along with Reeve’s bestowing mere hours away, filled her with uneasiness. Donned in a lacy, black frock, Mollie kneeled before her oval swinging mirror. As she stared at herself, she interlocked her fingers and hoped the holiday would embrace her.   Mollie said, “Christmas and me . . . Christmas and me . . . Christmas and me . . .” Sensing her state of vulnerability, her temperamental older brother Jeremiah whisked into her room like a gust of cold wind.

 

“Send it back from whence it came,” Jeremiah said. “Reeve cares not for groveling. You have a lot to learn, BV. If Reeve’s blood you plead for, he will smite you and cast you out in a fog of black smoke. Reeve sheds his blood not for beggars but for givers to the vampirism. We do not hope for the lavish blood under the white light.”

 

“My pleading is for me, scab,” Mollie said. “Prattle out as you prattled in and drape yourself in the tar round back to match the dark heath you live on.”

 

“Stake my thoughts once, and pleading you shall beg for. Stake my thoughts twice, and my fangs shall carve my name into your skin. Stake my thoughts thrice, and my face will lighten Blood Square. Repent and Reeve will embrace you. Do it not, and you will embrace me instead.”

 

         Fearing her brother’s wrathfulness, Mollie buckled into a helpless crouch. But then a force of authoritative disapproval entered the room. And their father, Tatum, hastily shielded Mollie.

 

Tatum said, “Pray tell me, what’s to become of such threats, Jeremiah? Eagerly awaiting Reeve is our young Mollie. Does she not need torment from her own family?”

 

Tatum’s overpowering eyes stared deeply into Jeremiah’s devilish eyes, and after mere seconds he looked away as though his father filled his eyes with freezing water.

 

“Have you not the urge to dote on Mollie? She’s been in our family since Friday last,” Tatum said. “A chance she’s deserving of. She can now start anew and bury her prior life of abuse and neglect. Leave her be. Go temper the pallet of horseshoes in the barn then fasten the Dressage saddles to Scarlet and Vermillion. And son, see to it they have plenty of water before we ride for Thirsty.”

 

Irked by Tatum’s disciplining, Jeremiah stormed out of Mollie’s room. A shake of Tatum’s head had him in worriment. But his baby vampire was still in a state of fear, so he stretched his arms in front of him with his palms facing one another and wiggled his fingers in unison.  

 

 “Gaze upon me, Mollie. The life of death you barely know. Moments of shivers there will be. But we rejoice when the magic from within compels us to welcome death. You see Mollie. There is magic in death.”

 

Seconds passed and Mollie found herself hovering a few feet off the floor. The fear she felt was gone. And she reverted to her radiant and elegant self as she shared a smile with her nurturing father.

 

While walking out of Mollie’s room and making his way upstairs to his dressing quarters, Tatum performed more magic for his impressionable daughter. He telepathically said, “Incidentally Mollie, a stunning vision you look this eve. Reeve will be impressed when he catches a glimpse of such a blossom.”

 

Taken of breath by Tatum’s display of telepathy, Mollie blushed  . . . and sought her mirror’s support again. Although her seashell skin mirrored the girl from a lifetime ago, this time she was calmer and more effervescently open to her new life and the bliss of Christmas.

 

Meanwhile, the instant Tatum entered his quarters, his wife Florentine"while double-checking for wrinkles on her black satin Victorian gown"offered words of encouragement and wisdom to her loving husband.

 

 Florentine said, “A bell of a ball young Mollie will be someday. Averse is she to crudeness and loathe behavior to which our oldest is often drawn. Worry not, for I sense a savor in her. Soon it will teach her how to thwart those who encroach her sensibility. As for the encroacher whom we’ve taken into our midst, perhaps tonight’s festivities will lighten his load and thusly ease his responsibility.”

 

Tatum said, “May we lean on the spirit of Christmas to help guide him and keep him from Maroon Fountain and to all it punishes.”

 

Under the gleam of a full moon"Tatum, Florentine, and Mollie gathered and made their way to the front of their barn where Jeremiah awaited in the box seat of the family’s Barouche carriage. Aboard and set for a night of fun and celebration, the family rode for Thirsty to the comforting sounds of Scarlet and Vermillion leading the way. 

 

After an hour’s ride, the Dims arrived at Thirsty where dances and games livened Blood Square. As the clock on the tower struck 9:43 PM, Jeremiah brought the carriage to the stable and set a trough for Scarlet and Vermillion, while the rest of the family stepped out into the bliss. The first vampire who greeted them was the mayor of Thirsty, Lionel Lambert. He handed a festive necklace to each of them, welcoming them in a spirited manner. Lionel said, “Graced by the touch of de Vinci you’ll are. My . . . Ms. Mollie Dim, that outfit becomes you. Thank you all for joining us. Please feel free to partake in anything and everything. The spirit of Christmas is all around you. Mollie, I prey Jeremiah, your parents, and the sight of Reeve will help rid any doubts you may have about your new life. Well, you’ll have to excuse me, as I see some more folks riding near. If you’re interested, there’s a bobbing for blood apples underway at Ms. Cascade ‘s house. And Mr. Farrow is about to start The Dance of the Nightwalkers.”

 

Gently taking Mollie’s left and right hand, Tatum and Florentine casually walked with their daughter towards Ms. Cascade’s house. But then they abruptly stopped. Tatum glanced behind his shoulder and saw Jeremiah  . . . staring at them while standing outside of the stable. Tatum told Florentine to go without him and Mollie to bob the biggest blood apple her fangs could find. Walking back to the stable, Tatum shivered as though a stiff gust of wind blew on the back of his neck. His shivering was not in concern of Jeremiah’s odd disposition, but it was because his upstart son was hours away from etching his name in Thirsty lore. And Tatum’s intuition of something going awry caused him to worry. But the unsettling feeling faded, for Jeremiah sent him a telepathic message. Jeremiah said, “The spirit of Christmas flows through my blood this eve, father. The stroke of midnight will be my finest hour. For tomorrow I will also begin to care for Mollie and guide her along our eternal journey. Go and fancy in the delights, father. Your son is seeing clearly now.”

 

Tatum responded, not with words, but with an honorary gesture. He unclipped his father’s antique pin off his black, wool frock coat and telekinetically sent it to Jeremiah. Jeremiah took the pin and clipped it on his coat"the same as his father’s. The men then carried on . . . Tatum to rejoin Florentine and Mollie, and Jeremiah to prepare for his Christmas duties.

 

11:47 struck and the anticipation of Reeve’s arrival was palpable. All games and dances halted and everyone gathered at the base of the clock tower. Undertones of sheer exuberance circulated through the crowd as the precious minutes on the clock winded down. The clock struck 11: 59, and the vampire children practically squeezed the magic out of their parents’ hands. Tatum and Florentine looked at one another happily. Mollie gazed upon the tower in awe as white light shined above the townspeople. A collective hush filled the crowd as they waited to see Claus.

 

Langton Reeve appeared and said, “Merry Christmas, my brethren of the night.” He then showered all with gifts aplenty. “As I stand before you on this night of celebration, let us not forget those who have fallen to the inequities of vampirism. For they live through our devotion to the arts we practice. I come to you tonight as a symbol of sanctity. Long we have carried our coffins while the living burned and staked the thought of our existence. Long we have carried our coffins while . . . ”

 

A sudden feeling of confusion filled the crowd as Reeve paused and fixed his eyes on Mollie, who kneeled faithfully as she said,  “Christmas and me . . . Christmas and me . . . Christmas and me . . . " A fog of black smoke formed around the Reeve and thickened as intensely as his ire.

 

Reeve screamed wrathfully, “I warned her not to behave in such a begging manner.”

 

Weeping as though they died once more, the children buried their faces in their parents’ embrace as the fog thinned and Reeve unmasked himself, revealing Jeremiah. Tatum and Florentine averted their eyes shamefully as Jeremiah vanished like a fantastic illusionist. But his disappearance was not of his own making, for he was exiled to Maroon Fountain. The stiff gust of wind blew on the back of Tatum’s neck again, albeit with a chill as insufferable as a thousand frost-tipped stakes.