The Mysterious Poem

Another chapter in the story " The Scare", in which Linda seems to be changing.

 Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000168 EndHTML:0000021283 StartFragment:0000000489 EndFragment:0000021266

 

Chapter six

 

The Mysterious Poem

 

 

 

As Erik watched from the shadows, he noticed Linda dragging her tired body into the apartment. Upon seeing how she was caused him to re-think his idea about entering her bed chamber tonight. He wanted her body to be fresh and fully rested. Seeing her this way gave him no pleasure in consummating his desires to be with her while she was exhausted.

 

So while she took her shower, and got ready for bed Erik sat in the darkness. To any mortal the attic would have been a scary dark place, but for Erik it was his home. He could see just as clearly as any person would during the day. His mind soon began to wander on all the women he had known, and been with over the centuries.

 

“ Ah, the many loves I have conquered over the years!” Erik said outloud.

 

But this one, this Linda as he found out her name to be was special. Maybe it was how she carried herself, he wasn't sure. He then noticed the lights dim below, and some music playing he assumed she was still awake. Erik sighed, then went to find a piece of paper. For some reason he was compelled to compose a poem for this intriguing woman, called Linda.

 

As she laid in bed she began wondering what George was doing. She asked herself why he was gone from the office today? While at home George sat at his dining room table going through a stack of papers he was able to get from the House of Records. He found out some interesting information that pertained to the building that Linda lived in. Like who the builder was, when it was constructed along with the original floor plans. Which in essence was a quite interesting find.

 

 

“Hmmmm” George said while looking over the blueprints, yet still he found nothing out of the ordinary. Moving on to a stack of papers he found an original list of previous tenants, while the list was compelling there was nothing unusual either.

 

George noticed that some of Hollywood's finest actors and actresses had once graced the halls of the apartment complex. George assumed they wanted an out of the way place for some privacy. He did notice a name that seemed familiar, but at the time could have been a stage name. Many times they were known to change their names, probably to make themselves sound more glamorous. He remember that he was named after a famous actor that was his mother's favorite.

 

While George read the list, he stopped at the one Linda currently occupied. He noticed that it had been occupied by mainly women, that was up until a couple of years prior to Linda renting it. That was when it came under new management and they rented the apartment to a distinguishing foreign gentleman, one Erik von Crué After a year of being there he vanished, leaving all the furniture. It was as if he had never existed, because the place was immaculate.

 

The former owner wrote in a log next to his name:

 

10-2-83- Erik von Crué- tenant of apartment 21- whereabouts unknown. Forfeits all rights to said belongings left in the apartment, and any said money that would be otherwise due to him.

 

George knew he was onto something now, this bit of information was very enlightening. Now he knew he was getting somewhere, but needed more. He again looked over the list so he could find out the name of Linda's neighbor. He had a sneaky suspicion he could shed some light on what happened to this foreign gentleman. George grabbed his notepad, and began jotting down this pertinent information. He then poured over the other paperwork he managed to gather.

 

While Linda slept, Erik was still above in the attic working on the poem. For once in his long, immortal life he did not feel the need to feed his hunger for blood. He was getting real tired of being this way, but he wanted someone to carry on his legacy. Even though it would mean the end of is own existence, he wanted a child.

 

Erik stopped, looked out into the darkness then started writing down his thoughts. When he was done he recited what he wrote:

 

 

The darkness surrounds me

unknowing what is coming

I venture forth

..........slowly creeping

 

I see a vague light

far off on the horizon

what will be there

could anything be found?

 

A sound.... a cry

what is that?

A reflection of myself

is that my conscience?

 

The unknown is there

making me nervous,scared

yet I keep going....

needing to find something

 

I am there

but where is here

am I alone

or are you with me

 

something tells me

to keep going

keep waiting

someday you will

find peace......

 

 

'Peace......... what is that?', Erik thought to himself. “It's been so long since I have really felt or been at peace” he said out loud.

 

Just then he heard Linda moaned. He had to go and check on her, to make sure she was alright. He quietly came out of the wall entrance, down the hall to her bedroom. Erik say her tossing and turning in the bed, the bed he laid down on before he moved to the attic.

 

As he watched her, he fought the urge to comfort her. But he bent down and kissed her forehead, then whispered “ shhhh sleep my sweet angel. Nothing will bother you from now on!”

 

After he said that, Linda seemed to calm down. Erik brushed the back of his hand on her cheek, he stood and watched her begin to sleep peacefully. Erik thought ' How lovely she is laying there in our bed', he still thought of it being his bed also. He stayed watching her sleep until the breaking of dawn, then slithered away back to his new home, the attic.

 

When morning came he heard her humming as she was getting up. Erik smiled, for he knew she was again happy and in a carefree mood. As he sat in his chair, he heard her moving around the apartment. She seemed to be in a great mood, and was still humming as she took her glass of juice out on the balcony.

 

“ Oh what a glorious day!” Linda exclaimed as she looked out toward the lake. She could see the mist just beginning to rise off the water, it was an ethereal view. Today the lake seemed to look calming, not so eerie as it usually had. Linda stood wondering why it wasn't bothering her now? What was different today from yesterday?

 

What she didn't realize that while Erik fed off of her, some of his essence entered into her blood. This caused her perception of things to change. She was less jittery, and her ability to see in the dark had become more acute, sharper than it had ever been. This was a gradual process that Erik always tried first, then if they could withstand these slight physical changes he would proceed to impregnate her.

 

While Linda didn't notice Randolf her creepy neighbor did. Randolf could see this timid woman changing, she was becoming more confident each day. He knew something was happening, yet couldn't quite put his finger on the reason why. He hoped that it wasn't going to harm her in any way either. Randolf liked Linda, and was sure she would like him, that is if she tried being friendlier to him.

 

She stood on her balcony, enjoying the peace and quiet of the morning. Just then she got an eerie feeling that someone was thinking about her. “could it be George?” she asked herself. “ I wonder if he will be at work today?” she continued. Just then her heart skipped a beat, and she began to smile. Linda sighed as she took one last look at the lake before going inside to get ready for work.

 

Erik heard Linda humming again, it was an eeriely, familiar tune. One that he hadn't heard in more than a century. 'How could she know that song? Erik thought while sitting in his chair. He tried to remember when the last time he himself heard it. It was far too long ago, in a past life that he so wanted to forget.

 

His voyage over to America, while on the ship he wanted to get a fresh start. To forget the lives he ruined, and the children he almost had. It wasn't until this woman came along that his desire to try one more time to become a father. A glisten shone in his eyes when he began to contemplate the possibility. “ Could I really become a father this time?” Erik asked himself. Just then he heard the front door open and close, meaning she had left for work.

 

Erik was brought back to reality, and looked down at the table. The poem he wrote laid there in front of him. He slowly picked it up and read over it once again. Making sure that it was what he wanted to say. Then he began to decide where an appropriate place would be for Linda to find. He didn't want that man, the one who was kissing her to find it first.

 

The thought of him kissing her made Erik's blood boil. “ I don't want anyone but her reading my thoughts” he yelled while he moved to the porthole, his only view to the outside world. The glass was so dirty that what light did come through was obscured. Unlike all the stories written about vampires the sunlit would not disintegrate them into a pile of ashes.

 

Erik just preferred to stay out of the sun because it bothered his eyes. When he did venture out he wore some sunglasses to protect his eyes. At one time someone mistook him for a rock star, which he found funny but told the person to leave him the f**k alone. Much like a rock star would do if he was one.

 

The person assumed he was high on drugs, and Erik heard him mumbling something about him being a loser and f*****g drug addict. This in no way bothered him, for he knew people would ignore the fact he was walking around. After all he was considered one of the undead, an immortal who would never die. Erik stood looking out and stared at the lake. It's errie mist still shrouded over the water, he knew tonight would be an ideal night for a good feeding.

 

“If I cannot feed off Linda, I shall venture out into the night to find another, a disposable woman. That should sustain my hunger, at least until I can be with my beauty again!” Erik said with a sweet tenderness, that even surprised himself.

 

He then turned to search for an envelope in which to put the poem. Afterward he went down into the apartment to search for an appropriate place to hide it, one that she would eventually find when she was in a cleaning mood. He had no idea of what she would think about what she was reading, or get its meaning.

Author's Note

do feel free to let me know how you like this.