WolfKen: What is it?
LifesABeach: Spill it!
WildHorse: He does, it’s so exciting!
LoneWolf: Let’s hear it.
BiteMe: What would that be?
WordToTheNerd: Geez, don’t everyone ask at once. And Cheyenne, honey, your response was a little delayed.
WildHorse: Sorry, I can’t type as fast as everyone else.
WordToTheNerd: I’m just teasing. You know I love you.
LifesABeach: Hey! What’s the big news? Enough with the mushy stuff!
Isaiah chuckled inwardly as he gazed at his computer screen. He drummed his fingers alongside the keyboard on his desk, and he knew the rest of his friends were also anxious to read what Austin was talking about.
What he typed made Isaiah nearly fall out of his chair.
WordToTheNerd: You happen to be looking at, or rather talking to, one of the top scientists who has officially discovered…wait for it…vampiric sunscreen!
WolfKen: What?!
LifesABeach: Are you serious?!
LoneWolf: Whoa, that’s awesome, man!
MakinMagic: Congratulations! That’s amazing!
Isaiah, despite his keen vision, scrutinized the screen over and over to make sure that he’d read Austin’s message correctly. After months of strenuous research and testing, Austin had finally managed to unveil vampiric sunscreen to the public. That meant a great deal to Isaiah for a number of reasons.
BiteMe: Wow, that’s incredible, Austin! Thanks so much!
WordToTheNerd: No problem. And Isaiah, since I helped develop it, I’m allowed to give one free sample to someone. I’m going to give a bottle to you.
BiteMe: I really appreciate that. Thanks again. Really, I don’t know how to thank you.
LifesABeach: Does this mean Isaiah and I can actually walk along the beach in the sun and he won’t get burnt?
WordToTheNerd: Exactly. I’m really excited about this. The official ad will appear on TV in a few weeks, and we’re working on magazine deals too.
WildHorse: I’m so proud of you, sweetheart!
WordToTheNerd: Thanks, Cheyenne. And while I’m at it, this is going to mean quite the raise for me. I’ve got my eyes on a nice house for us after we’re married.
WildHorse: But don’t you want me to look at it first?
WordToTheNerd: Of course. I thought about surprising you with it, but I don’t want to buy a house and have you hate it.
WolfKen: That would suck.
LoneWolf: No kidding.
BiteMe: So, when can I expect this delivery, Austin?
WordToTheNerd: Well, we can’t officially ship it until 24 hours before the commercial debuts, but after that it should take just a few days.
BiteMe: Sounds great. Thanks again!
Isaiah leaned back in his chair, feeling elated. At last, he could enjoy being in the sun with Jillian, who loved the beach, and walk around outside unscathed. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on it. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel completely terrible and unlucky to be a vampire.
This reminded him of when he first transitioned into a vampire. It was more than a century ago, but he remembered it like it was yesterday. He remembered when he was a child in the 1800s. He was born in 1879, and his childhood and teenage years were usually filled with bliss. But on one fateful night in 1902, when he was twenty-three years old, everything changed…
**********
It began many years ago, back in the 1800s. Isaiah was the second born of three boys, making him the middle child. His older brother was Dante and his younger brother was Xander. They resided in Dragon Valley, a world still prospering from medieval times, with their parents, Mathias and Serrina Cavanaugh.
The only means of travel other than by foot was by horse, be it riding the horse or taking a horse-drawn carriage. Most roads were dirt but stone covered some. Electricity was nonexistent; the only way to light any structure was by candle. It was a completely different world back then.
Isaiah and his brothers’ childhoods were great. The family wasn’t vastly wealthy, but they weren’t living in what was considered poverty by any means. Days were spent doing chores like taking care of the horses, harvesting vegetables, and various other tasks. Only when all the work was finished could Isaiah and his brothers partake in personal amusement.
The biggest threat the family faced was disease. But thankfully, the plagues seemed to bypass right over Dragon Valley due to its small size and population. And with Mathias being a physician, people’s health was even better.
Unfortunately, a larger threat loomed in the distance. It happened on a Thursday not long after Isaiah turned twenty-three years old. He and his brothers were still living with Mathias and Serrina, and when he returned home from the village one day, Isaiah’s younger brother, Xander, ran to him with a look of distress on his face.
“Isaiah, come quickly!” he gasped. “It’s Mother!”
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Something’s happened. She’s hurt in some way and I can’t console her.”
“Where’s Dante?”
“He’s out somewhere, I don’t know. Please, help me!”
Isaiah didn’t question his brother any further. He promptly followed him into the house. Serrina was sitting in the parlor, her face distraught, her hands against her temples.
“Mother?” Isaiah asked tentatively. “What’s wrong?”
Serrina’s sobs were almost inaudible, but they were still evident. Xander looked at his older brother questioningly, unsure of what to say or do. Isaiah sat down on the piano bench while Xander leaned against the fireplace. Neither man wanted to approach their mother too closely, as though she were a frail flower that would disintegrate at the slightest touch.
Serrina’s shoulders quivered some more before she finally looked up at her sons’ faces. Even with bloodshot eyes and hair slightly unkempt due to her discontent, she still looked breathtakingly beautiful.
“Oh, my dears,” she whimpered, “it’s...your father.”
“What’s wrong with Father?” Xander asked, suddenly alarmed. “Is he hurt? Is he ill?”
“Yes, he is ill,” Serrina replied, the sadness suddenly gone from her voice. “He’s very ill.”
“What ails him?” Isaiah inquired gently.
When his mother looked up at him, he didn’t see pain or anguish in her eyes. He saw pure hatred.
“What ails him,” Serrina replied lividly, in a much sharper voice than either of the boys had ever heard her use, even with her harshest disciplines, “is that he’s fallen victim to another.”
“What do you mean, Mother?” Isaiah prodded.
“Son, your father...he’s no longer faithful to me. He’s fallen in love with someone else. Or perhaps it isn’t truly love rather than infatuation. But inevitably, my age has ceased to appeal to him. He no longer sees me as a wife. I’m no longer what he desires.”
“Mother, you’re not making any sense,” Xander quipped.
Serrina shot her youngest son a cold, slightly agitated, look before finally concluding, “Your father is having an affair with a younger woman.”
Xander sucked in his breath with a whistle. Isaiah was so flabbergasted that he stood up from the piano bench with a look of abhorrence on his face. Serrina remained seated, arms crossed over her chest, letting this revelation sink in.
Before either son could say anything, Dante entered the parlor, returning from the market. One look at everyone’s face made him set down the fruits and vegetables he’d purchased, lean against the doorframe, and ask, “What’s going on?”
Xander filled the oldest brother in. Dante wasn’t one to contain his temper well. He’d always been very hot-headed, and Isaiah couldn’t recall ever seeing his older brother so angry.
“Calm down, Dante,” Serrina commanded sternly. “Your father has always been intrigued by younger women. I was a fool to think he’d be loyal to me forever. This was inevitable.”
“Who is she?” Dante barked.
“Her name is Florence Ingram. But he calls her Flossie.”
“Mother,” Isaiah interjected. “Forgive me, but how do you know this is true?”
“I saw them, Isaiah. It happened two days ago. I’d told your father that I was going to the village for materials to make everyone new coats for winter that will be approaching in a few months. I returned sooner than expected, but as I approached our bedroom to put the materials away, I saw your father and Florence in a very intimate position.”
“That bastard,” Dante growled.
“Dante! Watch your language!”
“I’m sorry, Mother. But contrary to what you may think, you don’t deserve this. Any man would be lucky to have you. I’m ashamed to share the blood of that lecher. He’s disgraced the entire family with his infidelity. I can’t stand for it.”
“Don’t worry, son. I believe I know of a good way to handle this. But first you all must promise me one thing. Promise me that no matter what, you will stand by my side.”
“Of course, Mother,” all three boys said in unison.
Serrina smiled for the first time. Isaiah was uncertain as to what his mother had in mind, but considering the pain his father had put her through, whatever she had in mind would surely be justifiable.
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