Charms
“Here, take this charm. It will protect you from the vampires”
“I don’t believe in vampires”
“Neither do I, but better be safe then sorry. That will be ten dollars”
Sarah walked out of the small shop holding a large pendent charm looking thing that seemed have been transported a million miles from the old country to the quit sleepy town of upstate New York. The ‘charm’ as the man had said was large, silver and black with a red crystal in the shape of a heart in the middle. Black thin chain hooked through the top of the crystal and came to a magnetic clasp. Twenty first century work at its best. She dangled it in the sunlight. The beams flowed through the crystal and poured out over the side walk and onto the walls. At least it had that going for it.
Sarah undid the magnetic clasp and sealed it around her neck. The pendent hung just right above her heart and hummed along with each beat. It must be one of those spiritual magnetize type deals. Stones and all their magic in the old days. Metal in her body reacting to the metal and stone. She pulled her blond hair through the chain and let it fall beyond it.
As she walked down the street she noticed more eyes on her then normal. She peaked left and right. Across the street at the Tom’s hardware store a few folks stood with steely gazes at her and then next to them at the donut shop a young couple talked and peered at her then exchanged a few comments and returned their gaze to her. Her focus was split and she turn the corner, her eyes stuck on the corner where the Maremets furrowed their brow at her in almost a suspicious fashion. Her body collided with some one and as she almost stumbled backwards a strong arm caught her.
“whoa there, a little distracted today” A tall man with floppy brown hair held her for a moment then released and pulled back.
Jeremy Simmons. Ace of the soccer team, number one on everyone’s crush list and every moms measuring stick for their daughters boyfriends.
As Sarah composed her self Jeremy winced and stepped back rapidly.
“oh my god, sorry, this day has been super weird. You know, like Saturdays” she stumbled through her words, face beet red from walking into him.
“Thats a rad necklace, where did you get it “ Jeremy said in a gravelly voice. As if he was in pain.
Sarah pulled the necklace up to look at it from her chest. Jeremy gave a shuddered breath “Oh, this thing. I picked it up at the local thrift shop. Old man Harker said some weird stuff about it and vampires, what a total weirdo”
There was an awkward silence between them as Jeremy held the bridge of his nose as if a migraine had overcome him.
“Very strange. Look, I got to go, see you later” Jeremy said and pushed past her and around the corner.
Sarah swore at her self for her blown encounter. When would be the next time he would even udder anything in her direction. She glimpsed at her new necklace. Maybe if she kept it on, he would talk to her more. A good luck charm? Anything was worth a try.
She made her way from the downtown back into her neighborhood of Westenra falls. A old neighborhood of that streets that bended up hills of massive trees. Old Victorian houses peaked out from the shaded lots.
Her house sat on one of these rolling hills. Large oak trees blocked her house from the street, but she could see the dark brick and white wood peeking out and welcoming her home.
“Hey, I’m home” Sarah called.
Her mom rang back a welcome home to her from the kitchen and her dad gave a hey from the upstairs office. She moved to the kitchen to find her mom preparing a lasagna.
“How’s your day been sweetly” her mom said pulling out the lasagna from the oven.
“Well, you wouldn’t believe who I ran into, like literally ran into- “
A loud crash of ceramics, cheese and noodles impacted the floor. Her mom stood with two hot gloved hands staring at her like the rest of town had this morning.
“Honey, that necklace, where did you get it” her mom asked with out taking her eyes off it.
Sarah once again pulled the necklace off and looked at it and then at her mom. “Old man Harker. At the thrift shop down town. You know the new one that opened last year. What is so impressive about this-“
“Take it off” her mom demanded
“What? Why?”
“Take it off, right now” she shrieked.
Her dad roped around the corner and into the kitchen to see what the commotion was.
“Whoa whoa what is going o- what the hell is that” He dad said stopping mid stride as he caught a glimpse of the red crystal. “Yo-you have to take that off, right now, do what your mother says”
A knock came at the door.
“I’ll get it” Sarah slunk around her parents and towards the front door. They shadowed her.
She opened the door and there was old man Harker. His grey hair neatly brushed back and dressed in his Victorian suit. His small glasses lay at the end of his long nose.
“Sarah” he nodded at her then peered behind at the two looming shadows “I think you might want to come with me” He grasped her arm and pulled her past him. Sarah could hear her parent scream at her as Mr.Harker pulled out something from his bag and shouted back at them. The door closed and Mr.Harker pulled Sarah away from her house.
“What are you doing!” She yelled at him as they moved into the street. She could see people behind trees, cars, at the edge of houses. All around people half exposed casted a glare at her.
“Your adopted, no?” He moved her to the passenger side of his old Lincoln that was down the street from her place.
“Yes, not getting in. What is your problem, ever since you sold me this stupid necklace the whole town is going crazy”
Sarah could feel the shadows and glares getting closer.
Mr. Harker opened the door then stopped to stare at her from over the roof of his car. “How many visitors do you get in your town? The diet is mainly meat and all drinks are the color red. Your school mascot is a bat.” he rolled his hand “shall I go on?”
Sarah crossed her arms “You may”
Mr.Harker scowled “Your parents go out in the middle of the night, every night. Their bed is never used. You never travel outside of town”
“I mean, yeah, soon when I am old enough I will get out to see some stuff, but this place is pretty solid so far”
“Jeremy can kick a soccer ball from one side of the field and into the net, six fields away”
“Well, I mean he is pretty great”
“The Harvest blood festival?” Mr.Harker rose his eyebrows and leaned towards her as much as he could.
“Tomato juice?” Sarah gave a weak smile and shrugged “What are you saying, the whole town are a bunch of Vampires?”
“Yes!” Mr.Harker threw up his arms.
“Then how are they out during the daytime?”
“Vampire sunscreen” he said and slid into the driver seat of his car.
Sarah followed into the passenger seat “Give me a break, are you serious?” he tossed a bottle into her lap.
It was a polished amber color and had a Dracula figure under a umbrella on the beach. Sunglasses, hair slicked back, complete with a black swimsuit. In one hand was glass of red juice. The tag line “Hunt in the sun” lay beneath the sand.
“I tracked the production here to his town. I don’t know how they did it, but I have never been chased by vampires during the daytime in such fashion” Mr.Harker started his car and put the pedal to the floor.
The shadows all revealed themselves and they sprang from their hidden groves at the car. Her neighbors, friends and even her parents bore fangs and their mouths hung just a bit wider the usual. Their fingers long with talons for nails.
The car hit a few as they flew up and down the hills “They aren’t full power though during the daytime, the sunscreen allows them to walk among the light, but it still weakens them by a lot.” Sarah held on to the dash as the Lincoln went air born and sped towards the entrance of the neighborhood.
“How did you even live long enough in the town the then?” Sarah screamed over the tires ripping along the street. Mr.Harker pulled something out from his button shirt. A pendent that looked like the one he had sold her this morning.
“Good for repelling vampires and this one, I can disguise my self. I look and smell like someone else.
“What about me? Am I a vampire?”
Mr.Harker stashed his necklace back into his shirt and they pulled up in front of his store. “No, you not a vampire, but I have no idea why your hear, or they adopted you. I have been trying to figure that out as well. Wait here, Lock the doors”
“Like that is going to do anything” she locked them anyway. Mr.Harker disappeared into his shop and then reemerged with a two large suit cases which he stashed into the back of car. She unlocked the car and he got back in.
The street in front of them were filling with bodies that loomed and slinked towards them.
“Sorry Sarah, you wont be coming back here anytime soon. Say goodbye”
Sarah looked out at the Main Street then at the mob of fanged creatures coming towards her. She had a feeling that she would indeed be back sooner then Mr.Harker thought. She checked her self in the side mirror. Her reflection barely visible.
I recently saw Renfield with Nicholas Cage and Nicholas Hoult. It was a good horror comedy and made me think about if a person lived in a town full of vampires, but never realized it because it was so normal to them. This took a less serious tone to it as the opening is a random event it seems till the charm starts making everyone go crazy. Harker is a refrensce to Jonathan Harker from Dracula, Westenra is also the young lady that falls under Dracula in London from the novel. Maybe in the future we will see what Sarah might be and if Harker can figure out the mystery.