Nightflower

By Cameron Vail

Vanessa has been trapped as a 13 year-old girl for over 350 years. Becoming a vampire at so young an age left her teetering between the light of the child within her and the darkness of the demon possessing her. Trying to outrun a past that hunts her, Vanessa lives a lonely life outside of the vampire society that shuns her. When she starts to dream of a boy who seems different from the other humans she hides from, she feels compelled to seek him out. What she finds forces her to risk returning to vampire society to look for the answers that have eluded her. In the process she learns some terrifying truths about her past and is sent on on the run again.

Jason is a loner killing time through his life. He thinks he's nothing special, but little does he realize that his feeling like he's not like everyone else is more than just a feeling. He dreams of a young girl he doesn't know, and she becomes part of his life even before she comes looking for him.

In the end Vanessa must face the demons from her past and decide if Jason is her one chance to get what she always wanted, to grow up, or if he will lead to her destruction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cameron Vail
• Release date: Dec 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301172788

Cameron Vail

Cameron likes her quiet country life with her wife, 2 kids, dogs, and cat.Almost all of her spare time is spent in some artistic endeavor be it writing, working at the forge as an artisan blacksmith, weaving, or one of the other creative pursuits she follows.Once the drive to tell Vanessa's story is adequately sated some of the fantasy stories she has to tell will get some attention.

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Nightflower

By: Cameron Vail

Copyright 2012 Cameron Vail

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

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of this author.

Cover Photo provided by Jamie Shirley of Nefalhim Photography

Table of Contents

Prolog

Chapter 1: The Office

Chapter 2: Clarius

Chapter 3: Jason

Chapter 4: The Hunt

Chapter 5: The Hunter

Chapter 6: Telling the Tale

Chapter 7: Moving On

Chapter 8: Echoes of the Past

Chapter 9: Inde-Mation

Chapter 10: The Daily Grind

Chapter 11: Sanctuary

Chapter 12: Home

Chapter 13: Cyrus

Chapter 14: Anton

Chapter 15: Caught

Chapter 16: Bus Ride

Chapter 17: Good Samaritan

Chapter 18: Bad Dreams

Chapter 19: The Drive

Chapter 20: Rest

Chapter 21: Meeting

Chapter 22: Opening Up

Chapter 23: Coming to Terms

Chapter 24: The Dark Side

Chapter 25: Rebuilding

Chapter 26: Hunter Hunted

Chapter 27: Flight

Chapter 28: Sunrise

Epilog

DayFlower: Prolog

Dayflower: Chapter 1

Prologue

The girl sat Indian style on the passenger seat of the old van. She didn’t look to be a day over thirteen if not for eyes that looked much older. Cold rain pelted the windows and roof, occasionally managing to get in through the crack at the top of the window. She wished that it would close right, but she had never been able to get it to. The streetlight outside gave off a dim blue light that made phantom tears roll down her cheeks. As a young couple walked by, pressed close together against the chill of the November night, she thought briefly of food. It had been several days since she had eaten, but she decided that she wasn’t hungry now.

Her nose picked up the smell of the man’s cologne as they passed by her. The woman had a soft rose smell that made her think of her mother. After they had gone she pressed her hand to the glass. She wished that it would steam up the window but she was too cold for that. The cold didn’t bother her. What bothered her was the fact that it didn’t. Lately she felt weary down to her bones. The cold made her ache and she began to understand why the old sleep so much. Letting her hand slide down the window she drew in air for a big sigh, letting it out as the hand dropped back into her lap.

What had it been now? Three days that she had been sitting here in this van. The urge to move was strong but the melancholy that had overtaken her sapped her will to do anything about it. If given one wish she would use it to be rid of these damned adolescent emotions. In her mind she was an adult, but her heart was forever hung up with the moods of a child. One day it was anger so strong that she ground her teeth to keep from screaming till she exploded and then that would give way to depression that made her chest ache from the emptiness. She kept hoping that she would either get past it, or at least accustomed to it, but she never did.

Sitting there lulled by the hum of the light she let her mind slip back to the past. There were so many things that she had left behind. Friends she would never see again. Homes she had been forced to leave. The loneliness was hard to take but she avoided staying around others like herself. The life they led wasn’t what she wanted. On the other hand, she had to avoid most people when she could or too many questions would be raised. She cursed the fates for looking so young. One or two more years on her looks would have made things so much easier. Feeling sorry for herself wasn’t going to make anything better, but it was a satisfying pain. It was almost like rubbing a bad bruise to see how deep the pain still is.

Deciding that parking here again was pushing her luck, she slid over to the driver’s seat. With a small prayer she turned the keys. The motor gave a sickening lurch that spoke of its countless miles. With a dull grinding sound it began to turn over slowly. Eventually it roared to life in a cloud of blue smoke. The clatter of the lifters almost covered the low knocking she knew was there. She turned the lights on as she dropped it into gear. Making her way onto the rain slicked street she hoped she could find some place safe to park and get to sleep before it got too light out.

Chapter 1: The Office

Denny was working late tonight. This was his first day back from a long weekend and work had piled up on him. A low dread came over him as everyone else had begun to leave. Like a student that was faced with detention he sulked at his desk as they filed out past him. To make matters even worse it had begun to sleet outside. The on-off drizzle of the last few days had finally decided it was winter. This late in the year the sun was going down almost before quitting time.

It’ll be down before I get home tonight, that’s for sure, he grumbled to the empty office.

The building had a habit of working on his nerves when he was here like this. The sterile smell of printer carbon and cleaning chemicals was everywhere. Without the office chatter to drown them out it amazed Denny how loud the lights were. The hum of the lights and the whir of his computer blended with the specking of the ice on the window to make him feel even more alone. Entering page after page of figures, he wished people didn’t feel the need to move their money around so much right before the holidays. Then he could be at home instead of here.

It had been dark less than an hour when he first heard the noise. Several times he stopped typing and listened, not sure if he was really hearing anything at all. After about the third round of this he decided to see if there was hail mixed in with the sleet making the tapping sound he heard. As he walked to the door he heard it again. This time he was able to tell what it was. A very light tapping on glass, he thought. Cautiously he looked through the door into the hallway towards the entrance to the building.

Standing out in the rain and sleet was the saddest sight he had seen in a long time. A young girl in her early teens was at the door looking absolutely miserable. With no hat or gloves on, she wore only a leather jacket that was at least two sizes too big against the cold. Ice had already formed in her hair and she was so cold that her breath didn’t even steam in the chill air.

Denny suffered a moment’s hesitation. While there was no way he could leave her out there in the cold like that, if anyone caught him letting people into the office after hours he could lose his job. He decided that the odds were against anyone coming back this late in the evening.

I’ll just say she’s my niece or something if anybody does stop in.

Beginning to walk through the door Denny almost smacked his nose on the glass before he pulled himself up short. Pausing he turned to hold his badge to the scanner on the door frame.

I’d like to know what idiot thinks we need to scan to get out! he growled, forcing the door open roughly.

Walking towards the door Denny had to adjust to the gloom. Outside the office he was working in only a couple of lights were on. In the deepening gloom outside the girl looked like a ghost standing there in the small pool of light given out by the security lights. The sight was almost enough to make Denny stop. Once he got closer to the light she noticed him approach and pressed both hands to the glass eagerly.

You’ll have to step back so I can unlock the door, he shouted through the door.

Obediently, the girl stepped away from the glass and stood still as a statue while Denny fumbled with his keys in the lock. Watching her out there, not even flinching when the ice hit her face, he was again struck with the image of a ghost. Her skin was as white as china. Large dark eyes pleaded with him to hurry and he realized how long it was taking him to open the door. Once he had the deadbolt open he held the door open for her,

Come on in, he said, It’s freezing out there. As if she doesn’t know, he thought to himself.

As she walked past him the girl seemed to fold in upon herself. Denny reached out and brushed a piece of ice out of her hair. He wasn’t sure if he did it to try and seem comforting or to see if she was really there. Either way the ice, and for that matter the jet-black hair it was in, were as real as the frigid air he was still letting in.

Thank you, the girl whispered.

Suddenly Denny felt transfixed by those dark, dark eyes. He tried to manage a You’re welcome, but wasn’t sure if the words actually left his throat. She turned to clear the entryway and he was instantly aware of how cold it was getting in there. Pulling the door closed he turned the keys to drop the deadbolt back in place. When he turned around she was standing there watching him.

I’m sorry. I have to lock the door. You’re OK. He tried to sound reassuring. Her slow nod told him that he had failed in the attempt.

Come on in, I’ll get you some hot chocolate. What are you doing here on a night like this?

Stopping in front of the vending machine Denny took out his wallet. A small part of him that was always a little paranoid was glad that he only had a couple of dollars in it. She stepped up beside him as he stuck the dollar in the machine.

I don’t have anywhere to go. Saw the light on and thought it was worth a try, she responded.

Her voice was soft and rich, not like a girl’s voice at all, Denny thought. Running her hands across the buttons she punched a couple and the machine rattled to life. It was a long minute in awkward silence that they stood there waiting for the hot chocolate to finish.

Here, you’ll need these, Denny said, grabbing a handful of napkins and offering them to her.

With a nod she took them. Their fingers didn’t touch but the cold emanating from hers was enough to make Denny rub his hand when he drew it back. His mind was running in double time. He was normally a very sociable person. It had been a long time since he had been in a situation where he felt truly uncomfortable. Yet, somehow, this teenage girl had set him off balance. Unable to come up with anything he could put his finger on, he decided that it was just the late hour and the lousy weather putting him off.

He led her back to his office and gestured to a chair near his desk.

Have a seat. I’ve got a little more work to do here and then I can give you a lift somewhere, as she sat down he continued, By the way, if anybody shows up tell them you’re my niece. I’m not supposed to let people in here after hours.

The girl just nodded, watching him over the edge of her cup. Denny turned back to his work and found himself wondering absently if he had ever seen her blink.

They sat there in silence for a while, Denny typing in codes and the girl sipping at her hot chocolate.

What do you do here? she asked.

Having gotten into the rhythm of typing Denny had almost forgotten she was there. Setting a finished sheet aside, he turned to face her.

All I do is enter in transaction codes for financial statements that need to go out. Kinda make sure that people get all the paperwork they don’t really need, running his hand through his hair, he wished he had something more exciting to tell her.

She moved a little, setting the cup on her leg.

What kind of transactions? she continued.

Her voice was low pitched, almost a whisper. Denny sensed a pull about the girl he hadn’t seen when she had been quiet. He had seen something like it in a few people before. The ones that could show up late for meetings and never hear a word about it.

Shrugging the thought aside he decided she was just trying to pass time, Oh, we do payrolls, pension plans, a couple other things. Nothing exciting.

Noticing a slight change in her movements Denny thought he realized why she had started the conversation.

If you need to use the restroom, it’s at the end of this row of desks on the right, he said, pointing in that general direction.

She smiled slightly and nodded. Setting the cup on the floor she got up and began to go the way he had pointed. A murmured, Thanks, was all she said.

Almost finished, he sighed as he thumbed the edges of the last few pages. Before he knew what was happening he had been grabbed from behind. He tried to pull away but the grip on him was like iron. The next thing he felt was a sharp pain in the side of his neck. A warm dizziness overcame him. Struggling weakly against the vise-like grip that held his head against the back of his chair he tried to figure out how the girl could have let someone in without him hearing anything. His last thought before darkness closed in was a quick prayer that he not die at the office.

~~~~

Vanessa opened her eyes. The interior of the van was still pitch black. Of course it was very close to that even at high noon. Lying still for a moment she took in the sounds drifting through the heavy blankets draped all around her. The misty drizzle of the last few days had finally turned to ice. She had been hoping that it would wait a while longer before it did. This just meant that she had to be extra careful. The old tires on the van sure wouldn’t allow any hard driving on tonight’s roads.

She had been having the dreams again. They stood out in her mind like memories of something real. If she were one that was normally prone to dreams she wouldn’t question them so much. To tell the truth, she had never really dreamed much. When she did it was dreams of the way life had been when she was young. The dreams she had been having the last few months really bothered her. It was the same young man in every one. In an eerie way they were all the same but not so much that she could say that it was one dream repeated.

I wonder if that is how most people live, she mused, Every day like the last. Not that every day is an adventure for me either, she thought ruefully.

Sitting up slowly she stretched, the old leather jacket creaking in the cold. Trying not to move too much, she pulled the blanket to the front of the van aside and peered out. The sleet fell like luminous rain in the light of the parking lot. Small pools of blue stood out like islands in the dark. A glance at the sky told her that it wasn’t really dark out yet but with the clouds it may as well have been. The parking lot was empty with the exception of one car nearby. This is what she had been waiting for. Creeping to the back of the van she placed her hands on the steel on the door. It had lost any lining it may have had long before it became hers. Stretching her senses she tried to tell if anyone was out there that would see her. She could hear the sleet pelting the parking lot and smell the exhaust of cars that had left, but that was all.

Quietly, she eased the door open and stepped out into the night. It didn’t take long for the ice to cover her hair and jacket. Taking a slow walk around the building she made sure that the lone car belonged to someone in the office she wanted into. She was determined to find out who the man that had been haunting her dreams was. She didn’t know his name, but it was sitting in the edge of her mind. She could feel it there, like the answer to a question you knew the answer to until you were asked.

After asking a few people that knew such things, she found out that this company was a major handler of payrolls. She was certain that the man in her dreams worked in a factory. His clothes had that worker drone quality that she had come to associate with factory workers. If he worked in a factory then he got a paycheck and since so few companies handle their own payroll someplace like this would have to do it. She had no good reason to think that this was the company, but she would try them all till she found him. His name was in her mind; all she had to do was see it to realize what it was.

Walking in the small space between this building and the one next to it, Vanessa looked for the rooms with lights still on. The sleet wasn’t as bad here so she was extra careful to not leave tracks that may be found later. Several of the rooms cast a pale light into the alley from their high windows. Passing several she decided that they were empty. Nearing the end she began to fear that there wasn’t anyone in the building after all. Just as she was about to give up and return to the van she felt something. Standing below a window she held her hand a fraction of an inch from the wall. Eyes closed, brows furrowed in concentration, she reached out with all her predator instincts. There was someone in this room; she could feel it. The ledge under the window was several feet above her head. Springing up easily she grabbed it with her fingertips. Peering through the frosted window she could make out the rough design of the place. One man was sitting at his desk, back to the window. Though she could smell nothing through the tightly sealed glass, she could still feel him. The beast inside her was rattling its cage as she watched him work. With an effort she pushed it down, willing it to silence.

Dropping carefully back into the tracks she left below she continued on through the alley onto the sidewalk. She walked slowly around the block to the back of the building. The sleet covered her from head to foot by the time she approached the doors. Much to her relief it had also filled the tracks from her earlier passage. The stiffness of her clothes made her realize how cold it was outside. She tried to think of what she was going to say if he came to the door and wished she could remember how to shiver. As she stood there watching her reflection in the glass she tried to affect the proper composure. Then she began tapping gently on the glass. It didn’t take him as long as she had expected to come to investigate. It struck her as he approached the door that he wouldn’t see her breath.

He walked down the hallway slowly. Vanessa could tell he was debating what to do. There was a part of her that felt bad about tricking him this way since too many people wouldn’t have the decency to help anyone on a night like this. As he approached she pressed her hands against the glass.

You’ll have to step back so I can unlock the door, he shouted through the door.

She stepped away trying to keep herself under control. Fumbling with his keys he finally managed to open the door. Once he had the deadbolt open he held the door open for her, Come on in, he said, It’s freezing out there.

There was a self-conscious tone to his voice that amused her. She almost smiled at the irony of his concern that she feared him. Walking in slowly she tried not to touch him. If he felt how cold she really was it would make him think about her more than she wanted. She paused as he flicked a piece of ice out of her hair.

Thank you, she murmured, fixing his eyes with hers.

For a moment he stared at her, trying to say something, but not managing to get it out. Turning away from the doorway she dropped her stare and he jumped, as if waking and hurriedly shut the door. Watching him as he locked the door behind them the beast rose again, hungry.

I’m sorry. I have to lock the door. You’re OK, he said, but she barely heard him.

It took all her will to nod slowly and not show the agony she felt inside. He paused, looking a bit disheartened, Come on in, I’ll get you some hot chocolate. What are you doing here on a night like this?

He took a couple of steps and stopped before a vending machine in the hallway, pulling his wallet out. As he put a dollar in she stepped up beside him and put her hand on the buttons.

I don’t have anywhere to go. Saw the light on and thought it was worth a try, she responded.

Punching a couple of buttons on the machine she took in the smell of him. He had a strong ozone smell she always found on people that worked with computers. For a long minute they waited for the machine to finish. She could feel the nervousness coming off him. Once the cup was ready she took it from the machine.

Here, you’ll need these, he said, grabbing a handful of napkins and offering them to her.

Vanessa took them, careful not to touch his hand. She could tell by the way that he