Wicked Games: The Wrong Side of Forever

By David W. Bumpass

In recent decades, Vampires have been portrayed as beautiful, charismatic and captivating; to the extent that they have become iconic symbols in modern day pop culture. Is it so alluring walking the face of the earth for eternity? Drinking blood to convert others to the same end-destination and thereby sustaining yourself? Upon further investigation, you might come to the conclusion, as Benjamin and Sarah have, that you have ended up on the wrong side of forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 10, 2009
• ISBN: 9781450002134

David W. Bumpass

David Bumpass began his career in sales, spending twenty years with his father’s family business, then moving to a major corporation where he has spent the last four years. With a passion for writing about non-mainstream topics, “Wicked Games” is the first of his manuscripts that has made it to publication, numerous others lie in wait (perhaps even a sequel). Born and raised in Southern California, David spends his time designing web pages, writing poetry and raising a family of four, five if you include George, the family dog.

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Copyright © 2009 by David W. Bumpass.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009912091

ISBN:Hardcover 978-1-4415-7877-8

Softcover 978-1-4415-7876-1

EBook 978-1-4500-0213-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Contents

Chapter 1 Alone

Chapter 2 Antipathy

Chapter 3 Deceit

Chapter 4 Enigma

Chapter 5 Intercession

Chapter 6 Conversion

Chapter 7 Isolation

Chapter 8 Chasm

Chapter 9 Cessation

Epilogue

Chapter 1

Alone

New York, 2009: The Park was eerily quiet, picnickers, partygoers, and outdoor lovers having long gone their separate ways and likely all asleep in their various places of residence. On hourly intervals, like clockwork a pair of police officers drove the long perimeter, stopping occasionally to shine lights within the park’s interior, as a security precaution against hooligans. They would not see him sitting at the eastern wall of majestic trees, which lined the park from its northern to southern border.

Wishing tears upon himself, longing for the cleansing flood they once provided, he was empty and broken. His mind worked against him as a flood of memories jarred his being.

He had known her all of his life; earliest life memories included her and her family. Before boyfriends and girlfriends were even discussed, she was his best friend; he learned to ride a horse with her at his side, and learned to milk a cow as she stood over his shoulder laughing at his awkwardness. Together they learned about the differences between a boy and a girl. She had always been a staple in his life, but more than that, even before he understood the depth of it, he knew that he loved her.

His first acknowledgment of this emotion toward her, the day he became cognizant that he loved her and was indeed in love with her, came on a day when the pair had been riding across the prairies of England all of the morning and into the afternoon. Needing to give their horses a rest, they tied them to a tree next to a stream and took a short walk. Somewhere along the way he took her hand in his; it was natural and vaguely recognized by either of them.

Walking hand in hand across the field of tall grass, they arrived at the top of a small knoll, which offered them a view of their horses and the stream. Deciding that they too were tired they sat. Sitting in a clearing, she smiled at him, and he laughed, not because of any jovial comment, but simply in response to her happiness.

Looking up into the beautiful blue sky, he noticed a hawk that had caught a rodent and was flying home to feed his family. Behind the majestic bird was a cloud formation, puffy, white, and enormous. Look! He proclaimed anxiously. Do you see it?

Beautiful. Her eyes twinkled at the image of the large bird. Poor rat.

Not that. His arm motioned toward the direction of the clouds. That.

Leaning back and looking in the area where he was pointing, a dog with long floppy ears, she laughed as words rolled off her tongue.

Benjamin took his eyes off the cloud shaped like a dog, amazed that she saw the same thing that he did, as was often the case. The connection that they had was extraordinary and always the cause of conversation between them. The more time he spent with her, the more convinced he was that this connection was something special. He looked at her beautiful face and decided then and there that he would spend forever with her, however that was defined. She was the one, the only one, he desired to spend his life with.

Without considering the words that were forming within his mouth, he spoke, I am going to marry you one day. His tone did not indicate the nervousness he felt; the sudden onset of shaking in his hands did.

You are so wonderfully cute, she smiled contagiously at him, and your hand is shaking. She laid her head upon his shoulder. You have nothing to worry about. I know that you are my prince. I have always known that you would marry me, one day.

He felt a calm overtake him, as he rested in her words. Do you know, deciding to push it one step further, that I often worry that something will happen?

Her eyebrow sprang up in the curious fashion it often did when she was perplexed or amused, that devious looking little quirk he loved so much. Worried? I don’t understand?

What if… he started, but his words trailed off for fear that he was about to say too much.

Please, she pleaded with him, you know you can tell me anything.

Yes, I suppose I do. He rearranged the way he was sitting, so that he could look into her beautiful eyes; he did this not because of her beauty, but because he needed the assurance he hoped her reaction would bring. We have always known each other. We have always been together. What if another wins your heart?

Purposefully holding her laughter in, not wanting to hurt his sometimes delicate feelings, she found the notion absolutely absurd. You, she returned his ever-so-serious gaze, and only you, are the owner of my heart. It is providence that we spend forever together. Emotionally, I have already given myself to you.

Jarring him from his memories, a beam of light shone from the street across the park, revealing nothing to the New York City Police Officers.

Emptiness filled the park’s sole inhabitant, the only living inhabitant that is.

Chapter 2

Antipathy

England, 1758: Sunday was always Benjamin’s favorite day of the week; it was on this day that he would slide in next to S’arah on the uncomfortable wooden pew and spend the next two hours worshipping with her in church.

Father, he pleaded, I am going to be late for the church service.

Stop overacting, his father commanded him. You know those services always start ten minutes late. If you stop whining and get to it, there will no problems.

Knowing it was futile to point out that he was already in his church clothing and cleaning the horses was not going to help his appearance or his smell, Benjamin shrugged in aggravation, walked to the stalls, and began the task. His frustration grew, as he tripped on some loose dirt and stumbled forward into a fresh pile of manure.

He worked quickly to finish the chore, cleaned off his shoes, washed his hands, and then ran the quick jaunt to the church. He stopped at the closed doors, meaning the services had begun, took a moment to catch his breath, dusted himself off, and proceeded to enter, hoping the smell of horse waste did not follow.

When his eyes focused on the cramped room, rage filled him; his seat next to S’arah was taken. The one individual in Briarwood capable of testing Benjamin’s confidence and esteem was now comfortably close to her, smiling, making eye contact, and acting as if he belonged there.

He did not know what to do, so he took a chance hoping that maybe she did not want the parasite next to her. Walking down the aisle, he paused at the end of the pew where the two sat; excitement filled him to see that she was genuinely happy that he was there. I’m so glad you came, she whispered. I was worried that something had happened. Turning away from him, she said, Jacqueline, would you please move down so that Benjamin has a place to sit?

The younger sister grimaced at the request, but did as she was asked. Benjamin mentally cursed the notion that he would be sitting on the wrong side, allowing him to exist so closely to her.

Come sit, she motioned to the space between her and her sister.

Benjamin made eye contact with Gareth, who scowled with hatred back at him, not making it easy to get past. All the while he sang with the others, Oh magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise his name.

Managing to make it to the seat, he took in the comfort of being next to her, avoiding the nagging detail that Gareth was doing the same. As he finally found a comfortable