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In her mind, Kerry had viewed vampires as creatures with higher intellectual skills than humans, with the ability to catch on to new languages and analyse situations quickly, methodically, and with a precision that would rival computers or MENSA level geniuses. Even after Ethan Bryne had explained to her that vampires were like humans in the ethical and moral good/bad dilemma, she never put it together that they were probably like humans in the brains department too.
It wasn’t until she found herself in a corner store hold up on Christmas Eve did she realize the truth of the matter.
Not all vampires were smart. Some, like the one demanding money from the cashier and snacking on a customer in lieu of brandishing a weapon, were actually rather stupid.
All Kerry had wanted was some eggnog. This was her first Christmas away from home and she had been staring at her sad little tree, listening to cheesy holiday music, and wondering what she could do to fill the void in her life where her family usually resided in all their festive green and red glory. Eggnog, she decided, had enough fat content to do just that. If she had known she’d spend the evening cowering in the back corner of store with a middle-aged man so terrified he had peed himself, she would have gone to bed at 8 pm and called it a night.
Holiday music was playing through the speakers above her head, sounding tinny and cheap in the silent room. The vampire was screaming at the terrified cashier for money, ignoring the gathering of police cars outside. The man beside her was babbling, praying to God and baby Jesus for a Christmas miracle. Kerry saw this all with a clarity of mind and noted that strung-out way Vampire Junkie was gnawing at the wrist of the poor girl he had grabbed. The girl had gone down on her knees a minute before, slumped against the counter in a way that made Kerry think it would be too late for her.
Vampire Junkie didn’t seem to notice. If it wasn’t for the fact he seemed to be holding his meal upright with very little effort, Kerry would have thought he was some human junkie tripping to the delusion he was a blood-sucking vampire.
It still wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, she decided, trying to unobtrusively creep forward.
“Don’t be a hero,” Michel told her, his back pressed against the freezer door and his legs stretched out in front of him. He was playing with a button he had found on the floor and looked unconcerned about this entire situation. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” Kerry demanded. She was still crouched down, but ready in case she had to spring up at any moment.
Despite his vampirism, she’d probably make it to the door at a run before Michel did, taking the level of adrenalin in her system and the fact he needed to get up from the floor into account. Of course, he was right. Any rapid movements she made would not be towards the door to escape.
The look he gave her translated into don’t be an idiot. “The last time you and I were in a hostile situation like this, you angered the man with the weapon, freed the victim, and escaped out the front door. I’m telling you right now that you need to sit down, shut up, and wait for it to be over. Either that or get us all killed.”
The man beside them whined.
Kerry shot Michel a glare but settled on the floor beside him. Her legs were falling asleep anyway. “Ok, first of all, if I hadn’t you wouldn’t be sitting here all blasé, Victim. Second, do you really think he’s not going to turn to us after he finishes off his first meal?”
Michel shook his head slightly, his dark hair falling across his forehead. “He doesn’t even know we’re here. I’ve never seen someone so crazed before. Look,” Michel gestured vaguely with his hand. “He’s so intent on getting the money that he hasn’t even noticed his juicebox is empty.”
Kerry’s mouth opened in disbelief and she shot him a look of disgust. “How can you be so heartless? That girl just died on Christmas Eve. Think of her poor family, waiting for her to come home with the eggnog. How can you live with yourself for doing nothing?”
“Easily,” Michel deadpanned. “Because tomorrow I’ll be alive.”
“Your priority doesn’t always have to be survival!” Kerry said hotly and then shoved her hand over her mouth and waited with bated breath until she was sure she didn’t drag attention towards herself.
“Don’t be stupid,” he responded mildly. “Of course my priority is survival. You won’t see me mounting any foolish rescue missions any time soon, but tomorrow you and I will still be around to continue this debate.”
“So I’m included in your self-interest?”
“You’re sitting right beside me, so why not?” he shrugged.
“How about that guy?” Kerry asked, pointing to the cowering urinator.
“That guy’s on his own. He’s never saved my life. I don’t owe him anything. And to be honest, it doesn’t look like I ever will.”
Kerry’s eyebrow winged up as she turned her attention fully away from the vampire at the front of the store to the one beside her. She had been expecting him to tell her he’d look after her self-interest because she was a delicious source of nutrients, not give a reasoning that practically refuted his entire argument. “So what you’re saying is that if my life was in danger right now, you’d try to protect me because I once – I mean, twice – had the courage to pull your ass out of the fire. You realize you’re judging me by an entirely different standard than you judge yourself, right?”
“I still think unnecessary heroics are stupid,” he told her, tossing the button aside so that it bounced and rolled down the aisle with a surprisingly loud jittering sound. “Despite that, I always admired you for it. And believe me, I don’t admire very many things, let alone people.”
The button slowed to a roll as it approached the cash. The sound was lost amid the crash of the police breaking through the glass doors and poured into the store. Startled, Vampire Junkie lunged forward towards the cashier. She automatically took a step back, her foot landing on the button and she went down, arms flailing wildly. She hit the floor with a loud thunk just as the police opened fire on the vampire.
Kerry turned and stared at Michel in shock, her mouth gaping open unattractively. “How...?”
“Merry Christmas,” he said with a shrug.
No, Kerry decided, not all vampires were geniuses like Michel. Most would have left her when they had the chance.
x.x.x.x.x
15 minutes earlier:
Michel looked bored, staring at the display of cheap toys and novelty items towards the back of the store. His dark hair was falling over his eyes, and she grinned slightly to herself as she watched him pick up a plastic gag gift and frown at it.
“Your boyfriend?” the girl behind her in the line up asked.
“Mmm,” Kerry hummed in agreement. “He’s not too fond of eggnog, so he’s been pouting since I dragged him out of the apartment five minutes ago.”
Michel’s scowl became more pronounced and she had to purse her lips together to keep from laughing at him. The girl beside her held up her own carton of eggnog. “It’s a Christmas Eve thing,” she said.
Because Kerry was watching, she noticed the moment Michel’s head snapped up and his body went tense. He angled himself towards the back exit of the building and she sighed internally, prepared for him to pull a disappearing act. Instead, he paused and turned back towards her.
“Kerry, come here,” he demanded.
“Go ahead,” Kerry gestured to the girl as she left her place at the cash and moved towards him, watching his body language. He was balanced on the tip of his toes with that expressionless look on his face that told her he was trying to hide something from her. “What is it?” she asked as she neared him.
It happened so quickly she wasn’t sure exactly what occurred. Michel leaned forward and grabbed her, hauling her the last few feet towards him quicker than she could move. Kerry stumbled to her knees just as someone behind her screamed, and Michel crouched beside her, his hand pressed on her shoulder to keep her down.
“Vampire,” he hissed, looking back towards the door. In moving towards her, he had put himself farther from it than he had been before.
Kerry stared at him, eyes wide.