23 We Need To Talk

It took the night to clear away the undead and secure the town, but when it was all said and done, the mayor closed the school and told everyone to take a day off. It was to give them all a chance to recover from the events of the previous night. Everyone was ordered to stay home, while guards and public officials did sweeps all day looking for undead stragglers that might have been missed. Alyssa had a problem of her own as Diane locked herself away in her bedroom and didn't come out the entire day, even refusing to come out to eat. She was beginning to worry about her sister, who hadn't said a word to anyone since the chaos, and watching Gabriel fly all over the place and do his Vampire thing to save the town. It was enough to make her cry because she didn't want to burden Diane with this secret, not something this dark, this gruesome. She knew Diane had to know eventually, but not this way. She was thinking about trying again when there was a knock at the door. Alyssa walked over and opened it, and Pablo was standing there with a tray of food.

"I'm not trying to overstep," Pablo started, "But I have experience with this sort of thing."

"You mean explaining monsters?" Alyssa asked.

"No," Pablo replied, "I mean talking to stubborn teenagers. I used to have a few, so let me take a crack at her."

"Alright," Alyssa said, opening the door. "Give it your best shot."

"Thanks," Pablo said as he walked past here and over to Diane's door. He paused for a moment and then softly knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he softly knocked a second time.

"Go away!" a voice called from within.

"I get it, you're upset." Pablo said, "And I get it. I wasn't given any warning before the truth was dumped on me. It was like tossing a viper onto your lap without any notice. Just not cool, and that kind of surprise takes a long time to process. Believe me, I know this from experience."

The door opened a crack, as Diane peeked out.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Something to eat," Pablo answered, "Some great stuff you can't get here that comes from one of the big cities."

"What cities?" she asked.

"I brought a map," Pablo said gesturing to the tube under his armpit. "I'll tell you everything if you're willing to hear me out."

"Everything?" Diane repeated.

"Everything." Pablo replied, "But you have to promise to keep it all a secret. There are a lot of people who would flip out if them knew half of this stuff. Some people are just not ready for it yet."

"Okay," Diane said, opening the door wider. "But just you."

"Don't worry," Pablo said to Alyssa, "I got this."

"Okay," Alyssa said, as she didn't appear to have a choice in the matter. She was just happy to see that Diane was willing to speak to someone, anyone at this point. She stood there and watched as the door closed after Pablo walked in was relocked. Once Pablo was inside, he good a seat on a chair in the corner as Diane sat on her bed. He placed the tray of food down and put the rolled map on the night stand. He gave her a moment to eat before starting to talk to her.

"I don't need to tell you how messed up this world has become," he started, gesturing to the window. "We live in the land of the undead. So while I know this is a shock, but the undead are not the only monsters that are out there. They've always been around, but only stared to come out after this mess started. They're just trying to survive like we are in the new reality we've been given, but they've also taken advantage of the situation and used it to elevate their status."

"Elevate it how?" Diane asked.

"By creating their own towns and even cities." Pablo answered.

"So they're just trying to make it like we are, right?" she asked.

"Something like that," Pablo concurred, "But it can be complicated. There are more of one monster than others. Some are spread out while others prefer to run in packs. Gabriel's kind is like cats, many of them do their own thing and are very independent."

"How many monsters are out there?" Diane asked.

"More than I'd like to admit," Pablo replied, "But they want nothing to do with you, well most of them. The undead are just oblivious to the world, but others just want their own place in the world."

"But Gabriel needs blood," Diane reminded him.

"Yes, he does." Pablo confirmed, "But he doesn't take it without consent. It's offered to him freely or not at all."

"Why would Alyssa consent?" the young girl asked.

"For the same reason I do," Pablo answered, "Gabriel barters it for help. His assistance has helped me stay a live for a very long time. All those supplies your sister brought back was with his help. He trades for it, so he doesn't have to hunt for it."

"Why does he need Alyssa's if he has yours?" she asked.

Pablo took a deep breath. "By using more than one person, it prevents anyone from being overused. It can be very tiring."

Diane sat there in her bed, eating more snacks as Pablo went on to explain what was on the map any why they were marked with different colors. When the map came out, she paid more attention and listened as the older man who was her father's age continued to babble on about werewolves in New Lycan and other human cities that were on the coasts.

"Why blood?" Diane then asked, apparently still full of inquires.

"I have no idea, it's just what they eat." Pablo replied. "Vampires are very rare in these parts. There are only a small handful in North America, while most of them are in Europe which is their homeland. They've been there for thousands of years, and probably a lot longer."

"How old is Gabriel?" Diane asked.

"I'm not sure of the exact age, but I've seen a picture of him with Abraham Lincoln, so he goes at least a few hundred years." Pablo said, "If you have any questions about history, he's clearly the man to go to."

"Wow," The young woman said, thinking about it.

"I know right," Pablo added, "And we haven't covered everyone yet. Don't get me even started on the witches."

"Witches?" Diane repeated.

"You won't have to worry about that," Pablo said, trying to calm her. "Those hags all live in New Salem, and we all stay far, far away from the horrid place. They rarely travel either, as it's too dangerous for them. Not just from the undead but also from the other species who are scared."

"Have you ever met a witch?" Diane asked, looking very eager to hear more.

"I have," Pablo confessed, "But I'd rather not talk about it right now, especially before bed time. We need to get some zees around here."

"Promise to tell me more when the time is right?" she asked, hopping underneath the sheets.

"I promise," Pablo said, smiling back. "Good night."

Pablo turned the light off and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Alyssa was still in the hallway, as it was apparent that she had been out there the whole time, waiting for him to come out.

"She'll be okay," Pablo whispered to her. "She'll probably have more questions, but that will give you a chance to mend fences on your own time. Give her some space and let her digest everything that's been laid on her. She'll come around."

"Alright," Alyssa replied, smiling back. "Thanks for your help."

"I try my best," Pablo said, "There isn't exactly a manual to breaking the news of the existence of more monsters to teenagers. She seemed to handle it alright, and the undead outside our walls makes anything a bit easier to buy."

Pablo saw himself out, and soon after that Alyssa went to bed as well. The next day Diane stays cooped up in her room, but Alyssa followed Pablo's advice and waited for her to make the first move. Alyssa was sleeping on the couch, when Diane came out to get a glass of milk. She was eating leftover cookies Pablo had given her and looking at the map he brought over again when there was a knocking sound. She walked over to the door but when she opened it there as no one there. Then the knocking sound came again, and Diane turned around to realize it was coming from the window. This scared her a bit as she remembered that there was no balcony outside her window, and she lived on the third floor. Diane walked over to the window and opened her curtains, and floating there in the air, with his arms folded, was Gabriel.

"Hello," Gabriel said, giving her a small smile.

"Hi," Diane said, looking at his feet to check to see if he was really flying. "Are you upset at me?"

"For what?" Gabriel responded.

"For staying in my room," she answered, "Not talking to Alyssa."

"You mean for acting like a teenager?" Gabriel added, "You've been asked to process a lot. Your response is actually quite mature compared to how others have responded to me in the past."

"Really?" Diane asked, "What did they do?"

"Formed a mob," Gabriel answered, "Pitch forks, torches, the whole nine yards."

"Wow." Diane added, "What happened?"

"I flew away, and started over again." Gabriel said.

"It's cool that you can fly," Diane said.

"It is very cool," Gabriel confirmed, "Safest way to travel in these parts. Want to give it a try?"

"Now?" Diane asked, aware of how late if was.

"We're nocturnal," Gabriel reminded her, "I don't do this by day. Alyssa will understand."

"You don't want my blood, do you?" Diane asked.

"No, I do not." He replied, "I am well supplied, and you're too young."

"That's a thing?" she asked.

"We don't broadcast it," Gabriel continued, "But young blood has some pretty annoying side effects, so we tend to avoid anything under a certain age. How about we visit my place?"

"You mean in Nashville?" she asked, remembering what Alyssa said to her.

"Yes," Gabriel said, "And we'll talk more there."

Diane smiled at the thought of getting away from town. "Alright."