The man I was forced to marry was toxic. Of this when the fallen found no dissent. I held high the knife. The silver glint caught the fire. I took a breath. I could not live this life. The knife came down. Two days later I stood at a grave. He was dead. I knew that one day the cost would be my soul. Now my body rots in the cemetery. I stood in front of the Seraphims for judgment. I snorted at them. Lucifer looked at me; he smirked “I adore a challenge, HELL.” He gave his vote on my eternity and sealed my fate.
He was stationed in Norway. Never had he heard Joik. This authentic music pulsed through his soul. This improvised concert was deeply spiritual. Dedicated to the loss of brothers in arms. A song that resonated with those who had lost. He stood listening to the joiker.
We all have a Soul of an animal. People posses the qualities of their spirit animal. I’m no exception. Just, I also turn into my mine. A curse from an alchemist I denied. I love the freedom my wolf gives me. The instincts. I embrace it. As it is MY curse to own.
I knew the risk of libel & slander. Moving from the shadows into public eye. Lies spread far & wide. I would not back down. I would not be driven away. The world needed change. Ignoring the past. I spoke my voice. Aftet all, the world can’t change if we stay silent.
I stood laughing. It was kinda crazed. My big debut for my business happened. It was a flop. Expected reaction: Tears. I laugh. I laugh because though it was a failure, I did it. I took a risk. I jumped without looking. That I will never regret. Take the leap. Live a life worth living.
My movie theater always requires a walk to the door. The icy rain is running down my neck, it causes a chill and my speed to pick up, all to get to the heat within the door. Grabbing the wet handle, I rush into the warm air; I am hit with the smell of stale popcorn and sugar; it is powerful enough I almost taste it.
The silence of the winter now lost to the noise of people who didn’t want to spend their weekend at home. I look around and see a bunch of kids, many crying, and groan. I hand over my money for my ticket and quickly buy a bottle of water and rush to the theater to avoid the noisy children.
The floor is always sticky with slushes and popcorn, and I can hear how my foot sticks to the ground. I feel a shudder go through me. Why can’t they for once clean these theaters? But I promised a friend I would come see this movie with them.
I spot them quickly. Their smile hurts my eyes. They are so happy to see me. I quickly sit in the leather seat and they push a button to put my seat up. I hear them speaking, but I lose the words as the theater dims the lighting and the sound of the first trailer hurts my ear drums. But accept the handful of popcorn. It is stale upon my tongue.
When the movie starts I am transported from the sticky, smelly, stale, cold, wet, and crowded with screaming kids, theater and enter the world of the hero.
I can almost taste the food he is eating, smell it cooking, hear the pin drop in the background of his location, see him almost in 360 degree vision, it is like I can reach out and touch him.
With the movie, I remember why I brave the sticky, smelly, stale, cold, wet, and crowded with screaming kids, theater.
When the movie ends, and the credits roll, I come back to reality.
The water I had bought warm, the popcorn now soggy in the butter and grease that now can be seen destroying the bucket, the floor now a stickier mess as we stand to leave, the ripping of our soles from the floor as we walk echo as we just watch the people rush back out into the cold icy weather.
They are all in a hurry now to get home. The warmth of the heater is beating down upon us, if possible, the sounds and smells stronger than before, the salt and butter of the stale popcorn still on our tongue, even after we have finished our drinks, and we just look up at the board to see when another movie plays.
We look outside and see the icy rain has turned into snow; we shiver in thought of how that would feel across our skins as we tried to cross the vast parking lot. We smile and buy another ticket.
After all, through all the faults of a movie theater, there is nothing quite like a good movie to transport you into another world.
“I think back often to my life. I left his room before dawn every day. Always before dawn. I always felt dirty, but I thought I had loved him. I would have done anything for love. Even destroy my morals. Sometimes I still feel dirty. He was my temptation from the Morning Star. And the Morning Star won. I was a new nun then, devoted to Jesus and God. He was a new priest and at first kind. He was handsome, and he charmed me. He was a minion of Lucifer. I often fell to my knees after going back to my room every dawn. I begged for forgiveness, the words still imprinted into my mind. ‘Lord, forgive me my sins. I could not help myself. I am weak and unworthy of being your bride.’ Every day for over a year I stated these words. Yet I never stopped giving into my temptation. I wept every day on my knees in front of the crucifix. Sometimes I wouldn’t move for days at a time. No food. Nothing but me praying for forgiveness. The things he made me do for his love, the things he made me do for him, with him. I remember crying when I took that little test. To see that little plus sign that ended my life. It was three in the morning and I had just told him three days before about the little plus sign. I moved from my knees and opened the door and looking into his eyes I knew my death was upon me. My hands went to my stomach where my child was; my child that would never get to know what life meant. Looking into his eyes, I meet death; with only the mirror on the wall as my witness, as it trapped my soul that cried for vengeance.”
Mia sighed as she looked out at the little faces. She was a teacher at the elementary school. The same school that was the school and church she had been killed in; this was her hometown and after a hundred years she was back. She still loved children. Her own never getting a chance to live. She smiled at the little four-year-old that came running up to her with a picture. “This is wonderful, sweetie!” She stated as she put it up on the board of art.
She knew having a monster in the school system was the right way to go about things; but she truly loved this job. She just looked at the board. She looked at the mirror placed in the middle. ‘To Show You True Beauty’ was the theme. But she didn’t see her outward appearance to humans.
No, she didn’t see the chocolate brown hair and honey burgundy eyes. No, what she only saw, the blood dripping down her face, her eyes black with her dead blood; as black as the sins she committed; her skin grey in death and her once lovely hair dripping with blood. She shook her head at her reflection.
She always appeared a bit different when she killed her victims, using bees coming out of mouth, worms one time, but in reality it was just more blood. She only moved when she heard a commotion outside the door. “Something wrong out here?” She asked the principal and the contractor who was doing the addition.
“Oh, it is nothing, Ms. Banner. The floors we just had done, the paint below has leaked through it and the floors are this blood red again.” Principal Conner stated.
Mia raised an eyebrow. She knew why, of course. She did that. She cursed the school to always be drenched in her and her child’s blood until the world gave her justice. And they never did. She wasn’t the first victim of that bastard that took her innocence and the life of her child; she wasn’t the last either. He lived until he was ninety as a quite respected priest. Of course, he is burning in hell; well I assume he is for his sins. “Oh, well, the color isn’t that bad.”
The contractor laughed. “I shouldn’t have even tried. The rumor is the main building is cursed to always be drenched in a blood red color.”
“Oh, and what is this rumor Mr. Wilde?” Principal Conner asked.
“Well, there was a nun here, oh about a century ago, Sister Mary, anyway rumor is that she had an affair with the young priest that started at the church.” The contractor stopped and thought. “Father Williams, was the name I believe, he didn’t stay long he moved on less than a year after starting here.
Anyway, you see Sister Mary got pregnant, and she told Father Williams and then disappeared into her room for three days. After those three days it is said that Father Williams went to confront her about getting rid of the child and when she refused he killed her. Beat her to a bloody pulp; killing both her and the child. The only witness was her mirror, which trapped her soul; as she cursed the school to be stained with the lifeblood of both herself and her unborn child.
It is said that if you stand in front of a mirror here and say Bloody Mary three times, she will come and if your soul is dark, she will drain you of your life and add your blood to these cursed halls. If the person calling her is a child, she will search the child’s soul, and if they are hurt she will hunt down the person that has hurt the child and transfer the curse to them.
If they aren’t hurt… well the reports state she tries to temp them to join her. To become her child. To join her for eternity in the land of monsters. All children seem to run, so don’t know what would happen if the child actually touched the glass.” Mr. Wilde stated.
Mia blinked. Well damn, they knew the truth and knew of her curse. She never has tempted a child, hurt or otherwise, to her side. They run for their parents or run away from the being drenched in blood. “Wow. Was the priest ever charged?”
“Nah, he moved on quickly after spreading her blood through the halls. It is said he went crazy that night after her heart stopped and he painted the floors with her blood as a reminder of what he had done. He is said to have buried the body in one of the older cemeteries in town, in an unmarked grave that to this day has not been discovered.”
The principal sighed. “Do you think we can paint or tile over this?”
“We can keep trying but this is the fourth time. I say just go with the red.”
The principal sighed. “FINE!” He threw his hands up. “At least when the bloody brats dirty it; it will be easy to clean. I am out of here.” He stomped off.
Mia raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was time to thrall him into calling her. “Have a nice day, Mr. Wilde.”
“You as well, ma’am.” He tipped his hat and left down the hall, and Mia went back to the children.
When it came time for the students to leave and the staff meeting Mia had flicked her eyes to a golden color to control the principal. She walked in and smiled. “Principal Conner!” She greeted again.
“Ahh, Mia, I have told you to call me Richard.”
“Of course, Richard Conner!” She made him look into her eyes and before the rest of the staff joined. “Tonight you will go into the classroom on the second floor, room 234; you will call out Bloody Mary’s name three times. You will call her to judge you. You want to be judged. You deserved to be judged.” She stopped the trance just as the first grade and second grade teachers, Michelle and Dianna came in. She smiled to them and took a seat with them after getting a cup of coffee.
Mia was at home in front of the mirror that held her damned soul. “Soon. Soon another veritable monster will be gone from this world. Soon.” She touched her hand to the mirror and walked through, changing to her true form. Now just to wait for the call. And soon she heard it…
The whispered ‘Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!’ She smirked and transported to the room that was once her bedroom before they extended the school. “Richard Conner, did you request me?”
“Yes, Bloody Mary, I need to be judged. Judge me.” The principal was down on his knees.
Mia smirked; after all, his soul would feed hers and allow her to remain on the mortal plane. She came from the mirror, leaving a trail of blood and darkness. She looked down into his eyes. She saw him hurting the children. Punishing them unjustly. Being dismissed from his last job for beating a child to the point of brain death. She growled. To beat an adult was horrible; to beat a child was unforgivable. She opened her mouth and poisonous asps came from it; she knew his fear of snakes thanks to his soul. “Pay for your sins Richard Conner.” She hissed as she coughed the snakes up with a pool of blood and they zoomed to destroy him.
Richard Conner screamed as the venom burned through his veins. He screamed as he finally paid for his sins. He screamed until his throat bleed and his heart and brain finally exploded, destroying his eyes into black pools of clotted blood and his lungs drowning in his own blood.
Mia stood there and looked at the scene. Well, school would be closed tomorrow, she smirked as she walked back through the mirror leaving a trail a blood. For all her morals in life, they were released in death. She gave into temptation and while it damned her to hell and an eternal existence of death…
“I miss my husband at times. But if I stop and think of it, I am glad he is gone. He made me into this. I died. I had been killed when the village attacked us the first time and he made me live once more. I look into this mirror and see my green dead skin, my purple eyes and black purple hair. My ‘son’ had saved me that final night. The night Viktor died. He then wondered one way and found Cameron and I another. Mostly because in my anger I had blamed him. In my anger, I sent him away. I reconnected a century later and begged forgiveness. He said he forgave me, but I am unsure. We are after all dead beings. Our souls, that were once our source of life, after all, left us in death. And Frank was created from many people. It is ironic that I am a surgeon. I work in the Emergency Room and Plastic Surgery. I either try to save people; bring them back from the dead. Or I create them. In a different way than Viktor created Frank and myself. Or I allow them to die to continue to exist. Having to update our organs every decade; doing it bit by bit.”
Beth looked up at the door opening. She was eyeing the torso of the man she would be giving pec implants to. Not that he needed them. He would make a good torso for her son. Pity he would code on the table. She smiled. “Hello William.”
“Hello Doc! How are you today?”
“Oh, I am wonderful! I am a young grandmother now! My son found his child after his ex ran off and she had tried to kill the poor child.”
“Oh, Doc, that is horrible! At least it sounds like your son found them in time!”
“Yes, my son is quite a good man. Though he doesn’t always think that.”
“Yes, well, if people didn’t have messed up thoughts about themselves you wouldn’t have a job as a plastic surgeon.”
Beth laughed. “Yes, well, the human condition has made sure I have a job for many, many years! So shirt off and hope up on the table!”
“You know Doc, most people would say this is a start to a porn flick!”
Beth laughed. “Well, we know different don’t we William! Now let’s see. You wanted to go up two sizes, correct?”
“Yep.”
“You are a handsome young man William, why the body modifications?”
“So I can hold on to my girl. She is a ten.”
“Sounds a bit shallow, William.”
“Maybe but I love her and I am going to hang on until she leaves me.”
“Sounds unhealthy, William. But it is your life.”
“Yeah I know Doc, but love is irrational and makes your mind mush.”
Beth chuckled. “That it does, William. That it does.”
Once the exam was finished she sent him on his way with some instructions for when he came back in two days for the procedure. It was one of the few pieces she needed for Frank for the next few years; and Frank had already got her new parts last year.
She sat down at her desk and pulled out a worn picture. It was of her and Viktor on their wedding day. It was actually a photo of the portrait they had done that day. Viktor tried to make Frank look like such a mix of them after she had been unable to conceive. Beth had taken to Frank; however her irrational mind has created a void between them at times.
She always knew where to hit, where it hurt him the most. She would have to watch that now with her granddaughter. A baby in the Frankenstein family. She started laughing. There hadn’t been a baby since Viktor was alive, and he was that last baby. The thing that really made it more ironic the child was biologically Mary Shelley’s descendent; the one being that showed that Frank had at least a shadow of a soul. She put the picture back in her desk and shut down her computer. She had a grandchild to shop for!
Beth was sitting with Frank and Bo. “This is my grandchild, Bo.” She growled.
“We are looking for the father. Just in case it was a monster; we have to know what to expect Beth.”
“Don’t Beth me! I understand that we have to know, but I want it set up; we are doing the ritual! My granddaughter deserves immortality!”
“I am not saying she doesn’t Beth; but what is the hurry?” Bo sighed.
“What’s the hurry?” Frank yelled! “I want this done before she can remember! The ritual we are doing can give nightmares! And my daughter does not need to have those until she is old enough to cause her own!”
Bo held up his hands. “Goddess! Fine! I will find the fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns. You may have to go to a larger city.”
Frank and Beth nodded. “I have booked a flight for NYC in a week. Frank is getting his chest switched out in two days.” Beth stated.
“Did you want an officiator?” Bo asked. “And have you already set things up with whom you need to in regards to Frank’s upgrade?”
Beth and Frank had a silent conversation. “Yes, Gus is on it. And No, I and my son should be able to perform the ritual just fine. Who did you have in mind?”
“Jacques Paris is in town.” Bo stated.
Frank lifted his head. “Marie’s first husband?”
Bo nodded. “Yes, he had me set him up as James Van Derke.”
Beth raised an eyebrow. “I am shocked he would be in the same town as Marie. Not that I blamed him. If Frank wasn’t set to stay with his friends, this time around I would have talked him out of this town with her in it. Zombies. Nasty creatures. At least Frank and I have minds of our own and aren’t controlled by a woman who gives…”
“Mother.” Frank flicked his eyes to his daughter.
“Oh, sorry, dear. I just really hate Marie.”
“Yes, trying to control the two of us; she is lucky she is alive. I wouldn’t have let her live if James hadn’t asked me. He was able to help me find a heart for mother.” Frank stated as he handed Beth his new little girl.
Bo sighed. “Yes, yes. Anyway, he can help or you can do it yourselves. What do you want her name to be?”
“Sophie Elizabeth.” Frank stated. “We will perform the ritual ourselves. Just get us the ‘ingredients’ needed.” Frank took the papers to sign.
Beth smiled. “My little Sophie. You will be a spoiled little monster! Yes, you will!”
Frank smiled and continued to read the papers. He signed them with blood. Even if it wasn’t his own, he had made it his own and there was magic in blood. When he was done he handed them back. “Anything else, Bo?”
Bo looked over the papers. “No, everything is in order.” He stood and held out his hand. “Great doing business with you again?”
Beth smiled as Frank took Sophie and left. “Yes, always a pleasure, Bo. When you need new skin, come stop by and I will help you choose your fresh look.”
“Of course, you and Frank always take care of me, Beth.” He kissed her cheek and walked her out the door.
Two days later she had both William and Frank in her operating rooms. One with her staff and the other just Frank and Gus. She went and made sure all waivers were signed and put William under. Within fifteen minutes he had coded and with a DNR snuck into the paperwork they pronounced the body dead and rolled away. Beth pretended to be upset as she told his parents and girlfriend before going into her other operating room. “Ready Frank?”
“As always, mother.” His head responded setting on the tray by the surgical tools. “This William is a magnificent specimen, perhaps we should change out the legs as well, it is only six months early.”
Beth nodded as she drained William of his blood, putting it in a warmer. “I was thinking that, as well. It is a logical course of action. Less cutting, too. Just the head and the arms. Fewer stitches for you to cover as well this time.”
“Yes, that is a benefit with Sophie now.”
“How is my little granddaughter treating you at night?”
“She is doing well. She calms with me or Lucas.”
“Strange most children have issues with wolves.”
“Yes, well, Lucas has always had a quality about him that drew monsters and their children in.” Frank watched as his mother removed William’s head. “Watch out for that bleed there, mother.”
Just then an artery gushed, splashing them all with fresh dead man’s blood. Beth licked it off her lips before wiping her face with her hand before taking a lick. “Good blood.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you and Frank are vampiric, as well.” Gus stated as he finished removing the arms from Frank’s old body and started to put William’s arms on it.
“We crave blood as any Monster, Gus. Blood is where the life force is held. The soul remnants remain in the blood absorbing into us, allowing us to be something more than mindless monsters.”
Gus nodded as Frank put in his two bits. “Yes, it is what gives us a semblance of normalcy in our undead life. Even if we must drink blood to gain it.” He winced as his mother picked his head up and started to stitch the head in the new body and bolt the spine to the base of his skull.
Beth cooed to him. “Don’t worry baby boy, the pain will be gone, after the jolt.” She stated as she hooked his bolts to the power supply. It would cause the power to go out and many to die tonight if there were monsters who needed the flesh and blood.
Gus rolled his eyes. They were so sickening sometimes, he thought as he slurped up a piece of arm skin from William. “Mmmm… fresh.”
“You better not be snacking on my son’s new body!” Beth hissed as she stitched on Frank’s arms.
“No! William’s arms! Leftovers! Leftovers!”
“Better be Gus.” She stated. “Okay, let’s get this cleaned up so I can start up my son and he can get home to his daughter. Lucas is watching her correct?”
“Yes, mother.”
“Good.” She quickly stitched William’s arms and head on the now useless body.
Gus looked it over. “They will never know! G’night, Frank and Beth!”
Beth nodded as she quickly changed and cleaned up the blood. She took the machine that kept the blood warm and pumped it into Frank. “Okay time for the finale!” She started cranking up the power. “Ready, son?”
“As ever mother.” Frank accepted the piece of leather in his mouth and bit down.
Beth went back and pulled the switch. She watched as the body jolted. She stopped the power and did it again. She stopped the power and then did it one final time, leaving it on until all the breakers, fuses and generators blew. She then made her way over after switching the switch off. “Frank?”
Frank groaned as he moved to sit up. He disconnected himself, plugging the holes before too much blood was lost. He stitched them up. “Good as ever, mother.” He stated as he jumped off the table. “Good body. Healthy. Toned. Good muscle. This will last a couple decades this time. Arms for another five years.”
“Good. Good. Now go collect my lovely granddaughter, we have a meeting to get to in NYC.”
“Of course, mother.” Frank kissed her cheek and left.
It was several hours later, and Frank and Beth stood over a kiddie pool that Sophie laid in, in a baby bath seat. They were on once hallowed land that was now a doorway to hell itself. Land tainted by the evil of men that was once charged to keep it holy. They had their fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns. They chanted their spell.
Frank went to complete the ritual. “Goddess of the Damned, I ask thee to bless my daughter with immortality. To bless her with power. To bless her with beauty, grace, and pose. To grant her a status above the mortals. As payment I, and my mother, Elizabeth Frankenstein, present the blood of fifty new mothers and twenty-five nuns that we shall bathe Sophie Elizabeth Frankenstein in.”
He nodded to his mother as she grabbed the heads of the mothers and slit their throats over the kiddie pool. Draining them. Frank started in the other end and soon the blood of the mothers of new life were drained and Sophie happily splashed in the dark liquid of life. Frank moved and took the first nun. “We have given you the blood of the givers of life. Now we offer the blood of the pure.” He slit the first one’s throat and he and his mother made short work of the blood starting to overflow from the pool.
Beth kneeled down and bathed Sophie in the blood as Frank stood watch. Beth stood with Sophie in her arms. “Goddess, we release the blood onto this once hallowed but now cursed ground to complete our offering!” She nodded and Frank kicked over the pool and allowed the blood to soak into the ground.
Frank looked to the sky. “Goddess, does my daughter have your blessing and curse?”
There was a flash of light that was green and deep purple in color and then the light balled up and slammed into Sophie’s chest, causing the babe to cry out and then fall into a content sleep.
Beth looked at Frank. “Congratulations, Son, the Goddess has blessed your daughter. Let’s go.” She kicked a body out of her way. Who cares about the story the newspapers would run. Nothing would come back at them.
Frank didn’t even kick them from out of his way and just walked over them as he carried his daughter to leave for their current home.
Beth smiled as Frank doted on the little girl as they headed back to Grand Prairie Rapids.
Yes, this undead life caused them to be monster, but it was so worth it in the end. No matter the amount of blood on their hands.
“What do I know about love and pain? What does anybody know about love and pain? I don’t know the pain of birth, of the start of life. I don’t know the pain of death. I never will. I was created. From parts of people who know the pain of birth, of life, of death. Those that knew love. But I have no soul. The people who once owned my body parts did, they could feel love, but I cannot. My ‘father’ created me hundreds of years ago. His death that night the village found out haunts me to this day. Is that love? I am haunted by his death. All their deaths. By my life. Is that Love?”
Frank looked at the clock and knew it was time to prepare for the day. He put his journal away; he placed it in his drawer on top of his father’s journals; the ones that had all the notes that caused Frank’s existence. He slammed the door, a little hard, and locked the drawer. He looked in the mirror, his skin had a light green tint, but it was nothing a bit of make-up could not hide. He had gotten very good at hiding the color of his skin. It took a lot more time to hide his stitching, but he had taken to wear long sleeve shirts and pants no matter the temp; after all, he was room temperature. He was dead. With no circulating blood. No soul.
He didn’t have to hide his bolts too much anymore. Thankfully strange and exotic piercings are popular during this time, and most people see them as a piercing. They always asked if his favorite book is Frankenstein. Frank hated that book. It made his father and himself as monsters. Well, that night he was when they killed his father. He killed the village. Mary Shelley was the only survivor. She wrote their story. He should have killed her. But she was a young child. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the child. After all, the death he has caused, he still hasn’t ever killed a child. He never would.
He looked at the note that Cameron had left for him. Something about picking up milk for some meal he wanted made tonight. Well, Cameron can cook for himself. The boy king got on Frank’s nerves. But he would be lost without him, Lucas, and Drake. They all met a few hundred years ago. Well, he first met Cameron. He used to be Tutankhamen. Frank had been wondering around Europe, looking for a place to live, when he ran into him. He took pity on the monster and invited him to stay with him. Frank didn’t know what pride was then and jumped at the chance. He barely could speak at the time. However, with Cameron’s help, he became highly educated. He sighed. Sometimes the boy king got out of control, only one that could control him was Nefertiti; sadly she didn’t come around often. He actually got on well with the Great Royal Wife. Of course, the fact Nefertiti, who now goes as Naome, was his mother and an ancient ruler herself, it was no shock she could reign in her son.
Education their path to living in mainstream America; moving here may not have been the best idea. Many people are too curious about newcomers, but on a college campus the majority of people are new, so it was easy to come up with a generic story to tell them about where they were from. Frank looked at himself in the mirror, his green skin now covered, and he was set to go about his day. But he was still upset, as he was every morning, but before he could be buried in his thoughts a thud brought back to life.
He saw Tony’s truck outside and remembered that Drake had a party last night. Frank found it easy, too easy most of the time, to turn a blind side to Drake’s parties. But what do you expect from a soulless creature? Of course, without Tony and Bo; they would never be able to live their half way normal undead lives. Tony, Bo, and many others make their lives almost seamless. If it wasn’t for the rash of bodies after they entered town or left town it was almost easy to forget they were monsters. Frank stood up and grabbed his books, took one last look in the mirror and left.
Lucas looked up. “Hey, man, the full moon is in a couple of days. I suggest staying in man.”
“Of course, Luc. Don’t get shot this time. I may have learned medicine and have my MD but patching you up isn’t something I enjoy doing.” He moved to the fridge to start breakfast.
“Funny you took after your creator.”
“I was called Frankenstein’s Monster, Luc. Victor Frankenstein created me. I couldn’t take his last name because of the taboo and that blasted book, but I could take Frank. It is all I really understood anyway when Cameron found me.”
“Hey I get it, don’t worry. Hey, Darin is going to be moving in next week.”
“Darin?” He looked up from where he was cutting bacon.
“Dorian. He is Darin Black now instead of Dorian Gray. Seriously, he can annoy me at times with his name changes.”
“He fix that little problem he had of half his face turning into a skeleton?”
“Sorta. Once a month under the new moon he will have to deal with it. No big. We all have our issues with the things that go bump in the night.” Lucas laughed at his own poor joke.
Frank rolled his eyes as he flipped the eggs. “Seriously, centuries later and your bad jokes have gotten no better.”
Lucas laughed. “I am funny as hell. You are just envious. I will talk to you later, monster man!” He got up and ran out the door.
Frank moved to finish his breakfast and then went to class. He was set to be a classic literature major this time around. He hadn’t had a chance to look at the syllabus, just grabbed the bundle at the bookstore. He left for his first cclassintroduction to classic lit. Oh, so fun. He was around when all these books were written. Hell, he knew most of the writers! He moved and sat down in a middle seat. Middle seat dwellers always had less attention. He saw the teacher walk in. She reminded him of somebody. But he couldn’t place who; well that would bother him all flipping day.
“Hello class! My name is Professor Mary Sheldon! We are going to start with the book that got me into classic lit! Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein!”
Frank groaned. Not again! He couldn’t take that bloody book again. He would just pull out a damn paper he wrote and turn it. He should have killed the kid, or at least taken it and raised it so that blasted book that painted him in such an unpleasant light never existed.
The professor looked at him. “Something wrong with the book choice, Mr…” She waited.
“Victorson. Frank Victorson.” Frank answer. “And everybody forces us to read this from Middle School on. And everybody has the same thoughts. The monster was at fault and had to be destroyed. So killing Viktor Frankenstein and his creation were the right things to do. And it shocked them that the monster lashed out and destroyed and killed the people of the village.”
Mary raised an eyebrow. “And you have a different viewpoint, Mr. Victorson?”
“Possibly.”
“Stay after class.” She stated and then started her lecture.
Frank waited and at the end of class stood there. “Well, Professor?”
“I don’t really like your attitude about a great novel!”
“You don’t have to. You just have to grade me fairly on the work I do. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to my next class.” Frank stated.
“I am going to ask you to keep an open mind about this novel. It really is a piece of history.” Sheldon stated.
“I will not change my stance.” Frank left then.
Over the next month, as they broke down Mary Shelley’s lies of that night, Frank couldn’t help but feel as if Sheldon was stalking him. He was finding her everywhere, from his math classes, to outside his house, to the restaurants he went to with the guys. He was sitting with the guys at Morgan’s (pretty much the only place they went) and told them. “Seriously, my professor is stalking me!”
“Dude maybe she has a thing for students. Talk her up.” Lucas stated as he smacked his lips at his ‘mooing’ steak. “God, Morgan knows how to make a steak!”
“Considering how many ‘dogs’ she gets in here, I would hope she could make a steak.” Drake sneered.
“Oh, come on Drakey! Lighten up! Life is good!” Lucas held up his beer.
“We are dead Luc.” Frank still tapped his beer to Lucas’, “and we tend to be the monsters.”
“Monsters! We are gods!” Cameron laughed. “I mean, we live forever! We have money, power, looks, and we are the envy of men of campus!”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Yes Boy King, we get it. Maybe some of us didn’t want this?”
“What did you want, Frankie?” Cameron sneered. “You wouldn’t have gotten life without being created!”
Frank growled. “I may not have been born but even a ‘monster’,” he spat the words, “like me has wants.”
“Like what kids? A wifey?” Cameron rolled his eyes.
“I can’t have kids, but I wouldn’t mind someone to spend my undead life with. Don’t you want someone?”
“Nah. I am good. They would get on my nerves after too long.” Cameron flirted with the waitress across the room.
“Luc?” Frank looked to his friend, his best really.
“Yeah, wolves mate for life. And it is for life. So right now I have to be very sure before I bring someone into this life, Frank. But I get you.”
Drake sighed. “I don’t want to damn anybody to this life.”
“Please, at least you haven’t evolved into an Incubus yet!” Lucas laughed.
“Oh, but won’t that be fun when he does! Think about it! We can have orgies on Halloween! And all those other holidays!” Cameron laughed as he drained his beer.
“Seriously Boy King, you need to stop thinking with your smaller head.” Frank stated and rolled his eyes.
“Ah, but brother sex, drugs and rock n roll!” Cameron cheered and signaled the waitress for another beer.
The men rolled their eyes at the Boy King but toasted and continued their meal.
Frank was leaving with Lucas and pointed out a woman following them. “See Luc, behind us.” He whispered below human hearing.
Lucas stretched and turned his head to see her. “Man, she looks familiar.”
“Yeah she reminds me of somebody too. But I can’t quite grip the memory.”
“Spooky man; especially with what your maker did with your brain. Some of the best of your time’s smartest minds.”
“Yeah. Let’s go, I do have a paper to turn in on my supposed badass self.” Frank laughed and clapped Lucas on the back.
Lucas laughed. “For a soulless creature you are at least a decent monster. I got class tomorrow too.”
Frank turned in his paper; arguing that the monster wasn’t a monster. Humans were the veritable monster that night and the monster couldn’t kill the child because even soulless he had somewhat of a conscience. That humanity is the veritable monsters in the book; but written to view them as the heroes. After all, only one moment in time can change a hero to a villain and a villain to a hero.
The next week Mary Sheldon called out as he was leaving. “Mr. Victorson! Stay back, please.”
Frank waited and watched her lock the door. “Well, Professor, what do you want?”
Mary walked over to her desk and picked up a knife. “My ancestor was Mary Shelly. She has a picture of the monster that killed her family.” She slapped a photo up on her board. “Funny how if you add a bit of make-up it looks like you.”
“Oh please; you believe in immortality, little girl?” Frank sneered.
“I believe in monsters. And I heard from you and your little friends on how you were built. That you creator, that Frankenstein killed the brightest of my ancestor’s time! A monster ripped apart my ancestors! Left my many great-grandmother to die!” She brought out a knife and tried to stab Frank.
Frank sneered as the knife entered his chest. He grabbed the wrist of the woman. “Wrong move, little girl! I am already dead. And they were already dead when he took their parts. You can’t kill the dead.” He whispered as he grabbed and pulled; ripping her arm off. He allowed her a moment to scream. He then took his large hand and wrapped it around her throat. “Good bye Miss Shelley.” And ripped out her throat; dropping it on the ground. He listened to her gurgle her last breaths.
He moved to leave and place a call to Tony when he heard a faint crying. He turned and sneered at the bleeding body. He bent under the desk; there was a babe. Barely a few months old. He looked at the tiny thing that looked at him with eyes as green as his skin. He sighed and picked up the phone. “Tony; Classic Lit Hall. Body. Full clean up…” He paused for a moment. “That is it, Tony.” His choice made. He hung up to place another call. “Bo…” He sighed. “I need to make a kid mine…” Frank smirked. A child. One to make immortal and be his child. After all, there were ways to make children immortal. They would grow until they were sixteen through twenty-one; then stop aging. Of course the ritual that Frank had in mind needed the heart of fifty new mothers and twenty five nuns; but a small price to pay for his child’s immortal life. A trip to the closest major city was in order.
Kris Charles - Author 