Chapter 5
A week or so after the trip to Moonlight Point, Julia studied Mortimer's hair over her plate of bowl of Rice Krispies.
“You need a haircut.”
“What?” Mortimer coughed, nearly choking on his food.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Julia said dryly. “You're a doctor, not an aging homeless man. I'll make you an appointment for today once you get off from work.”
Mortimer sighed and went back to eating his dinner. He'd learned that once Julia made up her mind, it was hard to change it. It was too early to argue anyway.
“You need a haircut.”
“What?” Mortimer coughed, nearly choking on his food.
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?” Julia said dryly. “You're a doctor, not an aging homeless man. I'll make you an appointment for today once you get off from work.”
Mortimer sighed and went back to eating his dinner. He'd learned that once Julia made up her mind, it was hard to change it. It was too early to argue anyway.
Once the breakfast dishes were done Julia headed upstairs to get Mortimer's laundry. She paused on the second floor. Julia could hear Samuel yelling at himself in his bathroom. Frida was probably asleep. Julia did not care where Olivia was.
Relations had not improved between the two of them over the past few weeks.
Julia paused on the way into Mortimer's room. She heard something in the sitting room. The sitting room with the juice bar. Julia walked over and peered through the archway.
Relations had not improved between the two of them over the past few weeks.
Julia paused on the way into Mortimer's room. She heard something in the sitting room. The sitting room with the juice bar. Julia walked over and peered through the archway.
Olivia was sitting at the juice bar. The ghost stared at the wall for several moments before throwing back her head and drinking the glass in one gulp. Julia quickly walked away, feeling like she had majorly invaded Olivia's privacy.
When Mortimer got home Julia had already finished her dinner. She was just messing around when Mortimer tapped her on the back. Julia blushed furiously, wondering how much of her dancing he had actually seen.
“So I'm no longer an aging homeless man?” Mortimer asked playfully.
“Definitely not.”
“Definitely not.”
That night Julia fell asleep quickly. She tossed and turned for much of the night, her sleep plagued by nightmares. She woke in a cold sweat. Julia inhaled shakily, trying to calm her nerves. She almost jumped out of her skin when someone knocked on the door.
“Julia? Are you okay?”
It was Mortimer. Julia would recognize his voice anywhere.
“I'm fine.” She said, though her tone of voice suggested the exact opposite.
“Julia? Are you okay?”
It was Mortimer. Julia would recognize his voice anywhere.
“I'm fine.” She said, though her tone of voice suggested the exact opposite.
Mortimer came into the bedroom, sitting in the chair by Julia's bed.
“What's wrong?”
Julia noticed he was still dressed. “Why aren't you asleep?”
“I'm on call. Quit changing the subject.” Even though they'd only known each other for four months, Mortimer could tell when she was trying to get out of something. When he wanted to be, Mortimer could be just as stubborn as Julia. Julia sighed. She could tell that Mortimer was in for the long haul.
“It's a long story.” It was her final attempt to get out of talking. Mortimer wasn't having any of it.
“I've got time.”
“What's wrong?”
Julia noticed he was still dressed. “Why aren't you asleep?”
“I'm on call. Quit changing the subject.” Even though they'd only known each other for four months, Mortimer could tell when she was trying to get out of something. When he wanted to be, Mortimer could be just as stubborn as Julia. Julia sighed. She could tell that Mortimer was in for the long haul.
“It's a long story.” It was her final attempt to get out of talking. Mortimer wasn't having any of it.
“I've got time.”
Julia took a deep breath before beginning her story.
“When I was a little girl, I knew I wasn't like my little brother. He looked like Dad. I didn't. Mom always seemed embarrassed by me, like she needed to keep me in the shadows. She even homeschooled me. I grew much more slowly than my brother. When I was fifteen he was thirteen, but I was still the size of a child.
I had all these allergies, so I couldn't go outside for very long. I always had to drink this special juice. I ate regular food too, but I had to drink that nasty juice three times a day.
By the time I turned eighteen, I was the size of a regular teenager. If I didn't drink my special juice my throat hurt like crazy, I got horrible sunburn if I went outside, and there were no mirrors in the house.
I knew something was up and I wanted answers. So I finally decided to confront my mother. We sat down at the kitchen table and she told me everything.
My father was not the man who I had been calling dad for most of my life. My father was a vampire. My mother divorced him before she knew she was pregnant. She got married not long after I was born, around the time she figured out that I wasn't human. She decided it would be best not to tell me, to make excuses. She said it was so I could make a choice.
A choice to stay as I was or to become human.
Mom pretended it was all because she loved me. I knew that wasn't true. Love is something a child can pick up on. Even when I was really little I knew she didn't love me. Not like she loved my brother.
My father was not the man who I had been calling dad for most of my life. My father was a vampire. My mother divorced him before she knew she was pregnant. She got married not long after I was born, around the time she figured out that I wasn't human. She decided it would be best not to tell me, to make excuses. She said it was so I could make a choice.
A choice to stay as I was or to become human.
Mom pretended it was all because she loved me. I knew that wasn't true. Love is something a child can pick up on. Even when I was really little I knew she didn't love me. Not like she loved my brother.
She had this brochure for a science facility. This all happened about twenty years ago, back when there wasn't a ready made cure for vampirism. They needed test subjects. I volunteered.
I was there for a long time. I think it was around sixteen years. There were lots of blood transfusions in the beginning. Those weren't so bad. When it became clear the transfusions didn't work they began to try other, more painful cures. Those are the ones I still have nightmares about.
After what felt like forever they found one that worked. I didn't need as much rehab as some of the others, as I'd never tasted anything but plasma fruit juice. I only looked eighteen though really I was in my thirties, courtesy of my vampirism. I was the youngest vampire in the facility. I'd been a test subject almost as long as I'd been alive.
After what felt like forever they found one that worked. I didn't need as much rehab as some of the others, as I'd never tasted anything but plasma fruit juice. I only looked eighteen though really I was in my thirties, courtesy of my vampirism. I was the youngest vampire in the facility. I'd been a test subject almost as long as I'd been alive.
I lived with one of the scientists for six months. She retaught me everything I'd forgotten. She was more of a mother to me than anyone else. Once I was caught up I started culinary school. I knew I wanted to be a chef. I was almost able to forget about the time I spent in the facility. I felt like a normal eighteen year old. My birth mother told me that if I ever wanted to establish contact with her again after becoming human, I would have to be a doctor or a lawyer. That didn't happen, so I didn't look for her.”
It had taken what remained of the night for Julia to tell her story. The light from the rising sun streamed in through her bedroom window. Julia paused, looking up at the ceiling taking deep breaths. Julia just couldn't bring herself to tell Mortimer everything.
“After I graduated I started looking for a job and ended up here.”
“After I graduated I started looking for a job and ended up here.”
Mortimer looked dubious. “Why should I believe you?”
Julia rolled her eyes. “Mortimer, you live with three ghosts. The question isn't why, it's why not.”
“So you're older than me?” Mortimer asked.
Julia thought for a moment. “Yes, but only by two years. Most of the time I feel like I'm twenty two, not forty. My birth certificate was changed and everything. Does that mean you believe me?”
“So you're older than me?” Mortimer asked.
Julia thought for a moment. “Yes, but only by two years. Most of the time I feel like I'm twenty two, not forty. My birth certificate was changed and everything. Does that mean you believe me?”
“I don't know Julia. It's just... insane.” Mortimer replied.
He sounded like he had before, like a robot. It scared Julia. She didn't want to lose Mortimer because of things that didn't really matter that much to Julia any more.
"Well if we're talking about insanity..."
He sounded like he had before, like a robot. It scared Julia. She didn't want to lose Mortimer because of things that didn't really matter that much to Julia any more.
"Well if we're talking about insanity..."
...
"You know I really do like that haircut."