《Beneath the Waves [BL]》


 Chapter 1: People Are Strange

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    Heath Woodward doesn¡¯t mean to cause a disturbance.


    He likes to keep a low profile in this world, staying out of trouble when he can. But the elderly woman, round with a cane, is fast for her age, and clueless as the car comes speeding towards her, barreling down the road at a much quicker pace. Impulsively, he rushes in front of the car, picks her up, and zips over to the other side of the road.


    ¡°I¡¯m an athlete,¡± he says first thing.


    ¡°Y-you saved me,¡± responds the woman, clearly rattled. ¡°Let me reward you.¡± She reaches for her giant purse, but Heath doesn¡¯t need money.


    ¡°Your safety is a reward enough,¡± he clarifies, looking around. He can pick up the murmurs easily with his superb hearing, so that soft things said that normally couldn¡¯t be detected are pulled from the air and deciphered from even across the street.


    ¡°Did you see that? He was like lightning!¡±


    ¡°See what? What happened?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I appreciate it, really,¡± she croaks, looking at him with a smile. ¡°Can I say a quick prayer?¡±


    Heath isn¡¯t good at saying no. ¡°Make it fast, please. I have places to be,¡± he lies. He¡¯d be sweating if he could perspire.


    The woman nods, makes the sign of the cross then takes him by both hands. ¡°Dear God, please bless this young man in front of me. I could¡¯ve been in the hospital again, but he saved me. Thank you so much for this miracle. Amen.¡±


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    ¡°Thank¨C¡± Before he can get the words out, the woman is embracing him. She smells of soap and dust. He weasels himself out of her grip, anxious to leave. ¡°Thank you. Take care, and be more observant next time. If you can help it. Okay?¡±


    ¡°I promise. Thanks be to God!¡±


    His phone buzzes in his pocket as he makes his get-away, speed-walking down the road to his apartment. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hi. Is this Heath?¡± The voice is of a young girl.


    ¡°Depends who¡¯s asking,¡± he says with a dry laugh.


    ¡°This is your sister, Rose.¡±


    Heath freezes, one foot in front of the other. Cars whizz by him. He has a daughter named Rose, but had been Turned too young to look it.


    ¡°Hello? Can you hear me?¡±


    He restarts his brisk walk. ¡°Yes, yes. Uh, hi, Rose. Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°I do, actually. I hate to ask this, but I¡­ Uncle died and I¡­ I have nowhere to go, so if we have other family you know of, could you give me their contact info?¡±


    Shit. Shit!


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°At a friend¡¯s in Pheasant, Maine.¡±¡°


    Okay. I¡¯m coming. Text me the address.¡± He hangs up abruptly, his hands shaking. He never thought this day would happen. How would he introduce himself?


    Hi, I¡¯m Heath. I look 22 but I¡¯m your 73 year old father and you¡¯re half vampire. Did you know you ate through my wife¡¯s womb? Yeah, that would go over well.


    He supposes it¡¯s high time for him to return to Wyvern Heights, anyway. It¡¯d be a good place to raise her, as long as the Town Council isn¡¯t too pissed off for creating a dhampir without letting them know. He doesn¡¯t know the protocol for dhampirs¨C he doesn¡¯t think they have venom sacks to be removed, but that she¡¯ll likely have to sign the contract swearing herself to secrecy at the threat of punishment.


    When Heath returns to his small living space, he packs light, then heads out in his Honda. He¡¯s only had two cars in his life, and this one is over twenty years old.


    With a twist of his key, he¡¯s off, mind racing faster than his old vehicle, cycling through questions and decisions he would soon have to make.

 Chapter 2: Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood

    Heath debates on paying the movers and sending them away to move things himself, but doesn¡¯t want to risk the cat escaping the bag this early on by carrying in her queen sized bed single-handedly. Of course he plans on telling Rose¨C a secret of such proportion can¡¯t be kept under wraps forever. His reasoning for postponing is she just lost someone dear to her and he doesn¡¯t wish to rock her world anymore than it already has been.


    The only thing he knows about dhampirs is that their powers happen during puberty. So, she must have her secrets, too, or will soon.


    Rose brought a cat with her; a fluffy white Siberian with dark facial markings that gets car sick. It¡¯s why she said she had to sit in the back of the car, but Heath thinks it¡¯s really because she doesn¡¯t trust him yet.


    When they arrive, the cat lets out the sound of a lawnmower and dashes down the hallway. Rose laughs, and it¡¯s the first time he¡¯s seen her smile, and he¡¯s happy for that.


    She enters her spacious new bedroom and looks around in awe. He gave her the guest room, which is the entirety of the third floor with a balcony. Her weak ¡°thanks¡± has a swell of pride forming in his chest. His first favor to her out of many; he knows his absence from her life was immoral, even with his own justifications. Now, he wants to make it up to her. He yearns to be the father figure he never had, so in rescuing her from being bounced around the foster system, he has the opportunity to fulfill a fantasy of his own. He hopes this dream doesn¡¯t prove to be counterproductive to the goal of making her as comfortable as possible, but rather, a bonus benefit.


    Ding dong!


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he grumbles, eyes flicking to Rose behind his sunglasses. Her eyebrows are raised, but otherwise, she isn¡¯t too shocked by the swear. Is fourteen old enough to hear swears from adults? He makes a mental note to try to cuss less, at least in front of her.


    ¡°Stay here.¡±


    Once he reaches the bottom, he opens the door to see Mrs. Obi. She¡¯s an African American woman whose favorite color is bright, fluorescent yellow. He also hears movement behind him, letting him know his daughter isn''t too keen on following instructions. Mrs. Obi is in a yellow sundress with a floppy sun hat with a golden ribbon tied in the middle. She smiles at him kindly.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you in awhile, Heath! How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡°Good, but I¡¯m a bit busy. I don¡¯t mean to brush you off, I¡¯m just¡­busy,¡± he says, mentally kicking himself for not having a better excuse. Busy could mean a million things, and the Obis didn¡¯t like room for guessing.


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    ¡°Is someone living with you now?¡± she asks, curiosity aflame. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be nosy but we all saw the truck.¡±


    Mrs. Obi is the definition of nosy. He hadn¡¯t checked his mail, but while he¡¯s away from Wyvern Heights, he always arrives back to letters from her and her husband and gets greeted by them the second he¡¯s back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fostering someone, actually,¡± he lies, unsure of what she¡¯s seen from her constantly open window shades. ¡°A teenage girl.¡±


    Mrs. Obi gasps, a hand pressed to her chest. ¡°Does the Town Council know?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯d appreciate it if they don¡¯t find out until I tell them.¡± He knows she¡¯ll tell Mr. Obi no matter what, but hopes they¡¯ll keep it between the two of them and not involve other people until he can think of the best way to frame the existence of an unauthorized dhampir.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t tell a soul! Does she know about¡­ you know what?¡± She says this as she stands on her tiptoes, trying to peer over his shoulder like she might catch a glimpse of her.


    ¡°No. Bye, Ingrid.¡± He closes the door in her face and heads up the stairs to confront Rose, weighing his options. He could go for the nice parent act or the assertive one, and settles on the serious type. He wants her to know just how important it is to do what she¡¯s told, especially when living in a town with as much craziness as this one.


    ¡°I know you heard that,¡± he says immediately.


    Rose looks up from a thick book on Greek mythology. ¡°Heard what?¡± she asks.


    ¡°Look. I won¡¯t ever ask you to do much. But when I do, you need to listen. Understood?¡±


    ¡°If you think¨C!¡± Rose stops mid-sentence and huffs. ¡°I mean, yeah¡­ okay.¡±


    Heath leaves the room, not wanting to argue. He needs to take a drive. He passes the couch to see the cat, Leonidas, lounging on his couch like he owns the place. He reaches out and the cat immediately rolls over to his back with a purr.


    Heath is glad at least one creature in the house likes him.


    He leaves a note on the fridge, then realizes that his blood is still in the fridge. He opens it to find the boxes untouched and a brown paper bag of Mexican food. If his heart could pound, it would have been, for he felt just then an intense wave of dread in which a quickened heartbeat typically accompanies.


    He decides to buy two mini fridges and store his meals in there, instead. He leaves a note on the fridge in pen that reads:


    Dear Rose,


    Text me if you need me. I am picking up food. Please don¡¯t open the door for anyone.


    Take care.


    ¨C H


    He almost says, ¡°Don¡¯t open the boxes¡±, but after today¡¯s display, he¡¯s certain she¡¯d do the opposite. So, he moves the boxes to his room. Hopefully, by throwing in a ¡°please¡±, she¡¯d think twice before letting in another pesky neighbor. Mrs. Obi can be an obnoxious bitch, but she¡¯s harmless. Her husband, on the other hand¡­ He¡¯s a wildcard.


    Heath starts up the car and heads to the store. When he arrives, he gets a text that reads ¡°cat food and oreos¡±. He scowls, nearly texting back for her to name some ¡°real foods¡± but deciding to just go ahead and guess what she¡¯d like. He wipes his glasses on his turtleneck sweater, looking at his own red eyes in the car mirror. His eye bags stand out against his pale skin, making him look as tired as he feels. Heath slides the shades back on and enters the store, hoping this will help make Rose feel even more at home.

 Chapter 3: Help!

    Rose started school that Monday despite her protests, and Heath is at the hospital that Thursday when he receives a rare text from her.


    is it ok if i have someone over


    ¡°Everything okay?¡± asks Carmen, poking him in the shoulder.


    ¡°My kid just asked to have a friend over,¡± he says, perplexed.


    ¡°How old again?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fourteen.¡±


    ¡°Make sure it¡¯s not a boy,¡± she advises, pushing up her thick-framed glasses. They¡¯re a new pair that need to be adjusted, too big for her face. She squirts sanitizer onto her hands and rubs them together, wiping the excess on her green scrubs. ¡°She¡¯s at the age where you need to start worrying.¡±


    Boy or girl? he types back. He''s a little worried she''ll get pissed off, but figures it''s a good question.


    He had known Carmen several years ago before leaving Wyvern Heights. He knows her daughter is also a freshman at Wyvern Heights High School and that her husband Teddy is a werewolf.


    Heath¡¯s phone buzzes, lighting up a picture of Leonidas on his back with his tongue out.


    that shouldnt matter lol but its a girl


    Fine by me.


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl,¡± he says.


    ¡°Thank God!¡± exclaims Carmen, opening a small bag of Cheezits. ¡°You don¡¯t need that drama. Trust me.¡±


    Heath gets another notification that Rose reacted to his text with the thumbs up emoji. He also receives an Amazon notification saying his colored contacts have been delivered. Heath wears contacts to work that make his eyes dark brown, finding that his patients feel more at ease when he¡¯s not hiding a part of his face. He noticed after coming home with them that Rose doesn¡¯t look him in the eyes when she speaks, but will when he wears his shades.


    ¡°She¡¯s a peculiar girl,¡± Heath thinks aloud.


    ¡°You should get a TV show to watch together,¡± Carmen suggests. ¡°That¡¯s how I bond with Stella. Right now we¡¯re watching Gilmore Girls.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good show?¡± he wonders.


    Carmen nods, swallowing her mouthful of crackers before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s excellent. It really depends on the kid, though. Find out what she likes, first.¡± She checks her watch. ¡°Time for me to get rolling!¡±


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    Heath takes a swig of the blood in his thermos, checking his calendar to find out where he¡¯s needed. ¡°Thanks for the tips.¡±


    ¡°Any time.¡±


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    When Heath rolls into the driveway, he¡¯s nervous. He has no idea what kind of people Rose is attracted to and is hoping this girl is a good influence. When he enters his home, he¡¯s hit with the smell of apple pie and the sugary sweet smell of magic.


    Fuck.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m home!¡± he calls out.


    A girl reveals herself from the wall dividing the kitchen and the living room. She¡¯s small, with pink hair tied into two thick braids and light blue almond shaped eyes


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you! I¡¯m Emily Mochizuki,¡± she says, giving him a braces-wearing grin.


    ¡°I¡¯m Heath. I hope Rose is being a good hostess.¡±


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Rose says. She comes over with a plate with a piece of apple pie on it and a fork. ¡°Here.¡±


    Heath doesn¡¯t take the plate. ¡°It looks delicious, but my stomach is off.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t try it, we¡¯ll be deeply offended,¡± Emily insists with a smirk.


    ¡°I told you he wouldn¡¯t eat it,¡± Rose tells her. ¡°He never eats.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I wonder why,¡± says Emily, eyeing him. Heath¡¯s heart would¡¯ve raced if he had a beating one. She¡¯s playing dumb, but he now has no doubt that she¡¯s in the know. If she tells Rose before he does, he¡¯ll never hear the end of it!


    Heath gulps dryly, his humanness now at stake. ¡°I¡¯ll have a bite.¡± He hadn¡¯t eaten solid food since the day after his wedding day with Daisy when he had some of the wedding cake. He takes the fork with a shaky hand, scooping the steaming apple pastry into his mouth. It does taste good, but doesn¡¯t spark his appetite. Rather, he feels a disgusting feeling rising in his gut.


    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± he says. ¡°Why don¡¯t you girls go on a walk?¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Rose turns to Emily. ¡°Wanna watch more Steven Universe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go relax,¡± says Heath. He heads to his private bathroom, slamming the toilet lid up before everything in his stomach leaps up his throat and into the water. He vomits until there¡¯s nothing left, and when he flushes the toilet and goes to close his door Rose is standing there, pale in the face and fidgeting.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks, concerned.


    ¡°I have a stomach bug. Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Do you know where the remote is?¡±


    Heath, still trembling from being sick, heads into the living room. He finds the remote between the cushions, then heads to his room and lays down. Why is he so stupid? He needs to talk to Emily privately to see what she knows, and now he¡¯s out of commission from that damned pie. Leonidas jumps up onto the bed and balances himself on his side where Heath is curled up.


    He wakes up at around 8pm. When he enters the kitchen, Rose is sitting at the table with her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Are you bulimic, Heath?¡±


    ¡°Am I what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you are. I just want to help.¡±


    Heath is touched at the uncharacteristic kindness in her voice and relieved that she¡¯s not asking him about his vampirism. He¡¯s also a little disturbed at the reversal of roles; he¡¯s supposed to be the supportive parent, not Rose, who¡¯s nearly sixty years younger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bulimic.¡±


    ¡°Then why have I never seen you eat anything?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t eat much.¡± He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.


    ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±


    Heath sits down at the table in front of her, thinking of the Robert Frost poem The Road Not Taken. He¡¯s at a fork in the road, here, and decides to choose the one that¡¯s unavoidable.


    ¡°Okay, Rose. I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡±


    Lord, help me.


    ¡°Everything.¡±