The Vampire's Apprentice

Clancy met her gaze. "Yes. I most definately am a vampire. That is why I am here drooling over your bare neck, counting your pebbles, and flinching away at your holy water. I do not suppose you have a cross hidden on you somewhere, do you? Perhaps some..." he waved his hand as he tried to think of the word. "That plant... dog's bane? No, not dog... Wolf, yes, that's it! Wolf's bane?"
 
Kitty snickered a little, finding his sarcasm funny. He hadn't mentioned garlic, however, which was interesting since "Wolfsbane isn't something that comes to mind for most people who haven't done their research." She observed. "Especially off the top of someone's head. You seem to know more about this subject than you've let on, if you don't mind me saying."
 
"I thought wolf's bane was the one of those common knowledge things, like mirrors," Clancy mused. "Ah well. In any case, my cousin enjoyed things of a supernatural nature. Unfortunately for him, his attempts to find proof ended up with him getting attacked by a wolf. Not a werewolf, a real wolf." He sighed and shook his head. "I hope your obsession does not lead to quite so grissly an end."
 
"What should have come to mind is garlic." She corrected. "And neither do I, though according to your answer, there's a very good chance it will. Seems like a waste, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose." Kitty gave a grim smile, but didn't seem too beaten up about it.
"So, Mr. Vampire, why haven't you eaten me yet?" The question was sarcastic in nature, and she said it as such.
 
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"I am bored and your search is interesting," Clancy replied blandly. "Or perhaps I already ate and am not hungry right now. Or perhaps I like playing with my food." He paused to consider. "Unless, of course, I am really and truly attracted to you and intend to watch you sleep while fighting my nature to eat you, and I avoid the sunlight because I sparkle, not because it burns." He raised a brow. "How are those for proper answers?"
 
"Because you sparkle...?" Kitty couldn't help but to laugh as she imagined it. "Proper indeed! I had better not see you hovering over me while I sleep. That goes beyond creepy."

She scratched at the back of her head before brushing her hair behind an ear. The girl was grinning. "So, tell me something else, Mr. Vampire; if you are only humoring me for the sake of boredom and I do end up with some solid proof, will you be obligated to eat me?"
 
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Clancy pretended to think about that. "I suppose that depends on whether or not that myth that vampires can wipe minds is true. Then again, you are awfully stubborn, so perhaps a mind wipe would not be enough, so perhaps yes. I hope not, because then I would no longer have anything with which to alleviate my boredom."
 
Kitty leaned forward, resting one leg over the other and placing her chin on the heel of her hand. "Let's hope for your sake, that myth is true, then. I'm even further inclined to find proof as of tonight, so if you are a vampire, I'd warn you to be careful... of my curiosity, not me, of course."
 
He thought about her reply for a moment, turning it over in his head. "I would presume that you and your curiosity would be one and the same," he pointed out mildly. "In any case, take care, Miss Kitty. Try to exercise wisdom in your pursuit of the unknown." He tipped his hat to her and started walking. "Enjoy your doughnut and coffee!"

Miss Kitty. Hadn't he known a gangster's moll by that name? Yes, he thought so. Wasn't that... yes, sometime around 1925, if he recalled correctly. Pretty thing with flaming red hair, black eyes, and an even blacker pistol. Such a wild thing! Sassy, clever, yet never once losing that extremely feminine touch about her. Such fun! Until she shot him, that was.
 
"Never!" She yelled back, laughing "Caution is for the wind!" Kitty snatched the items and disappeared, herself. She was onto something, she knew it. Absolutely, without a doubt, this was going to get her into a lot of trouble, but that was a part of the adventure, right? For sure. For sure it was.
 
Caution is for the wind? Clancy still wasn't sure he understood what that meant, but he shook it off and headed for home. He needed to get some work done before the night was over. Oh, how he blessed the strides technology had made in making things easy for those who worked from home!
 
Her mind was bursting with questions, and she still had to catch some shut-eye before the night was over. Unfortunately, those two concepts were bitter enemies, and her mind won despite the fact that she avoided coffee that late at night. Kitty retrieved a blank page she had inconspicuously removed from the spare paper in back of a library book, writing very neatly all the questions, facts, and notes spinning around in her mind for later. It helped, once they were on the page, for her to rest. It was late, and she was human.
 
This new night, Clancy made a point to arrive much earlier than he had the last two nights, using his speed to arrive only seconds after the sun had gone down. Today was a full black suit with a cane and a little bow-tie. His hat remained unchanged and slanted slightly to allow his red hair to flounce free. He strolled along, swinging his cane as he walked toward where Miss Kitty normally sat. He would be most disappointed if she was not there tonight.
 
The girl often arrived well before the sun went down—spent a lot of her day there, in fact—as she liked to watch the lighting while it slowly grew dark. It seemed a rather artistic quirk to have, but since there was nothing better to do while the orange hues faded to black, she stuck around. This time was no different, save the contemplative look on her expression as she squinted at the trees in the distance.
If there was one thing she didn't want to do, it was lose a friend she had just made, but she had to be certain. Alongside the stare of deep thought, her fingers absentmindedly found themselves in the grooves of a garlic bulb. She thumbed over its papery surface and waited. Hopefully, this would be her proof.
 
Clancy let out a little whistle to catch Miss Kitty's attention as he approached, smirking. Then he caught the smell. Oh dear. This was going to be an interesting thing to try to bluff his way out of. But he was going to have to. Somehow. And if it didn't work and he had to kill her... oh well. He thought fast as he approached.

"Hello, Miss Kitty," he purred as he approached. "What is it to be tonight, hmm? Mirrors? The garlic you mentioned yesterday? Silver? Although that is rather expensive. Or perhaps you are going to go straight to the 'stake through the heart' method?"
 
"I'm not trying to kill anyone," she groaned, then held up the bulb for him to see. "I just want to know if you are a vampire or not. It's simple curiosity. And if it costs me my life, so be it."
 
"Ah, so it is to be the garlic. I had hoped not," Clancy said with a melodramatic sigh. He walked closer and leaned over to sniff it. "There. I hope you are happy that I am not repulsed by it," he said, wrinkling his nose and rubbing it. "In truth, I am truly allergic to garlic, and as I have a date shortly, I would prefer not to ask my date to meet me in the ER. That is not a very good first impression. Would you not agree?"
 
"Mmm. I see. I'll let this one go, then. For your sake." Kitty stuffed the item into her jacket pocket, though didn't in the least seem convinced. "I suppose you'll be on your way sooner rather than later, so I won't keep you."
 
Clancy huffed, giving her an annoyed look. "Really, this is quite silly. Why would I be a vampire? Why would a vampire bring you coffee and doughnuts and listen to you plot how to figure him out? Or her out as the case may be. Truly, what are the odds that a vampire - which, if vampires even exist, would be a rare creature - would walk up to you in a park and introduce itself? You are not seeking truth. You are paranoid. You cannot even allow a gentleman to treat you as a friend. But if that is the path your obsession shall take you, than so be it! Good night, Kitty. Truly, your curiosity shall kill you." He tipped his hat in a jerky fashion and strode off, nose in the air.

He did not stop until he was out of sight in the darkness then let out a sigh. Rather overdramatic, but needed perhaps. How droll. Perhaps he would return, or perhaps for his own safety, he should let her be. In time, she would get bored and have to stop. Of course, vampires were not the only supernatural creatures out there willing to kill. It was possible she would meet one in her quest for a vampire. How unfortuneate, but highly likely. He straightened his little bow tie and continued on to a restaurant where he did indeed have a date. One who enjoyed a little "necking."
 
He was gone before she could reply, and Kitty sulkily watched him walk further and further away. Maybe she had taken it a step too far this time, and for that she was deeply sorry, but she wasn't paranoid at the least, no matter what he said. There were too many clues pointing to the contrary.

Weren't there...?

Were there? Were there, even?

No, she was certain. She had to be. To doubt oneself was pointless. Look at the facts, Kitty. Think logically. What were the odds?

There were no odds. It was impossible.

Kitty didn't go home that night. She remained on the bench for a long, long time; longer than she had any night in the past. It grew chilly, but she hardly noticed. The girl was in deep thought again, chin resting in her palm while the other fingered the garlic. It wasn't like she had somewhere better to be, anyways.
 
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