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As the car slowly pulled into the dirt trail within the graveyard, Liam Joyce drove down the rocky path. His destination was merely a few blocks down and he couldn’t wait to reach it. There he would relieve some stress that had built up in the last couple of days. Coming here to talk had always helped put him back into focus as he didn’t have his father to rely upon anymore. He had died five years ago, a heart attack. His mother had then become more important to him than before.
His parents never lived together. When Liam was a boy she would often visit him in the dead of night, looking upon him tenderly as he slept. Never had Liam seen his parents talk to one another and rarely did his father bring up the subject of his mother. Whenever Liam asked his father would say; ‘She can’t be a part of our lives Liam, I’m sorry.’ But she was as much a part of his life as his father had been.
Upon finally reaching the gravesite he stopped the car and stepped out of the car. Looking at his watch he noted that it was nine-thirty p.m.. The sexton and the patrolman had long gone, leaving Liam to brood, to think, to cry. He knelt down and gripped the tombstone strongly with one hand as he thought about what problem to talk about first.
“What troubles you my son?” came a woman’s voice. Any other man would have leapt in fright but Liam was different. This was how he was greeted whenever life had defeated him. He stood and turned to face the woman. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Her skin was white and fair, her hair red and curly, and she stood two feet shorter than Liam. She wore a silk white nightgown and her eyes, her demonic red eyes did not frighten Liam in the least. She walked towards the tombstone and sat on the flat plaque resting below it. “I sense all is not well with you.”
“It isn’t mother. I’ve just been thinking about a lot of things lately and I’ve also been lonely.”
The woman stood up.
“Why would you feel as such my son? You know that I dwell here and my domain is available to you when you seek sanctuary.”
“I do mother but it isn’t the same. Back there at home and here at the graveyard where dad is buried, it takes its toll.” Liam embraced his mother tightly. Her body was deathly cold to the touch but he didn’t care. He wiped his tears on her shoulder as she patted him softly, returning his embrace.
“Why did dad have to die and leave me?” he asked. The woman’s features looked pained as she realized she had no suitable answer.
“Because my son it was his time. Sadly, these things happen.”
Liam dreaded that answer, but it was the truth. He had long felt that the doctors had failed in their job to save him, causing him to distrust anyone within the medical field. Since his death Liam had been living alone in his apartment. It wasn’t all that bad. His friends came by often and his mother would seldom visit. Her visits had to be seldom, otherwise the vampire hunters would learn of her and take the only parent he had left. But perhaps he could work out some kind of living arrangement?
“Come back to my apartment mother, please. Live with me.”
“You’re aware that I cannot Liam. I cannot return with you during certain times of day,” she stated as she softly broke his hug.
“So you’re just stuck here?! You can’t just find a way for my sake?! I need you with me mother!”
“And I shall be Liam, only not wherever you go psychically, but spiritually. Now dry your tears.”
The woman placed a slender, cold hand upon Liam’s cheeks and dried his tears. There were a few sniffs that escaped Liam but the woman quieted the sadness as she then stroked the back of Liam’s head.
“Look at me my dear son, I’m forever near and my domain is available to you for sanctuary. Do you understand Liam?”
Liam nodded slowly, bringing a bright smile to the woman. Her fangs glinted in the dim moonlight and her red eyes flashed with gladness.
“That’s my son, no more sadness. Now come, let me have a drink of you.”
Liam obediently removed the scarf from round his neck and pulled down the collar, revealing the bite marks his mother had made some time ago. Slowly the woman leaned in and Liam felt a slight pain in his neck. After a moment the woman withdrew and wiped the access blood away from his neck and smiled endearingly at him, rubbing his arm.
“You’ve grown into a fine young man my son,” she said. “You look very much like your father.”
Liam nodded as he covered the bite mark upon his neck. Now that it was covered, he figured that now was the time to tell his mother about the woman he had met.
“Mother I’ve met someone at school,” Liam said almost nervously. The woman cupped her hands and inhaled happily.
“You have? You must tell me about the woman who has captured my son’s heart. Sit with me Liam and tell me.”
Liam and his mother sat upon the gravesite. His face drained itself of color as Liam told about the woman he had met.
“And she’s funny, smart, pretty. I like Courtney a lot.”
“My son,” she began. “I must warn you about falling in love so quickly. While it is good that she has the qualities you have mentioned, you know very little of her my son. Also, you must consider your heritage.”
That was the part Liam hated talking about. Last night he had another powerful urge and he needed it….to conquer it. He wanted nothing more than to do away with that part of him, if not control it more effectively.
“I think I got it under control mother. The last thing I want is to risk her safety. Besides if my thirst gets out of control there’s always squirrel isn’t there?”
“That is partly why I drink of you my son, so that your urges are sedated. Although you’ve become a man you shall always remain my son, and it is a mother’s duty to care for her son. To provide for him, do you understand Liam?”
Liam paused for a moment before answering.
“Yes mother, I do. You drink so that we may remain linked and so that my thirst for blood doesn’t overcome me.”
“Yes,” the woman confirmed. “Before, as you grew into boyhood you could not control yourself very well. Do you remember when you were little? I looked over you at night.”
“I didn’t know what you were at first,” Liam said chuckling. “I had nightmares for days.”
The woman gently stroked the back of his head.
“That’s right, you feared I was a demon coming to take you away. However as time passed, you began to grow accustomed to my nightly visits. Do you remember when you first let me inside of your room Liam?”
Liam looked at her astonished.
“Of course I do mother how could I forget?”
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The woman knelt down and smiled at Liam, exposing her medium fangs, frightening the boy.
“Do not fear Liam, I am truly your mother. This is merely how I appear.”
Liam slowly approached his mother who held her arms open. When he finally hugged her, she was cold to the touch and he backed away, afraid once again.
“Why are you so cold mommy?” he asked. The woman didn’t know how to answer such a question. Her child was still young and he would not understand. I fib was in order so that she could protect his young mind while he was still innocently small.
“Well my darling son, I’ve been outside for a long time. At night it becomes cold as you very well know.”
“Ok,” Liam said before he smiled, believing his mother’s lie. His tiny teeth would have brought a good feeling to the woman, but because she was undead, that joyous feeling escaped her. However it was enough to know that Liam wouldn’t have such a blight.
The woman effortlessly scooped up her son and held him high as she spun round for a moment, earning laughs from the child. She then placed him back on the ground and kissed his forehead.
“Would you like to accompany me Liam, I know of a quiet place where we can play and learn of each other.”
Liam smiled and nodded happily, glad to know that he finally had his mother in his life. The woman gently placed Liam on her back and gracefully leapt out of the room.
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“Yes Liam, I took my first drink of you that night after you had told me your father scolded you for drinking animal blood. I did not desire that life for you so I bit you in order to quell your thirst and also that we may become linked.”
Liam felt the bite marks his mother made and remembered the first time she had bit him. She had carefully explained to him what would happen and how he would feel. After she had her fill, the two played in the park together. Before long she felt it was time to take Liam home.
“I had fun mommy!” Liam chirped. The woman ruffled his brown hair and smiled.
“As did I my son, now then come upon my bosom so that I may lull you to sleep. You need your rest.”
“Let me tell daddy you’re here.”
Liam was about to rush out the room before his mother stopped him, grabbing him by his tiny arm.
“No Liam, you mustn’t inform your father of my visits any longer!”
Liam looked quizzically at her.
“Why not mommy? I thought you and daddy loved each other?”
She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving the poor child, as she was a firm believer in children needing both parents, but considering what she was, it had to be so. Her face turned to sadness as she said; “Because your father wouldn’t understand. When you grow, I will tell you everything. For now, let us enjoy the time we have together at night. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Liam hugged his mother before leaping into her lap. The woman then sat upon his bed and began rubbing his back, humming a sweet soothing melody as Liam fell into a deep sleep.
“I’m too big for that now mother.”
“Though you’ve grown into a man, you are still and forever my son Liam. Do you plan to stay with me here all night?”
“I wish I could mother but I have class tomorrow morning. I just came to talk with you and see how you’re doing. It helps me whenever I get depressed and sad knowing that I’ll always have you.”
The woman gently took his hand.
“And I will always be with you Liam,” she said. “And are my drinks of you truly aiding you?”
“Yeah they are mother. When you drink it’s almost as if my thirst isn’t even there. Why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve heard news of some unable to control there’s, even though the parent drinks from them. So long as it aids you I’m delighted.”
“What were you and dad like before I was born?” Liam asked. The woman knew that he would ask one day yet she was surprised that he waited until now to ask.
“Your father as you know had many women before me,” she said. “When we met, he told me I made him feel like no other had made him feel. We were in love but sadly we could never be. To him it felt it was right. I on the other hand cannot feel as humans do. Our time together was restricted to night but we enjoyed every minute of it. When I became pregnant with you he flew into a rage.”
“How the hell is that possible?! For God’s sake you’re fucking dead!”
“Conrad it’s very much possible for the living to interbreed with my kind! And if my memory serves me truly, my undead body greatly pleased you during our nights together!”
Conrad turned his back to her and ran his hands through his hair. This was impossible! And besides what would his friends and family think?! One word came to mind.
Necrophiliac.
He couldn’t allow that. He couldn’t allow himself to believe that this woman this…thing…could bare his child. Besides as she said she was undead and….
“When the seed of the living enters an undead womb Conrad, our bodies come partially alive to accommodate it. I learned of my pregnancy through desire for human food. Please,” she placed Conrad’s hand upon her stomach. “You’ll have to care for us throughout my carrying.”
“Needless to say everything went well. You were born and after that I regained my strength. I could not see your father anymore because those that hunt me would brand him a traitor to humanity and therefore destroy both him and I. I could not allow that, so I watched you from afar and visited you whenever I could.”
Liam looked away, unsure of what to make of the revelation. The woman’s cold hand touched Liam’s cheek and guided his vision back to her.
“I know it’s hard for you to take in my son, but rest assured regardless of what could have happened I was prepared to guard you at whatever cost.”
“I didn’t know it was that bad,” Liam said.
“All is well now,” she said. “You are here and you are living are you not?”
“Yes mother, but still.”
Liam looked at his watch and was surprised to see that he had been at the graveyard for an hour.
“Aw man, it’s going on eleven. I have to go!”
“Very well Liam, run along and rest. Perhaps one night I could meet this woman you spoke of.”
Liam laughed.
“That’s fine mother, we’ll have to break it to her slowly or she’ll think you’re my girlfriend.”
“We cannot have that can we? Run along now my son and I’ll see you again.”
Liam kissed his mother on the cheek before hugging her tightly.
“I’ll see you again soon mother, love you much.”
“And I you Liam, do not tire yourself.”
He smiled then got into his car. The woman watched his car disappear down the road before turning herself into mist, flowing back into coffin for her nightly rest.
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