It is a glorious day and for once I appreciate it. The sun is warm on my face and I tilt it upwards to get the most of the rays. My skin tans well but I still have to be careful of burning. I am not attractive when my nose peels.
It is a pleasant walk through my grounds to the front gate. Until it opens all that it is possible to see through it is a swirling white mist. You have to know what to type into the panel at the side and you also have to be recognised by the DNA scanner before it will open anywhere, and it can open anywhere.
I press my hand against a panel which slides open. A fine needle projects from the bottom of the small chamber revealed behind it. I prick my finger on the needle leaving a tiny drop of blood. The panel slides back and glows yellow for a few moments before it turns green. I then type a code into the numerical keyboard and the mist swirls. The gate swings open and I step out into the world.
As my summerhouse exists in many places at once, so does my house. The summerhouse is one gate into the worlds beyond and this is another. The only difference is that while the summerhouse can take me to many worlds, this one can only take me to one. However, within this one world I can step out into anywhere I choose. Today I choose to take a slight detour. As I cross the bridge I find myself walking along an alley into a pleasant suburban street. I pause for a moment to orient and then set off again along the road to a pleasant suburban house, with a neat front garden.
There is no hesitancy in my step as I walk up the path to the front door and knock.
The door is opened a few minutes later by a middle aged man. He is a handsome man with neatly styled dark blonde hair and green eyes. He is dressed conservatively in dark slacks and a shirt and he has a pleasant if non committal smile on his face. He could be anyone.
"Can I help you?" he asks in a nondescript voice.
"I think so. I would like to talk to you about your son."
The man's eyes widen and the pleasant expression on his face falls away. "I don't know who you are," he says, "and frankly I don't give a damn. Whatever game you're trying to play forget it. Trust me, I am not a man you want to cross. I have no son. Now turn around and walk away."
"I am not playing a game. In fact I am deadly serious. I know you have a son; I have spoken to him, and that is why I have come to speak to you."
"I don't know what that little bastard has been saying about me," he hisses, "but I swear that if you say one word, just one word I will have you arrested for harassment."
"I have no intention of harassing you. I just have one question to ask you and then I will be on my way."
He gives me a suspicious look but relaxes his guard just a little. "What question?"
"It's a little sensitive so it might be better if we discuss it inside."
"Anything you have to say can be said here, and you're lucky I'm not slamming the door in your face."
"Very well. All I want is a name and address. Just one name and one address."
Now he looks confused. "I don't understand."
"I'd like to pay a visit to a doctor."
He narrows his eyes and peers at me, even more confused. "I don't think I can help you with that."
"Oh, I think you can. You see I don't want to visit just any doctor. I want to see a doctor who likes to fuck young boys and who isn't averse to carrying out butchery on the kitchen table."
For a moment he just stares at me, shocked by the venom in my voice, and then his face turns purple and he takes a step back. "I don't know what that fucking piece of crap has been telling you but I warn you -- get the hell out of here right now or I am going to call the police."
"Go ahead, and what are you going to tell them when they come and ask where your son is? Are you going to deny his existence to them too?"
"He ran away. That's not my fault."
"Did you report him missing?"
"No I... Just fuck off. Get out of here: right now."
"I don't think so." I reach out my hand just as he is about to close the door in my face, and touch his hand. Immediately he freezes and his hands fall to his sides. Gently I steer him backwards and slip inside, closing the door behind me. "A name please." I repeat softly.
Shocked he shakes his head and takes another step backwards. I smile at him and let my fangs descend. He groans but can't run because I am holding his hand and paralysing him. "Please... don't hurt me."
"Did your son say that? Did he beg you when the filth that you invited into your home... at a price, were beating and fucking him? Did he cry in your arms when he was ill and hurt, and beg you to take his pain away? Did you hear him cry out when he was being abused... 'Please... please don't hurt me'? Did you hear that? Did you? Did you?" As I speak I feel my temper rise and I slam him against the wall.
"I..."
"Did you?"
