Mine...yours

Author's Note: I am not sure how this story will be taken. It has been on my mind for a long time and decided to finally write it. There will be typos and grammatical errors of all sorts. Mainly because I cannot find an editor. That being said, if someone after reading this would like to be my editor, please contact me. Other than that, read, and enjoy.

I also would like to acknowledge two people who were kind enough to make me write this. Lovecraft68, thanks for telling me what you did. Lady Ver, for telling me it wasn't crap. I appreciate you both very, very much.

*****

(Greg's Side of the story)

Chapter 1:

A different point of view.

There are a whole host of problems with working at night. Lack of essential vitamin D, different sleep schedule from most other people, a sense of being cut off from a large percentage of the world to name a few. My job is even a little worse than that. I work in an industrial complex...kind of. My office is a truck, that I drive around and link up to dumpsters that I then empty in a large compactor that is emptied twice a week. Not exactly where I wanted to go with my life, but there isn't too much to really complain about. I don't have to deal with annoying people, except for the occasional homeless person sleeping in one of my dumpsters. The nature of my work makes it kind of hard to add anything to my social calendar, and by nature of events in my life I tend to not like other people all that much.

Not that I am misanthropic by any means! I don't HATE people, not really. The fact of the matter is I really like people, at least I used to. Hey I am not trying to be enigmatic here, I just, am not wanting to put the cart before the horse. My reasoning will come out eventually. I should get back to the story.

I live off a main drag of highway pretty close to Portland, Oregon. That's in the United States of America for you people not familiar with world geography. I love Oregon, especially where I live. I am an hour from the Pacific Ocean, a half-hour from evergreen rain forests, and an hour from snowy mountains. Also if you head east for another hour you hit high deserts. We got it all in this state, except for Disneyland, we do not have Disneyland. Well, nothings perfect.

So I live off a main drag of highway behind a used car dealership. You take that side road down past the dealership and there is a small pocket of houses that are a kind of throwback to 50 years ago. Each house is individual in size and style. Each plot is about an acre and a half or so, it is not uncommon to see gardens or pools or those weird looking half covers people use to protect their big camping trailers from the weather. Yeah, my house is in that group. It's got an old wooden fence about nine feet tall around the front yard and driveway. You have to get out of the vehicle and open the gate, then drive in to park the truck, then go out and close the gate! I know, shocking that I don't get one of those automated gate opener thingies. I am naturally lazy, and after I saw what was involved with installing one of those... I will just get out of my truck and open the damn gate!

My house is an older two story that needs a lot of work. Drywall, and bare floors, two bathrooms with exposed plumbing, three bedrooms, and living room with open kitchen all as one room. Top floor is just one long room that runs the length of the house. That's where I sleep, and watch my neighbors. My back acre of the house has a large shed/barn, several fruit trees and is fenced in only that it has arborvitae planted tightly around the border. Anyway, back to watching my neighbors. I enjoy people watching, always have and always will. Interacting is a different story. I can do it, but I always feel as awkward as goose in a room full peacocks. Yeah...weird analogy huh? Didn't I just explain I am socially awkward!?

It's not that I am bad looking, who am I kidding... I can't tell you I am good looking! It's not like I got a photo to back it up! Then again, I can't tell you I am bad looking either for the same reason. A picture says a thousand words and I am just NOT going to write a thousand words about my looks. I am average looking with deep-set eyes, thick lips, goatee, and dark blonde hair. I cut my hair by getting a clipper putting the number #1 attachment on it and running it all over my face and head, then shave off the rest that offends me. I am 5 foot nine inches tall, or 175 centimeters for you metric lovers out there, and weigh a whopping 240 pounds. Yep, I am 25 pounds overweight according the doctor after my last physical. No, I don't plan on losing it. Worked hard to get so it stays. I got a 50-inch chest and a 38-inch waist and size 13 shoes. That sums it up, you want more on what I look like then you're nosy and have no life.

Now, my old neighbors had moved out about six months before, then the new ones showed up around June a few months ago. I only noticed them coming in because I heard a large vehicle pull up and a bunch of noise as people got out. I did the natural thing anyone else would do in that situation, grabbed my wood axe and carefully peered out my window to see what was going on. In my position it's always good to ere on the side of caution. Yeah, I know, made you curious. You'll find out eventually.

That was the first time I saw my new neighbors, well, two of them at least. It was also the first time I Saw them. Yes, I capitalized that word, there is a reason for it I had a rather traumatic experience that changed my outlook on life dramatically... Hell with that. It does not do it justice. I had a monumentally screwed up and fucking unfair, evil, just plain WRONG event that happened in my life! It was 7 years prior to these events and it broke me and reshaped me in a lot of ways. Some good, but in my opinion a lot bad, and I don't have the strength to fix it or do... Yeah, suffice to say some shit went down and lets get back to the story before I blow a gasket.

I am able to see the truth behind people. Sounds profound but it's not. Someone looks happy, but I see a frown like photo negative behind his or her eyes. Big whoop. Does not take a brain surgeon to figure that out! You have to have the sensitivity of rock crusher to miss it most times when someone is acting one way and feeling another! Anyway, so I can see this type of stuff in people, I just wrote it off for a long time as an overactive imagination coupled with a sense of extreme loss and emotional trauma that I went through. Sounded reasonable at the time. Then I met a very nice old gentleman named Wilson Henry Abernathy the Ninth. Yep, you read right. The Ninth. His family must have had no imagination to keep naming they're children over and over with that kind of handle.

I Saw him coming out of, of all things, a burger joint on the side of the highway near where I live. He was happily humming to himself and swinging a bag of something by his side. Just looked like a regular older gentleman in a tan suit jacket and jeans. Although that was when I got a look at the specter walking next to him. I say specter because that was the only way to really describe it. I could say it looked like a reversed negative with long teeth staring hungrily at everyone around him. That would be accurate but kind of melodramatic, I guess. That was the first indication that I knew something was wrong with me. My imagination is pretty active, dare I say over-active, but this vision I was Seeing appeared to be in the, "Yep. I am officially going bug nuts" category.

The gentleman looked at me, took a second look and asked, "I don't have any stains on my face do I?" I shook my head. "Any grease on my shirt?" I again shook my head "My zipper undone?" He asked again with a small smile. I tried out my voice and found my vocal chords still worked. Disconcerting when you see what appears to be two creatures looking out of a single pair of eyes at you. "No stains or anything, sir." I croaked out, and then coughed. I think the last time I used my voice was when I spoke to my boss three days ago on the phone about making sure the compactor area was clean at work. Most I said to her was, "Yes ma'am, Get right on it."

The older man frowned, "You feeling a little under the weather son?" He reached in his suit jacket and held out a small bag of menthol cough drops. I didn't want one but took it anyway. I Looked at him again, but it was still disconcerting to see that second pair of dark eyes peeping out at me through his bright blue ones. I didn't feel like he meant me any harm, but I still concentrated for a moment and pushed down the Sight as I had come to call it. "No sir, I am fine. I was just curious about you as all."

Now why the hell had I said that?! Must be the whole desire for human contact thing making my mouth move when I should just shut up and walk away! He grinned a little more, giving me a once over. "Flattering as that is I think I may be a little too old for you young man!" He chuckled. That snapped my eyes to his and I could feel my temper flare. How DARE he assume something SEXUAL! Just because I was curious about him he would...! I took another breath and let the anger flow away. This all took place for less than a moment, but the old codger seemed to notice my reaction to what he said. "I didn't mean anything by it son. Just trying some light humor is all." I gave him a half smile and shrugged. I really meant to tell him it was nothing and bid him a good night and finish my walk to the gas station for a can of Grizzly and a two-liter of Mountain Dew. Yet when my mouth opened I wanted to punch myself in the face!

"I was just wondering why you look like a human and a monster at the same time." I said as I was leaving. I almost stopped but he didn't say anything. I kept on walking looking at the pavement mostly, halfway to the gas station I glanced up more and saw him standing in front of me. I knew he hadn't followed me, he hadn't passed me, he...ah shit. "Can I help you sir?" I asked. This little old man walked right up to me, his eyes searching mine.

"The names William Abernathy." he replied. "I guess if you can tell so much about me we should be friends. What's your name son?" I shrugged; it worked well when I was a teenager for answering questions. "No one sir. Good night." His hand gently settled on my shoulder as I walked by him. I guess I should mention I don't like being touched and I have not been touched by anyone but my own parents and occasionally my sister in a long, long time. The moment I felt his hand land on me, I gave a quick jerk of a side step only to find out I could not move! My hand came up of its own volition and grabbed William's thumb to give a twist to break his grip and step out. Yeah, obviously NOT thinking clearly if with one hand this little man can hold me in place. Not too bright there.

I looked into his eyes as I tried to step away and get my shoulder out from under his hand. This time there were no second pair of eyes, just a mélange of color shifting hews with an animalistic eye shine staring back at me! My heart fell into the soles of my shoes and for one brief moment I felt terror, then it evaporated like a gust of wind to the empty place inside of me. After all, when you really have nothing to live for and your life is a never ending hum drum existence, you can't be terrified of anything for too long cuz' you're curious to see what happens next!

Before he could say anything I shrugged again, well half shrugged since he had one of my shoulders in his grip. "My name is Gregory Brooks, sir... uh. Mr. Abernathy. What can I do for you?" He gave a half smile. "I don't know if your crazy, or just really..." He chuckled and the eye shine dissipated. "I would go with crazy Mr. Abernathy." I replied, then gave a cough again as my voice was definitely getting over worked that day.

"Call me William, Mr. Brooks. Now to satisfy your earlier curiosity. What do you know about vampires?" That was the beginning of the weird aspect of my life.

To say we became friends was an understatement. Well, as much as I was able to become friends with someone, he was a friend is a more accurate way to put it. He respected my need for distance, since he really wanted to have his own as well. I never asked him much about his life, never asked him much period. We usually would meet up after I got off work if it was a slow night, and play darts at his town house in the Pearl District of Portland. Since it was near PGE Park there always seemed to be something going on. I did ask him about the whole blood drinking thing, just because you have to know that, if you smell like food to your best friend.

"I used to be a food taster back in the Day," William started to tell me. Then waited for my obvious question about how long ago that Day was, and what his job entailed. I didn't really care so said nothing and just waited for him to tell me what he wanted. His eyebrows arched in surprise, then he harrumphed into his fist and continued.

"Well, I tasted food for poisons, and freshness before the king ate or drank anything." He continued. "During that time I..." He stopped and glanced at me again. "Greg, you really don't care do you?" I cocked my head to the side, and thought about it. "Not really, no." I admitted. "Honestly I am just a little worried that you think of me as food is all. So I wanted to hear what you had to say."

He chortled. "Think of you as food? My dear boy, I am a gourmet!" He stood and briskly walked to a large black walnut wardrobe next to his small kitchen. He opened it with a dramatic flourish and gave a little half bow.

"Gregory...so many vampires live on human blood, we can live on animals, but most do not like it." He selected a sturdy wide mouthed clear wine glass from his rack by the wardrobe and blew a short puff of air into it before he inspected the bowl. "I, as I said, am a gourmet. While most vampires think of eating animals as a last resort, I embrace it. They all picture a raggedy individual suck on rats in dirty street corners. This though is how I look at it. Come here, take a look!" He waved me over vigorously and of course I came, now curious about the...nozzles?

We have all seen those soda fountain stations at fast food joints, and gas stations...but this one took the cake! All brass, copper, and I swear there was gold and silver leaf inlay on the woodwork inside this thing. There were rows and rows of brass spigots lined up in the front with small plaques naming each one. I started to read out loud. "Aardvark, Giant Anteater. Wolverine. Grizzly. Polar Bear. Hummingbird. Blue Whale. Marmoset. Baboon. Capuchin. Humpback whale. Dolphin. African Grey. Pelican. Kangaroo..." I shook my head, and had to chuckle. "William, you have a zoo on tap or something?" He smiled and filled his goblet half way with blue whale and quickly put in a touch of wolverine, grizzly, seagull, and then a single drop of hummingbird blood.

He held it to the light and gently swirled his wrist. "Most vampires do not know this, since all they do is drain their victims dry. Most animals, if you drink only that blood, tastes rather bland dear boy. I, though, could not help myself! I had to experiment! I began collecting blood from different beasts and blending them together to form different cocktails of flavor. This right here has a base of the largest mammal on earth, then coupled with the blood of the wolverine and the grizzly gives it an aggressive full-bodied feeling. Then I added the seagull that is a good mix for any drink because it is found everywhere and eats everything; therefore the properties of the blood vary greatly from one bird to the next. Universally I find it to be good filler for any drink. Then the hummingbird. Only one drop because it is very light and airy. Also extremely sweet. I tried a half glass once and I was up all night and into the next day!"

He finally seemed satisfied with the mix and then drained the glass completely in one decisive motion. I heard him making appreciative sounds in his throat, and his cheeks were moving in and out as he seemed to savor the flavor. Now using my trick of the Sight, I watched both him and his shadow form. His other self seemed inordinately satisfied as well, showing wide color shifting eyes and darkly gleaming teeth! In fact William showed amazing color in his cheeks and his steps seemed even more lively as he walked to the sink to clean out his glass and then place it once more upside down in the hanging rack.

"I have had human blood before, dear boy." He said to me quietly. "It is a satisfying meal. Though the guilt one has from taking something not freely given can make it turn to ashes on one's tongue." He closed the doors to his wardrobe, well, not wardrobe. Vending machine, no, soda fountain... blood fountain. Heck. Drink fountain, that's what I am going to call it. Ooops. He is till talking, better pay attention.

"We all drink human blood at first when first turned, but I have always been a bit of a rebel. I did not like taking something that didn't belong to me, but my Master thought I was being foolish. He explained to me that we could live on animals, but that the taste was terrible and not as nourishing. He bade me to do so as log as I liked but that I would return to regular prey soon enough."

He sat back down and stretched his arms over his head appearing to relish the sensation. "The fool thing is this, I do not enjoy eating something that I can hold a conversation with!" He chuckled at his little joke, and then paused, a slightly larger smile appearing on his face. "Well, that is unless both parties are agreeable to it!" I had to laugh a little at that. "You lecherous old dog!" I admonished him.

"Dog, right. That brings me back to my story." He said, snapping his fingers.

"I have always loved a challenge Gregory. When my Master told me that I could drink from animals as I wished I immediately went to the slaughter yards to find cow blood, the same thing with the swine." I nodded for him to continue. "Either one by itself tasted terrible, even combining them was awful. Then I had an epiphany...this was like baking!" William could see I looked a little puzzled. "To make pancakes you need flour, salt, eggs, butter and milk correct." I nodded. "Well, if you ate flour by itself it would taste terrible would it not? Or salt by itself?" Again I nodded.

"The answer was so simple I am surprised no vampire before thought of it! It was an accident that caused it. Such causes most great breakthroughs in science and in the kitchen. A dog attracted to the meat and blood I was sifting through attacked me. Some of his blood ended up in the cow blood and contaminated it. After taking an experimental sip I could tell that basic properties had been changed. That is when I truly began my best research!" He sighed and tilted his head back gazing at the memory.

"I still remember my first flask I created. A strong bovine base of strong Scottish heifer. With a good part mixed of wolfhound, ewe, and weasel. The final component, a generous splash of owl. I found you always want to go light on the bird blood. It should be used more as a seasoning, not sure if it has something to do with their hollow bones or some such. All that being said, my first group of flasks was a huge success for me. One full swallow filled me sufficiently for at least a whole night, in fact in some ways it was BETTER than human blood!"

Now that got my attention! I sat up, truly interested for the first time. "You mean your mixed blood was better for you than human blood!? Then why aren't vampires doing that all the time!? Why are they feeding on people?" He waved me down. "Most of our abilities, the charming of people, the illusions and so forth. Those come from human blood. Especially if we find a human who is a mage or sorcerer or of that ilk. All I was able to do was mix a nutritional variation that I could balance in a way to make me stronger and faster than most. Albeit with a little tweaking I have come up with combinations that can do different things, such as resistance to sunlight for short, very short periods of time. Most vampires just want power, which is what human blood offers. Me though, I am content with what I have. "