It’s been a season and a half since I gave the Zhou family to Cedric. It has been a time of making amends.

It was at this time that I stole a memory.

Now make no mistake, it was not that I was incapable of doing such a thing, it was that I actively avoided doing so due to matters of morality.

Stealing memories is no simple task but ones that have some sort of latent connection or meaning sparkle like stars forming a constellation. Melodies forming an old song. It was on this day that I felt I must act.

I worried it would be a showy act in front of a pledge I’d given to my friend.

But fortune favors the bold.


I give the dog a treat as I head out the door and board the car. It is not a long drive at all, on the contrary, it’s quite pleasant.

When I arrive at the Zhou household, their father is on the front porch with his youngest daughter Penny playing a game of chess. The sunset made an amber glow through the windows.

When I knock on the door, Dexter excuses himself from the table and opens the door for me.

DEXTER

GREETINGS, COUNT STRAUD.


His daughter is shy, caught in the mannerisms of her small form. She would be an adult by now had she not been turned.

STRAUD

HELLO.

FINE WEATHER WE’RE HAVING.

DEXTER

IT IS.


He turns to introduce Penny.

DEXTER

PENNY AND I WERE JUST ENJOYING A GAME.


The slight girl is absorbed in the wooden carved pieces but manages to tear herself away.

PENNY

NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MISTER STRAUD.

DEXTER

PENNY!!

I TAUGHT YOU ABOUT THE TITLES OF LORDSHIP, DIDN’T I?

COUNT STRAUD –

STRAUD

OH, IT’S NOT IMPORTANT.

MY COUNTRY DOESN’T EXIST ANYMORE.

IT’S ONLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE TOO KIND THAT I KEEP GETTING REFERRED TO AS SUCH.

YOU MAY CALL ME WHATEVER YOU LIKE.

PENNY

WHAT’S YOUR FIRST NAME?

STRAUD

VLADISLAUS.

PENNY

VLADISLAUS?

THAT’S UNUSUAL.

DEXTER

PENELOPE!!

STRAUD

IT IS, A TRIFLE, FOR THIS CORNER OF THE WORLD.

DEXTER

RUN ALONG, PENNY.

GO CHECK ON YOUR SISTERS.


With that, the girl scrambles off into the inside of the house. Along with the occasional noise of an automobile, the sound of Penny walking through the house is all that can be heard.

DEXTER

WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE ON THIS FINE EVENING?

SURELY THERE’S SOMEWHERE ELSE YOU’D RATHER BE.

STRAUD

SOMEWHERE I’D RATHER BE, MY GOOD MAN?

DEXTER

WELL, UH…


He tramples over his own words.

DEXTER

I JUST THOUGHT…

STRAUD

YOU ARE RAISING THREE YOUNG DAUGHTERS IN A TIME OF GREAT CHANGE.

IF THERE’S ANYONE THAT COULD USE ASSISTANCE –

DEXTER

WHY DON’T WE GO INSIDE?

STRAUD

I WOULD BE DELIGHTED.


Inside the porch’s entrance is a small tidy living room beset with a selection of reclining surfaces. Off to the right is a brightly lit kitchen and to the left is a small fireplace.

DEXTER

TRUTH IS, THE GIRLS LARGELY TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES THESE DAYS.

MY DAYS OF USEFULNESS ARE QUICKLY COMING TO A CLOSE.

STRAUD

I TRULY DOUBT THAT.

YOUR DAUGHTERS HAVE A LOVE FOR YOU THAT WILL NEVER FADE.

DEXTER

I HOPE SO.


A poignant silence fills the air.

STRAUD

HOW HAS YOUR TIME WITH CEDRIC BEEN?

DEXTER

IT’S BEEN NICE TO HAVE HIM MENTOR MY DAUGHTERS.

I’M OFTEN LOST IN MY WORK AND IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE THEY’VE HAD FRIENDS.

STRAUD

I HEAR YOU SEND THE GIRLS TO SCHOOL.

DEXTER

IT WAS A DECISION I MADE A WHILE BACK, TRYING TO KEEP A SEMBLANCE OF NORMALCY FOR THEM.

AND I WORRIED THAT IT MIGHT LOOK MORE UNUSUAL FOR THEM NOT TO GO.

STRAUD

I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.

DEXTER

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

STRAUD

IF I HAD A CHILD AFFLICTED WITH THE GIFT?

I’D BE CONCERNED THAT SHE’D HAVE TO WATCH HER PLAYMATES GROW OLD.

DEXTER

WE’VE KEPT UP TRAVELING SO THE GIRLS HAVE BEEN SPARED THAT.

STRAUD

JUST BECAUSE THEY NO LONGER VISIT WITH THEIR FRIENDS DOESN’T MEAN THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING.

WATCHING OTHERS CHANGE IS SOMETHING ALL OF US GO THROUGH.

IF YOU WISH TO STOP MOVING HOMES EVERY SECOND YEAR, YOU MIGHT FOREGO ANY SORT OF CONNECTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHO WE GIVE ANY SORT OF INFORMATION ABOUT OURSELVES.

DEXTER

I CAN SEE THAT.

STRAUD

IF ANY QUESTIONS ARE RAISED, YOU CAN OF COURSE, CLAIM THE GIRLS ARE HOMESCHOOLED.

IT’S NOT UNUSUAL IN THIS DAY AND AGE.

BUT I THINK YOU’LL FIND PEOPLE HERE DON’T ASK QUESTIONS.

DEXTER

I SUPPOSE NOT.

STRAUD

EVERYONE IS WRAPPED UP IN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS.

DEXTER

CEDRIC, TOO, SEEMED TO THINK THEY SHOULDN’T GO.

STRAUD

CEDRIC IS A VERY PRIVATE PERSON.

HE DOESN’T TRUST THE MORTALS FOR ANYTHING BUT THE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

BUT HE HAS A WISDOM BEYOND HIS YEARS.

YOUR GIRLS ARE UNUSUAL AND REQUIRE SPECIAL CARE TO KEEP THEM SAFE.

DEXTER

THEY’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO LIVE ON THEIR OWN.

STRAUD

NO, THEY WON’T.

BUT IN MANY WAYS NONE OF US ARE ABLE TO DO SUCH A THING.

CERTAINLY THE MORTALS’ DREAM OF RETIREMENT IS NOT FOR OUR KIND.


Dexter chuckles.

DEXTER

I WASN’T A YOUNG MAN WHEN I FELL FOR MY WIFE.

I JUST WISH SHE WERE STILL WITH US.

I THINK THE GIRLS OFTEN MISS A FEMININE INFLUENCE.

STRAUD

YOU SHOULD NOT SELL YOURSELF SO SHORT.

I’M SURE THEY ARE HAPPY YOU’VE SHOWN SUCH DEDICATION TO THEIR CARE.

DEXTER

I TRY TO KEEP BUSY.

STRAUD

YOUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME IS SELLING YOUR PAINTINGS?

DEXTER

IT’S ALL I KNOW HOW TO DO.

I USE A DIFFERENT NAME EVERY TIME WE RELOCATE.

STRAUD

AND NO ONE’S EVER SUSPECTED YOU?

DEXTER

NOT THAT I KNOW OF.

STRAUD

IF YOU FEEL SAFE, PERHAPS YOU ARE.

I’M SURE YOU’VE GIVEN NO REASON FOR OTHERS TO SUSPECT SOMETHING AS STRANGE AS THE TRUTH.

AT THE VERY WORST, THEY JUST THINK YOU ARE A SECRETIVE, SUPERSTITIOUS OLD MAN.


All of a sudden, his present thoughts must have shifted because my mind is assaulted by the din of a hundred voices whispering in a crowded room.

I can normally silence such an intrusion but the noise is too loud to ignore. Something that I’ve said has brought a memory to the surface. I recognize the face.

Some time ago, I removed the necessity of vampirism from my friend’s son. He gave me his memories as part of the ritual. In those memories was this face and a given name.

Autumn Forte. A mortal who’d fallen in with Trelaine.

She was masquerading as one of the painter’s paramours.

Suddenly my statement about safety is ill-placed.

STRAUD

DON’T SEND THE GIRLS TO SCHOOL ANYMORE.

DEXTER

PARDON ME?

STRAUD

I’LL TAKE CARE OF THE PAPERWORK.

THE PEOPLE MAY ASK QUESTIONS BUT IT’LL STOP WITH TIME.

I DON’T THINK THEY CAN POSSIBLY BENEFIT FROM REPEATING THE FOURTH GRADE YET ANOTHER YEAR.


The immediacy of my command seems to have startled him.

STRAUD

IT’S TOO DANGEROUS FOR THEM.

FOR YOU.

FOR ME.

DEXTER

BUT…

STRAUD

IF YOU WANT MY PROTECTION, YOU’LL DO AS I SAY.

YOU’VE BEEN FORTUNATE SO FAR TO REMAIN HIDDEN BUT IT IS TIME TO TAKE GREATER PRECAUTIONS.

FOR ALL OF OUR SAKES.


The woman’s face lingers in my mind’s eye like an earworm. It is not my place to tell him with whom to keep his female company so I choose to cease my commands. But I still feel compelled to leave him with some parting word.

STRAUD

I’LL LEAVE YOU TO SHARE THE NEWS WITH THE GIRLS.

BUT DEXTER…

DEXTER

YES?

STRAUD

I’LL LEAVE YOU WITH A PIECE OF ADVICE ONCE GIVEN ME BY A FRIEND.

NEVER MARRY SOMEONE WITH WORSE TASTE THAN YOUR OWN.


With that, I disappear into a cloud of mist and vanish from his sight.


STRAUD//

Cedric.

CEDRIC//

Yo. What's up?

STRAUD//

I was just visiting the Zhou family.

CEDRIC//

Oh yeah? How're they?

STRAUD//

I told Dexter to discontinue their schooling.

CEDRIC//

Good. I hope he listens to you.

STRAUD//

Oh, I don't think we'll have any problems with that.

CEDRIC//

It's a waste of time.

STRAUD//

And at the worst, it's a danger.

CEDRIC//

The girls seem to handle themselves well but I tend to agree.

STRAUD//

There is one more complication I've stumbled upon and I'd like to enlist your help.

I saw something in Dexter's thoughts... a female friend of his that needs elimination.

CEDRIC//

You're taking pot shots at his girlfriends now?

Besides, I don't do that kind of work anymore.

STRAUD//

This is different.

It's... Kevin.

CEDRIC//

Kevin?

STRAUD//

And Trelaine.

CEDRIC//

Trelaine? Just what is this?

STRAUD//

Trelaine seems to know our friends are atypical. But he may not know that we've already arrived as he's using one of his old operatives.

CEDRIC//

This has to do with Kevin?

STRAUD//

Yes it does.

CEDRIC//

I suppose I can come out of retirement if it means getting any sort of chance at Trelaine's lackeys.

STRAUD//

I hoped you might say that.

CEDRIC//

What do you want from me?

STRAUD//

I don't know yet. I just know that I want her gone.

CEDRIC//

She's part of Dexter's little posse?

STRAUD//

It seems so.

CEDRIC//

And our little friend has been none-the-wiser. I knew he was keeping company but...

STRAUD//

And we might not have known until it was too late.

CEDRIC//

I guess your old habit has come in handy after all.

STRAUD//

And what would you know of my habit?

CEDRIC//

Only what you tell me.

STRAUD//

Clearly you know more than I could have ever told you.

CEDRIC//

Do you think Trelaine knows about us?

STRAUD//

I think he suspects us everywhere.

CEDRIC//

Should we tell Kevin?

STRAUD//

He might advocate against a course of revenge.

Are you looking for an excuse?

CEDRIC//

No, I'm not. I just thought something that concerns his experiences concerns him. Or is it that you're determined to act on your intel?

STRAUD//

I am determined to act.

I could convince him if need be.

CEDRIC//

He'd listen to whatever hare-brained scheme you've come up with.

STRAUD//

That's my problem. I have no scheme yet.

CEDRIC//

I'm glad you've come to me so early in the planning process.

STRAUD//

You're welcome.