Read Online Bride of Blood:: First Kiss by Anthony E. Ventrello - Free Book Online
Authors: Anthony E. Ventrello
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up and blew out the light. He gently walked over to Persephone’s basket and placed her in it. She had already fallen asleep and didn’t stir too much. He blew her a kiss and started to walk down to the basement to sleep. He repeated the Duke’s warning in his head over and over again: “Don’t be surprised if they or even you get bored and want to move on. Monogamy is a mortal dilemma.” Sometimes he wished it wasn’t.
Chapter 4 The Way Station
The Way Station is a place between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. What it exactly is a mystery that no one can exactly explain. Mortals only pass through it on their way to the Afterlife. However, Immortals and lost souls seem to find their way there all the time. A vampire can go there when they are sleeping. To each individual who passes through, they see it differently. To Anton, is always appeared like JR’s Bar. The only difference was that there were a series of doors and corridors to the left of the bar area. Behind each door was something different and most didn’t enter them unless they had a reason. A few of them actually opened into other universes or time periods. Vampires would come to the Way Station at times to meet up with other vampires or even spirits of mortals that they had once known. Some mortal spirits were able to come there from the Land of the Dead and would have solid bodies again for the brief time they were there. No one really understood the rules and the whys of the Way Station and it was pretty much common knowledge that things that were said or done there were not discussed.
The next night Anton was there. The light in the bar was really dark. There were no happy songs on the jukebox, no neon signs advertising the latest and greatest beer, and for the moment, no patrons. JR himself stood behind the bar, looking as sad and focused on his task at hand: cleaning beer mugs. It seemed to Anton that was all that JR did was clean mugs and the bar itself. Although the bar never seemed to get any cleaner no matter how many times he ran a rag across it. Besides the few lights on the bar, the only thing that Anton could see was the smoke rising from JR’s cigarette that was in the corner of his mouth. About an inch of ash hung from it as JR seemed way too preoccupied to pay it much mind at all.
The area around the bar itself was totally dark, although he could slightly make out the outlines of doors and hallways beyond. Even with Anton’s vampiric eyes, he couldn’t see past the darkness, totally. Anton raised a finger and motioned for JR to approach. JR nodded and fixed a cup of coffee for Anton. He brought the steaming cup to the Anton and sat it down. “Don’t worry about it this time,” JR croaked. “This time you can drink it and not worry about it. Everyone can eat or drink whatever they want here.”
Anton looked and him curiously and then shrugged. Somehow, he knew that JR told him the truth. He slowly picked up the hot cup and brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes and allowed the hot liquid to flow slowly into his mouth. Usually he would have spit it out but for the first time in centuries, he swallowed. Half expecting to vomit, he set the cup back into its saucer. When nothing happened, he looked up at JR. It had been the first time he had actually tried to drink anything while there. Most of the time he just sat and listened to stories of the various patrons.
“I told you, buddy,” said JR smiling at him, “here nothing matters. It’s the Way Station you know? Whatever you are, whoever you are, shit, it doesn’t matter here. We’re all equal. So just drink your coffee and relax.”
Chapter 4 The Way Station
The Way Station is a place between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. What it exactly is a mystery that no one can exactly explain. Mortals only pass through it on their way to the Afterlife. However, Immortals and lost souls seem to find their way there all the time. A vampire can go there when they are sleeping. To each individual who passes through, they see it differently. To Anton, is always appeared like JR’s Bar. The only difference was that there were a series of doors and corridors to the left of the bar area. Behind each door was something different and most didn’t enter them unless they had a reason. A few of them actually opened into other universes or time periods. Vampires would come to the Way Station at times to meet up with other vampires or even spirits of mortals that they had once known. Some mortal spirits were able to come there from the Land of the Dead and would have solid bodies again for the brief time they were there. No one really understood the rules and the whys of the Way Station and it was pretty much common knowledge that things that were said or done there were not discussed.
The next night Anton was there. The light in the bar was really dark. There were no happy songs on the jukebox, no neon signs advertising the latest and greatest beer, and for the moment, no patrons. JR himself stood behind the bar, looking as sad and focused on his task at hand: cleaning beer mugs. It seemed to Anton that was all that JR did was clean mugs and the bar itself. Although the bar never seemed to get any cleaner no matter how many times he ran a rag across it. Besides the few lights on the bar, the only thing that Anton could see was the smoke rising from JR’s cigarette that was in the corner of his mouth. About an inch of ash hung from it as JR seemed way too preoccupied to pay it much mind at all.
The area around the bar itself was totally dark, although he could slightly make out the outlines of doors and hallways beyond. Even with Anton’s vampiric eyes, he couldn’t see past the darkness, totally. Anton raised a finger and motioned for JR to approach. JR nodded and fixed a cup of coffee for Anton. He brought the steaming cup to the Anton and sat it down. “Don’t worry about it this time,” JR croaked. “This time you can drink it and not worry about it. Everyone can eat or drink whatever they want here.”
Anton looked and him curiously and then shrugged. Somehow, he knew that JR told him the truth. He slowly picked up the hot cup and brought it to his lips. He closed his eyes and allowed the hot liquid to flow slowly into his mouth. Usually he would have spit it out but for the first time in centuries, he swallowed. Half expecting to vomit, he set the cup back into its saucer. When nothing happened, he looked up at JR. It had been the first time he had actually tried to drink anything while there. Most of the time he just sat and listened to stories of the various patrons.
“I told you, buddy,” said JR smiling at him, “here nothing matters. It’s the Way Station you know? Whatever you are, whoever you are, shit, it doesn’t matter here. We’re all equal. So just drink your coffee and relax.”
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