“You don’t have to wear that mask Charlie. I’m not sick.”
“Mom, there is a pandemic going on. I don’t want you to become sick. I can’t risk that.”
“Well, I don’t go anywhere.”
“I go places mom. I’m out in public.”
“What about Austin? He sees me without a mask.”
“I’m part of your bubble Grammy.” said Austin. “Most of my work is from home. Remember I told you about teaching my classes on Zoom.”
Grammy furrowed her brow. “Zoom? Is that fast classes so you won’t spread the Covid?”
“No Grammy, it is classes over the computer, on the Internet,” said Austin.
“Well, if you’re not teaching or messing around with old houses you’re working with dead people. Damn Vampires can’t get the Covid. At least my grandson decided to follow in the family footsteps and do something about the vermin,” said Grammy.
“So how are you mom,” said Charlie.
“Chicken died,” said Grammy.
Austin spoke first. “What? Chicken? Did raccoons get her?”
“When did this happen?” Charlie asked his mother.
“This morning,” said Grammy.
“Mom. Oh no. How?”
“I don’t know. I think Kayla killed her.”
“Grammy, why would Kayla kill Chicken?” Austin knew Grammy’s caretaker would never hurt any animal.
“I don’t know. Maybe she just got tired of her,” said Grammy.
“How did she kill Chicken?” Charlie asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe she chopped off Chicken’s head.”
“Mom, Kayla didn’t kill Chicken.”
“You don’t know that,” said Grammy
“Mom…”
“Austin, have you been hunting any Vampires lately?”
“No, things have slowed down over the holidays and haven’t picked up, thank goodness,” said Austin.
“Maybe Vampires got Chicken,” said Charlie.
“Don’t be a smart ass Charles. You know they don’t eat chicken, much less suck out their blood,” said Grammy.
“I wouldn’t know mom. I never hunted Vampires.”
“You never had the talent for it. Austin on the other hand got that gene for sniffing out and killing those pesky damned undead creatures.”
Kayla, Grammy’s caretaker came in followed by a small pack of small dogs. “Good morning. Hey, his Charlie. It’s been a while.”
They made a few words of small talk as the dogs bounced all over Charlie and Austin.
Then Kayla said, “We lost Chicken.”
“I know, we heard,” said Austin.
“She was pecking at some wires so that might have killed her. I don’t know. She might have just died of natural causes. Poor Chicken.”
They talked more about Chicken and made more small talk. Then Grammy said, “Go out in the yard Austin and get some lemons. We’re going to make a lemon pie.”
“Good idea,” said Charlie.
“It will keep the Vampires away. They don’t much like pie,” said Grammy. Then she giggled like a little girl.
“She was one of the most fierce Vampire Hunters of the 20th Century,” Charlie told Kayla.
“I can believe that Charlie,” Kayla said with a smile. “She is still pretty fierce.”
“You’re right about that,” said Charlie. “You certainly are.”
~ end
This is my first new story for quite a few weeks. All of the Covid isolation, construction at my house, and other weirdness has sort of, well, not been conducive to creativity. As always, stay safe, wear a mask, turn off the news, go for walks, talk to and with your kids, listen to your kids, don’t be a dick, be kind, and kiss a Vampire.
~ Juliette aka Vampire Maman
Vampire Maman 