Chapter One

Treehouse Vampire

Jael climbed into the treehouse that her father had built for her four years ago when she was six. It looked like any other treehouse, odd boards and pieces of plywood hammered together to make the rough shape of a large box sitting in a three. An extension chord running from the house below provided power for the treehouse to support it’s radio, and lamp. There were also two chairs placed around a wooden box that served as a table, and a much longer wooden box, almost six and half feet long, and two feet high.

Looking at the sun setting over the mountains, Jael guessed it would be another half hour until the sun set completely, so she turned on the lamp, and pulled her homework out of her backpack and got started, all the while she kept glancing at the long box. As the last rays of sunlight disappeared there was a shuffling sound from inside the box, and after a few moments of fumbling with the lock that was inside the box, he emerged.

The vampire had found the treehouse, and the box, about two years ago when he was passing through the town and needed a place to stay for the day. When he had come out that night, he found Jael sitting at the table, and staring terrified at him. She had actually jumped out of the tree house, but the vampire had managed to catch her before she fell the twenty feet to the ground. Ever since then the two of them had become close friends, and the vampire had become very reluctant to leave.

“Jonathan!” Jael said excitedly, and jumped up to hug the vampire.

“Hey,” Jonathan said groggily, “give me a few minutes to wake up.”

“Okay.” Jael said, and returned to doing her homework.

“Math homework again?”

“Yeah.”

“Once I’ve had a chance to wake up I’ll give you a hand.”

Jael smiled happily, that was the main reason she insisted that her parents let her go to the treehouse to do her homework rather than sit around the table and let them help her. Being over five hundred years old, Jonathan knew a lot about everything it seemed, and was only too happy to share his knowledge with someone. Jael was just happy to have such a patient teacher, and such an intelligent man to help her.

“What’s it like to die?” Jael asked, just as Jonathan looked down at the house to ensure they didn’t have any intruders.

Jonathan sighed, she’d asked that question a thousand times it seemed.

“Did you forget in the two days since you asked that last?”

Jael smiled and nodded.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, especially since there are so many deaths out there and I’ve only had one of them. But for me it was one of the most relaxing experiences I’ve ever had. I just laid down, and watched the sky as my life slipped farther and farther away. I had a feeling growing inside that I had nothing to worry about, and nothing mattered anymore.”

“So how did you become a vampire then, if you died?”

Jonathan groaned quietly, she seemed to ask the same questions every night. “So, what problem are you stuck on?” he asked, sitting down in the other seat.

The two of them worked on the homework assignments for the next hour or so, by that time Jael’s mother was calling her in for a shower, and then bed. Jael hugged Jonathan again, and climbed down the ladder. Jonathan watched her climb down, making sure she didn’t slip and fall. She had slipped a few times before, but Jonathan had used his supernatural speed to catch her before she fell all the way.

“Are you still going to tuck me in?” She called up from the ground.

Jonathan glanced nervously at the house to make sure they were still alone. “Yes, I’ll be there.” he called at loudly as he dared.

Once Jael was inside, Jonathan leapt from the treehouse and landed twenty feet below without even a grunt. He moved silently through the shadows careful to not be seen by anyone looking out a window. Hunger growled inside of him, and Jonathan left the yard and moved towards the center of town. He had find a stray dog, or some unwanted animal for a meal. Truthfully he missed the taste of human blood, but after meeting Jael he had decided to change his ways. But switching food choices was a small price to pay, he thought, in five hundred years of undeath, she had been the one person that he had loved. So if that meant passing up a tasty human, so be it.

After catching and feeding off of two stray dogs, Jonathan returned to Jael’s house. He carefully inspected himself, making sure no traces of blood remained, then slipped through her window, which was left open. Jael smiled again at him, and Jonathan reached down to hug her. He pulled the light blanket up to her shoulders, then kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Goodnight, Jael.” he whispered.

“Goodnight, Jonathan.” she whispered back.

Jonathan moved into the deeper shadows in a corner, and silently watched the young child until she fell asleep. Once he heard her quiet snores, Jonathan crept out the window he’d come in, closing it behind him.

Once outside, Jonathan left the yard again and began his usual wandering around the town. He’d have to feed again before the sun came up. “There’s just not enough blood in dogs.” he sighed.

(note) I’m still toying with idea of this story, so give me your feedback, and don’t hesitate to give me suggestions on characters, or possible plotlines. Thanks for reading. Swiftstriker