The Immortal Design Read online

  On the day my mother died, my father Johnathan contacted Mr. Stoker. He could no longer bare to have me in his presence. Of course the Order knew of Dracula’s youngest son Mihial. They had been tracking him for a very long time. Stoker sent word for him to be captured but not harmed. Once the deed was done he met with Mihial in his prison and made him an offer. He was to take me and raise me, if and only if he kept to himself and no longer preyed upon humans. Mihial agreed to the terms and that night I was taken back to the place where I was conceived. Mihial made sure I got the transfusions I needed and schooled me in the ways of the vampires, but my human nature longed for more. I no longer wanted to be hidden from the world. So I left and I came here. I sought out the family of the man who had saved me and my mother. I found you. I had not intended for Mihial to follow me however. I love my brother very much like a father, but he had begun to revert to the old ways and I wanted no part of it. Do not get me wrong John, I have a strong dislike for your ancestor for killing my real father, but if it was not for him I would not be here today or worse I could have turned out to be a real monster like him and my brother. Do you know the name by which I call him? Ce Rau?

  It means little evil one. That is what he truly is. He has no human soul left, he is full vampire and he cannot be saved. I have counseled with your father and I am fully prepared to help put an end to my brother’s business here and to help you save Pete, that is if and only if you will accept me.” Willa sat silently on the large plush couch waiting for me to reply. I let her story sink and thought it over. I had a few questions for her of my own before I made my decision.

  “If what you are telling me is true, then why would my Great-Great-Great Grandfather write it as a fictional story? Why not just let everyone know that vampires really do exist?”

  Willa laughed at my question. “John do you not see the flaw in your theory? Look at how you are acting in light of our own situation. This is the 2000’s and when all of this took place originally they put people away in horrible places for a lot less than claiming that vampires are real. You remember the character Renfield from the book yes?” I nodded.

  “He was your ancestors’ best friend. After my real father had been killed, Mr. Stoker went to visit him in the asylum. Renfield told him not to tell the tale and told him of the horrors he endured while he had been locked away. He told him to make it a false tale to save him from being thrown in the same place. He listened to his advice and took it. He portrayed himself as Van Helsing.”

  That did make sense. It made perfect sense. The real journal was safely hidden in my own room. I had almost forgotten that it was there and I bet if I went and retrieved the journal and read it now, the tale of Willa would be included in the journal. I guess I should have read it three months ago. I could have been better prepared to handle what was coming.

  “Okay. I believe you. Thank you for being honest with me, but I have one more question for you. Are you willing to allow your brother, the man who took you in and raised you as his own flesh, to be killed by the Order so Pete may live?” Tears spilled freely from Willa’s eyes.

  “If that is what must be done for this to end, and for me to be with the man I love then my answer is yes.”

  18.

  I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. Of all the crazy things I had heard over the last four months that had been the craziest. Willa was willing to sacrifice her own brother to save my best friend. “You love me?” I asked bewildered. Willa lifted her eyes to mine and through the glossy tears I could see that the person who sat before me was no monster. She was just a girl who had a very unfortunate past. It was no more her fault for being who she was then it was mine for being who I am.

  “Yes. Yes I do Johnathan. I love you deeply. When your father begged me to turn you into a creature that was damnation itself, to save your life. I wished for the first time in my long life that I was a monster. I wanted to save you, but I could not. I visited you every day in the hospital, at first your father would not allow it, so I would sneak in at night to see you. There was nothing that would keep me from you. Finally when your father caught me at it, he listened to my story and decided I could stay with you.”

  The flame that had been slowly burning beneath my chest burst into a full-fledged fire. I stood up walked across the room to where she sat. I took her by the hands and lifted her to her feet. I looked deeply in to her eyes, brushing away the tears and kissed her. She reciprocated the kiss. Although she was cool to the touch the fire that we shared warmed her flesh. I broke away long enough to tell her “I love you, I’ve loved you from the first time I saw you. I’m so sorry for thinking you were anything but who you really are, my first and only true love.” We went back to kissing, I held her tightly to my body and I felt more alive than I had my entire life.

  “Oh, um I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.” My father had come to check in on us. We broke apart and looked at him. We both laughed at his embarrassment. My father joined us in the laughter and came over and hugged Willa and then me. “I’ve order a pizza if anyone’s hungry.”

  “Sure, I’m starving. In case you missed it dad, I was asleep for three months. Hey, how did they feed me if I was asleep?” I asked curiously. Both Willa and my father glanced at each other.

  “Very large tubes son. Big ones that went down your throat through your nose….”

  “Okay, that’s enough, I really don’t need to know anything else I don’t want to lose my appetite.” We all gathered in the kitchen. My mom was busy getting the drinks ready, she was just about to set a soda down in front of Willa but then hesitated.

  “Oh, yes, I do eat and drink regular food like you Mrs. Stokes. I just need the transfusions to keep my organs healthy.” My mother smiled and put the soda down in front of her. We all had a great time while we chatted and dug into the extra-large supreme pizza my father had ordered. My mother and Willa seemed to have hit it off pretty well. I was glad that my parents were accepting of the first girl I had brought home, especially since she wasn’t your typical girl and it was in my family’s blood to off her kind. Oh my god that sounds terrible.

  In the midst of the party the phone rang. My mother got up and answered it. “John, it’s for you.” I wasn’t surprised. Even though I had kept my cell phone off, the phones kept ringing, but this time I decided to take the call.

  “Hello?” I answered.

  “Hello John. I heard you were out of the hospital. You miss me? I stopped by your room a little while ago and left you a welcome home present. I hope you like it. I went through a lot of trouble to get it for you.” Pete had started laughing before he hung up. I dropped the phone. My father and Willa looked over at me in surprise.

  “John who was it?”

  “It was Pete. He’s been in the house. He said he left me a welcome home present in my room.” Willa, my father and I all ran to the upstairs bedrooms. My father had grabbed a gun loaded with silver bullets. Together all three of us went from one room to the next to make sure no one else was still in the house. Finally we made it my bedroom. My door was shut. My father stood to the right of the door and Willa took the left. I stood in the front of the door and slowly turned the handle. The door creaked open. It was too dark to tell if anyone was in the room. I slid my hand through the opening and flipped the switch on. The room light up quickly. Peering through the cracks I couldn’t see any movement from within the room. I looked to both Willa and my father we all nodded together and I flung the door wide open. I stepped back and my father entered first with his gun pointing in every direction ready to shoot any intruders. Willa followed close behind, she had her strength and extra senses to rely on. I was the last to enter the room.

  I was also the first to see the gruesome sight that was my welcome home present from my best friend. There in the middle of the room laid out on the four poster king sized bed were the heads of three men. One was Drake, the other was Stephen, both men had been members of the Order, as well as my own personal c
ombat trainers. The third was Kelly VonHolten’s father. Willa gasped in horror at the site of the severed heads. I held her as she turned from the site.

  My father approached the bed and examined the disgusting display. “How could he have gotten to VonHolten? He was looked up in the jail awaiting trial. This is very troubling.” My father turned to Willa and me. “If Pete took a human life he…” My father had begun to say, but Willa cut him off.

  “This was not the work of Pete. He wouldn’t have the strength to do this, not yet anyway. This is Mihial’s doing. He used Pete to get to John. He’s setting us up. He wants us to think there is no hope in saving Pete.”

  “You’re absolutely sure of this Willa?” My father asked.

  “Yes. One hundred percent sure Mr. Stokes. When a human first turns to a full vampire, they are weak, the older they become the stronger they are. That is why Mihial is so strong. He is a master at manipulation as well. Be on your guard. He has officially declared war on the Order.” Willa turned and left the room. My father and I covered the heads with the bloody blankets from my bed and removed them from my room. I was certain I wouldn’t be sleeping in here tonight.

  I came back to the kitchen to find my mother huddling in the corner and Willa desperately trying to console her. “She’s not taking the news very well John, what do we do for her?”

  I looked down at my mother. It had never occurred to me that she had known about my father’s dealings and that there were real monsters living amongst us. “I’ll get her pills. She has severe anxiety, they will help her. Could you take her to the living room and make her comfortable? I think we should all sleep down here tonight. I don’t like how they can come in here as they please. It leaves us open to an attack at any moment.”

  With very little effort Willa picked my mother up off of the kitchen floor and cradled her in her arms. She laid her gently on the large plush couch and waited with her while I went up to her room to get her anxiety pills. I searched through her bathroom cabinet and couldn’t find what I was looking for. I tried her bedside stand. There I found her pills along with a note. “My dearest John, please be careful of The Order. They pretend to be do gooders fighting for a just cause, but in reality they are ruthless killers. Your father is the head of The Order. They have groomed you to be his successor. I know your heart, you are not meant to be one of them. Please take this one piece of advice from your mother, do not follow his path. Find your own. I love you no matter what you do.

  Love mom.”

  I tucked the note into my pants pocket and took the little bottle of pills down to my mother. I opened the bottle and took one pill out and handed it to my mother along with a glass of water. Her hands shook so much that Willa had helped her hold the glass. Willa covered her with a blanket and tucked her in. “Willa, I’m glad that you found us. I’m happy that you and John have each other. In this world we live in, with the horrors we all face daily, it is good to know that he has you looking out for him and he can be there for you as well. You were both born to be mortal enemies” she paused and looked up at the ceiling contemplating for a moment before she continued “But the Immortal Design had other plans for the two of you. I truly believe in fate…” my mother had fallen asleep as she was about to finish her thoughts.

  I looked to Willa. Willa looked back to me and smiled. She climbed up into my lap in the oversized chair and snuggled against my chest. “I like your mother, she is very sweet.” Willa whispered.

  “Yes she is, but she makes terrible casseroles.” Willa laughed and lightly slapped my chest in a playful gesture. I leaned down to meet her lips with mine and kissed her gently. “I love you Willa Alucard.” I stared at her for a few moments more “I just got it!” I said laughing.

  “You just got what John?” Willa asked

  “Your last name. It’s Dracula spelled backwards!”

  We laughed together for a short time over how I hadn’t caught on to her last name from the get go, until my father entered the room.

  19.

  My father wore a grim expression on his face as he entered the living room and took the chair next to the one that Willa and I shared. He glanced over at my mother and shook his head. “She never could handle the affairs of the Order. She has been medicating herself for years now just trying to cope with what my business is. I never meant for her to be involved in any of this. It is unfair to her.” He turned his attention to Willa and me. “I have made calls to other member’s to warn them that we are now being hunted. They are all on extra duties. One of which is to watch the house. So if you see anyone out there, just know it is The Order patrolling. I think first thing in the morning we will all gather and form a plan of action. Willa I will need you in on this specifically seeing as you know your brother better than we do.”

  “Of course. I have already agreed to do whatever is need to be done to help you. I stand by my word.” Willa spoke with conviction, but I could feel her body tense up as she spoke. I wasn’t sure I wanted her to be a part of this. I for one didn’t even want to be a part of it.

  “I thought we should all sleep in here tonight dad. Safety in numbers and all.”

  “I agree. One of us should take watch though. Pete slipped in and out of here undetected.” He said as an afterthought.

  “I will take first watch. I do not require much sleep anyway and I am used to being awake all night.” Willa spoke up first. My father nodded in agreement. Willa stood up and took a position by the large bay window at the front of the house. My father went to his study and left me alone with my mother in the living room. I watched her sleep for some time before I nodded off myself.

  Willa woke me a few hours later. “I need to get some rest do you want to take the next watch or would you prefer your father to take it?” She asked quietly.

  “No. I will take it. He needs his rest. He’s been under a lot of stress for past few months.” I got up so that Willa could take my spot in the chair. I needed to use the facilities and get something drink. I started to walk out of the room, as I passed the couch in the dark room I checked on my mother who appeared to be sound asleep still. Something wasn’t right though. She was too still.

  I knelt down and checked her more closely. She wasn’t breathing. “Willa! Come quick, somethings wrong, turn the lights on now!” Willa was by my side in the blink of an eye and the lights had turned on so fast I was momentarily blinded. I checked my mother one more time for any sign of breathing. Nothing. “Willa get my dad then call 911 she’s not breathing!” I pulled her from the couch and started performing CPR on my mother’s lifeless body. When her body hit the floor I noticed the pill bottle. It was empty. Oh God NO, I wept as I tried my hardest to get my mother to breath. I rhythmically thrust down on her chest then blew into her mouth crying and praying that she would wake up. Nothing I did was helping. My father came in and bent down beside me, “let me take over” he demanded. I couldn’t stop, I had to save my mother. Willa took hold of me by the shoulders and pulled me away. I watched in horror as my father desperately tried to save her. A pounding on the front door came, Willa answered it. The paramedics came rushing in and took over for my father. I grabbed the small bottle that lay by my mother’s cold hand.

  Hours passed before the coroner had showed up to take my mom away. I was lost in a cold numbness. My mother had taken her own life. I watched as they gently placed her in a black body bag and carried her away. The sheriff had come personally to take the report. I made sure he had the empty bottle of pills that she had taken.

  The coroner was speaking with my father as I approached “She went peacefully in her sleep.” I couldn’t take it anymore. Another hole in the wall appeared as I punched through my anger. Willa came to my side and guided me back to the kitchen. I sat on the bar stool looking down at the counter. The counter where my mother would serve her casseroles that I disliked so much. Willa found a paper towel and wetted in the sink, then started to clean the fresh cut on the back of my hand.

  I laid my head
down and cried. I wanted her back. I wanted the one person who could make everything seem alright even when everything was so wrong back, but I knew it was not going to happen. Willa stayed by my side the rest of the night. She seemed to understand that no words would console my grief, so she remained silent.

  I hated that she felt she needed to do this to escape from a world that she didn’t want to belong in. The Order, the monsters, the deaths that came with whole business. I wanted to blame my father. A small part of me did.

  I excused myself and went to the restroom. While fastening up my jeans I felt the crumpled up paper in my pocket. I had forgot my mother had left me a message. I pulled it out and read it again. I knew now that she had planned to take her own life. It was why she had left the note warning me about my father and the Order, and how she explained that there was an Immortal Design.

  I was getting really tired of being clueless. I had been clueless about everything before I had been shot and laid in a comma for three months and I had been clueless about my mother deciding she no longer wanted to be a part of a word that had monsters in it. I decided right then and there, I was no longer going to be the idiot everyone took me for. It may have been my grief or it may have been my mother’s final warning, but I had a plan to make things right and I was about to set that plan in motion.

  I washed my hands and went back out to the kitchen where Willa and my father sat silently. “We have work to do.” I stated.

  “Tonight? John, your mother just…” my father stopped from finishing his sentence when he noticed that I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Where do you want to start?” he asked. Willa took a seat at the island table. I had her full attention. I just wasn’t sure I had my father’s full attention.