The wind whipped across his face.

Gloomy weather suited the day, a lone man stood away from a crowd of mourners. Their gasps and moans carried away by the wind. The man shivered, his mother would have been pleased.

“Hiding out, Seddie?” A booming voice said. The man looked over to see Roger his brother-in-law walking towards him.

“Yeah, you know me and crowds.” Sedrick said and shrugged his shoulders.

Roger stood beside him, a few inches shorter than the man who stood six feet tall.  His brother-in-law put his arm around Sedrick, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Mother would have been pleased.” The man said. He watched as the wind blew around small pieces of garbage and paper. The crowd of mourners had broken up and were on their way to their cars. The service had concluded a few moments before.

Sedrick turned and headed towards his own car. He had put in the respectful amount of time, it was time to leave.

Roger followed him. “You know we’ll need to tell Susie about this.” Sedrick stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at his brother-in-law dumbfounded.

“You mean Susie doesn’t know?” He asked incredibly.

“No, she’s been travelling the world, I’ve really had no way of contacting her. I’ve left messages at all the numbers she’s given me…” Roger shrugged.

“Great. I don’t need this Roger. I’m the one who has to clean up the mess. Now I have to deal with telling my little sister her mother’s dead?” Sedrick didn’t wait for an answer but headed for his car. Reaching it, he turned around, “I guess I’ll clean up you marriage issues too.”

Roger stood twenty paces back and looked down at the grass. Sedrick felt bad for acting like a jerk, he usually tried hard to watch what he said. The man hardly ever let emotion control him.

“I’m sorry.” Sedrick called. “It’s a bad time.”

This brother-in-law nodded. Sedrick climbed into his car. He started the engine and drove towards his home.

-----

Sedrick paced his living room. The lavish furnishings, and thick Oriental rug, did nothing to soothe his nerves. If he could not find his sister, he was the sole heir to the Livingston fortune. He did not want that kind of attention. He had to find his sister.

Ah Susie; his sister, a free spirit, a modern woman with a flare for adventure. She had gotten the travel bug at a young age. Sedrick knew the places she liked to frequent, he would obviously search those first.

Standing at the bar, he poured himself a scotch. He sipped it. His mind wouldn’t stop thinking. He could not believe that his mother was dead. She had been attacked and murdered two nights before. Who would want to do that, Sedrick had no idea. But he was going to find out.

The man glanced at the mirror behind the bar and saw a dashing, brown haired middle aged man. Time had flown while he had been busy writing. Sedrick had always wanted to be an author, and that is what he strove for. He was also athletic and played basket ball, squash, and ran faithfully.

The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

“Hello.”

”Hello, Mr. Livingston?”

“Yes.” The man said trying to be patient.

“It’s Pierre the desk clerk, you have a visitor. It’s a lady, says it’s your sister.”

Sedrick stared at the phone in shock. Could it be possible, perhaps it was her. “Send her up.” He said finally composing himself.

The man hung up the phone and raced to the door.

Heart racing, Sedrick unlocked the two dead bolts and whipped the door open. He glanced back and forth down the marble floored hallway. No one.

Sedrick stood there, unsure for a minute, and than decided to wait inside. He did not want to be caught photographed lurking in the hallway.

Inside, he leaned against the closed door. Could Susie have found out and that is why she was here?

A knock on the door, interrupted his thoughts.

Sedrick opened the door, and slammed it shut immediately. With trembling fingers he quickly engaged the two locks. His heart was racing, and the man backed away from the door. He was not sure if he should trust his eyes or himself.

The man ran to the bar in the living room. He slammed down what was left of the scotch, and with trembling hands he poured another. Sedrick heard the locks to the front door being unlocked. He heard the front door open and close, and heard the click of heels approaching him.

“Sedrick you can’t get away from me that easily.” A female voice he knew all too well said.

He looked up from his drink to the angry petite brown haired woman standing before him. She was dressed in an expensive black fur coat, with a hat covered most of her soft face.

“You’re dead.” Was all he could manage to say. His heart was still hammering in his chest.

“Am I?” She laughed. Sedrick felt sick. He wasn’t sure if he was going crazy, or if his mother had just put on the biggest show ever.

“Are you?”

“Yes.” She laughed, the sound was almost a tingle. “I was brutally attacked, even murdered. But now I am here.” She stretched out her arms towards him, “now come give mom a kiss.”

Sedrick gulped more of the scotch down. He wanted to pinch himself. This was insane. He wasn’t in a book, this was real life. “How are you here?”

His mother waved her hand. “Oh, that’s boring. Do you really want to know?” She teased. Smiling, she patted his face. “Okay. Well the person who attacked me wasn’t really a human, he was a vampire; a most handsome one.” She winked.

“What?” Sedrick’s head was spinning. “Did I hear you right? Did you say a vampire?”

“Darling, why do you always make things complicated. I guess it’s a bad time for you to hear the details.” His mother shrugged, clearly frustrated. “Where’s your sister?”

The man felt weak, his legged trembled. Holding onto the bar for support, he made his way to the bar stool. He sat on it heavily. Was he to believe that his mother was a vampire, that she had come back from the dead? Not to mention, that for her to survive she now lived on blood? This was insane. Had he finally gone over the edge? Was he crazy?

Then he realized something; his sister. If she could see their mother, than he wasn’t crazy and she really was a vampire. Now more than ever Sedrick needed to find his sister Susie.