Blood Shadow: Book of Hartwell Read online

  Andrew stayed away from the house all day. He spent a good portion of the time in ram’s clothing, pounding his head against any tree that could

  withstand the force of his intense power. He felt embarrassed and ashamed, like any teenager would be at being bested by another guy for the girl he coveted. But this was Daniel and Nicole, and they were ‘The Slamigo’s.'

  Although Drew never really had a concrete plan of how it would all work out in the end, he did envision that they all would be together. After all, he and Daniel were first cousins – hell, they were closer than most brothers – and Nicole was his best friend other than Daniel.

  He replayed the fight on his front lawn over in his head and all he saw was Daniel and wanting to make him feel the same pain that he was experiencing. In fact, he didn’t even remember changing into a ram or seeing his mom as a bear, or Hartwell, well, being Hartwell.

  Drew changed in and out of his four animal egos all day, but had absolutely no idea he was anyone else but Andrew Brewster. When he returned home at night, the glass bay window had been replaced, a new microwave was securely in place, and the house was quiet, too quiet.

  Emily was waiting for Drew in his room, which initially caught him off guard. He thought it would be easy to slide into the house and go right to sleep. The last 24 hours had been exhausting, both physically and mentally, and he needed to sleep it off. Emily was looking at some of the

  items in Drew’s room and was in full-reminiscence mode as he walked through the doorway.

  “You were such a calm little boy,” Emily said as she looked at an old framed picture of her son.

  Andrew was so distracted that he didn’t even notice his mom until she started talking.

  “Mom!” a startled Drew said because his sanctuary had been invaded. “Have you been going through my stuff?” a defensive Drew asked.

  “Come over here and sit down,” Emily stated, motioning toward a big red beanbag chair across from the bed. “I have to talk to you about something important.”

  Andrew reluctantly plopped down on the beanbag chair and slowly decompressed toward the floor. He was all ready for a talk about the drugs he had stashed in a sock on the top drawer of his dresser, so his low level of receptiveness was coming through loud and clear.

  Emily began, “Okay, first I want to say that this is not going to be a talk about the stuff you had in the top drawer of your dresser,” pointing to the dresser and implying that the items were properly disposed of.

  Drew didn’t know what to think, so he went evasive, “What ‘stuff’ in the dresser?”

  Emily’s initial reaction would have been confrontational, “The ‘stuff’ that I flushed down the toilet about ten minutes ago,” but she reached out to her crucial ally, “Have you ever noticed that we are different?”

  Andrew was ready for a battle and was again thrown off by the question.

  “Different? Do you mean me and you, or us and everyone else?” She sat forward and tightened her grip on the baseball in her right

  hand before rearing back and throwing a fastball at his head. Andrew casually reached up with his left hand and snagged the 100 mile per-hour fastball about a quarter-inch from his left eye. He then flipped the ball to himself and said, “So, what’s your point?”

  She was amazed, “You see, you don’t even acknowledge your abilities. How many people do you know can do that?”

  “Two,” Andrew replied and then took a leap of faith and hurled a 105 mile per-hour fastball at his mother’s mouth.

  She skillfully turned her head and caught the ball in her mouth with all of the flair of a circus performer.

  “Ta-da!” she exclaimed.

  Andrew was flabbergasted, “Three.”

  Emily took the ball from her mouth and whipped it with her right arm toward the doorway, where Thaddeus caught the ball with his bare feet while doing a handstand. He flipped back over and said, “I used to be able to do a lot more tricks.”

  Andrew’s mouth opened wide and Emily filled the blanks, “Four.” Andrew looked at his grandpa’ in amazement, but Thaddeus was

  insulted.

  “What? Did you think I just ate a lot and sat around all day?” Your abilities have been passed down from me to your mom and Uncle Cal, to you.”

  “And there are others…” Emily excitedly said, possibly revealing too much.

  Andrew stood up and became animated, “Who? Daniel and Nicole? Others of what? What are we?”

  Thaddeus looked at Emily with his stern lock-it-down, fatherly expression.

  “Yes, they are part of this,” Emily stated.

  And Thaddeus attempted to sway his grandson – once and for all – to put aside his ‘impossible’ crush, “Daniel is one of us.”

  “And Nicole?” a still-hopeful Andrew asked. “She is not of us,” Emily stated.

  Andrew would not give up so fast, and he slowly became irritated again, “What? Not of us? What does that mean?” he angrily said.

  Thaddeus used his superior force to shove Andrew back into the beanbag chair. He bent over and was now an imposing figure, not the lazy, aging grandfather he usually portrayed.

  “Listen, boy. And you listen good. The next time you come at me or your mother, I’m going to put you under the ground. That crap you pulled today will never happen again. That cost me over a thousand dollars to fix all of that damage you caused.”

  Andrew thought about getting up and defying his grandpa’ because, after all, he still he thought he was the big gorilla of the house.

  Thad looked at Emily for approval and Emily gave the go-ahead with a knowing smirk. Andrew started to stand up and Thaddeus literally picked him up by the t-shirt and tossed him through the wall. Andrew landed in the living room and Thad was quick to pounce on him, letting out a huge roar with fiery yellow eyes ablaze.

  Andrew became so scared that he urinated down the leg of his jeans in a sign of clear submission. Thaddeus smelled the pee and put his hand out to help Andrew up.

  Emily walked into the living room and said, “We think it’s time to give you a chance to join the family business.”

  Andrew nodded in approval like a whipped puppy, “You have to work so you can pay me back for the window and your wall,” Thad stated.

  Andrew hugged his mom and then his grandpa’ who said, “Welcome home, son.”

  ELEVEN

  Daniel woke up the morning after the dance and felt a chill amidst a warm spring day. He went to the bathroom and then put on a pair of sweatpants and a heavy, hooded sweatshirt with the words ‘DOLPHINS VOLLEYBALL’ in royal blue lettering on the back.

  “Morning,” he said to his mom as he entered the kitchen.

  Belinda was going through a pile of bills and seemed preoccupied when she said, “Morning, honey.”

  He slid a sesame bagel into the toaster and made himself some hot chocolate by emptying the contents of a packet, filing his favorite Peanuts mug with water, and then popping it in the microwave.

  Daniel sat across from his mother once all of his food was ready, flipping his hood over his head before taking a sip of the scalding brew.

  Belinda picked up her head, as she was obviously being prompted to ask the following question, “Are you cold?”

  Daniel took another sip and replied, “I can’t get warm this morning.” Belinda chuckled as she returned to her paperwork, “This is the same

  guy I fight with all winter to wear a jacket.”

  Daniel was trying to piece together the activities that occurred after he and Nicole went to Andrew’s house.

  “What time did I get in last night?”

  Belinda replied, “I’m not sure. I fell asleep on the couch at about 10 p.m.”

  “That was about the time I went to Drew’s house,” Daniel stated. “Wasn’t the dance over at 11?”

  Daniel nodded ‘Yes’ as he munched on his bagel with cream cheese. “So, why were you over at Drew’s house at 10?” Belinda questioned.
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  Daniel’s body temperature had quickly normalized and he started to sweat.

  “Wow, this stuff works fast!” he said, looking at the hot chocolate mug. He initially flipped the hood back and then pulled the sweatshirt off altogether. Daniel stood up and walked out of his gray sweatpants with the dolphin logo on the left leg.

  Once Daniel sat down again he said, “I think Drew saw something that he wasn’t supposed to see.”

  Belinda thought about the statement and then yelled, “You didn’t!” Daniel beamed and blushed, “I did.”

  Just then, Daniel focused in on the pile of papers in front of his mother, and flashed on a piece of paper with her bank account information.

  They discussed the sparse details from the night and then Daniel said, “I could get a part-time job.”

  Belinda was too proud to let that happen… at least not yet. “No, Danny. The economy is getting better and sales will pick up. Eventually.”

  Math was never Daniel’s favorite subject, but three thousand dollars in the bank and twenty thousand in debt and bills seemed like a complete mismatch.

  “So, what happened at Drew’s? Did you see him?” Belinda asked.

  Daniel was ready to say, “I don’t know,” but he flashed on Drew coming at him in a violent way and replied, “Yeah, I saw him, and he definitely saw me.”

  Resident ‘image consultant,' Hartwell, supplied the mental clip in an effort to begin making him aware of the danger his cousin presented. But it was too early in the process for Daniel to build up the kind of natural animosity he and Andrew exhibited when they were re-introduced to each other at the age of eight.

  Daniel was undaunted by the previous night’s events and biked over to Andrew’s house after breakfast.

  “Andrew!” he yelled as he entered the expansive ranch house. “Hey, Daniel!” Emily shouted from the kitchen. “He’s in his room.”

  Emily stated as Daniel poked his head into the kitchen.

  Daniel turned right toward Andrew’s room and half of his wall was still missing. He poked his head through the vacant space for a little, much- needed levity, “What happened here?”

  Andrew was in a much better mood since his talk with his mom and grandpa’ and replied, “I got a little mad.”

  Daniel stepped through the hole and said, “You sure Grandpa’ Thad didn’t pick you up and through you through it?” Daniel said sarcastically as Drew stood up, and a bro’ hug ensued.

  Andrew figured that Daniel was kidding, but said, “Why? What did my mom tell you?”

  Daniel pulled back from the hug and dropped down on the beanbag chair. “You’re crazy! I was just kidding. I haven’t seen Grandpa’ Thad move more than two feet in the past year.”

  Andrew thought to himself, “I have.”

  “Hey man, I’m sorry about yesterday,” Daniel said and then got a bit awkward, “Bro’s before ho’s.”

  Andrew tried not to laugh, “We both know she isn’t a ho.”

  They both laughed and slapped hands as Andrew stated, “As long as you keep that ho away from this bro.”

  The conversation ebbed and flowed over the next ten minutes. Daniel read a magazine and Drew surfed the Internet. Later in the talk, Daniel said, “I think I might have to get a part-time job. My mom seems a bit stressed.”

  Emily’s head bobbed up and then she cut her finger with the knife she was using to cut carrots.

  Drew turned to comment on Daniel’s statement, but he had left the room to get a Band-Aid in the bathroom and was already in the kitchen.

  Emily was reaching for a paper towel when Daniel glided into the kitchen and said, “Did you cut your hand, Aunt Emily?”

  She replied, “Yeah, I was cutting some carrots and I thought I heard a squirrel running on the roof.”

  Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a Band-Aid. “Had one in my pocket from all of those volleyball floor burns.”

  He held her hand and swiped the blood away with his finger and then applied the Band-Aid around her left index finger.

  “Thanks, Danny!” an appreciative Emily said as she gave her nephew a hug.

  Daniel raised his right arm to his mouth and licked the blood clean off his right index finger. The blood tasted better than the best dessert he ever had, and was just as good as his first kiss with Nicole the previous night. In fact, he envisioned all of the things he loved while swallowing the blood.

  They broke the hug and the blood rushed to the lower half of Daniel’s body, so he quickly sat down to avoid any embarrassment. There aren’t many worse things than hugging your aunt and then revealing an inappropriate level of excitement.

  “Hungry?” Emily asked as Daniel crossed his legs and was trying to think of anything – old ladies, cauliflower, a dog pooping – anything to lessen his uncontrollable excitement.

  “Always,” he replied with a slight break in his voice.

  She fetched an assortment of cakes, cookies, and potato chips and put them on the table as Andrew came into the room.

  “Where did you go?” he asked.

  “Oh, I just went to the bathroom and then helped your mom with a cut on her hand,” Daniel replied.

  Emily flashed the Band-Aid and her son then focused on the table, “Slide over.”

  Daniel was fairly ‘stiff’ at this point and wasn’t sure how he would move smoothly to another seat under his current constraints. He banged himself into the underside of the table, causing some of the sweets to pop up in the air. Drew caught two cupcakes in either hand and then swallowed a chocolate chip cookie whole.

  “What’s up with you?” Drew asked his cousin. Daniel blushed, “It’s just one of those days.”

  They sat for the better part of an hour and continued to consume – Drew genuinely hungry and Daniel just waiting for an opportunity to stand up straight.

  Daniel finally felt the blood redistribute to the upper-half of his body and reached for his buzzing phone in his pocket.

  “You at Drew’s?” the text from his mother read.

  Daniel picked up his head and said, “Mom wants me to come home and help her with something.

  “Well, send her our love,” Emily said as Daniel and Drew banged fists.

  “Will do,” Daniel replied as he hugged his aunt, this time without incident.

  But instead of going home, he headed straight for Nicole’s house, texting her of his plans on the way. Emily had a hunch and was in a mood to give her nephew a ‘hard’ time. She had successfully reined Drew back into the fold – as much as Drew could be reined in – and was still a little steamed at Daniel and Nicole.

  “Hello,” Belinda Thompson said on the other end of the line.

  “Hey ‘B’, it’s Em.”

  “Is my son eating you out of house and home yet?” Belinda asked. “He was until a few minutes ago,” Belinda innocently replied. “That’s weird. He just texted me that he was staying at your house

  and would be home for dinner,” Emily stated and then thought about the typical actions of teenagers. “Oh, so he is using Drew as a cover to visit Nicole. I don’t like that.”

  Emily didn’t have to say another word other than “goodbye,” because she had accomplished the classic ‘plant and wait’ flawlessly.

  Meanwhile, Daniel pulled up at Nicole’s house and was greeted at the door by Garrison Phillips, who thought it would be wise to spend a few minutes with his young charge before setting him off into a world of

  potential hurt – especially for his granddaughter.

  “Daniel, my boy, come in and sit down,” Gary said. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

  Daniel was stuffed, “No thank you, Mr. Phillips. I just got finished eating.”

  “Okay,” Gary replied. “It was just great to finally meet you last night. Nicole has told us so much about you,” he said, of course knowing exactly who Daniel was from the day he was reborn.

  They went back and forth with pleasantries until Gary cut to th
e chase, “Be careful with Nicole. I would be disappointed if anything was to happen to her.”

  Daniel was still buzzing from the taste of Emily Brewster’s blood and only heard the words “Be careful” and “her,” so he answered accordingly, “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  “That’s all I can ask, son,” Gary replied, although he had no doubt Hartwell’s son would be able to do just about anything he wanted when he turned 18.

  Gary then called for Nicole and she came out, wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt – a look that appeared to be thrown together last minute, but she had changed outfits at least a dozen times since she woke up.

  She walked toward Daniel and started blushing, as their eyes danced across the carpeted floor. Gary thought that the consummation of this relationship could take a while... at least he hoped it would take a while.

  It took an hour for Daniel to slide his hand next to Nicole’s while they were watching TV in the den. Daniel became excited again and said, “Uh- oh.”

  Nicole looked at him and asked, “Did you say something?”

  “I was just thinking that I have to leave soon, but I don’t have to go just yet. I’ll text my mom and tell her I’ll be home a little later.”

  Daniel’s eyes started tearing up as he struggled to get a clear view of the screen on his phone. He had produced random ‘sprouting’s’ before, but it was nothing that a stack of books and a little time couldn’t deflect.

  When it was time for Daniel to leave, he was at half-mast and was able to conceal enough to get on his bike. Nicole made sure this was a temporary condition as she bent down and put her left hand on his right shoulder – her shoulder-length blonde hair flowing like a goddess. Their lips met and the magic happened all over again.