?

Michael, when he saw the fragile embarrassed lady, agreed. He introduced himself to her. He was painfully curious as to her chronological age. She looked in appearance somewhere between twenty and thirty. Vivian smiled when she saw Michael and blushed, ''Oh, such a nice gentleman you are, and I am so shabby. I apologize. I used to keep myself in better shape, but ever since Edward disappeared, I've let myself go to ruin.''

Michael smiled as he extended his hand to her, leading her to their sofa, ''Oh, not to worry, I've had a few 'itinerant' years myself. It is just rare for a lady to be forced to do so.'' Vivian looked into his beautiful sympathetic gray eyes, ''It's been hard and scary. I've met some friends in New York who call me Crazy Viv, and they look out for me. But, oh, it's been so hard.''

Sonya refilled her water cup, which Vivian sipped at slowly. Michael looked her over, and made a decision. ''You need some clothes. We will see you get some new ones, not cast offs.'' He thought of who would be most capable in this arena. Gwen had always been so helpful with his raiment, and Jonny was the youngest and knew what was most in fashion. So he asked them, and each were willing to help the delicate lady.

Gwen showed her the bathtub and got an old dress of hers that might do until new items were bought. Vivian spent a long time in the tub. She had it filled with bubbles, declaring, ''This is the most marvelous luxury I've had in, I don't know how many years.''

Jonny took the two ladies to Yuma's new mall, where many stores awaited them. A tiny lady, Vivian would have success at any store, Gwen surmissed. Vivian was much impressed with the mall. She had never been in one before, and so many stores, interconnected, impressed her.

But the garments these stores offered did not impress her. In store after store, she declared, ''These are not fit garments for a lady! Everything is so mannish or whorish. Don't they sell any pretty dresses?''

Gwen smiled, remembering her shopping adventures with eighteenth century born Michael. She didn't bother taking him shopping anymore. She knew what he'd wear: plain black pants, size 32 waist, 28 inseam, plain long sleeved white shirts, 15 neck, 32 sleeve. He'd accept nothing else.

It wasn't conclusive, this preference of vampires for clothes of the era in which they were born. Sebastian, the eldest of them, had no such preference. But then he'd spent most of his centuries naked, romancing the ladies.

Finally, at the old mall, in PENNEY'S, a rack of flowered dresses were discovered. They looked quaint and victorian. Gwen felt such a triumph when Vivian liked them.

She REALLY liked them. One dress, covered with roses, made her go ecstatic, ''Now, THIS is a pretty dress!'' Gwen got her in the fitting room and learned size 12 fit her perfectly. She announced to Jonny, ''Gather each size twelve in these collection. We'll get her ALL of them. You don't argue with an old one. Just gather them up!''

Jonny had been given Michael's debit card, as in that account were the greatest funds. He had a fright when he looked at the labels, and whispered to Gwen, ''They're seventy five dollars apiece!'' Gwen was certain Michael would approve, ''But nothing else is suitable. You don't argue with an old one. Get in line at the check-out station!''

Vivian was all a-titter with excitement. She had to tell the bored clerk, pointing to the rosey dress, ''This dress is ALMOST just like the one Edward and I got married in, so many years ago, in spring when the apple blossoms were in bloom. New York used to be so nice, back then in the thirties, not all dirty and congested like it is now.''

Jonny cringed, as he told the clerk, ''Never mind our crazy Aunt Viv. She's just nuts about the Art Deco era. We have to get her home and get her medicine.''

Vivian turned abruptly to Jonny, and was about to make a fuss, when Gwen patted her arm, and whispered in her ear, ''We'll explain later . . .'' The young blonde clerk did perk up, though. Her night wasn't the usual monotony. She'd go home and tell her boyfriend about the crazy lady who thought she'd lived back in 1930.

Safely in the car, Jonny tried to explain to Vivian, ''Uh, you can't do like that! You can't go and act like you lived back in the thirties!'' Vivian was confused, ''But I DID live in the thirties. I'm not THAT crazy. I was born in 1901, I remember. See, I can always remember it, I was born one year after the century, and Edward was born one year before. I can't be crazy on that.''

Gwen patted Vivian's arm, ''We'll try and explain it better when we get home.'' Then hoping to brighten the mood, she remembered, ''You were born the same year as my Gramma. She passed on though, back in '98.'' Vivian became curious, ''I don't meet very people born in 1901 any more. In what part of the country did she live?''

Gwen told her all about her grandmother by the time they got back home. Vivian said, before she exited the car, ''I don't know why I keep going, when everyone else my age has long kicked the bucket, but I do. It sure can't be because I eat right!''

Then Vivian remembered the words of the magician she and Edward had met on their wedding day. He cast a spell on them. She didn't believe it at the time. She still didn't.

Back in the house, Vivian was eager to put her new dress on. Gwen suggested, ''There's a full length mirror in my bedroom, if you'd like to see what you look like.''

Vivian suddenly blushed, ''I never look at myself in mirrors anymore. I can't stand to. Oh, I shouldn't be so ashamed of myself, especially since I'm learning so many people have the same awful habit I do. But I can't help it, you see it's all the fault of this magician . . .''

By this time, everyone in the house had crept out from their private quarters. They all wanted to hear Vivian's tale. ''You see, back in 1930, on the day Edward and I married, we met a strange dark magician. He wore an elaborate cape, and had skin as black as a man from Africa. He said he was a great sorceror and could perform great magic.

''Edward and I didn't believe him. We'd seen the great Houdini, and rather suspected this guy was no Houdini. But we figured, what the heck, it's our wedding day. Let's go listen to what the man says.

''He had piercing eyes. Oh my, that magician looked in our eyes, and we were spellbound. He said to us, 'You love each other very much, and you want your love to be eternal. I agreed, I wanted that. Edward nodded assent, to go along with the game. I don't remember too much what happened after that. I passed out. So did Edward. But he told us to make the spell work, we had to always drink blood and avoid the sun.

''I thought it was pretty strange myself, but I couldn't help craving it, the blood. Neither could Edward. So he hunted and we drank. Every year afterwards, it's been the same. With Edward gone and missing, I suppose the spell has been broken. But I crave the blood just the same. I never did understand about the sun. Why did he curse us with that? But as long as we had each other, I didn't mind so much.

''I wonder where that magician came from. I never did see him again. I keep hoping, since I keep drinking the blood, I'll meet Edward again. So there you have it, my strange awful story of how I came to be a blood drinker.'' Vivian looked at the others, to gauge their reactions, and was puzzled to find them all smiling.

Flame red haired Sebastian was the most amused, ''He didn't tell you much, did he? I suppose it could be worse. The one who turned me made me think it was a CURSE. I think believing it's a magical spell is better.''

Vivian looked at the young man with the amazing mane of hair, why young men these days wanted long hair like a woman, she didn't understand. But she didn't stay long with that thought, she was more interested in Sebastian's tale. She asked him shyly what had happened.

Seb began his tale, and Vivian interrupted him, ''Oh, stop it now! I know I'm a gullible person, but you can't expect me to believe you were born in 1732! That's not possible! You'd be dead a LONG time if you were really born then. So tell me when you were REALLY born!''

Sebby was startled and confounded, never expecting to have been so challenged, before he even begun his tale. He stuttered, not knowing what to say. Gwen knew what to say, however. She got up and went to the main bathroom, returning with a round pink handled mirror. ''You say you were born in 1901. Do you know what year it is now?'' Vivian looked confused, ''I can't remember. I don't much keep track of those things, nineteen, nineteen, oh, I don't know. Or did it change? I remember some awful big parties in the city, TWO THOUSAND something. I'm getting senile. I'm plum getting senile.''

Livia had went to get the newspaper. It was odd luck they'd bought the Sunday paper. Really, it was only because they wanted to read an article a friend of theirs had in it, that they'd bought a PAPER paper. Livia held the paper up for Vivian to peruse.

''Yuma Daily Sun. I guess that's a good name for a paper in a desert town . . .'' Livia pointed to the date on the paper with her long red painted nail. ''Two thousand and SIX. Wow! I can still see good. I never need glasses to read small print.''

Gwen continued, ''What is 2006 minus 1901? What is that number?'' Vivian concentrated, ''One hundred and FIVE? I can't be THAT OLD? Oh my, no wonder I've been having such problems. One hundred and five! . . .'' Her voice trailed off in amazement. Gwen handed her the mirror, ''Tell me, look at that face in the mirror. Does it look like the face of a hundred year old lady?''

Vivian didn't want to look. But they were demanding it of her. As soon as the mirror went up in front of her, she gasped, ''That's a young person in that mirror. That's how I looked when I was young!'' She then held the mirror away from her, suspicious it held bad magic. Then it occured to her she might test it on another's face. She looked carefully at Michael's pale young face. She stood behind him and placed the mirror so she could see Michael's face in it.

Her eyes went from Michael to the mirror's reflection, back to Michael. Michael gently suggested, ''There is really nothing wrong with that mirror. You really do appear to be a young woman.''

Vivian's hands went to her face, and she screeched, ''But this is NOT POSSIBLE! It's just not possible. What could that magician have done to me?''

Michael placed his hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes, ''I shall tell you. This is really quite fascinating. I have long been interested in science.'' He then told the tale he'd heard from the alien travellers who'd brought them the generator replacement machine.

Vivian listened, mouth agape, as she learned of the symbiotic blood beings who had been quietly restoring her all these years. She trembled, and the others formed a circle around her, embracing her. Vivian looked at each of them in turn, and asked, ''So you've all had this happen? There is no way to tell by looking at any of you how old you really are?''

Each nodded, 'yes'. Sebastian brought his face close to Vivian's and whispered, ''Yes, I'm really an old thing of nearly 275 years now! But that's nothing, really. I've met the oldest ones, who are nearly 6000 years old. They are quite amazing to see. Ah, Irisena, she is so beautiful. Yes, Vivian, you did, indeed, meet a great magician that day. Let us now show you how blessed you are, if you will let us!''

Vivian looked blank for a moment, ''I-I-I don't really understand all this. I am not as 105, I am really as a perpetual thirty year old? I don't know what to make of all this. What are thirty year olds like in this age? They all used to look so young to me. I never knew . . . I guess age really is a state of mind. I have to figure out all over again how to act like a young person!''

Livia hugged her, and said brightly, ''Somehow, I don't think this will be THAT difficult to figure out!'' Vivian nodded, face still blank. Then her gaze clouded over, ''Can you find Edward for me? Can you do that?'' Goldie hugged her close, too, and asserted, ''We'll sure try. We'll ask everyone we meet.''

Michael then turned round to face Vivian eye to eye, ''What ever happens, you're HOME now. Do you understand that?''

Vivian began to cry, and said quietly, looking full into Michael's great gray eyes, ''Yes, I understand. That much, I understand. I thank you all.'' And she wiped her eyes, finding no redness in the tears.

Go to Chapter 28, NOt Yet WRitten!
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