A Harrowing Discovery Part II - Cramped Quarters

I'm not sure how long lay there until drifted back into awareness. But I do remember the sense of confinement, and something furry wrapped around me like one of Lunar's cloaks. That's when I opened my eyes, and saw a glowing red circle. A dark slit in the middle widened as I blinked.

"G'morning, Dad." It was Koen's voice. So close I could feel his whiskers brush against my cheek.

"Am I dead?"

"Well you are in my coffin..." The orb, which I now realized was Koen's eye pressed against my goggles, rotated from side to side, then raised and lowered slowly before blinking back to position.

"...but you're not dead. I found the air recycler switch..." Indeed, I could now make out the sound of a small metal fan cheerfully clattering away.

"...which is really optional for me, being a vamp, but good for you. Good planning on your part, as usual."

"Actually Son," I tried to shift my position as Koen's lean frame adjusted accordingly.

"The rebreather comes as a standard option on the higher-end Caledonian caskets. With fainting spells being a common occurrence, many people have a deep fear of being buried alive. Now...would you kindly open the lid so I can give you your space?"

"Umm...Dad. You're on top of me. The casket flipped over."

"Can't you use your vampiric strength and lift the body of the casket so I can slide out?" Koen pushed upwards as I tried to thrust my legs upwards. After several seconds or gritting teeth and fangs, we relaxed for a moment.

"You know Dad, a week ago I could have done this."

"A week ago you would have drained me of blood if we were this close."

"That's...true...You know, I really haven't been that thirsty lately."

"I can tell. You've cut back on raiding my private blood bank."

"Err, yeah...Dad, listen..."

"It's alright, Son. I planned for you to drink my supplies. Do you think that stake between your ribs got pulled out by itself?"

"Okaaay...and why am I getting weaker?"

"Because you're drinking my blood."

"WHAT?" He tried to arch his back in shock as his pupil dilated again. "You-you keep your own...?"

"Of course! As many times as I get blown up by my experiments it good to have blood in reserve. And since you have my blood in you already from being my child, it's the best vintage you could possibly get. Even if it is cold." I smirked.

"Hey...side note..are you turning into a neko or something? When did you start growing whiskers?

"It's called a mustache, Koen!"

Koen growled under his breath. "Now why am I getting weaker again?"

"Koen, do you remember how I cured the second Brauerhoff twin?"

Koen gasped. "The antidote! The anti-vampire formula is still in your blood!"

"Exactly! So with those two factors you should be at least half-cured. In fact, I can feel your heart beating." There was a minute of silence.

"Yeah, I thought that was the fan. How about that... Oh! Use your bionic scalpel thing and cut us out!"

The surgical blade is hidden in my right hand, which would spring out right..." I squeezed the back of Koen's neck and traced a line across it with my finger, "...there."

"Oh, Bast!" he hissed. "What's Plan...ummm...is it C or D now?"

"I call it Plan Qli."

I could feel his whiskers curve as he grinned. "Yeahhhh...that always works!" He roared with a strength that shook the coffin and nearly burst both my eardrums.

I joined in shouting for Qli and throwing in the best "HOOOO!" I could without being able to stretch out my arms.

We both heard footsteps outside approach the casket. I strained to hear her speech, very muffled through the wood, metal, fabric, fur and whirring fan.

"Oh no! Koen is having a Frenzy! I better get the wooden stake!"

We both gasped as we heard her footsteps race away. I shouted for her to stay away from my workbench, and Koen yowled desperately. But soon I heard the high-pitched whine of my steampowered lathe. Koen and I stared into other's eyeballs.

"Control-Shift-H?" He asked. I sighed.

"Trust in the Lindens.."

We both resorted to the..err...Teleportation Spell. A deft gesture of a wrist, two fingers and a thumb and the ubiquitous whoosh and ding and I was upstairs in my foyer. I flipped the poorly-placed secret lever and slid into the basement.

"Qli! Don't!"

But it was too late. She had used the wooden stake with a mallet...to break open the lock on the back door of the coffin.

"Father, I know Caledonians have a societal fear of being buried alive...but they have a phobia of being buried face-down as well?"

"Some Caledonians, my dear are certain that after they pass away Caledon will fall into Mainland ways, and they will all collectively turn over in their graves!"


FIN