Blood Lust
Chapter Thirty-Five

Labor went fast. Leon had been born a perfect seven pounds and nothing more. Lee and Yun had just enough time to hang enough sheets over the windows and doors so they could stay with me during the day. They gave me all the support I could ever need. It made me question whether or not I really ever wanted a normal life.

Maybe what I wanted was whatever this was.

In my exhaustion I asked, "What's R's last name?" Everyone looked at each other for answers.

Dee broke down, "Verne. Reginald Verne."

"Leon Verne." I said out loud. It sounded right.

Once I had felt well enough I started taking Leon for strolls at night. Thankfully I could blame the night walks on colic, but for how long?

During the day, the curtains had to remain closed at all times. I had Lee use black paint to cover the windows in my room so I wouldn't have to worry about Leon. That gave a extra room up so that Yun could have his own space.

"Did you hear? The town elected a new mayor!" Mister Orion had drummed up conversation as I strolled through the store.

I was looking at the label on a jar, "Hmm. You don't say..." I responded half of mind. "Is he from around here?"

Mister Orion had chuckled, "Oh, well. Rumor has it he isn't, which makes it all so exciting. But for the life of me, I can't remember his name." He scratched his bald head.

"Oh, well maybe it will come to you if you focus on something else." I moved on to the next item on my shopping list.

There was a small pause before he spoke again, "Ah yes. Mayor Verne."

It took a minute for me to process that name, "What a odd name." I said, trying to cover my lie.

"A Reginald Verne."

My heart skipped a beat. It was him. There was no mistake. He was alive, but why had he come back like that?

I quickly said my goodbyes to Mister Orion and rushed out the door. As soon as my foot could feel the old brick, I took off running. I ran so fast that when I had gotten back to the house I was out of breathe. I could barely explain myself when I slammed the door open and everyone had their eyes glued to me.

"Christi, what's going on?" Martin leaned over in his chair.

I slowed my breathing, "R is the new mayor..."

My comment made the room boom with shouting. They were just as upset as I was. We all had the right to be. We had holed up in this shack for a year while we waited for any kind of word from him.

We waited for him.

I waited for him.

Yun perked his head out from the kitchen, "He's putting on a spaghetti back tonight for the town."

Martin snickered, "R? A spaghetti bake?" Even I didn't believe it. "Oh I have got to see this."

"How did you hear this?" Lee asked his son. Lee seemed to be more visibly upset. Yun pulled out a flyer from his bag. Lee passed it around.

The flyer was announcing the election of a new mayor. The town was getting a bigger influx of people moving in so it was time they got a mayor. That night the mayor would be putting on a dinner and dance at night for the townspeople as a meet and greet.

"We're all going." Dee finally spoke up from under the hat he had placed over to his eyes. "We need to make sure it's actually him." Dee seemed unmoved by the fact, but by his quiet nature I could only imagine how he must've felt.

It took me an hour alone to get myself and Leon dressed. I came down the stairs to see everyone waiting on us, "I'm ready to go." I said, passing them.

We chose to walk down to the town square. The night air was a little chilly, but that was normal being so close to the water. The closer we got the more the street lit up, people standing and chatting. If I was completely clueless like the rest of the townspeople, this might be really nice.

Further ahead, I saw the event. A wooden stage set in the middle. It was decorated with lights wrapped around the poles. Below the stage was different colored picnic benches and large tables set off to the sides. They were covered with different kinds of spaghetti that made my stomach growl.

"I'll take Christi and Leon. Everyone be on the lookout. I smell others." Dee took charge which surprised me. Dee wrapped his arm around my waist, causing me to jump, "I'm covering your smell." He explained. It didn't make me feel any better.

Dee took over the pram so that I could make myself a plate of food. I happily over filled my plate and then we sat down at one of the benches. "Oh my god! This is so good!" I groaned. Dee hadn't even blinked as he looked off in the distance.

"Welcome, Welcome!" A scratchy voice made me drop a meatball on Dee's lap. "Tonight is the town's spaghetti bake to welcome our new mayor!" A old woman had caught the attention of the crowds. She had gone on a tangent about the towns history and how it came to be, but I hadn't focused very much on it. The meatball was still in place on Dee's lap. It was too hilarious not to wait and see how long it would take for him to notice.

"I can see. Just take it." Dee spoke in a soft whisper. I laughed, knowing that I had been caught.

"Sorry it was too funny." I bent over and stabbed the meatball with my fork.

Suddenly, it was like the wind had been sucked out from my lungs. The air was thin and cold around me. I couldn't breathe.