The Vampire's Oracle

Secrets in the Moonlight

★Anastasia★

The Veil pulsed with energy, the bass vibrating through my bones as I moved behind the bar, weaving past bartenders and servers carrying trays of neon-colored drinks. My body was here, but my mind was still tangled in last night’s dream, replaying every detail over and over. Marcia. The man. The warning. I was exhausted, but I knew I had to push through. It was my last shift before my weekend off, and I was looking forward to it. Sort of.

“Earth to Anastasia,” I blinked and slowly turned around to see Marcia leaning against the counter. Her arms were crossed, and she had an amused smirk on her lips.

“Sorry,” I muttered as I grabbed my empty tray. “Do you need something?” I questioned. She arched a brow and slowly shook her head.

“No, but…you are like a zombie tonight…what is going on?” the smirk had faded, and she had unfolded her arms. Concern shone clearly in her eyes, and I sighed softly. While we had grown close, I wasn’t sure I could tell her the truth. “Seriously, Anastasia, what is going on?” she questioned, but this time she was closer, and the concern and worry had increased as she studied me closely. The club was bustling and there was no time for us to stand around and gossip.

“Not now,” I said loudly, but Marcia grabbed my arm to stop me from leaving.

“Yes, now. Charlie! Quick break!” she called out to the bartender. Charlie nodded before he turned his attention back to the customers who seemed to hang onto the bar to get his attention. Marcia pulled me into the back and the sudden silence made me blink for a moment. I shivered as the chill settled over me and I sighed. I had a feeling she wasn’t going to let me go until I told her something.

“I had a dream about you,” I blurted out and her expression changed from concern to horrified, then she merely looked intrigued.

“Well…I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not since you are acting weird,” she remarked, and while I wouldn’t dare tell her who I was or what I was supposed to be able to do, I could confide in her a little bit.

“In this dream you warned me…you told me that I should be here and that I should be afraid,” I said, and she frowned.

“Here? As in the club or what?”

“No, we were in some alleyway,” I said. I hesitated for a moment before I told her about the dream. The alley, the sunlight, how it all twisted into something dark. How she had grabbed me, pinned me against the wall, and whispered those words. Marcia nodded as she listened closely, but now her expression was blank and unreadable. When I was done, she was quiet for a long moment.

“Well…” her voice trailed off, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. She didn’t have to say a word, I knew how it sounded. “That sounds pretty messed up, Anastasia,” she finally said, and I was surprised.

“Yeah?”

“I mean…you have been dreaming about some guy in the darkness and…and then I show up, in the sunlight…it’s…I mean, it’s weird,”

“It is,” I agreed.

“I don’t…I wish there was something I could say to help you out here, Anastasia, but…I don’t have the answers. It’s a weird dream for sure, and I don’t know why I would warn you…but it is just a dream, right?” the way she asked me that made me pause. There was no way I could tell her that I suspected that it wasn’t a dream.

“Yeah,” I lied, and she studied me for a moment longer before she smiled.

“Well, then stop dreaming weird s**t,” she stated, and I burst out laughing. If only it was that easy. “Come on, let’s get back to it,” I nodded, and we headed back onto the main floor. Marcia immediately headed for a nearby table, but I held back for a moment. I felt a bit relieved that I had told someone – other than Aunt Eloise – but I couldn’t shake the lingering fear. I believed Marcia had taken me seriously, but her advice had been a bit insensitive. Not that I could blame her, since in her mind, it was just a dream. I shook my head and got back to work.

“HEY!” someone called out, and I turned to see a small group sitting at one of the tables. I hurried over to them and took their order. I wasn’t even surprised to see how busy this place was for a Friday night. I stood by the bar while I waited for Charlie, and I looked around as I bobbed my head to the music. It was then that I felt a chill run up my spine. I shivered as I tried to shake it off.

“Do you know that dude?” Charlie asked as he pointed at someone just over my shoulder. I looked over to where he had pointed, but I didn’t see anyone. Then, just before I turned away, I spotted him in the shadows.

“Be right back!” I informed him before I hurried toward the man standing in the shadows. He didn’t move as he clearly watched me approach. However, I was surprised to see that he was an older man, possibly in his thirties or even forties. “Why are you watching me?”

“Are you…are you Eloise’s kid?” he questioned loudly. The noise of the club didn’t help, but I had heard him loud and clear.

“She is my Aunt,” I told him. “Why? Are you looking for her?” I asked. This wasn’t the man from my dreams, but he certainly was the man who had been watching me. I recognized his posture and, oddly enough, his clothing too.

“Your Aunt?” he repeated, clearly confused. “Where…where is she?” he then asked, and I frowned. This was weird. He was weird.

“Come back in three hours,” I told him and, for a moment, it looked like he was going to say no. But then he slowly nodded before I watched him head for the exit. I shook my head as I went back to the bar. At least that was one mystery solved. Sort of.