His Obsession

The smoky scent of an open fire and the warm deer skin blanket wrapped around her made Talisa feel transported back in time. Days in the past where ancestors huddled across one another with the flames in front of them as the only light on dark rainy days.

Puck sat above her in a small nook he carved for himself, playing notes on a bone flute. Nora sat below him, watching a group of bones and sticks strung together the vampire had tied to one of his toes. Every once in awhile, Puck would wiggle his foot and set the kitten to pawing at the objects.

“You didn’t have to do all this.” Talisa told him. Puck looked down at her as she continued. “Nora and I could have gotten home safely.”

“The Voices say you live too far. Witchy Poo could have gotten a cold.” he went back to playing and putting random notes together.

“What are the Voices? Do you know?” Talisa inquired. Puck wiggled his foot as he placed his flute down in his lap. He smiled faintly as he watched the kitten play.

“The Voices…were real, at one time. They are almost everywhere, see and know everything in the world. They help shape Puck into who Puck is. Voices helped Puck so Puck helps them.”

“How do you help them?”

“Puck helps them pass through. Help them say goodbye to those they left and had no chance to speak to.” His eyes began to go far off as he tried to explain.

“Sometimes all Puck must do to help is simply to speak to those the Voices long for. Others, Puck has to avenged. They won’t go unless appeased.”

Tears began to fall down his face. “And then, there’s more to take their places inside. It’ll never end.”

Talisa looked up at him when one of his tears touched her. Puck hastily wiped them from his face and smiled.

You need us as we need you. the Voices told him. You help us and we help you in return. Haven’t we always?

Yes, Voices help Puck, he replied inside himself.

Thank you, thank you! He flashed Talisa a steadier smile and announced, “Rain going away soon! Witchy Poo and Nora-evil won’t get wet.”

Talisa frowned at her company’s strange behavior then giggled as Puck set his foot squirming and watched her kitten pounce.

“So after you drop us off where will you go?” she asked off handedly.

“Here.” He replied with a smile as he watched Nora play. “Here is home and Puck sleeps at home. Can stay out of sun here at home. Can eat and catch squirrels here. Home is a good place.”

Exceptionally good place, a few of the Voices told him.

Here, here! This is a marvelous place to stay, other Voices were saying.

Much better than the bar where Talisa lives, a select few added sourly.

“It’s a nice place, but don’t you get…ya know, cold?” the girl asked as she turned her face away from him and began studying her fingernails.

Puck looked up at her and then back down at the kitten, “Not really.”

“You get enough...um, food?”

“Plenty of nuts and squirrels and berries and rabbit meat.” Puck said with a faint smile and then frowned, “Though most of it comes back up. Puck doesn’t understand that.”

Talisa chuckled, “Puck, you’re a vampire! You’re supposed to drink blood.”

Puck scrunched up his nose and blinked down at her with bewilderment. “Blood?”

“Yeah, the red stuff inside of mammalian creatures and humans.”

A shudder went through him. A memory stirred, a sinister voice broke through the protective mists. A question asked in voice full of sensual and ghastly delights.

Isn’t it tasty, the blood….

Puck whimpered and clutched his head. That voice! That voice and three others haunted his days and nightmares. Something would always trigger them. The sound of a strong wind. The scent of mashed potatoes with butter and just a hint of sage. The sight of the color red. Always something and then the “evil its” would appear inside his mind.

“He finally gets it.”

“Yes he would look pretty in a dress.”

“We have so many things we wish for you to experience.”

“No!” Puck finally screamed aloud. He began yanking tufts of hair from his scalp. “No red! Don’t want it. No, stop it! Evil its, evilevilevil…”

Nora ran and hide on the other side of the fire while Puck began rocking back and forth as he whimpered.

“No speak. Shhh.” he whispered as Talisa pulled herself up next to him and put her arms around him.

“Calm down.” she told him. “It’s okay, you’re safe. You’re safe here. It’s okay.”

Puck hitching breaths began to even out and his shuddering subsided. The warmth from the arms around him helped greatly but it was the confusion of soothing sentiments from the Voices that truly allowed him to calm down.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Talisa inquired as Nora peered up at them cautiously. He rested his head on her shoulder and shook his head.

Talk to her, the Voices urged.

“I’m sorry I-” Talisa said before Puck interrupted.

“No apologizing, it wasn’t you.”

Nora cautiously crept up toward Puck and Talisa and watched them before creeping closer. Outside the rain let up and it came time for the witch and her familiar to leave.

“Those Voices know their stuff.” she told as she smoothed his hair back. “Rain’s let up.”

“Rain, rain went away.” Puck sang quietly as he lifted up his head.

“I guess Nora and I better get going. My Grammy has got to be frantic by now.”

Talisa watched him nod, she not making a move to leave.

“She owns a bar, a pub really.”

She still made no moves, studying Puck instead.

He was looking over her at Nora below and tempting her to once again play with him as she was before his strange panic attack. A small smile was on his lips as the kitten sprang and attacked the small objects.

“Puck?”

“Hm?”

“Would you like to come home with me?”

Puck slid his gazed to her, watching her worry her lip with uncertainty. He shrugged.

“If Witchy Poo says!”