2 Days Ago

Even here in Miami the Onion symbol could be found almost everywhere. Except it wasn’t nearly as bold as his home town of Atlanta. Instead it could be seen in the graffiti tagging the walls, idle stamps placed on menu’s, and printed bumper stickers. People in Miami weren’t nearly as open or loud about their discomfort with vampires. But that being said, they weren’t happy about them either.

It was a clear sunny day in the vibrant city, and it was so stifling hot Kyle struggled to walk from his car to the bar without sweat soaking through his shirt. Seagulls flew overhead, so many they looked like clouds. The predominant smell in the air was one of aftershave and sun tan lotion.

Ever since vampires existence came to light Kyle’s life was thrown upside down. Even though he was young at the time, his family had to move away from their Virginian homestead. His entire clan had to re-arrange themselves further south until he found himself in a place that was far too hot in the summer months. Down in Georgia, the mosquitos were aplenty and tea was rather too sweet. It actually surprised him how little attention the vampire epidemic, as some had come to call it, was noticed in the Deep South. He would come to learn later that there were already several other lesser clans in the area. They had so integrated themselves within society that when they were outed as being vampires the public was only shocked at first, but then settled down. It was hard to get angry at your own mayor, neighbors, and half your friends when none of them ever did anything wrong. The stigma was still there but it wasn’t a giant bulls eye on you’re back.

It was strange that of all the cities in the country, it was mainly those in the western and southern states that had largely not devolved into panic about vampires. However there was nowhere that you couldn’t escape the damn symbol of the onion. Kyle always wondered why the symbol hadn’t been one of garlic, which was the more traditional vegetable believed to ward off vampires. In ancient times priests used to keep them on hand just in case. He never found an answer, and regardless of which it didn’t matter. The purpose of the onion protesters was clear enough, having to give them a history lesson seemed pointless.

It reminded him of something his mother once said, “There is no reasoning with insanity.”

A lot of things seemed to have become pointless to him over the last year, including his last break up. Last winter Kyle had purchased two summer getaway tickets for a cruise, one for himself and the other for his girlfriend. She was out of the picture now, and it was probably for the best. When he learned she had started dating another vampire from the Veril clan he felt like had dodged a bullet. Anyone who would spend time with those savages had to be gluttons for punishment…then again he did recall she liked being pushed to harsher extremes during their more intimate moments.

Following the disaster which was his love life, Kyle relaxed into bachelorhood with a modest sense of relief. He had completely forgotten about the cruise all together until one day his own parents became concerned that he had grown too introverted with his single life. Also he already had scheduled time off work and there was no sense in just staying home and doing nothing. So after a twelve hour drive, and copious amount of coffee, he had arrived in Miami alone. The Vampire Cruise was meant for younger couples and singles, so he dared to hope that maybe he could attempt to meet someone new. Maybe next time he would find someone a little more stable, or so he hoped.

The ship wouldn’t start embarking passangers until the following day, so he was eager to get a drink and pass out in a shabby hotel until then. Kyle Stryx wore his dark shades into the bar next-door of the motel he found. It was a trendy establishment that tried to look newer and more modern on the outside than how it actually was on the inside. The inside revealed the building was in dire need of restoration, but that didn’t stop its loyal customers from occupying every table in the building. The large bar table was a dark solid oak slab which was obviously brought in from somewhere else. Wherever this nice piece of countertop came from, it wasn’t from this tropical paradise.

There were few seats available, but he was lucky to isolate one of them towards the edge of the bar table, the stool was wobbly as he sat on it. The menu’s laid out were simple laminated pages full of local beers and special drink options. As for food, burgers seemed to be the hot ticket item.

Kyle realized he must have seemed out of place in his thin Henley shirt and jeans. He had been in his air conditioned car for so long he didn’t realize how stifling hot it was until now. His sun glasses were specially tinted to alter the red spectrum so that anything red would appear more brown or gold in color. He could’ve elected to wear his special contacts to block out the color instead, but they were uncomfortable and it was so damn bright out he could get away with wearing shades indoors. Even inside the restaurant the light was pouring through clear glass windows, and he wasn’t the only one still wearing shades.

“Can I get you anything sir?” The voice of the bartender interrupted his thoughts. The woman before him was a rather cute brunette with a single mole just underneath her right eye. Her oval face sported a wide chin and chiseled cheek bones, her lips were full and held a pleasing smile. Her sunburned skin told him she had only recently moved to Miami and he found her pink fingernails distracting as she worked. At the moment she was filling a pint glass for someone else, but she noticed him the instant he took his seat.

Kyle had a particular type that he always gravitated toward when seeking a mate. For some reason he had always preferred blondes. For a brief instant he could remember his last girlfriend, her perky smile and her witty sense of humor always caught him off guard…but not as much as her figure. He pushed the thoughts of her out of his mind and focused on the nice bartender instead. He had to clear his throat before speaking, “can I get a double bourbon with no ice.”

“Oh someone is starting the day off right, sure thing coming right up.” She had to hand the newly poured beer to its intended customer before grabbing a clear glass, “And what kind of bourbon would you like?”

Whiskey, Bourbon, and Scotch were the main food groups of the South. Whiskey after a hearty meal, Bourbon when in need of a pick-me-up, and Scotch to celebrate special occasions. But where a ten dollar bottle of Whiskey might be just as good as a fifty dollar bottle, Bourbon was different. Each Bourbon distillery competed for the most distinguishable taste, and sometimes fought like Scotch makers to come up with the best batch. When it came to Bourbon brands one needed to be careful when choosing. Kyle already had an idea which brand he would go with but always liked asking for the bartenders opinion. He found sometimes they knew of local brands that came with their own surprises. Relaxing his shoulders Kyle asked her simply, “What would you recommend?”

“Well that depends, do you like it smooth or smokey?” She leaned onto the bar table and looked at him intently. Her V-neck shirt made it easy for her to show off a bit of cleavage without appearing risqué. But it was her smile that was almost impossible to escape from. Kyle couldn’t help but admit she was doing her job quite well. If he wasn’t careful she would find it easy sucking the money out from his wallet.

Kyle smirked and tried hard not to gaze too long down her shirt, her soft mounds begged for his attention. “Where I’m from, good Bourbon always has a good bite to it but then rewards you with a smokey aftertaste. Maybe I’ll go with a Jacky Dean black label?”

“Good ole southern boy,” She teased him while shooting a wink. Her voice sounded too smooth and chipper to be a native, which was further proof she was not from around here. “But if I were you, I would give the ‘First Slap’ a shot.”

“First…Slap? Really?” Kyle rested his chin in his palm and rolled his eyes.

The bartender nodded, “Trust me I think you’ll like it. Its a brand new distillery, and we just so happen to have a few bottles left.” He tried to place her accent and guessed she was a cali girl, or somewhere from the west coast.

Kyle returned a smile, “Ok, your the expert.”

“Comin right up,” She responded happily.

Kyle Stryx leaned forward onto the solid oak bar table and watched as the bartender filled his glass. She then added a single slice of jalapeño which surprised him. “Its bad luck to order something so simple without a little something extra to add to the taste. This will help compliment the smokey flavor,” she had to speak quickly for there was a series of other customers vying for her attention. Once she handed him the drink Kyle wished he could continue talking to her but knew she was only being polite to earn the extra tip.

He watched her walk away for a few seconds before deciding it would be rude to keep staring. She was only being nice to him because it was her job, but even still he liked how it felt. He supposed maybe he had kept himself isolated and single for too long after all. After several months of being single the sight of a beautiful woman’s smile seemed to uplift his spirits.

Sitting alone with the drink in his hands he tried to relax the best he could. He was looking forward to starting his vacation the following day. A cruise for fellow vampires seemed like a dream come true, especially these days. He wondered just how many vampires would be on the ship, and representing how many clans? There were so many clans he doubted there was ever a clear consensus of them. His clan, the Stryx, wasn’t an old one. It could trace its lineage back to the eighteen hundreds. It was widely believed to have been a part of the Lucien Dynasty, however based on records Kyle was able to uncover, it was more likely his family belonged to the Ruse clans of Romania rather than the long fabled Lucien bloodline. Either way it didn’t matter, his earliest clan ancestors were known as Stryxians and lived shortly in Romania before migrating through Switzerland. By the nineteen hundreds the Stryx clan found itself hopelessly splintered by World War 1.

Little did humans know that vampires played a role in that conflict, the Stryxian clans more so than most other vampires. Following the Great War the Stryx fragmented and scattered throughout the world, largely never staying in one place for long. Kyle’s segment of the Stryx clan found themselves in Great Britain, and then New York, and in the 1950s they settled in Virginia. And now they were mostly in Georgia and the Deep South. He thought it strange how the world moved them around from one place to another. It was they, the vampire, who were the dominant species on this earth. Not so long ago it was they who forced mankind to re-settle far away and uproot their very lies to escape the creatures of the night.

Deep down Kyle wondered if the world was truly a better place now that the truth was out in the open. Would it have been better had the vampire clans decided not to disclose their existence to the world? He wondered how much longer they could’ve remained hidden, or what they could’ve done different. No sooner had he finished his drink had he noticed a news bulletin on the tv positioned in the corner of the wall across from him.

More riots were sprouting like weeds in every major city. Buildings were on fire, cars sent ablaze, and reporters struggling to get it all on film. The one thing Kyle noticed above all else, there were no actual vampires in the damn footage. At least none he could see. It was easy for vampires to spot other vampires, but for some reason normal humans always failed to distinguish the difference without closer inspection. It was humans who were ransacking businesses and running amok, all the while claiming vampires were a threat to them all. Never before had a civilization destroyed itself so readily for no apparent gain, and it made Kyle wonder what true motives hid in the shadows.

“Can I get you another round, country boy?” The sweet bartender had returned to him. Her words broke Kyle’s train of thought, and he was thankful to be pulled away from the dire news on the screen. He found it comforting to have a pleasant voice remind him that there was still beauty in this crazy world.

He looked down at his empty glass and decided he had the constitution for another drink, and maybe another after that. “You read my mind,” he returned a smile to her and it felt good seeing her blush ever so slightly.