Chapter 8: More Than Meets the Eye

Ophelia woke up with a start. Something was outside her house. In a sleepy hazy she moved as stealthily as she could to grab the shotgun that she always kept under her bed. As a single woman living alone in the woods, she needed to be prepared for anything.

Now on high alert, she heard shuffling from outside. Someone was definitely on her porch near the back of the house. She made her way to the back door and peeked through the window. Scanning the porch, she gasped when she saw a figure in the corner, crouching on the railing, just out of the range of the lamps posted on either side of her door. Seeming to feel her gaze, the figure looked up and she realized she knew who exactly those eyes belonged to.

Her initial fear melted out of her body, replaced with a warm fond feeling that she pointedly decided NOT to focus on. She placed her weapon on the table in the hall, unlocked the back door, and walked out onto the porch.

“Now, when I said I hope to see you again I didn’t expect it to be so soon.” Ophelia chuckled, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest, ignoring the way the warmth that filled her body was rising to her face.

Takoda’s eyes flitted around sheepishly. “I…” He seemed at a loss for words, retreating into the shadows a bit further.

Ophelia snickered, fighting down a grin as she relished in the mildly sadistic pleasure of watching him squirm. For a creature of legend, he was exceptionally easy to fluster.

“I’m kidding, Takoda. I’m very happy to see you. I didn’t realize you knew where I lived,” she prodded him again, this time unable to subjugate her smirk at his response.

Though he was still encompassed by the darkness, she could make out more of his form than earlier in the night and she watched as he raised his hand to the back of his neck and glanced away from her. “My sincerest apologies. I… I do not wish to invade your privacy.”

Ophelia rolled her eyes, leaning up against the outer wall of her cabin. “It’s fine. Don’t worry so much, I just enjoy teasing you.”

Takoda’s silhouette straightened indignantly. “Of course you do, I should have known.”

Raising an eyebrow at the comment, Ophelia retorted, “So, judging by that remark, you’re the reason I’ve always felt eyes on me at night and out in the woods? It sounds like you know me better than I thought.”

His shoulders dropped and the huffy tone he had moments before vanished as he meekly responded, “Yes, I cannot deny that was me. Again, I extend my most profound and sincere apologies. I took a vested interest in your family long ago; you come from a long line of remarkable people with pure hearts. How I was introduced to your family is quite the lengthy tale but I will gladly share it with you if you are so inclined to listen.”

Ophelia nodded, listening intently to Takoda.

He took a deep breath. “As you may have gathered, from the stories and your… experiences with me,” Ophelia still could not see more than his figure and ever luminescent eyes but she had a feeling he was blushing, “I am no longer entirely human. I was once, ages ago, but now I am something between human and beast. To my knowledge, I have become what you may know as a vampire.”

He paused, possibly for dramatic effects but clearly awaiting a reaction of some sort. Ophelia bounced her head lightly as she went through all the knowledge she had of him. Shrugging slightly, she gave him the encouragement he needed to continue. “That makes sense. How long ago was it that you became a vampire?”

Takoda sighed. “That is a… difficult question to answer. I cannot tell you exactly how long, as I myself do not recall, but I suppose I can posit an estimation. It has been hundreds of years. When I grew up we did not have any of these modern amenities. Watching the world erupt with new fangled technologies has been fascinating.”

His tone turned somber as he continued, “But, it has also been very hard. As you so astutely divined earlier in the night, my existence is a lonely one. This has been made even more unbearable as I have borne witness to the near complete eradication of my people. As I am sure you are aware, this land was once ours.”

“I remember days when life was so easy. There were hardships, certainly, but we loved the earth and she loved us in return. We moved through this country, working with nature for the survival of all. In some ways, I suppose I was lucky.”

“I was turned into what I am today shortly before the settlers from Europe arrived. I believe that is the only reason I survived when so many of my people were overcome by smallpox. I lost everyone I loved when they came here from overseas. I watched my family deteriorate to nothing, and we weren’t the only ones.”

Takoda paused for a moment, the hitch in his breathing indicating to Ophelia the depth of his sorrow. She gazed at him empathetically. She understood his pain well. She had not lived through the horrors of the colonization of America but she understood the devastation. She saw the aftermath of it all, the rights they had stripped from them, the stolen land, the crimes excused because the victims were from the reservations.

She couldn’t help but tear up as she sat in silence with Takoda, both of them mourning this monumental loss.

Takoda took a deep breath. “I must extend my apologies again, I did not mean to bring down the mood.”

Ophelia shook her head vigorously, though the lump in her throat prevented her from speaking.

Swallowing the presumed lump in his throat, Takoda went on, “My point was, it is difficult. To be an ever present bystander as history progresses. But my intention was to tell you how I became acquainted with your family, and so I will.”

She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and nodded, clearing her throat but rasping out all the same, “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sorry you have been through so much.”

Takoda shrugged. “I suppose it comes with the territory when you are granted the… gift of eternal life. Eternal life means eternal pain. Happiness too, on occasion, but the pain has a way of wedging itself deep inside you. It is part of the reason I choose to minimize my interactions with humans. Becoming attached to mortals leads only to prolonged suffering. But I would waste away without some form of connection to humanity. Which is why I am appreciative of your family.”

Ophelia smiled softly, her heart still aching. “I’m glad to know my family have been allies to you.”

Takoda’s eyes crinkled. “More than you know. Many years ago, I could not say when as I have established my grasp on time is quite tenuous - another byproduct of immortality - there was a rash of hunters that spread through the land. These hunters specialized not in hunting animals, but creatures like me. They were cold hearted and cruel, not only to us but to any animals that crossed their paths.”

“You see, they had no regard for the lives of anything aside from those they deemed worthy, even other human beings didn’t make the cut. The creatures of this earth were no more valuable to them than their own excrement, and we were even lower than that. I lost many friends in those days, whether to their stakes and blades or to isolation, as many retreated into the wilderness in an attempt to survive the culling.”

Sighing again, Takoda continued, “I do apologize for the depressing subject matter; my life has been more than misery and melancholy. But at that point in my long and storied life I had lost hope in the world. I had no one left and humanity seemed more corrupted by the day. I digress, these people came looking for me, as I expected they would. I had prepared for this and did what I could to protect my home and myself. I hid away for ages, but eventually my supply of…” he hesitated here, seemingly struggling to go on.

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, stifling a smile. “Blood? I assume.”

Takoda uttered a reluctant laugh. “You assume correctly. It is difficult to admit to myself, even still, that this is how I survive. But we carry on. My supply of… sustenance had dwindled and I had no choice but to leave my home. I swore to myself I would gather what I needed for the next few years without dallying and would be back within the safe confines of my mountain before anyone would be the wiser. Alas, I was foolishly mistaken.”

“I flew low over the treetops hunting a family of deer when a sharp sensation erupted from my side and then from my left wing. The pain was excruciating and I was unable to continue flying. I managed to coast away from what I believed to be the source of the attack and found myself collapsed behind a modest cabin.”

“Panicking, I dragged myself toward the woods, hoping to avoid a confrontation with the owners of said cabin and save myself from the villains who wished to exterminate me from this world. As destitute as I felt at the time, death is no easy adversary. Life is difficult but when one is faced with the absence of it one will do anything to preserve what one has.”

As he said this, he shuddered and extended his wings in a stretch, clearly remembering the agony of that experience. He drew them back to him and settled in again, honing in on Ophelia’s reaction.

Ophelia’s eyes were wide. She was completely enthralled by the story, barely registering the wings due to the rage bubbling inside her at the thought of these horrible people shooting such a gentle man out of the sky.

Tilting his head in concern, Takoda asked, “Is everything okay? I give you my word, this story has a happy ending.” He chuckled as Ophelia’s face softened and darkened with a blush.

“As I was saying, as I tried to make my escape, your grandmother emerged from the cabin. She saw me pitifully dragging myself along the ground and, without hesitation, called for your grandfather. I could do little to deter them as they rushed outside and lifted me from the ground, carrying me into their cabin and placing me gently on their couch.”

“Initially, I was terrified, but the way they talked to each other about me seemed kind. They, like you, assumed I could not understand nor communicate with them. At first, they were correct. The pain was entirely overwhelming and, having reached the conclusion that I was no longer in immediate danger, I simply could not get a word out.”

Ophelia gaped at Takoda. “My grandparents carried you into their home?”

He chuckled again, a sweet rumble that yet again brought forth the blush Ophelia had finally managed to calm. “Yes. They were much younger then. Your father was naught more than a babe at the time. I recall him teetering into the room at one point. The largest infant I had ever seen waddling right up to me. Completely unafraid. He squinted at me and babbled something incoherent before poking me square between the eyes with a very satisfied look on his face.”

“Your grandparents had left the room to get medical supplies. They patched me up as best they could and eventually I was able to leave. I thanked them and swore I would spend the rest of my life keeping vigil over their family. They assured me I owed them no such debt, that they were simply doing what was right. I considered that all the more reason to protect them, and you. If ever there were a family that could restore my faith in humanity, it is yours.”

Overcome with emotion, Ophelia sniffled. “That means a lot to me. Thank you. I am so sorry you’ve been through everything you have been through but I am impressed that you have managed to keep a kind heart and relatively optimistic outlook through it all.”

At that, Takoda shuffled his position awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by the genuine compliment. Ophelia smiled. “I really do appreciate you telling me this. It explains a lot. And I’m honored to have your allegiance and companionship. If you are ever in danger again, know you are safe here.”

Takoda swallowed, loud enough that Ophelia could hear it, pushing down the lump that was rising in his throat. It had been so long since he had human connection like this and oh how he had ached for it. He averted his eyes from hers and focused on the ground, concentrating on regulating his emotions.

Pondering the situation, Ophelia decided to ask one more thing of the man before her, who was still crouched in the darkness.

“Takoda,” she began, hesitantly.

He nodded, looking back at her attentively.

“Would you mind… stepping into the light? I don’t want to push you to be more vulnerable than you are ready for but I would really love to see you. All of you.”

At her behest, he leaned into view, slowly and clearly unsure of himself. As the lamps illuminated his face, Ophelia’s heart stopped in her chest. She forgot how to breathe. The only thought in her head was ‘gorgeous’, repeating over and over.

His complexion was a deep, beautiful shade of ochre, reminiscent of the rusty desert plateaus to the West. He had high, prominent cheekbones and a strong, distinguished nose, proud and regal like the one that adorned her face. Full, dusky rose lips laid gently below that striking nose. They looked so soft she was tempted to reach out and touch them but she had just enough wherewithal to refrain.

Instead, she took in the rest of him. His hair was long, probably even longer than hers, which was quite a feat. He had it styled in two braids that hung on either side of his head, framing his face. Intertwined in the braids were pieces of golden thread and Ophelia felt her cheeks flush at the heart melting image of Takoda sitting down every night to create each braid, care in every weave of his fingers. She imagined, briefly, what it would be like to feel those fingers running through her hair, the warm pressure on her scalp, tender and intimate.

She shuddered and banished these thoughts from her head, willing the heat to dissipate from her face as she focused on the rest of his. Thick black eyebrows, arched in amused confusion, framed the eyes she dreamt about not more than an hour ago.

Knowing she would most likely be struck breathless again, she mustered up the strength to look him in the eyes. Takoda’s eyes had always been captivating to her but now she saw just how truly mesmerizing they were. Deep brown and filled with warmth, they were so expressive and vulnerable. She couldn’t believe she ever felt fear with those eyes on her.

The longer she gazed into them the more hypnotized she became, as though she were falling into an all-encompassing whirlpool of chocolate fondue; she felt it all over her, hot and tingling as if her every nerve were ablaze.

The blush she had tried so valiantly to subdue burst forth with a fury and her face was aflame. She took a shaky breath as she reached out to touch him. Her index finger grazed his cheek ever so slightly, barely registering that his skin was much colder than she expected given the warmth he exuded, before everything went black.