Chapter 9: Skunks and Serenades

Gasping, Ophelia was ripped from her slumber. Disoriented, she took in her surroundings and tried to remember what happened. The last thing she could recall was the feeling of Takoda’s face under her fingertips, the beautiful face that was now staring at her, hickory eyes wide and wary. Her cheeks were roasting under his gaze and she averted her eyes, realizing she was in the rocking chair she kept on the porch, her legs covered with the blanket she usually left on the back of the said chair.

A bittersweet smile spread across her face as she ran her fingers over the fibers. Her grandmother had made her this serape before she passed away. She had been so proud of their Diné heritage and traditions, so much so that she chose to spin her own wool and dye it with red vegetable dyes or indigo from Indigofera shrubs she would get from her Pueblo friends from Mexico. Her vertical loom still stood tall in Ophelia’s parents’ house, though it didn’t get much use these days.

A twinge of guilt hit Ophelia and she wished she had spent more time mastering the process. Her grandmother had taught her how to weave, reciting the stories of the Spider-Man who made the loom out of rain, lightning, and sunshine and the Spider woman who taught them how to use it.

She had never invested the necessary time into perfecting the art. She had been too young to appreciate what her grandmother was trying to share with her. Her eyes welled up with tears and prompted Takoda to ask if she was okay.

She sniffled and nodded, wiping her eyes and raising them to meet his. “Just thinking about my grandmother, she made this blanket.”

Takoda smiled softly. “She was an extraordinary woman. I see a lot of her in you.”

The statement warmed Ophelia’s heart and she resolved to try her hand at weaving again the next time she had the opportunity. Dying and spinning her own wool would have to wait though, baby steps.

She then remembered why she was sitting there with the beautiful blanket draped over her, a quizzical expression passing over her face. “Takoda, what happened?”

The man before her sighed. “Another apology I must make. You see, I am quite… emotionally attached to you.”

She nodded. “Yeah, you told me about my family’s history with you.”

He winced and she could feel the embarrassment radiating from him, though his face gained no color. “No, I mean you specifically.”

All the color Ophelia expected to see on Takoda’s handsome face rushed to hers as she processed the heaviness of the statement and the implications there. “Why?”

Takoda averted his eyes, much to Ophelia’s chagrin though she knew their electrifying gaze did not help with her flushed complexion. “I… well… You have me at a bit of a loss. I believe this may turn into another lengthy explanation.”

A breathy giggle escaped her lips and Ophelia assured him that was no problem, “I enjoy learning more about you and listening to your stories. Plus, this involves me so I simply must know.”

Those beautiful lips parted into a sheepish smile and Ophelia caught another glimpse of the sharp white teeth she had noticed earlier in the night. Vampire, indeed. The image of him dragging those teeth across her flesh and nibbling on the nape of her neck flashed in her head and she nearly gasped at what the thought did to her.

Luckily, Takoda seemed too nervous to notice, as his eyes were looking anywhere but at her as he began to speak, “Well, as you know I have a bond with your family. I watched your father grow up and meet your mother, creating a loving home perfect for a little one.”

“You were an odd child. Not very social when it came to others of your species but full of endless wonder and patience when it came to the menagerie of creatures from the natural world who stumbled into your care. I was impressed with this trait of yours from the start but the pivotal moment was when I witnessed you rescue a baby skunk, lost in the woods and bound to perish if not for your tender intervention.”

“I have seen many turn their noses up at these animals; they face such harsh judgment for their natural defense mechanisms. Like me, who they are is not acceptable to the world of humans, and so I have developed a bit of a kinship with them. I have adoration for all life, something I saw in you as well.”

Ophelia remembered that skunk well. She had been just nine years old, wandering through the woods behind her parent’s house. Her attention was caught by this pitiful whimper, almost too soft for her to notice. Following the sound she was led to the smallest skunk she had ever seen.

Shivering, from fear or the cold Ophelia wasn’t sure. It looked at her with sadness in its eyes, as if it had already resigned itself to death. It broke her heart and she knew there was no other option but to help the poor animal.

Pulling off her sweater, she created a nest to carry it in. She gently cradled it as she walked as quickly as possible home, careful to make the trip as smooth as possible for her new little friend. She spent months caring for the skunk, raising it as if it were her own child. She named it Dezba, a Diné name for a child with a strong spirit, a survivor, and a fighter.

She missed Dezba. Eventually, Dezba was strong enough to go back into the world and live the life a skunk was meant to have. It was a bittersweet day for Ophelia, though she thought she had run into Dezba on occasion in the following years.

Turning her attention back to Takoda, she realized he was patiently waiting for her to break out of her nostalgic daze. When he saw she was ready to listen, he continued with a fond smile, “The way you cared for that little creature struck my heart in a way I hadn’t felt in a long, long time. From then on I paid extra attention to you. I didn’t mean to, you’ve just always intrigued me. I enjoyed watching you grow and make human friends. The pale freckled girl is especially amusing.”

Ophelia let out a snort of laughter, thinking about the said woman who was currently snoring and drooling all over her guest bed.

Takoda went on, “Up until recently, my… affection toward you was simple. An appreciation for your family and for the traits you exhibited. But in the past few years, I have been unable to get you out of my head. I have lost focus when it comes to keeping an eye on your parents because, and for this, I do apologize. I believe I have developed feelings for you. Feelings of a romantic nature.”

His brow furrowed for a moment and he pursed his lips. “I should not have said I believe, for that implies I am unsure. I have developed romantic feelings for you, though I do understand the ridiculousness of such emotions. Now, I am aware my desires are unlikely to be requited and I expect nothing from you.”

“I was attempting to muster up the courage to leave you tokens of my affection for months but I do believe I would have remained silent about the true nature of this adoration if not for what just occurred. So, as I said before, my apologies for imposing my affection on you, but it is necessary for this explanation.”

Ophelia was speechless. So many thoughts were flying around in her head she felt she was caught up in a hurricane. But looking into Takoda’s eyes, seeing the sincerity and care in them, suddenly she found herself in the eye of the storm. And it all didn’t seem so strange.

His eyes broadcast his affection but his body language betrayed his nerves. Ophelia smiled at the palpable anxiety Takoda exuded, such a powerful and exceptional creature and he was scared of her rejection? It was absurd.

She reached her hand out to grab his, to reassure him that it was okay, that she wasn’t upset. She stopped just before she made contact. “Can I touch you or will I pass out again?”

He chuckled. “To my knowledge of this phenomenon, you should be able to touch me now without any repercussions. I have never experienced this before but I have heard of similar occurrences from my inhuman acquaintances. If a creature, such as myself, forms a deep bond with a human and physical contact is initiated, there is the possibility that it creates an even more profound, psychic bond.”

“I have heard many variations on the results of this type of bond, though they seem to vary nearly as much as the individuals who create them. There are two facts I have found to be consistent in every case I know of, though. The first is that the two who create the bond have the ability to communicate telepathically, though the clarity seems to fluctuate with distance and other factors. The other is that the bond cannot form unless both individuals hearts are open to it.”

The implication of that statement hung heavy in the air and Ophelia was having a bit of trouble processing it. She wasn’t exactly surprised that her heart was open to him; he had a strange way of making her feel at ease.

Again, she had a lot of questions and wasn’t sure where to start when she remembered something he had said moments before when discussing the reality of his feelings for her. “Wait, you said you wanted to leave me ‘tokens of your affection’... so, that bouquet was from you, wasn’t it?”

Takoda looked startled, taken aback by the question. “I just… that is what you took away from that?” He gazed incredulously at her, a bemused expression emerging on his face as he continued, “Uh, yes. That was me. Those were flowers from my garden; the garden you somehow stumbled upon earlier this evening.”

Grinning triumphantly, she replied, “I knew it! As soon as I found you there I had a feeling that was the source of those flowers. I’m pleased to confirm they were from you. I was worried Pierre had figured out where I lived.”

The vampire’s expression soured. “Ah yes, Pierre. He is the uncouth man who serves you liquor and has been attempting to court you for some time, yes?”

Ophelia nodded, her lips curled in disgust. “Yeah, he sucks. He’s a loser with no respect for people’s boundaries. It sucks because I thought he was all right when he first moved to town but he latched onto me and he’s been insufferable ever since.”

Takoda tutted and shook his head. “Some men are blessed with neither manners nor sense. It is unfortunate these lost fellows cannot reflect on their behavior and learn to see others as autonomous people. It is sucks, indeed.”

She giggled. “It sucks. Not ‘it is sucks’. But very close, you’re a quick learner, aren’t you?”

He smiled sheepishly at the compliment and averted his eyes again. “I… I do enjoy learning new things. But I will admit I am a bit behind on the common vernacular of this day and age, it has been some time since I conversed regularly with humans.”

Ophelia closed the gap between their hands and rubbed his in a sweet, but slightly condescending manner. “It’s okay, you’re a very old man. You don’t need to be hip with the lingo.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I am gathering that you are making fun of me.”

That was it, she couldn’t help herself from cracking up. With a hearty guffaw, she let go of his hand, to which he let out a nearly imperceptible whimper. Hearing the noise, Ophelia’s heart melted in her chest and her face softened. She reached out and took his hand again, wanting to get back to the questions she had about his flowers.

“So, you had that bouquet ready for me then?”

Takoda shuffled nervously, though his hand remained tightly intertwined with hers. “Yes, I did. I… I had carried one around for many nights at that point but never worked up the courage to leave it for you.”

“That night, you and your friend had been consuming intoxicants and so I wanted to keep a closer eye on you, just to ensure your safety on the walk home. I was foolish and not careful enough, as you well know, and having believed that I caused the two of you distress I felt it was only right to leave you the bouquet as it was the only apology I was able to give you at the time.”

Ophelia’s heart soared at the purity of Takoda’s intentions and she found herself feeling a twinge of guilt at the thought that she was ever afraid of him. Using her thumb, she slowly rubbed tiny concentric circles on the back of his hand, taking in the details of his skin. He had a scar that ran from the base of his index finger to his wrist, diagonal across the back of his hand. She resolved to ask about it later, feeling she had already prodded enough for one night.

She yawned, and heard Takoda speak, “Would you like to go to sleep? It is quite late.”

She looked up while he was talking and realized those gorgeous lips of his were completely still. His eyes were full of mirth and one of his strong eyebrows was raised in amusement. She realized at that moment that this must be the telepathic connection he had mentioned previously.

Concentrating, she closed her eyes and thought, “I am a bit tired, but I’d like to stay out here with you.”

Takoda let out a breathy chuckle, confirming he had received her message, and a brilliant smile burst onto Ophelia’s face. This was so exciting. What a strange and marvelous night this had turned out to be.

She heard him reply, recognizing the slight difference in how it sounded when he spoke into her mind versus when he spoke out loud. “Well, how about you close your eyes and relax, and I can sing you a lullaby.”

He was looking away from her, clearly stressed about his proposition, but she thought it sounded lovely, and told him as much.

Ophelia leaned back into the chair, rocking back and forth gently, and listened as Takoda’s voice echoed in her brain. A sweet, haunting melody in a language she didn’t understand but that struck her to the core. He continued until she drifted into dreamland.

When he was sure she was asleep, he pulled another small bouquet out of his pocket, the same flowers as before with the addition of white and yellow columbines. He tucked the bouquet into her hand and hovered over her, debating the appropriateness of a chaste kiss on the forehead.

As he moved closer, not quite sure of himself but unable to resist the temptation, Ophelia stirred slightly and he panicked, backing away quickly. He stumbled backward down the steps, landing on the soft grass, before taking flight, cursing his nerves the entire way back to his home.