Josef - Rating PG

[Ella713]

Here is one story I saved from the Moonlightfan website. Some of you may recognize it.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.



JOSEF




Bored Stiff
Josef had seen a lot in his 400 years, but had to admit that the past year had been extraordinarily bizarre. His attempted assassination, Coraline finding a cure for vampirism, vampire killing cults, and lastly the turning of his best friend. That one was hard. Josef knew how much Mick wanted to be human again. Not just for Beth, but because at heart, Mick was still very much human. Josef sighed. At least now everything seemed to be peaceful and quiet, which he loved. Business was good. No one was trying to rip him off. And he hadn’t killed anyone in almost 5 days. Everything was going quite well. The phone rang. “Josef Kostan” he replied hastily
“Mr. Kostan” his assistant said “I have a call from a Miss Simone Dubois holding for you” Josef smiled warmly. This could be just the distraction he needed.
“Yes, put her through” Josef said A very thick French Cajun accent poured through the line
“Josef! How are you?”
“Simone. Better now that I’ve heard your lovely voice. Please tell me you’re in Los Angeles and you’ve come to seduce me out of my boredom?” Josef teased
“Ah, you naughty boy! Now you have ruined my surprise. I have just arrived and I am in dire need of intellectual stimulation. Are you available?”
“For you Simone, I am always available. Shall we say 11pm at Oliver’s? Should I send a car for you?”
“No. I will see you then”
Josef grinned as he hung up the phone. Things were beginning to look up he thought.

Josef showed up at Mick’s place to find Beth up on a ladder painting, and desperately trying to reach an unreachable corner. Josef caught side of both her and the ladder before they both toppled 12ft and said with exasperation “Why hasn’t Mick turned you yet? I’m not always going to be around to save your pretty little neck!” Beth smiled. She was now used to Josef’s quips and took them all in stride.
“Thanks Josef. Much appreciated” she said slowly climbing down. “So, what do you think?” she asked
“Of what?”
“The color”
“What color was it before?” he asked puzzled looking up at the wall
“Champagne”
“Okay” Josef said slowly “What color is it now?”
“Pale champagne”
“Oh. That makes perfect sense. You need to get to work on a story” Josef said chuckling
“Well, now that Buzzwire is under new management, I’m taking my time to find work that doesn’t require me to report on the color of Brittney Spear’s underwear on a daily basis”
“She’s partial to pink” Josef said quickly. Beth stared at him in amazement.
“You mean you actually know?” she asked incredulously
“Sure. Who doesn’t” he said walking towards the fridge “Where’s Mick?”
“I think he’s still sleeping. Feel free to wake him up” Beth said still staring at her paint work. Josef grabbed some blood from the fridge and headed toward Mick‘s sleeping chamber. He opened the top and leaned over.
“Wake up Mick!”
Mick slowly opened his eyes and glanced over at Josef.
“I hope you know that you just interrupted the most amazing dream” Mick sighed
“Yeah, right. Are you and Beth free for a late dinner tonight?” Josef said getting right to the point for his visit.
“Why?” Mick asked. Josef sat down and sipped and his drink.
“Simone is in town and she wants to meet”
Mick sat up straight. “Simone? Simone.” Mick asked surprised
“The very same” Josef said amused. “Now, there’s a part of me that wants to believe she truly just wants to have a quick visit and shoot the breeze. But the more intelligent part of me knows that’s a lie, so why not be prepared for the worst”
“You know, you really have a bad habit of pissing women off” Mick said reaching for his towel
“You say habit, I say gift. I’ll send a car for you both around 10:30pm” he said getting up.



Oliver’s was the kind of place where Frank Sinatra hung out. Older gentlemen quietly smoked Cuban cigars while their gold cufflinks shimmered in the soft light.
“This takes me back” Mick said appreciatively looking around the room.
“Ah, could this be Mick St. John actually waxing poetic about the olden days?” Josef said with a smile.
“Well, things were certainly simpler then” Mick said. Beth smiled at both of them, forever amazed by all they had seen in their many years.
“If you two tell me that you knew Frank Sinatra, then I’ve heard it all” Beth said.
Mick laughed. “Josef knew him pretty well. I just played back up in his band a few times”. He said.
At that moment every male head in the room turned to stare at the drop dead gorgeous woman who had just walked in. She stood at a very regal 5’9” tall. The emerald green dress she wore showed off a body that would have made Sophia Loren look like a boy. Both Josef and Mick stood as she approached the table.
“Simone” Josef said looking at her in awe “I’m speechless. You look amazing” he said.


“Thank you Josef” she said softly. “And Mick St. John! What a pleasant surprise. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that Josef doesn’t quite trust me” she laughed.
“Hello Simone. You look well. May I introduce Beth Turner” he said politely. Beth noticed the controlled tension in Mick’s voice. She knew immediately that Mick was not fond of this woman.
“Very nice to meet you Miss Turner” she said as she accepted the chair that Josef held out for her.
“So, Simone what brings you to Los Angeles?” Mick asked
“Oh, just a change of pace. New Orleans isn’t as grand as it used to be. Katrina really changed all of that. So, I thought I’d take a little sojourn to the coast and see what California had to offer” she said taking a small sip of the champagne that was placed in front of her.
“Well, whatever the reason, LA is glad to have you” Josef said. “Will you be staying long? I insist that you stay with me. I think you will find my abode more luxurious than a hotel” Mick turned to give Josef a quick look of reproach. But Simone accepted his offer with pleasure. After a couple of hours hedonistic drinking, Mick cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry but I think we should get going”. Mick said noticing that Beth was very close to falling asleep at the table. “Nice to see you again Simone. Enjoy your visit.” Mick said.
“Thank you Mick. Perhaps we could meet again?” Simone hinted and then turned the full beam of her beauty directly at Josef.

A Woman Socrned
Mick was definitely worried and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why he was so worried. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Perhaps worrying was what he did best. Beth noticed as she noticed everything.
“Ok, spill it” she demanded. “What is it about Josef’s friend that has you so worried?”
“It’s nothing really” he started, trying to find the right words. “Simone is just not the kind of woman to spring a surprise visit on someone. Nor is she the kind of woman to leave New Orleans behind. Her family tree goes back quite a few generations in Louisiana. I just find it strange that she shows up now.”
“Don’t tell me this is another woman who has it out for Josef?”
“Not quite. In my opinion I think Josef treats all women poorly, present company excluded, but he actually did nothing truly awful to Simone, but you never know” he said.
“A woman scorned and all” she finished for him.

Josef sat in his office in good spirits. He had no idea why Simone was in town or what she was after, but he was more than happy to play along. Simone Renee’ Dubois came from a Parisian aristocratic family who settled in New Orleans in the late 1700’s. Her widowed father Andre’ took quickly to plantation life, growing cotton and tobacco in large numbers. He also took his amorous intentions out on young slave girls. One young slave girl especially caught his eye. She had no given English name that he knew of but heard other slaves call her “Hidijibah”. She was no more than 14 years old, but one could see the oldness in her eyes, as if she had already seen far more than she should have. She also carried herself differently than the other slaves. Hedy (as he would soon call her) never hung her head low when whites were speaking to her. She always looked you directly in the eye. And when she spoke in her broken English, she did so with no shame. Andre was infatuated with her. Hedy was made into a house maid so that Andre could always keep his eye on her. Whenever he called her to his bed, she simply walked proudly into his bedchamber, removed her clothing and awaited him. Within a year she bore him a child. A beautiful mulatto girl who he named Simone. By the time Simone was 12, she was drawing the attention of many men both black and white. Fearing what would happen to her, Andre’ sent her to Paris to live with relatives.

Simone hated her relatives and she hated Paris. She hated the food which she thought had no flavor compared to the spicy creations her mother whipped up back home. She missed the sad songs the slaves sang while they worked. She missed the hot steamy weather that clung to you like a lover. Simone was miserable. Her aunt and uncle tried to engage her in correct female endeavors, but Simone was very much like her mother. Proud. She refused the odd hats they wanted her to don, opting to wear her raven black curls wild and loose. She also refused to speak French, opting to speak a weird dialect of French which was called Cajun. Her relatives finally gave up and left her alone to do as she liked. When Simone turned 18 her stunning beauty made her a favorite at many parties where drinking, smoking and sex were the highlights. It was there that she met a striking young man by the name of Josef Kostan. The ladies would gather in corners to talk about the mysterious stranger who appeared to be quite rich and very unattached. Simone knew that there was something else about him that made him different. Her mother who was well versed in such things would have called him “the dark man.” Meaning from the other world. While enjoying an extended stay at the chateau’ of Charles Martin de Permond, Simone happened upon Josef and boldly engaged him in conversation.
“So, either you are following me; or you are very bored” she said simply. He smiled down at her.
“I’m never bored” he said still smiling at her.
“Well. Then you follow me?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe we just end up at the same gatherings. There is such a thing as chance”
“Chance is for fools” she said “And something tells me you are no fool” Josef was delighted with this girl. It had been many years since he had met anyone with her spark and daring. She looked no more than 17 but the eyes that stared directly at him were the eyes of a woman who had seen the world. He smelled the air before she walked over and she was definitely human. He thought of what he might do. Of what he wanted to do. And after talking to her another fortnight, he knew what he had to do. Simone was a dream. Not only was she an unparalleled beauty, she was smart, witty and merciless. It took her but two days to figure out what Josef was. She showed neither fear nor surprise. She simply looked at him as if she saw his kind everyday. Simone offered herself willingly to Josef. How could he not turn such an exquisite creature? The world was laid out before them. They first stopped in Paris to say goodbye to her relatives. Simone was vicious in her handling of them. Taking all that they had and in the end taking their lives with much glee. Josef was looking forward to New Orleans. He had heard much about this little city that held a population of Spaniards, Germans, Irish, Africans, and Haitians. To Simone, New Orleans was life.

When they arrived at her father’s plantation Simone immediately searched for her mother, entering room after room calling her name. She went into the kitchen to find Ester the cook.
“Ester. It is I Simone.” She said slowly. “Where is mama?” Ester looked at Simone and held her arms out to her.
“Lordy dear. Hedy done passed on. Happened not long ago. Your papa done buried her” she said sadly. Simone stood as still as a statue.
“What happened to her?” she asked. Ester looked around her as if she feared what she would say would get her beat or worse sold.
“Don’t worry” Simone told her. “I will make sure nothing happens to you” Ester looked at the beautiful young girl in front of her with the very same eyes of her mother.
“She couldn’t bear no more children. Your papa got mad. Said he needed a boy. Hidijibah come from a cursed family. Them women is barren. She just couldn’t have no more. Your papa’s temper got the best of him and he beat her with his cane. She passed on a few days later” Ester wiped away a tear as she finished telling the story. “He done got him another girl. You got 2 brothers and a sister”
Simone remained still. She held Josef’s hand tightly.
“Where is my father now?” she asked
“He out back in the stables selling some horses” she said
“Esther. I want you to gather all the slaves and tell them to go back to their sleeping quarters. I will let you know when it’s safe to come out. Do you understand me?”
“Yes’am.” She said and quickly left the kitchen.
“Come darling” Simone said sweetly to Josef. “Let’s me introduce you to Papa”
Simone and Josef walked quietly to the back of the house and into the stables. Andre’ stood tall and refined speaking to another man.
“Hello papa” Simone sweetly. Her father turned and stared. He took in the beauty of his daughter and smiled happily.
“Simone! I had no idea you were coming back. Louis did not let me know. I would have come for you”
“I am sorry papa. Your brother has died. So has his wife. They were killed by thieves” she lied. “Where is Hedy?” she asked innocently. Simone only called Hedy mamma when they were amongst other slaves.
“On my sweet girl” he said. “Hedy died trying to escape. She was shot by one of my guards. But you are such an angel to worry about the maid. I guess she was a part of your childhood was she not?” he looked over at Josef and immediately became angry “Who is this?” he asked in an angry voice
“Papa, this is my husband Josef Kostan”
“Your husband?! Why wasn’t I told of this? Who allowed this to happen?” he raved. As he yelled at Simone Josef very quickly and quietly went to the stable door and closed every entrance.
“Papa, do you really think that you can tell me what to do? I am the daughter of Hidijibah!” she said proudly.
“Shut your lying mouth!” he yelled glancing over at his buyer who was becoming very uncomfortable.
“Yes papa dear. You bed slaves and raise their children. I am such a child. How long do you think it would have taken before you called me to your bedchamber? Your own flesh and blood! But a lot has changed in the four years I have been away” Simone yelled barring her fangs.
Josef smiled remembering the sheer carnage of her vengeance on her mother’s behalf. Never again she swore, would she leave New Orleans. And there she stayed. Though how she managed to live in the same place for so long was a mystery to him. So why was she here?


Simone hated to be away from Louisiana. It physically pained her to be gone for more than a night. But she had a job to do and she had to see it through. She had always loved Josef. More than any other man she had met, but this was a situation that trumped love. Surely if Josef were in the same position he would do the same thing.

Mick sat in his office doing some research. He knew very little about Simone really. He remembered her as a woman with very strong passions and an undying loyalty to her family name. He met her in 1971 during Mardi Gras when Josef insisted that he go. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Mick had ever seen, but there was another quality about her that he couldn’t explain. It was her eyes. He couldn’t explain it. He knew that her father died mysteriously when it was discovered that he fathered children by slaves. The land and the business was left to Simone who made even more wealth when everything was sold to Phillips Morris in 1901 (although she was then known as the great great-great-grandchild Margarite) And by 1999, she was again Simone Dubois. He could find nothing about her mother (though that wasn’t surprising as no records were kept on slaves and they often had the surnames of their owners). Beth came up behind him and kissed his ear.
“Still worried about Josef?” she asked
“Yeah, but it’s probably nothing. I’m being paranoid” he decided.
“Well, I’ve got the perfect cure for that” she said seductively.

Mick made his way to Josef’s office later in the afternoon. Maybe Josef knew more than he was letting on.
“Come on Josef. What’s going on with Simone? Why is she here?” Mick asked.
“I have no idea, but I’m very interested to find out.” He replied smugly.
“Josef, I don’t think this is anything to take lightly. I have a really bad feeling about Simone. She’s up to something and you need to be on your guard”
“When have you known me not to be on my guard? Look, we both know that this little visit of hers has a purpose and the only thing we can do is wait and see. It’s not like she’s going to tell us.” Mick sighed. Josef was right. There was nothing they could do. If they acted too quickly it might prove disastrous. All they could do was wait.

Beautiful She Was
Simone sat up and looked around her. Josef indeed lived very well. She wondered what their life would have been like if he had stayed in New Orleans with her. Somehow she just couldn’t see Josef as the dutiful land owner. She fell in love with a playboy. He would always be this way. Was it not better to accept this fact than to waste precious time trying to change someone? There were no hard feelings when he left. No tears. Life went on as it had before. Simone had too much pride to throw a tantrum or toss ultimatums around.
But she still felt guilt over what must now be done. She had to prepare.

Josef made his way home and waited to see what Simone would have waiting for him. Worry never crossed his mind. While Simone was indeed quite old, he was the elder vampire and knew that if anything should occur, he would be able to handle it. He looked up to see Simone walking down the staircase dressed in a silky black evening gown. She really was exquisite, Josef thought to himself.
“Hello Josef” she said in her husky Cajun accent. “I hope you don’t mind but I invited a guest” Josef turned to see a beautiful young black woman, possibly of Cuban or Haitian decent.
Josef smiled appreciatively.
“Of course” he said as he walked towards the woman “And just who might you be?” he asked. The woman stared directly at him with her head held high.
“I am called Hidijibah” she said in an accent that Josef deduced to be indeed Haitian.
“That’s a very unique name. Do you know that it means “of the dead”?”
She smiled slightly and looked towards Simone.
“Of course I know. You look thirsty sir.” She said and held her arm to his lips. Josef rubbed her soft skin and inhaled the very musky slightly Asian fragrance of her perfume. He started to feed. At first the taste was sweet. Sweeter than any blood he had ever tasted. Then the taste turned bitter and started to burn like acid in his mouth and throat. Josef gagged but the vial taste was still in his mouth. What the hell was going on he thought! He tried to talk but nothing would come out. He was starting to feel dizzy and his eyes could not focus. He felt himself falling and the last thing he saw before everything faded to black was Simone smiling over him.

Josef awoke feeling very weak. Something was holding him down but he did not have the strength to lift his head to see what was binding him. He heard footsteps approaching and willed himself to be still.
“Josef, darling” he heard Simone say to him. “Don’t worry. This will only hurt a little. And let’s be honest, haven’t you lived long enough? Why not let someone else have fun.” She teased. Josef sighed and decided that fighting would only give her the power she so craved.
“Aren’t you going to try and hit me?” she asked. “Try to escape? Try to trick me?”
“No” Josef finally managed. “I’m not your father”
“Screw you!” she yelled. And Josef knew he had found his mark.
“You think you are so smart! Well I am the smart one Josef! Just like my mother! And you are what I need to bring her back to life. My mother was a descendent from the most powerful voodoo clan in all of Haiti. She taught me her ways as a child. She knew I would need them. After I learned of her death Ester and I dug up her grave and released her soul. All I needed were women to put it into which I found quite easily especially in New Orleans after the hurricane. But to truly bring my mother back I needed the blood of the “dark man” that unnatural being from the other side. That is you Josef. I will drain all your blood and transfer it into Hidijibah. I will bring my mother back! Her soul calls out to me!” She screamed to the heavens.
Josef managed to turn his head and saw the young Haitian woman strapped down next to him on a table. Her blood oozing out through tubes, a look of pain on her face.
“I thought you loved me” Josef said weakly. “I thought you came back so we could be together in New Orleans”
“You speak lies Josef Kostan! Don’t think that I will fall for your game again! I have learned a lot over the years” she said
“I….really thought you came here for me” Josef croaked out. “I sold all my shares in my company, even this house. I was ready to leave with you. Look in my briefcase!” he said feeling as if he were dying of thirst. Simone looked at him with doubt but snatched up his briefcase which was lying where he left it when walked in. She slowly opened up the case and saw. Papers detailing how Josef was selling off his shares; selling his house; selling his company. He was willing to give up everything for her. She glanced back at him and saw that he was looking intently at her. He had tears in his eyes. She looked over at Hidijibah decidedly torn between the love of her mother and the only man she had ever loved. Simone threw the papers down and ran to Josef and placed her arms around him.
“Forgive me darling” she sobbed. “I have been a fool. I listened to the vengeful soul of my mother instead of the love coming from my own soul” She then walked over to the table where Hidijibah was, pulled out a knife and sliced her throat. Hidijibah let out a piercing wail then laid still. He could feel Simone loosening his straps. She made him sip a very syrupy tea which she said would help to ease the poison out of his veins. He started to feel better though still very weak.
“You need to tell me what you were doing” Josef finally asked when he was feeling better.
“Josef, vampires are not the only creatures who can resurrect the dead. By capturing my mother’s soul, all I needed was a body to place it in, but her soul would be trapped inside a useless shell. Her mind of course could live but without a life force she would be what you know as a zombie. She would only be able to do as she was told. To bring her back, I needed the blood of one of your kind. But that One must be very old. It is the way of Legba, the guardian of the crossroads.” She explained.
“But what was in her blood?” he asked motioning to the table.
“Your kind…..our kind, can not feed on the blood of the resurrected. It is the bad blood. You only had a little taste. A lot of the bad blood can keep you a vessel for ever. It traps you inside a body.
Josef ran his fingers alongside her face and looked into her eyes. Those amazingly defiant dead eyes. She was so very beautiful.

Josef sat in Mick’s apartment waiting for Beth to come down.
“Does she always take this long’?” Josef asked glancing at his watch.
“No, she doesn’t always take this long, but this is a special occasion. Women don’t get engaged everyday” Mick said smiling
“Mick, we live in LA. Every minute of the day some woman is getting engaged” Josef said smugly.
“Well, it’s her night and I intend to let her have it”
“So, you’re really going through with this? The whole marriage thing?”
“I love her Josef” Mick said simply, throwing up his hands.
“I know you do”
Beth came down stairs looking as glowing as Grecian goddess. Both Mick and Josef smiled and looked fondly upon her youth and beauty.
Within minutes the apartment was filled with friends and colleagues all giving their congratulations.
Mick and Josef walked out to the balcony for air.
“So are you going to tell me what happened to Simone?” Mick asked finally.
“Of course. I killed her” Josef said
“Why?”
“Well, she tried to kill me first so it was kind of a given that I kill her when I had the chance” he said smiling “Look, Simone had issues. Serious issues and the fact that she came from some hoodoo voodoo family made her all the more dangerous. I mean who knew about that whole drinking the blood of the resurrected thing? That woman had knowledge. Dangerous knowledge. I had no choice but to chop off her pretty little head. You know, I still can’t believe she actually thought I was going to sell everything I have to be with her”
“You weren’t?” Mick asked
“Mick, sometimes I think you don’t know me at all” he said laughing to himself
“So that’s it? No regrets? No remorse?”
“None”
“She was very beautiful” Mick said
“Yes she was. But if being around for 400 years has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is as dangerous as the beauty of a woman”. Mick studied Josef and somehow knew that he wasn’t getting the whole story, but that was the way things were with Josef. Sometimes it was best not to know.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Simone stared at the cement walls that would now be her home. Chained and unable to move. How could Josef have done this to her? After all she shared with him. All of her secrets. How could he have fed her the bad blood? So this would be her fate. Her mind active and alive but trapped in a useless vessel. She slowly turned her head when she heard the door open. Hidijibah walked in, dressed apparently for the evening; although she was no longer her mother but now a servant of Josef’s.
“I am leaving to meet Josef” she said quietly. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”
Simone struggled to speak but was unable to get the words out. Her mind was screaming out the words she desperately wanted to speak. Hidijibah smiled.
“I guess not”. She said and quietly shut the door behind her.

[francis]

Oh this is chilling. Not only is Simone ruthless and dangerous, Josef is too. He got his revenge.
Well done! I'm looking forward to more of your stories.

[Kara]

Wow. I didn't think anyone would ever be able to pull one on Josef. Thank goodness his age advantage pulled him through. But now Hidijibah works for him? How can he even let her live?

And Mick & Beth are engaged.

Thank you.

[Ella713]

There's a part II to this story. You find out more about Josef's plan.

[Ella713]

Moonlight Fan Fiction Josef Part II


The Trouble With Women
Author Ella713
Rating PG

Hedy was getting used to her new life with Josef. Never had she’s seen a house so grand and so luxurious. She was free to wander through the house and even walk around the grounds. She loved to wake up before dawn and put her bare feet in the dewy wet grass. Mostly she tried to remember how she came to be here. Often times her mind felt cloudy like she was forgetting something really important. But no matter how hard she tried to remember, all she saw in her mind was darkness. Josef told her that the bad woman downstairs had drugged her and tried to kill her. Hedy knew that something bad had happened but had nothing more than an uneasy feeling to validate it all. The woman that he referred to as Simone did look evil. She never spoke but just stared up at you with these lifeless dead eyes. But sometimes if she was bored, she went down to the basement and read to her which seemed to ease her suffering.

Josef was a lot of fun. He always seemed to be happy about something and was content to spend money and do as he pleased.
She liked Mick and his fiancé’. Beth liked to take her on day trips to the museum or shopping. Hedy was suspicious at first, but soon discovered that she was just a very nice person. Beth took her to a very old movie house and they watched a film that starred an actress named Hedy Lamar. Who would have thought that another woman would have the same unusual name she thought to herself. But the woman was very beautiful.
She heard Josef pull up and she immediately got to her feet and began to tidy things up. She ran her fingers through her hair and wet her lips with her tongue. Josef strode in and walked straight for her.
“Hello sweetheart. What have you been up to today?” he asked while going through a stack of mail.
“I read the book about Nostradamus and his predictions. Do you believe he was really correct?” she asked looking up at him innocently
“No. He made an educated guess. Some things he guessed right. That’s all” he said lightly touching her cheek. “What would you like to do tonight?”
“I don’t know…..dance maybe?” she said shyly
“Yes” Josef said grimly holding his head down “It’s always dancing with women, isn’t it? Well, dancing it is. Let’s call Mick and Beth and do a proper couples night. Would you like that?
“Oh yes! Thank you Josef!” she squealed
“Alright go put on a very pretty dress for me” he said and watched her run lithely up the stairs to prepare for the evening. He pulled out his cell phone and punched in Mick’s number.
“Mick St. John”
“Mick, Josef. Does Beth dance?”
“Does she what?” Mick said puzzled “yeah, I suppose she does”
“Well, Hedy would like to go dancing and I thought maybe you and Beth would like to go as well”
“You mean like a double date?” Mick said chuckling under his breath
“Yes, if that’s what all the cool kids are calling it these days”
“I think they are. And Beth and I would love to go. So, what’s going on with you and Hedy? Are you two actually dating?”
“I’m amusing myself and she has no idea what she’s doing. It’s the perfect relationship. Pick you up at 8” he said and hung up. What was he doing with Hedy? She died some four months ago and he resurrected her with Simone’s blood. She had no memory of who she was, where she came from or what had happened to her. But somehow he felt a sort of protectiveness about her. She was only 20 years old. To send her out on the streets the way she was would be sending her out to die.
And lately Josef was finding that his heart seemed to working a lot of overtime these days. He would have to tell her at some point. But for right now, he’d just watch over her. He had something in mind, but he had to think long and hard before proceeding. He laid the mail down and went upstairs to get ready.

The El Floridita on Vine Street was first established in La Habana, Cuba in 1820. It eventually became a haven for Cuba's leading personalities - including merchants, politicians and for most celebrities living in or passing through Habana. Such names include several of Hollywood's greatest - Errol Flynn, Ava Gardner, Gary Cooper and John Wayne. The new establishment sought not to revive the old glory, but to merely carry on the legacy in Hollywood. On any given night there was a line around the corner of LA hopefuls waiting for their chance to see and be seen. It was no shock that every head turned when Josef’s driver pulled up in front of the restaurant. Harold, his driver who stood an imposing 6’4” tall and tipped the scale at 265 pounds looked every bit the enforcer which he was. When he opened the door to let his passengers out, everyone in line turned to see who was getting out of the limo. Mick smiled to himself. LA was too much sometimes. Josef of course was in his element. Showing off. He strode confidently with Hedy on his arm. She looked incredibly sexy in a shimmering gold halter dress that brought out the reddish tint in her dark skin. Mick and Beth often chose to accent each other, neither wanting to stand out on their own. Mick looked polished in his black suit and grey silk tie and Beth chose a slinky black sheath dress with tiny silk red roses around the hem. The four of them walked in aware that all eyes were on them as they entered. A nearby woman in line whispered to her friend “Definitely producers”
Hedy’s eyes opened wide when they walked inside. A 15 piece orchestra was playing salsa music and couples were already out on the floor dancing. They were shown to the best table and were immediately approached by a server.
“A bottle of Cristal Brut 1990” Josef said
“Cristal?” Beth said surprised. “Josef you do know that’s a $17,000 bottle of champagne?”
“Of course I do” he said smiling. Mortals. He thought. They never knew how to live. He himself didn’t know how to live, that is until he died. Then everything became clear. It was the fear of things that held mortals back.
Josef and Mick were always amused by the women eating. It had been a very long time for Josef but Mick remembered all too keenly the taste and feel of it. For him, although he loved watching Beth enjoy herself, there was a longing within him as well. After they had eaten their dinner, Mick held his hand out to Beth.
“So, you wanna go for it?” he asked smiling brightly. Beth immediately grabbed his hand.
“You betcha!” she said and they strolled out to the dance floor.
The music was a fiery tempo salsa number that Mick used to love to play. Held Beth’s hands and began to lead her into a basic salsa step.
“Mick!” she exclaimed. “You’ve been holding out on me” she teased.
“Only a little bit” he laughed. Josef knowing that it was inevitable so held his had out to Hedy and led her to the dance floor.
Hedy immediately began to dance. Very well in fact. Her body moved rhythmically and expertly though the crowd as she danced a very well choreographed salsa step. Everyone stopped and watched the beautiful young woman as she swayed to the drum beats. Josef watched solemnly and knew that her memory was slowly returning. He would have to do something. When the band took a break, Beth walked up to Hedy with a big smile on her face.
“Wow! Hedy, where did you learn to dance like that? That was amazing!”
Hedy stared at her and tried to think of an answer, but she had no idea what to say. She looked at Josef for help but he seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts.
“My mama taught me. She was a great dancer” she lied looking down at the dance floor almost ashamed.
“Don’t look so scared Hedy” Beth exclaimed “You dance beautifully. Come on, let’s excuse ourselves to the ladies room” she said lightly grabbing Hedy’s hand and leading her away from the dance floor.
Mick and Josef made their way back to the table.
“That Hedy is quite the surprise” Mick said after he sat down
“Yes” Josef said
“You know you are going to have to come clean sooner or later”
“Yes. I just thought I’d have more time”
“Look, Simone was in no condition to tell you anything useful, is there anyone else?” Mick asked.
“It’s not like I can flip through the yellow pages for a listing of voodoo priestesses”
“You’re going to have to tell her before its too late” Mick said finally “If you want, Beth and I can be there. Maybe if she saw that she didn’t have to deal with this alone”.
“I’ll let you know” Josef said quietly.

Beth and Hedy were finishing up in the ladies room when Hedy turned to face Beth and asked “Do you know what I am?”
Beth was startled and a bit confused. What did she mean by what she was?
“You’re a young woman from Haiti by the name of Hedy. I’m sorry I wasn’t told your last name”
“Then I am not like Josef or Mick? From the other side” Beth was surprised. How did she know about this? Surely Josef wouldn’t have told her anything.
“I don’t know what you mean Hedy. What do you think Mick and Josef are?”
Hedy rolled her eyes like child would when they thought something was so simple that everyone should know it.
“They are from the other side. The dark men. They are not the living. How I know this, I can not explain. But it is true.” She said shrugging her shoulders. Beth looked around quickly to make sure there was no one else in the room with them.
“Hedy, listen to me. I don’t know what you are talking about. Of course they are alive. They talk, breathe and eat like everyone. Where are you getting this?” Hedy’s lips began to tremble and she pouted.
“You think that because I am young that I am also stupid? They are not like everyone else! They do not eat! And Josef sleeps in the cold room and when he thinks that I am not looking I see him drink the blood from many women, but they do not die. I do not want to drink the blood!” she said crying. Beth reached out to hold her gently until her sobs stopped.
“Shh. It’s okay. No one is going to make you drink blood” Beth assured. “Josef would never do that”
“So, I am not like them?” she asked looking at Beth with pleading eyes.
“No honey. You’re like me” Beth said smiling. Hedy too began to smile and hugged Beth tightly. “Come on, let’s go back before they get worried” Beth said. Mick and Josef stood when they saw them approaching. Mick knew immediately that something had transpired in the restroom. He gave Beth a questioning glance and she gave him her patented “I’ll tell you later look”

Later when they arrived home Mick sat Beth down on the sofa and handed her a cup of hot tea.
“Let’s hear it” he said calmly.
“Hedy is a very smart young woman. She must have some kind of second sight or something. She noticed that you and Josef don’t eat. She has seen Josef drinking blood from other women and quite frankly she’s scared to death. Mick where did she come from? She seems like a child trapped in a woman’s body”
“Beth, I can’t tell you the whole story but she is kind of child trapped in a woman’ body. As far as her mind goes anyway. It’s a difficult situation” he explained.
“And you’re not going to tell me!?!” she asked in stunned disbelief.
“Beth” he started to say but Beth sat her cup of tea on the table and started to go upstairs without a word.
“Beth, wait” Mick said grabbing her gently “Josef brought her back from the dead”
“What do you mean? So Hedy is a vampire?”
“Well not quite. Look, Simone tried to kill Josef and drain his blood so she could bring her mother back to life. Josef tricked her into sparing his life but not before she tried to kill Hedy. So Josef used Simone’s blood to bring Hedy back to life, but she has no memory and Josef didn’t think it was right to turn her out on the streets”. He said taking a breath and waiting for her response. Beth stared at him with confusion in her eyes.
“Wait a minute, you’re telling me that Josef resurrected the dead? As in a zombie?”
“That’s pretty much it in a nutshell”
“Wow! I don’t know what to say……and I take it he hasn’t told Hedy?”
“No. He’s waiting for the right time. But after tonight, he may have to do it right away. You saw her dancing. She’s starting to remember small things about her life. Little by little those pieces are going to come back. She’s confused right now, but she won’t always be”
Beth smiled to herself and slowly shook her head.
“Why the smile?” Mick asked
“I was thinking that I’m engaged to a vampire who’s over 90 years old, and tonight I had dinner with a zombie. That’s weird even for L.A.”

Josef knew what he had to do but he wasn’t sure how to go about it. He sat and watched Hedy as she read yet another book on Nostradamus and wondered what was her fascination with the prophet. Maybe this was yet another leftover memory that was jangling around in her psyche.
“Why do you look at me like that?” she asked suddenly “Do I not please you anymore?”
“Of course you do” Josef said suddenly.
“Why do you not drink my blood” she asked. Josef stared at her and knew that the time he thought he had was now gone.
“Because sweetheart, your blood is what’s called the bad blood”
“What am I?”
“I don’t know what you are really. But would you like to know how you came to me?”
“I am afraid Josef” she said, her voice trembling.
“The truth is always scary, but I promise you will always be safe with me” It took Josef over two hours to relay the tale to Hedy. She stayed completely still, occasionally wiping a tear from her eye.
“So, you tell me I was dead and brought back to life? Why did you bring me back?” Josef slowly walked to her and knelt down beside her.
“I brought you back because it was my fault that you died. I thought that you should have a chance to live. I haven’t lived an exemplary life. I wanted to do something right for once. And this was in my mind the right thing to do.” He said finally.
“Why do you keep the bad woman? Why did you not kill her?”
“I wanted her to see what she tried to take away”.
“So what will happen to me?”
“What do you want?” he asked smiling.
“I want to stay with you Josef”
“That’s what I want too”
Hedy jumped up and threw her arms around Josef.

Beth felt like a nice quiet dinner at home would be better than going out and raising questions that couldn’t be answered. And the way Josef answered questions meant the tar pits for the asker of said question. Mick came home and sniffed the air.
“Smells good. What are you making?”
“If you could really smell it, then you would know what I was making” she laughed. “It’s jambalaya with crawfish”
“Well, it sounds good. That better?” he said taking her into his arms and kissing her passionately on the lips.
“Ok, enough of that buster! Josef and Hedy will be here any minute now” she said rushing to set the table. One thing Beth could always say about Josef. You could set your watch by him. The man gave new meaning to the word punctual. At 7pm on the dot Josef came in with Hedy at his side.
“You two are becoming more and more like Ozzie and Harriet each day” he mused
“Good to see you to too Josef” Mick said sarcastically. “How are you Hedy?”
“I am fine” she said. She sniffed and looked toward Beth in the kitchen. “Oh! I know that smell!……..it is….Creole?....Jambalaya!” she squealed.
“You’re right” Beth said smiling “I think you have probably had better where you’re from, but I thought I’d give it a try. You wanna help me?” she asked, knowing that Mick and Josef would want to talk privately. Hedy laughed and followed her into the kitchen
“All is well?” Mick asked
“She seemed to take it well. She didn’t try and call the police or run away or anything”
“What are you going to do with her?”
“She’s going to stay with me. We’ll figure the details out later”
“So you’ve adopted a child. Way to go dad! I always wanted a sister” Mick laughed out loud.
“Open your eyes Mick. She’s hardly a child. And I’d like to think of her as my ward”
“Whatever. You don’t have any other designs for her?” Mick hinted
“None. Hedy is what’s called a lethal beauty. Not for the faint of heart. But there are things that she can accomplish quite well”.
Mick shook his head. He knew where the conversation was headed. So much for Josef doing anything out of the kindness of his heart.
Mick didn’t know what to make of the situation. What it came down to is that he liked the girl. Beth liked the girl. He glanced over at Beth and Hedy talking about going shopping and the places the places she thought Hedy should see. He had to admit, Hedy did look happier. She no longer had that look of a scared kid and she openly volunteered information and admitted when she didn’t remember something. As for Josef, he sat back and observed. Mick could see the wheels turning and he could sense that trouble was brewing.

Summer was coming to a close and Mick sighed with relief. The sun was particularly unbearable this year. He was glad to say goodbye to it.
Married life was definitely better the second time around. Beth was his ideal woman. Everything they did, they did together. She was smart, funny, and accepting. Mick knew that no matter what situation arose Beth would do whatever was necessary to make things right. After his tumultuous relationship and marriage to Coraline, he knew more and more each day, much like Josef and Sarah that he was meant to stay alive all this time, just so he could be with her. There were complications however. The whole immortality issue had taken center stage. Would he be able to stand by and watch the love of his life grow old while he was eternally 30? What would he do if she asked him to turn her? Josef of course thought this should have been taken care of before the wedding. But he and Beth agreed to take things slowly in that regard. She was in no hurry to end her mortal life. He didn’t know if she would ever be able to make that decision.

osef was on top of the world these days. His stock options grew by leaps and bounds. The company was doing very well and his life was rewarding and as of late extremely entertaining. Hedy had become his secret weapon. His top enforcer. Especially against vampire competition. The first to fall was Fredrick Sinclair. A 150 year old menace who thought that trying to sabotage Kostan Industries would be a grand career move for him. Josef played him perfectly, never letting on that he knew exactly what he was up to. And after inviting him over for a friendly game of poker, Josef introduced him to Hedy. Hedy charmed him with her innocence and beauty. And when she held out her arm for him to feed, Fredrick did so without hesitation. Of course feeding on the blood of the resurrected should not be done by vampires. Too bad Fredrick didn’t know that little fact. Josef watched has he gagged and clawed at his throat. The blood moved quickly through his system, making his body writhe in pain, until he eventually fell and laid still. He called Harold and told him to dispose of the body and then he took the hand of Hedy.
“Was it awful for you?” he asked, actually concerned.
“It did not hurt. I thought it might” she replied then simply excused herself to the library to read. Josef shook his head and thought “What a strange amazing girl”


He slowly descended the basement stairs and pulled up a chair in front of Simone. He searched her face for a long time wondering what was going on in her mind right now. Did she feel any remorse or guilt for what she had done?
“Oh, Simone” he said softly. “Why did you do this?”
Simone could not speak, she simply looked at him with the same lifeless eyes she always had. He saw a tear slowly descend her cheek and he gently wiped it away.
“I’m so sorry Simone” he said “But I can’t leave you like this.” Josef turned and removed a long antique sword from a locked cabinet. He gently kissed the top of Simone’s head and lowered the blade with all his strength. Her head fell and rolled to his feet.


Josef stood in front his mirror tying his tie when Hedy snuck up behind him.
“You do it wrong Josef. Let me do for you” she said and began to expertly tie a Windsor knot. Her long fingers moved deftly.
“There” she said proudly “You like?” Josef examined her work and smiled brightly.
“That’s perfect. Where did you learn to do that?”
“I do not know, but I do it well right”
“As I said, it’s perfect. Listen Hedy, I have to go out of town for 2 days. Will you be alright here alone?” he said taking her hand and sitting her down.
“Why can I not go with you” she asked
“Not this time sweetheart. I have some very serious matters to discuss with some very serious people. It’s best for you to stay here”
“I will be lonely” she pouted
“You could call Beth’ Josef thought suddenly “I’m sure she would love to come and stay with you” He saw Hedy start to smile and knew that this situation would be satisfactory to her.
“I call now?” she asked
“Of course. Beth does not keep night time hours” he chuckled. Hedy rushed off to ring Beth and Josef checked his bags to make sure he had everything that he would need for this trip.
Within the hour he was aboard his private plane on his way to New York.
“Sarah” he thought to himself. “Wait for me. I’m on my way”
“You know Mick, you really don’t have to go with me” Beth said as she packed her overnight bag.
“Yeah right! I’m going to let my wife stay for two days with an unstable woman who was just resurrected from the dead, while Josef goes to God knows where to do God knows what with another woman” he said exasperated.
“Don’t jump to conclusions Mick. We don’t know why Josef had to leave. Let’s not assume the worst. He’s your best friend. Sometimes I think I remember that more than you do”
“Ok, let’s leave Josef out of this, I would still feel better if I came along. Let’s just call it an insurance policy of sorts. Okay?”
“Fine, but don’t crowd us. We have secrets to share” she said grinning.
When they pulled up Josef’s house, Hedy was outside awaiting their arrival. She smiled brightly when she saw them pull up to the drive. She ran to hug Beth when she got out of the car.
“Thank you so much for coming. I do not think Josef wanted me to be alone while he is gone” she explained
“Well, I don’t want you to be alone either” Beth said “Let’s go inside”
Mick carried their bags in and took their things to one of Josef’s many guest rooms. When he came back downstairs he found Hedy and Beth dancing to a song on the radio while making popcorn. He shook his head. “Girls night” he sighed. This was going to be a long 2 days.
Where the hell was Josef? He thought.

New York City
Josef arrived at his townhome in Midtown Manhattan first thing the next morning. He checked in with his nurse to make sure that Sarah’s condition was still the same.
“I will be here for another day before heading back to LA, can you make all the usual arrangements for me?” he asked his housekeeper Lenora.
“Of course Mr. Kostan”
Josef took a taxi to Flatbush in Brooklyn. The taxi driver thought he was insane to want to go to Little Haiti by himself and asked if he wanted him to wait. Josef smiled to himself and told the driver to leave. He walked the neighborhood unafraid. In fact some of the elders stared at him and immediately looked away or went inside their apartments and shut the door. Somehow they knew, if not exactly what he was. When he found the location he sought he opened the door and went inside. A little bell over the door chimed when he walked in. A very old woman perhaps 80 years old came out from a room in back of the store.
“What can I do for you?” she said and stared directly at him
“My name is Josef, I called you from California. I wanted to ask you some questions”
“Yes, I remember who are. And I remember who you ask about” she said. Josef noticed that her eyes never left his face. She never blinked. He slowly walked towards her and moved his hands in front of her eyes.
“Blind does not mean that I cannot see Mr. Josef” she said sternly. “Have a seat”
Josef sat down at the table and watched the old woman walk without aid of cane quite easily and find a seat opposite his.
“What is it that you want?” she asked
“Hidijbah” he said. “Have you ever heard that name?” The old woman sat silent for a moment and rubbed the little gray hairs on her chin.
“What you want to know is dangerous. But you already know this. Hidijibah means of the dead. To bring life to the dead. It has not been practiced for over 100 years. There are very few of us left and the ones who are will never do this” she said finally
“I had a visit from someone who had a young girl with her that she placed her mother’s soul into for the purpose of bringing her back. She then tried to kill me”
The old woman chuckled to herself and took a sip of whiskey from a nearby bottle.
“Then you had it coming” she laughed.
“I’m sure I did but I just want to understand it all”
“This woman you speak of, she does not know what she is doing. To do what she had in mind she would need something that she could never get”.
“And what is that?” Josef pressed on
“The blood of an Ancient. One from the dark side that has lived many lifetimes over. Only they can raise the dead. Without this blood they would just be a lifeless zombie.” The old woman paused for another sip. “I think you have more to tell me Josef” she croaked out. She reached out for his hands and held them in hers. Suddenly her face froze and she dropped his hands as if they were fire.
“What do you want?” she yelled “I know what you are!”
“Calm down. I’m not here to hurt you. I just want information. What if I wanted to bring someone back? How would I do this?” he asked
She wiped her forehead with a handkerchief.
“You do what you been doing for centuries. Your kind don’t need my help” she said
Josef sighed. “The person I want to bring back is in a coma”
“You must tell me everything” she said simply and took another sip of whiskey.
Josef was hesitant to tell her everything, but he told her about Simone and her mother who went by the name Hidijibah and the young girl Hedy. The old woman rocked back and forth while she listened to his story. And when he had finished she sat her frail body up straight.
“What you must do will not be easy. The one you call Hedy you should have never given to her the blood of the Ancient. She will be hard to kill”
“Why would I want to kill her?” he asked
“Because she is Hidijibah. Henslo evil spirit. She was most likely a high priestess when she was alive. She did not teach her daughter everything but she taught her enough. Right now her spirit must wait until Hedy remembers all her life before she can fully take over the body of the girl. So you must kill her before that happens. Kill her and mix your blood with hers. Give it to girl in the coma. She will live again”.
“But I thought that drinking the blood of the resurrected was bad for my kind?” Josef asked.
“It must be mixed with the blood of the Ancient” the old woman said.
“There’s no way to save the girl?” he asked genuinely sad.
“No. Either way she will die. Hidijibah will see that there is nothing left of her but the body. You must put this herb in her drink. This will make the evil spirit sleep. Then you must kill the girl”
Josef took five hundred dollars out of his wallet and laid it on the table in front of her.
“Thank you for your help” he said and started to walk out.
“I only would have asked for one hundred dollars” she said staring right in his direction. Josef stopped and stared at her.
“How did you know……?” he began
“Blind does not mean that I cannot see Mr. Josef” she repeated and put the money in her pocket.
Josef went back to his townhouse and sat with Sarah the rest of the night. He gently stroked her cheek.
“Soon my darling” he said.


Mick didn’t want to sleep. He didn’t want to risk leaving Hedy alone with Beth. But he soon saw them both straining to stay awake.
“Ok ladies” he announced “Time for all mortal to go to bed” he said
Hedy got slowly up and walked up the stairs to her room. Mick gently shook Beth’s shoulder to wake her up.
“Come on Honey, time for you to go to bed” He swooped her up in his arms and carried her to the guest bedroom. He placed her in bed and covered her up. Then he went to the door and locked it. He would have to stay up to ensure Beth’s safety. It was 4am. Why hadn’t Josef called?

Josef was apprehensive when he returned home from New York. He really didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t know how much of Hedy was left and how much of Hidijibah had taken her place. He punched in Mick’s’ number.
“Josef” he heard Mick exclaimed “It’s about time. Where are you?” he demanded
“Easy Mick. I’m back in LA. How’s the family?”
“Everything’s fine. Beth and Hedy went shopping for something called a Dooney Burke? I don’t know what that is but it sounds expensive and you’re paying for it!” he said.
“Gladly. When did they leave?”
“About an hour ago”
“I’m on my way. I have something to tell you”
Josef met Mick at his office.
“Look Mick, I know I haven’t been completely honest with you but let me tell you why. I think you’ll understand” Josef said
Mick sat down and waited. Josef told him everything. He left nothing out. Josef watched as Mick’s face went through a torrent of emotions. From shock to disbelief. When Josef had told him everything, Mick sighed and put his face in his hands.
“You know, this is going to kill Beth” he said
“It’s killing me too Mick! I don’t want this girl to die but if the old woman is correct, she will most likely die anyway. She starts to remember more and more each day. We don’t have a whole lot of time”.
“Ok, but I want Beth away from all of this. Are we clear?”
“Crystal” Josef said. “Let’s go get the women”
They arrived at Josef’s house the same time that Beth and Hedy were pulling up. Hedy squealed, as was her way, whenever she saw Josef.
“Josef! I am so glad that you are back” she said throwing her arms around him. Josef hugged her back. With feeling. He was sorry that things had to turn out this way. She tensed immediately. Josef did not look his usual playful self. Something was wrong she thought.
“Hey Josef” Beth called out pulling multiple bags out of the car. “Thanks for the handbag” she laughed.
“Anytime Beth” Josef said letting Hedy go and taking hold of her hand. Josef led Hedy into the house while Mick stayed behind under of pretense of helping Beth with the packages. He quickly told her as much as he could. He could see that she was pained by this news, but Mick assured her that there was no other way.
“You have to go home Beth” he said
“If I leave right now Hedy is going to know that something is up. You know that” she said. Mick thought for a moment and realized she was right.
“Okay, but stay close to me” he said and they walked into Josef’s house together.
Josef was sitting patiently on the sofa while Hedy took various items of clothing out of bags and showed him each one. Josef smiled. He was really going to miss her. He enjoyed having her around. He enjoyed taking care of her. But now she had the potential to become quite dangerous. For all his kind.
“So how much did all of this cost me?” Josef said teasingly
“Beth said that the cost did not matter but these things were essential to the……young woman on the go” Hedy said triumphantly
Josef glanced over at Beth who was pretending to look elsewhere.
“Did she really?” Josef mused “well of course Beth is correct. I can’t have a friend of mine going out in anything less”
Hedy’s face fell for a moment. She did not like the word friend. Surely she meant more to him than just a friend. Why would he say such a thing? Her mind began to struggle a bit like she was on the verge of remembering something but could not bring it into focus.
Josef got up and went to the bar.
“Who wants a drink?”
“I’ll take a Mojito” said Beth knowing that that was Hedy’s favorite drink
“Ooh” Hedy squealed. “Can I have one too Josef?”
“Of course” he said and started to make the drinks. He carefully handed the first one to Beth who sipped hers immediately
“Wow Josef! I think you missed your calling. You should have been a bartender” she mused. He handed the next drink to Hedy. He eyes opened wide. She loved drinking. She loved the nice feeling she had afterwards. But there was something not right about this drink she felt. But it looked the same as the one he gave to Beth. She had watched him make it.
“What’s wrong sweetheart?” Josef asked. “Is it too strong? You want me to make you something else?”
Hedy looked at the man she had grown to love. His eyes smiling back at her with warmth.
“No. Josef, this is good” she said and took a big sip. “I really like this”
She said taking another sip.
“Slow down sweetheart!” Josef said “Too much Mojito too fast is not good for the tummy” he laughed.
They all sat down and Beth told them of the stores they went into on Rodeo Drive courtesy of Josef Kostan. Hedy began to try on outfits and model them for everyone. She looked so beautiful Josef thought. He sat quietly waiting for the herb to take affect. It took almost an hour before Hedy became slightly unsteady on her feet. Josef ran to her.
“Hedy, are you okay?” Hedy was silent. Her head was throbbing. Something inside her was forcing her to remember. She pinched her temples. She swooned in Josef’s arms. Her mind started to become clearer. She turned unsteadily to face Josef.
“Why did you call me Hedy?” she asked
“Because that’s your name” Josef said
“That’s not my name. My name is Rochelle” she said with no trace of an accent.
Suddenly her body went into a spasm and she jerked about the room running into furniture. Mick and Beth moved quickly out of her way.
Josef stood his ground and waited to grab her from behind.
She stopped moving and tried to stand up straight but the drug was making it hard for her.
She turned to face Josef.
“You silly fool” she screamed. Her Haitian accent now fully returned.
“You have no idea who I am and what I can do to you!”
“You are Hidijibah, the slave of Andre Dubois. He killed you when you could bare him no more children. But I don’t think he was counting on your daughter Simone releasing your soul and placing it into the bodies of hundreds of young women throughout the years until she sought me out” Josef said.
“Simone!” Hidijibah yelled. “Where is my beautiful daughter?’
“I’m afraid she is dead” Josef said
Hidijibah turned sharply and lost her footing and fell to the floor unable to get up. Her speech began to slur.
“Wha…what did you do her?” she mumbled.
“I killed her” Josef said. Hidijibah fell onto her back and screamed out a piercing wail.
“I killed her for the life she took. The many many lives she took” Josef finished. But Hidijibah no longer heard him. She laid still and went to sleep. Beth let out a tiny gasp and placed her hand over her mouth. Mick went to Josef and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Are you okay with this?” he asked.
“It had to happen this way” he said “There was no more of Hedy left”
Josef took her body to his basement where he would dispose of the body properly. When he came back up, he asked Mick and Beth to leave him.
“Call me if you need anything” were Mick final words as he walked out the door.
Josef walked back to the basement and finished what he had to do. He drained the body of Hedy and mixed both their blood into a container. He then took her remains and placed them into the furnace where they would burn until there was nothing but ash left.
Josef sat down and stayed there all night. Deep down he knew that none of this was his fault but why did he feel so miserable? He loved Hedy. Not like his love for Sarah. It was a different sort of love. He felt like he had lost a daughter. A very unique special daughter.

Resurrection
Josef stood above Sarah’s bed, hoping that all that he went though would not be in vain. Mick and Beth stood close behind him staring intently. Josef held vial of blood to the lips of Sarah and squeezed few drops into her mouth. He waited, and then squeezed a bit more. Nothing was happening. He sat down next to her bed and held her hand.
“I knew this wouldn’t work” Josef said sadly “Why did I ever believe that any of this would work?”
Mick came towards him
“Josef, you did everything you could. Sometimes things are in the hands of a higher power” Josef chuckled with tears in his eyes.
“Did you just say higher power? What kind of new age mumble jumble have you been reading?”
Josef started to stand up when he felt movement from Sarah’s hand.
He stared at her and then grabbed the vial and placed more into her mouth. Slowly her eyes began to flutter open. She turned her head slowly.
“Josef my love!” she said softly “Where have you been?”
Josef openly sobbed at her side. Pressing his lips to her hands, her face, and her hair.
“Oh my God Sarah!” Josef cried “I am so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”
“Of course my love” she said looking into his eyes. Mick and Beth stared in disbelief.
“Sarah” Josef said softly, “I’d like you meet my friends. This is Mick and Beth St. John” Sarah looked over at them.
“I hope you have taken good care of my darling” she said smiling towards them. Mick grinned happily.
“We did our best” he said and hugged Beth tightly.

Was life ever really normal when you were a vampire? Mick thought. He looked over at Josef and Sarah and smiled. Who would have thought after all this time, Josef would awaken his one true love? He glanced at his own beautiful wife and thought that he and Josef were lucky to have any sort of happiness at all. But here they all were. New Year’s Eve in New York City. All waiting for the ball to drop.
“Penny for your thoughts” Beth whispered in his ear
“I don’t know how much value my thoughts have, but I was thinking that life is pretty damn good” Mick said
“Oh, I’d say after what we’ve been through, those are some very valuable thoughts” she laughed wrapping her arms around his waist. “Josef looks happy” she said when she looked over in his direction.
“I know. And it’s from love. Not killing someone or swindling someone!”
Josef and Sarah walked towards them.
“So Mick, do you think you would mind if I danced with your lovely wife?” Josef said smiling. Beth immediately put her hand out.
“Do your worst Mr. Kostan” Beth said laughing up at him. Josef walked her out on the dance floor and led her in a waltz.
“You know Beth” Josef began “I wanted to personally thank you for all your help with the Hedy situation. I know that none of that was easy for you”
“Thank you Josef. I really liked Hedy. A lot. She was a sweet girl, but you and Mick were right. It was only a matter of time before something really bad happened. And in any case, look at what she able to do for you in the end!” she said motioning to Sarah.
“She is amazing, isn’t she?” Josef smiled as they danced and laughed their way around the crowded dance floor.
Mick and Sarah stood nearby sipping champagne.
“So how you are doing Sarah?” he asked
“There is so much to learn. I feel I am hopelessly behind the times” she giggled.
“Don’t think of it that way. Think of it as delightfully old fashioned”
“Then let us toast” she said brightly “To the olden days!” she said.
“To the olden days” Mick said as they clinked glasses ad drank their champagne.
“Would you like something other than champagne?” Mick asked.
Sarah turned and looked him directly in the eyes
“I’d love a mojito” she said staring up at him.

[francis]

Wow, another awesome chapter. So Josef had a plan all along it seems. Now he got his greatest wish but there will always be a part of Hedy in her. I guess that's not so bad as he seemed to be quite fond of the childlike haitian woman.

[jen]

Amazing!!

Very Moonlight, and yet...not.

This takes us into a detour through another supernatural realm with some absolutely chilling sides to it.

Sometimes, it is difficult to know the victims from those that victimize.

Thank you