"Why would she remain anonymous?"
"She had a magical sword. She didn't want anyone else to have it. If someone knew her identity, she would be targeted."
"This story makes me really proud of you, Elizabeth."
"Why?"
"Sometimes I forget how young you are. When I was growing up, you were an adult by the time you were ten. But that's not the case anymore. You went out into the world very quickly, nobody could keep you at the gates, and you did exactly what you wanted to do. It took the character your grandfather invented until the age of thirty to do that. And while that's excessively late, I feel your case is excessively early. What do people normally do when they turn eighteen? Go to college, join the military, work. They latch onto a formula and start out at the beginning. Freshman in college, boot camp, entry level employee. Instead, you’re that kid who decided he didn't want to go to college; he wanted to educate himself and then completely take over his field of interest. Kinda like Bill Gates. Or instead of going to boot camp, you create your own army. And why be an entry level employee when you can be the boss? I love that when you started on this camping trip, you didn't go with a group. You didn't pick some typical campsite like Yosemite, stayed for a couple weeks, and then stayed with your brother until college. You chose a remote island, cut off from the rest of world, and decided to have the camping trip of a lifetime."
"Well, I failed. I got kidnapped, remember?"
"But isn't this so much better? You're camping on an island with vampires and dinosaur eggs."
Elizabeth had to admit this was true. If she thought her camping trip was going to be unique while first planning it, then this was beyond anything she could have hoped for.
"Let's go fishing before it gets too early," Aaron said.
They fished for a little bit. They ravenously tore at the fish they caught, bones and all, and licked at the blood. Then Aaron walked her back to the cabin. He walked her to the door, kissed her hand, and then said goodnight. She watched him walk away for a moment, and then she turned and opened the door to the cabin. She thought to herself, I think that was our first date.
Chapter 16: New Friends
Elizabeth awoke sometime in the late afternoon. Not long after that she heard barking and a knock at the front door. She opened the door and Lyle and Marnie were waiting on the porch. Marnie held a couple of plain leashes attached to two beautiful dogs. Against the backdrop of the cabin's quaint little yard and white picket fence, Marnie and Lyle looked picture perfect. They could have been part of a print advertisement featuring a married couple with his and her dogs, posing in their perfect yard, underneath the bold, printed advertisement: Welcome to Our Town! Elizabeth turned her focus to the dogs and recognized them as English Foxhounds. Lyle smiled at her and handed her a card, a bag of dog food, and another bag of doggy treats. Elizabeth opened the envelope and saw a card with a sleeping golden retriever puppy on the front. Inside it read:
Dear Elizabeth,
I have been thinking for quite some time now that you should have a companion. I asked Kyla to have Marnie and Lyle find you a nice hunting dog to help you track animals. Last night, they came to the island with these English Foxhounds. They are both a year old. I think they are perfect for you. Please enjoy them as a gift from me."
Sincerely,
Aaron
Elizabeth took the dog food and treats inside. Then she took the leashes from Marnie and told the couple thank you. The two left and went back to Kyla. The dogs barked, jumped up and down, and stood on their hind legs. Elizabeth smiled happily at their exquisite show of vivacious spirit. They would be perfect hunters. She morphed into a golden retriever and the dogs started in shock. They backed away whimpering. But she licked them and they seemed to realize that she was okay. They began to play fight together. She was much physically stronger. Being a half vampire made her more powerful than typical dogs. Eventually, she felt herself get thirsty and realized that they must be too. She transformed into a human and went into the house. She looked for some bowls, and found two large ceramic bowls she had made long ago in a ceramics class in high school. She had never used them for anything and decided to make them water bowls. She filled them with water and then poured herself a glass and drank it thirstily. She brought out the water bowls to the dogs, which they lapped up with grateful smiles. She went into the cabin and grabbed some treats. They looked like little cookies in the shape of bones. She gave one to each dog, which they wolfed down quickly, and then she left them outside so she could relax and get ready for dinner. As she took her shower and shaved her legs, she realized that her life was almost a stereotype. She had a man, a home, a white picket fence, and a couple of dogs. All they needed was 2.5 kids and they could be a typical American family. The distorted image she used to have of herself as a screaming 1950s wife, being dragged to bed every night by Aaron, with this idyllic surrounding as her prison seemed long ago. Now, this place and Aaron were her source of peace.