October 12, 2013
Lofyn should have expected the phone call. But she didn't. She was waiting, she didn't know for what, next to the terrarium that held her boa constrictor, when her phone - the most basic cell phone money could buy, the one she'd had since before Tony kicked her out - rang."Hello?" she asked softly as she answered.
"I don't have long, sis," came the quiet voice on the other end. "I'm in a closet right now making this call. Mom's turned into a dictator."
"Wasn't she always?" Lofyn laughed, putting two fingers to the glass of the terrarium with a sigh. "Guess she doesn't want you talking to me?"
"That she does not. I wanna meet. Tonight, ten o'clock, at the Voodoo Cybercafe."
"You sure? You remember what all happened after the radio broadcast, right?"
"I believe you're not evil, Vivi. I don't care what Mom says. You're my big sister, and I love you. Mom's an idiot for not seeing it."
"All right. I'll be there."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At ten o'clock that night, Lofyn found a seat in the corner of the indicated cafe, her laptop open, the Fifth Column forums open on her screen. The corner was chosen specially to keep the content of her screen from grabbing the attention of the human populace. She didn't want that. Not yet. The news of vampires had to be broken gently. Not like the radio broadcast that had broken her human self, or like that day in Wickbridge when she herself had gone just a little crazy.Every moment or two, Lofyn's blue eyes flicked to the door of the establishment, watching, waiting for her younger brother. When Tyler did finally enter, he was alone, wrapped in a black coat against the chill of the season. She raised a hand with a grin, waving him over to her. He hurried through the cafe and sat down opposite her at the table.
"I ordered you a hot cocoa," Lofyn said, sliding the cup toward the boy.
"Thanks, Viv," Tyler replied, taking a sip of the hot liquid.
"I changed my name."
"What is it now?"
"Lofyn. After an old Norse goddess. One of the handmaidens of Queen Frigga and goddess of passion in her own right." The blonde winked, her mouth curving in a half-smile. "Fitting, right?"
"I guess." The boy took a deep breath, pulling a photograph from his coat pocket. "Simone and Karen won't ever admit it, but they miss you. Halloween won't be the same without our big sister."
"I know. I'm sorry. It wasn't my idea to leave, nor to...to change."
They didn't say anything for a minute, Lofyn's left fang hooking on her lower lip before she remembered to pull her lips back together, a distortion of her oold nervous habit to chew on her lip. The fangs made it difficult to deal with doing such a thing in public. Tyler, however, grinned.
"Is it really true? What the voice on the radio said? You want to help people with your new self?"
Lofyn nodded, smiling at her little brother's enthusiastic response. "It is true. It is very true. And I'm not the only one. But this isn't the place or time to discuss this. You understand?"
"Yeah, sure. Can we Skype later?"
"Sure. If you can get alone."
"Shouldn't be a problem. I'll call you every night before bed, too. Gotta get home, before Mom realizes I'm not there."
Lofyn stood, pulling the small boy close for a hug. "I've missed you, Tyler."
"I missed you, too."
The blonde reached into her purse then, handing something small and fluffy to the boy. His teddy bear, Carl. "I don't need him anymore. I'm safe."
Tyler shook his head. "Keep him. He'll remind you to call me."
The siblings parted ways, the younger heading home, the older settling back into her seat at the corner. Life was finally feeling normal again.
