SHELDON: No pressure, right?
SETH: [laughs] Right.
SHELDON: Kinda makes you long for the days when the only enemies Immortal Guardians fought were psychotic vampires.
SETH: [huffs a laugh as his cell phone rings] Life was simpler then. [retrieves his phone from a back pocket, looks to see who is calling, then answers] Ja? [frowns] Ik ben onderweg. [pockets the phone and rises] I have to go.
SHELDON: Okay. Thanks again for the interview.
SETH: Anytime. [vanishes]
SHELDON: That is so cool.
July 2018
Awaken the Darkness Blog Tour
SHELDON: First, let me say it’s really great to have you back, Stan.
STANISLAV: Thank you. And you are…?
SHELDON: [stares] Dude, you don’t know who I am?
STANISLAV: [shrugs] Are you a reporter?
SUSAN: [nods] I think he is. He’s here to interview us, right?
SHELDON: I’m not a reporter! I’m Richart’s Second.
STANISLAV: [lips twitch] I know. I was just kidding.
SHELDON: Uncool, man.
SUSAN: [laughs] You are here to interview us though, right?
SHELDON: Yes.
SUSAN: Why? I thought the whole immortals, vampires, and gifted ones thing was supposed to stay hush-hush.
SHELDON: It is. But the humans who work for the network—researching a cure for the virus that infects immortals, providing them with weapons, cleaning up their messes, et cetera—have been running into more immortals lately, and it’s sparked their curiosity.
STANISLAV: Their curiosity or their fear?
SHELDON: [hesitates] Both.
SUSAN: [frowns] Why would network employees fear you? They know you and your immortal brethren are out there every night, hunting and slaying psychotic vampires who prey upon humans. They even help you do it.
SHELDON: Yes, but you’ve been around immortals long enough now, Susan, to know that some of the shit they can do is…
STANISLAV: [arches a brow] Shocking?
SHELDON: To say the least. And some people find the special gifts coupled with the incredible strength, speed and regenerative capabilities you possess…
SUSAN: A tad frightening?
SHELDON: Yes.
SUSAN: I suppose I can understand that. I was born with a special gift myself and was still a bit unnerved by some of the things Stanislav can do.
SHELDON: [grins] So I’ve heard. But we’ve done enough of these interviews in recent years to temper the fear and pique network employees’ curiosity. [looks to Stanislav] And everyone wants to know where the hell you’ve been, man.
STANISLAV: [grunts] Stuck in the ground, consumed by pain.
SHELDON: Yes, but how did you get there? Contrary to popular belief, neither vampires nor immortals are dead. Or undead. Or go to ground during the day. So how did you end up… [trails off as Stanislav’s eyes begin to glow]
SUSAN: [reaches over and rests a hand on Stan’s knee] We don’t really need to talk about that, do we? That wound is still pretty raw.
SHELDON: Oh. Sure. I mean no. We don’t have to go into that. But can I ask… Susan, you found him, didn’t you?
SUSAN: [smiles] Yes, I did.
SHELDON: In your basement.
SUSAN: Yes.
SHELDON: I think I speak for everyone when I ask… Why the hell were you digging in your basement?
SUSAN: [smile turns wry] That’s what I kept asking myself.
STANISLAV: [winks at her] I have a way of compelling her to do things she ordinarily wouldn’t.
SUSAN: [laughs and gives his shoulder a shove] Don’t say it like that. You make it sound like we do weird things in bed.
STANISLAV: [grins] Don’t we? Last night, did you or did you not ask me to—
SUSAN: [claps a hand over his mouth and blushes] Don’t say it!
SHELDON: [wide-eyed] Dude.
STANISLAV: [peels her hand from his mouth and presses a kiss to her palm] I wasn’t. I just love to see you blush.
SUSAN: [laughs] You’re so bad.
SHELDON: [mutters] In more ways than one. [clears his throat] So, Stanislav, you were born with empathic abilities?
STANISLAV: Yes. I not only can read other people’s emotions, I can manipulate them as well.
SHELDON: And for the newbies at the network, you have these abilities because you were a gifted one before your transformation?
STANISLAV: Yes. I was born with advanced DNA that bestowed that particular gift upon me.
SHELDON: Immortals are gifted ones who are infected with the vampiric virus, and vampires are ordinary humans who are infected with the virus.
STANISLAV: Correct. And, unfortunately, without our advanced DNA—which protects us from the more corrosive aspects of the virus—humans infected with it suffer progressive brain damage that rapidly drives them insane, so they all ultimately become violent predators.
SUSAN: That’s so sad. Do you think the doctors at the network will find a cure?
STANISLAV: I don’t know.
SHELDON: For Cliff’s sake, I hope they will. Susan, you were born a gifted one, too. What gift do you possess?
SUSAN: I’m telepathic.
SHELDON: So you can read other people’s minds?
SUSAN: Yes.
STANISLAV: [turns to Susan] That reminds me, you might want to avoid reading Sheldon’s mind, because—
SUSAN: Oh! [winces and squeezes her eyes shut] Ewwww. I wish I hadn’t seen that. I mean, I really wish I hadn’t seen that.
STANISLAV: [grimaces] Too late.
SHELDON: What’s too late? Did she read my mind?
STANISLAV: Yes.
SUSAN: [slaps Stanislav on the thigh] Why didn’t you warn me sooner?
STANISLAV: [chokes back a laugh] I forgot.
SHELDON: Oh, come on. I know the other telepaths like to complain about the porn and weird crap they find in my head. But it’s not that bad.
SUSAN: [still wincing] Yes, it is. It really is.
STANISLAV: [grins at Susan] I love it when you blush.
SUSAN: You’re not helping, honey.
SHELDON: Okay, okay. You’ve had a big laugh. Now, let’s change the subject and get back to the… Ah hell. Now she’s doing that thing Dana does.
STANISLAV: What thing?
SHELDON: Dana gets red in the face whenever I look her in the eye.
STANISLAV: Why? Did she read your mind too? I thought she was psychic, not telepathic.
SHELDON: She is psychic. But apparently when she touched my hand, she saw something from my past.
STANISLAV: The incident in Italy?
SHELDON: [eyebrows fly up] You know about that?
STANISLAV: Everyone knows about that.
SUSAN: [jaw drops as she stares at Sheldon with wide eyes] You actually did that? In public?
STANISLAV: [motions to Sheldon’s reddening face] Look. Now it’s his turn to blush.
SHELDON: [rises] Okay. I can see this interview is going to go nowhere now, so let’s just pick it up again another time.
SUSAN: [calls after him] I’m sorry. I’ll try not to blush next time I see you. [looks at Stanislav as the door closes behind Sheldon] Seriously, you need to do something to get those images out of my head.
STANISLAV: [lifts her over onto his lap and captures her lips a long, deep, passionate kiss]
SUSAN: [smiles up at him] That’ll work. Now do it again.
STANISLAV: [complies with a grin]
July 2018
Awaken the Darkness Blog Tour