“Good day, gentlemen.”
We stood up, and I moved toward Maggie,somehowfeeling as ifintimacy would rule theday.
She looked up at Hartwell, who looked back with hissad puppy-dog eyes.
“I think we’redonehere, Thomas,” Maggiesaid withouta hint ofemotion.
“But Maggie…" Istarted toprotest untilshe put her hand up ina stop sign.
“No buts, Thomas. It’stimefor you to go.”
“If that’s your wish,” I said.
“That’s mywish,” Maggie stated.
Weeks later, Daniel sought Maggieout and explained that there was a time justafterthey both hadpassed away fromthe blackplague.Hartwell was sodistraught that he was seconds away fromending his ownlife. He then brought her back to watch it all unfold.
I picked up a gun off the table andslowly lifted it toward my head, but was interrupted by a loud knock on the front door.
“Don’tdo it,Thomas!” Maggieyelled as if she could alter theoutcome. She and Daniel were standing only a few feet from oldme – it wasone ofDaniel’snewestinnovations:virtualreality.He could nowbe in thesceneduring theflashbacks,but couldnot affectanythingaroundhim – atleastnot yet.
I let a man into the house and then was told that if he ever wantedto seemy wife andchild again,thatthere was onlyone way todo it.And that waywas to dieand bereborn as a vampire.
“Oh my god,”a shocked Maggie said when she could finallyexhale.She thenturned to Daniel and said, “Look what he did for us,” asshe watcheda PGversion of me being brutally killedafterthe vampire, Alexander Lowery, fed off me.
A montagethen ensued of my emotionalstrugglesthroughout the 100 yearsI was without myfamily. All of the times I thought I saw Maggie and my son, only tostaredefeatdown with eachpassingday.The loneliness, the heartache, thelingeringdoubtsover whether Lowery was telling thetruth.
Of course,Daniel left outall of mycarousingandhedonisticpartying– not exactly required viewingfor a relationship on the mend.
Maggie and Daniel were back in Beach Haven, sitting on the beachin a couple ofbeachchairs.
“So,howdid you becomea vampire? I mean,I assume that Thomas – your father – what’s theterm? ‘Turned’you.”
Daniel had a flashback for every question and occasion. He wasgoing tobeam them intothe hospital, but Maggie said, “Could you do one of those 3-D things in front of us? I likebeing onthe beach, shesaid as she wriggled her toesin the sand.
Maggie looked downat thepicture andsaid,“That’s nice, Daniel. Daniel had replacedhimself in the room with me,who was
walking aimlessly in town.
Maggie looked upand said,“Thomas!”
She jumped in his arms and they hugged like their lives depended onit.
“I never want tobe apartfrom you again,” she saidin anemotionalwhisper.
“I can live with that,”I replied.
Daniel was watching the reunionfromthe next room and started tofeel forthe firsttimein his life - ordeath - that the family wasfinallycomingtogether, which was my dream allalong.
