(53) Trevor Wallace – Dhampir

(Del)

“Is that the way it always is with your kind?”

Trevor had taken me to a local bar not too far from where I work. It’s a nice quiet place that we’ve been to before that the tourists seem to avoid. Not that this is a tourist district but they seem to be everywhere at this time of year. We found an empty booth in back and I was stretched out on one side, shoes off, feet up, resting them. He’d just finished telling me some of what had happened while he was gone.

“Pretty much, Del.” He was leaning forward, elbows on the table while he spoke softly so no one else could hear him but me. “You gotta figure that we’re born to do what we do. I suppose it’s sort of nature’s way of balancing the population by using them to create their own destruction.”

I shivered. “How awful to grow up knowing you’re going to be killing your own father in time.”

Trev shook his head. “Most of us never know who our father was. Daniel and I are pretty much the exception to the rule. But yeah, it’s not the greatest of childhoods if your mother lets you know from the get-go what you are. And, often as not, she has to, since Dhampirs have powers they’ve inherited from their fathers.”

“What if…” I frowned as something occurred to me. “What if the mother doesn’t know who or what the father was? That would be scary when she discovered that her kid was stronger and faster than all the other kids on the block.”

“She’d probably figure she’d given birth to a future football star or something,” Trev replied with a chuckle. “Hell, in all honesty I don’t have a clue what that would be like. There are damned few of us around, believe it or not. I’ve only met two others and one was just in passing.”

I had another thought and blurted it out without thinking. “Are you sort of like a mule?” I winced as soon as I’d said it. “Damn Trev. I’m sorry, I know you’re not.”

“It’s all right.” He took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “What’s past is past. You taught me that. Though I’m not sure I like being compared to a mule. I’m not that stubborn. I don’t think.”

“You have your moments.” I smiled at him, glad he hadn’t let my thoughtless words bring him down.

“Look who’s talking Mister ‘I don’t need anyone’s help, I can do it on my own’.”

“Well I can.” I gave him a mock glare.

He tossed his head back, laughing. Man he looks so different when he does that. It always surprises me and makes me wonder what he’d have been like if his circumstances had been different. Probably married with ten kids I bet, but no way am I saying that to him.