Midnight in the savage garden part 4

 Voltaire paused in his story, staring at Christian the host of this strange podcast.  The air was thick with fear, anticipation, hunger and then Voltaire spoke..

“ I hunted after we first met that night in the Cafe Du Monde, killed some pimp as he was about to ‘get laid’, I let his victim go but I could have killed her too if I wanted I could very easily kill you now too Christian, you are right to be frightened of me.  I am a monster.  Ah but no I will not kill you yet, I did feed before I came here to you. Besides, I need you to tell my story.  Death will not visit you tonight."

Christian was frightened, and had been since this otherworldly creature walked into his studio.  He did his best to conceal it, but had failed.  His voice came out shaky "That's um-Yes-Good to know you won't kill me.  May I ask, why did you agree to come here on my show to tell your story?" 

"After centuries of hiding in the shadows, seeing ideologies rise, fall, and rise again, I thought this the perfect time to come out of the shadows and reveal myself and vampires to the world.  It is time that everyone now sees that monsters do indeed live among you and have for centuries.  It is time you rise up against us.  Fight this evil.  The world is in chaos because people will not see what is in front of them. Also this broadcast, if nothing else is bound to reach the ears of some of my-Ancient brothers and sisters and they will no doubt come for me finally.  To sum up I am here to as the popular expression goes make some noise and see what happens' ' Voltaire smiled.  "Ah but you have questions and they must be asked." 

"Yes-Yes I do- have many questions." Christian stammard still afraid but too curious to not push forward through his fear. "What about you can convince me that you are a vampire?  I mean you could just be this psycho killer..Human psycho..What thing makes you "other"?" 

Ah, yes I could just be that, another one of your psychotic serial killers, another Jeffery Dahmer or John Wayne Cacey or any of the others that have passed into history..Or are stalking your streets today yet to be caught.  Except that I am not.  I do have supernatural strength, I do not require food or water.  I do not even require blood to sustain myself although without it I can become very weak and shriveled but I can not die as I am already dead, have been since that fateful evening all those centuries ago.  Reanimated corpse? Hm not quite but that is more accurate in one sense and completely off the mark in another.  We are complex, once human, now monsters.  I have not ever had my blood studied under a microscope so I do not know any of my own mechanics.  Inside of me exists an ancient spirit that combined somehow with my human soul and I became this thing.  I am sorry that I do not have a more scientific explanation.  There may be someone or group of someone's who may be able to give a more scientific explanation of things.  Of them I know little except that they have studied all things supernatural and preternatural for many years now and have a library of information on all manner of things."  

"Hm so can you be destroyed? If I throw a rosary on you and soak you with holy water will you melt into a pile of goo?" Christian asked

Voltaire chuckled. "My dear boy, That is fiction.  No to my knowledge there is nothing that can destroy us.  We can be detained, buried in a deep dungeon for centuries, starved of blood or We can voluntarily go into a deep sleep for centuries rising only when something disturbs our slumber.  But utterly destroyed? I have not seen it."  

I looked at Voltaire considering all he had told me, “ Well, there is nothing that can destroy you that you are aware of or are willing to impart to me. Got it.  Either you just don’t know or you are not telling me because vampires need their secrets.”  

“ That is fair I suppose, however you want to think of it. The fact remains I can not be destroyed-I do not think.” He smiled at me.  “ Although I do welcome any and all attempts, I am always hungry it seems so bring it on.” He laughed.  

“Ah, but to get back to Desdemona, and the website, and the ‘Carter brothers’, I think that is who they are, yes? Those two vampires you mentioned that lived in New Orleans before you came along, I had read a story about them while researching Desdomona’s home after that first encounter I had after I met up with her there.”  I said 

“ Yes, that is one name they went by in the past, it is not their name however, but I will not divulge that information to you just yet.  I think the newspapers at the time are more responsible for that name than anything else, they just sort of ‘ate up’ the attention it gave them.  You need not worry about Desdemona. I was not there to  harm her and I will not harm her.  My sole reason for being there was as a protector.  I am rather fond of her if you must know but she doesn't know I exist, not really and I would prefer it to remain that way for the most part.”  

“ Alright I won’t tell her about you, not yet.  However I think eventually she will find out. It is bound to happen if you continue to drop little journals on her doorstep and tap on her windows.” I said rather accusingly.  

Voltaire laughed. “ Christian, I did not tap on anyone’s windows-I do however admit to leaving the journal. Yes, that was more for you then her, after seeing you there I had to find some way to get your attention.”  He shrugged.  

“ Hm well it is getting late and we have talked for over 2 hrs now, I am going to close this podcast now, and say that we will indeed have you back Voltaire for another conversation, this has been a very interesting evening, thank-you for coming on to speak to us, I look forward to our next encounter.” 

“ It was my pleasure Christian, Listeners.  I look forward to next time.  We will be in touch.”  

I signed off and played the exit music.  

“ I meant that, I want to see you again, I am willing to go to New Orleans to do it.  I am going back there anyway to see Desdemona again and investigate things further. She has ghosts in that house and then there are the 2 vampire brothers and you.  So I am going back.  Likely as soon as next week.”   

Midnight in the Old Port Montreal.  

Voltaire had gone for a walk on the cobblestone streets, this part of the city was deathly quiet now, it shuts down at 10pm, if you want any more action you have to go into the main city, Rue St Catherine is a popular street in Montreal, bars are opened late into the  night.  But the old port is quiet.  The streets are all mostly cobblestone, and the buildings are very old, made of the same stone as the streets.  As if they grew out of the street.  It’s a very old city, settled by the French before the revolution.  It felt like Home to Voltaire.  It put him into a reminiscent mood.  He missed Lilith.  The night was chill.  Canadian Fall.  October.  Some poor Canadian French drunken bastard was walking home through the old port.  Home to beat his wife.  Not tonight.  Voltaire jumped him, He kicked “ What the Hell?!”  Voltaire sank his fangs into his neck.  He then took his corpse to the lake and dropped it in.  

Christian had a fitful sleep and restless dreams of Voltaire and France, Desdemona, the Carter brothers.  7am alarm.  

He got online and searched for flights to New Orleans dates and times.  Searched for Hotels.  He was looking to book something for the beginning of next week onward.  He did  not know how long he figured on at least a month.  He started looking.