Chapter 85 - Decisions

Concern for Lucas’ ever changing eyes led Delia to begin to researching Vampirism on the computer. She was hoping to find out if someone could be a hybrid for lack of a better term and what that might mean.  Everything she could find, which was precious little, indicated you were or you weren’t – there was no such thing as partial vampire. 

Frustrated with the lack of information on the ‘Information Superhighway’ she decided to run to the elixir store while Lucas was at school.  She met with the clerk and consigned a few items to get to know her a little before daring to ask about vampirism.

They chatted for a bit and Delia began to ask leading questions.  When she felt comfortable enough she began to ask about books on Vampirism.

She said they didn’t have much but would try to answer any questions. Well, here goes nothing thought Delia. “Have you ever heard of someone being half-vampire/half-human?”

“Oh, no ma’am! If you are cursed, you are cursed. There is no partial curse. I have never heard of such a thing.”

Delia bought the books they had and left still confused at what might be wrong with Lucas’ eyes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When she arrived at home, she was horrified at what she saw.  Lucas was standing on the chair leaning over his food and lapping it up like a dog.  She was so shocked she just left the room without saying anything.  This was not normal behavior.  She was more worried than ever that Lucas had some type of mental illness brought on by all that had happened.

The first thing she did was to call Valerie and asked her to come over.  Valerie worked at the hospital and she needed to talk to someone. In all her many, many years she had never witnessed anything so strange and wanted Valerie’s input before she addressed it with Lucas.

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Valerie came over after work the next day.  She and Delia went into the sitting room to talk.  She had already poured some wine because she figured she might need it.

Delia began,“Valerie, I am so afraid something is seriously wrong with Lucas. He eats ALL the time, but he is a growing boy so I am not so worried about that.  But, when I came home yesterday, I was horrified at what I saw." Delia proceeded to tell her how he was eating. "The way he was lapping up his food and grunting was disturbing.”

“Well, maybe he was just playing around. Boys – sheesh- I don’t know, I never had any brothers, but they can be gross sometimes,” reasoned Valerie. “Has he done anything else that has you worried?”

“I thought I heard him howling the other day. Maybe he needs a pet – I don’t know what this fixation is with dogs,” said Delia, “I am just afraid it is some kind of an emotional issue.  Poor guy losing his mother at such a young age and having no father, just a grandmother that spoils him rotten.”

“Mom, don’t blame yourself. You have been an excellent mother to him so far and you will be for a long time to come.

“That’s just it Valerie. I am not getting younger! What’s going to happen when I am gone?”

“Mom, don’t talk like that. You will be here and even if, God forbid you aren’t, then you know that Walter and I would take him in a heartbeat. He and Walter are two peas in a pod.”

“This is good pie Momma! I was hungry!” exclaimed Lucas as he walked in and sat down with Delia and Valerie.

Valerie laughed and got up and hugged her mother. “See,” she whispered, “totally normal boy. But if you want, we can see about getting him in with a therapist. Don’t say anything to him yet. Just be there for him if he needs to talk and let me know if you see anymore strange behavior. Now, I gotta go take care of my two babies!”

“Thanks,” said Delia, “You always make me feel better.”

Then Lucas piped in, “I’m gonna go make Stink Juice Aunt Val, wanna come watch?” 

“Sure, little man, show me what you got! Then I have to go,” replied Valerie and followed him into the play room. 

Sure enough he got right down to business. Valerie saw absolutely nothing wrong with Lucas – maybe the glow in his eyes was a little strange, but was that really abnormal? Mom’s imagination just works overtime she thought, but given what she’s been through, it’s no wonder. She is probably the one that needs to see a shrink, not Lucas!

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The months went by and turned into years and nothing really changed. Delia saw nothing else unusual about Lucas behavior and began to think it is was just a childish activity.

Then one night Delia’s dead daughter’s ghost came to visit. This was the first time since Victoria passed almost 13 years ago that she showed herself.  It was a shock to see her and quite sad as her ghost was dripping wet, a clear reminder of why she wasn’t here with her today.  

Victoria just looked at her mother and smiled.  Maybe she doesn’t blame for her death thought Delia. She had always thought she did because she never showed herself before now, unlike the ghosts of her dead husbands.
  

Finally Victoria broke the silence and spoke in the ethereal voice of ghosts, “Now I know what you are, we all do, you and Lucas are products of the supernatural. He changes with the full moon. Please, take care of my baby.”

“Victoria, please, what do you mean he changes? You are scaring me,” said Delia.

“I love you mom,” was all she said and disappeared in a moist blue mist.

Delia went to bed thinking about what her daughter had said. “He changes.”  What does that mean?  She had no idea. Ghosts…they certainly have a mind of their own. Maybe Victoria’s spirit knows I am worried about Lucas and there really is something wrong with him so she materialized for a short period of time to warn me. It had to be a warning thought Delia.

Since she couldn't sleep, she decided the only thing she knew to do with this little bit of information was to go back to the stupid internet and see what little she could find about changing with the full moon. Before she even started typing she got shivers up her spine. Howling, full moon, changing. NO WAY! That is a myth.  But then so were vampires and witches. 

Delia began to type in the search engine and then when the results came up she clicked on a link and began to read. The results were as she expected. It is very likely that her grandson has Lycanthropy - he is a werewolf. She was devastated.

She searched further to find out how this could be possible. According to one site, there were only a few ways someone could become infected. A person could be born with this affliction if at least one of their parents was a werewolf; there were rare potions only able to be created by a person with mystical powers that if drank or poured onto a person could induce Lycanthropy; or one could be bitten by a werewolf and thus become infected. To those born with the curse, the wolf begins to manifest itself at around 8-10 years of age, just before the onset of puberty. Lucas was almost 12. 

Delia was so upset.  Now she needed to try to find out what this means for poor Lucas. She had more questions than she had answers.  Glen must have been a werewolf. That was the only way. She would know for sure during the next full moon. Delia shut off the computer and went to bed. 

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The next morning Delia looked at herself in the mirror. She looked and felt so tired. Of course, she was getting older. This had been on her mind a lot the past few years. Her hair was gray and she was wrinkled and droopy.  If truth be told, she probably could use a cane to get around easier. Her back ached and it was all she could do to deal with her day-to-day activities. All she really wanted to do was sit in the rocker and take naps. She was even letting her precious garden die; not bothering to replant each season. How could she help Lucas through this if she weren't around? She had to be there for him. There was no option. She owed it to Victoria. 

After taking a good look in the mirror, she knew what she was going to do. Use the last remaining youth potion.  She needed to do it before Lucas was old enough to notice that she was suddenly much younger and certainly before it was too late and she had a heart attack or stroke.

The next morning after Lucas was off to school, she got the last bottle of potion from the locked storage cabinet.  She sat it on the dining room table and got a glass from the kitchen.  Delia poured the potion into the glass and added some juice to make it go down easier.  She was frightened but she had done this countless times before and it worked.  She really was ready to begin to feel better. She didn’t know when she began to feel slow down, it just crept up on her. But she supposed that was how it was supposed to happen.

Okay she thought it’s now or never and swallowed the potion in one huge gulp.

The transformation started. She felt warm and tingly and the aches and pains seemed to disappear. She stood straighter and her skin felt soft and smooth. She looked at her hands and knew it was successful.

In the space of an hour she went from elderly to young.

But to verify it she ran to the full length mirror down the hall. Delia had indeed reversed the aging process once more.

Now she just had one obstacle; her daughter and Walter. Maybe she could tell them she had work done.  Hah, she thought, they might fall for it – but only for a couple of years at best and Lucas would be a teenager by then. I will know way before then if he is indeed a werewolf and together, Lucas and I will deal with it. And if not, then no harm, no foul. 

Delia really knew the consequences of using an aging potion; she and Lucas must leave Roaring Heights in the very near future.   

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