Short Story - What If - Grant Eagar

To order dress vampire dress

To order my books:

 Angelica: The Princess and the Pig  

Henry and Sophie: A Steampunk Adventure 

Sheila the Vampire: Dancing with the Enemy

Prompt: What if?

After another two weeks -

Sheila watched Mister Jones walking the deck with Kayla on his arm. What if things were different? What if I weren’t a vampire and he wasn’t a hunter? Maybe we could have something. Why do I have to fall for someone whose job it is to put a stake in my heart? The heart is quite the fragile thing, stakes are not good for it. Neither is stupid, infatuated forbidden love.  She closed her eyes and tried to think of something else.

Her eyes were drawn back to the couple who stood at the railing and talked while they gazed out at the sunset on the ocean.  They seem quite happy together. Maybe I should walk up and join the conversation. Do I dare? Do I want to be the third wheel? What if they are annoyed that I interrupted them? She took a deep breath. Have a little courage my dear, it would be better than simply sitting here and moping because she’s with him. If you want him put yourself out there and pay the price to have him.  She straightened her shoulders, stood up, and approached the couple.

“Good evening Kayla and Mister Jones, isn’t it a lovely sunset.” She intertwined her fingers several times.  Please don’t give me the I’m intruding look; I don’t know if I can take it.

Kayla turned with a bright smile. “Hi Sheila, you’re right, it is a lovely sunset.”

  Jones gave her a look with some annoyance, a bit of confusion and forced civility. At least one of them smiled at me, though I wish it would have been him.

 “Good evening Sheila.” He glanced at the sun. “I agree this is a beautiful evening.” He then regarded Sheila. “It’s good to see you’ve recovered from your wounds.  The battle with the pirates was horrific. Are you sure you should be up and about so soon?”

Maybe I should have stayed below, now everyone suspects I’m a vamp. Well it’s too late to go below deck. “Mister Jones, I’m still mending, though I’m fortunate to heal quite quickly Actually I have cabin fever and needed to get out of my room for my sanity and I feel the sunshine will do me good.” She glanced at the water and felt the movement of the ship and a sudden noxiousness overcame her. Oh, heck no, not in front of them. “Pardon me.” She leaned over the railing and emptied the contents of her stomach into the ocean.

Jones patted her back. “No need to apologize, we’re on a voyage after all.”

Sheila thought it would be best to change things up a bit. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve. “Can you swim Mister Jones?”

He smiled. “Tolerably well, you aren’t considering pushing me overboard are you?”

She smiled and grabbed Kayla around the waist. “I just wondered if you could rescue Kayla after I throw her overboard.”

Kayla shrieked with laughter and backed away from the railing. “No, no you don’t!”

McLee walked by at that moment. “Careful Miss Sheila James, we wouldn’t want you to fall, overboard would we? Who would claim all that treasure?”

Sheila regarded him with icy silence then the corners of her mouth turned up. “Excellent notion Mister McLee, a bath is often a good thing, it may do you good as well, I look forward to seeing you swim about, you can swim can’t you?” He scowled, shook his head, and walked away.

Sheila turned back to Jones. “It is good to see that McLee has such a concern for my wellbeing.”

Jones chuckled. “He has the goodwill of a shark. I’d watch him if I were you. At least he warns you of his intentions.”

Kayla asked, “Why would McLee have ill intentions towards Sheila?”

“She now owns a large portion of the treasure on board the ship. It eats at him that he can’t have it.”

Sheila said, “Enough of blackguards, now let’s enjoy the sunset.