THE

LEGACY
Written by DTYarbrough

A Science Fiction Short

Story

Copyright 2010
All rights reserved
 THE LEGACY
Written by DTYarbrough

Adam was in his 15th winter. He had never seen another human except
his mother. Now she was ill and bedridden. She would tell him stories of
the way it used to be, although her memories were sometimes blurred and
conflicting, even more so as of late. He had been searching for food today.
The winter stock was running out and spring was still around the corner.
Food was hard to find this time of year, and Adam was thankful that his
mother did not require food.

Adam had misjudged his growing appetite when he had gathered the
food early last fall. Some of the food had spoiled and had to be thrown
away. Each year he was learning more and more about food gathering, but
still had much to learn. In the earlier years, his mother had helped and
taught him much of what he had learned. He was pretty much on his own
now.

Adam would have to search farther from home this year than he had ever
wandered before. He had found some new plants but would have to ask his
mother if they were safe to eat. He still remembered the year he had tried to
eat something new without asking first. He didn't want to go through that
again. Adam marked the trail well as he went along so that he could find his
way back. He had gotten lost before, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

After gathering enough food for another week, Adam turned around to
head home. He saw a mound of fresh dirt and decided to take a closer look.
Tiny black creatures were moving all over the mound. It was fascinating.
Adam had never seen anything like it. They were moving around all by
themselves. There was no wind or water pushing them along. They seemed
to have legs, three on each side of their segmented bodies. Could that be a
head with eyes? This was truly amazing. He would have to bring one home
to show Mother.
..............................

"Mother, look what I found," said Adam. "Have you ever seen anything
so amazing?"

"It's an ant," said his mother. "Oh, Adam. This is wonderful news."

"What do you mean?" asked Adam.

1
 "There were other survivors. You're going to be okay," she said.

"Of course I'm okay, Mother," said Adam. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm a little tired right now, but we'll talk later," she said. "I have
wonderful news to tell you."

"I found some new food," said Adam.

"I'll look at it later, Dear," she said. "I need to rest for a while. You don't
know how happy you've made me."

Adam decided to rest himself. He went to his room and lay down on his
bed and was asleep in no time.

..................................

Adam awoke to find his mother standing over him. "Mother, you're up,"
said Adam. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," she said. "I don't have to conserve my energy anymore. Come
into the living room. We have much to talk about."

"Tell me about the ant," said Adam. "What sort of plant is it?"

"It's not a plant. It's an animal," she said. "But what's more important is
where it came from."

"Where did it come from?" asked Adam.

"The same place you did," she said. "You see, Adam, I'm not really your
mother."

"What do you mean, you're not really my mother?" asked Adam.

"Eons ago, when their world was ending, some of your forefathers had
the wisdom to try and preserve as much of Earth's lifeforms as possible.
They placed me and other synthetic lifeforms in bunkers much like this
one. We were provided with the seeds of life so that we could begin again
when the radiation levels subsided. The plants were first, then the animals,
and then the humans," she said.

"Synthetic life forms?" asked Adam. "You're not human?"

"As close as possible, but not really human," she said. "I have human

2
like emotions. I love you very much, but I'm not your mother."

"Why am I the only human? Why didn't you make more?" Adam asked.
"Where are the other animals?"

"It must have taken longer than expected for the radiation levels to
subside, or the bunkers didn't protect us as well as expected. Anyway,
when it came time for me to create the animals, I discovered that all the
eggs were damaged by radiation. Yours was the only human egg to
survive," she said. "I created you then, ahead of schedule."

"So, when I found the ants, you realized that some others had survived,"
said Adam.

"Yes. Somewhere nearby, another synthetic must have survived," she

said. "My time is over now. Your time is just beginning. Go out and claim
you legacy, a brave new world."

"But, I have to take care of you," said Adam. "I can't just go off and leave
you here to die."

"There's nothing you can do," she said. "Go out and make me proud. I
wish I could have taught you more, but I was damaged long before you
were born. You may find others like me or others of your kind that have so
much more to teach you."

"I can't leave you. I love you too much," said Adam. "You are my mother.
The only mother I'll ever know."

She didn't answer. She just lay there lifeless. She had used her last bit
of energy, explaining the situation to Adam and had fulfilled her duty.

......................................

Adam gathered up what he thought he would need to begin his journey

and set out at first light. Heading back to where he had seen the ants, he
would continue down the mountain to the lowlands. The weather would be
warmer and food more plentiful, at least he hoped. Always watchful for
even the tiniest signs of animal life, he walked and thought about what he
had learned in the last few days.

Was he the only human or had other synthetics done as his mother had
done? He still thought of her as his mother. No one could have been a
better mother to him. She had given her life for him. The fact that he had
only seen one type of animal told him that at least one other synthetic had
survived and very few of the animal eggs had. If a human egg had survived,

3
the synthetic probably would have done as his mother did.

But how do you go about finding another human or synthetic. The

bunkers were buried deep under ground and undetectable except for the
tunnel entrance. Adam thought about the forest around his bunker. What
sort of signs had he left behind in his fifteen seasons? Would the signs of
life be more plentiful near the bunkers? As Adam had hoped, the
temperature was warmer by a few degrees, but he knew it would still be
very cold at night. He needed a shelter.

As the late afternoon sun shown low in the sky, Adam's search had
turned toward shelter. He began gathering dried brush to build a shelter
against the night wind. He had learned long ago about fire and there was
plenty of dried wood around. The few blankets he had would serve him
well. All he needed now was a bite to eat. He pulled a potato out of his
backpack and peeled it with his pocketknife. He then gathered up some
dried leaves to make a soft bed.

Adam lay on his back and stared up into the night sky. The half moon
shown brightly above as thin wispy clouds drifted by. At least it probably
wouldn't rain tonight. Adam felt a feeling of loneliness he had not known
before. He had always had his mother. What more did a boy need? But now
she was gone. He was really on his own now. Soon he was asleep.

Adam awoke to the sun shining in his eyes. He had been dreaming
about his younger days when he and his mother used to go swimming in
the stream near the bunker. He would need a bath today. He dreaded the
cold water, but it had to be done. His mother had always insisted on
frequent baths. There would be no more warm baths for a while. There
must be a stream or river nearby.

......................................

It was spring now. The flowers were in bloom and the weather pleasant,
except for the rains. Adam had not seen another sign of life in the six
weeks he had been searching. He had searched from one end of the valley
to the other. Today he would head over the mountains in search of another
valley. Not the mountain he had come from, but the one on the other side of
the valley.

He had decided to continue in the same direction rather than staying in

one small area. Who knows how far apart these bunkers were. Some
legacy, alone in this great big world. Just how big was this world? He didn't
know. He would keep going until he reached the end. As he climbed the
mountain, the smell of the pine and cedar brought back old childhood
memories, carefree memories of a young boy with no worries.

4
 What would he do if he found another boy like himself? What would they
have to talk about? Would he be welcome in the others territory? What
would he have done if another boy had wandered into his territory?
Between boys and mothers, he would much prefer to find another mother.
Maybe he would just look for a good place to settle down in this next valley
and stop this useless searching. Why had his mother felt that it was so
important anyway?
......................................

As he looked down upon the next valley, he could see that something
was different. There were square patches of greens and golds in shapes
like squares and rectangles. Water flowed in streams that formed straight
lines, unlike the streams he remembered that meandered aimlessly through
other valleys. Something was definitely different about this valley. A closer
investigation was in order.

As he entered the valley, he could see that the patches were made by
fields containing only a few types of plants in uniformly spaced rows. Then
he saw the other. It did not look like a boy. It looked like a younger version
of his mother. Was it a synthetic? It was doing something in the field. It was
pulling weeds out from between the other plants. Surely it knows you can't
eat those. He should warn it that they are not safe to eat.

"Don't eat those," he yelled.

It looked up from its work and seemed startled. "Who are you? Why are
you yelling at me?"

"I'm Adam. I thought you were going to eat one of those weeds," he
said.

"I'm Eve. Thanks for the warning but I already knew better," she said.

"Are you a synthetic?" asked Adam as he got nearer.

"I'm a girl. What's a synthetic?" she asked.

"An artificial human," said Adam.

"Oh, like my mother," Eve replied. "No, I'm human. I was beginning to
believe I was the only one. You don't know what a girl is?"

"Is your mother around?" asked Adam.

"No. It's just me," said Eve. "She died last fall."

5
 "Mine too," said Adam. "Aren't you lonely?"

"Yes, but I have my books and videos," said Eve.

"What are books and videos?" asked Adam.

"Boy, are you in for a treat," Eve replied. "I'll show you when my work is
done."

"Can I help?" asked Adam. "What are you doing?"

"Working in my garden," said Eve. "Come on. I'll show you how it's
done."

Adam was destined to hear those words many times.

"So, what is a girl? You said you weren't a synthetic, so what are you,"
asked Adam.

"Sort of like a boy, but I will grow up to be a real mother," said Eve.

"My mom said she wasn't my real mother. What's the difference?" asked
Adam.

"You'll have to look at the videos. They're mostly educational, but I have
a few of what they used to call movies," said Eve. "You'll really enjoy
them."

"Movies?" asked Adam.

"Moving pictures," said Eve. "You'll see."

"So, what do boys become when they grow up?" asked Adam.

"Planet killers," said Eve. "Well, maybe not all. You may grow up to be a
husband and father."

"More words that I don't understand," said Adam.

"The videos will explain. It's not important now," said Eve. "Enjoy being
a boy while you can. Hey, that's not the way I showed you."

"But it easier this way," said Adam. "What's the difference?"

"The plants won't get enough water. Things are done for a reason," said

6
Eve. "We don't question, we just do it."

"How did you learn to work in the garden?" asked Adam.

"Mother taught me, and I also have books that teach you how it's done,"
said Eve.

"I can't wait to see all these wonderful things," said Adam. "Are we
almost done here?"

"It's Monday. We work in the gardens until the sun is directly overhead,"
said Eve. "After we eat, we have to work on the irrigation systems until
dark."

"Monday?" asked Adam.

"Hey, do I look like a teacher?" asked Eve. "Too many questions. Tell me
something about you."

"Well, this is my 15th spring. I'm 5'5" and weigh 105 pounds," said
Adam.

"I can see that, silly," said Eve. "Tell me about your life. What's your
special interests. Do you play any sports? What kind of music do you
like?"

"I'm a pretty good food gatherer," said Adam. "I don't know about sports
and music."

"We do a little of that," said Eve. "Maybe you can teach me a thing or
two. There doesn't seem to be a lot of books on the subject."

"I'd be glad to teach you," said Adam. "But I'm still not an expert like my
mother was."

"I wonder why you didn't have books and videos," said Eve.

"They were probably damaged in the fire," said Adam. "My mother was
damaged too but she survived, thank God."

"God. What's god?" asked Eve.

"My mother taught me all about him," said Adam. "There's something
else I can teach you."

"I don't know," said Eve. "If it's not in the books and videos, I'm not sure

7
I would believe it."

"Are you calling my mother a liar?" asked Adam.

"Maybe she was simply mistaken," said Eve. "You said she was
damaged."

"She may have forgotten some things," said Adam, "but what she
remembered was always the truth."

"We'll discuss it. Don't get so upset," said Eve. "It's not important. Well,
time to eat. Let's go up to the house."

"Do you have enough food? I brought my own," said Adam.

"Oh, there's plenty now," said Eve, "but if you plan on staying, we may
have to do some food gathering until we can plant a larger garden."

"We'll see how things go," said Adam. "I had planned on seeing the
world before winter sets in."

"I see," said Eve. "Well, you may change your mind about that. It's a
pretty big world out there. I hope you like my cooking?"

"Cooking?" asked Adam. "I know, watch the videos."

"Well, actually my mom taught me to cook," said Eve. "I'll show you how
it's done."

"Have you ever seen any animals?" asked Adam.

"In the books and videos," said Eve. "There aren't any real ones."

"But I saw some," said Adam. "Mother called them ants."

"Mother said we would have seen some by now if they survived," said
Eve. "You can show me in one of the books tonight. That would be
wonderful if the animals survived."

"How much do you know about animals?" asked Adam.

"Just what I saw in the movies," said Eve. "My favorite movie is The
Little Mermaid."

"Have a seat while I cook something. Those are books on the table,"
said Eve.

8
 "What are these weird symbols all over?" asked Adam.

"Those are words," said Eve. "There's a video that teaches you how to
understand them. It's called reading. For now, just look at the pictures."

"But I don't know what most of these pictures are," said Adam. "I'd
rather watch you cook."

"Okay. Come on over here and I'll show you how it's done," said Eve.

.....................................

Adam and Eve spent the rest of the day working on the irrigation
system. As the sun set, they headed back to the house. "What are our
chores for tomorrow?" asked Adam.

"Tomorrow's Tuesday. That's a school day. We'll start teaching you to

read," said Eve. "I hope you're not too old to learn."

"Could we watch your favorite video tonight?" asked Adam.

"Sure," said Eve. "I'd love that. I think you will really enjoy it. Right after
we eat."

"Are you going to cook again. That was so much better than sun dried,
and faster," said Adam.

"You wash the dishes," said Eve.

"Before or after we eat?" asked Adam.

"After," said Eve. "I'll help you this time, but it's the boy's job if there's
one around."

"Okay," said Adam. "You'll have to teach me about what boys' jobs
are."

"Don't worry," said Eve. "I'll make that my number one priority."

"Do we have a day off, where we can explore and try new things?" said
Adam.

"Sure, Sunday is a day of rest," said Eve. "Maybe we could look for God
and animals and stuff like that."

9
 "Do you know how to swim?" asked Adam.

"I've never tried, but it looks easy in the movie," said Eve.

.....................................

Eve could hardly enjoy the movie, having to answer all of Adam's
questions. He was amazed to hear the colorful animals talk. Of course, any
sound at all would have amazed him. "That was very interesting and
educational," said Adam.

"Movies are supposed to be fun," said Eve. "Mom said not to take them
too seriously."

"You mean, it's not the truth," asked Adam.

"Not always," said Eve. "It's hard to tell."

"It time for bed. I sleep on the right side," said Eve. "I hope that's all
right with you."

"I'm kind of all over when I sleep," said Adam. "I hope that's not a
problem."
...................................

As Sunday rolled around, Adam awoke and got up off the couch and
called to Eve. "Wake up, sleepy head. It's Sunday." said Adam. Adam
couldn't wait to try out some of the things he had learned from the videos.
They were going into the next valley to see if there were any signs of
animals. He was going to teach Eve how to swim, but he feared she would
be a little disappointed that she couldn't breathe under water. "We don't
have all day."

"Of course we do. It's Sunday," said Eve.

"But we're going exploring," said Adam. "Remember?"

"Okay, I'm coming. Is breakfast ready?" asked Eve.

"You expected me to cook?" asked Adam.

"Well, it is Sunday," said Eve.

…...........................

As they looked down into the next valley, it was much like other valleys

10
Adam had seen while searching for food. There was, however, a waterfall
and a crystal clear pool, just perfect for swimming. Flowers were blooming
and as Eve reached down to pick one, a bee buzzed around her head. “Did
you hear that?” said Eve.

“Hear what?” asked Adam.

“Look, over there by that purple flower. What is that?” asked Eve.

“Some sort of flying animal. Maybe a bird, but I thought they would be
larger,” said Adam.

“I should have studied animals more, but I didn't think it was important,”
said Eve. “We'll have to look it up in my books when we get home.”

“That's a good sign,” said Adam. “Maybe more animals have survived.
But I don't see any signs that humans have been here, and I'm a very good
tracker. I've had lots of practice following my own trails.”

“Let's go swimming. Maybe we'll find a mermaid in the pool,” said Eve.

“The water is still going to be cold,” said Adam, “and remember to hold
you breath underwater.”

“I can open my eyes, right?” said Eve. “I want to see everything.”

“There's not that much to see,” said Adam. “Not at all like in the movies.
Don't go in over your head until you learn how to float.”

Eve was swimming like a fish in no time. “Let's see what's on the
bottom,” said Eve.

“I don't know,” said Adam. “It's cold down there and pretty dark. You
probably can't see anything anyway.”

“What that?” whispered Eve. “Is that Bambi and her mom?”

“It is!” said Adam as the startled doe and fawn disappeared into the
brush.

“You frightened them?” said Eve. “Do you want to follow them?”

“Sure. But there's no hurry,” said Adam. “ If they left tracks, we can
follow later. If they didn't, we'd never find them anyway. Did you see how
fast they moved?”

11
 “I'm tired of swimming. Let's get our clothes and follow them,” said Eve.

................................

“Look at this, Eve,” said Adam after they had been following the tracks
for some time. “Something else is following them. See those tracks. What
do you suppose made those?”

“Whatever it is, it's probably curious, just like us,” said Eve.

“Probably,” said Adam. “Is that an entrance tunnel to a house?”

“I think it is,” said Eve. “Let's take a closer look.”

The door was unlocked. Of course, they never locked their doors either.
There was no reason. As they entered, the room was dark. The light switch
didn't function. “Anyone here?” asked Eve but there was no answer. The
air was dank and musty.

“I'll go outside and make a fire and light a torch,” said Adam. “You'd
better come with me.”

“Okay,” said Eve. “I have a feeling no one lives here anymore.”

As they reentered the bunker, the room was spotless. The synthetic was
lying face up on the sofa, motionless, silent. “I think it's dead.” said Adam.
“It's cold and stiff.” Everything else in the room looked untouched.

“Look, the main switch is off,” said Eve. “I'll turn it on.” As she did the
lights came on and the air conditioning began blowing fresh air. “You won't
need the torch.”

Adam went out to dispose of the torch and returned. “Everything is still
packed in these boxes. Seeds, books, videos, cooking utensils, first aid,
scientific apparatus ...” said Eve.

“What are scientific apparatuses?” asked Adam.

“I don't know. That's what it says on the box,” said Eve.

“Let's take a look at the books and videos to see if there are any that we
don't already have,” said Adam.

“Go ahead,” said Eve. “I'm going to look at the seeds and we can always
use a first aid kit.”

12
 “I don't remember this one,” said Adam.

“Toss it in this box,” said Eve. “I'm going to see if there is any food in
the fridge.”

“If we ever meet another synthetic that's still alive, we can tell it about
the scientific apparatus. It would know what to do with it,” said Adam.

“Empty,” said Eve as she opened the fridge. “Not a scrap.”

“We'd better start heading back home,” said Adam. “Tomorrow's

Monday.”

“Okay, well, it's been a very interesting day,” said Eve. “Can't hardly wait
until next Sunday.”

They talked about their discoveries as they walked home. Eve

mentioned that they had not seen God so Adam began to tell her what his
mother had taught him.

“You're making that up,” said Eve. “They had the very same names that
we do?”

“What's so strange about that. They were just like us. Why would they
have different names?” asked Adam.

“In a world with lots of people, you need different names to distinguish
them apart,” said Eve.

“But there were only the two of them,” said Adam.

“I give up,” said Eve. “Continue your story.”

…..............................

They had returned home from their exploring and just finished eating.
Adam pulled the movie he had found out of the box and tried to read the
name on the disc. “What does this say?” he asked Eve.

“Let me see,” said Eve as he looked at the beautiful young girl in the
picture. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

"What's a vampire?” asked Adam.

"We'll soon find out,” Eve said as she placed it into the video player.

13
 Adam could see that Eve was very uneasy as she watched the video.
Adam put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her nearer. She laid her
head on his chest and seemed to relax. Eve could hear his heart beating
faster but assumed it was the video. Eve would jump from time to time as
the excitement mounted.

"That was disgusting,” she said as the story ended. “I hope I can sleep
tonight.”

"You don't suppose this story was the truth, do you?” asked Adam. “It
sure looked realistic.”

"I don't want to think about it,” said Eve. “Goodnight ,Adam. Thanks for
comforting me while we were watching the movie. I'd surely hate to watch
that movie all by myself.”

"Good night, Eve,” said Adam. “Pleasant dreams.”

..............................

"Wake up, Eve,” said Adam. “You're having a bad dream.”

“It seemed so real. I could hear his thoughts,” said Eve.

"Whose thoughts?” asked Adam.

"The vampire. He was outside our house. He followed us home from the
other valley. Those were his tracks following Bambi,” said Eve.

"You're never going to watch that video again,” said Adam.

"But it was real. It couldn't have been just a dream,” said Eve. “I know all
about him. He's their leader. There are thousands of them, sleeping, waiting
for him to awaken them.”

"But that's impossible. They would have died along with everything else
when the world ended,” said Adam.

“They were already dead. They've just been sleeping,” said Eve. “There
are others like us. He's killed dozens of them.”

"Try to go back to sleep,” said Adam. “We've got a lot of work

tomorrow.”

"Hold me,” said Eve. “At least till I get back to sleep.”

14
 "Sure, Eve,” said Adam. “Everything's going to be fine.”

..........................

“It couldn't have been following Bambi during the daylight. You're
probably right. It was just a nightmare,” said Eve as she worked in the
garden.

Adam had thought about that too, but remembered that the tracks did
not look as fresh as the ones they had been following. They could have
been made the night before. “Do you want to talk about the dream?” asked
Adam.

"No, I was just being silly,” said Eve.

"Okay. I thought it might help,” said Adam.

"He didn't seem to feel my thoughts,” she said. “But he sensed that we
were near.”

"Why do you suppose he wouldn't have come into the house,” said
Adam.

"Maybe because he wasn't invited or it could have been the wreath of

garlic above the door,” said Eve. “I did a little reading last night.”

"I've been meaning to ask you about that,” said Adam. “Did you put it
there?”

"Mom hung that up there Christmas before last,” said Eve. “She said it
was a decoration.”

"What's Christmas,” asked Adam.

"You've probably never even had a birthday party, have you?” asked
Eve.

"I don't think so,” said Adam. “You said there were others like us. How
could you be sure?”

"I saw their frightened faces and heard their screams in his mind,” said
Eve.

"Could they have been from before the earth died?” asked Adam.

"Maybe. I can't be sure,” said Eve. “Listen to me, trying to analyze a

15
nightmare.”

As Adam reached to pull the weed, he saw a footprint. It was partially

washed away and was possibly one of theirs, although it seemed more like
the one in the woods. “I could carve come wooden stakes and you could
read a little more, if it would make you feel better,” said Adam. “And it
wouldn't hurt to learn some self-defense, just in case we meet some
dangerous animals.”

"What makes you think that some animals might be dangerous?” asked
Eve.

"You have several self-defense videos. Why else would someone need
to know self-defense?” asked Adam.

"I've never even looked at those videos,” said Eve. “We should really
learn more about animals, since we're beginning to see a few of them.”

"We forgot to check to see what kind of bird we saw on that flower,” said
Adam. “We make lots of plans, but something seems to always get in the
way.”

"That's just the way life is, I guess.” said Eve. “Like when Buffy kissed
that boy. I've been planning to kiss you to see what that's like but
something always seems to get in the way.”

"Well, no more putting off till tomorrow what you can do today,” said
Adam as he kissed her softly on the cheek.

"You call that a kiss?” said Eve. “Come here and I'll show you how it's
done.”

“That wasn't a bird we saw,” said Eve. “It was an insect like those ants
you told me about. It's called a bee.”

“I was thinking that next Sunday we could go a couple of valleys farther

away. We can spend the night in that empty house or bunker we found,”
said Adam. “We can't afford to get caught out after dark until we're sure
your vampire was only a dream.”

"But we'll miss working in the garden if we stay overnight,” said Eve.
“You know how important the garden is.”

"So we'll start on Saturday,” said Adam. “We've got plenty of firewood,
food, and water, so we can miss one gathering day.”

16
 "I didn't have any dreams last night,” said Eve. “At least, not that I can
remember.”

"The next time you do, give me all the details before you forget,” said
Adam. “The more details, the easier it will be to prove or disprove that it's
just a dream.”

"The next time I sense that he's near, you could just go outside and say
hello,” laughed Eve.

"Mother told me never to speak to strangers,” replied Adam. “Does he

have a name?”

"His name is Vincent. I didn't get a last name,” said Eve. “He's 28 years
old in appearance, but much much older. He was ancient even before the
old world ended.”

"Did you see his face?” asked Adam.

"He hasn't even seen his face since he became a vampire. They can't
see their reflections,” replied Eve.

"That's weird,” said Adam. “Why do you suppose ...”

"You should read that book about vampires that I was reading,” said
Eve.

"I tried, but there are too many big words. Maybe I'll be able to read it in
a month or two,” said Adam. “We could watch that movie again.”

"There are more movies on that disc. Twenty episodes, it says here,”
said Eve. “It would be educational, I suppose.”

Eve sat down on the couch beside Adam. As the movie started, she got
closer. As much as Adam was interested in learning about vampires, this
was the real reason he wanted to watch the movie. Being close to Eve
brought back feelings he had for his mother, only different somehow. As
she lay her head on his shoulder, the feelings intensified. It was hard to
concentrate on the movie. Like the first episode, there were lots of vampire
slayings, more kissing, and more incite into the world of vampires.

While Buffy made it look easy, Adam realized that she could easily kick
his butt too. He would never have the strength and agility that she
displayed. How would a normal human do against a vampire? Probably not
very well. They seemed to have abnormal speed and strength and a
savagery that he could never muster. He would have to rely on cleverness,

17
but he didn't feel all that clever.

“Let's watch one of those self-defense videos,” said Adam.

“Okay,” said Eve. “I'll practice with you, but it's really a boy's job to do
the protecting.”

"Boys seem to have a lot of responsibilities,” said Adam. “I wonder why

my mother never mentioned them.”

"Moms like to protect their children from the real world,” said Eve. “But
it's time to grow up, Adam. Have you finished the laundry yet?”

c........................

“I'm ready to try some of the moves they showed on that video,” said
Adam.

"Okay, but remember that you can't hit a girl,” said Eve.

"I'm not buying that one,” said Adam. “Protect yourself.”

"Give me your best shot,” said Eve. “I'll try not to hurt you.”

They faced each other in their defensive stances, each waiting for the
other to perform an aggressive move. After a few minutes of dancing
around each other, Eve said, ”One of us is going to have to learn some
aggressive moves.”

"Maybe next week,” said Adam. “Let's learn how to dance.”

…........................

Adam heard a scream coming from Eve's room. As he entered, she was
sitting up in the bed. “I had another dream,” said Eve. “Vincent was
outside, near our door. He knows we're in here, and we're the only ones
he's been able to find in several months. He's tired of animal blood, which
is not much easier to find.”

“Did you get a sense of where he sleeps during the day?” asked Adam.

"No. He's trying to think of a way to get us outside at night,” said Eve,
“or to set a trap or snare to capture and hold us until dark.”

"We'll have to look very closely for tracks tomorrow,” said Adam. “What
happened to the last humans he found?”

18
 "I'm not sure,” said Eve. “I only sensed that he has not run across any
other humans for at least a few months now.”

…...........................

The next morning Adam went out to look for tracks. When Eve awoke
and Adam wasn't around, she went out to look for him. “Adam!” yelled Eve,
“Where are you?”

“I'm over here,” said Adam. “Get me down from here.”

Eve saw Adam hanging by one leg about five feet above the ground.
“Are you all right?” she asked.

"I'm fine. Just get me down,” said Adam. “Watch your step. There may
be other traps.”

"What were you doing?” asked Eve.

"Looking for tracks,” said Adam as he pointed at the ground below his
head. “I found one.”

"Looks like he wanted you to find that one,” said Eve as she untied the
rope and lowered Adam to the ground.

“Well, at least we're sure it wasn't a dream,” said Adam. “I'm going to
make a crossbow like the one Buffy used in that last episode.”

“Do you think you will be able to hit anything?” asked Eve.

“With enough practice,” said Adam.

“But you saw how that vampire caught Buffy's arrow in his bare hands,”
said Eve. “It's going to take more than just accuracy.”

“We may have to adjust our work schedule until we have defeated this
one,” said Adam. “We don't need to be roaming around even during the
day with traps everywhere.”

“We have to use his weakness against him,” said Eve.

“Yes, but which one?” said Adam.

c..........................

19
 As they worked in the garden the next day, they were ever watchful for
traps. “This is really slowing us down, having to watch every move we
make,” said Eve.

“I know, but it's better to be safe than sorry,” said Adam.

After lunch, while inspecting the irrigation system, they discovered that
the water flow was being restricted. “We'll have to go upstream to find the
cause of the problem,” said Eve. “It probably just some leaves and dead
branches.”

“It's getting close to dark,” said Adam.

“This won't take long,” said Eve. “This happens quite often.”

A few moments later and they were both hanging upside down,
swinging about five feet above the ground. “I can't believe I fell for another
one of these traps,” said Adam. “See if we can swing far enough to grab
each other.”

“I'll try,” said Eve, “but I'm all ready getting dizzy.”

They swung back and forth and tried to grab each other's hands. At first
they were out of sync so that as Adam was swinging toward Eve, she was
swinging away from him. Finally they were able to grab hands. “Now
what?” said Eve as she struggled to hang on. “I think I'm going to pass
out.”

“This is no good. I had hoped I could reach your rope,” said Adam. “I
can see that's not possible now.”

Eve passed out and loosened her grip. Adam couldn't hold on any
longer and released his grip as he felt himself getting dizzier.

….........................

Adam awakened to find himself seated in a chair at the kitchen table.

When he tried to move, he felt the ropes holding him. He looked at his arm
and saw a needle with a tube attached and hanging from his arm. On the
flow below was a one quart glass jar slowing filling with his blood. Across
the table he could see Eve in the same situation. “Eve, wake up,” said
Adam.

Eve opened her eyes slowly and saw Adam. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I had another dream. He's in our house. He's draining our blood, Adam.”

20
 Eve screamed as she saw Vincent approaching. Vincent removed the
needle from her arm and then picked up the jar which was almost full.
Turning it up, he took a large swallow. “Ah,” he said. “That's much better.
Let me introduce myself.”

“We know who you are,” said Eve. “You're Vincent and you're an evil
monster.”

“How did you get past the garlic?” asked Adam.

“What would you do if you smelled something disgusting?” asked

Vincent.

“Hold my breath,” said Adam. “But you weren't invited in. How did you
get past the door?”

“I was holding your hand when I entered,” said Vincent. “Actually I was
carrying you.”

“Why are you going to kill us?” asked Eve. “What did we do to you?”

“I'm not going to kill you,” said Vincent. “In fact, you're the only hope my
people have for survival. We're going to help each other.”

“But you drinking all of our blood?” said Eve.

“You won't miss this much blood. In a few days you'll be able to give that
much again,” said Vincent. “But don't worry. I won't be collecting that
much from you, just enough to stay alert and active.”

“What are you going to do for us?” said Adam.

“Teach you how to create animal and human life,” said Vincent. “All of
the Watchers are dead now, so we'll have to figure out how to do their jobs
for them.”

“Watchers?” asked Eve. “You mean our mothers?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Just think of me as your Uncle Vincent.”

“But everything we've seen and read about vampires, tells me not to
trust you,” said Eve. “I've read you thoughts. I know you've killed humans
before.”

“We never trusted each other before,” said Vincent. “It was the only way
to protect ourselves from mass hysteria. I realize now that none of us will

21
survive if we can't trust each other.”

“Why do you need our blood?” asked Adam. “You've survived this long
without it.”

“I've been sleeping most of that time,” said Vincent. “I can survive on
animal blood, but it doesn't give me super human abilities like human
blood does. I almost become an animal myself if I don't have human
blood.”

“What if the other humans don't want to share their blood,” said Eve.
“I”m not even sure I like the idea.”

“In the future, you humans will have blood banks,” said Vincent, “where
you will store blood for human emergencies. The blood can only be stored
for so long before it is ineffective for human use. It would still be fine for
our use. All we're asking is that you give it to us instead of throwing it
away.”

“Can we be sure that vampires will not kill humans?” asked Adam.

“I can't guarantee that,” said Vincent. “But they will answer to me if they
do.”

“What makes you think you can figure out how to do what our mothers
were supposed to do?” asked Eve.

“What other choice do we have,” said Vincent. “Besides, I've learned a

thing or two in my years, and there's have been many of them.”

“Can you show us how to make clothes?” said Adam. “I'm getting too
big for my britches.”

“I know of all sorts of things you haven't even thought of yet,” said
Vincent. “Let me get that needle. Your jar is full.”

“Untie us,” said Eve.

“Are we going to be friends?” asked Vincent.

“Like you said, we need you as much as you need us,” said Eve.

“All right then,” said Vincent as he untied them both. “Would you get rid
of that garlic?”

22