• Chapter One: Methuselah





    She held the small notebook beneath her arm, heading towards the nearest bench in the park. The sun bore down on her accusingly, causing her to squint. Her red hair was tied back, away from her green eyes. The ponytail danced at her lower back, the beautiful locks sweeping against the studs on the studded white belt that held up the loose fitting black cargo’s about her waist. After sitting down, she opened the book.

    Several small, blue, holographic pages flapped up. It looked like an illusion, a hologram. A small magnetic Ring rested on the tip of her pointer finger, and as she touched things in the book, on the pages, she could move them as she pleased. The picture of the male in the book was pale, and he looked pompous. His blue eyes stared back at her, almost mocking her. She had been hunting this man for the last two weeks. She had questions for him, but most of all: she had a score to settle. Her eyes stared back at him as he stared at her. Absent mindedly, she tossed his picture to the other page of the book, reading his profile:

    Name: Aeliric Dorian DeParion
    Age: N/A
    Height: 5’11”
    Weight: N/A
    Hair Color: Blonde
    Eye Color: Blue
    Race: Caucasian
    Status: DECEASED
    Location: N/A
    Last seen: November 23, 1996


    She glanced up at the current date. January 04, 2135. She looked around the park, allowing herself to be distracted by the primitive state of it. The jungle gym was projecting an image of Raphael, the friendly Tiger, onto the sand for the children to trace in or maybe to mark his territory. Everything in the park was imprinted with his signature paw print: One that looked like a heart. It sickened her. She grimaced, looking back down at the notebook. Moving her fingers over to an option center, she made a holographic keyboard appear.

    Alice Marie Carter: Entry #01

    I sit in the area where he was last spotted almost a century ago. But what the profile neglects to tell anyone on the outside looking in, is that the last time he was spotted, he was spotted here less than a week ago. Of course, they don’t tell you that because they don’t believe I am telling the truth. But I know what I saw… I saw him smiling back at me, with fangs! Perhaps I really haven’t recovered from the attack a little over a week ago. I saw him then, too. They don’t believe me because he would have to be immortal to look the exact same and still be alive. I think he’s a Methuselah. But what I think doesn’t count for s**t in the world today. The academy doesn’t approve of my research, they tell me that it’s only going to add to the instability of my mind, but I KNOW I’m not out of my mind. I digress; things around the homeplace are straightening. They can’t tell me how much it will cost to repair the hole that Mr. DeParion left in my ceiling… Why me? Was he simply hunting? Was there a different reason he came for me? It’s irrelevant, I am getting off topic. For now, they’ve got an Invisa-Tarp over the hole to keep the rain out. I don’t understand the point of the damn thing. There’s still a visible hole in my ceiling and roof. Doesn’t look like there’s a damn thing over it. I told them I wanted an actual tarp, like one from the twentieth century. They told me those were too faulty, and that an Invisa-Tarp would be better. I could have thrown a fit and gotten exactly what I wanted, but I didn’t have the energy. Just whatever kept the water out. Even though I think there’s a leak in it already. They’ll do anything to get more of your money. Anyway, I was wrong to come during the day, there’s no activity other than children running about and screaming. I’m annoyed. Maybe some coffee will do me good.
    ENTRY END


    She gave a menacing look around the park as the keyboard disappeared back into the book before noticing a single male standing on the top of the jungle gym. Her breath caught in her throat. The blonde hair danced around his face, his blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. His skin was so pale, almost transparent.

    With an outstretched hand, he smiled at her, his lips peeling away from pearly white fangs. He was staring directly at her. It was almost as if no one around them noticed him. Children continued to play and no one was watching him but her.

    She was frozen in her spot, something hidden in the smile. Was it vicious intent? She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it terrified her. She swallowed and closed her eyes, and when the green orbs opened, he was gone. Looking around feverishly, she stood, gathering her book and walking briskly to her car.

    The roads were clean and clear. The signs were projected onto her windshield as she drove passed. She was far too shaken to have even paid attention. Narrowly dodging being pulled over; she arrived home in less than fifteen minutes. She pulled the white car into the driveway of the house. The house was made of steel, with floor to ceiling windows that could be tinted at her leisure. She held her key up and pressed it into a black pad by the door. Motors began turning, and there was a small beep before the glass door raised. She pulled her key back and stepped in, the door closing instantly behind her.

    She thought the house looked rather boring. There was a glass bar between the kitchen and the living room, and all of the walls, aside from the windows, were white and shined in the light. Almost as if they were porcelain. Everything was white. The marble on the kitchen counter, the cabinets, the furniture, the carpet, the tile, all of it white.

    That was a topic she could ponder later. She quickly sat upon the white couch and pulled the book out. She pressed a few things and the keyboard was up again. “Tint, 82%.” The windows darkened, as she spoke. No one could see in, and she could barely see out. “Lights, 78%.” The lights turned on, dimly lighting the large living area. She ticked away.

    Alice Marie Carter: Entry #02

    I saw him again! He held his hand out to me! My heart is pounding. I’m not sure what to think about it all. He sparks the curiosity in me. He terrifies me! No one seemed to notice him but me, but he didn’t really seem to notice anyone else either. He was wearing a vintage jacket. I think it may have been cashmere, and dark blue jeans with holes in them. His shoes were very old fashioned: 2015 Converse. I think… I can’t remember, all I know is he was there, and he’s after me. Maybe he’s trying to tell me something, maybe it’s a cry for help? I want to understand… but then again, I’m afraid of him and what he could do. This is all too much…
    END ENTRY


    She shut the book, not bothering with the keyboard. It would shut down itself. She looked down at herself. The black spandex tank top had traces of the chipped yellow paint from the park bench clinging to it. She picked them off and stood, heading towards the bathroom.

    She stepped into the darkened area and looked towards the mirror. “Lights, 100%.” Blinding, almost sterile lights popped on. She studied the reflection staring back at her. Skin as pale as porcelain, eyes as deep as oceans. Nothing could be read in those eyes. Nothing… she thought, snickering at herself. “Look at you, Alice; you’re just a mess…” She spoke to the reflection. The stare was blank, though emotions were running through her like electricity through a train station.

    Disregarding it, she undressed and stepped through the shower door and into the seven jets of warm water. For moments, she simply stood there, relaxing as the warmth devoured her. It felt like it had been years since she last had a relaxing shower.

    After she had bathed and washed her hair, she exited said shower and held her arms up. A robe fell from a small slot in the ceiling and managed to land perfect enough to slide around each arm. Closing it around her, she then exited the bathroom to take refuge in the living room, a laptop now in her lap.

    She had gathered her thoughts now and calmed down greatly. Now, it was time for her own personal diary entry, as oppose to the mental notes she made for the shrink she had gone to see. She figured that, after a while, they would look more into her subjects and realize that she is not crazy.

    Dear Diary,
    You know, I’m beginning to wonder if I should go back to the park He was standing in the same spot I saw him last time, which is something that I, naturally, left out of the psychiatric journal. I have to admit it peeves me to think that they assume I am “off of my rocker”, as the children would say. I can’t help but wonder if maybe it’s because they see my explanation as a possibility, and it frightens them that there may be a Methuselah creeping about their children’s playplace. No matter, I will certainly get to the bottom of this before long.

    Being head of the Intelligence Bureau I have put together a few things on my own. I can’t imagine the fit the academy would throw if they knew I was hacking. They’ve given me a class of novices to teach, all of them are going to be blubbering idiots. Slaves in this… So called, “Utopia”. Sheridon was falling long before now. This dome is deteriorating. I wonder how long they can keep this façade up.

    The dome was essentially created for protection from the outside environment, in which the system here deems “Unfit for human life”. The dome is a place without germs, without pollution, a boring place where everything is completely perfect, white, and sterile. Technology holds this place by the nose, seeing as the entire dome is based on technology. They keep coming out with new electronics. Things to clean your house, feed your dog, they even have one that baby-sits children. But there have been cases of the technology gaining its own will. I highly doubt that but the Security Bureau wants me to keep a close eye on it. And who am I to argue? They’ve attempted equipping me with a prototype android. Something like an Entourage. I turned them down, of course. I have no need for it. I can handle things on my own, without having a metal hunk following like a puppy to and fro.



    She stared out of the tinted windows, bored. The people were bustling in the town below. The residential area was set up on a plate above the town. The roads were built to let the sunlight down into the spaces below, leaving them clear on both ends. There was no greenery here, simply houses and the clear roads and yards. The only shadows were those cast by the houses like the one she herself inhabited.

    This whole dome was beginning to bore her, no one ever committed any crimes here, and the penalty was extreme. They would be cast out from the dome. There was no return option, once one has left the dome, the dome will no longer welcome them. She had been told that if one lived in the dome their entire life, that the outside air would kill them. She was not convinced, and so she continued to ponder an adventure: One that meant leaving the dome, leaving her safe-house, for good.

    Brushing said thought aside, she meandered into the kitchen, fixing herself a warm meal of chicken and rice. She had never seen an actual chicken before, though her great-grandfather told her they were birds. She didn’t believe him. No animals other than cats and dogs lived here. Nothing as free as a bird. Nothing that could fly.

    She ate in silence, simply tracing the black and white checkered pattern of the tablecloth with her eyes. The silence was welcoming to her, although it reminded her of how lonely she was. Perhaps the prototype Entourage would cure that loneliness? She doubted this, but kept the thought fresh in her mind. Once more, she was reminded how bored she was with this life. With the way things were now. She wondered what it would have been like before the world caved in on itself. What it was like to live in actual sunlight, as oppose to a weather program.

    After eating she had placed her dishes in the sink. She wandered into her room to dress and then picked up the holographic notebook. Going over cases of menial crimes, she sighed. Did they have to make it so simple to tell when someone was or was not guilty?

    She wrote two or three reports on crimes and the criminals that committed them before her phone began to ring. Looking at the top of the notebook, she spoke.

    “Answer,” The phone responded promptly.

    “Alice? It’s Doctor Wrathe… I need you to come and see me…”

    “Jermaine, what is the point of this?” She was annoyed that he had called her while she was at home and comfortable. It was 7:00Pm and she had not planned on leaving her safe haven.

    “I’ll explain it when you get here…” He responded, his accent immaculate. He had sounded concerned. Doubting it was anything serious, she decided she would fight.

    “Listen, can we do this another time?” The irritation in her voice apparent, “I’m at home, and rather comfortable.” She assumed the matter-of-fact in her tone would cause him to waver, but he was persistent.

    “Alice, you could be in danger.” The urgency of his tone did not mix well with him. She was taken aback.

    “What do you mean ‘I could be in danger’? Explain yourself, Jermaine!” She had placed a jacket over her form and walked about with the talking notebook. She began to search for her shoes.

    “You could be targeted for another attack. We need to get you out of your home expeditiously. There have been three or four black-outs currently reported in your neighborhood, each closer to your home as time progresses. This could just be a glitch in the Slythe, but we need not take any unnecessary risks.” There was a static.

    “Fine, I’m on my way. But when I get there I want to go to the Slythe myself and check it out…” She responded. There was silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Damn…. The call dropped.”

    After closing her notebook and gathering her laptop, she put on her work uniform and tied her wet hair up before heading for the door. The door would not open. Almost as if her home had gone into quarantine. She rolled her eyes. “Quarantine Override, start. Door Open.” She spoke demandingly.

    “Processing Quarantine Override. Confirm.” The house responded.

    “Confirming.” The door began to raise and the house black out, leaving only a small place for her to crawl through.

    “You’ve got to be kidding me…” She grumbled turning to set her things down. “Back-up generators activate.”

    “Generators Not Found. Searching for solution. Loading Solution. Please hold for a few moments.”

    Her patience in this was running thin.

    “Cancel request. House shut down.”

    “House Shutting down. Confirm.”

    “Confirming.” At the point of this demand, any back-up lights in the house went off and the door slammed down, causing the glass to shake. She pushed several buttons on a pad and a lock on the door whirred and unlocked. She slid her fingers underneath the door, pulling it up with all of her might, just enough so she could get out with her things.

    She turned to pick up her items. The house was dark; perhaps she shouldn’t have tinted the windows. The only light was the small beams coming from under the door. She groped around for her holographic notebook, failing to notice the beam of light was getting smaller.

    “Why isn’t Jermaine calling me back?” she pondered aloud, setting the laptop down upon a glass end table. “Must be the Slythe…” Grumbling, she attempted to walk around the couch. Her hand brushed across another. Jumping back, she narrowly avoided falling over a glass coffee table. The skin was cold, and felt waxy. The door slammed downwards once more and the generators caused a lamp next to her to light shining light upon a pale face with sparkling blue eyes. Falling back against the wall, she looked up at him as he advanced. A scream caught in her throat seemed to block her air. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t bring herself to run.

    Moments later he was upon her, his cold palm pressed against her cheek. He smiled, his fangs glistening in the dim light.

    This struck nerves in her, and she ran around him, kicking the lamp and causing the light to go out. She ran passed the couch just as she heard the fading ring of her phone. Deciding she didn’t have time, she went towards the back of the house, attempting to open the back door into the storage house. When she heard the click of the door unlocking a sigh of relief escaped her lips and she slipped inside, closing and locking the door behind her.

    The room was completely black, but this did not bother her. She had to be alone; she did not even catch a glimpse of him as she shut the door. She leaned against the door, bracing herself with her forearm. She began to think of Jermaine’s words. Did this mean he believed her about the Methuselah? Regardless, she would have to remain calm and think about this later. Her main objective was to remain undetected.

    Moments passed and everything around her was quiet, she heard the gentle whirring of the generator and the sound of the wind beating against her home, but that was all. She stood up straight, and as she did, warm breath was beating down the back of her neck. As her muscles tensed to flee cold, strong arms embraced her. Feeling him draw closer to the nape of her neck, her pulse quickened, seeming to send tremors through the invader. Cold skin pressed against her cheek, and silky smooth hair tickled her face. Her eyes open wide, tears trekked down each cheek. Was this the end; is this how she was going to go?



    He was taking his time, breathing in the scent of her: Lavender and raspberry mingling with the smell of fear. For years he had watched this girl. He watched her through her last two years at the academy, and watched her when she became staff there. But he did not decide to make his presence known to her until she became Chief of the Intelligence Bureau. This was just the push the Methuselah would need to fling this dome into pure chaos.

    He knew they knew of Methuselah, he could hear it in her thoughts. He could hear everything; this was how he found her.

    He felt her pulse quicken, and the need for her intensified. Such a beautiful feast… How sad they did not have longer to get to know each other. And with this, he sank his fangs into her neck, drawing the liquid out. The fluid was like fire going down his throat, sending the warmth throughout him, even to his fingertips.


    She could feel fangs puncturing her neck, the hot breath of his nostrils chasing down her collarbone. For the first few seconds it hurt, and she sent out a small cry before everything in her body began to tingle. Her neck, her chest, her arms, her fingers, her legs… Everything.

    The struggling ceased and she allowed him to pull the life from her, even though she could feel herself weakening. She knew he was a Methuselah. She knew that Aeliric was still alive, or at least walking the earth. She was quiet, so much so that she could not hear herself coo his name. The pulling stopped, and she could feel the muscles in his arm tense as he pulled away. Was he going to let her live? She didn’t have much time to think about it before her body gave in to weakness.


    Hearing his own name quietly pass the lips of his prey, he stopped and stiffened. She had been doing her homework. He hadn’t noticed that. The sound of it struck music in him. He had not heard his name spoken in so long; he feared that emotions would soon take him. Being what he was loneliness was the only thing that was sure to follow. No one was to know who you were, it was the law. But her; she had spoken his name.

    He watched the limp body slump to the ground, and reached down to carry her, like his bride, to her bedroom. After setting her down and bringing the holographic notebook to rest on the bedside table, he left her. This would not be their last encounter.


    When she awoke, Jermaine was staring worriedly over her. There were people bustling about her home, all searching for evidence on her attacker, she supposed.

    “Alice… oh thank Githe.” He spoke, his voice was shaky and his face seemed to be wet with tears. Githe: The name of their God. He was the supposed creator off all life, the creator of Sheridon. Thanking him should be the last thing he does.

    “Jermaine… what…?”

    “Save your strength, I will answer all questions later.” He placed a hand on her forehead, brushing the red locks from her face being specifically careful around her neck. Memory then came to her.

    “Jermaine…… Aeliric… it was him, he came…” She spoke, almost threatening to go into frenzy.

    “Shhh, Alice… Calm yourself before you send yourself into shock.” He was avoiding her question. Maybe he did believe her.

    She closed her eyes, drifting to sleep a few minutes before she could feel herself being lifted onto a gurney. Being unable to move, she decided she would simply sleep through the ride, and the procedures. And out she was, like a light.