What in the world am I doing here in New Orleans? I have no
desire to be here, in fact, the idea of coming here has always been repellent
to me. So why am I walking up and down the streets of this ancient city?
Oh, please forgive me. To use the words of a song, “Please allow me to
introduce myself.” My name is Jamie Stephens. I am your typical late-20th
century girl. I like cheeseburgers, pizza, rock music, books, and TV. I love
sports (especially football). Okay, that's enough about me. You aren't
reading
this to read about me.
Somehow, and I still haven't figured out how yet, I found myself in New
Orleans. I was supposed to meet someone here, but he backed out at the last
minute. I didn't discover this though until I had already checked into my
hotel.
My plane had left Dallas in the late afternoon, and I had arrived at my
hotel shortly after sunset. As soon as I checked into the hotel, I was told
my
friend wasn't meeting me. I was briefly furious, but it quickly passed into
something resembling relief.
Well, anyway, I went to my room and looked around. The furnishings were
Early American and very quaint. The bed was a giant four-poster bed. It
looked quite comfortable, and, for a brief second, I was tempted to crawl into
it.
I quickly nixed that idea; after all, it was only 7pm. There was still
plenty of night left before bedtime. I unpacked by bags, and then went in to
take a shower. The water felt good on my skin, and I was reluctant for it to
end. I quickly put on some fresh clothes, and exited my room. I wasn't
hungry yet, so I just decided to walk and see where the city took me.
Looking back now, I see that it was foolish, but, like they say, it seemed
like a good idea at the time. If I just would have stayed in my room that
night, I could have enjoyed my vacation in New Orleans. I located a
horse-drawn
carriage that offered tours around the scenic parts of the city, so I
flagged one down. As I was about to board the carriage, an old man accosted
me. He
reeked of whiskey, and I recoiled as he drew closer to me.
“Beware of vampires, Miss,” he said, “they're everywhere. Leave this city
now.”
I couldn't help it myself, but I laughed. Oh, not to his face, of course.
That would have been unconscionably rude. But I was doubled over with
laughter on the inside. As calmly as I could, I asked, “Oh, and what makes
you say
that?”
He looked over his shoulder as if the Hounds of Hell were after him. He
looked at me, and it seemed that he was no longer drunk. There was a deadly
earnestness in his eye.
“Just do as I say, Miss. Beware of the vampires,” he said, before walking
away.
A chill ran through me, as if someone were walking on my grave. His words
struck a chord in me. It was in a place deep within me that I didn't even
know was there. Instinctively I knew that I didn't want to delve into that
place, so I pushed his words back to the farthest reaches of my mind.
With my mind occupied, I climbed onto the carriage. I paid the driver to
take me around the city. I sat back and looked at the sights of the city. So
deeply engrossed was I that I took no notice at all of the auburn-haired boy
that had taken an interest in me.
(http://www.glorianon.com/tygereyez/stories.html)
(http://www.glorianon.com/tygereyez/lair.html)
(http://www.glorianon.com/tygereyez/chapter02.html) A special thank you to
Anne Rice
and her novels. The images on this site are from Interview With The Vampire, A
Warner Bros. Production. This site is for entertainment purposes only. No
copyright infringement is intended.
**************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel
deal here.
(http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)
