Being Undead

Chapter 26*

Frederick left the moment they reached the mansion without a word to anyone, even Laura. "Where has he gone?" she asked Damian after his departure.

"London," he replied. "He's gone to give Graham the victory news in person. Trust me, after the problem Anton gave us, it's worth for Frederick to do it."

But Laura wasn't sure if she could believe that explanation. There's got to be more, she thought. Perhaps he went to track down another dangerous original undead I'm yet to know about, or perhaps it's just Daniel and he wants to apologise for tonight.

But speaking of Daniel. "Do you think Daniel eventually found his property in Anton's?" she asked.

Damian shot her a curious look. "That's a curious question," he said. "But who knows, perhaps he did." He shrugged. "One thing's for certain though, that rogue child will be back sooner or later, he always is."

A moment of silence passed between the Damian and Laura as they seemed to have run out of things to talk, but he suddenly punctuated it with, "One day, you'll be one of the greatest undeads that has ever walked this earth, Laura. I can just see that."

Now, she shot him a curious look. She couldn't tell whether he was joking or being serious. Damian was never one to give a compliment.

Besides, I didn't kill Daniel, she thought. Killing one rogue was okay, letting another escape certainly couldn't be included in the "Greatest Undeads" criteria.

"I mean it," he said when he saw the doubt in her eyes,  taking her hand with a nod. "You see, I was always being so hard on you because I thought you were going to betray Frederick and leave him hurt like Daniel did, but I can see now that I'm wrong. You, Laura Wall, are the best thing that have ever happened to him after my father."

And without waiting for her response, he took his leave.

Laura didn't know what to do with what she had just heard because the thing was that she had already made a decision earlier that night: she was leaving the Undead Mansion.

To be honest, the undead system just didn't seem to be meant for her. Despite all the screenings, she found out that no one was actually cut out to be an undead. Just like being a mortal, you found yourself as one one day, and then you made the best of it. Daniel was the only person who understood that.

She was kinda happy that he didn't die too, because underneath all that rogue exterior, there was good in him; good that she hoped would eventually win the battle for his soul.

She, on the other hand, had decided to spend her eternity travelling the world and helping others. Sure, she knew that Frederick would be devastated by her leaving; and she would too. But they would get over it eventually. He would have Damian and she would have her mission; and that would get them through.

Laura was still contemplating the nature of her journey when suddenly Damian came back. "Before I forget, welcome to the New York Undead family, Laura," he said, "officially." He gave her a big kiss on the forehead devoid of everything but love and affection.

"I've instructed the girls to get you dolled up exquisitely for the victory feast tonight," he said before he took his leave again. "I mean, we wouldn't want our guest of honour not looking her best, now would we?" He winked with a smile.

In that moment, with that one gesture, Laura knew she had to rethink her plan of running away. There was a new hope; a new family picture where she fitted in and they all faced every oncoming threat together as one; as a family.

"On second thoughts," she smiled as she took another look round the Undead Mansion, "I think I'm already where I need to be."