Monday Mashup | Paranormal | Fiction

Afterlives

Do birthdays still count when you’re undead?

“So, twenty huh?”

Kei shrugged. “Didn’t think it really mattered anymore.”

Undeath stopped the clock. Whatever age you were when you died, that’s what you were going to be forever now. Kei had been nineteen when he was killed, so that was it as far as he was concerned. Nothing else that came after really counted, because he’d no longer age.

“At this point it still does. No one’s going to look at you and say you’re not twenty years old. In a few decades no one’ll believe you’re as old as you really are, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

He had to admit he was surprised when Jack told him she was really over forty. She looked to be close in age to him, maybe a bit younger given how short she was, and the freckles definitely didn’t help. Whatever the case, Kei owed her a lot. Without her teaching him the ropes he’d be floundering in his new unlife, unsure of what had happened to him or what to do next.

In time he’d ended up developing a bit of a crush on her that went nowhere. At least Jack had let him down gently; her tongue could be sharper than her claws when she felt like it.

“Anyway,” she continued. “Got you a present!”

Smiling, she plunked a gift bag decorated with fireworks in front of him. Inside the bag was a package wrapped in black paper, topped with a big purple bow. “And also,” she continued, holding out a cake box, “I made you a cake while I was at it.”

“You did? Didn’t really think you were the baking type.”

She shrugged. “Yeah well, online videos can teach you anything you like. Hope it’s good. The first two times didn’t work out so well.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say a fire extinguisher was involved.”

With some trepidation, he opened the box to find what looked like a perfectly serviceable matcha cake. Small, but it didn’t need to be any bigger than enough for the two of them. Not like anyone else was here to share it. Jack had even made an attempt at decorating it, given the simple rosettes there were around the edge and the big ‘Happy Birthday’ in glittery icing.

“I’m sure it’s good. When do you want to have it? Now?”

She shook her head. “Let’s hold off a bit. I hear the leeches are having some sort of get-together tonight and I’d like to take you someplace nice. Unfortunately, we’re not invited to said party, but you know…”

Jack’s eyes turned inky black for a moment, her smile going razor-sharp. Kei responded in kind. It’d been a while since he’d drained a vampire, and while he could eat normal food to keep up appearances, it really didn’t do anything for creatures like the two of them.

“Dinner too? You’re spoiling me, Jack.”

Twenty minutes later the banquet hall stood empty except for piles of ash. Some of them hadn’t crumbled completely yet, left as macabre sculptures with their faces frozen in terror. Such was the fate of any vampire unlucky enough to end up with a revenant’s fangs in them; drained of whatever unholy energy that kept them alive, just the same as they drained humans of blood.

In the middle of everything the two sat, happily sharing the birthday cake. Dead leeches, some graphic novels he’d been eyeballing for a while now, and a cake that was surprisingly good, considering the person who made it almost set her kitchen on fire the first two times. Wasn’t a bad way to spend his first birthday as an undead monster.

“We need to do this again for your birthday,” Kei said.

Thanks for the prompt, Jonathon Sawyer ! Took a little thinking, but I managed. Rayne Sanning , I in turn challenge you.

Main Theme (2 pts) Your hero turned another year older

Constraints: 
A fire extinguisher (1 pt) Jack is a horrible baker. 
A delicious ingredient (1 pt) Matcha cake is delicious. 
Fireworks (1 pt) On the gift bag!
A present wrapped with a bow (1 pt) In the gift bag!

Hardcore Constraint (2 points)
Crash a party but make it better (Maybe not for the vampires though XD)

Literary device - Unrequited love (5 pts) 

Bonus score box! (1 pt)

14 points for me!

If you want to read the story these two come from (and which I’m currently working on) it’s over here: