Page 13 of The Psychic and the Vampire

Ant was back in another lecture hall addressing another group of bored students. He’d actually forgotten he was meant to be finishing up his lecture series that morning – he blamed his lack of sleep and recurring vampire thoughts. But, if he said he was going to do something, then Ant was determined to do it. So he stood in front of another group of young, fresh-eyed students who felt their varied magical abilities were a ticket to an exciting life.

It was weird in a way. Now Bridget had mentioned the students’ boredom, Ant could see the lack of interest. The surreptitious glances at phone screens that weren’t being hidden by the desks as well as the students clearly thought they were. Two of the students up near the back left corner of the room were dozing off.

I wouldn’t mind a nap myself.

“So as you can see,” he said, winding up his lecture early, because if his students weren’t bothered to pay attention, they wouldn’t even notice. “You will need a combination of high magic scores and decent grades across all of your education scores to gain a position as an intern at the Mage’s Department. I think we’ll leave things there today. Does anyone have any questions?”

Ant was already gathering up his folder with his notes and popping them into his briefcase. Able knew the cue and wagged his tail although he wouldn’t stand up until Ant moved. There hadn’t been a question asked from the students since he’d started his classes.

“Doctor Channon, sir?” Ant looked up to see a young man in the second row from the front with a raised hand.

“Yes?” Ant rested his hands on his briefcase. He had no clue what the man’s name was, but that wasn’t important.

“Sir, I know from hearing other students talking that you don’t talk about the extensive work you do with the local and national law enforcement agencies.”

Frowning, Ant said, “That wasn’t a question.”

“Sorry, sir.” The man’s face went bright red. “The thing is, police work is something that is touted as a solid career path for magic users, so would you mind explaining why you prefer not to talk about your police cases and the work you do outside of lecturing?”

It was a fair question, and for the first time since Ant had turned up to deliver his lecture, every eye in the room was on him. Even the two students who’d been napping were now sitting upright. Leaning over his lectern, he clasped his hands in front of him.

“You might have noticed I’m tired today. That’s because I haven’t had any sleep for almost thirty-six hours. Last night I attended a reading on behalf of the local police at a remote body dump scene. If you’ve read my bio, and you should’ve done, then you will know that part of my skill is being able to read a scene – I can see something that has happened in the past as if it was happening in front of my eyes.”

He definitely had the students’ attention now.Maybe Bridget and my colleagues were right.“While you were lying on your bed, playing with your phone, wondering whether you should contact the young lady you’re interested in, I was sitting in the middle of a heavily wooded area, on the ground with Able by my side, watching a different lovely young lady’s body being dumped in a callous fashion. You have to pay such close attention to details…”

Ant stood up and started to pace up and down the small stage area, Able watching him closely. But Ant wasn’t going far. “We all carry empathy – that’s part of our nature as sentient beings – to want to intervene, to react, todosomething when we see a horrific scene. But as a psychic who views past events, I’m helpless in that situation. There is nothing I can do for the poor woman who had lost her life.

“The only way I can help is by watching the scene closely, looking for any tiny detail that might give the police a clue as to who committed the crime. I couldn’t feel sorry for the woman, I didn’t have time to break down and cry over the sheer cruelty and horror that poor woman faced.

“No. I had to try and see all I could about the dumper’s face, his clothes, his mannerisms. Anything that can be used to identify that person once he’s been caught. And later, while you were sleeping after deciding not to send your text message and you really should’ve sent it, but anyway, I was back at the police station spending a further two hours reliving and recounting the scene all over again, so that the officer in charge of the case could add to his report.” Ant didn’t think he needed to add anything about being shot at. That wouldn’t be helpful to young minds.

“Do you understand why I don’t like discussing these things now?”

“I guess.” The young man glanced at his companion who nudged him with his elbow. “Sir, it was reported in the papers you testified in court in the Fallows murder case. Did you see that event as it was happening, too, when you visited the scene?”

“Yes,” Ant said simply. “If you’ve read about it in the papers, then you know that murder was another horrific act performed by one person on another for no apparent reason. However, there are a few other points you need to know if you’re desperateto work those kinds of scenes, and none of them have anything to do with getting your name in a newspaper.

“First, you have to understand that you rarely have the context of what is happening or why, because all you’re seeing is what happened in that place, in that moment in time. Two, most of the work I do for the police and other law enforcement officials involves me sitting in their very uncomfortable chairs in the precinct, reciting everything I can recall about the scene, over and over again.

“And finally, and to me this is the core reason as to why this is not something I discuss in class,I remember every scene I have attended and read– there have been hundreds of them. But I’m sure you learned why I have an issue with that if you’d paid attention in one of your science classes. I see the scene, then I recount the scene – once, twice, sometimes three times to the police officers so it can be recorded.

“Then, as is what happened in the Fallows murder, I had to recount the same scene again, detailing the same senseless and cruel actions in the court room in front of more witnesses, and then again when I was cross-examined. That repetition, it burns those acts into your skulls.”

Ant tapped his head. “Those acts I’ve seen through my readings are impossible for me to forget. They will stay with me for life, and for many people in similar circumstances to mine, those memories impact a person’s home life, their personal relationships, their date nights, or the ability to have fun with friends or play with their children, and so much more.”

Ant looked around the room, at all the fresh, young, and innocent faces. The mood in the room was somber, and he knew he couldn’t let his students leave unless he lightened the mood. “I can assure you, young man, that if I had been given thechoice as to whether I spent my evening texting a lovely lady, or gentleman depending on your preference, I would far rather have done that than spent the night getting my pants covered in grass stains, and for none of the fun reasons you all might be thinking. Just something to think about. Class dismissed.”

I did it.The mood was a lot lighter, but as the students started to gather their things, chatting among themselves, Ant felt another presence. Big. Powerful. It was getting closer and moving fast. “Stand clear of the door,” he yelled just before the door was flung open, hitting the wall beside it with a bang.

It was Viktor, breathing heavily, his flashing red eyes zeroing in on Ant’s position like a laser. He strode through the room as if no one was there - although Ant heard more than a few gasps from his students - heading for the stage, his long coat and hair billowing behind him.

“You got my message then?” Ant had to crane his neck, looking up as Viktor loomed over him.

“Mine,” Viktor snarled, his arm reaching around Ant’s waist, lifting him off his feet. “You are mine.”

“Able, leave it,” Ant yelled as Viktor’s teeth sunk into his neck and his eyes closed. “I said class dismissed. Oh, my goodness, that’s an unusual sensation.”

Chapter Ten

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