VAMPIRE CAPE
She said, 'why aren't you wearing that vampire cape I bought you in Adelaide? I paid good money for it.' I replied, 'it wore off.' That is, the sensation of blood wore off. The cloak became strangely inappropriate and I didn't know why. I just didn't want to wear it and blamed myself for being fickle. I said, 'do you want it? I can send it up to Liverpool.' Perhaps nanny will wear it and frighten people off at the bus stop. Then mum wouldn't have to make sure nanny got into the car first with the wallets, whilst she loaded the shopping into the back of the car at Casula shops, because no one would approach and ancient woman in such an outfit. No one would approach her because it would be obvious that all the blood had drained out of her body making her old again, maybe even five hundred years old and they would think it likely that pretty soon she would need a good feed. The weekly shopping was merely a front for a greater darkness. At night I could hear my mother and grandmother squawking like bats disturbed from trees, that sounded less and less like bats and oddly like laughter swarming with insects, and I was pleased not to have worn the cape in Melbourne or in Adelaide. |
