37: That night, in Kenn's room, Kenn and Daniel sat down to discuss some possible options on how to destroy Rend. "The Collective tell me that Rend can keep his Sypratic gland anywhere in his body. That's going to be our main concern. That and the fact that he can go anywhere and be anything, of course. It is my belief that only a vampire would have the necessary reflexes to kill him," explained Daniel.
"Daniel, there have been so many questions I've wanted to ask you. I mean, you made me into a vampire, but I don't even know what that means or how it happened."
Daniel looked down at his hands and sighed. "Well, you know how killing someone is sometimes referred to as taking their life? That is almost literally true. A part of them will always be with you. When I bit you, you did die in a way. I took your life. But since you came back as a vampire, you are forever linked to me because your blood runs through my veins. We are connected spiritually."
"But, how did I become a vampire, why am I not a full vampire and why did my brother not come back? You killed him too." Kenn was pacing around the room, avoiding eye contact with Daniel.
Daniel thought about it for a moment, turned to the nightstand between the beds and opened the drawer. Inside was a copy of the Holy Bible. He picked it up and started thumbing through the pages. "You are not a full vampire because you are without the guilt of murder. You see, the Scriptures mention a silver cord connecting the body to the soul. You still have that. If you were to kill someone, even Rend or myself, that silver cord would be loosened and forever out of your reach. Just like anyone else, when you die, the cord will be severed. On the other hand, if I somehow die, your link to me would be severed and you would become fully human again."
Kenn rubbed the palms of his hands on the laps of his pants, but remained silent.
Daniel breathed deeply and continued. "The next part takes a little setting up to explain." Daniel turned to look at Kenn. "Are you familiar with ecto-plasm?"
Kenn stopped pacing, but didn't look at Daniel. "You mean that ghost slime stuff?"
Daniel's lower lip stuck out and he folded his hands in his lap. "In a way, yeah. Ecto-plasm is a substance that exists between the spiritual realm and the physical plane. It rides the fence, so to speak. But it also acts as a doorway between the two worlds."
Kenn sat down and looked at Daniel. "And somehow this answers my questions?"
"Not yet. I've had a lot of time to think about this. What I've come to understand is that vampire flesh is ecto-plasmic in nature. It shares some properties with ecto-plasm. I'll explain. We are not fully connected to either plane. That's why things that would kill a normal human being are relatively harmless to us. Obviously we still eat, drink, breathe, sleep and get rid of waste. But the cool thing is, bullets and knives just pass right through us into the spiritual plane."
"Uh, you lost me at 'hello'."
"We're not fully alive or fully dead. We are considered to be undead. Like a zombie, only smarter. Well, when I bit you, some of my saliva, which is infused with ecto-plasmic properties, entered your system. Your body eventually became just as permeated with the 'ghost slime stuff', as you put it. That's how you became a vampire. Your brother did not come in contact with any of my bodily fluids and I did not drink any of his blood so he died a normal human death. He did not become a vampire."
Kenn stood up, went over to the little refrigerator and started mindlessly examining the labels on the tiny bottles of liquor. "Okay, I'm beginning to get it. This ecto shit makes us one of the living dead. Neither here nor there. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"The coolest thing is that ecto-plasm absorbs energy, whether it's positive or negative. You literally get stronger when you or someone around you is putting out energy. That's why you're so strong when you're angry, sad, happy, afraid or whatnot.
The rest you've probably seen in movies, but didn't fully understand. For instance, garlic works. But here's why. It's the chemical properties of garlic that for whatever reason, nullify the ecto-plasmic properties of vampire flesh. Basically, it imprisons us in the physical plane, where we are vulnerable to things like bullets and knives." Daniel put his hand on his knee. "You know, like the mortals. Uh, let's see. Ecto-plasm is also photosensitive and dissolves in sunlight. Bad news for us. Better to stay in the darkness." Daniel drummed his fingers on the nightstand. "And last, but not least, holy water. Holy water is kind of like the opposite of garlic. It traps us completely in the spirit world where we are no longer able to be part of this world. Also, bad news for us. Avoid at all costs." Daniel's eyes looked up, then to the right. Finally, he looked straight at Kenn. "That's about it. Vampire 101."
"What about crosses? I always see people use crosses in movies."
"Crosses are just pieces of wood or metal or stone. They have no power in and of themselves. They only work if you have faith. But if you have faith, you don't need them. Most people don't have that kind of faith."
Kenn ran his fingers through his hair. "So I'm a vampire, you're a vampire, my brother isn't a vampire and only a vampire can kill Rend. But if I kill him I'll forever be damned to Infurnus."
Daniel's shoulders slumped as his breath whistled through his teeth. "Well, when you put it that way, it does look kinda bleak, doesn't it?" He stood up. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out."
"Daniel, there have been so many questions I've wanted to ask you. I mean, you made me into a vampire, but I don't even know what that means or how it happened."
Daniel looked down at his hands and sighed. "Well, you know how killing someone is sometimes referred to as taking their life? That is almost literally true. A part of them will always be with you. When I bit you, you did die in a way. I took your life. But since you came back as a vampire, you are forever linked to me because your blood runs through my veins. We are connected spiritually."
"But, how did I become a vampire, why am I not a full vampire and why did my brother not come back? You killed him too." Kenn was pacing around the room, avoiding eye contact with Daniel.
Daniel thought about it for a moment, turned to the nightstand between the beds and opened the drawer. Inside was a copy of the Holy Bible. He picked it up and started thumbing through the pages. "You are not a full vampire because you are without the guilt of murder. You see, the Scriptures mention a silver cord connecting the body to the soul. You still have that. If you were to kill someone, even Rend or myself, that silver cord would be loosened and forever out of your reach. Just like anyone else, when you die, the cord will be severed. On the other hand, if I somehow die, your link to me would be severed and you would become fully human again."
Kenn rubbed the palms of his hands on the laps of his pants, but remained silent.
Daniel breathed deeply and continued. "The next part takes a little setting up to explain." Daniel turned to look at Kenn. "Are you familiar with ecto-plasm?"
Kenn stopped pacing, but didn't look at Daniel. "You mean that ghost slime stuff?"
Daniel's lower lip stuck out and he folded his hands in his lap. "In a way, yeah. Ecto-plasm is a substance that exists between the spiritual realm and the physical plane. It rides the fence, so to speak. But it also acts as a doorway between the two worlds."
Kenn sat down and looked at Daniel. "And somehow this answers my questions?"
"Not yet. I've had a lot of time to think about this. What I've come to understand is that vampire flesh is ecto-plasmic in nature. It shares some properties with ecto-plasm. I'll explain. We are not fully connected to either plane. That's why things that would kill a normal human being are relatively harmless to us. Obviously we still eat, drink, breathe, sleep and get rid of waste. But the cool thing is, bullets and knives just pass right through us into the spiritual plane."
"Uh, you lost me at 'hello'."
"We're not fully alive or fully dead. We are considered to be undead. Like a zombie, only smarter. Well, when I bit you, some of my saliva, which is infused with ecto-plasmic properties, entered your system. Your body eventually became just as permeated with the 'ghost slime stuff', as you put it. That's how you became a vampire. Your brother did not come in contact with any of my bodily fluids and I did not drink any of his blood so he died a normal human death. He did not become a vampire."
Kenn stood up, went over to the little refrigerator and started mindlessly examining the labels on the tiny bottles of liquor. "Okay, I'm beginning to get it. This ecto shit makes us one of the living dead. Neither here nor there. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"The coolest thing is that ecto-plasm absorbs energy, whether it's positive or negative. You literally get stronger when you or someone around you is putting out energy. That's why you're so strong when you're angry, sad, happy, afraid or whatnot.
The rest you've probably seen in movies, but didn't fully understand. For instance, garlic works. But here's why. It's the chemical properties of garlic that for whatever reason, nullify the ecto-plasmic properties of vampire flesh. Basically, it imprisons us in the physical plane, where we are vulnerable to things like bullets and knives." Daniel put his hand on his knee. "You know, like the mortals. Uh, let's see. Ecto-plasm is also photosensitive and dissolves in sunlight. Bad news for us. Better to stay in the darkness." Daniel drummed his fingers on the nightstand. "And last, but not least, holy water. Holy water is kind of like the opposite of garlic. It traps us completely in the spirit world where we are no longer able to be part of this world. Also, bad news for us. Avoid at all costs." Daniel's eyes looked up, then to the right. Finally, he looked straight at Kenn. "That's about it. Vampire 101."
"What about crosses? I always see people use crosses in movies."
"Crosses are just pieces of wood or metal or stone. They have no power in and of themselves. They only work if you have faith. But if you have faith, you don't need them. Most people don't have that kind of faith."
Kenn ran his fingers through his hair. "So I'm a vampire, you're a vampire, my brother isn't a vampire and only a vampire can kill Rend. But if I kill him I'll forever be damned to Infurnus."
Daniel's shoulders slumped as his breath whistled through his teeth. "Well, when you put it that way, it does look kinda bleak, doesn't it?" He stood up. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out."
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