Lessons in a New Life

"You can't just kill people who make you mad!"

"Why not?" a tall, slender man asked, pulling at his navy toboggan in a fruitless attempt to mask the mess of auburn hair protruding. "I thought that's what we do."

His aquaintance scoffed.

"You know nothing of how we've survived all these years. And we can't jeopardize it all just because some kid has a temper."

"I was only bitten yesterday, Genny!" the man said.  "You could give me a break.  Isn't there a learning curve for new vampires?"

"Vampires?" I whispered to myself as I ducked lower behind a glass display of Greek warship models.

"Learning curve?" Genny laughed. "You definitely have a lot to learn, Jeremy."  She wrestled into the front pocket of her black jeans and removed an aluminum tin of cigarettes and a book of matches. The din of match striking book echoed in the lobby as she brought the flame toward her lips.

"You mean like how you can smoke, despite the handicap that you haven't used your lungs in, what did you tell me, 50 years or so? And besides." Jeremy pointed at a sign at the admission desk.  Genny did not have to look to know the sign stated "no smoking."

"Murder is probably frowned upon here, too," she said, exhaling a mouthful of smoke.   She tosses the match aside. The stick jumps from the ground and lands on my hand.  It was too late for me to hold in my gasp. Both vampires turn to my location. 

"What do we do about our guest?" Genny said.

"We can't let him leave. The whole town would know by tomorrow morning."

Genny smiles and takes another drag before tossing the only recently lit cigarette aside.  "At least you're starting to get it."  

As she walks slowly toward the ship display, Jeremy calls out "You can't just kill people who make you mad!"

She stops in her tracks and turns toward her partner.  "I'm not mad, honey.  I'm just preserving our place at the top of the food chain."