The Devil's Beat (The Devil's Mark) by R. Scott VanKirk

the Dixie in spite of the blinding headache.

Strange Brew
    The fire left nearly the entire wall blackened and charred. Max stood in the open doorway of the house and looked at it forlornly. A sense of hopelessness washed through him. There was no way he would ever be able to get this house rebuilt by himself. In his mind's eye, he watched the two ghosts going at each other, the way that only two people once in love could. Did he seriously even want to live here anymore? It was a haunted, dilapidated deathtrap. He shut the door behind him and made his way to the music room to check on Old Bone. When he came around the couch, he was amazed at the difference that his blood had made. Instead of a flayed and mummified head, it looked like a wizened old apple-core man.
    Fascination replaced his helplessness and grief. Old Bone just had to be a vampire. What other dead thing thrived on blood? It seemed strange since he had no fangs, just an incomplete mouth full of stained, crooked teeth. Max wondered at the unnatural vitality that drove this creature. How long had he sat in that coffin? How long had he been filled with that nasty black water? How had he stayed sane? Had he?
    Max gave the head a light pat. “Old Bone, you are quite the survivor.” Now that it had flesh and the eyes had eyelids, the thought of touching Old Bone was not so disturbing. It is truly incredible what you can get used to, thought Max as he bent over and picked up the head. As he lifted it off the couch, Old Bone's mouth swung open, making him look like a surprised, wizened old apple-core man. Max and Old Bone's gaze met. Max's blue eyes looking into the head's brown ones.
     “Old Bone, I'm sorry I chopped your head off,” said Max feeling a bit strange at the sound of that. “It was just ignorance and fear that made me do it. Seeing you there, not giving up but pushing on through inconceivable adversity, makes me feel like a truly pathetic example of humanity. How can I see you and feel sorry for myself? I'd have to be a real loser not to be inspired by your will to live. Old Bone, I'm going to make things right, for you, for me, for this house. You'll see.”
    Lacking the proper muscles to hold it shut, Old Bone's mouth continued to dangle in faux surprise. His eyes were turned in his sockets trying vainly to see the television screen. It was playing Max's favorite daytime soap. Max noticed where Old Bone's attention was focused. He apologized and set the head back on the couch, with a clack of the dangling jaw as it shut. Old Bone never took his eyes off the giant flat screen.
    “I love The Young and the Beautiful too. I've been watching it a lot recently. See, young Dr. John has fallen for his beautiful patient, Elizabeth, who has only three months to live. He knows their love is doomed, but he cannot help himself. Meanwhile, his sexy and jealous wife Bethany has gotten together with Dr. Black and is conspiring to kill Dr. John and Elizabeth because Dr. Black had been Elizabeth's fiancé before she broke it off to go date his...”
    Max stopped when he saw the look Old Bone was giving him. He turtled his head a bit. “Oh, right. I'll just tell you about it later.”
    For most of the next hour, the two sat in companionable silence—at least it seemed that way to Max. It was hard to tell with Old Bone. They were just starting into One Life to Love, which Max didn't like, because Cindy was such a bitch, and Rick was such a milksop, when a thought occurred to him. Mikey! Mikey loved One Life to Love. His old best friend Mike, whom he hadn't spoken to for at least three years was a general contractor! He really missed Mike and wondered what he had been up to. Mike normally spent his days building spec homes and doing home improvement for people. He would be the perfect person to help him out with this sorry excuse for a house. Max pulled out his cell phone, and, after searching around for several minutes, he finally found Mike's number. He dialed it