Despite how shitty the hotel was, having the luxury of a bed was enough to have me out almost instantly. But being on the run for weeks, hiding in abandoned barns and factories, had caused me to stir at every little noise. A car horn woke me with a start.
I sat up, and my arm went out to the other side of the bed where Desi should have been. The bed was empty. I cleared my throat and called for him.
“Are you up?” I yawned but got no response. I looked at the clock with slight alarm. It was three p.m. Peak daylight hours. The room was so small. Unless he was in the bathroom, he had taken off.
In the daylight.
I got out of bed and went to confirm what I already knew. He was gone. How? Why? There’s no way he could survive more than an hour in direct light. How did he get across town? How long had he been gone? I had no way to contact him, so I paced, trying to figure out what to do.
He went to see Corrine. And he knew that I wouldn’t follow him if he did it during the day. He must have been planning this for days. Unless—he was taken.
Panic shot through me as I realized that it could have easily happened. He could have been making a blood run. My eyes went to my backpack. We only had two glasses left. He did. He tried to go get more blood, and they kidnapped him. They knew he was coming and got him. This had all been for nothing.
I turned the TV on and checked the news for the sundown time. I had almost three hours before I could go out safely. He’d be dead by then if he wasn’t already.
Steeling myself, I got dressed. It was summer, but I put my jeans on and my hoodie. I had nothing to cover my hands and face, but with the blood I had left, I could get to Corrine’s.
I put the backpack on and put my hair over my face with my hood up. I shoved my hands in my pocket and started out. The sunlight hit me instantly, and I nearly cried out. Pain. Blinding pain.
My nose began to drip.
Fuck!
I had one hour with no extra blood before I bled out. Paired with as much shadow as I could find and the blood in my bag, I could be outside for probably three. I took a deep breath and forced myself not to reach my hand out and wipe the blood from my face.
I glanced around, looking for a street sign. I had no clue what direction to go in, but I was sure I could find a map. Thankfully, I had insisted on Desi telling me Corrine’s address. I was going to get there, one way or another.
I moved as fast as possible, although I was sure I looked like a mess. I was sprinting from tree to tree, pavilion to umbrella cover. Eventually, my nose and eyes began flowing freely. I started to grow weak, and I had to stop under a tree to drink a bottle.
I overestimated the shade. It helped, but I could still feel the effects of the sun. I blinked and wiped away the blood from my face, but it kept coming.
People began to notice me and, naturally, stayed away. While vampires were acknowledged and accepted, it wasn’t common to see them during the day. Many people still adhered to the curfews. They didn’t want to see us. Especially bleeding out in their public parks.
I saw a police officer guiding traffic, and I forced myself to stop and ask for directions. I opened my mouth, and blood poured out. He leaped back with surprise.
“Please, help me find my way to this place.” I handed him a slip of paper. It was damp from being in my pocket and had a spot of blood from where my cuticles had been bleeding. He took it gingerly and reached for his speaker. He called for someone to come pick me up.
“We’re going to take you here. Do you need to sit down?”
I nodded and collapsed beside him. He crouched beside me. “Do you have any blood?”
I pointed to my bag, and he hurried to unzip it and bring out my last bottle. I downed it in two large gulps and took a deep breath. “How long until they get here?”
“Well, it’s a busy day, and we’re kind of stacked. Just stay put, cover your face. We’ll have you there in a few hours.” He patted my head.
Hours? I didn’t have hours. I made a grave mistake. If I didn’t get to Desi soon, I’d have died in vain. I braced myself and stood. “I can’t wait. Please, how do I get there on foot?”
The policeman eyed me warily and then gave me quick directions. “Remember, it’s highly illegal to feed on humans. Don’t get in trouble.”
I gave him a thumbs up and hurried along with new motivation. I was officially on the clock. I had less than an hour to get to him. I could do it.
Every orifice of mine was slowly trickling blood. I could barely see, and there was no end in sight. I was too far away. I had to hide.
I had made it out of town, but there was nothing to tell me exactly where I was. I was walking down the road when I saw a thick forest downhill. That was my only chance of survival at this point. Covered by the trees. I started down to them and fell almost every other step, but finally, I made it. I pushed through until I was far enough not to see light, and then I collapsed.
***
“Scout! Scout! Oh my God. Scout!” The familiar voice brought me back to consciousness, but just barely. I rolled my head, but it took all the strength I had to do so. I was lifted off the forest floor and put in someone’s lap. “Scout, please, please answer me.” Desi’s voice pleaded for me to return to the world of the living. I wasn’t sure if I could. I groaned, and blood came up. Some went down the wrong tube in my throat, and I started to cough, which only made the struggle to breathe even harder.
