Page 58 of Vameer

But after looking at hundreds of photos, even drawings, I’m no closer to finding my vampire.

I purse my lips. Then I sit forward and try one last thing.

Opening a new internet browser, I type in vampire cave hibernate.

He might’ve just been sleeping, but the whole scene felt very… long term.

Biting my lip, I think about any other clues I saw that I could use. But there was literally nothing else. Just⁠—

The sword.

I add warrior then hit Search.

I hold my breath as the computer thinks.

And I exhale when it finds zero relevant hits.

“Great.” My stomach grumbles, and I glance at the time.

I groan. “Even greater.”

If I don’t catch the bus in twelve minutes, I’ll have to wait another hour. And I’m not sure how late the library is open.

The lights are still on, and I’m pretty sure someone would walk around to make sure everyone’s gone, but I don’t want to risk getting locked in the library overnight.

After shutting my laptop, I slide it into my backpack and stand. My back protests over so many hours in one spot, and I vow to myself to do more stretches now that I’m thirty.

Making my way through the bookshelves, I spot someone at one of the public computers. And I relax a little, knowing I’m not the last one here.

I’m passing by the aisle for Fine Arts when that weight in my chest suddenly multiplies, and I start to tip forward.

My arm darts out, and my fingers grip the metal bookshelf.

And my gods damned heart does that thing where it beats a single extra beat, then it goes back to normal.

Panting at the effort of staying upright, I glance around to make sure no one is watching me.

What’s happening to me should be alarming. It is alarming. But for whatever unknown reason, I don’t feel scared. And I don’t feel like trying to explain what’s going on with me to a stranger.

I feel… like I need to go down this aisle.

As soon as I think it, the weight lessens and I stand up straight again.

For a moment, I stay still.

I can just leave.

The weight swells.

Or I can walk down the aisle. Just to look.

The weight settles.

Feeling on the brink of total and complete insanity, I turn and step into the Fine Arts section.

I don’t know what I’m looking for. Don’t know that I’m even looking for anything.

But then my steps slow.