AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You either tell me what's going on, or I’m getting in the car right now and coming over.”
“No!” I said, with more force than intended. “I’m fine.” I scrambled to think of something believable to say. “I was sleeping when you called, and I was having a nightmare. It just took me a minute to snap out of it I guess.”
“A nightmare.” I could hear the disbelief in her voice.
“I’m sorry I worried you. I guess I’m just still shook up from getting attacked.”
Allie’s tone immediately changed. “Of course you are,” she said soothingly. “You should have stayed here a few more days.”
“Yeah, but I’m ok now. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” She said, “You can call anytime. I’ll be awake.”
“Thanks. Bye.” I hung up and looked at the time on my phone. It was quarter to eight. I’d been out for almost twenty four hours. I let the phone drop to the floor and walked back into the bathroom.
I looked in the mirror, my eyes going straight to the holes on my neck. As I stared at them, images began to flash through my mind.
The lights had been out on the third floor. I turned my key in the lock. I made it inside. Someone grabbed me from behind. There was a sharp pain in my neck. Then nothing.I shook my head.No, not nothing. There was pain in my neck, but something else as well. I felt his mouth on my skin. The room was spinning. Darkness.
I pressed a hand against my stomach, remembering the feeling.Impossible. But my reflection showed me the truth, with my healed skin and the puncture wounds on my neck.
Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I gasped and fell back against the wall. The pain came again, and some primal part of me recognized it for what it was.Hunger.
I stumbled out of the bathroom and rushed over to the fridge. I yanked open the door with such force that the condiments on the door went flying to the floor. My eyes quickly spotted the ground beef. I grabbed it, ripped the plastic off, and shoved my face directly into the raw meat. I ate like an animal, choking down half the plastic wrap in the process.
I devoured a pound of meat in a matter of seconds, then I tilted the styrofoam tray into my mouth and drank the blood that had pooled at the bottom. When I had finished every drop, I tossed the tray to the floor and licked at the blood running down the side of my arm. I let my arm fall to my side, and the realization of what I'd done sank in.
I swallowed hard, feeling nauseous, then I rushed to the bathroom and emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I knelt there, gasping between heaves. God, what was happening to me?You know what’s happening.
I lay down in front of the toilet and closed my eyes.
I opened my eyes some time later, and couldn’t tell if I’d been sleeping, or just laying there with my eyes closed. I stood up and looked in the mirror. For a moment I just stared at the two holes on my neck. Then I flicked off the light and walked out of the bathroom.
I looked around my apartment. My curtains were open, and I could see that it was still dark out. I saw the bloodstains on my bed. The refrigerator door was still open, condiment jars all over the place. I walked over to where my purse and phone still lay on the floor. I picked up my phone to check the time. It was just past midnight. I’d been on the bathroom floor for four hours.
I set my phone down on the counter and started picking up the condiments. When my work was done, I closed the refrigerator door and leaned back against it.What next?My mind felt clouded, like I was dreaming.
“Focus,” I said aloud. “You can figure this out.” I pushed away from the fridge and started pacing around the room.
I rubbed my face, still in disbelief that my wounds had disappeared. How did this happen?You know how,a voice whispered in my head.Vampire. Even though it was impossible, I believed it. Then a thought struck me and I stopped pacing.Who did this to me, and where are they now?
I resumed pacing, thinking about every vampire movie I’d ever seen. How much of that stuff was true?Vampires drink blood. Vampires can fly or turn into bats.I didn't even want to think about that!Vampires don't have a reflection.I knew that wasn’t true.Sunlight kills vampires.I stumbled to a halt.Was that true? Would sunlight kill me? What time was it?I rushed to my phone to check the time again. 12:20. So what now?
Pain suddenly struck me, like a knife twisting in my stomach. I cried out and doubled over in agony. I thought of the ground beef I’d devoured and stumbled back to the fridge, but there was no meat left.
Think, damn it!There’s a 24 hour market on Emerson Street. I quickly put on a sweatshirt, zipping it up to cover my torn, bloodstained shirt. I grabbed my backpack from where it still lay open on the floor and shoved my phone into it. I saw my mace, laying on the floor near the foot of my bed. I doubted it would be any help against a vampire, but I grabbed it anyway before rushing out the door.
Chapter 6
Thethirdfloorlightswere still out, but I found I could see clearly in the dark now. That would take some getting used to. I hurried down the stairs, and when I stepped outside, I stumbled to a halt. I could see everything,smelleverything.
My street was empty at this hour, but I could hear traffic from a couple streets over. I started walking, my eyes darting all over the place on the lookout for the vampire who attacked me.
I hurried for three blocks, then cut through the park to get to the grocery store. I was glad to see there were only a handful of cars in the parking lot. I pulled my hood up before walking inside, aware that it made me look suspicious, but feeling the need to hide myself.
I went straight to the meat department at the back of the store. When I saw the cold cases full of raw meat, a sharp pain twisted in my stomach.Oh God! Not now!
I started grabbing packages from the case at random. When I had as much as I could carry, I headed to the front of the store. I could smell the clerk before I could see him. He smelled like sweat, and cigarettes. And blood.
