best Christmas ever," he replied.
CHAPTER 16
The sound of heavy rain drumming against the tiled roof provided a backdrop to my thoughts. I parted the curtains and watched, absorbed, as the heavy drops bounced into a large puddle, making striking patterns with every ripple of water. I jumped as my phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. Sending a glance toward my phone, I noticed Robert's name flash on the screen. I had been in a bubble of contentment since Christmas. It was therapeutic just to enjoy life for a change without having to dwell on the horrors of the world. We hadn't been hunting for a full month. It looked like it was now time to return to the grind stone.
"Hey, Robert, how are you?" I greeted him.
"Leah, I need you. Can you come ‘round to mine ASAP?" He sounded jumpy, his voice thick with unease.
"Yeah, I'll come right over. Is everything ok?" I was instantly alarmed.
"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. Just come right over, ok?"
"Sure, I'll just find Finlay first and we will..."
"No, don't say anything to Finlay. Just come alone," he interrupted sharply.
"Ok, Robert, I'll be there soon," I replied anxiously, hanging up the phone.
This did not sound good. Why wouldn't he want Finlay involved? It didn't make any sense. Finlay had way more hunting experience than I did. If this wasn't hunting related, what could it be about?
*****
My heart thundered in my chest as I shouted out to him, rushing into each room.
"Leah, I'm down here!" Robert's voice was muffled from his location in the basement.
I descended the stairs, entering the basement. I gasped, eyebrows lifting in shock, when I saw the scene in front of me. Robert was at the far end of the room, frantically pushing his weight against a metal grate, desperately trying to latch the door closed. The sounds of snarls and grunts reverberated around the room. It took me a moment for my brain to process the situation.
"Leah, want to get over here and help?" he shouted at me.
Rushing over, I threw my weight against the metal gate. The combination of both of our weights forced the door shut, and I hammered the bolt through the latch.
"Why have you got a vamp in there?" I asked, exasperated. I couldn't understand why he would take the risk of trying to capture one instead of just killing it. Why would he be so reckless? It wasn't like him, and it gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"It's not a vamp. Not yet anyway," he replied.
"What are you talking about?" It sure looked like a vampire. A hissing and snarling beast with its teeth bared, blood lust burning in its eyes.
"It's transitioning, not quite a human any more, not yet a vampire," Robert explained.
I looked again at the creature in the cage. Robert was right. At a closer look, there was something different. It had stopped snarling and had become deathly quiet. A young man about twenty years old was lying in the foetal position on the floor of the cell. He looked so vulnerable, scared even. Not like any vampire I had ever seen. The only sounds were from his short, jagged breaths. His body was convulsing violently, jerking and spasming. A glossy sheen of sweat covered his forehead and dampened his hair. I almost felt sorry him. I knew what he would become.
"Why is he here? Put him out of his misery."
He seemed conflicted, not sure how to proceed.
"He hasn't fed yet..." His voice trailed off.
I failed to see the relevance. "What difference does that
CHAPTER 16
The sound of heavy rain drumming against the tiled roof provided a backdrop to my thoughts. I parted the curtains and watched, absorbed, as the heavy drops bounced into a large puddle, making striking patterns with every ripple of water. I jumped as my phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. Sending a glance toward my phone, I noticed Robert's name flash on the screen. I had been in a bubble of contentment since Christmas. It was therapeutic just to enjoy life for a change without having to dwell on the horrors of the world. We hadn't been hunting for a full month. It looked like it was now time to return to the grind stone.
"Hey, Robert, how are you?" I greeted him.
"Leah, I need you. Can you come ‘round to mine ASAP?" He sounded jumpy, his voice thick with unease.
"Yeah, I'll come right over. Is everything ok?" I was instantly alarmed.
"Yeah, yeah. It's fine. Just come right over, ok?"
"Sure, I'll just find Finlay first and we will..."
"No, don't say anything to Finlay. Just come alone," he interrupted sharply.
"Ok, Robert, I'll be there soon," I replied anxiously, hanging up the phone.
This did not sound good. Why wouldn't he want Finlay involved? It didn't make any sense. Finlay had way more hunting experience than I did. If this wasn't hunting related, what could it be about?
*****
My heart thundered in my chest as I shouted out to him, rushing into each room.
"Leah, I'm down here!" Robert's voice was muffled from his location in the basement.
I descended the stairs, entering the basement. I gasped, eyebrows lifting in shock, when I saw the scene in front of me. Robert was at the far end of the room, frantically pushing his weight against a metal grate, desperately trying to latch the door closed. The sounds of snarls and grunts reverberated around the room. It took me a moment for my brain to process the situation.
"Leah, want to get over here and help?" he shouted at me.
Rushing over, I threw my weight against the metal gate. The combination of both of our weights forced the door shut, and I hammered the bolt through the latch.
"Why have you got a vamp in there?" I asked, exasperated. I couldn't understand why he would take the risk of trying to capture one instead of just killing it. Why would he be so reckless? It wasn't like him, and it gave me an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"It's not a vamp. Not yet anyway," he replied.
"What are you talking about?" It sure looked like a vampire. A hissing and snarling beast with its teeth bared, blood lust burning in its eyes.
"It's transitioning, not quite a human any more, not yet a vampire," Robert explained.
I looked again at the creature in the cage. Robert was right. At a closer look, there was something different. It had stopped snarling and had become deathly quiet. A young man about twenty years old was lying in the foetal position on the floor of the cell. He looked so vulnerable, scared even. Not like any vampire I had ever seen. The only sounds were from his short, jagged breaths. His body was convulsing violently, jerking and spasming. A glossy sheen of sweat covered his forehead and dampened his hair. I almost felt sorry him. I knew what he would become.
"Why is he here? Put him out of his misery."
He seemed conflicted, not sure how to proceed.
"He hasn't fed yet..." His voice trailed off.
I failed to see the relevance. "What difference does that
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