A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan Page A
Authors: Darren Shan
Tags: Fiction, General, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Sex, Psychology, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Social Issues, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Vampires, Performing Arts, Horror Tales, Ghost Stories, Horror & Ghost Stories, Friendship, best friends, Circus, Human Sexuality, Social Issues - General, Horror stories, Juvenile Horror, Conduct of life, Freak Shows, Ghost Stories (Young Adult), Spiders, chillers, Sex & Sexuality, General (see also headings under Family), sex manuals
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laughing and dropped the flute!
When I put her back in her cage that Friday night, I felt like a king, like nothing could ever go wrong, that my whole life was going to be perfect. I was doing well in school and at soccer, and had the kind of pet any boy would trade all his worldly goods for. I couldn't have been happier if I'd won the lottery or a chocolate factory.
That, of course, was when everything went wrong and the whole world crashed down around my ears.
S TEVE POPPED OVER FOR A VISIT late Saturday afternoon. We hadn't said much to each other all week and he was the last person I was expecting. Mom let him in and called me downstairs. I saw him when I was halfway down, paused, then shouted for him to come up.
He gazed around my room as though he hadn't been there for months. "I'd almost forgotten what this place looks like," he said.
"Don't be silly," I said. "You were here a couple of weeks ago."
"It seems longer." He sat on the bed and turned his eyes on me. His face was serious and lonely. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked softly.
"What do you mean?" I pretended I didn't know what he was talking about.
"You've been steering clear of me these past two weeks," he said. "It wasn't obvious at first, but each day you've been spending less time with me. You didn't even pick me when we were playing basketball in gym last Thursday."
"You're not very good at basketball," I said. It was a lame excuse, but I couldn't think of a better one.
"I was confused at first," Steve said, "but then I figured it out. You didn't get lost the night of the freak show, did you? You stuck around, up in the balcony probably, and saw what happened between me and Vur Horston."
"No, I didn't! "I snapped.
"No?" he asked.
"No," I lied.
"You didn't see anything?"
"No."
"You didn't see me talking to Vur Horston?"
"No!"
"You didn't …"
"Look, Steve," I interrupted, "whatever happened between you and Mr. Crepsley is your business. I wasn't there, didn't see it, don't know what you're talking about. Now if …"
"Don't lie to me, Darren," he said.
"I'm not lying!" I lied.
"Then how did you know I was talking about Mr. Crepsley?" he asked.
"Because …" I bit my tongue.
"I said I was talking to
Vur Horston
." Steve smiled. "Unless you were there, how would you know that Vur Horston and Larten Crepsley are one and the same?"
My shoulders sagged. I sat on the bed beside Steve. "Okay," I said, "I admit it. I was in the balcony."
"How much did you see and hear?" Steve asked.
"Everything. I couldn't see what he was doing when he was sucking out your blood, or hear what he was saying. But apart from that …"
"Everything," Steve finished with a sigh. "That's why you've been avoiding me: because he said I was evil."
"Partly," I said. "But mostly because of what
you
said. Steve, you asked him to turn you into a vampire! What if he
had
turned you into one and you'd come after me? Most vampires go after people they know first, don't they?"
"In books and movies, yes," Steve said. "This is different. This is real life. I wouldn't have hurt you, Darren."
"Maybe," I said. "Maybe not. The point is, I don't want to find out. I don't want to be friends with you anymore. You could be dangerous. What if you met another vampire and this one granted your wish? Or what if Mr. Crepsley was right and you're really evil and …"
"I'm not evil!" Steve shouted, and shoved me back on the bed. He leaped on my chest and stuck his fingers in my face. "Take that back!" he roared. "Take that back, or so help me, I'll jerk your head off and …"
"I take it back! I take it back!" I shrieked. Steve was heavy on my chest, his face flushed and furious. I would have said anything to get him off.
He sat perched on my chest a few seconds longer, then grunted and rolled off. I sat up, gasping, rubbing my face where he had poked it.
"Sorry," Steve mumbled. "That was over the top. But I'm upset. It hurt, what Mr. Crepsley said, and you ignoring me at
When I put her back in her cage that Friday night, I felt like a king, like nothing could ever go wrong, that my whole life was going to be perfect. I was doing well in school and at soccer, and had the kind of pet any boy would trade all his worldly goods for. I couldn't have been happier if I'd won the lottery or a chocolate factory.
That, of course, was when everything went wrong and the whole world crashed down around my ears.
S TEVE POPPED OVER FOR A VISIT late Saturday afternoon. We hadn't said much to each other all week and he was the last person I was expecting. Mom let him in and called me downstairs. I saw him when I was halfway down, paused, then shouted for him to come up.
He gazed around my room as though he hadn't been there for months. "I'd almost forgotten what this place looks like," he said.
"Don't be silly," I said. "You were here a couple of weeks ago."
"It seems longer." He sat on the bed and turned his eyes on me. His face was serious and lonely. "Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked softly.
"What do you mean?" I pretended I didn't know what he was talking about.
"You've been steering clear of me these past two weeks," he said. "It wasn't obvious at first, but each day you've been spending less time with me. You didn't even pick me when we were playing basketball in gym last Thursday."
"You're not very good at basketball," I said. It was a lame excuse, but I couldn't think of a better one.
"I was confused at first," Steve said, "but then I figured it out. You didn't get lost the night of the freak show, did you? You stuck around, up in the balcony probably, and saw what happened between me and Vur Horston."
"No, I didn't! "I snapped.
"No?" he asked.
"No," I lied.
"You didn't see anything?"
"No."
"You didn't see me talking to Vur Horston?"
"No!"
"You didn't …"
"Look, Steve," I interrupted, "whatever happened between you and Mr. Crepsley is your business. I wasn't there, didn't see it, don't know what you're talking about. Now if …"
"Don't lie to me, Darren," he said.
"I'm not lying!" I lied.
"Then how did you know I was talking about Mr. Crepsley?" he asked.
"Because …" I bit my tongue.
"I said I was talking to
Vur Horston
." Steve smiled. "Unless you were there, how would you know that Vur Horston and Larten Crepsley are one and the same?"
My shoulders sagged. I sat on the bed beside Steve. "Okay," I said, "I admit it. I was in the balcony."
"How much did you see and hear?" Steve asked.
"Everything. I couldn't see what he was doing when he was sucking out your blood, or hear what he was saying. But apart from that …"
"Everything," Steve finished with a sigh. "That's why you've been avoiding me: because he said I was evil."
"Partly," I said. "But mostly because of what
you
said. Steve, you asked him to turn you into a vampire! What if he
had
turned you into one and you'd come after me? Most vampires go after people they know first, don't they?"
"In books and movies, yes," Steve said. "This is different. This is real life. I wouldn't have hurt you, Darren."
"Maybe," I said. "Maybe not. The point is, I don't want to find out. I don't want to be friends with you anymore. You could be dangerous. What if you met another vampire and this one granted your wish? Or what if Mr. Crepsley was right and you're really evil and …"
"I'm not evil!" Steve shouted, and shoved me back on the bed. He leaped on my chest and stuck his fingers in my face. "Take that back!" he roared. "Take that back, or so help me, I'll jerk your head off and …"
"I take it back! I take it back!" I shrieked. Steve was heavy on my chest, his face flushed and furious. I would have said anything to get him off.
He sat perched on my chest a few seconds longer, then grunted and rolled off. I sat up, gasping, rubbing my face where he had poked it.
"Sorry," Steve mumbled. "That was over the top. But I'm upset. It hurt, what Mr. Crepsley said, and you ignoring me at
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