Dead Surround - The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles by Celis T. Rono Page B
Authors: Celis T. Rono
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too far from where she kneeled.
Poe cast her eyes to the other vamp sniper perched overhead and waited.
“I know you’re up there, brother,” she said calmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
As predicted, a succession of movement shook the top branches of a nearby tree. With lightning movements, a creature jumped from tree to tree.
Maclemar nearly emptied a clip without grazing the enemy. Poe seethed.
“Hey, Welshman,” Poe said loud enough to be heard over the din of gunfire. “Don’t waste bullets
’cause they don’t grow arm hairs!”
“Right you are,” he articulated with contrition.
Poe focused on every shaking branch and wobbly tree with the barrel of her gun but did not shoot. “Go slow, Poe,” she whispered to herself.
“Don’t shoot unless you’re certain. Can’t waste bullets. The Welshman’s already used up most of
’em.”
She watched him leap to an engorged oak ten feet away and back-flip toward a eucalyptus. He was barefoot. The monkey vamp was wily. With a deep breath Poe allowed instincts to take over. He’s going to fake a right but will land on the cypress sculpted like a woodpecker , the ever reliable voice in her head told her.
Twisting her lips, Poe uttered, “I knew it.” Her prediction proved wise. But not wise enough, for the orangutan undead swung back on the branches and launched himself thirty feet to Poe’s tuckaway. A vicious sleet from heaven, his dirt-caked feet landed savagely on Poe’s chest.
94
Rono/DEAD SURROUND
The pain, virulent and convulsive, took the fight out of the vampire killer. Her upper body burned like skinned flesh drizzled with unbleached sea salt.
Possible breast cancer in the future. With her eyes tightly shut, the squeal and whines of her animals became vague mournful sounds, overshadowed by the sobs that escaped her own lips. Let me not get cancer.
No calluses ever developed in that part of her anatomy.
Her faithful dog tried to block access to the injured Poe, and the dotted piglet stood indomitably next to the mutt who had adopted her as kin. Penny’s yellow fangs, slick from overactive saliva glands, didn’t even faze the reeking vampire with incisors triple the length of the canine’s. With scorn the vampire kicked Penny in the underbelly. The dog shot up a few feet in the air and hit the ground with a thud. Chops imitated Penny’s protective stance and was quickly given the boot as well.
“No more animal blood for me,” the predator declared to no one in particular. “From now on it’s high-grade stuff or bust. Ha, my very own farm!
Patience pays off. It don’t hurt to be loved by the sun, neither.”
Able to draw a piddling, careful breath again, Poe pried her eyes open and stared into the sneering face of the vampire with stringy, oil-matted hair.
The fucker’s a girl!
“Better stay the hell down, Julia Poe,” a sharp, twangy voice suggested while confiscating weaponry and pack from the downed vampire killer. “You’re my ticket to ride outta obscurity. After tonight I’ll be a fuckin’ master vampire. Me, Missy, the dissing girl.
95
Rono/DEAD SURROUND
Can’t wait to see those jerks’ faces when they see who reeled in the big bad fish. Guess living on trees for 64 days straight paid off.”
The skinny vampire with bunny teeth and protracted incisors giggled like a hysterical three-year-old. She kicked Poe soundly in the shin and wrenched her pack away before launching herself on Maclemar’s boulder. Her shins didn’t hurt. Poe was used to abuse where her legs were concerned. Her chest was killing her.
“I hope I don’t get cancer,” she prayed once more to her parents.
Wheezing, Poe crossed her arms over her upper body and hugged herself. She couldn’t rise up just yet. The pinhole ducts on the corner of her eyes pumped out tears that flowed unbidden down her cheeks. A second later she heard gunshots followed by yelling.
Stand up, you! the voice in her head said with urgency. The monkey
Poe cast her eyes to the other vamp sniper perched overhead and waited.
“I know you’re up there, brother,” she said calmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
As predicted, a succession of movement shook the top branches of a nearby tree. With lightning movements, a creature jumped from tree to tree.
Maclemar nearly emptied a clip without grazing the enemy. Poe seethed.
“Hey, Welshman,” Poe said loud enough to be heard over the din of gunfire. “Don’t waste bullets
’cause they don’t grow arm hairs!”
“Right you are,” he articulated with contrition.
Poe focused on every shaking branch and wobbly tree with the barrel of her gun but did not shoot. “Go slow, Poe,” she whispered to herself.
“Don’t shoot unless you’re certain. Can’t waste bullets. The Welshman’s already used up most of
’em.”
She watched him leap to an engorged oak ten feet away and back-flip toward a eucalyptus. He was barefoot. The monkey vamp was wily. With a deep breath Poe allowed instincts to take over. He’s going to fake a right but will land on the cypress sculpted like a woodpecker , the ever reliable voice in her head told her.
Twisting her lips, Poe uttered, “I knew it.” Her prediction proved wise. But not wise enough, for the orangutan undead swung back on the branches and launched himself thirty feet to Poe’s tuckaway. A vicious sleet from heaven, his dirt-caked feet landed savagely on Poe’s chest.
94
Rono/DEAD SURROUND
The pain, virulent and convulsive, took the fight out of the vampire killer. Her upper body burned like skinned flesh drizzled with unbleached sea salt.
Possible breast cancer in the future. With her eyes tightly shut, the squeal and whines of her animals became vague mournful sounds, overshadowed by the sobs that escaped her own lips. Let me not get cancer.
No calluses ever developed in that part of her anatomy.
Her faithful dog tried to block access to the injured Poe, and the dotted piglet stood indomitably next to the mutt who had adopted her as kin. Penny’s yellow fangs, slick from overactive saliva glands, didn’t even faze the reeking vampire with incisors triple the length of the canine’s. With scorn the vampire kicked Penny in the underbelly. The dog shot up a few feet in the air and hit the ground with a thud. Chops imitated Penny’s protective stance and was quickly given the boot as well.
“No more animal blood for me,” the predator declared to no one in particular. “From now on it’s high-grade stuff or bust. Ha, my very own farm!
Patience pays off. It don’t hurt to be loved by the sun, neither.”
Able to draw a piddling, careful breath again, Poe pried her eyes open and stared into the sneering face of the vampire with stringy, oil-matted hair.
The fucker’s a girl!
“Better stay the hell down, Julia Poe,” a sharp, twangy voice suggested while confiscating weaponry and pack from the downed vampire killer. “You’re my ticket to ride outta obscurity. After tonight I’ll be a fuckin’ master vampire. Me, Missy, the dissing girl.
95
Rono/DEAD SURROUND
Can’t wait to see those jerks’ faces when they see who reeled in the big bad fish. Guess living on trees for 64 days straight paid off.”
The skinny vampire with bunny teeth and protracted incisors giggled like a hysterical three-year-old. She kicked Poe soundly in the shin and wrenched her pack away before launching herself on Maclemar’s boulder. Her shins didn’t hurt. Poe was used to abuse where her legs were concerned. Her chest was killing her.
“I hope I don’t get cancer,” she prayed once more to her parents.
Wheezing, Poe crossed her arms over her upper body and hugged herself. She couldn’t rise up just yet. The pinhole ducts on the corner of her eyes pumped out tears that flowed unbidden down her cheeks. A second later she heard gunshots followed by yelling.
Stand up, you! the voice in her head said with urgency. The monkey
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