around and discuss what kind of punishment they should endure.”
My mouth fell open and my eyes grew wide. I thought, this was from the turn of the fifteenth century that you read about in old tales, but here Tony was explaining it in modern day. “How do vampires hide from these people?”
“They don’t.”
“But how……”
Tony held up his forefinger and I stopped talking. “They only come out at night to hunt when the town’s asleep. For us, who don’t look like vampires, it’s easy to be in public without being noticed. You never see my father out in daylight and he travels in a vehicle that has very dark tinted windows.”
“But the blood bank in London is located in the heart of the city. How does he get in without being seen?”
“The back door,” Tony said, and then laughed.
“Did you witness the fate of the dhampir?”
“I did.” Tony looked down when he said that. “That was the reason for this meeting. To ensure that we witnessed and knew what would happen if we didn’t obey.”
I wrapped my arms around Tony and hugged him as tight as I could. “You always do what Victor says, okay. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”
“Don’t worry Jess; I will never let anything happen to my father or myself.”
The sun was setting in the sky and the moon was coming up over the horizon by the time Tony finished telling me about the meeting. I was getting up to dress for bed when the voice from the other night cried, ‘Help us.’ We looked at each other and I whispered, “Do you know the story about the basement?”
“Is that where the voice ca me from?”
“Yes, it’s a family. There are soldiers down there too.”
“Wonder why we never heard it before?”
“The wall was always up. Your mother and I tore it down when you and Victor went to Italy.”
“Hum, well that’s interesting.”
“Tony, do you know about the basement?” I asked again.
“No, I sure don’t, but I’ll talk to father about it in the morning.”
Tony and I laid there listening to the woman crying for help. I was glad he was home and the crying didn’t bother me since I knew what it was. Soon I was asleep.
The morning sun peeked through the curtain and I woke to a beautiful day. Tomorrow I would be heading home to Oregon. Tony had already left so I stretched and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I packed my suitcase and took it down stairs, sitting it beside the front door.
“Jess, could you come in here a minute,” Jennifer called from the living room. “I have some news about the basement.”
Jennifer had caught my interest. I couldn’t wait to hear about the ghosts.
“I talked to Victor about the ghosts. Apparently, they showed up after the house was built. An old farmhouse stood here before William had the house built. The story is an English family would hide peasants in the basement of the old farmhouse so the soldiers wouldn’t find them. The soldiers were required by the king to bring in anyone who did not pay taxes on time. This family in the basement could not pay so they hid. The soldiers searched for them until they found them. The room where the ghosts are is the last place the family ever saw.
The ghosts of the soldiers are there because the owner of the farmhouse shot them after they killed the family. As for the barred door around the corner of the staircase, it’s still a mystery. I guess we will never know and I am not going to find out.”
“Would you like for me to see what’s behind the door?” I asked.
“No dear, that won’t be necessary.”
Hearing the front door open and close, I saw Tony walk by the doorway of the living room. “Excuse me
My mouth fell open and my eyes grew wide. I thought, this was from the turn of the fifteenth century that you read about in old tales, but here Tony was explaining it in modern day. “How do vampires hide from these people?”
“They don’t.”
“But how……”
Tony held up his forefinger and I stopped talking. “They only come out at night to hunt when the town’s asleep. For us, who don’t look like vampires, it’s easy to be in public without being noticed. You never see my father out in daylight and he travels in a vehicle that has very dark tinted windows.”
“But the blood bank in London is located in the heart of the city. How does he get in without being seen?”
“The back door,” Tony said, and then laughed.
“Did you witness the fate of the dhampir?”
“I did.” Tony looked down when he said that. “That was the reason for this meeting. To ensure that we witnessed and knew what would happen if we didn’t obey.”
I wrapped my arms around Tony and hugged him as tight as I could. “You always do what Victor says, okay. I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”
“Don’t worry Jess; I will never let anything happen to my father or myself.”
The sun was setting in the sky and the moon was coming up over the horizon by the time Tony finished telling me about the meeting. I was getting up to dress for bed when the voice from the other night cried, ‘Help us.’ We looked at each other and I whispered, “Do you know the story about the basement?”
“Is that where the voice ca me from?”
“Yes, it’s a family. There are soldiers down there too.”
“Wonder why we never heard it before?”
“The wall was always up. Your mother and I tore it down when you and Victor went to Italy.”
“Hum, well that’s interesting.”
“Tony, do you know about the basement?” I asked again.
“No, I sure don’t, but I’ll talk to father about it in the morning.”
Tony and I laid there listening to the woman crying for help. I was glad he was home and the crying didn’t bother me since I knew what it was. Soon I was asleep.
The morning sun peeked through the curtain and I woke to a beautiful day. Tomorrow I would be heading home to Oregon. Tony had already left so I stretched and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I packed my suitcase and took it down stairs, sitting it beside the front door.
“Jess, could you come in here a minute,” Jennifer called from the living room. “I have some news about the basement.”
Jennifer had caught my interest. I couldn’t wait to hear about the ghosts.
“I talked to Victor about the ghosts. Apparently, they showed up after the house was built. An old farmhouse stood here before William had the house built. The story is an English family would hide peasants in the basement of the old farmhouse so the soldiers wouldn’t find them. The soldiers were required by the king to bring in anyone who did not pay taxes on time. This family in the basement could not pay so they hid. The soldiers searched for them until they found them. The room where the ghosts are is the last place the family ever saw.
The ghosts of the soldiers are there because the owner of the farmhouse shot them after they killed the family. As for the barred door around the corner of the staircase, it’s still a mystery. I guess we will never know and I am not going to find out.”
“Would you like for me to see what’s behind the door?” I asked.
“No dear, that won’t be necessary.”
Hearing the front door open and close, I saw Tony walk by the doorway of the living room. “Excuse me
Similar Books
