too, but I knew it had to be done. She would find out eventually, and then
she’d be doubly upset that I hadn’t told her about it. As with most things nowadays, she
took it unexpectedly well.
“Isn’t Shanice the one that used to bully you in primary school?”
I was surprised and touched that she remembered after so long. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Well, I’m sure she deserved what she got. Did you get into trouble?”
“I have to go see Mr Parker tomorrow and explain.”
She winced. “Poor baby. It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
I smiled at her thankfully. She was a mother in a million. She hardly ever criticised us,
she never lost her temper, and she worked like a maniac to keep the family going. I felt
fleetingly guilty for excluding her from my new secret life, but I dismissed that thought
quickly. Just the thought of trying to explain to her that I was now a vampire made me break
out in a sweat. Her life was difficult enough already without that kind of information.
I stayed up for a while with my family, trying to absorb the normal tone of my
surroundings, but it was no use. I went to bed just before ten, remembering just as I was
changing into my pyjamas to take my five iron tablets.
CHAPTER 6
Rebecca
I woke earlier than usual that day, and I felt a kind of whimsical satisfaction when I put
the alarm off before it could start screeching at me. Mum was already up, of course, and I
went downstairs to have breakfast with her. We sat at the table in companionable silence
until it was time for her to go. She hugged me as she left, wishing me good luck for the
encounter with Mr Parker. I thanked her and kissed her cheek, and then she was gone.
I had a leisurely shower, and stood ironing my school uniform in my terrycloth
bathrobe, listening to Radio 1and humming a kind of off-tune accompaniment to a few
songs. Mark eventually stuck his head around the corner and grimaced at me, so I shut up.
No point torturing people at this time of morning. Not even brothers.
I dressed, tied up my hair and brushed my teeth, and stood waiting for Mark to get
ready. I had to confess – I was nervous. School was going to be so much more of an ordeal
than usual today, and I needed his comforting presence. Plus he could stop me if I decided
to bite somebody’s neck. Ha ha.
We walked the mile or so to school with Harry, who had arrived a bit earlier than usual
too, and had grunted a kind of greeting. Harry was a strange one sometimes. It was almost
like he was evolving backwards. Speech, now grunting. I imagined him knuckling about and
hooting, and I chuckled.
We arrived at the school gates at ten minutes to nine, and I was hanging about just
outside them, apprehensive about going inside and facing the day. Then out of nowhere a
white van drove up, and three guys in balaclavas sprang out. I turned to face them,
surprised at the screeching brakes and sudden activity behind me. I should have run, but I
didn’t. I guess I wasn’t expecting them to grab my arms and twist them behind my back, and
lift me bodily into the yawning cavity of the van. The door slid slamming into place behind
us and the van took off, all revving engine and squealing tyres. I didn’t even have time to
scream.
The men worked fast, cuffing my hands behind my back and wrapping cable ties around
my ankles. They draped a pillowcase over my head, and then they shoved me in a corner of
the van and left me to my growing terror.
Mark
They came out of nowhere. I was standing about ten yards away from her, talking to
Harry, when that van slammed on brakes, and those three men in balaclavas snatched my
sister off the pavement, while we all stood watching in open-mouthed astonishment. Then
they were gone, the tyres of the van swirling in a cloud of smoke. I tried to make out the
number plate, but there was none. Make of van? I wasn’t sure. Maybe a Ford Courier, or
something like that. They all looked the same to me. I
she’d be doubly upset that I hadn’t told her about it. As with most things nowadays, she
took it unexpectedly well.
“Isn’t Shanice the one that used to bully you in primary school?”
I was surprised and touched that she remembered after so long. “Yeah, that’s her.”
“Well, I’m sure she deserved what she got. Did you get into trouble?”
“I have to go see Mr Parker tomorrow and explain.”
She winced. “Poor baby. It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
I smiled at her thankfully. She was a mother in a million. She hardly ever criticised us,
she never lost her temper, and she worked like a maniac to keep the family going. I felt
fleetingly guilty for excluding her from my new secret life, but I dismissed that thought
quickly. Just the thought of trying to explain to her that I was now a vampire made me break
out in a sweat. Her life was difficult enough already without that kind of information.
I stayed up for a while with my family, trying to absorb the normal tone of my
surroundings, but it was no use. I went to bed just before ten, remembering just as I was
changing into my pyjamas to take my five iron tablets.
CHAPTER 6
Rebecca
I woke earlier than usual that day, and I felt a kind of whimsical satisfaction when I put
the alarm off before it could start screeching at me. Mum was already up, of course, and I
went downstairs to have breakfast with her. We sat at the table in companionable silence
until it was time for her to go. She hugged me as she left, wishing me good luck for the
encounter with Mr Parker. I thanked her and kissed her cheek, and then she was gone.
I had a leisurely shower, and stood ironing my school uniform in my terrycloth
bathrobe, listening to Radio 1and humming a kind of off-tune accompaniment to a few
songs. Mark eventually stuck his head around the corner and grimaced at me, so I shut up.
No point torturing people at this time of morning. Not even brothers.
I dressed, tied up my hair and brushed my teeth, and stood waiting for Mark to get
ready. I had to confess – I was nervous. School was going to be so much more of an ordeal
than usual today, and I needed his comforting presence. Plus he could stop me if I decided
to bite somebody’s neck. Ha ha.
We walked the mile or so to school with Harry, who had arrived a bit earlier than usual
too, and had grunted a kind of greeting. Harry was a strange one sometimes. It was almost
like he was evolving backwards. Speech, now grunting. I imagined him knuckling about and
hooting, and I chuckled.
We arrived at the school gates at ten minutes to nine, and I was hanging about just
outside them, apprehensive about going inside and facing the day. Then out of nowhere a
white van drove up, and three guys in balaclavas sprang out. I turned to face them,
surprised at the screeching brakes and sudden activity behind me. I should have run, but I
didn’t. I guess I wasn’t expecting them to grab my arms and twist them behind my back, and
lift me bodily into the yawning cavity of the van. The door slid slamming into place behind
us and the van took off, all revving engine and squealing tyres. I didn’t even have time to
scream.
The men worked fast, cuffing my hands behind my back and wrapping cable ties around
my ankles. They draped a pillowcase over my head, and then they shoved me in a corner of
the van and left me to my growing terror.
Mark
They came out of nowhere. I was standing about ten yards away from her, talking to
Harry, when that van slammed on brakes, and those three men in balaclavas snatched my
sister off the pavement, while we all stood watching in open-mouthed astonishment. Then
they were gone, the tyres of the van swirling in a cloud of smoke. I tried to make out the
number plate, but there was none. Make of van? I wasn’t sure. Maybe a Ford Courier, or
something like that. They all looked the same to me. I
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