Sophie Morgan (Book 1): Relative Strangers (A Modern Vampire Story) by Helen Treharne Page A
Authors: Helen Treharne
Tags: Vampires
Ads: Link
two vamps. I knew I wouldn’t survive that. Mickey and I were doing to die . I’m sorry Mickey.
Then came the bang and everything went quiet.
When I turned in the direction of the noise, Maggie was the last thing I expected to see. She was wearing a loose cotton nightshirt, a grey skirt and a raincoat. The look was finished off with some sensible pull on boots and, oh yeah, a shotgun. I’m not familiar with Belgian gun laws, but I’m pretty sure that they don’t allow you to wander the streets at night brandishing a firearm.
"Get back, you." She ordered.
I thought at first that she was talking to me. I stood completely still, too afraid to move. I’d never seen a gun before, apart from on the TV or in a film.
"Walk towards me Sophie, there’s a good girl." Her tone was warmer this time, but still determined. I did exactly as I was told; hurrying past the vamp who had staggered to his feet despite the hole in his foot. He looked more confused by the whole situation than I did; trying to weigh up what would be a better option – stay put, attack or run.
I looked behind to the other vamp to see if he would take the lead. It was only then that I realised what the bang had been, and what it had done. Amidst all the chaos, I’d completely missed the fact that Maggie had let out a round from her shotgun and had shot the other vamp squarely in the face. I’d have to admit, she had remarkable aim.
Although there was a small part of me which would have been happy to cower behind Maggie for protection, I needed to see that Mickey was okay.
"I need to go check on Mickey," I whispered. Maggie nodded. I crept away from her side and sprinted across the street to where he lay on the ground.
Mickey was not in a good way. He was covered in blood and his clothes were dirty from several impacts with the ground. If there’d been a mirror to hand, I’d have seen that I looked even worse. I knelt down beside his body and gently touched the side of his face.
"Michael Kelly, you better not die on me."
His eyes fluttered open, squinting in an attempt to focus as he tried sitting up. It wasn't easy for him and he settled for resting on his elbows, at least giving his head some respite from the cold ground. He reached for his neck and felt the wetness on it. Blood was slowly trickling from the wound, but it looked like the flow was slowing down; it was unnatural. My limited knowledge of first aid told me that he should have bled out by now, but I had decided to listen to the voice in my head and believe in vampires. Usual rules didn't apply anymore. I pressed my hand down onto the wound.
"Are we dead Soph?" he asked weakly.
"No Mickey, not yet anyway. Try to sit up; it’ll slow the bleeding". I helped him sit up, squatting down behind him so he could lean into my body.
From across the street, Maggie held the vamp in place with a stern look and the even more persuasive gun. "Everything alright over there?" she asked.
"He’s hurt," I yelled back, "but I think he’ll be okay. He’s lost quite a bit of blood, but he’s talking. We need to get him out of here."
"We all need to get out of here," Mickey muttered through gritted teeth. I knew he had to be in a lot of pain.
Maggie was saying something to the vamp across the street, although I couldn’t make out all the details from a distance. She could have been speaking to him in Flemish or French for all I knew. Whatever it was, the vampire listened with reluctant compliance. When she finished, he walked away, scooped up the body of my original attacker, wrench-head, and threw him in the back of their van. Maggie then marched him over to us, keeping the barrel of the gun pressed firmly into his back, and told him to pick up the other body
"Now, be a good boy," Maggie instructed him, "and pick up your friend and get rid of him too.”
The vamp bent down and picked up the remains of the gunshot victim. Our eyes met when he leaned over to scoop up the body.
Then came the bang and everything went quiet.
When I turned in the direction of the noise, Maggie was the last thing I expected to see. She was wearing a loose cotton nightshirt, a grey skirt and a raincoat. The look was finished off with some sensible pull on boots and, oh yeah, a shotgun. I’m not familiar with Belgian gun laws, but I’m pretty sure that they don’t allow you to wander the streets at night brandishing a firearm.
"Get back, you." She ordered.
I thought at first that she was talking to me. I stood completely still, too afraid to move. I’d never seen a gun before, apart from on the TV or in a film.
"Walk towards me Sophie, there’s a good girl." Her tone was warmer this time, but still determined. I did exactly as I was told; hurrying past the vamp who had staggered to his feet despite the hole in his foot. He looked more confused by the whole situation than I did; trying to weigh up what would be a better option – stay put, attack or run.
I looked behind to the other vamp to see if he would take the lead. It was only then that I realised what the bang had been, and what it had done. Amidst all the chaos, I’d completely missed the fact that Maggie had let out a round from her shotgun and had shot the other vamp squarely in the face. I’d have to admit, she had remarkable aim.
Although there was a small part of me which would have been happy to cower behind Maggie for protection, I needed to see that Mickey was okay.
"I need to go check on Mickey," I whispered. Maggie nodded. I crept away from her side and sprinted across the street to where he lay on the ground.
Mickey was not in a good way. He was covered in blood and his clothes were dirty from several impacts with the ground. If there’d been a mirror to hand, I’d have seen that I looked even worse. I knelt down beside his body and gently touched the side of his face.
"Michael Kelly, you better not die on me."
His eyes fluttered open, squinting in an attempt to focus as he tried sitting up. It wasn't easy for him and he settled for resting on his elbows, at least giving his head some respite from the cold ground. He reached for his neck and felt the wetness on it. Blood was slowly trickling from the wound, but it looked like the flow was slowing down; it was unnatural. My limited knowledge of first aid told me that he should have bled out by now, but I had decided to listen to the voice in my head and believe in vampires. Usual rules didn't apply anymore. I pressed my hand down onto the wound.
"Are we dead Soph?" he asked weakly.
"No Mickey, not yet anyway. Try to sit up; it’ll slow the bleeding". I helped him sit up, squatting down behind him so he could lean into my body.
From across the street, Maggie held the vamp in place with a stern look and the even more persuasive gun. "Everything alright over there?" she asked.
"He’s hurt," I yelled back, "but I think he’ll be okay. He’s lost quite a bit of blood, but he’s talking. We need to get him out of here."
"We all need to get out of here," Mickey muttered through gritted teeth. I knew he had to be in a lot of pain.
Maggie was saying something to the vamp across the street, although I couldn’t make out all the details from a distance. She could have been speaking to him in Flemish or French for all I knew. Whatever it was, the vampire listened with reluctant compliance. When she finished, he walked away, scooped up the body of my original attacker, wrench-head, and threw him in the back of their van. Maggie then marched him over to us, keeping the barrel of the gun pressed firmly into his back, and told him to pick up the other body
"Now, be a good boy," Maggie instructed him, "and pick up your friend and get rid of him too.”
The vamp bent down and picked up the remains of the gunshot victim. Our eyes met when he leaned over to scoop up the body.
Similar Books
