trance. Erin smiled meekly at him, keeping her lips closed,
concealing her fangs which Amelia was certain were fully extended.
“Don’t be afraid,” Erin lilted. “Don’t
run.” When they didn’t move, her smile widened, showing off her fangs. She looked
over her shoulder and called, “Lucy, dinner is served.”
The words confused Amelia until Lucy
stepped out into the light. No! No, no, no! Amelia’s subconscious
screamed. Not Lucy! She was just a child. When she had shown up in
town a few months ago with a fresh mark, and asking far too many questions,
Erin had taken the girl under her wing. She had run away from home, running
from the dreams, scared and confused at only fifteen.
“Thanks, Erin,” Lucy purred, and Amelia’s
heart raced as she caught a glint of fangs. Lucy slowly turned, her nostrils
flared, and she locked onto Amelia. “But I want that one,” she said, raising
her hand and pointing lazily at Amelia.
Erin spun and glanced at Amelia. For a
second, her eyes began to fade, and Amelia was certain she saw recognition pass
across Erin’s face. But then she blanched. She reached out, grabbed Lucy, and
shoved the girl behind her and began backing away, her eyes focused somewhere
behind Amelia. From the corner of her eye, Amelia caught sight of shimmery
energy. Erin snarled, her eyes widened, and then she screamed, “Run!” And in
a blink, they were gone.
Amelia pivoted on her heels, scanning the
street for any sign of them. Nothing. Megan rushed past her, shooting her a
flustered, and more than a little panicked, look before she ushered the shaken
kids into the coffee shop. “Was Erin going to eat us?” one of them asked in
disbelief, as if it was crazy to think a vampire could do such a thing.
Amelia’s chest constricted. “Josh, give me
your phone,” she demanded, as she turned to find him just behind her, his bow
in his grip. He lowered it, dug in his pocket, and pulled out her shiny pink
iPhone.
****
The dungeon was cold and dark, and the air
tasted stale. This had been the longest night of her life, and ending it
locked away in the creepiest place she could imagine only seemed to make it
worse. The stone walls still had dirty brown stains, but at least all of the
torture devices had been destroyed and were no longer crudely displayed.
As soon as Erin had taken off, Amelia had
called Officer McLean. With his help, they had been able to broadcast a
lock-down over the emergency radio and television station. After that, Amelia
split up the town with McLean, each taking half, and they had spent the rest of
the night, going door to door, stressing that all residents were not to leave
their houses. McLean had concocted an elaborate story about a massive chemical
spill, explaining that until it was cleaned up, everyone needed to stay off the
streets.
Amelia had sent Megan, Cole, Madame Crystal,
and Tyler back to the house with Eric and Luke. For reasons she couldn’t
explain, and really didn’t want to explore, she asked Josh to stay with her.
He readily agreed, telling her he wasn’t planning to leave her side anyway, and
it made her sick when she realized that she was just a tiny, little bit glad
that he was there.
Maybe it was because the townspeople were
so used to farfetched explanations, especially when a vampire was involved, but
no one questioned the lock-down. In fact, no one even seemed surprised. At
the first few houses, Amelia had assured the people that she would personally
bring supplies to them to last them through the crisis. She was actually blown
over when she found that they all had emergency stashes, until McLean had
bluntly told her that this was not the first, and probably wouldn’t be the
last, lock-down for Willowberg.
The sun was high in the sky when Amelia and
Josh left the officers and headed to her house. McLean had arranged to have
his officers patrol the streets, switching
concealing her fangs which Amelia was certain were fully extended.
“Don’t be afraid,” Erin lilted. “Don’t
run.” When they didn’t move, her smile widened, showing off her fangs. She looked
over her shoulder and called, “Lucy, dinner is served.”
The words confused Amelia until Lucy
stepped out into the light. No! No, no, no! Amelia’s subconscious
screamed. Not Lucy! She was just a child. When she had shown up in
town a few months ago with a fresh mark, and asking far too many questions,
Erin had taken the girl under her wing. She had run away from home, running
from the dreams, scared and confused at only fifteen.
“Thanks, Erin,” Lucy purred, and Amelia’s
heart raced as she caught a glint of fangs. Lucy slowly turned, her nostrils
flared, and she locked onto Amelia. “But I want that one,” she said, raising
her hand and pointing lazily at Amelia.
Erin spun and glanced at Amelia. For a
second, her eyes began to fade, and Amelia was certain she saw recognition pass
across Erin’s face. But then she blanched. She reached out, grabbed Lucy, and
shoved the girl behind her and began backing away, her eyes focused somewhere
behind Amelia. From the corner of her eye, Amelia caught sight of shimmery
energy. Erin snarled, her eyes widened, and then she screamed, “Run!” And in
a blink, they were gone.
Amelia pivoted on her heels, scanning the
street for any sign of them. Nothing. Megan rushed past her, shooting her a
flustered, and more than a little panicked, look before she ushered the shaken
kids into the coffee shop. “Was Erin going to eat us?” one of them asked in
disbelief, as if it was crazy to think a vampire could do such a thing.
Amelia’s chest constricted. “Josh, give me
your phone,” she demanded, as she turned to find him just behind her, his bow
in his grip. He lowered it, dug in his pocket, and pulled out her shiny pink
iPhone.
****
The dungeon was cold and dark, and the air
tasted stale. This had been the longest night of her life, and ending it
locked away in the creepiest place she could imagine only seemed to make it
worse. The stone walls still had dirty brown stains, but at least all of the
torture devices had been destroyed and were no longer crudely displayed.
As soon as Erin had taken off, Amelia had
called Officer McLean. With his help, they had been able to broadcast a
lock-down over the emergency radio and television station. After that, Amelia
split up the town with McLean, each taking half, and they had spent the rest of
the night, going door to door, stressing that all residents were not to leave
their houses. McLean had concocted an elaborate story about a massive chemical
spill, explaining that until it was cleaned up, everyone needed to stay off the
streets.
Amelia had sent Megan, Cole, Madame Crystal,
and Tyler back to the house with Eric and Luke. For reasons she couldn’t
explain, and really didn’t want to explore, she asked Josh to stay with her.
He readily agreed, telling her he wasn’t planning to leave her side anyway, and
it made her sick when she realized that she was just a tiny, little bit glad
that he was there.
Maybe it was because the townspeople were
so used to farfetched explanations, especially when a vampire was involved, but
no one questioned the lock-down. In fact, no one even seemed surprised. At
the first few houses, Amelia had assured the people that she would personally
bring supplies to them to last them through the crisis. She was actually blown
over when she found that they all had emergency stashes, until McLean had
bluntly told her that this was not the first, and probably wouldn’t be the
last, lock-down for Willowberg.
The sun was high in the sky when Amelia and
Josh left the officers and headed to her house. McLean had arranged to have
his officers patrol the streets, switching
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