out?
Everyone behind me was silent while I stood completely
still. I could feel my heart beating in my chest and thought I might panic and
freeze up. A few fingers of sunlight streamed in around the wardrobe and after
a few moments my eyes began to adjust. I took a deep breath and started to
creep in as quietly as possible.
I could feel Scott behind me. I was glad to see the
hall closet was standing open because I wasn’t sure I would have had the guts
to open it otherwise. Scott clicked on his flashlight and shone it in amongst
the coats. There was nothing there. He turned the flashlight off again. We
didn’t know whether vampires could be woken in the day or not, so we didn’t
want to use a flashlight unless absolutely necessary. The next stop was the
living room. There was nowhere for anyone to hide except the wardrobe. Surely a
vampire wouldn’t hide there, right by the window.
“If you stay behind the door while you pull it open I
can be ready to stake anything that’s in there,” Scott whispered.
“No,” I whispered back. “You open it and stay behind
the door and I’ll be ready. Open the right side so I can come from the left.”
I appreciated Scott’s offer to do the dirty work, but
I also knew I had to face these tasks from the beginning or I would never be
able to do them. Scott and I walked to the wardrobe while James and the others
moved in behind to make sure nothing could creep up on us.
“Are you sure?” Scott asked.
“Yes, just do it.”
He stepped up to the wardrobe.
He took hold of the handle and looked at me. I felt my
heart might explode out of my chest.
I raised my stake in my left hand.
I nodded to Scott.
He stepped back, flinging the door open.
Empty. Just a bunch of shelves with some clothes.
I found myself relieved and disappointed at the same
time. The adrenaline had been running so high that I was almost hoping to get a
chance to face my fear and destroy it in the process.
But it wasn’t the time to let my guard down. I still
didn’t like the feel of the place. It was just too dark, and someone, or
something, had blocked the light on purpose.
We peeked into the bathroom, nothing.
Kitchen, nothing.
There was one door that was closed. I assumed it was
the bedroom. If someone had abandoned this apartment, would he have taken the
trouble to close the bedroom door?
I felt the adrenaline rushing back. I didn’t stop to
discuss what I was about to do with anyone.
I walked up to the door and flung it open.
There he was, sleeping on a mattress on the floor. The
box spring and some closet doors had been pushed up against the window. Even
with the door now open, letting in some light, the room remained extremely
dark.
I heard his raspy breathing from the doorway. It was
shallow and hoarse, as if he was struggling to breathe.
I was transfixed by the sight of him, and by the
unnerving sound of his breathing. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I had my stake
in my left hand and reached behind me with my right and touched Scott.
I whispered as softly as I could, “Watch the closets.”
He didn’t respond, but he squeezed my hand and I knew that he’d heard.
I walked purposefully over to the vampire. I put one
foot on the mattress so that I stood over him and raised my stake with both
hands. He looked so peaceful lying there with his rattling breathing—like a
dying man at peace with his own death. He reminded me of a surfer with his
tousled blond hair.
I hesitated. Was he definitely a vampire? I couldn’t
see any bite marks on him.
Suddenly, his eyes popped open. They were yellow, and
shone by the light coming through the doorway. All of my doubts fled. He was
definitely a vampire.
We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us
moving. I heard someone take a step toward me, then I plunged the stake into
the vampire’s chest.
It only took an instant. It went in smoothly. I felt
it go all the way through and pierce the mattress.
The vampire let out a hoarse
Everyone behind me was silent while I stood completely
still. I could feel my heart beating in my chest and thought I might panic and
freeze up. A few fingers of sunlight streamed in around the wardrobe and after
a few moments my eyes began to adjust. I took a deep breath and started to
creep in as quietly as possible.
I could feel Scott behind me. I was glad to see the
hall closet was standing open because I wasn’t sure I would have had the guts
to open it otherwise. Scott clicked on his flashlight and shone it in amongst
the coats. There was nothing there. He turned the flashlight off again. We
didn’t know whether vampires could be woken in the day or not, so we didn’t
want to use a flashlight unless absolutely necessary. The next stop was the
living room. There was nowhere for anyone to hide except the wardrobe. Surely a
vampire wouldn’t hide there, right by the window.
“If you stay behind the door while you pull it open I
can be ready to stake anything that’s in there,” Scott whispered.
“No,” I whispered back. “You open it and stay behind
the door and I’ll be ready. Open the right side so I can come from the left.”
I appreciated Scott’s offer to do the dirty work, but
I also knew I had to face these tasks from the beginning or I would never be
able to do them. Scott and I walked to the wardrobe while James and the others
moved in behind to make sure nothing could creep up on us.
“Are you sure?” Scott asked.
“Yes, just do it.”
He stepped up to the wardrobe.
He took hold of the handle and looked at me. I felt my
heart might explode out of my chest.
I raised my stake in my left hand.
I nodded to Scott.
He stepped back, flinging the door open.
Empty. Just a bunch of shelves with some clothes.
I found myself relieved and disappointed at the same
time. The adrenaline had been running so high that I was almost hoping to get a
chance to face my fear and destroy it in the process.
But it wasn’t the time to let my guard down. I still
didn’t like the feel of the place. It was just too dark, and someone, or
something, had blocked the light on purpose.
We peeked into the bathroom, nothing.
Kitchen, nothing.
There was one door that was closed. I assumed it was
the bedroom. If someone had abandoned this apartment, would he have taken the
trouble to close the bedroom door?
I felt the adrenaline rushing back. I didn’t stop to
discuss what I was about to do with anyone.
I walked up to the door and flung it open.
There he was, sleeping on a mattress on the floor. The
box spring and some closet doors had been pushed up against the window. Even
with the door now open, letting in some light, the room remained extremely
dark.
I heard his raspy breathing from the doorway. It was
shallow and hoarse, as if he was struggling to breathe.
I was transfixed by the sight of him, and by the
unnerving sound of his breathing. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I had my stake
in my left hand and reached behind me with my right and touched Scott.
I whispered as softly as I could, “Watch the closets.”
He didn’t respond, but he squeezed my hand and I knew that he’d heard.
I walked purposefully over to the vampire. I put one
foot on the mattress so that I stood over him and raised my stake with both
hands. He looked so peaceful lying there with his rattling breathing—like a
dying man at peace with his own death. He reminded me of a surfer with his
tousled blond hair.
I hesitated. Was he definitely a vampire? I couldn’t
see any bite marks on him.
Suddenly, his eyes popped open. They were yellow, and
shone by the light coming through the doorway. All of my doubts fled. He was
definitely a vampire.
We stared at each other for a moment, neither of us
moving. I heard someone take a step toward me, then I plunged the stake into
the vampire’s chest.
It only took an instant. It went in smoothly. I felt
it go all the way through and pierce the mattress.
The vampire let out a hoarse
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