his normally tanned complexion was now pallid grey. But what really stood out was the blood that ran down from the corner of his mouth.
Then I heard Sam’s voice—loud and harsh. ‘Go!’
Tom was gone and I heard the door slam.
I closed my eyes for no more than a long blink—it couldn’t have been more than a second—but when I opened them, Sam was in the bedroom, bending over Claire. Was he doing something to her neck? She was so still.
I ran to the doorway but stopped short of going in. I couldn’t draw a breath to scream or talk. I just stood there, frozen.
And then Sam was beside me, and Claire was still on the bed. She looked … peaceful.
When I turned to Sam I could see that he was staring at me intensely—like he was searching for something. When he spoke, his voice was deep and calm.
‘She’s fine. She fainted, that’s all. It’s just a scrape; she’ll be fine in the morning and won’t remember a thing.’
‘What just happened, Sam? Did Tom hurt her? What did he do? Why did you tell him to go? Is Claire ok? Should we get her to a doctor?’
Sam sighed. ‘Let’s sit down in the other room. Claire’s fine, she just needs to rest.’
He put his hands on my shoulders, barely touching me, and turned me toward the living room before reaching back to close Claire’s door.
The next thing I knew I was seated on the sofa and Sam was kneeling on the floor in front of me. He slowly brought his hands onto my knees and stared at me, searching my eyes. The look on his face suggested he was looking for forgiveness—but from what? He hadn’t done anything, had he?
‘I don’t know how much I can tell you, Lili. I don’t know how much you’ll want to hear.’
I tore my gaze away from him, looking back toward the closed door to Claire’s room. I shook my head hoping to clear it.
‘What do you mean “how much I’ll want to hear”? I want to hear everything. What just happened?’ I shouted, suddenly feeling like I was on the verge of hysteria.
Sam reached up and gently touched my face, turning it back toward him. Then he took my hands in his. His hands were ice cold. When I met his gaze, I could once again feel that sensation of being pulled into a black hole, only this time it comforted me—I could actually feel my heart rate slowing.
‘Lili, I’m not sure how to begin, but please don’t be scared. You’re safe, and Claire will be fine.’
My fear faded, but my mind still raced, trying to make sense of everything.
‘Just tell me the truth, Sam.’
‘Okay,’ he said, but then hesitated as if still trying to find the right words. When he finally spoke it was fast, as though he didn’t want a chance to change his mind. ‘Tom is a vampire. He bit Claire. He got excited, but I know he wasn’t trying to hurt her. She’ll be fine.’
I tried to process what he said, but my mind felt muddled. Maybe I hadn’t quite heard him right. My hands were still resting in his, but they could have been someone else’s hands—I felt so detached from the scene around me. Was I dreaming this? It was like my father’s funeral … all over again.
Eventually I cleared my mind enough to respond, but my words came slowly.
‘I see. And is he … under a doctor’s care? Is he, I mean, should he be in a hospital or something?’
‘There is no hospital, or doctor, that can help him. He is what he is,’ he said, sounding defeated. ‘No. I mean, he’s obviously delusional … a psychiatrist could help him … there are medications he can take.’
‘Lili, he isn’t delusional. He’s a vampire.’
I could feel myself frowning as I tried to get my brain to function clearly. He didn’t look like he was joking around, but he couldn’t be serious.
‘He isn’t a real vampire, Sam. Vampires don’t exist. They’re myths, like elves and fairies and … and … leprechauns. He must be sick if he thinks he’s a vampire. He needs help.’
‘Lili, I swear to you, he is a vampire. I know this must
Then I heard Sam’s voice—loud and harsh. ‘Go!’
Tom was gone and I heard the door slam.
I closed my eyes for no more than a long blink—it couldn’t have been more than a second—but when I opened them, Sam was in the bedroom, bending over Claire. Was he doing something to her neck? She was so still.
I ran to the doorway but stopped short of going in. I couldn’t draw a breath to scream or talk. I just stood there, frozen.
And then Sam was beside me, and Claire was still on the bed. She looked … peaceful.
When I turned to Sam I could see that he was staring at me intensely—like he was searching for something. When he spoke, his voice was deep and calm.
‘She’s fine. She fainted, that’s all. It’s just a scrape; she’ll be fine in the morning and won’t remember a thing.’
‘What just happened, Sam? Did Tom hurt her? What did he do? Why did you tell him to go? Is Claire ok? Should we get her to a doctor?’
Sam sighed. ‘Let’s sit down in the other room. Claire’s fine, she just needs to rest.’
He put his hands on my shoulders, barely touching me, and turned me toward the living room before reaching back to close Claire’s door.
The next thing I knew I was seated on the sofa and Sam was kneeling on the floor in front of me. He slowly brought his hands onto my knees and stared at me, searching my eyes. The look on his face suggested he was looking for forgiveness—but from what? He hadn’t done anything, had he?
‘I don’t know how much I can tell you, Lili. I don’t know how much you’ll want to hear.’
I tore my gaze away from him, looking back toward the closed door to Claire’s room. I shook my head hoping to clear it.
‘What do you mean “how much I’ll want to hear”? I want to hear everything. What just happened?’ I shouted, suddenly feeling like I was on the verge of hysteria.
Sam reached up and gently touched my face, turning it back toward him. Then he took my hands in his. His hands were ice cold. When I met his gaze, I could once again feel that sensation of being pulled into a black hole, only this time it comforted me—I could actually feel my heart rate slowing.
‘Lili, I’m not sure how to begin, but please don’t be scared. You’re safe, and Claire will be fine.’
My fear faded, but my mind still raced, trying to make sense of everything.
‘Just tell me the truth, Sam.’
‘Okay,’ he said, but then hesitated as if still trying to find the right words. When he finally spoke it was fast, as though he didn’t want a chance to change his mind. ‘Tom is a vampire. He bit Claire. He got excited, but I know he wasn’t trying to hurt her. She’ll be fine.’
I tried to process what he said, but my mind felt muddled. Maybe I hadn’t quite heard him right. My hands were still resting in his, but they could have been someone else’s hands—I felt so detached from the scene around me. Was I dreaming this? It was like my father’s funeral … all over again.
Eventually I cleared my mind enough to respond, but my words came slowly.
‘I see. And is he … under a doctor’s care? Is he, I mean, should he be in a hospital or something?’
‘There is no hospital, or doctor, that can help him. He is what he is,’ he said, sounding defeated. ‘No. I mean, he’s obviously delusional … a psychiatrist could help him … there are medications he can take.’
‘Lili, he isn’t delusional. He’s a vampire.’
I could feel myself frowning as I tried to get my brain to function clearly. He didn’t look like he was joking around, but he couldn’t be serious.
‘He isn’t a real vampire, Sam. Vampires don’t exist. They’re myths, like elves and fairies and … and … leprechauns. He must be sick if he thinks he’s a vampire. He needs help.’
‘Lili, I swear to you, he is a vampire. I know this must
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