little suspicious. Probably not an approach Olympia would have approved of.
Instead I climbed the big oak tree that grows beside the school’s front steps. Climbing trees is another thing that’s more fun with vampire strength and speed. I was level with the top floor in about twenty seconds. I wriggled along the length of a branch until I could reach the flapping corner of the tarp. There was just enough space for me to squeeze underneath and flip through the open window. The broken panes of glass were gone. Only a gaping round hole was left in the wall of the school.
My shoes hit the tile floor with a tiny squeak.I was in a long hallway lined with metallic-green junior class lockers. Moonlight slanted through the windows in the classrooms on either side and the matching round window at the far end of the hall, facing the back of the school. Another hallway bisected this one in the middle, making a kind of plus sign. Or a cross, if you want to be all woooooo mystical about it. As it turns out, crosses don’t bother me. They freak Wilhelm out really badly, though, so I think maybe you had to believe in them when you were alive to be bothered by them once you’re a vampire. I would test this theory by throwing a Star of David at Bert, but that would be mean.
Holy water does irritate my skin, and garlic makes me sneeze for about an hour. Neither of them can kill me, though—so much for those theories. I’m afraid it’s a stake through the heart, an axe through the neck, or a whole lot of fire, and that’s it. Not stuff I have to worry about much in my everyday life. Unlife. Whatever.
I circled the spot in the hallway in front of the open window, although I had no idea what I was looking for. Clues? Graffiti scrawled onthe wall: “I killed Tex Harrison here”? The floor looked as scuffed and ordinary as it did every day. I crouched and ran my hand across the cold, speckled tiles.
My fingers brushed against something that rolled. I caught it and picked it up.
A small red bead.
Hmmmmm .
Of course, anyone could have dropped that here anytime. Hundreds of kids went through this hall every day. My own locker was right around the corner, in the bisecting hallway.
Still, I slipped the bead into my pocket.
Although I knew it wouldn’t do any good, I inhaled, trying to see if any of the scents here were stronger than the others. As I expected, there was too much of a jumble to pick anything out.
Except…No, I was wrong. There was one unusually sharp scent. It’s hard to describe how vampire noses distinguish what they smell, but if it helps, this one smelled a little like mist and moonlight and jazz and tuxedos and antique books. (I know, I bet that was really helpful.)
As I separated it out from the rest of themuddle, I realized that it was surprisingly strong and getting stronger.
Or…closer.
I whirled around.
I wasn’t alone.
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Instead I climbed the big oak tree that grows beside the school’s front steps. Climbing trees is another thing that’s more fun with vampire strength and speed. I was level with the top floor in about twenty seconds. I wriggled along the length of a branch until I could reach the flapping corner of the tarp. There was just enough space for me to squeeze underneath and flip through the open window. The broken panes of glass were gone. Only a gaping round hole was left in the wall of the school.
My shoes hit the tile floor with a tiny squeak.I was in a long hallway lined with metallic-green junior class lockers. Moonlight slanted through the windows in the classrooms on either side and the matching round window at the far end of the hall, facing the back of the school. Another hallway bisected this one in the middle, making a kind of plus sign. Or a cross, if you want to be all woooooo mystical about it. As it turns out, crosses don’t bother me. They freak Wilhelm out really badly, though, so I think maybe you had to believe in them when you were alive to be bothered by them once you’re a vampire. I would test this theory by throwing a Star of David at Bert, but that would be mean.
Holy water does irritate my skin, and garlic makes me sneeze for about an hour. Neither of them can kill me, though—so much for those theories. I’m afraid it’s a stake through the heart, an axe through the neck, or a whole lot of fire, and that’s it. Not stuff I have to worry about much in my everyday life. Unlife. Whatever.
I circled the spot in the hallway in front of the open window, although I had no idea what I was looking for. Clues? Graffiti scrawled onthe wall: “I killed Tex Harrison here”? The floor looked as scuffed and ordinary as it did every day. I crouched and ran my hand across the cold, speckled tiles.
My fingers brushed against something that rolled. I caught it and picked it up.
A small red bead.
Hmmmmm .
Of course, anyone could have dropped that here anytime. Hundreds of kids went through this hall every day. My own locker was right around the corner, in the bisecting hallway.
Still, I slipped the bead into my pocket.
Although I knew it wouldn’t do any good, I inhaled, trying to see if any of the scents here were stronger than the others. As I expected, there was too much of a jumble to pick anything out.
Except…No, I was wrong. There was one unusually sharp scent. It’s hard to describe how vampire noses distinguish what they smell, but if it helps, this one smelled a little like mist and moonlight and jazz and tuxedos and antique books. (I know, I bet that was really helpful.)
As I separated it out from the rest of themuddle, I realized that it was surprisingly strong and getting stronger.
Or…closer.
I whirled around.
I wasn’t alone.
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