oxygen from the lungs then provide it to all the other body tissues. Since blood has a high iron content, it’s a great source of food for vampires, which is why they need it to survive. When vampires are low on iron, their hunger surfaces and they crave blood. Older vampires know how to control their hunger. They’ve learned to drink only what is needed to survive.
My head spun. I thought I was seeing vampires, now I was reading about vampires, not to mention how my own blood tasted like candy. Was someone trying to tell me something? This is crazy.
I re-read the page again. Huh? Were my iron levels low? Was that the reason why I craved blood? Did it mean I was a vampire? I laughed nervously, the sound stifled. Me a vampire? Yeah, right.
A warm breeze grazed my neck and I let out a low scream.
“Scary stuff in the vampire book?” Sam grabbed the book from me.
“Hey, give it back. I’m not finished reading.”
“You hate vampires. Wait. You think you’re seeing vampires and now you’re reading about them.” He touched my forehead. “Nope, your temperature feels human. You’re not cold-blooded.” Then he read the title of the book out loud. “ The Science Behind Vampires, ” he intoned. “Did you learn anything?”
“I learned how to turn you into a vampire.”
“Yeah? How?” he asked.
“Seriously, Sam. Aren’t you experiencing any weird changes?”
“Yeah. But that doesn’t mean I’m a vampire.” He laughed nervously.
“I’m learning that I like the taste of...”
“Taste of what?” He sat down staring at the book.
“You know?”
Sam’s head was staring at the cover of The Science Behind Vampires . He wasn’t laughing anymore. He had to process information before he weighed in on a topic, unless the topic involved immediate physical reaction, then he never hesitated. I hated when he didn’t speak. It always made me feel like I was crazy or he didn’t believe me.
“I know because you told me.” He picked up his head and a tear pooled in his left eye. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head.
“One of the last things you said to me before you passed out the other night… ‘I want more blood.’” He swallowed. “My heart skipped a thousand beats when you said that to me. After I…I…swung the bat at Cliff, blood spattered everywhere. Some of it sprayed on my face and into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but it tasted…peppery. A sudden urge exploded inside me.” Sam let out a loud sigh, as if he just released the weight of the world from his shoulders.
My eyes didn’t move as I stared at Sam. My tastebuds perked up as he described the spiciness of the blood. Funny, I found it sweet to the taste. Focus, focus.
Silence filled the room for what seemed like an eternity. I cleared my throat. “Did you know your eyes changed color?”
He nodded and combed his long fingers through his hair. “The other day I got into a scuffle with an ump. He called me out for stealing second base. We were nose to nose yelling when all of sudden he stopped. It wasn’t until Ben came over to calm me down that I found out why—he asked me why my eyes were changing colors. Of course, Ben thought that was the coolest thing.” Sam lowered his head in his hands. Then he rose from the couch and ambled over to the window.
A sharp pain stung my chest as I studied him. A shadow outlined his eyes, making him look as if he rose this morning out of one of the coffins here in the funeral home. Stubble dotted his face just beneath his broad cheekbones. In that moment, Sam looked as if he had aged ten years. His Pink Floyd t-shirt showed every muscle, as if he grew out of it overnight.
“Dr. Case said my blood type was ‘AF’ negative.”
“Yeah, I heard that conversation,” Sam said in a low voice.
“Do you think that means anything?”
“Well, we’re not aliens or anything.” He continued to gaze out the window.
“Since we’re twins, wouldn’t we have the same blood
My head spun. I thought I was seeing vampires, now I was reading about vampires, not to mention how my own blood tasted like candy. Was someone trying to tell me something? This is crazy.
I re-read the page again. Huh? Were my iron levels low? Was that the reason why I craved blood? Did it mean I was a vampire? I laughed nervously, the sound stifled. Me a vampire? Yeah, right.
A warm breeze grazed my neck and I let out a low scream.
“Scary stuff in the vampire book?” Sam grabbed the book from me.
“Hey, give it back. I’m not finished reading.”
“You hate vampires. Wait. You think you’re seeing vampires and now you’re reading about them.” He touched my forehead. “Nope, your temperature feels human. You’re not cold-blooded.” Then he read the title of the book out loud. “ The Science Behind Vampires, ” he intoned. “Did you learn anything?”
“I learned how to turn you into a vampire.”
“Yeah? How?” he asked.
“Seriously, Sam. Aren’t you experiencing any weird changes?”
“Yeah. But that doesn’t mean I’m a vampire.” He laughed nervously.
“I’m learning that I like the taste of...”
“Taste of what?” He sat down staring at the book.
“You know?”
Sam’s head was staring at the cover of The Science Behind Vampires . He wasn’t laughing anymore. He had to process information before he weighed in on a topic, unless the topic involved immediate physical reaction, then he never hesitated. I hated when he didn’t speak. It always made me feel like I was crazy or he didn’t believe me.
“I know because you told me.” He picked up his head and a tear pooled in his left eye. “You don’t remember?”
I shook my head.
“One of the last things you said to me before you passed out the other night… ‘I want more blood.’” He swallowed. “My heart skipped a thousand beats when you said that to me. After I…I…swung the bat at Cliff, blood spattered everywhere. Some of it sprayed on my face and into my mouth. I tried to spit it out, but it tasted…peppery. A sudden urge exploded inside me.” Sam let out a loud sigh, as if he just released the weight of the world from his shoulders.
My eyes didn’t move as I stared at Sam. My tastebuds perked up as he described the spiciness of the blood. Funny, I found it sweet to the taste. Focus, focus.
Silence filled the room for what seemed like an eternity. I cleared my throat. “Did you know your eyes changed color?”
He nodded and combed his long fingers through his hair. “The other day I got into a scuffle with an ump. He called me out for stealing second base. We were nose to nose yelling when all of sudden he stopped. It wasn’t until Ben came over to calm me down that I found out why—he asked me why my eyes were changing colors. Of course, Ben thought that was the coolest thing.” Sam lowered his head in his hands. Then he rose from the couch and ambled over to the window.
A sharp pain stung my chest as I studied him. A shadow outlined his eyes, making him look as if he rose this morning out of one of the coffins here in the funeral home. Stubble dotted his face just beneath his broad cheekbones. In that moment, Sam looked as if he had aged ten years. His Pink Floyd t-shirt showed every muscle, as if he grew out of it overnight.
“Dr. Case said my blood type was ‘AF’ negative.”
“Yeah, I heard that conversation,” Sam said in a low voice.
“Do you think that means anything?”
“Well, we’re not aliens or anything.” He continued to gaze out the window.
“Since we’re twins, wouldn’t we have the same blood
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