the assault. But the knife was metal, not wood, and Terrill pulled it out of his chest and leaped toward Horsham.
Again, the man surprised him. Horsham grabbed a cudgel that had been hidden near the door and started bashing Terrill over the head with it. Stunned, Terrill fell to the ground, holding his hands protectively over his head, feeling the bones in his arms break as the cudgel rose and fell repeatedly. His head slammed into the cobblestones. He tried to move, but he felt paralyzed.
The knife was back in Horsham’s hands and he was standing over Terrill, screaming. “You thought you’d catch me off guard, you black-hearted scum! I figured you out from the moment I saw you. You are unholy, an abomination!”
The knife sawed into Terrill’s throat, and that finally spurred him into action––one of the few ways to kill a vampire is to cut his head off. He pushed the man away, and Horsham went flying. But instead of being stunned or running, Horsham went on the attack again.
Terrill felt the knife enter his body again and again. It hurt, it weakened him, but such blows couldn’t kill him. He grabbed the barkeep by the throat and began to choke him.
“Don’t kill him,” he heard someone say.
Michael came out of the shadows and grabbed Horsham from behind, pinning his arms. “Now, Terrill!” he said. “Suck his blood!”
Terrill sank his fangs into the helpless man’s neck.
Three days later, in a cheap room at a nearby inn, Horsham reanimated, one of the rare victims who returned as a vampire.
Horsham never let Terrill forget that he had needed Michael’s help; that he hadn’t taken him down alone.
Chapter 10
Jamie waited impatiently for dark, pacing the small enclosure. She’d put off feeding for too long. Now she wouldn’t have the luxury of picking her prey; she’d have to grab some random guy. She hated that. She hated killing, but at least she could try to rid the world of the rotters.
She heard scurrying behind her and turned to see a small squirrel poke its head under the branches. It looked at her in alarm.
She was on it in less than a second, astonished at her own speed. She raised the screeching critter to her mouth without a second thought and sank her fangs into its body. It tasted awful, but it slaked her bloodthirst. She sat down in one of the wicker chairs and thought about that for a while.
She had heard Horsham mention scornfully that Terrill was drinking the blood of beasts, but for some reason she had never thought of that as an option until now. Human blood was what she wanted, so human blood must be what she needed, she’d thought. But was it possible she could live off of animal blood alone?
Her mouth was befouled by the taste of the squirrel. It was like eating a spoiled hunk of meat might have been when she’d been human. She wondered if she would get sick.
Truth was, she just didn’t know enough about being a vampire. She remembered how helpless, how out of control she’d been before Horsham took her under his wing. But what if everything he’d taught her was wrong? Horsham had told her that all vampires were the same; that their human memories were meaningless and would quickly fade; that vampires had no empathy for humans, only for their own kind.
It was Terrill who was wrong, he’d said. Terrill was an abomination.
But what if it was possible to be vampire and not kill people?
She laughed as she realized how ridiculous that sounded.
I am a vampire, she thought. Terrill had made her so. By killing her. So much for Terrill being morally superior.
When darkness finally fell, Jamie felt that she had resolved her quandary. I am a vampire, she repeated to herself. I am a vampire.
#
She was running out of lowlife dives to try. It was becoming clear to her that she was going to have to leave this town soon, as much as she loved her little hideaway. Too many abusive boyfriends and husbands were mysteriously disappearing, though
Again, the man surprised him. Horsham grabbed a cudgel that had been hidden near the door and started bashing Terrill over the head with it. Stunned, Terrill fell to the ground, holding his hands protectively over his head, feeling the bones in his arms break as the cudgel rose and fell repeatedly. His head slammed into the cobblestones. He tried to move, but he felt paralyzed.
The knife was back in Horsham’s hands and he was standing over Terrill, screaming. “You thought you’d catch me off guard, you black-hearted scum! I figured you out from the moment I saw you. You are unholy, an abomination!”
The knife sawed into Terrill’s throat, and that finally spurred him into action––one of the few ways to kill a vampire is to cut his head off. He pushed the man away, and Horsham went flying. But instead of being stunned or running, Horsham went on the attack again.
Terrill felt the knife enter his body again and again. It hurt, it weakened him, but such blows couldn’t kill him. He grabbed the barkeep by the throat and began to choke him.
“Don’t kill him,” he heard someone say.
Michael came out of the shadows and grabbed Horsham from behind, pinning his arms. “Now, Terrill!” he said. “Suck his blood!”
Terrill sank his fangs into the helpless man’s neck.
Three days later, in a cheap room at a nearby inn, Horsham reanimated, one of the rare victims who returned as a vampire.
Horsham never let Terrill forget that he had needed Michael’s help; that he hadn’t taken him down alone.
Chapter 10
Jamie waited impatiently for dark, pacing the small enclosure. She’d put off feeding for too long. Now she wouldn’t have the luxury of picking her prey; she’d have to grab some random guy. She hated that. She hated killing, but at least she could try to rid the world of the rotters.
She heard scurrying behind her and turned to see a small squirrel poke its head under the branches. It looked at her in alarm.
She was on it in less than a second, astonished at her own speed. She raised the screeching critter to her mouth without a second thought and sank her fangs into its body. It tasted awful, but it slaked her bloodthirst. She sat down in one of the wicker chairs and thought about that for a while.
She had heard Horsham mention scornfully that Terrill was drinking the blood of beasts, but for some reason she had never thought of that as an option until now. Human blood was what she wanted, so human blood must be what she needed, she’d thought. But was it possible she could live off of animal blood alone?
Her mouth was befouled by the taste of the squirrel. It was like eating a spoiled hunk of meat might have been when she’d been human. She wondered if she would get sick.
Truth was, she just didn’t know enough about being a vampire. She remembered how helpless, how out of control she’d been before Horsham took her under his wing. But what if everything he’d taught her was wrong? Horsham had told her that all vampires were the same; that their human memories were meaningless and would quickly fade; that vampires had no empathy for humans, only for their own kind.
It was Terrill who was wrong, he’d said. Terrill was an abomination.
But what if it was possible to be vampire and not kill people?
She laughed as she realized how ridiculous that sounded.
I am a vampire, she thought. Terrill had made her so. By killing her. So much for Terrill being morally superior.
When darkness finally fell, Jamie felt that she had resolved her quandary. I am a vampire, she repeated to herself. I am a vampire.
#
She was running out of lowlife dives to try. It was becoming clear to her that she was going to have to leave this town soon, as much as she loved her little hideaway. Too many abusive boyfriends and husbands were mysteriously disappearing, though
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