The Vampire Blog by Pete Johnson

tonight, ‘We’ve been very patient and tried to understand, but enough is enough. Start co-operating – or else, no TV or computer games for a week.’
    â€˜By co-operating … you mean, what?’
    â€˜I think you know,’ interrupted Dad. ‘It’s time you were pulled into line. And that punishment is just the start.’
    â€˜Dad, you can’t bully me into being a half-vampire, you know.’ And I stormed upstairs.
    6.35 p.m.
    Dad’s just called me downstairs. Air was quite dark, I can tell you. And I was ready to say all sorts of stuff, I was so worked up. But instead, Dad stared at the ground and said, ‘I’m very sorry for what I said earlier tonight to you. It was wrong. I want to help you, butnot like that. Will you please accept my apology?’
    â€˜Well, I don’t think you’ll make that mistake again,’ I said. (I’ve always wanted to say that to an adult.) ‘So yes, I will accept your apology.’ And then we shook hands for several seconds.
    9.50 p.m.
    Neither Dad nor Mum has said another word about cravings or half-vampires all evening. I’m not sure why they’ve suddenly clamped up. They keep whispering away in the kitchen though.
    Thursday 11 October
11.15 a.m.
    There are stickers in just about every room in the school now saying: ‘M.I.S. RULES’. Tallulah has organized this operation really well. And Joel tells me there’s now a waiting list of people who want to be M.I.S. members.
    8.30 p.m.
    Karl is back. He pretended he’d just droppedby. But really he was here to give me a pep talk. Mum and Dad melted away as soon as he appeared.
    He swaggered around the sitting room. ‘So what’s happening … what’s new?’ he asked. Before I could answer he leaned over me and hissed, ‘You still haven’t had your cravings?’
    â€˜No, I haven’t.’
    He shook his head. ‘And the doctor’s called?’
    â€˜Oh yeah, he’s round here nearly as often as you are,’ I said.
    â€˜I’m going to be honest with you, Ved,’ he said, suddenly stern. ‘You’re becoming a bit of an embarrassment. In fact, do you know what you remind me of ?’
    â€˜Amaze me,’ I said.
    â€˜A little kid who’s at the swimming pool and he sees all his mates and his mum and dad in the water, but he can’t jump in with them because he’s too scared. So he runs around the pool saying, “Ooh, ooh, I don’t want to get into the water because I’m frightened.” That’s how I see you right now.’
    â€˜Just one thing,’ I said. ‘I can swim.’
    He paused for a moment. ‘Oh, can you?Yeah, well that’s only an example. But you know what I’m saying. Stop being a scaredy-cat and dive in. We’ve all been very patient with you. But it’s time you sorted your head out and crossed over. That’s all I’m going to say now. Before I split, I’ll leave you with this to think about.’
    He let out a howl which I have to admit was truly magnificent. In fact, it could have been in a film.
    â€˜I won’t ask you to follow that,’ he said, ‘because I don’t want to embarrass you. But one day with a lot of practice you might be nearly as good as me … that’s something to think about, isn’t it?’
    Friday 12 October
7.15 p.m.
    Told Mum I was going to see Joel. But really I’m off to Brent Woods to practise my howl. I still don’t want to be a half-vampire. And I’m very determined about that. But it’s bugging me that my howls are so earth-shatteringly terrible.
    And if an annoying weasel like Karl canlet out ear-piercing howls, surely I can too.
    9.30 p.m.
    Well, I thumped off to the woods. And there was a low mist so I couldn’t see very clearly. Maybe that was why I felt so uneasy. I just had the weirdest feeling that someone was watching me, and