Read Online Call of the Vampire by Gayla Twist - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gayla Twist
Ads: Link
copies.
“Yeah, my great grandmother used to work there,” I told him.
“Cool,” he nodded. When I’d entered the shop, he’d barely spared me a glance, but my interesting family history had earned me a second look. “Is this your grandmother?” he asked, tapping at Aunt Colette. “You look just like her.”
“Don’t do that,” I snapped, knocking his hand away and snatching up the picture. Was he an idiot? He looked offended, so I explained, “You always hold an old photo by the edges. The oil from your fingers can ruin it.” I used the hem of my cotton t-shirt to gently clean the photo.
“Relax. I didn’t hurt it any,” he said, blowing off my reprimand. A typical guy response when corrected for inconsiderate behavior.
“Would it kill you to be respectful of other people’s property?” I glared at him.
Heading out of the copy shop, I had to chuckle at myself. Maybe Blossom was right. Maybe, in a way, I was older than my seventeen years.
By the time I pulled into the driveway of our modest two-bedroom home, my eyelids were threatening to slam shut. I realized I really hadn’t slept the night before, and it was probably just adrenaline keeping me going.
I had meant to stay awake until at least nine o’clock to keep on some semblance of a schedule, but my body had other ideas. I grabbed a sandwich and sat down in front of the TV. I thought I was just resting my eyes for a second, but the next thing I knew my mom was gently shaking me and saying, “Sweetheart, you should just go upstairs to bed.”
It was a quarter to midnight as I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. The previous night, I had been locked in a bedroom at the castle, completely oblivious to the fact that vampires existed. The thought that they were real gave me the shivers. I’d been so focused on talking to Grandma Gibson and thinking about Jessie that I hadn’t really given any thought to the idea that there were other vampires in the world.
How many of the castle’s guests were vampires, and how many were dinner? Was the woman with the long red hair that I saw in the bedroom dead now or just feeling a little anemic? Where did all the other vampires live? Were they all from the same place or scattered across the country? I should have asked Jessie more questions when I had the chance. Even though I had every right to be exhausted, I couldn’t fall back asleep until well after three in the morning.
When I finally did drift into a dream, it was one of those times when you’re not sure when you actually started dreaming. Things made sense that wouldn’t actually make sense if I was awake. First, I noticed beams of color on the walls of my room and wondered if there was a prism hanging somewhere that was catching the light. I went to catch the beams, but they fluttered out of my hands like butterflies on a breezy day.
I was in a very good mood. Just plain happy. The sun was shining, and I felt its warmth on my face. Bees buzzed around my head, and birds raced through the air chirping to one another. I caught the splashes of color by their stems, gathering a bouquet. I breathed in the sweet fragrance of the flowers, humming to myself, the grasses and leaves tugging gently at the hem of my dress.
*****
High school can be boring at the best of times, but it becomes particularly tedious when you have much more enticing things to think about. Fear of vampires had filled my head while I was lying awake in bed for half the night, but visions of Jessie filled my daydreams. I tried to focus on what my teachers were saying, but it just seemed to be random words coming out of their mouths. None of it made any sense. I didn’t even recognize my own name when Mr. Schwartzman called on me in chemistry. He must have said my name three or four times before I made sense of his words and told him I didn’t know the answer. Rather than being angry at me for spacing out, he asked, “Are you feeling all right today, Aurora? You look very
“Yeah, my great grandmother used to work there,” I told him.
“Cool,” he nodded. When I’d entered the shop, he’d barely spared me a glance, but my interesting family history had earned me a second look. “Is this your grandmother?” he asked, tapping at Aunt Colette. “You look just like her.”
“Don’t do that,” I snapped, knocking his hand away and snatching up the picture. Was he an idiot? He looked offended, so I explained, “You always hold an old photo by the edges. The oil from your fingers can ruin it.” I used the hem of my cotton t-shirt to gently clean the photo.
“Relax. I didn’t hurt it any,” he said, blowing off my reprimand. A typical guy response when corrected for inconsiderate behavior.
“Would it kill you to be respectful of other people’s property?” I glared at him.
Heading out of the copy shop, I had to chuckle at myself. Maybe Blossom was right. Maybe, in a way, I was older than my seventeen years.
By the time I pulled into the driveway of our modest two-bedroom home, my eyelids were threatening to slam shut. I realized I really hadn’t slept the night before, and it was probably just adrenaline keeping me going.
I had meant to stay awake until at least nine o’clock to keep on some semblance of a schedule, but my body had other ideas. I grabbed a sandwich and sat down in front of the TV. I thought I was just resting my eyes for a second, but the next thing I knew my mom was gently shaking me and saying, “Sweetheart, you should just go upstairs to bed.”
It was a quarter to midnight as I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. The previous night, I had been locked in a bedroom at the castle, completely oblivious to the fact that vampires existed. The thought that they were real gave me the shivers. I’d been so focused on talking to Grandma Gibson and thinking about Jessie that I hadn’t really given any thought to the idea that there were other vampires in the world.
How many of the castle’s guests were vampires, and how many were dinner? Was the woman with the long red hair that I saw in the bedroom dead now or just feeling a little anemic? Where did all the other vampires live? Were they all from the same place or scattered across the country? I should have asked Jessie more questions when I had the chance. Even though I had every right to be exhausted, I couldn’t fall back asleep until well after three in the morning.
When I finally did drift into a dream, it was one of those times when you’re not sure when you actually started dreaming. Things made sense that wouldn’t actually make sense if I was awake. First, I noticed beams of color on the walls of my room and wondered if there was a prism hanging somewhere that was catching the light. I went to catch the beams, but they fluttered out of my hands like butterflies on a breezy day.
I was in a very good mood. Just plain happy. The sun was shining, and I felt its warmth on my face. Bees buzzed around my head, and birds raced through the air chirping to one another. I caught the splashes of color by their stems, gathering a bouquet. I breathed in the sweet fragrance of the flowers, humming to myself, the grasses and leaves tugging gently at the hem of my dress.
*****
High school can be boring at the best of times, but it becomes particularly tedious when you have much more enticing things to think about. Fear of vampires had filled my head while I was lying awake in bed for half the night, but visions of Jessie filled my daydreams. I tried to focus on what my teachers were saying, but it just seemed to be random words coming out of their mouths. None of it made any sense. I didn’t even recognize my own name when Mr. Schwartzman called on me in chemistry. He must have said my name three or four times before I made sense of his words and told him I didn’t know the answer. Rather than being angry at me for spacing out, he asked, “Are you feeling all right today, Aurora? You look very
Similar Books
