Tanish was just going to kill her right there . She had no idea she was about to die.
He nearly fell to the ground when the back door of the bar slammed open just feet in front of him. An enormous man with shoulders like a linebacker held Chad off the pavement with one hand, and shoved Joseph forward with the other.
“Clear out now or I’ll call the cops!” he shouted with his booming New York voice. He threw Chad to the ground like he was throwing a bag of garbage. He landed hard on a pile of hefty bags. Joseph was shoved forward, too, but he did not fall to the ground.
“Are you kidding me?” Joseph yelled, turning toward the man with lethal purpose. Tanish’s face appeared over the bouncer’s shoulder, and Joseph lowered his fist. “You’ve got to be KIDDING me!” Joseph yelled down at Chad. He stalked off down the alley.
Michael bent to help Chad up. His elbow was bleeding freely, having landed on a bag of beer bottles. It was a deep cut, they could see that even through his warm flannel shirt. Michael rolled up Chad’s sleeve, trying to remember the words of his sixth grade first aid instructor. Okay, ABC, right? Airways, bleeding, something...no, that wasn’t right….
“Woah!” Chad said, staring at his arm in astonishment.
The wound had vanished. It was like a scene from a science fiction thriller. The sides of the open gash had closed, scabbed over and then faded into a thin white line in moments.
“What the…?” said the bouncer from over Chad’s shoulder.
“I told you! I’m NOT lying! I’m a vampire!” Chad said, turning to Michael. “This is awesome!”
The bouncer stepped back in alarm, his face filled with fear. He turned to run back inside…but Tanish was standing right behind him, blocking his escape. Michael heard the man gasp in surprise. Tanish lifted his perfectly manicured hands and placed them both firmly on the man’s broad chest. Michael watched in astonishment as the man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. He tottered dangerously back off the step for a moment, then fell hard, landing with a mighty thud on the cold pavement.
Tanish stepped over him as if nothing had happened.
“Did you—did you kill him?” Michael asked in alarm.
“No,” Tanish said, “But he won’t be telling anyone about this.”
“That was awesome!” Chad said in astonishment, gazing from Tanish’s barely 6 foot tall frame to the unconscious man’s nearly 6 foot wide frame. “What did you do?”
“I made him forget your stupidity,” Tanish said, walking past them out of the alley. Michael hadn’t realized he was still kneeling on the ground. He stood, seeing that both his knees were soaked with rain, dirt, and some of Chad’s blood. Great. Mom will kill me when she sees the stains .
“Let’s catch up with Joseph,” Tanish said, beckoning them onward.
Michael was quick to get out of the alley. He could hear voices approaching the still-open back door from inside the bar.
“Where are we going now?” Chad asked with excitement.
“Home,” Tanish said, directing his answer at Michael instead of Chad. “I wouldn’t say anything to Joseph if I were you, Chad. He does not have the kind of patience that you apparently require.”
Chad swallowed audibly.
They met up with Joseph nearly three blocks away. He was cleaning his hands and face in a water fountain, the water running down the drain a familiar red color.
“You found something, then?” Tanish asked tersely.
“Yes,” Joseph said darkly, avoiding eye contact with Chad. He had the look of a man who was putting all his faculties toward self-restraint, leaving little else for talking.
“Shall we?” Tanish asked. Joseph only nodded.
Tanish resumed his grip around Michael’s arm, ice cold fingers stinging him through his thin pink shirt. Joseph pulled Chad over to him in the same manner. Chad’s eyes grew wide and he looked down at
He nearly fell to the ground when the back door of the bar slammed open just feet in front of him. An enormous man with shoulders like a linebacker held Chad off the pavement with one hand, and shoved Joseph forward with the other.
“Clear out now or I’ll call the cops!” he shouted with his booming New York voice. He threw Chad to the ground like he was throwing a bag of garbage. He landed hard on a pile of hefty bags. Joseph was shoved forward, too, but he did not fall to the ground.
“Are you kidding me?” Joseph yelled, turning toward the man with lethal purpose. Tanish’s face appeared over the bouncer’s shoulder, and Joseph lowered his fist. “You’ve got to be KIDDING me!” Joseph yelled down at Chad. He stalked off down the alley.
Michael bent to help Chad up. His elbow was bleeding freely, having landed on a bag of beer bottles. It was a deep cut, they could see that even through his warm flannel shirt. Michael rolled up Chad’s sleeve, trying to remember the words of his sixth grade first aid instructor. Okay, ABC, right? Airways, bleeding, something...no, that wasn’t right….
“Woah!” Chad said, staring at his arm in astonishment.
The wound had vanished. It was like a scene from a science fiction thriller. The sides of the open gash had closed, scabbed over and then faded into a thin white line in moments.
“What the…?” said the bouncer from over Chad’s shoulder.
“I told you! I’m NOT lying! I’m a vampire!” Chad said, turning to Michael. “This is awesome!”
The bouncer stepped back in alarm, his face filled with fear. He turned to run back inside…but Tanish was standing right behind him, blocking his escape. Michael heard the man gasp in surprise. Tanish lifted his perfectly manicured hands and placed them both firmly on the man’s broad chest. Michael watched in astonishment as the man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. He tottered dangerously back off the step for a moment, then fell hard, landing with a mighty thud on the cold pavement.
Tanish stepped over him as if nothing had happened.
“Did you—did you kill him?” Michael asked in alarm.
“No,” Tanish said, “But he won’t be telling anyone about this.”
“That was awesome!” Chad said in astonishment, gazing from Tanish’s barely 6 foot tall frame to the unconscious man’s nearly 6 foot wide frame. “What did you do?”
“I made him forget your stupidity,” Tanish said, walking past them out of the alley. Michael hadn’t realized he was still kneeling on the ground. He stood, seeing that both his knees were soaked with rain, dirt, and some of Chad’s blood. Great. Mom will kill me when she sees the stains .
“Let’s catch up with Joseph,” Tanish said, beckoning them onward.
Michael was quick to get out of the alley. He could hear voices approaching the still-open back door from inside the bar.
“Where are we going now?” Chad asked with excitement.
“Home,” Tanish said, directing his answer at Michael instead of Chad. “I wouldn’t say anything to Joseph if I were you, Chad. He does not have the kind of patience that you apparently require.”
Chad swallowed audibly.
They met up with Joseph nearly three blocks away. He was cleaning his hands and face in a water fountain, the water running down the drain a familiar red color.
“You found something, then?” Tanish asked tersely.
“Yes,” Joseph said darkly, avoiding eye contact with Chad. He had the look of a man who was putting all his faculties toward self-restraint, leaving little else for talking.
“Shall we?” Tanish asked. Joseph only nodded.
Tanish resumed his grip around Michael’s arm, ice cold fingers stinging him through his thin pink shirt. Joseph pulled Chad over to him in the same manner. Chad’s eyes grew wide and he looked down at
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