alive, understand?” I said, pointing my finger at Milton.
“ You’re rather ungrateful,” Milton quickly responded.
Ted looked at Milton. “He really digs this girl...come on, you’re a vampire, you know how hard love can be.”
Jenny threw in her two cents as she sat down on the rocks. “Jack, if Holly and you don’t work out, I’m available.”
“ It’s okay, thanks for the offer, Jenny,” I said dismissively.
“ Holly doesn’t even know you’re a vampire,” Milton said, with a chortle. “Good luck getting her to cooperate, I pity you.”
Milton turned around and used his flashlight to illuminate the last few remaining yards before we entered the underground compound. We entered the rocky and perfectly hollowed tunnel. Hanging gas lamps lighted against the white bedrock. We reached a large iron door with a small window that was used to screen visitors. Milton twice tapped on the door with the bottom of his flashlight. The small metal screen in the window instantly revealed a pair of baggy Asian eyes. “ Shuí qiāo mén? ” a scruffy male voice asked behind the door.
“ Mi er dun, ” replied Milton. “I bring Jack King, American vampire.”
The iron door slowly squeaked open, revealing an older man, small in stature, with a long wispy beard. He wore an outfit that many around rural China wore, or what you would see in old Communist propaganda posters which showed the proletariat holding pitchforks and fists raised into the air in solidarity. He was wearing an old newsboy hat, a clean wool vanilla-colored jacket with a baggy white cotton shirt underneath, and a pair of old baggy farmer’s pants. As we walked in, he smiled at us, revealing his surprisingly clean set of fangs.
“This is Lo,” said Milton. “He’s older than the Qing Dynasty, they say, but he has a penchant for goat’s blood, not the most nutritious.” Milton covered the left side of his mouth with his hand and whispered into my ear, “I think he’s lying about his age, just humor him...he keeps a watchful eye.”
We all walked past Lo, giving him smiles of appreciation for keeping the compound safe.
The underground cave where the Jiang-Shi lived was rather elaborate. There were three tunnels you could choose to walk through, as soon as you entered the main door.
Milton stopped us from continuing further and pointed to the left tunnel: “This way are sleeping quarters. There are two rooms with around 10 beds each. One room for females, and one for males. So far, Jenny is the only one to make use of the female room. Female vampires are hard to come by down here.”
“Is that where Holly is?” I asked.
“ No,” said Milton, pointing toward the right tunnel. “She is through this tunnel, there is a room at the end...we locked the door from the outside.”
“ Can I see her?” I asked.
“ Sure.”
Ted, who looked like he hadn’t showered in days, asked Milton, “What’s through the middle tunnel?” He took a whiff of his armpit and scrunched his nose, “‘Cause' I am in desperate need of a bath.”
“Middle tunnel is where my room is and also a great hall where we gather, train and occasionally dine,” Milton said. He gave Ted's shoulder a friendly pat and grinned. “If you need to freshen up, the river does the trick.”
I had lots of questions for Milton, Ted, and Jenny, but I had an incessant and gnawing need to see Holly and check to see how she was doing. I don’t know how Milton did it, but he had somehow managed to save Holly and Ted. For that, he had earned my trust and cooperation.
“Milton, I have an ass-load of questions about the dreams and the escape, but I need to see Holly, now,” I said. I was restless, bouncing up and down with my feet planted, as I anticipated a reunion with Holly.
Milton threw me the key that was used for Holly’s room. I managed to catch it as it bounced off my chest. “Go talk to her, but she thinks she’s been kidnapped. Most likely, she’ll think
“ You’re rather ungrateful,” Milton quickly responded.
Ted looked at Milton. “He really digs this girl...come on, you’re a vampire, you know how hard love can be.”
Jenny threw in her two cents as she sat down on the rocks. “Jack, if Holly and you don’t work out, I’m available.”
“ It’s okay, thanks for the offer, Jenny,” I said dismissively.
“ Holly doesn’t even know you’re a vampire,” Milton said, with a chortle. “Good luck getting her to cooperate, I pity you.”
Milton turned around and used his flashlight to illuminate the last few remaining yards before we entered the underground compound. We entered the rocky and perfectly hollowed tunnel. Hanging gas lamps lighted against the white bedrock. We reached a large iron door with a small window that was used to screen visitors. Milton twice tapped on the door with the bottom of his flashlight. The small metal screen in the window instantly revealed a pair of baggy Asian eyes. “ Shuí qiāo mén? ” a scruffy male voice asked behind the door.
“ Mi er dun, ” replied Milton. “I bring Jack King, American vampire.”
The iron door slowly squeaked open, revealing an older man, small in stature, with a long wispy beard. He wore an outfit that many around rural China wore, or what you would see in old Communist propaganda posters which showed the proletariat holding pitchforks and fists raised into the air in solidarity. He was wearing an old newsboy hat, a clean wool vanilla-colored jacket with a baggy white cotton shirt underneath, and a pair of old baggy farmer’s pants. As we walked in, he smiled at us, revealing his surprisingly clean set of fangs.
“This is Lo,” said Milton. “He’s older than the Qing Dynasty, they say, but he has a penchant for goat’s blood, not the most nutritious.” Milton covered the left side of his mouth with his hand and whispered into my ear, “I think he’s lying about his age, just humor him...he keeps a watchful eye.”
We all walked past Lo, giving him smiles of appreciation for keeping the compound safe.
The underground cave where the Jiang-Shi lived was rather elaborate. There were three tunnels you could choose to walk through, as soon as you entered the main door.
Milton stopped us from continuing further and pointed to the left tunnel: “This way are sleeping quarters. There are two rooms with around 10 beds each. One room for females, and one for males. So far, Jenny is the only one to make use of the female room. Female vampires are hard to come by down here.”
“Is that where Holly is?” I asked.
“ No,” said Milton, pointing toward the right tunnel. “She is through this tunnel, there is a room at the end...we locked the door from the outside.”
“ Can I see her?” I asked.
“ Sure.”
Ted, who looked like he hadn’t showered in days, asked Milton, “What’s through the middle tunnel?” He took a whiff of his armpit and scrunched his nose, “‘Cause' I am in desperate need of a bath.”
“Middle tunnel is where my room is and also a great hall where we gather, train and occasionally dine,” Milton said. He gave Ted's shoulder a friendly pat and grinned. “If you need to freshen up, the river does the trick.”
I had lots of questions for Milton, Ted, and Jenny, but I had an incessant and gnawing need to see Holly and check to see how she was doing. I don’t know how Milton did it, but he had somehow managed to save Holly and Ted. For that, he had earned my trust and cooperation.
“Milton, I have an ass-load of questions about the dreams and the escape, but I need to see Holly, now,” I said. I was restless, bouncing up and down with my feet planted, as I anticipated a reunion with Holly.
Milton threw me the key that was used for Holly’s room. I managed to catch it as it bounced off my chest. “Go talk to her, but she thinks she’s been kidnapped. Most likely, she’ll think
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