Read Online The Guest & the Change by M. D. Bowden - Free Book Online Page B

drinks.   He raised his glass ‘Cheers’.
    ‘To what may I ask?’ said Sarah.
    ‘To us, to staying strong, to sorting out this mess.’
    Sarah clinked his glass and tucked in.   Her sandwich was simple but tasty, she hadn’t realized how hungry she was.   Images from earlier in the woods flicked back to her mind, but she pushed them away.   If she let them in she would lose it all over again.   No.   That couldn’t happen.   If she let them in she wouldn’t be able to plan.   She wouldn’t be able to sort out the mess at all.   And she had to do something, otherwise she was in danger - it was likely her whole family was in danger.   And the town?
    ‘What was it you said the night we met?   Something about writing a book about vampires invading our town?   Was that true, are you writing a book? Or were you testing me?’
    ‘I admit it, I’m not writing a book.   It’s partly my cover story, and partly I wanted to see how you would react - to the idea of the supernatural.’
    ‘But when you said about invading our town, did you say it because you think this town is being invaded?   And who is it that you’re following?’
    ‘I’m following Sebastian.   I think he must have turned Jo.   And killed, or turned, other people in this town who have been reported missing.   Sebastian likes creating havoc.   He is old, he’s wild, he finds fun in hurting people.   He turned me.’
    Daniel looked sad so Sarah interrupted ‘He hurt you too?’
    ‘Well yes, but it’s complicated.   It was a long time ago.   I never turned wild like him.   He took things from me - my family, tormenting me, trying to make me act like him.   It didn’t work though, he made me insanely angry, but at him, not at the world.   I didn’t want to take it out on victims as he’d hoped.   I wanted to destroy him.   I do want to destroy him.’
    ‘Why haven’t you?’
    ‘He is substantially older than me, he has taken more victims, more blood, more lives.   He is stronger than me.’
    Sarah stood up and paced, ‘Then what can we do?’
    ‘We must kill him, we must think of a plan, before he destroys us.   He will want you too, to spite me.’
    Daniel got up and walked towards Sarah, she felt her heart pound as he took her hand.  
    ‘Sarah, I want you now.   I want you to be with me.’
    Sarah felt confused, she pulled away.
    ‘But, I don’t want to be like you.   I don’t want you to turn me.’
    ‘I won’t.’ He stepped forward and brushed her hair away from her face, his cool fingers making her tingle.  
    ‘I’m so confused Daniel, I feel crazed by my feelings for you.   I want you, but this is all so crazy.   I’ve only just lost Jo.’
    ‘I know, I’m pushing things, but I’m crazy for you.   You are so beautiful.   And your smell, he pulled her close and breathed her in again, you smell different, amazing.   And when I look into your eyes, I see you, I feel this draw I can’t explain.’
    ‘I feel it too.’   Sarah let him kiss her, and she kissed him back fiercely.   She made herself pull away, ‘I have children Daniel.   If Sebastian leaves this town, what then, you will follow him?   You will just leave?   I can’t follow you, I love Megan and Bea, I need to look after them.’
    ‘That’s why we have to end this, to destroy him.   Then I will never have to leave.’
    ‘And Jo, we destroy him to?   We kill him?’
    ‘If we don’t he will kill.   He probably has already.’
    ‘What if he’s like you?   What if he feels things more intensely and can reject that life?’
    ‘From seeing him earlier, I think that’s unlikely.   He wanted to kill you Sarah.’
    ‘But if we kill him, it’s so final.   I can’t accept this is happening.’
    Sarah pulled back and sat back down at the table.   Picking up her glass she glugged at her wine, numbing her reality.
    ‘I don’t want to kill him.   I don’t want him to be dead.   Can’t we leave, get my kids and run