Stepping up onto the ladder, I about screamed as it swayed. This wasn't as stable as the one leading up to Elvira's bedroom by a long shot. And that one was already terrifying!717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmwBJNqZ7rk
'You've got to do this, Samantha. For mom.' I took another deep breath to try and calm my pounding heart and nerves and started slowly making my way up the ladder, trying to ignore the instability and thoughts about what would happen if I were to fall.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0nU2BLbsF
"Stupid high ceilings. Everyone else just uses stairs to get to their basement. But not Elvira. Oh, no. She's got to be fancy and have window doors on the ceilings accessible only by deadly fucking ladders."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu6iA1Qzrar
I continued my trek up the ladder, trying my best to not glance down, only staring up at the window above me. I knew if I stopped even for a second or noticed how I was I'd freeze up in terror.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegtwC6nL1K
I reached top, finally, entirely out of breath and ready to give up then and there. Instead, though, I made myself reach up and undo the latch holding the window shut and pushed it open, breathing in the cool morning air from outside as it washed over my face. I gripped the edges of the window and pulled myself up into the grass of Elvira's ridiculously large grounds, looking around to try and locate the house.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2COn6yeomW
Now that I was out came one of the hardest parts— transportation to Davis. I was willing to walk if need be, but I'd really rather not have had to do that. So, I was just hoping that Elvira had a garage or something where I could find a car I could use for the ride to the train station. And, as it turned out, she did. I thanked my lucky stars that everything was turning out so wonderfully as I jogged over to the garage. Though, I supposed, it wasn't really all that lucky. She was crazy rich, of course she'd have a garage. If I was that rich I'd spend at least half my money on cool vehicles.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQxCgSQD38
The garage was, to my surprise, not nearly as elaborate as I'd been expecting. It simply contained Elvira's GTO, a motorcycle, and a more modern sedan. Off to the side was a cork board that had the keys to the vehicles hanging from nails.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PInwHliIR
"Sweet," I said, grabbing the keys that belonged to the sedan. I jumped in the car and flipped it into neutral, knowing if I started the engine this close to the house, Elvira and her heightened vampire senses would certainly be able to hear it. So, I got behind the car and started push.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu8hTTlz0V
It wasn't too bad as most of the trail was downhill and I was quite used to pushing cars being that mine broke down an awful lot. Once I determined I was far enough away, I put the keys in the ignition and started it.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxn5qAZobDR
I felt nervous trying to be sneaky like this in the light of day, but I knew there was no reason to be. Vampires didn't see well in the light. Their eyesight was so sensitive the light of the sun was painful and everything looked washed out. It was as difficult for them to adjust and see in the day as it was for us to see at night. Still, it was nerve-wracking.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkuS1WVaJyE
I was on edge the entire drive to Davis. Every little thing that I saw out of the corner of my eye made me jump. I was a mess. But, finally, after fifteen minutes of driving like that, I arrived in the small town and made my way to the train station.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoKkJcURHb
In the day the stations were manned by humans allowing them to stay open 24/7, something I'd never been as thankful for as I was right now.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmDE3oE34r
"Uh, hi, I need a ticket to Arlington please? At the soonest time available."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XmubMbckg
"Yes, ma'am," the girl behind the counter told me with a smile. She looked to be a high school student probably near the end of her shift. She hit a few buttons on the computer and looked back up at me. "Our next train to Arlington leaves in thirty minutes, is that alright?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2s3bK2YQMs
I sighed, but nodded and handed over the money anyways. I didn't want to wait thirty minutes.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU92V668t8Y
Pulling out my phone, I called Rachele and waited impatiently for her to answer.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMx7W0bDXi
"Hello?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdDiZzJw37
"Hey, Rache."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskbdEssmgC
"Hey Sam. What's going on?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwVnurLBI0
"I'm at the train-station in Davis. I'll be arriving in the city in about an hour and a half. Do you think you could take mom to the station to meet me? And maybe get return tickets to Davis for mom and I? I'll pay you back as soon as I get there, I just don't want to be hanging around for any longer than I have to be."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3NtvxLNge
"Sure, I can do that," Rachele answered, before yawning. I felt bad for asking so much of her, but it was the most efficient way to get mother here and that was my main priority.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp9EnjSkZC
"I owe you one, girl."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZJ5jalVlM
"Just one? By my count you owe me more than can be counted."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDNrDMxFaF
I laughed. "Yeah, well, whatever. You're probably right."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWRSAnBQnNy
:: ::717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzpKox2kxq
:: ::717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7qznKGoKf
I hated everything about trains. The way they smelled, having to wait for one to arrive before you could go anywhere, being forced to sit next to people you didn't know... they were awful. But, they moved fast and I didn't have to know any directions to use one.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo2l6cbRpjs
The entire hour of sitting on the train waiting to arrive back home was one of the most awful experiences I've ever had.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yaPfK1sJE
My anxiety, which was already through the roof skyrocketed once I was on the train. I couldn't pace like I wanted to and soon mother would be here with me and I'd have to hide my nerves. My stomach was in knots so tight I actually had to excuse myself to the restroom at the back of the train a few times to throw up. It sucked ass.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAInOOcNsh
But, finally, after an hour of that hell we rolled into the station in the human sector of Arlington. I rushed off as quickly as I could and saw Rachele sitting on a bench with mom. Mother appeared to be exhausted. Her gray head rested on Rachele's shoulder and I could see her eyes struggling to stay open. Rachele looked just as exhausted, though. Her blonde ponytail was in disarray, with pieces sticking up in every direction. She had on no makeup, her clothes were filthy, and she had massive bags under her eyes. I couldn't help but feel awful for leaving her alone with all this responsibility and exhausting her this badly for as long as she did. Any qualms I had about sneaking out vanished the second I saw the state she was. I didn't care about Elvira's rules— my friend and my mother were far more important than myself and if helping them ended up getting me kicked out I didn't particularly care anymore.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvA550idKD
"Hi," I greeted with a wave as I approached them.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd06ork8Kik
"Sammy," Rachele said, grinning in pure relief. Her eyes went wide as she looked at me. "You look... fantastic. I love your jeans. I don't think I've seen you wear those before."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoyD9oYIx3
"Yeah, they're new," I told her, feeling incredibly awkward in my nice, new clothes.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphEpRaConC
"Well, they look good." Rachele smiled at me.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYMh5rdzVi
"Um, so, I guess I'll just take mom and get going." I shook her shoulder, rousing her from the half-sleep she'd been in. "Come on, mom, it's Sammy. It's time go."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sQv5QNBZl
"Wanna sleep," Mom whined, closing her eyes tight.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7PZLth3YF
"You can sleep on the train. Come on now." I grabbed the train tickets from Rache and pulled out my wallet to get the money to pay her back with.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqXAPH60j5
"No, no, it's fine, Sammy," Rachele said, shaking her head. "You don't need to pay me back. You need the money more than I do."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡithuQTdeg6
"Thanks." I put away my wallet and grinned at Rachele. "Well, uh, this is good-bye I guess."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyPfIV1s73
Rachele reached forward and hugged me tightly, knocking the wind out of me. Once I realized what was happening, I reached around and hugged her back, before leaning back away from the hug when I heard the conductor calling out to board.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjB5uEj7HM
"See you when you get back," Rache said.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJaqBeIZ8Ym
"Yeah. When I get back."
:: ::717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj7ZNVey2g
:: ::
Mom slept the entire way back to Elvira's, only waking up long enough to get off the train and walk to the car.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGd3SrRDQi
Once we were arrived back at Elvira's, I idled the car on the path leading up to Elvira's and woke mom up.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVibl3RoyD
"We there Sammy?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1S2lvhsBl5
"Kind of mom," I told her. "It's a little bit complicated what's happening, so I need you to pay attention, okay?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30c716Mb81
"Okay."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqmhsy0cf8
"We have to be sneaky. We're staying with a woman named Elvira. Well, actually she's a vampire. She runs a safe haven for humans that are in danger and can't get help from the law."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKq8reirkXe
"Why do we have to be sneaky then?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSH3oBc7lo
"I wasn't supposed to bring you here. She has to approve everyone that comes in and out, but I wasn't about to wait leave you with Rachele any longer than I absolutely had to. So, I broke some rules by leaving and now we have to sneak our way back in."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoJNS97qwO
Mom's brow furrowed and she looked troubled. "I don't want to break any rules...."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKZk0XRTWI
"Shh, it's okay. Trust me, alright?"717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp3slzZvZCC
Mom nodded and I smiled at her.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO1Im0QuTe
"Okay, so, I need to push the car the rest of the way in so she doesn't hear. You steer."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOsdkYUY2c
I got out of the car and Mom slid over to the driver's seat. We'd done this many times in my car and it was a whole lot easier to push a car when I had someone to steer for me. Once I was in position mom threw the thing into neutral and I got to pushing.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0x9FdiQi9
It was way more difficult this time, going uphill, and by the time I got it back into the garage I was covered in sweat and felt ready to collapse. I plopped myself down on the ground and rested my head on my knees the second I could and breathed heavily for a moment, not feeling like I could move at all anymore.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbjw6mcLVP
"Okay," I whispered, once I'd caught my breath. "Let's, uh, get a move on I guess. Remember, we have to stay quiet." I held a finger up to my lips and stood back up.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXf2M1941o
I walked around the back of Elvira's massive mansion, looking for a window on the ground floor that was far from Elvira's room. Once I found one that looked good, I approached it, praying it was unlocked and started trying to lift it from the outside. And, to my immense joy, it did.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5E9GlTUUr
"Oh thank god," I said under my breath, lifting the window all the way up and pulling myself inside the house. "Come on, mom. I'll help you in."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhRuLFS6bq
I reached out of the window and grabbed mom's wrists, helping take some of her weight and get herself in. After a few moments, we were in.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnUMh51Kjb
"The doors this way, in the basement," I said as quietly as I could, taking mom's hand in mine and making my way to the stairs that led to the basement as silently as possible. My nerves were on fire as I realized we were at the riskiest part of the whole operation. One misstep here and we'd be caught. But, thankfully, things went smoothly all the way down into the basement. I moved aside the rug covering the trap door and went to open it when I remembered where Elvira kept the key... around her neck.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1C6pOJT03b
Fuck.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0URUDnISHW
I ran my hands through my hair and felt ready to vomit again from nerves. Tears pricked my eyes as panic started to set in and I barely kept myself from hyperventilating.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WyDATlCL0
'Get it together, Samantha!' I scolded myself. 'You know what you have to do, so stop crying about it and just do it.'717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37ty5KG32J
I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked at mother. "Stay here. I'll be right back."717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfNnsluekz
Removing my shoes so as to be more quiet as I got dangerously close Elvira's room, I left the basement and made the short trek to Elvira's room. I had no idea if she could hear my tiptoeing or my pounding heart, but with every creak the house made I struggled to keep myself together. I kept expecting it to be her, catching me doing one of the only things I'd been explicitly told not to do.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K2PEPByJ1
Elvira's door was open when I approached it and I saw her sleeping soundly on her back. I pushed the door open a bit more, enough to step inside and saw what I was looking for. The necklace with the key hanging around Elvira's neck just as I thought it would be. She was covered by a thin sheet from her bust down to her feet, revealing her bare shoulders and sternum. I shook the inappropriate thoughts of what else was bare under the sheet away from my mind and approached the bed.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ol36rwpF1
The key was attached to the necklace with a hook. 'Here goes nothing.' I reached out, my hand shaking like a leaf, and went to undo the hook.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfva35Tb35F
Elvira's eyes snapped open quick as lightening and just as quickly, her hand snapped up and grabbed onto my wrist with a tight, painful grasp. She pulled me forward, angry red eyes glaring at me, as she bared her teeth.717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PFjJhyVeZ
'Well, fuck.'717Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHM9Bzismv
