Jacqueline had long since left for cheerleading practice by the time Anna finally dragged herself out of the hallway. She wasn’t sure how long she’d sat there – maybe five minutes, maybe an hour. She just hadn’t wanted to move. All Anna wanted to do was melt into the floor. Only one thing got her up and moving – the realization that she did not want to be sitting in that same place looking helpless and scared when cheerleading practice was over. She could only imagine what would happen if Jacqueline came back and found her still sitting there over an hour later.
Anna slung her backpack over her shoulder quickly as she hurried towards the front of the school. Her heart beating fast, Anna fought down a growing sense of panic. By the time she got to the big double doors at the front of the school, Anna could only think of the terrible things that were sure to happen when she inevitably met up with Jacqueline again.
Anna walked at lightening-speed down the street and quickly turned at the first corner she came to. There – at least now she wasn’t in direct line of sight from the school. Feeling much more secure now that she was away from that small, suffocating hallway, Anna took a deep breath and began slowly to relax. She still wasn’t calm by any means, but her heart began to slow, and her hands did eventually stop shaking. Now, she needed to think.
Anna walked down the street, hoping for inspiration. She didn’t want to go home just yet, but she didn’t know where else she should go. So instead, she walked around the city, her backpack still slung over her shoulder, lost in thought. She walked for what must have been two miles without even paying attention to where she was going. Shifting her backpack to the other shoulder, Anna looked around, trying to figure out where she was.
She noticed the crowded sidewalks and the streetlights beginning to come on; she’d managed to walk all the way to the middle of downtown! Out of the corner of her eye, a flashing neon sign, still dull against the brightness of the sun, gave Anna her first real idea.
Anna continued her walk down the street, but now she had a mission; she was searching for a payphone. After fifteen minutes of patrolling the streets, she still hadn’t found one. How could that be? She remembered when there were payphones on nearly every corner. Had it really been that long ago?
Finally, she found a dilapidated gas station with two graffiti-covered payphones nestled on the side of the building. By now, it was starting to get dark, and the lengthening shadows only added to the gloominess of the area. She walked towards the phone and unfolded a small scrap of paper she’d taken out of the front pocket of her backpack. Carefully, she dialed the number.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOkkeLGv8h
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwuhiom9WH
“So why is it that you want to help me?” Anna asked, surprised in spite of herself.
It was dark outside, and Anna was seated with Mia at the brand-new kitchen table in her apartment. It was the first time Mia had ever been over, and Anna was really glad she was able to come.
While wandering absentmindedly around downtown, Anna had run across the sign outside of a building where she’d attacked a young woman some months ago. Anna remembered that night, and the ribbon she’d found just a short time later. Thinking of Mia had reminded Anna that she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought – one of her best friends was a vampire, after all. If anyone would know what to do, it would be Mia.
Anna had called Mia for two reasons – first, she knew she’d need help. And second, it was important to Anna that Mia agree with whatever she ended up doing. Anna already had two vampires who were out to get her – she didn’t want a third.
“Well, you said so yourself.” Mia told her, “Jackie wants to blame you for all the attacks in town. You’re my friend – I can’t let that happen.”
Anna was incredibly relieved to hear that. She let out a breath she only barely realized she’d been holding.
“I’m really glad you feel that way.” she told Mia honestly. Mia nodded.
“So how are we going to get rid of these two?” she asked, a wicked grin playing on her lips.
“I’m not sure,” Anna confessed, splaying her hands out on the table in front of her. It was something she’d been going over in her own mind, but so far she hadn’t been able to come up with a plan she could actually execute – which was exactly why she’d called Mia.
“Are we going to kill them?” Mia asked abruptly.
“I don’t know if I can.” Anna said quietly.
“Even after they threatened you?” Mia was surprised. Anna could tell from her reaction that Mia would never let someone threaten her that way. Anna wished she had that kind of resolve herself.
“I don’t know if I can purposely set out to kill someone.” Anna said, glancing down at the table.
“Have you ever killed someone before?”
“…Not on purpose.” Anna said after a long pause.
For the first several months after becoming a vampire, Anna had put off going hunting until the last possible moment. It made her feel better inside to know she didn’t have to go out more than once a week – that for six days, at least, she was normal. The downside was that when she did go out, she was desperate.
One of the first people Anna had ever attacked, she’d met walking down the darkened cobblestone road of a town just east of her own. There had been no streetlights in the town then. If there had, he would surely have seen her, surely realized that something wasn’t right. But he hadn’t seen her. She’d jumped out from the deep shadows of a building and lunged at him. And being so new to vampirism, she didn’t know how much blood she could take before she caused damage to someone. Anna had long ago forgotten the man’s face, but she could still remember the feeling when she realized he was dead. There had been a few others that Anna just wasn’t sure about, but she liked to think they’d all survived. But after killing that man, she’d finally started going out more than once a week. Too bad it had taken his life for her to get to that point.
“Well…” Mia said slowly. “Maybe we could just scare them away.”
“I hope so.” Anna told her. She thought for a moment before shaking herself back to reality. Of course it would work – she just had to believe it. “No. I know we can.”
Mia smiled, though she didn’t look completely convinced. Instead, she decided to change the subject.
“How long has it been since you went out?” she asked.
“Out?” Anna asked, confused. She thought for a moment before adding, “I’ve had a lot of homework lately, so…”
The look on Mia’s face told Anna that wasn’t what she meant.
“No, I mean out.” Mia said meaningfully.
“Ah.” Anna said, finally understanding. Smiling, she told her, “It’s been a couple of days.”
“This is my third night.” Mia said. “Why don’t we go out tonight – together?”
Anna smiled at the thought. This was exactly what she needed, something she could easily do. It would be good for her – she’d be in her element. She’d never hunted with anyone else, and the thought was somewhat exciting. She wouldn’t have to wait for one person to be alone, and it would certainly make those hours of waiting much more interesting.
“Where do you have in mind?” she asked.
Mia thought for a moment. “I usually go someplace downtown.” she said. “I have to take a bus to get there. But since I usually go a lot later at night, it’s a good place because there are more people still out.”
“I haven’t been downtown in a while.” Anna replied, returning Mia’s mischievous grin.
ns 15.158.61.7da2
