A smile covers his face. Not the one I’veseen several times before. This one is dark, evil, and terrifying. “Humans amuse me. Always trying not to offend someone, worried about how society will perceive them if they’re not bending over backward for their fellow man. Even when their life is in danger.”
“Is my life in danger?” I whisper.
“You went for a walk with a stranger, Violet. You should’ve listened to your friend. What was her name? Charlotte?” He waves his hand in dismissal. “It doesn’t matter.” His voice has changed from the iconic Southern gentleman to a mixture of accents, blended into one.
Staring into green eyes, reality hits me. He’s going to kill me.
“There it is,” he says with a sick smile. “I can see it in your eyes. The realization of where you went wrong and that this could’ve easily been avoided, had you not been so worried about offending me. This is always my favorite moment. You’re thinking of everything you did wrong and how stupid you were.” I stare at my murderer, refusing to acknowledge that he’s right.
“You bastard,” I whisper. “They’ll never stop looking for me.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such harsh words from such a beautiful little thing. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re found.” I watch as his face transforms from the handsome stranger who followed us to Café du Monde to the face of the monster who’s about to take my life. Sharp teeth form out of nowhere, and long nails cover theexposed hand. “Goodbye, Violet. Thank you for the kiss. You’re mine now.” He grabs me with unmatched strength, pulling me close. Something sharp pierces my neck, filling my world with unimaginable pain.
What’s happening? Am I dying? Is he biting me? My mind plays through all the possible scenarios, landing on the only one that makes sense. My world begins to shrink. The water, the trees, the city…all of it fades as my life is being stolen. One word echoes through my mind as darkness overtakes the light. One that seems ludicrous and impossible, yet, is the only one that makes any sense. Vampire. Harrison Chamberlin is a vampire.
THREE
vampire
“Violet?”a voice calls from somewhere I can’t find. “Violet!” it repeats.
“Yes, ma’am?”I answer. Did my words work?“Here!”I try again. Nothing happens. Why is Mother trying to wake me? Was that Mother? The voice sounds different from what I remember.
“Violet!” a lower voice calls.
“Daddy?”What’s going on? I try to force my eyes open without luck.
“She’s not here,” the lower voice answers. “I told you already, there’s nothing here.”
“This is the direction her friends said they walked,” the higher-pitched voice answers.
“Why are we wasting time looking?” the lower voice continues. “She and that boy are young. We both know what happened. She went back to his house, and one thing led to another. She’ll show backup after the embarrassment wears off. They always do.”
“Officer Smith, that’s not appropriate. We don’t know anything other than a young woman is missing, and her family and friends are worried about her.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not here. I’ve searched here. Other people have searched here. If she were in the forest, someone would’ve found her by now.”
Missing? Are they talking about me? “I’m here.”
“You’re sure you searched the entire area?” not Officer Smith asks.
“Positive. There’s nothing here.”
“Maybe he took her somewhere else.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Smith answers. “She’s probably hiding out at his house. I say let the kids do what kids do.”
“Smith, stop. You know they’re not together. We both saw how distraught Mr. Chamberlin was when asked about her. He was as worried about her being missing as her family. I’m a great judge of character, and I have no doubt that man was telling the truth. Let’s go back to the café,” the higher voice answers with a sigh.
The café? What happened?My mind flashes back to Harrison, meeting him at Café du Monde and walking by the river. Did he hurt me? I put all my energy into opening my eyes…nothing happens. I focus on my body, trying to feel something—anything. I’m met with hollowness. My body simply feels empty.
The singsong whistle of a paddleboat grabs my attention. Why am I near the river? At that moment, memories flood my mind. Memories of my first kiss. Memories of Harrison’s transformation and, worst of all, memories of the pain. The unbearable pain. Oh, my God. Harrison is a vampire.
Warm tears slide down my cheeks as the reality of what happened, of what I allowed to happen, floods me.“Help!”I call, realizing my mouth never opened.“Please, someone help me!”
I don’t know how much time passes before another whistle jars me to reality. Harrison Chamberlin left me for dead. Am I dead? Is this what being dead feels like? The clarity I had moments earlier disappears, and I lose any sense of where or who I am or the path that led me here.
A bird chirps not far away. Soon, it’s joined by a second, and the two of them carry on a conversation that pierces the deafening silence.
