The Taste of Night

by R. L. Stine

Ross turned to the movie theater. “What’s playing? A vampire movie?”

  Livvy’s stomach growled. She ignored Ross and his jokes. I’ve never fed in a movie theater, she thought. It’s dark enough—and the sound is loud enough to muffle the scream.

  Livvy’s victims only screamed once. They always screamed at the first bite, then gave in to the pleasure.

  “Oh, no. Oh, wow.” A moan escaped Ross’s throat.

  Livvy turned from the faces in the movie line. “What’s wrong?”

  He leaned forward, peering around the tree trunk. “My family is there. See them? Mom and Dad and Emily.”

  Livvy saw Ross’s sister first, then his parents. “Don’t worry. They can’t see us.”

  “I…I want to see them,” Ross said. “Livvy, I’d just like to talk to them for a little while. You know. See how Emily is doing and everything. They think I ran away with you. I want to tell them I’m okay.”

  “Ross, you can’t,” Livvy said. “You know you can’t do that. You’ll only upset them. You’ll mess them up even worse.”

  “But—I just want to say hi,” Ross said. “I guess I’m homesick.”

  “It won’t work. Trust me.” Livvy stared hard at him. She could see how excited and upset he was.

  “Maybe I feel homesick too. But listen to me. I made a vow,” Livvy told him. “I vowed I’d never go back home. You need to make the same vow. It’s not our world anymore. We’ve chosen a different world. You know. A more exciting life. I…I’m not going to torture myself by trying to drop in on Destiny and Dad and…and…”

  She couldn’t say Mikey’s name. Thinking about Mikey always made her cry.

  “I guess you’re right,” Ross said. “But look. My family—they’re going inside the theater. I could just walk over, say hi, and leave.”

  “No. Go away, Ross. Fly away—now. You know I’m right.”

  Sighing, he watched until his family disappeared inside. Then he kissed Livvy on the cheek. “Later.”

  He changed quickly. Raised his wings and fluttered off the ground. She watched him hover over the sidewalk. Then she changed into a blackbird too, turned and flew away.

  I don’t want to hear about how homesick Ross is, she thought. A shudder ran down her body. The air suddenly felt cold. The moonlight sent down no warmth.

  I shouldn’t have brought Ross to this new life. I care about him. I still do. Maybe not like before. But I care about him.

  But he’s too sentimental. He’s too soft.

  I thought he was strong, but he isn’t. He always seemed so confident. I can still see him with that strutting walk of his, moving down the halls at school, flashing that great smile. I used to wait for him to come by. I had such a major crush on him.

  But now…he’s weak. His attitude is wrong. He’s not thinking right.

  He’ll get himself killed. I know he will.

  Hunger gnawed at her, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced down and saw flashing lights on a big, square building.

  Where am I?

  Sliding on a wind current, she let herself down and recognized the dance club: Rip.

  Oh, yes. Lots of fresh talent here. Kids hanging out in the dimly lit parking lot. Lined up at the entrance. Lots of dark corners, and the woods close behind the parking lot.

  Lots of older guys getting trashed at the bar and looking to hook up.

  How perfect is that for a hungry vampire?

  And there below her she saw Suzie and Monica at the entrance, chatting with two guys, about to go in.

  Excellent.

  Livvy dropped to the gravel path at the side of the building. She could hear the throbbing beats from inside, hear laughing voices, the roar of a crowd.

  Yes, yes, yes. I’m so hungry.

  I’m sure some lucky guy will be happy to come to the woods with me.

  She transformed into her human body, brushed a few feathers off the front of her jeans, tugged down the top of her top to look sexier—and hurried to meet her friends.

  part three

  EARLIER THAT DAY

  chapter seven

  THE EVIL AT HOME

  “AS YOU LEAVE THIS HIGH SCHOOL WHERE YOU HAVE spent four wonderful years of growth and learning…As you go forth into the world—no longer students—you must realize that the world belongs to you now. Your generation will decide where we all go next. You will be the ones to shape the future. You will be the ones…”

  Destiny tuned out as the graduation speaker droned on. She wiped her sweaty hands in the folds of her blue robe.

  “It’s so hot in here,” she whispered to the girl next to her. “When can we take these things off?”

  The flat blue cap, tilted over her head, felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds. Destiny knew it was going to leave a permanent dent in her hair. Sweat streamed down her forehead. Would the cap leave a blue stain on her skin?

  She glanced at the rows of robed kids on the stage. As they all gathered in the auditorium this morning, her friends had been bursting with excitement about graduation. Ana-Li May was practically flying, swirling around in circles, making her graduation robe whirl around her.

  Fletch Green, Ross’s best friend, gave Destiny such a big hug, he accidentally knocked her cap off her head. “Do you believe I graduated in only four years?” he exclaimed. “My parents predicted six!”

  Ari Stark seemed excited too. He greeted her with a kiss. “Freedom!” he shouted. “A few more hours, and we’re outta here! Freedom! Freedom!” He started a chant, and a few other kids joined in.

  A sad smile crossed Destiny’s face. She knew why her friends were so happy and excited. They really were getting out of here, out of Dark Springs. They were going away to college. In a few months Ari would be at Princeton in New Jersey. And Ana-Li would be off at Yale being brilliant the way she always was.

  And I’ll be here, Destiny thought, unable to fight away her sadness. I was accepted at four schools, including Dartmouth, where I really wanted to go. But no. I’ll be here, living at home, going to the dinky Community College.

  But what choice did I have? How could I leave Mikey, my poor, troubled little brother? How could I leave Dad? They both need me so much now…now that Livvy…

  She wanted to be excited and happy. Graduating from high school was a major thing in your life. It was supposed to be a day you’d never forget.

  And it was kind of thrilling to march slowly down the auditorium aisle in time to “Pomp and Circumstance,” the music played at every graduation. And to hear your name called, and walk up to receive your diploma.

  Destiny smiled and waved the diploma at her dad. She could see him wave back to her from the fourth row.

  Kind of exciting.

  But then the kids in her class settled into their folding chairs, sweating under their robes, shifting the caps on their heads. And the balding, scratchy-voiced speaker in his tight-fitting gray suit—an assistant mayor, she thought—began to speak.

  “…The future isn’t only a promise, it’s a responsibility. How will you find your role in the future? By looking to the past. Because the past is where our future springs from…”

  Yawn.

  As he rambled on, his voice faded from Destiny’s ears. And she felt the sadness rise over her, like a powerful ocean wave.

  There should be an empty seat next to me, she thought. A chair for Livvy. Livvy would have been here with me this morning, and we would have been so happy.

  Destiny gazed down the rows of blue-robed kids. And there should be a chair for Ross. Destiny felt a flash of anger. Yes, I had a crush on Ross—and Livvy knew it. And she took him away…where no one will ever see him again. So selfish…so stupid and selfish…

  There should be a chair here for Ross. He should be graduating today. And there should be two more empty chairs, Destiny thought. Chairs for our friends, Courtney and Bree, both murdered by vampires.

  Four empty chairs. Four kids who will not graduate this morning.

  The sadness was ove
rwhelming. Destiny felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She turned her head away. She didn’t want her father to see.

  Poor Dad. He must be thinking the same things, she told herself. Somehow he’s managing to keep it together. I have to try hard to keep it together too. She glanced down at the red leather cover on her diploma and saw that it was stained by her tears.

  Loud cheers startled Destiny from her thoughts. All around her, kids leaped up and tossed their caps in the air. Blinking away her sadness, Destiny climbed to her feet and tossed her cap too.

  The ceremony had ended. I’m a high school graduate, she thought. I’ve spent twelve years with most of these kids. And now we’re all going to scatter and start new lives.

  New lives…

  She couldn’t stop thinking about Livvy. No way to shut her out of her mind, even for a few minutes.

  “Return your robes to the gym, people,” Mr. Farrow, the principal, boomed over the loudspeaker. “Don’t forget to return your robes to the gym.”

  All around her, kids were hugging, laughing, talking excitedly. Some jumped off the stage and ran up the auditorium aisles to meet their parents.

  She waved to Ari, hurried to return her robe, then found her dad outside in front of the school talking to some other parents.

  It was a warm June morning, the sun already high in a clear blue sky. Yellow lilies circling the flagpole waved gently in a warm breeze. Families filled the front lawn of the school, snapping photos, chatting, and laughing.

  Dr. Weller turned when he saw Destiny and wrapped her in a big hug. “Congratulations,” he said. She saw the tears in his eyes. She hugged him again.

  “We have to make this a happy day,” he said. “We really have to try, don’t we?”

  Destiny nodded. Her chin trembled. She fought off the urge to cry.

  “I have to get to my office,” Dr. Weller said. “But I’ll take you and Mikey out for dinner tonight—our own private celebration. Good?”

  “Good,” she replied. She saw Ari and Ana-Li come out of the building.

  “If Ari would like to come with us tonight…” her dad started. He had grown used to seeing Ari around the house at all hours. The two of them got along pretty well.

  “I think he’s going out with his family,” Destiny said.

  Dr. Weller nodded. “The three of us. We’ll have a nice dinner.” She walked him to his SUV. It took him four tries to start it up.

  “Dad, you’ve really got to get this car serviced,” Destiny said.

  He smiled at her. “It’s on my list.”

  “Dad, you know you don’t have a list.”

  “It’s on my list to make a list.” Tires squealing, he pulled away.

  Destiny felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and Ari kissed her. “Hey, we’re graduates. I’m totally psyched. Do you believe it? No more gym class. No more Coach Green telling me what a loser I am.”

  Ana-Li laughed. “Just because you have a diploma doesn’t mean you’re not a loser.”

  Ari pretended to be hurt. “What’s up with that? You’re dissing me on graduation day?”

  Ana-Li opened her diploma and held it up. “Check it out. They misspelled my name. Two n’s.”

  “That’s terrible,” Destiny said, studying the diploma. “How could they do that?”

  “It means you didn’t really graduate,” Ari told Ana-Li. “No one will believe that’s your diploma. Your whole life is going to be messed up now.”

  Ana-Li shook her tiny fist at Ari. “I’m going to mess you up!”

  Laughing, Ari raised both fists and began dancing from side to side. “You want a piece of me? Huh? You want a piece of me?”

  Ana-Li ignored him. She turned to Destiny. “How you doing?”

  “Tough morning,” Destiny replied. “You know.”

  Ari lowered his fists. His smile faded.

  “What are you two doing now?” Destiny asked. “Want to come back with me? We can sit around and reminisce or something.”

  “Is lunch included in this invitation?” Ari asked.

  Destiny nodded.

  “Count me in.”

  “Just let me say good-bye to my parents, and I’ll meet you at your house,” Ana-Li said. She trotted back toward the school.

  Ari slid an arm over Destiny’s shoulders, and they walked the few blocks to her house. Cars filled with their friends rolled by, horns honking, music blaring from open windows.

  “Did you hear about Fletch’s party last night?” Ari asked. “His parents were in L.A. So Fletch had two kegs. Everyone got trashed. And his brother’s garage band played all night.”

  Destiny sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to go. But I just didn’t feel like partying.”

  They stepped onto her front stoop. Destiny fumbled in her bag for her key. She found it, turned the key in the lock, pushed open the front door—and screamed.

  “OH, NO!”

  Ari grabbed her and they both stared in disbelief at the living room walls.

  Fanged creatures with curled horns on their heads…A winged, two-headed demon, both heads spewing black blood…A grinning devil…

  Ugly, black demons painted all over the walls.

  chapter eight

  “THE MONSTER DID IT”

  “OH, NO! OH, NO!” DESTINY HELD ONTO ARI AND pressed her head against his shoulder. Staring at the crude, childish paintings, she led the way into the house.

  “This is too weird,” Ari muttered.

  Destiny opened her mouth to speak. But a shrill cry interrupted her—and Mikey came leaping off the stairs onto Ari’s shoulders. He curled his hands around Ari’s throat and screamed, “I’m a MONSTER! I’ll kill you! I’ll KILL you!”

  Ari dropped to the floor under the eight-year-old boy’s weight. He sprawled on his back and pried Mikey’s fingers from around his neck. “Whoa. Easy, man. Mikey, you’re choking me.”

  “I’m not Mikey. I’m a monster!”

  Destiny reached down to help pull Mikey off.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Ana-Li burst into the room. She let out a cry when she saw the crude creatures smeared over walls. “Ohmigod.”

  Destiny pulled Mikey to his feet, then tugged him away from Ari. “Calm down. Don’t move. Just take a deep breath, okay?”

  Mikey tossed back his head and let out a hoarse, demonic laugh.

  Destiny kept a hand on his thick, coppery hair, holding him in place. Mikey was slender and light, small for eight, with arms and legs like sticks. He had dark, serious eyes that looked as if they belonged on an adult. His front teeth were crooked because he refused to wear his retainer.

  Groaning, Ari climbed to his feet. Ana-Li couldn’t take her eyes off the walls.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Destiny said, shaking her head.

  “I told you I didn’t do it. The monster did it,” Mikey insisted, finally back in his normal, high-pitched voice.

  Destiny and Ana-Li exchanged glances. Ana-Li knew the problems they’d been having with Mikey. The poor kid had been acting out, severely troubled by the loss of his sister.

  He had nightmares that made him scream. He was afraid to stand near an open window. He’d been getting into fights at school. Sometimes he was afraid of the dark. But he kept his room dark as a cave and spent hour after hour in there with the door locked.

  Destiny never knew what to expect. Sometimes Mikey acted like a terrified victim, trembling, crying. And other times, he acted like a monster, striking out, screaming in a rage.

  She felt so bad for the little guy…and so totally helpless.

  Ari stepped up to the wall and examined the paintings. “I think the monster is in trouble big-time,” he said to Mikey. “How do you think the monster should be punished?”

  “His head should be cut off with a machete,” Mikey answered. “And then they should turn him upside down and let all his blood drain out on the floor.”

  Ari turned to Destiny. “Big trouble,” he whispered.

  “Wasn�
�t anyone here watching Mikey?” Ana-Li asked.

  Destiny sighed. She turned to Mikey. “Where is Mrs. Miller? She was supposed to watch you.”

  “She had to go home to check something,” Mikey said. “She didn’t come back. I guess she got busy.”

  “Mikey’s the one who got busy,” Ari said, gesturing to the wall.

  Mikey let out a roar. His eyes grew wide. “The monster is coming back,” he whispered.

  “We should get him out in the sunshine for a while,” Ana-Li whispered to Destiny. “You know. Take his mind off this stuff.”

  Destiny nodded. “Hey, how about a soccer game?” she asked Mikey. “You and me against Ari and Ana-Li.”

  Mikey reluctantly agreed. Destiny grabbed a soccer ball in the garage and led the way to the backyard, and the four of them started a game.

  The Wellers’ backyard was deep and wide, covered by a carpet of low grass and interrupted by only a few sycamore and birch trees. Almost perfect for soccer.

  The wind had picked up, but the sun blazed high in the sky, making the air warm as summer. Destiny passed the ball to Mikey, and they drove down the field toward Ana-Li and Ari. Mikey brought the ball close to the two slender saplings that formed the goal. Ari made an attempt to block his shot. But Mikey sent the ball flying through the trees. Goal!

  It was obvious to Destiny that her two friends were letting Mikey be a star. But Mikey didn’t notice. He jumped up and down cheering for himself.

  This was a good idea, Destiny thought. His mood has changed completely. A little sunshine and some physical exercise, and he’s acting like a normal kid again.

  The game went well for another ten minutes. Destiny loved the intense expression on her brother’s face as he moved the ball forward, dodged Ana-Li and Ari and their feeble attempts to block him, and kicked two more goals.

  Destiny began to feel hungry. Maybe it was time to stop the game and make lunch. She looked up in time to see Ari give the ball a hard kick that sent it flying toward the trees at the edge of the yard.

  Mikey and Ari both took off after the ball. It hit the trunk of an old sycamore tree hard and bounced off. Mikey slid under the tree, chasing the ball.