by D. S. Ritter
“But, like, vampires?”
“Good night, Matt.”
***
When Sam got home, she took a shower to wash away the blood and dirt, and found the wound on her back wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Wrapping it up as best she could, she set an alarm for a few hours to make sure she wouldn’t bleed out or something and got into bed. Despite her exhaustion, sleep didn’t come easily. They’d stopped Roscoe‘s operation, but there were still vampires out there. That idea left her uneasy. She was no longer under the misapprehension that humans were the top of the food chain. It was hard to accept that the world was full of monsters.
Sleep eventually came, but it was fitful and full of nightmares.
***
When Sam woke up, she had an urge to go find Smith. At nine o’clock in the morning the light outside was gray and overcast. A fall sky in Michigan. She checked her wound, which had scabbed over in the night, and got dressed, opting for a sweatshirt and jeans. Her head throbbed and her vision blurred a little in the light, but she didn’t want to die and viewed that as an improvement, at least.
The cold air outside refreshed her and somewhere, one of her neighbors burned leaves. The only thing that might make the morning more perfect would have been hot donuts and cider, but those would have to wait, and anyway, Sam’s mood was dark, like a shadow wouldn’t stop looming over her.
She pushed her crappy car out of its space, which made her back burn and sting, and drove to Ann Arbor.
Everything along the way seemed normal. The world was not aware it was full of vampires and whatever else. The world was happy enough turning the seasons and going about its business. But Sam wasn’t happy, despite being alive and not needing a trip to the emergency room.
The alley beside the House of the Sun was deserted.
Sam wasn’t sure what tipped her off, but she’d felt since she woke up that something was wrong. When she descended the stairs to the door of the bar, she already suspected it wasn’t there anymore. The sign that had hung in the stairway was gone and no music came from inside.
Her heart sank. John and Smith both abandoned her as soon as she’d finished the job. She’d known John probably couldn’t be trusted, but thought his cousin had been different. No. Birds of a feather did flock together.
She sighed and turned, ready to go back home and mope, when she spotted a red envelope shoved under the door. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. In sprawling, looping hand, someone had written her name on the front. The penmanship was practically archaic. She unsealed the envelope and found a letter inside. In the same handwriting as on the front, it said
Dear Sam,
Sorry I couldn’t stick around, but we’ve got stuff going down in a few neighboring dimensions that need my attention. Find enclosed your reward for helping with our little vampire problem. Hopefully, I’ll be back in town again soon.
Best of luck in your future endeavors,
Smith
Sam folded the letter back up and checked the envelope. She wasn’t sure how she’d missed it, but inside, Sam found a single lottery ticket, dated for that night.
Looking at the ticket, she her temper rose. It would probably be a winner, but that didn’t make her feel any less used. She’d considered them her friends, perhaps rather stupidly, but there it was. And, once again, Sam had been ditched as the dust settled. Well, she thought, screw that.
If the lottery ticket won, she’d collect the money, but adventures? Adventures were out of the question. They were not worth the stress and the pain and the fear.
“As of today,” she said out loud, to whoever or whatever might listen, “I am out of the saving the world business.”
She put the red envelope in her pocket, turned her back, and walked away.
The End
Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed my book, please take some time to rate and review it over on Amazon.com. Your reviews help others find my work. I really couldn't do this without you.
Review it now.
If you'd like to be alerted about upcoming books, or other fun stuff like sales and freebies, please sign up for my newsletter.
Sign up.
About the Author
D.S. Ritter is a spinner of sci-fi, fantasy and horror yarns. She loves the escapism stories can provide, particularly on long commutes or that quiet time before going to bed.
Having migrated from the United States, she lives in the jungles of Mexico with her husband, two kids and a small menagerie of animals, and enjoys reading, movies, cooking, graphic design and learning new skills.
You can find out more about her on her website.