by Unknown
Most people wished that they could see into the future, but Gabe always wondered why he had been blessed with this curse. Not all vampires could have visions. In fact, most couldn’t, which was why Gabe was the only one who might be able to figure out where Ben was right now. Vampires were sometimes gifted with special powers. It usually took vampires hundreds of years to hone their craft or become attuned to their abilities. For some reason, Gabe had realized his very early on. Even though he should be grateful for it – especially now that he had to keep Lexi safe – it was still a pain in the ass most of the time.
As Gabe crossed the street to go back to the hotel, he noticed a flash of long, auburn hair. He froze in his steps.
Could it be who he thought it was? Gabe shook the thought away. There was no way Veronica could have followed him to Long Island . . . was there?
Probably not. Veronica was a teacher at Huntington High. It’s not like she could just leave her class to take off and stalk whenever she felt like it. She’d get fired if anyone found out. Gabe was probably just being paranoid.
As he ascended the stairs at the Starlight Inn, Gabe had a really weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know what it was . . . but something definitely wasn’t right. Gabe decided that he better lay down when he got to the hotel room because there was a good chance that he might have a vision soon – which was good but also worrisome because he usually never had his visions this close together.
When Gabe slid his key through the slot, he heard laughing coming from inside his hotel room. Well, from inside the hotel room that he was sharing with Craig.
Once he was inside the room, Gabe found Craig lying on the same bed as Rhonda. Craig was close to her. In fact, he was so close to her that it looked like he was about to drink from her.
“What are you doing?” Gabe screamed from across the room.
Craig looked up at him, a confused expression on his face. “I – um,” Craig began. From the expression on Craig’s face, Gabe knew that he was right; Craig was about to sink his teeth into Rhonda.
“She’s a vampire, too, you idiot! Do you want to get Wilkins’ Syndrome?”
Craig’s jaw dropped. “She is? No. How? I can smell human blood. Her scent’s pretty strong, actually.”
Gabe sat down on the bed across from them. “I just turned her a few days ago.”
Craig stared at Gabe. “I didn’t know that we came here to start changing people,” he said, his face twisted into a hardened expression.
“It was an accident. Why are you trying to drink from her? I thought you were involved with Lexi,” Gabe shot back at him. Immediately, he knew that he was wrong for making the accusation. Even though he knew that Lexi was attracted to Craig and she had practically admitted to him once that she had a crush on the guy, he hadn’t known for sure if they were involved with each other. Maybe Gabe needed to know now, though. If they had been involved with each other, it would be better to have it all out in the open so that he would have some time to make peace with it before he and Lexi were reunited.
To Gabe’s dismay, Craig’s blank expression didn’t reveal anything either way. “I haven’t fed in a while,” Craig replied, shrugging his shoulders. “You, of all people, should know what that’s like.”
“Wait, so let me get this straight,” Rhonda said from her place next to Craig on the bed. “Both of you are vampires?”
Gabe watched, bewildered, as Rhonda ran the blade of her pocket knife across the creamy white flesh of her thigh, slicing the skin open. She watched, amazed, as a trickle of blood ran out before the wound evaporated into new flesh. She traced the knife over the same section of skin, this time making a longer, deeper cut.
Gabe knew that becoming a new vampire could turn even the most strong-willed suicidal, though Gabe was beginning to question how stable Rhonda had been before he had changed her.
Gabe and Craig nodded in sync. “Yup, we come from a town of vampires,” Gabe replied.
Rhonda’s cheeks were growing red with anger. She turned to Craig. “And you were going to drink from me, too? Without even asking me if I’d be okay with it?”
Craig shrugged. “Sorry, but . . . if you weren’t a vampire, would you have allowed me to just drink your blood? I had to show you how good it felt first, and then you never would have wanted me to stop.”
Scoffing, Rhonda shook her head and stood up. “You know what? I thought that maybe you and I could be friends,” she said, turning to Gabe. “After you explained to me what happened, I sort of understood. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you, though.”
Rhonda stormed out of the hotel room, slamming the door behind her and leaving Gabe and Craig to stare at one another awkwardly.
*
In the next room over, Austin was drying off with a white fluffy towel from the dip that he and Anna had just taken in the indoor pool. As she bent over to pick up the clothes that she was going to change into, Austin couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Her bikini top accentuated her cleavage, and the bottom hugged her curves in all the right places.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Anna said, flashing him a smile over her shoulder. Austin nodded, and after hesitating for a moment, Anna went into the hotel bathroom. Moments later, Austin heard the sound of the shower being turned on as the water gushed out.
Austin couldn’t do this anymore. There was no way he could live another moment pretending that he was still Mary-Kate Lawrence’s boyfriend. It’s not like her father could do anything about him not wanting to stay with Mary-Kate. As far as Greg Lawrence was concerned, Austin was six feet in the ground right now. The only way he would ever find out that he hadn’t really died would be if Mary-Kate were to rat him out.
Grabbing his cell phone from the nightstand, Austin did the first thing that came to his mind. He dialed Mary-Kate’s phone number. The call went straight to Mary-Kate’s chipper voicemail message. “Hey, it’s me! Mary-Kate Lawrence. Leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I possibly can.” There was a loud beep.
“Look, we need to talk,” Austin began. He paused and decided to change the direction of where his voicemail was going. “Actually, scratch that. We don’t need to talk. I’ll just tell you why I’m calling. This isn’t working. I can’t be with you anymore. I’m in love with someone else. I’m sorry.”
Austin hit the ‘end’ button on his cell phone and looked up. He hadn’t even heard the shower water turn off until he met Anna’s dark brown eyes as she stared back at him. Anna’s lips were in a tight line. “You ended it?”
Austin nodded. “Yeah, I think it was time. Long overdue, really.”
“Probably,” Anna agreed. She sat down on the bed, hugging the fluffy white hotel towel against her bare skin. “I’m not going to say I’m not happy because I am,” she said slowly. “I think maybe you were a little harsh, though.”
Austin glanced over at her. “Harsh how?”
“You just ended your relationship through a voicemail, Austin,” Anna said, giggling. “That’s almost as bad as breaking up with someone through a text message or email.”
Austin knew that Anna was right. It probably was harsh – and it might have even seemed a little weak, like he had been too afraid to end it in person. Austin shrugged and said, “Well, it’s too late now anyway. It’s done. . . . It’s over.”
If Austin had hurt Mary-Kate, he didn’t really care. She hadn’t always put his feelings first. He’d tried to call to tell her; it’s not his fault that Mary-Kate didn’t answer her phone. Worrying about how Mary-Kate would feel was only going to waste the time that he could be spending with Anna instead. And spending time with Anna was all that Austin really wanted right now.
Chapter 11
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“What do you think we should do?” Lexi asked as Dan smashed open the cantaloupe for her to eat for breakfast the next morning. “There has to be a way we can get out of here.”
Dan glanced over his shoulder at her. Since v
ampires didn’t need to sleep, they only sometimes chose to rest, Dan had chosen to stand guard of Lexi last night, just in case any vampires came back. Luckily, none did. “First, we need to figure out why we’re here,” Dan said. “That will hopefully help us figure out a way to get back.”
Lexi realized that she hadn’t told him yet what she knew. “We’re here because of that witch,” she blurted.
Dan raised a dark blonde eyebrow at her. “Have you been watching too much Hocus Pocus, Lexi? That Bette Midler stuff doesn’t happen in real life.”
Lexi would have gotten angry at him or said something back if he hadn’t just saved her life. So, instead, she ignored his comment entirely. “That witch . . . you know, the one who cursed the town of Briar Creek?”
Dan nodded, knowingly.
“She’s here in this time period. That cantaloupe you picked? You picked it from her garden. That’s her house,” Lexi explained, motioning over her shoulder to the house.
Dan’s face remained expressionless as he handed her a piece of the melon, which he had sliced with his pocket knife. “How do you know?”
“I accidentally ran into Albert,” Lexi responded, taking a bite of the juicy fruit. When Dan gave her a confused look, she waved her hand in the air. “It’s a long story, but . . . I know it’s them. I heard Belinda – that’s the witch’s name – cast the spell that made my bat pendant. That’s why I don’t have my necklace. It’s in her house because she only just made it.”
“Well, then it’s settled. The first thing we need to do is get your pendant back,” Dan said. As Lexi started to protest, he continued. “It will help keep vampires from finding you like they did last night.”
Lexi thought back to the guy hovering over her as he went to drink her blood, his cat green eyes boring into hers, and she felt shivers cascade down her spine. Dan was right; they had to get that pendant back. She didn’t want to relive last night ever again.
As Lexi was about to tell Dan that she agreed, he added, “Other vampires aren’t the only ones who we need to hide the scent of your blood from.” Lexi raised her eyebrows in question, and Dan explained, “I would love to drink from you, too. It’s kind of hard for me to control myself right now because I haven’t eaten in a few days.”
Lexi felt her cheeks reddening. Normally, the idea of Dan drinking her blood would repulse her. Today, it didn’t seem to bother her, though. In fact, it made her feel flattered that her blood smelled good enough for him to have a difficult time resisting it.
Dan had turned away from her, sitting closer to the river now, which made Lexi feel uncomfortable, so she decided to get back to the issue at hand. “I, um, also spoke to my mom yesterday.”
Dan turned around and looked at her with wide, concerned eyes. “Are you feeling okay, Lexi? You do remember that your mom died . . . don’t you?”
“I’m fine,” Lexi replied exasperatedly. She would have been annoyed at him if the whole thing didn’t sound so crazy to even her. “My mom visits me sometimes. Well, her ghost, that is.”
“So, now you see Casper, too,” Dan muttered. When he glanced up at Lexi and saw the seriousness in her face, he continued. “Sorry, it just sounds weird. I’ll try to take your word for it, though. What did your mom tell you?”
Lexi could tell that Dan still didn’t believe her, but she told him about her mom’s visit anyway – careful to leave out the part about how she shouldn’t trust everyone. Even though her gut told her right now that she could trust Dan, there was always a chance that could change. “She said you and I need to go see the witch to ask her an important question. Except . . . I woke up before she could finish telling me what it was, I think.”
Dan looked at her long and hard. Finally, he stood and said, “Let’s do it then. Let’s go see the witch.”
“Just like that?” Lexi asked, laughing at Dan’s impulsivity. “No plan or course of action or anything?”
“Nah, we might as well get it over with. Come on.” Dan reached for her hand. Reluctantly, Lexi interlocked fingers with his and allowed him to help her stand up. She still felt a little weak and dizzy, but she felt much better than she had last night.
As they ascended the river bank and began walking through the witch’s yard, Lexi felt herself getting nervous. Her palms began sweating, and it felt like her heart was going to thump its way out of her chest. Once they neared the dirt path that led to the front porch, Lexi stopped dead in her tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Dan whispered to her.
Glancing at the dark house, Lexi shrugged. “It just doesn’t feel right. I’m scared.”
“Don’t worry,” Dan replied. “I’ll be here with you every step of the way. Come on.”
Hesitantly, Lexi followed Dan up the front porch steps. Dan knocked loudly on the front door, and, together, they waited. Trying to keep her legs from shaking, Lexi tapped her foot against the wooden floor boards of the porch to distract herself. After no answer, she finally said, “It doesn’t seem like anyone’s home. Let’s go.”
Just as Lexi stepped off the porch, she heard a loud creaking sound. Whirling around, she saw the woman staring back at them. Her brown curly hair was pulled into a braid, and her green eyes were filled with a look of curiosity.
What was most frightening was the woman’s face. There was a large burn mark that covered the lower portion of her face. It began at her nose, creeping all the way down her neck. “May I help you?” the woman asked. Lexi immediately recognized the woman’s voice. It was Belinda.
“Umm,” Lexi stumbled, taking a step back up the porch steps. “I – I don’t know.”
Belinda raised her eyebrows. “What is it that brings you here, child?”
“I – I don’t know where to start explaining,” Lexi began. She looked over at Dan, who gave her an encouraging nod. “We’re from the future.” When Belinda stared back at her with a blank expression, Lexi explained, “We opened up a book, and it sucked us in. I know it sounds crazy, and you probably won’t even believe it, but –”
Belinda let out a loud, cackling laugh. “Nonsense! Of course I believe you. What reason have I not to?” The woman muttered something under her breath. Lexi was pretty sure she heard her say, “It must have been a time travel incantation.”
Lexi glanced over at Dan. The hopeful look in his eyes told her that he actually believed her about the witch.
“What I’m having a harder time understanding,” Belinda continued, “is why it is you’re standing on my doorstep if you’re from this future place that you mentioned.”
Lexi twirled a piece of blonde hair around her finger nervously. “I don’t really know. You see, my mom is a . . . spirit.” She examined Belinda’s face for a reaction; the witch nodded understandingly. Of course, a witch wouldn’t have any troubles believing in spirits. “And she told me that I had to ask you an important question, except . . . I don’t know what question that would be.”
Belinda tapped her foot against the wooden floor. “Would you like to come in so you can think about this question that you speak of?”
Lexi turned to Dan, who shrugged. “Might as well.”
Belinda opened the door wider, allowing them to come inside. “Please ignore the state of my home. I don’t normally have many visitors . . . and we haven’t had any visitors since the accident.”
Lexi nodded. She assumed that Belinda was referring to whatever accident had caused the burn mark on her face, and she had a feeling that the accident had to do with what she had overheard Albert and Matthias talking about. It had sounded like the people who believed Belinda was a witch had something to do with this. From the size of the burn, Lexi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the woman.
Once they were in the kitchen, Lexi took a seat at the white wicker chair at an oak table. Dan plopped down in a chair next to her. “Damn, furniture was uncomfortable in the 19th century,” he whispered, quietly enough so that only Lexi heard him.
“Would you like some tea?” Beli
nda asked. Dan shook his head, “No thanks.” Lexi said, “Yes, please.”
Once Belinda brought the cup of tea and placed a plate of cookies in front of her, Lexi had to prevent herself from scarfing them down. Living off of strawberries, cantaloupe, and tomatoes for the past three days was really taking its toll on her appetite.
“So tell me, child,” Belinda said, as she sat down in a chair across the table from her and folding her hands in her lap. “Why does your mother’s spirit linger?”
Lexi gulped. She hated talking about her mom’s death as much as it was, but it was even more awkward talking about it to a complete stranger. “I think it’s because my mother was murdered.”
“By whom?”
Lexi glanced over at Dan out of the corner of her eye. He was looking down at the ground, an almost guilty look on his face. Lexi wasn’t sure if she could trust Dan, but did it really even matter right now? As it stood, there was a chance that they might never get back to the 21st century. They could end up stuck here forever for all she knew – the last thing she needed was Dan as an enemy.
Taking a deep breath, Lexi said, “I think the mayor of our town killed my mother for my blood. You see, the mayor of our town wanted Hunter blood because a witch from the 1800s cast a curse that would eventually cause the whole town, which is made up of vampires, to die. That witch cursed the town when her lover, Albert Hunter, was changed into a vampire.”
Lexi watched as Belinda’s cup of tea clattered from her hands. As the tea seeped over the hardwood table, the witch shakily whispered, “You’re telling the truth.”
Chapter 12
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