• CHAPTER TWO: LOSING MY MIND



    “Sarah? Sarah! Are you okay?” Jared’s urgent voice broke through my thoughts and I realized that I was probably freaking him out. My hands were shaking violently and my knees had buckled, sending me to the grass. I realized it was probably pretty spooky for him to watch.

    I wanted to shout, no, I’m not okay! A freaking vampire just came out of nowhere! I’m the furthest from okay that I’ve ever been! However… something held me back from voicing my fears. My thoughts were jumbled and unnerved, but it was somehow very clear that I had to keep this thing to myself, or risk dire consequences. Also, I knew Jared cared about me a lot, but he would probably pack my suitcase for the loony bin if I tried to explain the real reason for my little episode.

    “Sarah? Baby? What’s going on?” he asked tentatively, his hands stretching out to mine.

    I had to think fast, which was easier said than done, because my mind was still in a thick, fear-induced fog. I shook my head, trying to clear my mind for a moment, and looked up at Jared from my spot on the grass. His ocean blue eyes were full of concern for my questionable well-being as he helped me off of the grass. He kept my hands in his, probably fearing that I would fall again. Once I was steady, I decided to put my two years of acting classes to use and placed a hand on my forehead. I groaned softly and tried my hardest to look miserable.

    “Ungh… I think I’m coming down with something. I probably fell over from some kind of vertigo.” I said weakly. I should have won an Emmy.

    A bit of the concern left Jared’s eyes as he came closer. He pressed his own palm to my forehead and I hoped with all of my heart that he wouldn’t figure out that what was really wrong with me was all in my head. I crossed my fingers behind my back as he gently felt my neck

    “Hmm. Well, I’m no doctor, but you feel pretty warm, and, sorry baby, but you don’t look too good. We don’t have to go to see the band tomorrow if you’re sick. You should g o to bed. It’s getting late anyway.” I looked up at the sky; it was a beautiful red and purple sunset, my favorite time of day.

    “Wait!” I cried, as he turned to leave. He looked back, surprised at my sudden burst of energy, and raised his eyebrows.

    I fake-coughed very realistically and said, “I don’t have to go to my room right this minute. Stay… and tell me about the concert… please?” My stomach was still twisted into knots, but I didn’t want Jared to leave so early.

    Jared seemed to be swayed by my pleading. He gave in and walked back to me. He picked up the flyer that had been lying on the ground and held it out in front of us.

    “Come and have a blood-sucking good time with… THE VAMPIRE BATS!” the paper stated in bold black letters across the top. Under it were the time and the location of somebody’s basement.

    I shivered as the word vampire entered my thoughts again. Jared didn’t seem to notice, so he continued to fill me in about the concert.

    “Yeah, it’s this guy Kyle’s band. I’ve heard they’re really good and they were passing out flyers today in the hallway. I know you like finding new music and I wanted you to come with me, but if you don’t feel good…”

    “No, no, don’t worry about it. I’ll probably be fine by tomorrow. This is probably nothing. It sounds like fun, really.”

    He grinned and said, “Awesome. I hope you get better soon, baby. I’ll pick you up tomorrow around 6-ish, okay?”

    I nodded, thankful that he hadn’t pressed the issue. He gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek , waved goodbye and went home. I sighed once he was gone and then went up to my room to try and think everything out.

    Once I was alone in my room, the terror and confusion came flooding back with rapid fire speed. There was no possible explanation that what I had seen was really a vampire. I lived in the all American suburbia; it just wasn’t possible! I sat down on my bed and took a couple of deep yoga breaths to try and calm myself down. The memory of the…thing’s face flooded my mind. The brief glimpse had showed the creature to be beautiful, but so sharp and so cold… like a male model whose features had been carved with machete. His sharp white teeth looked like they had been carved with the same blade. And his eyes… Bright red, malevolent, and staring straight at me.

    I inhaled and spoke aloud to myself, “There are no such things as… vampires! Snap out of it, Sarah!”

    The words were hardly out of my mouth when an icy breeze stole through my room. I looked around for the source of it, but the windows were still closed tightly. A chilling voice, as biting as the freezing winds of a blizzard, was suddenly in my room.

    “No such thing as vampires?” the terrible voice hissed. “My, my, Sarah. I thought you were supposed to be beautiful and smart. It’s really too bad you have to die…”