Part 22 (1/2)

”No wonder you've been looking ill today, if that's what you've been thinking about,” GM murmured.

”What do we do if Joshua shows up here?” I said with a touch of impatience. GM didn't seem to be as concerned as I'd hoped she would be. ”I'm serious about this.”

GM reached out and touched my cheek. ”These last few months have been very difficult for you, haven't they? I confess that I had not considered the possibility that Joshua Martin could come here. I would think that Charisse and her mother would be in far greater danger.”

I felt a sinking feeling-GM's reaction was entirely normal. To GM, I had really been a minor, even incidental, partic.i.p.ant in Joshua's attack. She didn't know that he had set the whole thing up to trap me.

GM continued. ”But it is true that that horrible man did go after you. I suppose that we should be prepared. I will think on it.”

”What if he shows up tonight?” I asked urgently. I could hear the rising panic in my own voice. I wanted GM to be safe. I wanted her to look out for her own welfare. But I was afraid again that I wouldn't be able to convince her of the danger. The proofs I had to offer her she would never believe in.

”Do not distress yourself,” GM said soothingly. ”I am aware that this is a serious situation. I will call the police tonight and ask them to keep an eye on our house. And I will keep my cell phone next to my bed in case I need to call.”

It didn't seem like enough to me, but I supposed it would have to do.

”Thanks, GM. But if you have a strange feeling at any time that tells you that you need to get out of the house right away-I want you to promise me that you'll do it-even if it seems like a silly thing to do.”

GM smiled at me then. ”You are a good girl, Katie, to worry about your grandmother. I will promise to do what you ask. And I also promise that I won't go without you.”

I started to object-I knew that she would actually be safer without me, but GM interrupted me.

”Hush now, and don't protest. I can look after myself and you better than you think. After all, I've kept you alive all these years, haven't I?”

”Yes, you have,” I said, and I couldn't help smiling a little myself.

”It is settled then. I will take the precautions I have mentioned, and you will stop worrying. This Joshua Martin is only a man-no, 'man' is not the word I want. He is only a thug. And I am more than a match for any average thug.”

I s.h.i.+vered then-I couldn't help it. If only the creatures that stalked our house were ordinary mortals.

GM noticed the tremor that ran through my body and misinterpreted it. ”I see you have a chill. No doubt the cares that have lain heavy upon your mind have worn down your body's defenses. And I am still convinced that all that time you spent out in the cold today did you no good. Go back up to your room and rest. I will finish here in the kitchen.”

I did as she asked and went up to my room, but I knew that real rest would be out of the question.

I sat on my bed, and my worries welled up within me, threatening to overwhelm me. My mind kept spinning as my fear grew and reached a fever pitch. I was alone now-vulnerable to every monster that stalked the night and wanted to collect the price on my head.

I seemed to fall into a sort of trance-my mind remained busy, working on problems I could not possibly solve, while my body remained still and my breathing slowed.

I waited, watching the clock that sat near my bed.

When it was finally late enough for me to go to sleep, I forced myself to stir. I got ready for bed like I usually did, so that GM would hear all of the usual sounds and wouldn't notice that anything was different. But instead of changing my clothes for the night, I kept my day clothes and my shoes on-that way I could be prepared if it became necessary for me to flee the house with GM.

Then I climbed under the covers-just in case GM should stop in.

I turned out the light and settled in to wait until she went to bed.

Time seemed to crawl by as I waited in the dark, but there was no danger of my falling asleep.

I was far too worried for that.

After what seemed like an eternity, I heard GM come up the stairs and head to her room. She typically went to bed late and slept for only a few hours each night-but when she did sleep, she slept heavily, and it could sometimes be hard to wake her. I knew that once she fell asleep, I would be able to go downstairs and collect my supplies.

GM would be unlikely to hear me moving around in the kitchen.

I realized then that GM's having her cell phone next to her bed probably wouldn't help her very much. Anyone who broke into the house could attack both of us before she ever woke up.

I pushed that gloomy thought aside and listened to GM as she moved around, getting ready for the night. Eventually, the sounds of her activity stopped, and the house settled into silence.

But no house is truly silent, and soon I began to hear little creaks and other sounds that I couldn't quite put a name to. As I thought about what I had to do, my heart began to beat so hard that I imagined it was audible in the room.

I wondered if that was how human hearts always sounded to vampires.

Once I thought that enough time had pa.s.sed for GM to be fully asleep, I switched on my light and walked quietly to my bedroom door.

I eased it open.

I had a half-formed idea that a vampire might be standing on the other side of the door, but the hallway outside my lighted room was dark and apparently empty.

Somehow, I wasn't relieved.

I stepped out into the hall, and I pulled the door closed until just a narrow sliver of light was visible.

Then, leaving the hall dark so as not to risk any chance of disturbing GM, I crept down the stairs to the bottom. Using the wall as a guide, I walked through the darkness to the kitchen. Only then did I risk turning on the light.

Once again, I half-expected to see a vampire standing in the kitchen waiting for me-but the room was empty. Quickly, I gathered up the matches, the automatic lighter, the broom, and a bunch of kitchen towels for my makes.h.i.+ft torch. I even found GM's oil lamp, and though she was right that there was no oil, I took the lamp anyway, grabbing a bottle of olive oil just in case that would work instead.

Balancing everything carefully, I shut off the light with my elbow. Then I crept down the hall, brus.h.i.+ng my shoulder against the wall to help me find my way in the dark. When I reached the end of the hall, I felt with my foot for the stairs and began to climb gingerly.

I managed to make it to my room, and I set everything on my bed. I remembered something about hairspray being flammable, and I went to the bathroom. I found two cans of hairspray there, and I returned to my room, closing the door.

I got everything ready, and then I lit a small candle that sat on the table by my bed. After that, I shut off the light. I hoped that having the light off would encourage any invaders to come to my room first-with any luck I could keep them away from GM entirely.

Then I settled down to start my lonely vigil.

I sat on my bed next to my supplies and stared at the flame on the candle. I began to listen again to the tiny sounds that the house made in the night, and each sound that my ears caught filled me with fear. I was afraid to look anywhere but at the candle-it seemed somehow like the only safe thing in the room. The tapering arrow of light that rose from the wick seemed fragile and delicate-its light all too easily extinguished by a gust of air or the pressure from two fingertips.

Eventually the light from the candle began to hurt my eyes, and I was forced to look away. I began to adjust to the gloom, and dark shapes, which I knew would appear familiar and innocuous in daylight, seemed to me now suspicious and menacing-every dark ma.s.s seemed to hide a vampire.

Though I knew there was nothing to be afraid of in my room, I couldn't shake off my fear. I told myself repeatedly that none of the shapes could possibly be vampires-if they had been, they certainly wouldn't have waited to attack.

As time pa.s.sed, the sounds in the house seemed to get louder-every noise seemed to be someone breaking in.

I continued to stare around my darkened room, and time seemed to lose all meaning. After what felt like an age, I heard a loud creak. I had fallen into something like a daze, and I snapped into alertness. I heard another loud creak, and I fumbled for my covered broomstick and the lighter. My heart began to hammer painfully, and I waited, listening for yet another creak.

I was sure a vampire was coming up the stairs.

Silence ensued, and I strained to hear, my breathing shallow.

Come on, I thought. Don't make me wait.

I just want this to be over with.