Part 6 (2/2)

”Stay where you are.”

Charlie had been relieved when Jakob and Lenora walked to Jakob's car. He a.s.sumed the night would end quickly and that he and Lenora could continue on as they were before.

When he saw Jakob hit Lenora, Charlie was instantly filled with white-hot anger, and he thought he might explode. There was a baseball-sized stone at his feet and he picked it up and started off at a trot across the field-turned-parking lot.

Lenora screamed, ”Help!”

Jakob backhanded Lenora this time and she was flung immediately to the ground with the force. Her nose and lip were bleeding. When Jakob saw the blood, he dropped to one knee in front of her. She cowered and shrank back but the car tire was blocking all retreat. Jakob reached out his hand and extended his pointer finger. He scooped up some of her blood with his fingertip and slowly stuck his finger into his mouth, just like a child stealing icing from a birthday cake.

He grinned at her, greedily eyeballing the remaining blood on her face, and opened his mouth revealing a sinister set of teeth. Two teeth were sharper and longer than the others. Mother didn't allow Lenora to see movies, but she had heard snippets of conversation from the kids at school about a movie named Dracula. She knew right away that Jakob was like Bela Lugosi-a vampire.

Then she looked up and saw that Charlie was standing right behind Jakob.

Jakob saw Lenora's eyes focus above him. In this heightened state-of-being, all of his senses were sharper. He could see the reflection of Charlie in Lenora's eyes. He could hear Charlie's heart beating, pus.h.i.+ng the blood through his body. Jakob whipped his head quickly around, baring his teeth, hissing loudly like a black panther in the jungle, ”Hehhh!”

”Good night, a.s.shole,” Charlie said. He had time to register the abnormally long teeth and pale skin as he brought the stone down on Jakob's head. Jakob dropped to the ground.

”Let's get out of here.” He grabbed her hand and hauled her to her feet. She was shaken, but then again, so was he. ”We have to move quickly.”

They ran to the other end of the field and jumped into his car. She had wondered what it would be like, to drive alone with Charlie to somewhere dark, but this was not what she had imagined.

Charlie started his car and stomped on the gas pedal. As they pa.s.sed by Jakob's car, he noticed that Jakob's body was no longer on the ground.

”Charlie, watch out!” Lenora screamed. Jakob was standing in the middle of the exit in front of them. Charlie swerved, but couldn't react fast enough. The right front fender landed a direct hit to Jakob's body and there was a fluttering of clothes and body as he vanished off to the right of the vehicle.

Charlie's old Buick kicked up a spray of gravel when he hit the main road. He pushed it as fast as it would go-all the way to Lenora's house.

”Oh, Mother! You won't believe what happened! Jakob Schmidt tried to attack me! Luckily, Charlie was there to help, or who knows what that...that...animal would have done!”

Charlie and Lenora stood in the doorway of Mother's chamber, flushed, out of breath from the events of the preceding minutes. They had raced to her house, making it in miraculous time.

Lenora's mother looked at them from her normal spot beneath her blankets. ”Did anyone see you with Charlie?”

”Well, no...” Lenora replied, confused.

There was suddenly a movement so quick that it was almost indiscernible. Lenora's mother was no longer in bed. She was now standing directly behind Charlie.

It happened with such speed, and was so completely foreign to Lenora, that the only reaction she mustered was a widening of the eyes as she lifted a hand to her mouth involuntarily.

Lenora's mother reached out with a long, pale hand and grasped Charlie's neck. Lenora watched as her mother's fingers sank into Charlie's flesh, squeezing with an animal-like ferocity. Charlie's eyes immediately became large, white-and-brown, full moons of surprise. The surprise rapidly turned into pain a moment later.

With a strength and fury that didn't seem possible, Lenora watched helplessly-in shock really-as her mother took Charlie by his neck and flung him sideways into the mantle. His head connected solidly with a sickening, meaty thud, and blood sprayed across the off-white marble with violent force.

The heavy, iron clock that rested there didn't so much as tremble with the force. Ironically, it began chiming, signaling Charlie's end as it had signaled the end of so many morning conversations with Mother.

Bong...Bong...Bong...

Charlie's body dropped limply to the floor and tears sprang into Lenora's eyes as she stumbled backward away from her mother.

Bong...Bong...Bong...

”Fool!” her mother hissed at her. ”Do you see what you've done?”

Bong...Bong...Bong...

A low moan escaped from between Lenora's trembling lips. Her mother was standing in front of her, teeth revealed. It was impossible not to notice her mother's incisors. They were long...sharp...extending beyond her other teeth.

Bong...Bong...Bong.

The silence that followed the clock striking twelve o'clock was short-lived. Josef burst through the doorway behind Lenora and bellowed, ”Master!”

”Leave this room!” Lenora's mother commanded. Josef retreated without a word. Lenora watched as her mother thrust an outstretched hand at the doorway; the door closed with a loud bang!

”Sweet Lenora, I wanted you to make the right decision on your own about this. Now, I'm afraid there's no choice in the matter.” She walked briskly over to where Charlie lay prostrate on the floor, knelt down at his side, and pulled the collar back from his neck. She gave Lenora a piercing look and slowly lowered her face to within an inch of Charlie's carotid artery without taking her eyes from Lenora's. She opened her mouth slowly-exposing those wicked fangs again-and then in one slow, exquisite movement, she pushed her fangs into Charlie's neck.

Lenora's mother stopped watching her and turned her attention fully to engorging herself on Charlie's blood. Lenora found it repulsive...yet spellbinding. She was horrified-but drawn into it-all at the same time.

Her mother finished feeding and sat back on her haunches. Her pale face was streaked with blood. She looked at Lenora; Lenora looked back. Her mother held out an open hand.

She went forward, dutiful as always, and stood by her mother's side. She wasn't surprised when Jakob appeared at her other side even though she hadn't heard any door, hadn't heard any footsteps.

Her mother watched her patiently, expectantly, for a moment.

Lenora looked down at her mother's hand, still extended to her. Mother was offering her the choice.

She reached out and took her mother's hand, decision made. She would join her mother in the world of darkness. She would eat and drink from the body...

She turned to Jakob, who stared at her in a vulgar way, openly greedy for her. She tilted her head to the right, exposing her neck to him. A small cry escaped her throat when his teeth entered the soft flesh...then she knew black ecstasy.

The following week, Charlie and Lenora were the talk of Carlisle High School. The girls whispered and gossiped. The teachers shushed them-it wasn't proper to whisper about people-then went on their breaks and whispered to each other.

Did you hear the Swain family just up and left without warning?

Yes, I heard a lawyer is here arranging for the sale of their home.

I would, too, if my son went missing like that...

Did you hear that there was another missing person over in Dillsburg?

Why, that makes for three this month then...not counting the others last year...

I hear that Lenora won't be coming back to school. You know, I think she was sweet on that Charlie Swain kid. That's too bad for her...

She was always so sweet...Sweet Lenora.

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