So I Might Be a Vampire - Book 1 (Original Version)

27: In Case of Emergency

"I'm sitting naked in the middle of a motel room and I'm losing my mind."

Claude had thankfully picked up on the second ring. We never ever said hello. We always just got straight to the point of what we had to say, kind of like continuing a conversation that we had interrupted the last time we spoke. No matter what I said, he always had the appropriate response for it.

"Maybe you should put some clothes on dude. Or at least sit on something. Those floors aren't known to be too clean you know."

He was right. I grabbed my towel from the floor and sat on the bed instead, the towel under my ass for protection.

"What would you say if I told you that I was turning into a vampire?"

"Is this turning, or have turned?"

"I think it's more turned at this point. I dunno for sure."

"So you might be a vampire," he said thoughtfully. "Okay, I can dig it. First thing I'd say is to stay indoors. Do not open the windows or go out into the sunlight. If you're a vampire, that will kill you for sure."

"Okay, I can do that. What time is it anyway?"

"Five-oh-five so the sun's still up. We might have twenty minutes till the sun sets, but don't quote me on that. Where the hell have you been anyway? Your mom's been trying to reach you for three days now. "

"I've been kinda busy turning into a vampire. Takes a lot out of a person."

"You need to call your mom dude. Where the hell are you right now? Do you know?"

I looked around the room and spotted the Emergency Exit map on the back of the door that all hotels are required to have. I peered at it myopically before realizing that I could read the writing from across the room. Definitely something I could never do before. I read the address off to him.

"The Motel Six on Lakeshore? What the hell are you doing all the way out there for?"

"I have no idea how I even got here dude. I'm still kinda freaking the fuck out at this whole situation."

"Hang tight and I'll come pick you up. I'm kind of in the middle of a job here, but nothing I can't cancel."

Click, and Claude was gone.

I peered out through the curtains and failed to be incinerated on the spot. It was pouring rain and there was no sun to speak of, so that might have had a lot to do with it, but at the time all I could think was how hungry I was. The possibility that I might have exploded into dust like a movie vampire (despite Claude's warning) didn't even occur to me.

It was another ten minutes before I had pulled myself together well enough to exit the room and then it was because my stomach was screaming at me that I needed to eat something and I needed to eat right fucking now! The last time that I could remember eating was three days ago, so you can excuse me for being a little single-minded at the time.

I stumbled out of the door, feeling the spray of the rain that bounced off the metal railing that lined the second-floor walkway. My head throbbed and pounded at me, stomach cursing loudly for me to feed it, so I couldn't even be bothered about getting wet. I stumbled down the walkway past identical doors, while digging in my pocket for loose change. I'd had an idea that there just might be a vending machine of some kind downstairs and I was determined to get to it.

There was a handful of loose change in my pocket and a couple of twenties that I couldn't remember owning, but I didn't care at the time. All I knew was the hunger that threatened to consume me.

I made my way down the stairs and looked around in the muted evening light--

Boom! There it was at the other end of the corridor next to what looked to be the registration office.

So, coins in slot, no don't come back out... okay fine, redeposit coin... and success. Punch code, wait for candy to drop... candy drops and retrieve... now rip open wrapper and eat.

I must tell you this: chocolate had never tasted so good in my entire life. It was an explosion of flavour, so sweet, so good, so perfect. It was everything I needed, and in a few quick bites, it was gone.

Feeling the disappointment but also feeling just a little better for having had something to eat, I opened my eyes, ready to get out of there.

There was a teenage girl staring at me from across the corridor.

"Whoa. Nice eyes."

I didn't know what to say. I shrugged. "Thanks. I just got them."

"Cool. I want."

"Trust me, you really don't," I said. I bought another Snickers bar and headed to the parking lot, trying very hard not to look at the girl again, somehow afraid that she might suddenly figure out what it was I had become.

I hid from the rain and waited for Claude to show up.

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