Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 8

When the Jetta turned into the parking lot of a7-El stock-still, mob smi conduct. in that respect was a nice isolatedarea bathful the chime in, and it was birthting dark.He drove his own car around digest, then got fall away to watch the store entrance. When Phil came proscribedwith a bag, he sprang on him from behind.Phil yelled and fought, dropping the bag. It didntmatter. The sun had g whizzness down and throngs powerwas at right strength.He dragged Phil to the back of the store and put him facing the wall beside a Dumpster. The classicpolice frisking position.Im press release to allow go straight, he express. Dont try torun away. That would be a mistake.Phil went tense and motionless at the sound of his junction. I dont compulsionto run away. I want to smash your face in, Rasmussen.Go a maneuver and try. crowd was going to add,Makemy night, tho he reconsidered. He let go of Phil, who turned around and regarded him with utter loa matter.Whats the matter? Run out of girls to jump? he verbalise, breathing hard.James gritted his teeth. Trading insults wasnt going to do any good, but he could already tell it was going to be hard to maintenance his temper. Phil had that effect on him. I didnt bring you out here to fight.I brought you to ask you something. Do you care more or less Poppy?Phil give tongue to, Ill take stupid questions for five hundred, Alex, and loosened his lift as if gettingready for a punch.Because if you do, youll get her to talk to me.You were the one who commuted her non to see me,and now youve got to convince her that shehastosee me.Phil go toed around the parking lot, as if calling for somebody to witness this insanity.James verbalise slowly and dearly, enunciating eachword. in that location is something I can do to encourage her.Because youre Don Juan, right? Youre gonna heal her with your love. The manner of speaking were flippant,but Phils voice was rickety with sheer hatred. none n perpetuallytheless hatre d for James, but for a universe that would slacken offPoppy cancer.No. Youve got it completely wrong. Look, you intend I was making out with her, or trifling with her affections or whatever. Thats non what was going onat all. I let you think that because I was tired ofgetting the third degree from you-and because Ididnt want you to go to bed what we weredoing.Sure, sure, Phil state in a voice filled with equal measures of sarcasm and contempt. So whatwereyou doing? Drugs?James had learned something from his first encounter with Poppy in the hospital. march and tellshould be done in that order. This time he didnt sayanything he scantily grabbed Phil by the hair and jerked his head back.There was exclusively a single light behind the store, butit was enough togive Phil a good situation of the baredfangs looming over him. And it was more thanenough for James, with his night vision, to see Phillips unripened eyesdilate as he stared.Phillip yelled, then went limp.Not with fear, J ames knew. He wasnt a coward.With the shock of disbelief turning to belief.Phillip swore. Yourea Right. James let him go.Phil almost lost his balance. He grabbed at theDumpster for support. I dont believe it.Yes, you do, James said. He hadnt retracted hisfangs, and he knew that hiseyes were shining silver.Philhadto believe it with James standing right infront of him.Phil apparently had the same caprice. He was staringat James as if he wanted to appearance away, but couldnt.The color had drained out of his face, and he keptswallowing as if he were going to be sick.God, he said finally. I knew at that place was something wrong with you. Weird wrong. I could neverfigure out why you gave me the creeps. So this is it.I disgust him, James get it on. Its not alone hatred anymore. He thinks Im less than human.It didnt augur well for the watch of Jamess plan.Now do you understand how I can help Poppy?Phil shook his head slowly. He was contention againstthe wall, one hand legato on t he Dumpster.James felt impatience rise in his chest. Poppy hasa disease. Vampires dont get diseases. Do you needa road map?Phillips expression said he did.If,James said through his teeth, I ex intensifyenough caudex with Poppy to turn her into a vampire,she wont have cancer anymore. E truly cell in herbody will change and shell end up a perfect specimen flawless, disease-free. Shell have powers thathumans dont even dream of. And, incidentally,shell be immortal.There was a long, long silence as James watchedthis sink in with Phillip. Phils thoughts were toojumbled and kaleidoscopic for James to manufacture anything of them, but Phils eyes got wider and his facemore ashen.At last Phil said, You cant do that to her.It was thewayhe said it. Not as if he were protesting an idea because it was too radical, too new.Not the knee-jerk overreaction that Poppy had had.He said it with absolute conviction and utmost abuse. As if James were grave to steal Poppyssoul.Its the only way to save h erlife,James said.Phil shook his head slowly again, eyes bulky andtrance uniform. No. No. She wouldnt want it. Not atthat cost.What cost? James was more than impatientnow, he was defensive and exasperated. If hed defecated that this was going to turn into a philosophical debate, he would have picked somewhere less public.As it was, he had to keep all his senses on the alertfor possible intruders.Phil let go of the Dumpster and stood on his own 2 feet. There was fear mixed with the horror in his eyes, but he faced James squarely.Its just-there are some things that humansthink are more classical than just staying alive, hesaid. Youll find that out.I dont believe this, James thought. He sounds likea junior space captain talk of the town to the alien invadersin a B movie.You wontfind Earth volumequitethe easymark you imagine.Aloud, he said, Are you nuts? Look, Phil, I wasborn in San Francisco. Im not some bug-eyed monster from Alpha Centauri. I eat Wheaties forbreakfast.And what d o you eat for a midnight snack? Philasked, his green eyes somber and almost childlike.Or are the fangs just for decoration?Walked right into that one, Jamess brain told him.He looked away. Okay. impress?. There are somedifferences. I never said I was a human. plainly Im notsome kind of-If youre not a monster, then I dont knowwhat is.Dont kill him, James counseled himself frantically.You have toconvincehim. Phil, were not like what you see at the movies. Were not all-powerful. We cant dematerialize through walls or travel through time, and we dont need to kill to feed. Were not evil, at least not all of us. Were not damned.Youre unnatural, Phillip said softly, and James could feel that he meant it from his heart. Yourewrong. Youshouldnt exist.Because were higher up on the food chain thanyou?Because people werent meant to feed on other people.James didnt say that his people didnt think ofPhillips people as people. He said, We only do whatwe have to do to survive. And Poppys already hold.Phillip froze. No. She wouldnt want to be tell apartlike you.She wants to stay aiveor at least, she did, before she got mad at me. Now shes just irrationalbecause she hasnt got enough of my blood in her tofinish changing her. Thanks to you. He paused, then said deliberately, Have you ever seen a three-weekold corpse, Phil? Because thatswhat shes going to become if I dont get to her.Phils face twisted. He whirled around and slammed a clenched fist into the metal side of the Dumpster.Dont you think I know that?Ive been living withthat since Monday night.James stood still, heart pounding. Feeling the offend Phil was giving off and the pain of Phils injured hand. It was several seconds before he was ableto saycalmly,And you think thats reform than whatI can give her?Its lousy. It stinks. But, yes, its better than turning into something that hunts people. Thatusespeo ple. Thats why all the girlfriends, isnt it?Once again, James couldnt answer right away.Phils problem, he was rea lizing, was that Phil wasfar too smart for his own good. He thought too much.Yeah. Thats why all the girlfriends, he said at last,tiredly. Trying not to see this from Phils promontory of view.Just tell me one thing, Rasmussen.Phillip straightened and looked him dead in the eye. Didyou-he stopped and swallowed-feed on Poppybefore she got sick?No.Phil let out his breath. Thats good. Because if you had,Id have killed you.James believed him. He was much stronger than Phil, much faster, and hed never been afraid of ahuman before. But just at that moment he had nodoubt that Phil would someways have found a way to do it.Look, theres something you dont understand,he said. Poppy did want this, and its something weve already started. Shes only just beginning tochange if she kick downstairss now, she wont become a vampire.But she might not die all thee way, either. She couldend up a walking corpse. A zombie, you know?Mindless. Body rotting, but immortal.Phils mouth quivered with revulsion. Youre justsaying that to scare me.James looked away. Ive seen it happen.I dont believe you.Ive seen it primaryDimly James realized hewas yelling and that hed grabbed Phil by the shirtfront. He was out of control-and he didnt care.Ive seen it happen to somebodyIcared about, allright?And then, because Phil was still shaking his headI was only four historic period old and I had a nanny. Allthe voluminous kids in San Francisco have nannies. Shewas human.Let go, Phil muttered, pulling at Jamess wrist.He was breathing hard-he didnt want to hear this.I was doddering about her. She gave me everythingmy mom didnt. Love, attention-she was never too busy. I called her Miss Emma.Let go.But my parents thought I was too attached to her.So they took me on a little vacation-and they didntlet me feed. Not for three days. By the time they brought me back, I was starving. Then they sent MissEmma up to put me to bed.Phil had stopped fighting now. He stood with hishead bowed and turned to one side s o he wouldnthave to look at James. James threw his words at theaverted face.I was only four. I couldnt stop myself. And the thing is, I wanted to. If youd asked me who Id rather have die, me or Miss Emma, Idve said me. But when youre starving, you lose control. So I fed on her, and all the time I was emit and trying to stop. And when I finally could stop, I knew it wastoo late.There was a pause. James suddenly realized that his fingers were locked in anagonizingcramp. He letgo of Phils shirt slowly. Phil said nothing.She was just lying there on the floor. I thought,wait, if I give her my own blood shell be a vampire, and everything will be okay. He wasnt yelling anymore. He wasnt even really speaking to Phillip, butstaring out into the dark parking lot. So I cut myselfand let the blood run into her mouth. She swallowedsome of it before my parents came up and stoppedme. But not enough.A longer pause-and James conceiveed why hewas cogent the story. He looked at Phillip.She died tha t night but not all the way. The twodifferent kinds of blood were fighting inside her. Soby aurora she was walking around again-but shewasnt Miss Emma anymore. She drooled and her skin was gray and her eyes were flat like a corpses.And when she started to-rot-my protactinium took her out to Inverness and buried her. He killed her first. Bilerose in Jamess throat and he added almost in a whisper, I hope he killed her first.Phil slowly turned around to look at him. For thefirst time that evening, there was something otherthan horror and fear in his face. Something like pity, James thought.James took a deep breath. After thirteen years of silence hed finally told the storyto Phillip North,of all people. But it was no good wondering aboutthe absurdity. He had a point to drive home.So take my advice. If you dont convince Poppyto see me, touch on sure they dont do an autopsy onher. You dont want her walking around without herinternal organs. And have a wooden stake ready forthe time wh en you cant stand to look at heranymore.The pity was gone from Phils eyes. His mouth wasa hard, trembling line.We wont let her turn into some kind of halfalive abomination, he said. Or a vampire, either. Im sorry about what happened to your Miss Emma,but it doesnt change anything.Poppyshould be the one to decide-But Phillip had gained his limit, and now he was simply shaking his head. Just keep away from my sister, he said. Thats all I want. If you do, Ill leaveyou alone. And if you dont-What?Im going to tell everybody in El Camino what you are. Im going to call the police and the mayorand Im going to stand in the center field of the streetand yell it.James felt his hands go icy cold. What Phil didntrealize was that hed just made it Jamess certificate of indebtedness to killhim. It wasnt just that any human who stumbled onNight World secrets had to die, but that one activelythreatening to tellabout the Night World had to die immediately, no questions asked, no mercy given.Suddenl y James was so tired he couldnt seestraight.Get out of here, Phil, he said in a voice drainedof emotion and vitality both. Now. And if you reallywant to protect Poppy, you wont tell anybody anything. Because theyll trace it back and find out thatPoppy knows the secrets, too. And then theyll killher-after bringing her in for questioning. It wontbe fun.Whore they? Your parents?The Night People. Were all around you, Phil.Anybody you know could be one-including themayor. So keep your mouth shut.Phillip looked at him through narrowed eyes. Thenhe turned and walked to the front of the store.James couldnt remember when hed felt so empty. Everything hed done had turned out wrong. Poppywas now in more kinds of danger than he couldcount.And Phillip North thought he was unnatural andevil. What Phil didnt know was that most of thetime James thought the same thing.Phillip got center(prenominal) home before he rememberedthat hed dropped the bag with Poppys cranberryjuice and wild cherry Popsicle s. Poppy had hardlyeaten in the last two days, and when she did get hungry, it was for something weird.No-somethingred,he realized as he paid for a second time at the 7-Eleven. He felt a sick lurch in his stomach. Everything she wanted lately was redand at least semiliquid.Did Poppy realize that herself?He studied her when he went into her bedroom togive her a Popsicle. Poppy spent most of the time inbed now.And she was so lookout man and still.. Her green eyes werethe only alive thing about her. They dominated herface, glittering with an almost maddened awareness.Cliff and Phils mother were talking about gettinground-the-clock nurses to be with her.Dont like the Popsicle? Phil asked, dragging achair to sit beside her bed.Poppy was eyeing the thing with distaste. She tooka tiny lick and grimaced.Phillip watched her.Another lick. Then she put the Popsicle into anempty plastic cup on her nightstand. I dont know I just dont feel hungry, she said, leaning backagainst the pillows. Sor ry you had to go out fornothing.No problem. God, she looks sick, Phil thought.Is there anything else I can do for you?Eyes shut, Poppy shook her head. A very smallmotion. Youre a good brother, she said distantly.She used to be so alive, Phil thought. Dad calledher Kilowatt or Eveready. She used to radiateenergy.Without in the least pith to, he found himself saying, I saw James Rasmussen today.Poppy stiffened. Her hands on the bedspreadformed not fists, but claws. Hed better keep awayfrom hereThere was something subtly wrong about her reaction. Something not-Poppy. Poppy could get fierce,sure, but Phil had never hear that animal tone inher voice before.A picture flashed through Phils mind. A creaturefromNight of the Living Dead,walking even though its intestines were spilling out. A living corpse likeJamess Miss Emma.Was that really what would happen if Poppy diedright now? Was she that much changed already?Ill take his eyes out if he comes around here,Poppy said, her fingers worki ng on the spread like acat kneading.Poppy-he told me the truth about what hereally is.Strangely, Poppy had no reaction. Hes scum,she said. Hes a reptile.Something about her voice made Phillips fleshcreep. And I told him you would never want to become something like that.I wouldnt, Poppy said shortly. Not if it meanthanging around withhimfor eternity. I dont want to see him ever again.Phil stared at her for a long moment. Then heleaned back and shut his eyes, one thumb jammedagainst his temple where the ache was worst.Not just subtly wrong. He didnt want to believe it, but Poppy wasstrange.Irrational. And now thathe thought about it, shed been getting unusual everyhour since James had been thrown out.So maybe she was in some eerie in-between state. Not a human and not a vampire. And not able tothink dearly. Just as James had said.Poppy should be the one to decide.There was something he had to ask her.Poppy? He waited until she looked at him, her green eyes large and unblinking. When we talked,James said that youd agreed to let him-change you.Before you got mad at him. Is that right?Poppys eyebrows lifted. Im mad at him, sheconfirmed, as if this was the only part of the questionshed processed. And you know why I like you?Because youve always hated him. Now we bothhate him.Phil thought for a moment, then spoke carefully. Okay. But when youwerentmad at him, back then,did you want to turn into-what he is?Suddenly a gleam of tenability showed in Poppys eyes. I just didnt want to die, she said. I was so scared-and I wanted to live. If the doctors could doanything for me, Id try that. But they cant. Shewas sitting up now, staring into space as if she saw something terrible there. You dont know what itfeels like to know youre going to die, shewhispered.Waves of chills washed over Phillip. No, he didntknow that, but he did know-he could suddenly picture vividly-what it was going to be like forhimafter Poppy died. How empty the world was going tobe without her.For a lon g time they both sat in silence.Then Poppy fell back onto the pillows again. Phillipcould see pastel blue smudges under her eyes, as ifthe conversation had weak her. I dontthinkitmatters, she said in a faint but frighteningly cheerfulvoice. Im not going to die anyway. Doctors dont know everything.So thats how shes dealing with it,Phillipthought.Total denial.He had all the information he needed, though. He had a straighten view of the situation. And he knew whathe had to do now.Ill leave so you can get some rest, he said to Poppy, and patted her hand. It felt very cool andfragile, full of tiny bones like a birds wing. Seeyou later.He slipped out of the house without telling anyone where he was going. Once on the road, he drovevery fast. It only took ten minutes to reach the apart ment building.Hed never been to Jamess apartment before.James answered the door with a cold, What areyou doing here?Can I come in? Ive got something to say.James stood back expressionlessly to let him in.T he place was roomy and bare. There was a singlechairbeside a very cluttered table, an equally clut tered desk, and a square unbeautiful couch. Cardboard boxes full of books and CDs were stacked inthe corners. A door led to a spartan bedroom.What do you want?First of all, I have to explain something. I knowyou cant help being what you are-but I cant helphow I feel about it, either. You cant change, andneither can I. I need you to understand that from the beginning.James crossed his arms over his chest, wary anddefiant. You can skip the lecture.I just need to make sure you understand, okay?What do youwant,Phil?Phil swallowed. It took two or three tries before he could get the words out past the blockage of hispride.I want you to help my sister.