Page 79 of Starved Until Sunset

After they’d talked with Michael, Clarabell had driven Demetrius back home so he could get the spare keys for the Cadillac, then she’d dropped him off in the hospital parking lot so he, Amelia, and Eileen could patrol the town together.

“Where did all of these people come from?” Eileen asked. She sat in the passenger seat beside Amelia, staring out her window.

“Tourists,” Demetrius said.

“Gruesome lookie-loos.” Amelia’s voice was quiet and tinged with anger. “Here to revel in the pain we’ve all lived through.”

“So, what’s the purpose of all this driving around?” Eileen said. “What’s the point?”

“We’re trying to track down a vampire,” Demetrius said.

“Yeah, I know that. But why? Shouldn’t we be avoiding them?”

“We’ll find a vampire, hopefully disable or wound it so it can’t flee, and call Michael to come and question it.”

“No offense, dear,” Amelia said. “But that’s not a very good plan.”

Demetrius blew out a breath. “I know. But there’s not a lot for us to go from , is there?”

Someone screamed within one of the groups on the sidewalk, and Demetrius hit the brakes. He heard an agitated honk from behind but ignored it. Leaning forward, hands draped over the top of the wheel, he looked from group to group. Had it been a scream of fear or just surprise?

A small commotion seemed to be happening at the corner of a dark alley between buildings. He pulled ahead, moving slowly to avoid the throngs of people jaywalking. A restricted zone was available and he edged the big Cadillac in along the red painted curb.

“Stay here a minute,” Demetrius said, then he got out and rounded the front of the car.

The truck that had been behind him drove past and someone shouted, “Learn to drive, asshole!”

He wondered briefly if they’d swear at him as he was saving them from having their throat ripped out. Most likely.

A crowd had gathered at the entry to the alleyway pass-through to the large parking lot behind the stores. Most people wore those headbands with the werewolf ears or some other kind of costume. Every person held their phone up overhead to get video of whatever was happening before them. Every single one.

Demetrius endured several rude comments, a few elbows to his side, and even a hard pinch on his ass as he threaded his way through the crowd. This alley ran between the frame shop and Antonio’s restaurant. Years ago a large LED light had been installed high up on the wall, and the city council had a short time ago found the money for someone to paint a mural. As he neared the front of the crowd, a stoner dude behind him said, “Fucking realistic as fuck man. This town has gone all out. I can’t wait to see what they do for Halloween tomorrow.”

Chills ran up Demetrius’s back. He could wait to see what happened tomorrow. He could wait for years. Or, better yet, never find out.

Stepping through the final row of people, he stopped and stared.

A woman in her eighties, at least, stood behind a man in his twenties. Her wrinkled hands were on his chest, as if covering his nipples. The white poof of her hair was visible, as were her red eyes as she kept her mouth clamped on the man’s neck. A runner of blood trickled down his pale skin, shockingly red in the glow of the LED light overhead.

“Jesus Christ!” Demetrius ran forward, shouting over his shoulder, “Amelia! Eileen!”

Before he knew it, a long stream of water arced past him. It hit the man’s shoulder and splashed up into the face of the woman behind. Black, smoking spots marked where the water had touched her. She released the man, and he fell forward in a dead fall as she screamed up toward the sky. Demetrius moved fast, catching the man and lowering him as gently as possible to the ground.

Another shot of water struck the side of her face, and she screamed again and turned away. Her whole body shuddered, and she pressed a hand over her blackened skin. Smoke curled up from her head, and Demetrius made a face at the smell of burning flesh.

“Fuck yeah! This town has the old folks in on it, too!”

Demetrius looked over his shoulder and saw Amelia standing at the front of the crowd. She held the squirt gun across her body like a woman ready for war.

“Call Michael,” Demetrius said. “Tell him to come quick.”

From the back of the crowd, he heard someone say, “What happened? Is it an act? I missed it. Do they repeat them throughout the night?”

He was very much afraid that the scene would most definitely be repeated throughout the night. Many, many times.

Eileen stood in front of the crowd and started acting as a kind of tour guide, telling people the show was over and they needed to move on.

“That’s our friend,” a young girl said, pointing to the man still lying on the bricks. “Is he okay?”