The Day the Vampires Awoke

re. But he wasn't hu

of his bed, looking in the

in was

ere no lon

lten, shifting, glow

umb of silver

orld had been ending. N

Curtis sat on th

for the streetlights ble

econd hand on th

Tick

ing. It wasn't a ch

and arms twitched under

glass of water

s thi

rain to lift

ring was frayed. His arm mov

curled aroun

tre

ass sl

dull thud. Water soaked i

red at t

pick it up. He didn't have th

deep, hollow ro

ss. His diaphragm would paralyze soon

uzzed on th

n lit up

usual spot.

He took a breath tha

bed and dragged out

housand dollars. Every cent his

e. It hid how thin he had

bbed h

s of the apartment com

a negotiation

ty was wet. It smelled of

He dragged

hey looked away. No one w

leyway behind the

s slick with

dows. He was smoking a cigare

den and

Thought you might trip and

e dropped his backpa

his boot. He riffled thr

" Aden said. His

into his jacket and p

ed it t

dropping it. His hand

ned th

l. The liquid was dark

rain. "Clan rejects. Ninety percent mortality r

dy dying,"

o refunds when yo

pack and walked away

alone in

This was it. The fifty-

esitate. He

it him. Iro

s head back

ke blood. It taste

ngue, his throat

the vial. I

knees. The cane

a metaphor. It felt like someone had in

nto a ball

mmered again

ump-thum

it st

le

ss too

ave been a minute. It m

gas

his lungs. It wa

sat

hed his

um

ause. Si

um

imes a minute. Slow. Powerf

ked at h

ren't s

e didn't reach

n't ne

solid. The wea

t. The knuckles pop

ing in his muscles

me the

omach. It was a void. A blac

eded

and ran back to his apartment

his door and tore

Leftover pas

he pizza in

gag

h. It tasted like

out onto

le. It tasted li

bile into

. It was a physical pai

into his bedroom,

s mother's jewelry

loor. Necklaces and

across the carpet and

tared

d. Saliva pooled

was intoxicating. It sme

to his

creamed no. It was

body did

bbed t

it in h

it d

un

hattered lik

hard. It

l broke down into a

wall

ed over him. The pain i

the floor, b

he mirror on t

in was

ere no lon

lten, shifting, glow

umb of silver

re. But he wasn't hu