Melabeth the Vampire by E.B. Hood Read Free Book Online Page B

for your sister. MEL BETH, MEL BETH; and so that's when I begun to understand that your sister, Melabeth, was better at hide and seek than you were.”
    As my grandfather told this ridiculous story, we were busting up with tears in our eyes. After that story, for the few short months I lived with him, he would come up to me when I was sad and say. "Hey Melabeth, everything going okay?"  And then he gave me a big old wink.
    No matter how many times he did that, it brought a little smile to my face. The story made me forget about my mother for a minute or two and wonder where my sister was hiding.
    My father's parents were good people but a little on the flaky side. It was on a weekend visiting them that my father picked me up and took me to California.
    *                     *                    *
    So here I am sitting in the back of an old Chevy Impala that was probably brand-new when they shoved me in the ground in 1975, and in the front seat are either a couple of weird rednecks or perverts. Of course pervert is also spelled lunch for vampires, and I was kind of hungry.
    After a long ride down back roads, the two men in the front smoking cigarettes and chitchatting about hunting, we finally pulled onto a dirt road. Jim looked back at me, and said something along the lines. “If you're awake, we’re almost there.”
    Pretending to be asleep is no longer an option. As the car rocked back and forth down the old dirt road, between the ruts and poor suspension, I had to hold on for dear life. It was hard not to be thrown across the car.
    Finally the car pulled up in front of an old wooden cabin. From the outside it didn't look to be much more than a shed with windows. It was square with four windows in the front and a small porch with antlers over the door. Boy, I didn't see that one coming; antlers, who would have guessed?
    Jim shut off the car, got out and headed towards the cabin. Dave opened his door, then turned around and looked at me and said. “Come inside; it’s nice and warm. This may take a few… and I don't want you to shiver.”
    Oh sure just need to grab some stuff. Of course I didn't mind going along with this. I think in another life it would have been scary, but this was exciting. So I responded, and tried my hardest to sound hesitant and a little fearful. “Okay… I guess… you guys are not going to take too long are you?  I mean I need to get to the bus stop. I am kind of in a hurry.” And then I couldn’t help myself and added. “And no one knows where I am.”
    I guess I sounded hesitant and scared enough to Dave, because he was already to reassure me.  “We’ll hurry lickety-split. I just don't want you to get cold, and you'll be nice and warm if you come on in.”
    “Alright,” I agreed. Wow, they must think I'm stupid.
    As I got out of the warm car and followed Dave up to the cabin, I could see smoke starting to puff out of the chimney.  Probably a human wouldn't be able to see the smoke. It was a moonless night, but you have to be an idiot to believe that a cabin in the forest was already warmer before we got there.
    I followed Dave into the cabin.  When I came in through the door, he shut it behind me, and I could hear him locking the door. It was cold in the cabin. Jim was standing over a fresh fire that he just started. Not only that, but I could tell from the smell and the look of things, that no one had been here for days.
    Dave ushered me over to a gross looking little loveseat. I sat down, and then Jim came over and sat right next to me. At this point, it was really, really hard to keep the smile off of my face.
    They may not be bikers, but for tonight they will do.
     
     

Chapter 3
    All My Friends Are In
    Dead Places
     
    I love running through the forest at night with my hair flying behind me and wearing nothing as the cold air wraps around my naked body.
    I was in a hurry; Jim was getting away. I really screwed up.
    All this power and