RESURRECTED by Morgan Rice Read Free Book Online Page A

crash at a friend’s house.
    They just want to get away from their folks. And it’s usually preceded by an argument.”
    “There was no argument,” Caleb chimed in, forcefully. “Scarlet was as happy as can be. We celebrated her sixteenth birthday last night. Like Caitlin said, she’s not that kind of girl.”
    “I feel like you’re still not listening to a word we said,” Caitlin added. “We told you, Scarlet was sick. She was sent home early from school. She was having…I don’t know what.
    Convulsions…maybe seizures. She jumped out of bed and ran out the house. This isn’t the case of a runaway. It’s a child who is sick. Who needs medical attention.” Officer Hardy looked again at his fellow officers, who continued to look skeptical.
    “I’m sorry, but what you’re telling us just doesn’t make any sense. If she was sick, how could she run out the house?”
    “You said you chased her,” chimed in another officer, edgier. “How could she have outrun you both? Especially if she was sick?”
    Caleb shook his head, looking baffled himself.
    “I don’t know,” he said. “But that’s what happened.”
    “It’s true. Every word of it is true,” Caitlin said softly, remorsefully.
    She was getting a sinking feeling that these men wouldn’t understand. But she knew why Scarlet was able to outrun them; she knew why she was able to run when sick. She knew the answer—the one that would explain everything. But it was the one answer she could not give, the one that these men would never believe. They were not convulsions; they were hunger pangs. Scarlet was not running; she was hunting. And that was because her daughter was a vampire.
    Caitlin flinched inside, burning to tell them, but knowing it was an answer that these men would be unable to hear. So instead, she stared solemnly out the window, hoping, praying, Scarlet would come back. That she might get better. That she hadn’t fed. Hoping that these men would go away, leave her alone. She knew they were useless anyway. Calling them had been a mistake.
    “I hate to say this,” added the third officer, “but what you’re describing…your daughter coming home from school, having seizures, having an adrenaline rush, bursting out the door…. I hate to say this, but it sounds like drugs. Maybe cocaine. Or Meth. It sounds like she was high on something.
    Like she had a bad trip. And adrenaline kicked in.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Caleb shot back at him. “Scarlet is not that kind of girl. She’s never done drugs in her life.”
    The three officers looked at each other, skeptical.
    “I know it’s hard for you to hear,” Officer Hardy said softly, “it’s hard for most parents to hear.
    But our kids lead lives we never know about. You don’t know what she’s doing behind the scenes, with her friends.”
    “Did she bring around any new friends lately?” another officer asked.
    Suddenly, Caleb’s face hardened.
    “Last night, actually,” he said, anger rising in his voice. “She brought around a new boyfriend.
    Blake. They went to the movies together.”
    The three cops looked at each other with a knowing look.
    “You think that’s it?” Caleb asked. “Do you think this kid is pushing drugs on her?” As Caleb asked it, he started to sound more sure of it himself, more optimistic that he’d found a neat answer to explain everything.
    Caitlin sat there silently, just wanting this to end. She was burning to tell them all the real reason.
    But she knew it wouldn’t do any good.
    “What’s his last name?” one of the officers asked.
    “I have no idea.” Caleb turned and looked at Caitlin. “Do you?” Caitlin shook her head, and turned to Sam and Polly. “You guys?” They shook their heads.
    “Maybe I can find out,” Polly said. “If they were friends on Facebook…” Polly began, then took out her cell phone and started typing. “I’m friends with Scarlet on Facebook. I don’t know what her