Thirst No. 3 by Christopher Pike Read Free Book Online Page A

werewolf and a vampire. The tale revolves around which monster he’s going to decide to change into.”
    “They won’t let him remain human?” Matt asks, as Teri sits quietly.
    “The vampire would. But the werewolf won’t. If he stays human, the werewolf will see the man as food.”
    “I’m surprised he’s given a choice. They should both see him as food.”
    “You misunderstand my monsters. They were crossing the ocean—before their boat sank—for a reason. They’re both lonely and searching for more of their kind.”
    “So what does your hero choose to do?” Matt asks.
    “He prefers to be a vampire. But if he does, the werewolf says he’ll become his enemy. So he changes his mind and says he wants to become a werewolf. But the vampire’s smart—he has more wisdom. He knows they’re stronger together and doesn’t feel the need for them to be enemies at all.”
    Matt’s interest jumps up a notch. “They’d be stronger together because the werewolf can go out in the sun? While he’s really only a supernatural being once a month, when the moon is full? Is that what you mean?”
    “That’s what the werewolf assumes the vampire means. But this vampire—even though he dislikes sunlight—doesn’tturn to ash when the sun’s rays fall on him. He keeps this quality a secret, though. He knows he’s about to have two enemies on the island instead of one. Because even though the human trusts the vampire, he’s afraid of the werewolf.”
    “I’d be afraid of the werewolf,” Teri says.
    “I’d let the vampire change me,” Matt says.
    “Why?” I ask him, although I’m pleased at his remark.
    “It’s clear the vampire has more up his sleeve. I’d trust him as my master more than the werewolf.”
    “The human is not choosing either one as his master,” Teri tells him.
    “But he is,” I say. “These are ancient beings, and they know only a master-disciple relationship. When he chooses to become a werewolf, the man knows he must obey his maker or else be destroyed. But that’s the choice he makes. Almost immediately after his transformation is complete, the werewolf tells the man they have to hunt down the vampire and kill him. The man doesn’t want to. The vampire has done nothing to them. But the werewolf says the island isn’t big enough for two masters, and he threatens the man. In the end, the two seek out the spot where they believe the vampire rests during the day. They soon find it, too soon. The ease should have made the first werewolf suspicious, but he’s too intent on killing the vampire. He puts a stake to the vampire’s heart and goes to pound it in. But suddenly the vampire leaps up and breaks the werewolf’s neck. Then the vampire is alone with the man, who’sonly been a werewolf for less than a day. The man begs for mercy, and the vampire says he would let him live but he can’t.” I pause. “Do you know why?”
    “Because werewolves and vampires are natural enemies,” Teri says.
    Matt disagrees. “No. That’s not the point of the story. At the start the vampire says there’s no reason they have to be enemies. That it’s foolish.” He nods to himself. “But I know why the vampire has to kill the man.”
    Teri glances at both of us. “Why?”
    I nod to Matt. “Tell us.”
    “The vampire’s merciful but wise. He knows to show mercy twice—to someone who’s already rejected it—would be foolish. Because the man didn’t understand the vampire’s mercy to begin with, over time it’s inevitable that he’ll begin to doubt it again. For this reason the vampire has to kill the man.”
    I silently applaud Matt and open the magazine to the last paragraph of my story. There, I let them read my vampire’s reasoning. It’s identical to what Matt has just said. Teri doesn’t know who to be more impressed with.
    “I absolutely love that story,” she says.
    “It was good,” Matt has to admit.
    “Not great?” I tease him.
    “Maybe,” Matt says. “There’s