Vampires Rule

A Boy Without A Home

The vampire stood in the shadows and stared up at the farmhouse he used to call home.  No longer the bright sunny yellow his mom had chosen, the exterior had been covered with a muted olive tone.  This small difference knocked Jack off balance.  Had his brother sold the farm?

His gaze skimmed over the dark windows—two on the bottom level and four on top—searching for signs of life.  The porch light glowed with an eerie, almost palpable presence that warned Jack to stay hidden, but he had to know if his brother was gone.  Focused on the task, he walked into the light and crept up the porch steps.  He slowly crossed to the huge bay window, and he leaned in to peer through the dirty glass.

A wild drum solo broke out in Jack's pocket, startling him.  He jumped backwards and tripped, almost falling off the porch before realizing it was only his stupid cell phone.  An electric guitar joined in, adding to the horrible racket.  He patted his pockets, frantically searching for the thing while he scanned the yard for movement.  This wasn't exactly the covert operation he'd planned.  His fingers closed around cold metal, and he answered without checking caller ID.  It could only be one of three people, his vampire friends. 

"You're going to die!" Lily shouted.

Jack flinched.  With a jerk of his hand he put a few inches between the cell and his traumatized ear.  Lily's warning barely registered.  His mind was focused on other matters.  He was about to break into his childhood home, ten times in ten years.  Although no one was around and the house was in a sparsely populated rural area, Jack tried to keep the noise to a minimum.  He glanced around again to make sure Lily's high-pitched freak-out hadn't stirred up trouble.  No telling what creatures lurked nearby.

"Hello?"  Lily yelled, "This is serious!  According to the cards you're going to die within the next three hours."

"Well, I already died once.  What's the big deal about doing it twice?"

Jack went to the front door and considered it from every angle.  Under normal circumstances a vampire couldn't enter a house uninvited, but as long as Billy kept something belonging to him and didn't sell the place, Jack could go in whenever he wanted.  He waved his hand over the doorknob and heard the lock click.  Billy hadn't moved.  Relief and excitement flooded his system as the door swung open, silently inviting him inside.  Cool.  No matter how many times he used his powers, the same tiny thrill rocked his senses.  A short-lived laugh escaped his dry throat.

"This isn't funny, Jackpot!" 

A scowl replaced the smile and he warned Lily, "If you don't stop yelling at me, I'm hanging up."

"You have to stay away from her."

"Away from who?"

"That girl in the fuzzy pink sweater, she's the reason you die tonight."

Jack looked around the empty porch, confused.

Lily babbled on.  "She has long hair, but the color is kind of hard to pinpoint.  I'd say it's either dark blonde or light brown.  Doesn't matter, I guess.  She's short and thin but not really skinny, and her eyes are deep blue.  She's not classically pretty, not to me anyway, and she's definitely not your type.  Just stay clear of her.  She's trouble."