Vampire Blood

Unwanted Guest

I dropped my bag and closed the space between us to grab his hands.

"Are you hurt? Did it do something to you?" I asked, checking his hands for any injuries, I let out a sigh of relief when I didn't find any.

"I'm fine, I just..." He stopped only to pull away from me. "Where did you get that book?" He asked, more quietly this time and leaning in like it was some secret we weren't supposed to talk about.

"It's a long story, you want me to get the whiskey out again?" I sighed, rubbing my face with both hands.

I was getting tired of all these weird reactions and revelations today, I needed some sleep. I went to grab the book and stuff it deep down in my bag, regretting ever being excited about the whole "vampires can do magic" shit. I glanced at Lewis and he was staring at me like I just held all the infinity stones in my hands without flinching.

"Why don't you sit down." I said pulling a chair out for him.

He was looking so pale I was scared he might actually pass out. Once he was safely sitting on the chair, I told him the odyssey that went down today, summarizing as best as I could to get it over with and go to bed. Lewis' face showed me all the stages of grief in under twenty minutes but I was too tired to fully appreciate the polar lights of emotion he was displaying, I was just glad he settled for acceptance.

"Did he tell you, more or less, when that thing is supposed to stop glowing so he can take it?" It was the only thing he asked after hearing about the whole thing.

When I shook my head he just said okay and got up. He flanked the table to avoid going near the bag and disappeared into the hallway. At least it's good to know he also didn't want anything to do with the potentially evil book. I took my bag, left everything else as it was and went to bed. I went to bed and let everything fade to black, until it wasn't. Now there was a dirty foot in front of me with a swollen ankle.

"Hey, how long are you planning on staring at my foot for?" That's when I saw the owner of the leg, the annoying lady. "Is it that bad? Am I going to lose my leg?"

"No." I said and started wrapping her ankle. "You'll be fine, it'll heal in two weeks or so."

"Are you going to let me stay for two weeks?" The hopeful tone in her voice made me wince.

"No, I want you out of here first light tomorrow." I had no intentions of keeping this girl with me any longer than what I had to.

"Oh..." She let out a noise that I could only describe as a puppy being kicked.

I kept wrapping her ankle, it looked so small in my hands. She was small and thin, if this girl was living a comfortable life she shouldn't be skipping meals.

"How old are you?"

"I turned thirteen... yesterday." Somehow she started to seem even more small and fragile. I can't keep this girl with me but I could help her out.

"I'm gonna... drop you off near a state, you'll be fine." I finished wrapping her foot and got up.

"You can't!" She shouted, leaning forward. She grabbed my arm before I could get any further. "Could you... help me find my bag? If you do that I can leave." I glanced between her face and the dead grip she had on my arm until she let go.

"Where did you lose it?" I stepped back and pulled a chair from the table so I could sit.

I may not have the facilities to take care of a kid five years younger than me but finding her bag? I could do that, it seemed simple enough.

"I hid it when I hurt my leg, I couldn't run fast enough with it but I know where it is." She smiled proudly like she did something really smart.

"Who were you running from?" I got up to find a rag and filled a bowl with water.