The Taste Of Blood *3*

∞   ...C.h.a.p.t.e.r.T.h.r.e.e...   ∞1

Addie found herself wandering the neighborhood with the twins that day. The day before she’d called a cab to drive her to the hospital to see her father. He was all bruised and cut and they had to pump blood into him because he’d nearly been emptied. On her way home she saw a guy in a white button down shirt and jeans walking backwards and staring at the haunted house. He looked as if he had just seen a ghost, and when she followed his gaze she saw worse. 2

The girl looked like she was dead. Her black hair hung over her pale face in clumps. It was disturbing. She made sure the twins didn’t catch a glimpse of the girl, because she knew they would have nightmares. They’d already been up once for having bad dreams. Addie had hardly gotten any sleep.3

She wished everything would snap back to normal, but she’d been wishing that for two days now. She took Miranda and Matthew back to their house and she got the mail. Once again the mailman had delivered the neighbor’s mail to their box. Over time she’d become friends with the little elderly lady next door, but, despite how kind and adorable she was, something about her freaked Addie out. Sometimes the woman would start screaming in the middle of the night and Addie’s father would go and talk to her.4

The twins followed her to the woman, Margie’s, house. She knocked and waited. The door opened and the guy she saw staring at the creepy house answered.5

“Can I help you?” He asked.6

“Uh yeah, the mail man gave me Ms. Harvey’s mail again. I came to drop it off,” Addie explained.7

“Ok...” He said.8

Addie handed him the mail and he turned to go back inside. “Wait! I saw you looking in the house down the road. The, uh, sketchy one. Did you go in?” Addie asked him.9

“I went to close the door, it was open. Why?”10

“Did anything strange happen?”11

“I saw a cat, a little one. I went to pet it and my chain came out from under my shirt and the  cat started hissing at the cross on it. I brought it closer and it ran away.”12

“Oh.”13

“And there was a girl.”14

“A girl? Was she dead looking?”15

“Yeah, very. She stared at me as I walked away and I couldn’t turn my eyes away. Why do you want to know?”16

“My cat was in there yesterday and I had to go get him. He was mesmerized by this pool of blood, I think. He did this to me.” She pointed to the cut beneath her eye. “And he tried to suck the blood out of my ankle. My dad cut his hand and put in it a Tupperware container to catch him and take him to a vet or something, but... The cat got loose and got my dad in an accident. He’s in a coma in the hospital. They took the cat away for blood tests because I insisted that the cat drank his blood when he was knocked unconscious. Do you believe in vampires?”17

“I might. Last night at twelve thirty four, only then there was blood on the window. Someone, or thing, wrote let me in on the glass. When the clock hit thirty-five it disappeared.”18

“That’s frigged up.”19

“Yeah, but why would the cat be scared of a cross?”20

“You don’t look like the type to read vampire books. Are you?”21

He shook his head, so Addie explained the significance of churches and crosses and other holy things when it came to vampires.22

“I don’t really know for sure, but I think we’re living a horror story,” She said.23

“Why don’t we go back? Together. You can show me the blood stains and everything.” He suggested, wishing he’d kept his mouth shut.24

“Uh... you want to?”25

“Well, it kind of feels like someone’s joking. They could have easily trained a cat to run from a cross. That girl could have been wearing make-up. It could all be a set-up.”26

“You don’t believe in the undead?”27

“No. I don’t. What I do know, is my parents were killed, drained, and the only markings were like that cut on your ankle. Just last week. That’s why I had to move in with my grandmother. For a place to stay, and to take care of her.”28

“I’m sorry.”29

“It’s not your fault, but it’s really disturbing. How someone could do that.”30

Addie explained to him that it was her cat that made that mark, and he said that the authorities thought a cat or raccoon had killed his parents. She decided to go with him to the house, just to see what was inside. She left Miranda and Matthew with Margie and they started walking down the sidewalk. First they stopped at Addie’s house to make bigger crosses and she grabbed her baseball bat, just for fear.31

As they walked they introduced themselves to each other. The conversation was quite interesting until they got to the house. They both went silent as they walked up the lawn that seemed as if it had never been mowed. Addie felt the grass tickle her legs, since she’d worn a skirt to stay cool in the unbearable heat.32

She watched as the guy, who told her to call him Lars, turned to door knob. Addie swore she heard someone whisper the words go away. Lars insisted that he heard nothing so they went inside. She felt the feeling she had when she was in there last, and she looked around. There were more stains on the floor, along with a fresh coating of cat feces that was spread over the carpet. 33

Lars kept his cross in his pocket while Addie held her tight near her heart. She took it much more seriously than he did, probably because she’d read books about vampires and the undead and, even though she’d been fascinated, she was branded with an intense fear of them. She never thought they were real until now, well, until she saw the hate in her cat’s eyes.34

She pointed him in the direction of the stain her cat had been mesmerized by. Just as she’d assumed, it had soaked through the ceiling and dripped onto the carpet below. Lars looked away in disgust as they found a set of stairs. They both let themselves be fearless and they climbed. The room they found was empty except for a refrigerator that was probably in the kitchen at one point. Addie opened it and looked inside.35

“Oh my...” She gasped silently.36

“What?” Lars came up behind her. “Dear Lord!”37

They exchanged glances and looked again. Sure enough their eyes weren’t lying. On each shelf there were skulls, mostly canine but there were a few of other types. Each one was upside down and held red liquid. Blood. Before they could turn to leave the door shut behind them. Addie wanted to scream, but instead they hurried to another room where there were windows. Lars pulled up the shades to let in light and they laid eyes on what had made the stain in the floor. 38

A human corpse lay on the ground. The clothes were torn and the right arm was snapped and bent in an awkward position. There was a gaping hole in the skull and she saw all the insides. 39

The door behind them shut just like the other one. Addie held the scream down again. Lars Pushed the glass out of the window and made room for them to jump out. It was the second floor, and it was going to be risky, but it was that or meet whatever was trying to contain them. Lars helped her get the courage to jump and she landed in the tall grass, which broke her fall just a little. 40

He jumped next, but it took him longer. If not for the pale, bloodless hand that came around his throat he may never have jumped. Addie grabbed his hand and helped him up and they started running. When they got to her house, which was closer than his grandmother’s they locked the door tight. 41

Addie sat on the couch and burst into a hysterical fit of tears. Lars took a seat beside her and she buried her face in his chest. He put his arms around her as she cried, hoping to comfort her. He was shaking almost uncontrollably with fear, himself, so as she put her arms around him they both drew nearer to sanity again. 42

When she looked up at him she saw that there was blood on his neck, where the hand had tried to grab him. She led him to the kitchen and gave him a few damp paper towel to wipe it off with. To her horror she saw that the person’s nails, the three that were there, had left scratches on his throat.43

“That was unreal. It can’t be anything more than our imaginations. It can’t,” Addie said, still a little shook up from the incident.44

“It was real. It wasn’t a figment of our minds. Everything we just saw was real. Not to mention that there must be worse, since we only saw those two rooms. Whatever was in there didn’t want us to see anything else.”45

“Or... it wanted to suck our veins dry to quench it’s twisted thirsts.”46

“Or that. But why? This never happened before, has it?” He asked.47

“Not in my lifetime. I really don’t know. Both my parents are from other parts. My mom came from Minnesota and my dad’s from Ireland. They met in college. Harvard. Neither of them know the history of this town, not to mention the fact that if my mom did she could never tell me now. She died three years ago.”48

“We have that in common. Not to mention that your dad’s in ICU. You’re just as bad off as me.”49

“Almost. My dad isn’t dead yet. He won’t die. He can’t. Miranda and Matt can’t lose their last parent at their age. It’s not fair to them. This is my fault. I had to get a cat. It had to be that cat. Why couldn’t I have settled with the dog my dad liked?”50

“Hey, it’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself. Addie, it could have happened to anyone with any cat.” He reassured her.51

They stood in the kitchen in silence for a few minutes and then glanced out the window. A black cat was pacing back and forth in the front yard. On top of that it was staring in the window right at them. 52

“Shit!” Addie gasped. She ran to the phone and called Margie. “Ms. Harvey. Can you keep the twins for a little while. There’s a creepy looking cat in my yard. I’m gonna call the animal control, just please keep them inside.”53

“Of course, dear. They’re sitting in the den eating cookies and milk.”54

“Oh, you didn’t have to...”55

“Nonsense, they’re just children and they’re going through a rough time with their father and all. It’s the least anyone could do for them.”56

“All right, thank you so much.”57

“Bye, dear.” The woman hung up her phone and Addie hung up and then dialed the animal control office.58

“Hello?” A man asked.59

“Uh, can you help me? There’s a creepy looking cat sulking in my front yard and it’s staring in my front windows.”60

“Of course. Your address?”61

“Nineteen Spruce Ave.”62

“We’ll be right over.”63

Addie ran around the inside making sure everything was locked, and everything was from the night before. There was no basement because the architects messed up when they built it, so it was only a two floor building. There was no attic either.64

She sat with Lars on the couch and watched animal control take the cat away. One man came to the door and she asked if she could have someone watch the yard at all times. He nodded and said he intended to do so anyway. Another officer went next door and escorted the twins and Margie over as well. They also made sure Margie had all her medicines so no one would have to leave the house. Margie had taken a bag of clothes so she could change, but she’d forgotten to get some for Lars. The cop escorted him over to the house so he could get some of his stuff and then he came back. They locked all the doors and shut the shades so no one could get inside. So nothing could get inside.65

There were no guest beds in the house, so Addie changed the sheets on her father’s bed and told Margie she could sleep there. She offered to change hers and let Lars have it, but he said he was fine with the couch. Until he realized he would be alone on the first floor. 66

Addie fished through the closets for a sleeping bag for him and found an old green one. She set it up for him on the floor of her own room and then she found him two pillows.67

She made spaghetti for dinner, since the twins requested it and both guests agreed. Thankfully her father over stocked with food and he’d just gone food shopping two days before his accident. Addie didn’t know how long they were going to be in the house, but she hoped it wasn’t for too long. 68

Ms. Harvey was the only neighbor Addie’s family had that was close enough to be affected by what was going on, that’s why no one else was with them. Separating the two house from the rest of the neighborhood were blackberry fields. 69

After dinner was done Addie washed the dishes, with help from Margie, and gave the twins each their baths. When they were put to bed Addie double-checked the locks on their windows. 70

The animal control officers had switched shifts and now there were four. One guarding each side of the yard. A call came at around nine and it was a doctor who had done the blood test on what was on Cheeseburger’s face. Like she’d said, it was her father’s. The news sent chills through her blood stream, but she’d already known it.71

When she hung up she helped Margie up the stairs and wished her a goodnight. Then she changed in the bathroom and climbed into her own bed. Lars laid on the floor about four feet away from her bed and looked at the posters that covered her walls and also at the other things in the room. He caught sight of a red Fender Telecaster and when she came he asked if she really played the guitar. She nodded.72

“How long?”73

“Since fourth grade. That was my mom’s guitar back in the days when she was a musician. I think it was the eighties.”74

“Really? That’s cool.”75

“Yeah...” She sighed. “Hey, if you need anything tonight feel free to wake me up. I doubt I’ll be sleeping.”76

“I won’t be sleeping either. Having some creature that probably was dead at one point grab my neck usually keeps me awake for a few days.”77

“I don’t blame you.”78

“I don’t blame me either. That was insane. I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart failure or something and die ready to jump out that window.” 79

“Yeah, and I thought the jump itself was scary. It was marshmallow fear compared to that.”80

“Marshmallow fear?”81

“I don’t know. It’s just something my dad used to say. Back when he was awake and talking.” Addie said, wishing he was there with them.82