CHAPTER 23 A STARING MATCH

“Huh? Todd?” Matt muttered, struggling to consciousness. He felt as if he were at the bottom of the ocean, trying to push himself up, up through the heavy swirl of waves.

It wasn’t Todd shaking him. It was his dad.

“Hey—wake up! Lazy bum!” Mr. Daniels called with mock anger.

“Huh? What time is it?” Matt stared into the bright, golden sunshine flooding into the room through the open curtains.

“We let you sleep till ten,” his father said, pointing to the bed-table clock. “But we all have to go. Come on. Get dressed. You can eat breakfast on the way to the pier.”

“Whoa.” Matt tentatively placed his feet on the floor. “Am I forgetting something here?” He squinted at his father, still unable to open both eyes at the same time.

“We’re going deep-sea fishing, remember? On Dr. Miller’s boat?” Mr. Daniels gave Matt’s shoulder a playful shove. “Hurry it up, you bum.” He started toward the door.

“I can’t,” Matt called to him, sinking back onto his pillow.

His father turned at the doorway, a concerned expression on his handsome face. “What’s wrong? You sick?”

“Yes,” Matt answered quickly. “No. I mean, I don’t know.”

“What’s your problem, Matt?” Mr. Daniels took two steps back into the room, pulling down one sleeve of his white V-necked sweater.

“I’m just so tired, Dad,” Matt said, not lifting his head from the pillow. “Maybe I am coming down with something.”

“You look really pale,” his dad said, squinting at him. “Maybe you need a day out on a boat in the sun.”

“I’m—too tired,” Matt told him. “I think I’ll just stay home and try to get over this.”

Mr. Daniels glanced at the clock. “Well, okay,” he said hesitantly. “Your mom and I are really late. Sure you’ll be okay?”

Matt nodded yes. “Tell the Millers I’m sorry.”

His father turned and started to leave. He stopped again at the doorway and sniffed the air. “What’s that odd smell?” he asked, making a face.

It’s just my dead friend, Matt thought darkly. Just my dead friend come back to warn me that I’ve been going out with a vampire. Nothing to worry about, Dad.

“I don’t know. It’s coming from outside, I think,” Matt said, yawning.

Still sniffing, Mr. Daniels gave a quick, regretful wave and disappeared out the door. A few minutes later Matt heard the back door slam. Then he heard the car start up and pull away.

Alone in the house, he forced himself up.

The terror of the night before swept over him, and he knew he’d vomit. Choking it back, he staggered to the bathroom and leaned over the bowl.

He had dry heaves until his stomach ached. His head spinning, beads of cold perspiration covering his pale forehead, Matt sat on the cool tile floor and waited to feel better.

After a minute or so his stomach seemed to unknot and the bathroom walls stopped whirring about.

No time to lose, he told himself.

I’ve got to warn April. I’ve got to.

She’s got to believe me this time.

I’ll show her the bruises on our throats. I’ll tell her about Todd.

She’s got to believe me. I’ll force her to believe me!

He brushed his teeth, threw cold water over his burning face, pulled on a bathing suit, and, still feeling shaky, made his way to the phone in the kitchen.

He pushed April’s number and listened impatiently to the ringing. Once. Twice.

He let it ring ten times.

No one was home.

“April, please!” he pleaded out loud. “I’ve got to talk to you.”

He stood there for the longest time, leaning against the counter, the steady ring of the phone in his ear, waiting, waiting for her voice.

“April—please.”

But no one heard his plea.

• • • • •

After a quick breakfast, Matt tried calling April’s house again. Still no reply.

Feeling a little more energetic, he walked to town and searched for her there. It was a humid day, the temperature in the nineties, unusually hot for this beach community. The walk to town tired Matt. He searched Main Street and, not finding her, headed for the beach.

No sign of her there, either.

He spent the afternoon lying on the couch in his living room, getting up every few minutes to phone April’s house, letting the phone ring and ring. No one picked up.

That evening he eagerly headed to town to renew his search.

“Yo—Matt!” a familiar voice called as Matt headed along Seabreeze Road, the sandy path to town.

He turned to see Ben, dressed in ragged denim cutoffs and a faded Def Leppard T-shirt, running to catch up with him. “How’s it going?” Ben asked, puffing from his short run.

“Okay,” Matt replied without slowing his pace.

The sun was lowering behind the trees, but the air was still hot and humid. Matt felt prickly all over and heavy, as if he weighed a thousand pounds.

“I looked for you at the beach,” Ben said, struggling to keep up with Matt’s long strides. “It was so hot, I thought you’d be there. The surf was excellent.”

“I can’t believe you left the nice cool arcade to go to the beach,” Matt said dryly.

“It was closed,” Ben admitted, chuckling. “They were fixing the machines or something.”

“I wasn’t feeling well,” Matt said. He really didn’t want to get into a big explanation with Ben. Intent on finding April and telling her the peril they were in, he wished he hadn’t run into Ben.

“Yeah. You don’t look too great,” Ben said, studying Matt’s face.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked defensively.

“You’re kind of pale,” Ben replied. A sly grin replaced his concerned expression. “Must be vampires, huh?” he teased, remembering his previous conversation when Matt explained how he’d made a complete fool of himself with April.

“Huh?” Matt stopped on the path to gape at his friend.

“You’ve been hanging out with vampires again, huh?” Ben said, repeating his joke. “Has that great-looking redhead been sucking your neck?”

“I just have a virus or something,” Matt said brusquely.

“Hey—it was a joke,” Ben snapped, his smile fading. “What’s your problem, Daniels?”

Matt started walking again without replying.

They walked along the path in silence for a while. The rows of houses gave way to the broad, grassy field that bordered the town. The sky grew gradually darker, as if someone were turning down a lamp.

“You want to go to the carnival tonight?” Ben asked. “A bunch of guys are going to check out the arcade, then head over there after dark.”

“Maybe,” Matt said without enthusiasm. He stopped again. “Hey—there’s April.”

She was several yards up the road, her head down, walking slowly as if searching for something. “Hey—April!” Matt shouted.

“Catch you later,” Ben said, and, giving April a brief hello, headed past her toward town.

“April—hi!” Matt called, running to catch up to her.

She stopped and raised her head. She didn’t smile. “Oh, it’s you. Hi.”

Not much of a greeting, he realized. But he didn’t care. He had to talk to her. He had to tell her what was going on.

She stared at him impatiently, her face pale in the fading light, her eyes tired. Even in the descending darkness, he could see the two puncture marks on her throat.

“I’ve got to talk to you,” he said breathlessly. “I really—”

She raised a hand to cut him off. “I really don’t have much time. I’m meeting Gabri in a few minutes. But I’m trying—”

“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” he cried, interrupting her. “Look at you. Look at your throat. Look at my throat.” He tilted his head so she could see his neck clearly.

“Matt—” she began, her anger rising immediately. “Don’t start.” She turned her head, unwilling to examine his neck.

“Just give me one minute,” he pleaded, putting a hand on her shoulder. “One minute—okay?”

She considered it for a long moment. “Okay. One minute. But if you start in with that vampire stuff again, your time is up.”

“But that’s what I want to tell you, April,” he said, not meaning to sound as if he were whining, but too eager, too excited, too desperate, to keep his voice down. “Gabri is a vampire. I know it. So is Jessica. They’re both vampires.”

“Good-bye, Matt,” April said coldly, rolling her eyes and motioning with both hands for him to leave.

“April—listen.”

“No!” she shouted. “Go away.”

“But Todd told me—”

She gasped, and her head snapped back, as if she’d been slapped. “Huh?”

“Last night. Todd told me—”

“Matt, you need help,” she said softly, her tone growing more sympathetic. “We were all upset about . . . what happened to Todd. But you’re really mixed up or something. You’ve got to get help.”

“No, I don’t,” he insisted, unable to keep his frustration from his voice. “I know I’m right, April. It sounds crazy—”

“Yes, it does,” she said, nodding, her eyes locked on his as if trying to determine how crazy he had become.

“But I know I’m right. If you’d only listen to me,” he begged.

“I can’t now,” she said softly. “I’m looking for something and—”

“What? What are you looking for?” he demanded.

She lowered her head again and resumed walking slowly, sliding her sandals over the sand as she moved, her eyes darting over the ground. “It’s a silver cross. I was walking with Gabri last night, and the clasp was loose. It must have fallen off. I’m trying to retrace our steps.”

“A silver cross?” Matt asked excitedly. “And you showed it to Gabri? Did he raise his hands to protect his eyes? Did he cringe away from it? That would prove he’s a vampire! He did—didn’t he, April! He cringed away from it.”

He moved in front of her on the path, studying her face, eager for her reply. Finally he might have some proof to back up his claim about Gabri.

“Why are you acting like such a jerk?” April asked, frowning. “As a matter of fact, I showed the cross to Gabri—and he liked it.”

“He didn’t try to hide from it?” Matt demanded.

“No. He wasn’t afraid of it, Matt. In fact, he helped me with the clasp.”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, the sun dipping lower, the sky darkening to a rosy purple.

“I guess that’s the end of your theory,” April said curtly.

“No, it isn’t,” Matt insisted, following behind her as she continued her search. “Have you been feeling tired and weak lately?”

“I’m not going to answer any more stupid questions,” she said without turning around.

“Have you ever seen Gabri in the daytime? Has he ever told you where he works during the day? Have you ever visited him there? Don’t you wonder why he didn’t have pizza that first night when all the rest of us did?”

She turned angrily, balling her hands into tight fists at her sides. “Matt, you’re really unbalanced.”

“Answer the questions, April,” he insisted.

“You’re being so stupid. I really want you to go away.”

“No, April. I won’t. Not until you listen to me.”

“Go away, Matt,” she repeated louder, and then she lost her temper and screamed, “Go away! I mean it! Go away!”

Unwilling to give up, Matt reached for her shoulder.

She pulled away.

A dark shadow appeared on the path, darker than the sky.

“Hey—” Matt cried in surprise as Gabri stepped up beside April, his eyes on Matt. He was wearing black denim jeans and a dark, long-sleeved pullover, despite the heat of the night.

“What’s going on?” he asked April softly, keeping his gaze leveled on Matt. “Trouble?”

Matt, staring back at Gabri, felt the fear begin to knot his stomach, felt an icy chill course through his entire body.

“No. No trouble,” April replied uncertainly.

Matt stepped back, lowering his arms to his sides. He felt the power of Gabri’s eyes, burning into him, searing like a laser light.

“No trouble,” April repeated as Gabri continued to challenge Matt with his eyes. “We were just talking.”

Gabri released Matt from his stare and turned to April, a smile crossing his face. “Were you talking about me? My ears were burning.”

“As a matter of fact, we were,” April said, and took Gabri’s arm. They started walking away, chatting comfortably.

Matt stood motionless, watching them leave, still feeling the heat of Gabri’s eyes.

April glanced back once to see if Matt was following. Gabri never turned around.

I know I’m right, Matt told himself, watching until they disappeared around a bend in the path.

I’m going to prove it to April.

I have to save her life.

And suddenly, in a flash of inspiration, he knew how.

CHAPTER 24 SAY “CHEESE”

“Where are you going with that camera?” Mr. Daniels called from the living room.

Matt stopped at the door. “Oh, hi, Dad. I didn’t know you guys were back.” He swung the camera case over his shoulder and stepped back into the room. “Okay if I borrow this?”

“Do I have a choice?” Mr. Daniels asked sarcastically. He gestured with his hand. “Go ahead. Be my guest.”

“There are these really neat birds on the beach at night,” Matt lied. “I want to see if I can get snapshots of them.”

His father lowered the book to his lap and eyed Matt cynically. “Since when are you interested in birds?”

Matt shrugged. “These were really neat. I don’t know what they are. They chased all the terns and sea gulls away.”

He felt bad about lying to his father. But there was no way he could have told the truth—“I’m going to take pictures of a boy April is dating, and when the boy doesn’t show up in the pictures, it’ll prove he’s a vampire.”

No way his dad would buy that one.

Who would?

“There’s very fast film in there,” Mr. Daniels said, setting down the book and walking over to Matt. “The only difficult thing about shooting at night with this camera is the focusing. Here. Let me show you.”

Matt was eager to get to the carnival, but he couldn’t just run out the door. He stood patiently while his father removed the camera from the case and showed him the best way to focus in the dark and the best shutter settings.

“Be careful with it,” Mr. Daniels warned as Matt hurriedly pushed open the door, fastening the camera case as he walked. “I spent a fortune on that camera. Glad someone’s getting some use out of it.”

Matt called good night. “I’ll get very good use out of it,” he muttered to himself. “I’m going to trap a vampire with it.”

His plan was to snap an entire roll of Gabri and April at the carnival. When Gabri came up invisible in every shot, April would have to believe Matt.

The proof that Gabri was a vampire would be right there.

Half jogging, half walking, he made his way to the carnival grounds. Stepping into the white light of the powerful spotlights, his eyes surveying the spinning, whirling, toppling rides, his ears filled with delighted squeals and shrieks, Matt suddenly remembered that he had arranged to meet Jessica at the beach.

Too bad, he thought bitterly.

Maybe when I don’t show up, she’ll take the hint. Maybe she’ll realize that I’ve caught on, that I know what she is and what she’s been doing to me.

He raised a hand to his throat and felt a warm pang.

Jessica is so beautiful, he thought. So exciting.

He could suddenly smell the fragrance of her perfume, so sweet, so sharp.

The carnival appeared to melt in a blur of white light. He felt drawn away, drawn to the beach, drawn to—her.

To her soft red hair. To her dark lips.

No!

Gripping the camera case with both hands, he strode purposefully past the Ferris wheel, his eyes searching the crowd. A group of little kids came running past, eager to get to the next ride, and nearly knocked him over.

He grabbed on to a pole to regain his balance. He checked the camera. It seemed okay.

After a short search, he spotted April and Gabri holding hands, in line for the Ferris wheel.

Quickly, his hands shaking with excitement, Matt pulled off the leather camera case, letting it hang around his neck, and raised the camera to his eye.

Someone stepped in front of him, blocking the view as he clicked the first shot. “Sorry,” a woman’s voice called, already several yards away.

Keeping to the side of a refreshment booth, Matt moved a few feet closer and snapped again. And again.

He refocused, moved a little closer, made sure the light was right, and snapped again, making sure that both April and Gabri were in the frame.

April looked up. Matt ducked back against the side of the booth.

Had she spotted him?

He watched her intently, poking his head out gingerly from beside the wall of the booth.

No. She turned back to Gabri.

He didn’t want to be seen. Gabri, he knew, would immediately guess what Matt was up to. Matt shuddered. There was no telling what Gabri might do to keep Matt from getting his proof.

He waited out of sight until he saw them board the Ferris wheel. Using the built-in zoom lens, he snapped them sitting side by side in the metal car.

He followed them after their ride as they made their way along the row of game booths. Trailing behind, keeping on the other side of the wide aisle, Matt clicked snapshot after snapshot.

He tried to ignore how close they seemed, how happy April appeared to be with Gabri, how comfortable they seemed with each other. All that would change, he kept assuring himself, as soon as his pictures proved the truth about Gabri.

With just a few shots left on the film, he stepped into the center of the crowded aisle as April and Gabri stopped to watch the carousel. April turned suddenly and spotted him.

At first, she pretended she didn’t recognize him. Then, knowing that Matt was watching, she turned back to Gabri, put her arm around him affectionately, and kissed him on the cheek.

That’s okay, April, Matt thought glumly, replacing the camera in its case. You’ll feel differently when I show you the truth.

You’ll feel differently after I’ve saved your life.

He didn’t blame her for being angry at him. He’d given her no reason to believe him.

But now he had the reason right in his hands.

He had to get the pictures developed as quickly as possible. He had to show them to her as quickly as possible. Watching April snuggle up against Gabri, their fingers entwined, leaning against each other as the carousel spun behind them, Matt knew he had to hurry.

Holding the camera tightly with both hands, he turned and ran from the carnival field. Someone called to him—Ben, probably—but he didn’t stop or turn around.

He crossed the parking lot, cutting through the rows of cars, and jogged onto Main Street. The one-hour film-developing store was just a block away, on the corner of Dune Lane.

One hour, Matt thought, his excitement driving him on as he made his way through the couples and small groups of people strolling along Main Street.

Just one hour and this nightmare will be over.

He called back an apology to a middle-aged man holding a double-dip ice-cream cone he had accidentally run into, then bounded across Dune Lane without stopping at the corner to check for traffic.

A blue station wagon squealed to a halt at the corner. The driver yelled something at Matt.

One hour is all Matt heard.

One hour to get my photos. One hour to get my proof.

He grabbed the doorknob on the store’s front door, turned it, and pulled hard.

It took him several seconds to realize that the film-developing store was dark and closed.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 621