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CHAPTER 32 RETURN TO VAMPIRE ISLAND

Raindrops pattered softly on the dock as Billy untied the line, then jumped into the rowboat with Diana. The boat rocked gently from side to side.

He and Diana wore raincoats with plastic hoods. Billy adjusted his hood as he settled into the boat.

I’m finally doing it, he thought. I’m finally going to get my revenge on the vampires.

It was only noon, but the dark clouds hovering low in the sky made it nearly as dark as night. Billy slipped the oars into the oarlocks and began rowing.

Diana sat in the stern, facing him. Her jaw was set, her expression determined, her eyes hard.

Billy was sure that nothing would stop her from killing Irene and Kylie if she got the chance.

He wished Jay had come along. He knew they needed all the help they could get. But after staying up all night the day before, poor, weakened Jay had to get some sleep.

Billy studied the two nylon backpacks that lay on the floor between them. Each one contained the same items. Wooden stakes. And a hammer. The tools for destroying vampires.

He had bought the stakes at a local carpenter shop. Made of the hardest oak, they were long and slender, tapered to an incredibly sharp point.

“I would feel better with bright sunlight,” Diana declared.

“It’s supposed to rain like this all week,” Billy replied, dipping the oars into the water and leaning back as he pulled on the handles. “And I’m off from work today. This is the only day we can do it.”

Diana nodded. “But it’s such a dark day . . .”

“Most vampires can’t stand any daylight,” Billy assured her. “The sun doesn’t have to be shining. That’s what the books I read all say.”

The rain continued to fall in a steady drizzle. The raindrops pattered on Billy’s rain slicker. The ocean seemed as calm as a lake. The boat rocked gently as it glided toward the island.

“Are you scared?” Billy asked.

“Yes,” Diana replied. “But I can do it. I’ve already killed one vampire. I know I can do it again.”

“You mean here?” Billy cried. “This summer?”

“Yes. His name was Eric. I killed him with a wooden stake.”

Billy stared at her in astonishment. She looked so fragile and sweet. And she had already killed more vampires than he had. She didn’t say anything more about it, so he didn’t ask.

Glancing over his shoulder, Billy saw the island looming above them. This was the first time he had seen it in the daylight. It seemed dark and menacing even now.

“It looks evil,” Diana observed.

“It is evil,” Billy replied.

Before long he could make out the tall trees that lined the shore.

An icy drop of perspiration slid down his forehead. He shivered.

Billy rowed toward the spot where he thought the old dock stood. He scanned the shore.

Where’s the dock? he wondered. Why can’t I see it?

The boat drifted closer to shore.

“It’s gone,” he muttered.

“What is?” Diana asked. “What’s gone?”

“The dock. Look.”

A few sawed-off pilings poked out of the water, marking the spot where the dock had stood. He couldn’t find a place to tie up the boat.



“Vampires must have destroyed the dock,” Billy decided. “They wanted to make it harder for anyone to sneak up on them while they sleep.”

Diana’s eyes narrowed in fear. “Do you think the vampires suspect something? Do you think they might suspect someone is coming here to get them?”

It wasn’t a question Billy wanted to think about.

He rowed along the shoreline, looking for a spot to beach the boat. There seemed to be nothing but big rocks and sheer drop-offs.

“Can we swim ashore?” Diana asked.

“No anchor. The boat would drift away. We’d have no way to get back.”

Billy pulled on the oars, heading for the ocean side of the island. The waves grew bigger, the rowboat riding high on the swells, then dropping into the troughs. Ocean water burst over the bow, splashing into Billy’s face.

“This little boat wasn’t made for going into the ocean,” Diana said tensely. She held onto her seat with both hands.

He spotted a change in the shoreline. “Look!” he exclaimed. “An inlet.”

He rowed toward it, the boat rising and dipping, rocking and twisting. It felt like a roller coaster ride. Only more frightening. No one ever drowned on a roller coaster.

The water calmed as the boat slid into the inlet. Trees rose above them, sending gnarled branches over the water.

The water here looked black. The boat glided through it silently. Billy remembered the spooky howls and cries he had heard the last time he was here. But this time an eerie quiet had settled over everything.

“Over there.” Diana pointed to a spot where the forest floor sloped gently down to the water. The perfect spot to leave the boat.

Billy guided the rowboat to the spot, its bow sliding onto the soft earth. He leapt out of the boat and tied it to a tree.

Diana tossed him the two backpacks, then climbed onto shore.

Billy took a deep breath. The air felt damp and stale. “You ready?”

Diana nodded. Her eyes glowed with determination.

Billy hadn’t realized how small the island was. It only took a few minutes before he spotted one of the burned-out beach houses. He and Diana started toward it. As they walked, more of the blackened houses came into view.

“How will we ever find their coffins?” Billy wondered out loud. He glanced at his watch. “It’s already afternoon. We should probably split up. It’ll be faster.”

Diana shifted her backpack. “You really think that’s a good idea?”

“You afraid to be alone?”

She hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I am. A little. When I killed that vampire Eric on the beach, I was on my own territory. This is different. This is their world. It’s a lot scarier than a beach.”

“Can you still go through with it if we find them?” Billy demanded.

She fixed her gaze on him. “Yes,” she declared. “For April.”

“It really would be faster if we split up,” Billy insisted. “Don’t worry. The vampires are asleep. If you find them, all you have to do is call me, and I’ll be right there.”

Diana nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m being a wimp.” She smiled bravely. “Come on. Let’s find Kylie and Irene. I’ll go this way. You go that way.”

They separated and Billy watched as Diana stepped into the blackened shell of a cottage. Then he picked out a charred house on his right, strode boldly to the doorway—and stepped inside.

So dark inside. He blinked, eager for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

And realized he was not alone.

 

 


Date: 2015-04-20; view: 670


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CHAPTER 31 APRIL IS DEAD | CHAPTER 33 WHO IS IN THE COFFINS?
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