Crispin the Vampire: The Cross of Blood

7

7

As I gaped at her, my mouth suddenly feeling different. Fangs. How could this be? Were my father and Asta vampires as well? Why did no one deign to tell me the startling truth? Even though I, who am the lowliest of lows, has often sinned, did not I deserve at least the truth instead of lies and trickery?

Supposedly not.

She grabbed my arm, and I squeaked, "What is your name?" The mysterious girl threw back her head and laughed a high-pitched laugh. "Megan. Now come on."

***

As walked farther away from the village and farther into the woods, I realized we were heading towards THE FOREST. I tugged away from she. Her grip was stronger than an iron clamp around my wrist. "Nooo," I halfheartedly mumbled. I knew I had no chance.

I walked straight into Megan. She had no comeback for me, just a silencing glare. Then I heard it. Footsteps. Coming nearer to us.

I tried to run. She walked me to a tree. She pulled out rope. I distracted myself by looking at the tree. It was an oak tree covered with leaves. What...? Megan bound my wrists and ankles with rope. She put a loop of rope around my waist and tied me to the tree. Megan gave me a look I knew better than to argue with. Then she disappeared. With the footsteps becoming louder. And with voices.

I mustn't be seen.

I mustn't be seen.

I concentrated so hard on becoming invisible.

And then, voices.

"The boy'll be leagues by now."

"Aye."

"I've seen a kind of strength in lunacy. The steward claims it was madness and grief over his mother's death that caused Asta's son to break into the manor house and eat the chickens."

I knew whom these men were. Matthew, the first voice, was famous for his skill with the glaive. He was a tall, loud, and vain fellow. In his day, Matthew was considered the "Best looking boy in all of Stromford."The second voice, a man by the name of Jeff, was small, quiet, and Stromford's finest archer.

As they got closer, Matthew started to speak in a low tone.

"Do you believe this?"

They stopped directly in front of me. Jeff took his own sweet time to answer. He wouldn't dare. Jeff looked directly at me and took a breath. "Are you asking me if I believe Asta's son, the most skittish boy I've ever seen, entered the manor house, found the chickens, ate them when no one was looking, and ran away into THE FOREST?" Matthew looked sheepish. "I've seen many incredible things in my life," Jeff said. "But nothing so unbelievable as this."

"I agree," Matthew said quickly. He didn't seem to see me, but Jeff did and even winked. "But 'tis only what the steward said," Matthew added. Jeff sighed and said, "And there's the end."

They then spoke of how Ayncliffe was a tyrant. They hated him, and hoped for Lord Duranger to come back to Stromford soon. They walked away.

Talk like that would be considered treason, a hanging offense. It went against the will of our life, our masters. It disrupted the natural order.

And the knowledge I'd obtained, that I was accused of theft, befuddled me even more. What is this life?

Out of nowhere, Megan appeared. She grinned and showed off her wicked knife. She raised it, causing me to flinch. But she only cut my bonds. Then she hissed at me. "You didn't try hard enough to be invisible!" I hung my head. She raised her knife again and cut my arm. The blood dripped onto the ground.

"That'll teach you."