Vampire at 14 Penrose Lane (re-write)

2. The Hooded Stranger

CHAPTER 2

 

The afternoon sun is bright and sharp as I step out of my front door. I welcome the sun as it warms my cheeks that I even smile a little. Penrose street is quiet as usual.

"Morning, Isla?" a voice greets behind me, making me jerk. The fault of my panicky heart. I suck in a breath and see Trudy. The neighbor two doors away with a blueberry pie in her hand.

She grins at me with cherry red lips that match her red and white polka dot summer dress. I frown. It looks like she dressed up for something or someone. Her mouth twitches, like she wants to burst out with some confession.

I stand with my back against the front door, feeling quite uneasy as I clutch my bag against my chest. "What's wrong?" I ask, hesitantly.

Trudy smiles. "I caught a glimpse of him at last," she gloats.

I scrunch my eyes. "Who?"

"Our new neighbor." Her head tilts down the lane to the faded white double story. I blink three times. Him? Was she pointing at that house?

"I thought the neighbor keeps to himself?" I say.

"Well, typically he does, but I saw him walking the street past my house last night."

At night?

"He'll rather not stay at home and be safe?" I ask.

She shrugs. "He's probably those macho men that can defend themselves against vampires, you know."

"Can you really defend yourself against a vampire?" I argue. "If they want your blood, they'll take it."

Trudy huffs and straightens her back. "I choose not to be so pessimistic like you, Isla. Our defence weapons make a difference against them." She rolls her eyes, scanning me from my pumps to my light pink shirt. "Really? No wonder you don't have any friends."

I blink hard at her bluntness. "I'm running late for work and still need to get lunch," I grumble.

Sickly sweet sugar wafts up my nose. The blueberry pie hovers close against my face. "I would give you this pie I made fresh this morning." Trudy's grin returns. "But unfortunately, it's for the hot new neighbor," she says as she perks up her breasts.

"Hot?" I echo.

She puckers her lips. "Tall and mysterious, too." She hums like she wanted to rupture out of her panties. "I intend to cancel the mysterious part, though." Trudy narrows her eyes in determination as she zeroes in on the house. "I want to find out his name and hear if he's single. Wish me luck," she sang and giggles, strutting away down the street, sashaying her hips like a horse on a catwalk.

"Good luck?" I mumble after her. Why do I feel like she was going to need it?

I saunter up the sidewalk leading to the far-end bus stop. I stop and turn around, too tempted to see Trudy greet the new neighbor. She finally made it up to the enormous house. Her manicured fingers unhinged the peeling, splintered fence. Her red lips grimace at the touch, and I stifle a laugh. She moves further in, glancing right and left at the overgrown hedging and weeds from the unkept garden. Her mouth dropping into an unpleasant frown. The curtains are still drawn closed. No life stirs inside the house.

She walks up the three steps to the black oak door and knocks three times. Her flirty smile returning as she patted out her brown curly locks. I squint my eyes to see who will open the door. But after a while and ten more knocks from Trudy. No one opens it. She stands there like a lost red penguin, chewing the inside of her cheek in embarrassment.