The Chloenicles #1 [COMPLETE]

Chapter 12: Of backstories and the undecided

After Paul Herford had talked to me about typical vampire misconceptions, we stayed silent for most of the time. 
Miranda sang along to the radio once in a while or said something when she saw an animal on the side of the road or wanted another slice of pizza.

Paul  Herford was still moping. He only opened his mouth to complain when he didn't like the song that was on the radio. 

I had mostly been thinking about the new information I had learned. I still didn't a hundred percent believe that Paul Herford  was a vampire (even though I kind of wanted to).

Everything he told me made sense somehow but the more I thought about it the louder became the little voice in the back of my head, that told me that everything was just a convenient excuse.
I mainly had wanted to know all of this so that I had a chance to verify his claims somehow.
Push him into the sunlight and see if he burns.
Hold a mirror in front of his face and see if I can see his reflection.
Make him show me his fangs.
Wave a cross or garlic around to see if he runs away.
But apparently all of this was useless because none of these things were true about vampires.

I didn't know what to do.
All I could do for now was to believe him in good faith, see what happens and be patient.
I sighed.
I wouldn't necessarily list patience and believing people as my strengths.

The trees outside the window had become smaller and the sun was shining brightly.
We had been on the road for a while now.
Miranda's hand sanitizer and tissues had come in handy a couple of times already, because other than the one time we had stopped for gas, she had tried to take breaks from driving as far from civilization as possible.
In the couple of hours we had been driving, I had counted forty-six cars total, seven of which had been driving in the same direction as us and had caused Miranda to assume that, in spite of all her efforts, we had been followed. Luckily it had been a false alarm every time.

A loud groaning sound, curtesy of Paul Herford, released me from the spinning thoughts in my head.
„I am changing the song, go back to sulking", Miranda said automatically while her hand reached for the radio.
„No, I am hungry this time", he complained. It almost sounded like he was offended by Miranda misinterpreting his source of his misery.
„Eat some more rice crackers.", she suggested.
„I ate them all."
„Really? I thought they'd last a little longer and you would not eat them all at once. You know... given the fact that you hate rice crackers."
„I am hungry", he howled. It almost sounded like he was singing again.
„All right, all right, calm down, we're stopping next opportunity to see what's in the trunk."
Paul Herford mumbled something to himself that I could not really understand, all I could make out was: „Calm down, easy for you to say you pizza eating traitor."

Wow he was really mad.
Maybe Hanger would be is wrestler name. I pictured the scenario in my head: ‚in the right corner with not enough pounds or muscles to be a wrestler, is Paul! He is hungry, he is angry, he is hangry! Beware of the Hanger as he is all consuming!'
What can I tell you, I was bored.
A couple minutes later we left the highway and stopped at the edge of some nearby forest.
The second the car was parked, Paul Herford threw himself out of the door and ran towards the trunk to find snacks.
I decided that I would use the opportunity to stretch my legs and get some fresh air.

I got out of the car and leaned against the dark blue car door.
The warm sunlight felt good on my face and even though I was not wearing a jacket, I was not cold.
We must have driven south, it is usually warmer in the south is it not? The warmer climate would explain the smaller trees.
But colder climate would also explain smaller trees.
Well, what do I know, I'm still not a bad ass detective with smart ass detective skills.
Maybe it was just a warm pre- winter day.