Fangs

Chapter 1

        I suppose from the moment I first found the street I had always thought it was a bit mystical, but I never expected anything to happen on it, and certainly not on that day.  It was just a completely, utterly, average day.  Mr. Lusto droned on about stupid grammar rules, Ms. Minlot yelled at me for zoning off during Math, History was just... well... History, and, of course, I hurt my ankle during P.E.  So, when I left school, freezing my nose off,  my only thought was to get home as quick as possible and sit on the couch with Lucy (my cat) and maybe watch some T.V. 

        It was a freezing February day in the middle of Pennsylvania.  I remember vividly the cold piercing my cheeks and the multi- layers, even without my 1000 pound backpack weighing me down.  My feet were trudging along, feeling dead from the day’s work.  I had woken up to a malfunctioning smoke alarm at 4:00 am and although I collapsed right back onto my bed as soon as it turned off, it seemed to have taken a toll on my eyelids.  And the ice pack numbing my right hand didn’t seem to make anything better.  

        I was grateful to know the way home by heart so I could droop my head and stare at the cracks in the sidewalk rather than up at the street signs.  I cursed my mother for making me go to school after I pretended I was dead by being unresponsive to her coaxing.  I barely registered myself turning onto Hedgewick Lane, but when I looked up to readjust my backpack, I suddenly snapped to attention.  

        A young man taller than an average human was standing with his face turned away from me, but when I gasped at seeing him, he turned around, and I guessed that he was about 25.  Then I saw the most repulsive sight I had ever seen.  He had a red unidentifiable substance dripping down his lip. With a jolt, I realized it was blood.  The ice bag dropped out of my hand, and I was to scared to pick it up.  Littering was the least of my worries.  However, no matter how scared I was, he was even more petrified.

        He spoke with a voice to deep for his body, 

        “And who are you?”  I just stared at him.

        After waiting a few seconds he cleared his throat, breaking me out of my trance.  In the man’s mouth were- no, it was impossible-  there were- no, it couldn’t be- there were fangs.  Noticing my blank stare, he spoke,

        “Yes, these are fangs and yes, I am a vampire.”

A vampire, I thought to myself slowly stepping back, but those don’t exist.  It’s-  The man pulled me back towards him, smiling at something.

        “It’s what?” He said, chuckling. “It’s not impossible or else I wouldn’t be here, seriously, why are humans always so dull.”  I stepped back again, engrossed in thought, How did he know that?  Can he read minds?  “Yes.  And stop stepping back, this is the problem with human stories.  They always portray us as evil.  WE’RE NOT!  It’s really annoying.”

For a moment he stopped and looked me up and down.  I wrapped my arms around my body, suddenly self- conscious. 

        “Wait- why am I talking to you, and where am I?”

        “Hedgewick Lane, Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.” I didn’t know whether or not to continue so I quickly blurted out, “United States of America, Earth.”  I clearly had given to much information, because he just rolled his eyes.  But somehow, this got me even more mad.  

        “How do you have the right to roll your eyes at me?  You just appear in the middle of MY town and you expect me to know everything about you.  Well I don’t, but it would be nice if I did.  So, let’s start at the very beginning.  What’s your name?  Or do you even have a name?  Are you an alien vampire?  So know I have to deal with a creepy blood-sucking guy from outer space just because I was walking home one day.”  I must have looked like a lunatic at that point because I was pacing back and forth and I practically had steam blowing out of my ears.  And then I realized, my mom was going to be so mad when I got home.  “I gotta go.” I said, pushing past the man.  However, his reflexes were quick and grabbed me by my shoulder, forcing me to turn around.  

        “You have to relax.” He put out his hand, hesitantly I took it.  “Hi, my name is Aaron.  I’m sorry we got off on such a bad foot.  I’m from Indiana.  I live with a group of about 6 vampires.  We don’t drink human blood, however we do drink the blood of small animals.  I am 42  years old but I was turned at age 27- and we don’t age (note the appearance).  I’m not quite sure how I got here, I was out hunting and suddenly I was on a different street.  So, I guess I was just stressed, sorry for scaring you.”

Startled by Aaron’s manners, I said, “Thanks.  But I do have to get home.” 

        “Okay- thanks for the info.  If you have any other questions, here’s my number.”  He scrambled in his pockets for a few seconds and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, scribbled something out and handed it to me.  He has a phone?  I scrunched back up the paper, put it in my pocket, and started back on my way home, barely aware of the cold.