Fangtasia

The thief

I was released the next morning, after speaking to the police again. My answers were, apparently, much the same and it was a relief that I hadn't gone insane and corroborated my earlier story when I was high on medication, but I could still see the disappointment on their faces that I was pretty much useless to them.

I managed to avoid the psych nurse, but figured there was no harm in keeping her card.

The next couple of days were made up of sleeping and quietly recuperating at Pam's, though I didn't see her at all. Or any other vampires. Grace was with me throughout though, which I was relieved and greatly appreciative of. She joked and got me to laugh, which hurt but it was good. We sunbathed in the garden and she even found a barbecue to make dinner with. It was like it was before all this started.

But I couldn't forget about the situation I was in. How could I when I could hardly turn my neck, or the deep purple bruises were still disturbingly fresh? I thought I'd have nightmares or be scared of being alone, but thankfully I was spared those. For the first couple of nights Grace would linger in my room, so maybe she was expecting me to freak out as well, but I didn't and could tell her that I was fine to put myself to bed. And I meant it.

It was just before sunset, driving home from the shops with Grace, when I felt my first real pang of anxiety and that was due to what Grace had just suggested.

"I really don't want to go to the bar, Grace" I said in the strange gravelly voice I had been left with, but at least I could talk now. I was tired from yet another lovely sun filled day and my trip out to the shops, which I was nervous about as it was still very evident that I had been brutally attacked. I wanted a nap before we cooked dinner and watched TV. Why did she have to change my recuperating schedule?

Oh yeah, and I wanted to avoid a certain vampire.

"I just need to collect a few things for Pam. It'll be fine. And Ginger's been asking about you." She glanced over and recognised the completely unbelieving look I gave her. "Seriously, she asked Pam for an update and then me the other day when I popped in."

As much as I would like to think that Ginger wasn't all bad, I just couldn't. I guess I hold on to my snap judgement about some people.

It was too late to really argue with Grace though as she had reached the intersection and turned right to the industrial district.

"Grace..." I moaned but she wasn't having any of it.

"Alex, it needs to be done. You can't hide away from this just cos you're embarrassed. You're being as bad as he is." I had told Grace about the whole Eric situation, well, from the beginning really as she had hardly been around. It was good to talk it out with someone, find out if you were insane for thinking certain things. She was great with it, as she always was in matters of personal embarrassment. She laughed at me, and made fun of me. But that was good; she always reminded me that I took things a bit too seriously.

But what exactly did she mean by 'acting as bad as he is'?

"Well, he's hardly knocking down the door to see you. He must be embarrassed or he would be acting like nothing happened at all."

Somehow her logic didn't quite fit with me, surely he just didn't want to see me (and so I really didn't want to see him) but it was easier not to argue. That was the only downside to telling Grace the details; she was annoyingly optimistic about it, thinking it would all end happily ever after. Whether it was me being cynical or down on myself or just plain realistic, I couldn't help but rationalise that just because she thought that I was great didn't mean the rest of the world, and Eric, had to as well. He had said he wanted rid of me and I believed him.