Over an hour later, I pulled up to the cemetery. It looked empty, but just to be safe I parked the Mustang a little further down the road and walked through the woods. I kept an eye out for anything. I didn’t want to run into any people I knew or any other vampire friends who might be lurking in the woods. Hopefully they took a hint from their dusty friend. I wasn’t going to go quietly.
From the trees, I saw the little white wooden cross sticking out of the ground. I crossed the empty graveyard and neared the grave. It was now completely filled in with dirt. Nothing looked out of place. A few fresh pink roses sat underneath the cross. I picked up one of the roses, letting its heavy scent linger in my nose. I decided to take it with me. No one would notice it.
The quickest way to Harold’s house was through the woods, the way I had come originally. Now that I knew where I was going, it would be a quick run, and I was enjoying the cold, crisp air. It helped me clear my head. I glanced up at the hill, where the house was perched, and set off. I made it there in just a few minutes, the woods flashing by me in a blur, the cold air blowing through my long hair. It was like riding a motorcycle.
I stopped a few feet from the edge of the woods. It was, after all, the middle of the day, and I couldn’t just go waltzing in there without making sure it was empty. I circled the property. There were no cars in the driveway; I assumed they were still in the garage. The garage door was closed, just as it was when I left. I crept closer to the house, peering through the downstairs windows. I didn’t see anyone. I sniffed the air. I didn’t smell anything other than damp leaves and the wintry forest air.
I walked around to the garage. I could just throw the door open to see if they were still there. It’s not like they would be alive. I felt so bad for them. They were just trying to help me. And they did, but I doubt they thought it would cost them their lives. I stood in front of the door, my hand on the handle and closed my eyes. I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to see them. I started to walk away and then stopped. No. I’d made this mess. Now it was up to me to see if it needed to be cleaned up so my family wouldn’t get hurt any further. I walked back to the door, my hands shaking, and threw it open. It rattled in the tracks as it went up.
Empty.
Other than the cars, and the gadgets on Harold’s workbench, the garage was completely devoid of bodies, human or otherwise. I walked closer, inspecting the area where I’d left them laying arm in arm on the cold concrete floor. Nothing. Not even a trace of blood. They’d vanished. I walked towards the workbench, looking near the phone where I’d bitten Mrs. Harold. Again, it was completely clean. So weird. I had one last place I had to check before I left.
The back door was unlocked. That wasn’t unusual, most people left their doors unlocked in Rochelle. But if someone had been here, like the police or a relative, it was a little strange to think that they’d left the house wide open. Unless whomever had been here wanted to make it look like no one had been here. I sniffed the air again to check for humans. Nothing. There was faint scent I had trouble identifying at first. It didn’t smell good, not like human blood. It was a little off. I remembered when I’d cut my tongue on my new teeth and smelled my own blood. Vampire blood. But it was just a trace, so it had been a couple days.
I crept up the stairs. Everything was as I’d left it. Mrs. Harold’s bed was still turned down, her romance novel still on the bedside table. The closet looked a little tidier since I’d finished digging through it. I hadn’t been so careful when I was looking for something to wear. I tiptoed back into the hallway. Even though no one was there, I still felt like I was trespassing. I flung the bathroom door open. There were no traces of blood or mud anywhere and my Homecoming dress was gone. It was as if I’d never been there.
Someone else besides my creepy vampire friend in the woods knew I had risen from the grave and for some reason was trying to cover for me.
I had two questions that I certainly couldn’t answer.