You Were What You Eat
by Stephanie Prochaska
Copyright 2011 Stephanie Prochaska
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CONTENTS
1 Something in the Night
2 Rosemont High
3 Lunch
4 Life in the 1700s
5 Demons – Past and Present
6 Ye Olde Antiques Shoppe
7 When the Rain Comes
8 Rainy-Day Attack
9 Carmine’s Discovery
10 In the Alley
11 The Confrontation
12 The Past Comes Back
13 Jacqueline
14 Luke
15 At the Dance
16 The Football Game
17 The Figure at the Window
18 The Panic Starts
19 Tensions Between Friends
20 The Problem of Carmine
21 Sharon’s Explanation
22 Trouble at School
23 The Blame Game
24 A Confidant
25 Hunting Together
26 A Proposition
27 A Different Kind of Hunt
28 In the Park
29 The Chase
30 The Horror Show
31 Resolve
32 A Little Help from a Friend
33 Can’t Even Get a Break
34 The Plan
35 Vampire-Hunting
36 Fight to The Death
37 Finishing the Deed
38 What Carmine Knows
About the Author
More Books from this Author
Chapter 1: Something in the Night
It was nighttime – the only time she ever really felt at ease. At night, she was in control. There was no worrying about how to act or what others would think; it was just her doing what she did best.
Pale concrete paths snaked through the park, around trees and picnic tables. The main one passed right beside the bench she was sitting on. It was a cool night, and a breeze blew gently through her hair. The only light came from the windows of houses bordering the park. But even these were almost completely obscured by trees.
Anna looked up at the sky. It was velvety-black, the moon only a sliver in the darkness. She was waiting, but not for anyone in particular. Over the years, it’d been her experience that certain kinds of people liked to come to parks at night, and it was one of those people that she was hoping to find. And even though she was in the very center of the park, she was almost impossible to see.
It wouldn’t be much longer now, she knew. And as she finished the thought, she heard the faint sound of footsteps coming along the path. She turned expectantly, a slight smile on her lips.
A gangly boy in his late teens was coming towards her. He had on a dark trenchcoat, billowing out slightly behind him. With his dark clothes and the lack of light, he’d be hard for most people to see. But not Anna. She had very good night vision – perfect, in fact. She grinned to herself; he’d do nicely.
When he was close enough, she shifted slightly on the bench, making herself more visible. The kid started a little, surprised.
“What are you doing out so late?” he asked casually, almost as if he knew her.
“I might ask you the same thing.” she replied sweetly, tilting her head up to get a better look at him.
Despite her slight build, Anna was incredibly strong; several times stronger than any human. She could easily overpower this skinny kid. But she didn’t. There would be too much of a struggle, and she just hated struggles. Besides, she knew an easier way to get what she wanted.
“I just decided to take a walk.” the kid said, sitting down next to her. “I mean, it’s such a beautiful night. The stars are shining…”
Anna smiled into the darkness at this. There were almost no stars out tonight; while waiting here, she’d counted only six. But she let it pass.
“You just needed to get out of the house?” she asked gently – sympathetically. She’d had this conversation hundreds of times before and knew exactly where it was going.
“Yeah,” he said. “My parents are driving me nuts.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” Anna lied.
She hadn’t had parents for so long, it was difficult for her to remember what it was like at all. And she certainly didn’t remember if they drove her nuts. Still, she knew it was the thing to say. It worked – it always did. It never ceased to amaze her how far a little sympathy could go.
He turned to face her, opening up about what exactly was bothering him. But Anna didn’t pay any attention; she was already moving onto the next part of her plan. As she stared into his eyes, gold flecks started to appear in her own.
“I mean, they never listen to me.” the boy started. “Like today. I came home a little late, and when I…tried to…explain…that…” he trailed off.
He stared into her eyes, his mind becoming blank. She knew he didn’t remember what he was going to say, or what they’d been talking about in the first place. And if she did this right, he wouldn’t even remember her. As she continued to stare at him, the gold in her eyes became more and more noticeable, until her irises were consumed by it.
The boy’s eyes slowly began to close, and Anna could see that he was completely in her grasp. She smiled sweetly at him, even though he was no longer looking at her. She took her time, knowing there was no rush.
She looked fondly at the boy; he seemed so nice. And human contact was so rare for her. But even as she thought about how nice he might be, her incisors became longer, thinner. She grinned at him one last time, revealing long white fangs. It turned what would have been a very nice smile into something so much more sinister.
Slowly she leaned into him, no longer looking quite so helpless. Her slender fingers slowly reached up to the boy’s head. She gently eased it back, exposing his perfect neck. She turned his head away – both to get a better angle and to avoid having to face him. Then, when everything was just the way she wanted it, she opened her mouth and lunged toward his neck, biting him. Hard.
She hit her target perfectly, feeling the warm blood gushing through her mouth. It was a wonderful sensation that she could never adequately describe – in the unlikely event she ever had to. And it filled her up in a way that food no longer could.
When she’d had her fill, she pulled slowly away. As she looked down at the boy’s neck, she could see two small, red puncture marks where she’d bitten him. A drop of blood trickled about an inch from one, but that was it. Already, the wounds were starting to heal. Within just a few short hours, they’d be completely gone, leaving no evidence of her nighttime excursion.
Anna stood up and turned to face the boy. Carefully, she eased him down so he was laying on the bench. She’d taken quite a bit of blood from him, but not nearly enough to kill him. Just enough to make him feel, well…drained. Killing this boy was the last thing she’d want. No, he’d wake up in a few hours, and she didn’t want him to be too uncomfortable when he did.
She started to walk away, but turned for one last look. He was laying on the bench, looking almost peaceful. She might have thought he was asleep if she didn’t know better. But, enough of that. Now that she’d done what she came for, it was time to leave before anyone else showed up. As Anna walked casually away, the only noise was the sound of a tune being quietly whistled in the dark.