How to Be a Vampire (8 page)

“Hold it,” Andrew said.

The vampire glared down at him. “Now what?”

“I can't drink blood,” Andrew pointed out. “No fangs.”

The vampire's frown changed to a smile. “Hey! Maybe you're not so dumb,” he said. “Not all my pupils think to ask. Okay, here's the thing, kid. Your first prey will be tender. Your own teeth can bite through its skin. You'll drink what blood you can. It's a little messy, but—hey. It's a meal.”

Andrew's stomach lurched again. No way could he do this!

“The first thing you have to do . . .” the vampire began.

“I have to go to the bathroom!” Andrew blurted out.

The vampire pointed a finger into the woods. “Then go!”

Andrew took off running. He ran deeper into the Fear Street Woods. He didn't care. As long as he was running away from the vampire. He kept on running. He was getting away! Escaping!

Andrew ran until he couldn't run another step. He stopped in a small clearing. He leaned against a tree, gasping for breath. He had to take off again soon. Before the vampire found him.

Andrew heard leaves rustle. He turned.

He hoped it was a squirrel. Or a rabbit. Or even a bear.

At the edge of the clearing stood the vampire.

But . . . why was he smiling?

“Excellent work, kid!” The vampire rubbed his hands together as he walked toward Andrew. “This is a perfect spot!”

“Spot?” Andrew said, feeling dizzy.

“This clearing.” The vampire nodded in approval. “So many burrows. So many tender young bunnies!”

Andrew groaned. Now, how was he going to get out of this?

“Okay, kid, the first thing you need to do is listen,” the vampire told him. “Listen for the heartbeat.”

“Heartbeat?” Andrew repeated dully. He tried desperately to think up another escape plan.

“The heart?” The vampire leaned toward Andrew. “The thing that pumps blood through the body? The sound it makes is called a heartbeat. Listen for it.”

Andrew cocked his head. “I don't hear anything,” he said after a few seconds. “I guess I'm no good at hunting.”

“Try again,” the vampire commanded. “Close your eyes.”

Andrew closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't hear a heartbeat. After a while the vampire would give up on him. He'd have to! Andrew pretended to listen.

“Really listen!” The vampire's voice boomed.

Uh-oh. Andrew had no choice. He listened.

He heard wind whistling through the trees. Crickets chirruped in the distance. Wings flapped overhead. Something scampered through fallen leaves. Andrew relaxed. He heard only woodsy sounds. His hearing was still only human. He couldn't hear what real vampires heard. No heartbeat.

Andrew smiled with relief. He opened his eyes.

“Well?” the vampire said. “Did you hear it?”

“Sorry,” Andrew said cheerfully. “Didn't hear a thing.”

“Concentrate harder,” the vampire advised. “I know you can do it. I'm pulling for you, kid.”

Andrew closed his eyes again. He thought about heartbeats. How did a heartbeat sound? Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. At least that's the way it sounded in the film Mr. Kopnick showed in science class last year. Everyone in his class joked around for days afterward, chanting: Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Well, there was no way he was going to hear any old lub-dub. He'd just keep his eyes closed a few more seconds. Then he'd open them and say
I can't hear anything.
He'd do it as many times as it took for the vampire to get sick of him and go away!

And then Andrew heard. There was no mistaking it. The sound was nothing like lub-dub. Nothing at all.

It was a small heart. It beat quickly.

Andrew didn't move a muscle. With every part of his body, he listened to the heartbeat. Then, almost without knowing it, he moved toward the sound.

Andrew's mouth began to water.

“Good, good,” the vampire whispered softly. “Follow it.”

Andrew nodded. He kept his eyes closed. He didn't want to take a chance on losing the heartbeat.

“Follow,” the vampire said again. “Go on.”

Andrew moved quickly through the woods. He kept his eyes closed. He didn't need to see. His other senses were awake now. Wide awake. He felt a tree before he bumped into it. Somehow he heard the path he was to follow. He kept his focus on the heartbeat. He sensed his prey more strongly with every step.

He came closer. The heart beat more frantically. His victim must sense his coming. But the terrified creature didn't know where to run, where to hide.

At last the heartbeat took over. It filled Andrew's mind. Saliva dripped from his lips. It ran down his chin. He had never been so hungry. He couldn't wait to take his first bite. To taste the warm red blood.

Now! Andrew opened his eyes. In front of him sat a small brown rabbit. It trembled. Its eyes were large and filled with fear. Andrew stared into the frightened
eyes. The rabbit didn't move. It was frozen with terror.

Andrew reached out and scooped up the rabbit. He held it close. Its heartbeat filled him with such hunger. He stroked the frightened thing once. But he felt no pity.

All he felt was hunger.

All he saw in front of him was food.

Andrew bared his teeth.

He lowered his mouth to the rabbit's neck.

T
he rabbit's fur tickled Andrew's lips.

He wrinkled up his nose: “Ah-chooo!”

The sneeze drove the heartbeat out of Andrew's head. He wiped his free hand across his nose. He stared at the frightened rabbit in his other hand.

What had he been thinking?

Had he wanted to bite this little bunny? To drink its blood?

No way!

He dropped the rabbit. It darted off into the bushes.

Andrew shuddered. He
had
wanted to drink that rabbit's blood! A wave of sickness came over Andrew.
He'd come so close. That was the scary part. He had
wanted
to drink blood!

Then he saw something even scarier. The vampire! He glided through the trees toward him. What would Count Ved do to him? What was the punishment for letting the rabbit go?

The vampire stopped in front of Andrew. “I have misjudged you,” he said.

“I told you,” Andrew whimpered. “I don't want—”

“Silence!” The vampire held up a hand. “You talk too much, kid. Way too much. You must listen. Listen and learn.”

“Okay,” Andrew said weakly.

“Most beginners,” he said, “love to feed on animals.”

Andrew nodded. He had come close to doing it. Too close!

“They become attached to animal feedings,” the vampire went on. “They never develop a taste for human blood.”

“You mean . . .” Andrew began. “You're not punishing me?”

“No.” The vampire smiled. “I'm happy you let the rabbit go. It is a good sign, kid. A very good sign.”

A good sign? Andrew felt shaky as the awful thought hit him:
I'm on my way to drinking human blood!

“Unfortunately,” the vampire went on, “you can't
hunt human prey yet. Not without fangs. So that lesson will have to wait.”

Andrew heaved a great sigh of relief.

“Your fangs will come, kid.” The vampire put an arm around Andrew's shoulder. “Hey, maybe they'll show up in time for
Fangs
giving!” Again the vampire cackled at his own joke.

The two started walking through the Fear Street Woods.

Andrew didn't know which was worse. The vampire's rotten scent—or his rotten sense of humor.

“You're small, kid,” the vampire was saying. “But promising. I knew you wouldn't want the rabbit! I felt it in my bones.”

They kept walking. The vampire kept talking. But Andrew didn't listen. He thought about that rabbit. He had come so close to drinking its blood! He
never
wanted to come that close again. He had to figure out how to stop turning into a vampire.

Andrew had only one hope: T.J. If anyone could figure out how to stop him from turning into a vampire, T.J. could.

The vampire stopped near Lake Fear. He studied the sky.

Andrew gazed up too. The stars had faded. It wasn't quite so dark anymore.

“Dawn will soon be here,” the vampire warned. “Quick, kid! Dig yourself a hole to sleep in.”

“A hole?” Andrew couldn't believe his ears.

“Find a stick to dig with,” the vampire said. “The earth offers protection. We vampires need to be close to the earth.”

“I can't sleep in a hole!” Andrew protested. “I'll smother!”

“Oh, you and your human needs.” The vampire gave him a disgusted glance. “I don't have time to argue. Go on home. I'll come for you tomorrow night, kid.”

Andrew stared as the vampire's black cape swirled around him. It seemed to swallow him. And then the cape vanished and a large black bat appeared. It flapped its wings, rising ever higher. Andrew watched until the bat disappeared.

Now the sky was filled with pink light. Andrew guessed it was nearly dawn. Good. Nobody would be around. Nobody would see him running home in his pajamas!

Andrew hurried through the woods. The first rays of sunlight stung his skin. He darted for the shade of a large oak tree. From there he ran to another patch of shade. And another. All the long way home Andrew kept to the shadows.

At last he reached his house. He felt under the doormat for the spare key and quietly unlocked the door. He tiptoed up the stairs. His mom and Emily were still asleep. A glance at his clock told him why. It was only six o'clock in the morning!

Andrew checked his face in the bathroom mirror.
He'd turned bright red. His freckles were fried! His skin stung. He put on some of his mom's after-sun lotion. But it didn't help much.

Andrew went back to his bedroom and flopped down on his bed. He felt totally wiped out. What a night!

He lay there. But he couldn't sleep. Andrew rolled over on his back. He didn't have fangs yet. That was a good sign. The vampire wouldn't try to make him drink human blood until his fangs grew in. Maybe they'd never grow in. Maybe he'd never become a real vampire. Maybe.

Anyway, T.J. would know how to undo a vampire bite. He knew everything about vampires. T.J. was his only hope!

Andrew's eyes closed. His thoughts spun inside his head as sleep took him.

He woke with a jolt. Something was wrong. He felt dizzy and sick. His mouth was killing him.

Andrew ran to the bathroom.

He looked in the mirror.

His face was still red.

Then he opened his mouth and screamed.

F
angs!

Andrew stared at his mouth in horror.

He was growing fangs!

No. He wasn't growing fangs. He'd already grown them! They sprouted from his gums over his eyeteeth. They were long and white and pointy.

Andrew put a finger to the tip of one. It was needle sharp.

He turned and ran down the hall to his sister's room.

“Emily!” He shook her. “Emily, wake up!”

“It's Saturday, you moron,” Emily murmured. “Go away.”

“Emily!” Andrew shook harder. “I'm a vampire, Em! A real vampire. You have to help me!”

Emily's voice grew louder with each word as she said, “I am so sick of your vampire jokes, I could scream!”

“This is no joke. I need help,” Andrew begged. “Please!”

Emily put her pillow over her head.

But Andrew talked anyway. He told her everything. About the night before. About the old vampire coming to his room. About jumping out the window. About turning into a bat and flying.

Every once in a while he poked the pillow. “Are you listening?” he asked.

Emily nodded.

When he finished, Andrew pulled the pillow off Emily's head.

“It was a nightmare,” Emily muttered, her eyes still closed.

“Open your stupid eyes, Emily,” Andrew said.