Page 55 of The Neighborhood Vampire

Alice gripped the wheel tighter as she approached the exit for Newbury Grove. She slowed and, without stopping, turned on to US 42 and once again pushed the SUV to its limits as she raced for home. The darkness of the less populated highway enveloped the car; only the headlights fought back to light the path.

She passed Wildgrove Park and entered the Newbury Grove town center. The tires screeched as she turned through traffic signswithout stopping. After a few more turns, she was home on Ravenhill Drive. She slammed on the brakes as she approached her purple house. The tires jumped the curb. She didn’t care. She only thought of one thing: Hugo.

She exited the SUV, sprinting up the walkway and porch stairs. She froze. Laying against the front door, face nestled into the corner and covered by his black leather jacket, was Hugo.

“Hugo!” Alice shouted before covering her mouth in abject terror.

He was in the same spot as the picture and wasn’t moving. She rushed to his side, throwing off the leather jacket. His neck and shirt were covered in blood.His blood.

“Hugo, can you hear me?”

He didn’t move.

She shook him. “Hugo, please wake up.”

He was lifeless.

Tears welled in her eyes. “No. No, no, no, no.”

She tried the door. It was locked.

The defenses held.

Max’s muffled bark came from inside. She pulled a brass key from her pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it. Hugo slumped forward as the door gave way. Max rushed to see who was entering the house. She tried to nestle against the slumping Hugo.

“Not now, Max,” Alice said as she pushed her back.

Alice threw Hugo’s arm over her shoulder, snapped her fingers, and as if some unseen force assisted her, she lifted Hugo off the ground. His limp legs and Chelsea boots dragged along the hardwood floor as Alice brought Hugo to the living room. She snapped her fingers, and the door slammed shut.

Shrieks of terror came from her reflection in the upstairs bathroom. “Hey, you, help me. He’s not responding,” her reflection yelled.

“I’m working on it,” Alice yelled back up. “Give me a moment.”

She dragged him into the living room and plopped him onto the red velvet, Victorian couch. He collapsed onto the cushions, properlyexposing his wounds. Two trails of blood flowed like dried riverbeds from healed wounds on his neck down to his shirt.

Max sniffed Hugo and placed her head on the couch. She let out a low whimper. The reality of the situation washed over Alice. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

“Hugo, what did you do?”

She peered over to the hourglass sitting on the end table. Her sadness turned to a fleeting moment of joyous eureka.

“The Lovers’ Kiss!” Alice shouted.

She ran out of the living and opened the basement door. With a snap of her fingers, the lights turned on. She stumbled down the creaky wooden stairs into the basement. She rushed to the wine cellar door and flung it open without the assistance of the arcane. The candles in the wall sconces roared to life as she entered.

She rushed to her work bench, frantically pulling open her apothecary cabinet drawers. She opened a few, not able to find what she was searching for until she found a vial filled with blue liquid. She clutched the bottle and hurried past wine racks filled with various bottles waiting for their trip to Ez’s nightclub.

A special rack stood in the corner of the wine cellar filled with more than a dozen blackish-green bottles. Each with a special label markedThe Lovers’ Kiss Hugo & Alice. She grabbed a bottle and raced out of the cellar, not even stopping to shut the door. She charged up the stairs and back into the living room.

“Glass!” she shouted.

She set the bottle and vial on the end table. She darted out of the far entryway, through the hallway, and into the kitchen. She flung open cabinet doors with a snap of her fingers to expose the hidden wineglass. With her prize in hand, she returned to the living room.

Max still held her gaze on Hugo’s unresponsive face. Her tail wagged, not with excitement, but low swipes of concern. Alice set the glass down, and with the same movement, palmed the vial filled with blue liquid. She took hold of Hugo’s shoulders and jostled him, so he was upright, leaning his head back against the couch.

“I hope this works, Max,” Alice said. “I’ve only used it on passed out drunks. I have no idea about vampire bites.”

She snapped her fingers, and the cork flew out. She placed the vial over Hugo’s open lips and poured the contents into his mouth. She wiped away some of the liquid that escaped through the side of his mouth.

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