Page 72 of My Road Trip with a Vampire: Season One
My heart pinches in my chest. My emotions are upended by Dennis’ wave of grief. I know the feeling well, but this is a bottomless pit of despair.
I close my eyes, trying to think of any way to break free. I’ve never encountered a spirit that could maintain this level of control for so long. The terrible feeling gives her more strength, undoing any progress I’ve made in peeling myself from the damn wall.
Darling yips, jumping near my ankles. She tucks her head down by her paws, wiggling her fluffy butt like she used to do on my bed every morning when she was alive. It’s a small thing, but it reminds me that Dennis’ feelings are his own.
The lady in red might have a hold on him, but only I get to control my thoughts.
I take a few deep breaths and remember the way our kiss bloomed into something hot and intense. I replay the moment in my mind until my body remembers the bliss I felt when our tongues met.
I wiggle my fingers and slide a couple of inches down the wall. My feet hit the floor. I try to hold onto that good vibe and channel it over the bond.
I look at Dennis and think of us in the shower. Our legs tangling together in bed. His fangs touching my neck, ever so lightly.
He blinks, and the lights dim. The lady in red looks back at me, her face appearing as a skull between the flashes of darkness.
She takes a few steps toward me and disappears.
I barely have time to take a full breath before Dennis reaches for me in the dark.
“I don’t think she’s gone,” I say when he pulls me toward the stairs.
“Doesn’t matter. We have to go.”
“What? Why?”
“Because she’s not a ghost. That thing back there is a fucking demonic entity.”
"A demon?"
A sickening chill rattles through my body. I’ve always held out hope that beings of pure evil were made up. They were only stories my mother told me to scare me into not having sex before marriage.
Even after learning that ghosts and vampires exist, the discovery is a shock to my system.
“It’s ok,” he whispers, “but we have to get out of here. I lack the skills required to banish demons. That’s an extremely rare talent.”
“Do you know someone who can teach me?” I ask as we bounce down the steps.
“No. I know someone who deals with demons, but he’s an ex and rather difficult to get ahold of when you actually want to see him,” he mumbles. “We were over decades ago. Before you were even born,” he adds.
We’re approaching the first floor when I hear the faint sound ofBlue Danubeticking up again. I stop, and Dennis freezes beside me. I think of Martha and how lost she looked. She’ll never know peace in this place. Not with that hellish creature roaming about.
“We can’t leave her here.”
I think Dennis is about to argue or carry me out of here, but I hear the scrape of his palm against his stubble.
“Fine, but if things go wrong, you have to get out of here.” He growls low in his throat. “Make it quick and keep your thoughts positive.”
“All unicorns and moonbeams here,” I say, already turning to retrace our steps. Dennis finds the crystal and flashlight I dropped on the floor.
“Your tools, my lady.”
I click on the light, careful to keep my thoughts neutral as I search for Martha. Her footsteps have ceased, but the music plays in an endless loop.
“It’s coming from over here,” I say. There are no tell-tale signs of red light, only music and the soft sound of weeping when I open the door.
Pale moonlight streams in through the window, illuminating the wraith-like figure sitting on the floor. Dennis steps in, and I sprinkle salt in the doorway. I’m not sure how well it works to keep demons out, but it’s all I’ve got.
“Martha?”
