Vampire Wares pt 79

The guard looked down at Lina and saw her guilty, frightened look, and then finally noticed the massive bulge on her back.  He shouted back down the hall, “I’ve got Lina, she’s right here,” as he reached down to grab her wrist and hold her.

But Lina swiftly pushed away his hands and, mustering all the strength she had within her, pushed the guard through the wooden door.  He was a strong, heavy creature, with rapid reflexes, but he was unprepared for the surge of strength and energy from what he perceived to be only a tiny vampire.  He tripped over and fell through the door, which Lina promptly closed behind him.

She then applied herself to the rock.  She had been barely able to do it before and now that sinking weakness from the food in her belly made her struggle.  But the rock did give way and she had it raised above her head as she heard the sound of several vampires scrambling to unlock the door.

The vampires opened the door a crack, but quickly recoiled from the sunlight with screeches of pain.  She leapt out and let the rock drop behind her with a resounding crash that was so loud that it caused Nicoleta to involuntarily jump and cry out.  Lina had to tell her, “It’s nothing.  We’re good.  Now hold on tight,” and then she began to run with all the speed she could muster.

The first thought that crossed her mind as she began to run was that she was leaving the coven for good.  She realized, now, for the first time since she’d planned on hatching Nicoleta’s escape, that there was no going back: she was either going to end up dead or permanently banished and at enmity with Asha’s coven.

Lina accelerated with full intensity, nearly to the speed of a horse in gallop.  The wind flowed around her, blowing off the heavy hood over her head, which she had to hold in place while her other hand tried to hold onto Nicoleta whose grip was slipping after holding on for so long.

When she turned back for a quick glance behind her, she could see that there were already two vampires on her trail.  The vampires had been delayed by the necessity of putting on their daylight coverings, but they were making quick progress, gradually reducing the distance between her and them.  Lina was not nearly as quick on her feet as the older, stronger vampires, and she was slowed by the weight that she carried on her back.  As she looked at them, she began to doubt that she could make it to her destination without them catching her.

She then realized she didn’t know her destination.  She’d been running aimlessly.  But, as she turned forward, she perceived that she was heading towards the village of Vallaya.  It’d been the last place she’d gone, and her direction must've spontaneously pointed there for that reason.  She recalled the fortified building that Sim had told her they couldn’t break into.  This would have to be her destination; though, how she would get in there, she didn’t know.

She turned back and she could see the two vampires even closer, their torsos bent forward, their arms punching with wrathful energy, and their legs wildly flailing beneath them and.  They seemed to be only a few paces behind her now.

When she turned forward again, she could just see Andrei’s home in the distance.  There was a door on the back of the building and she aimed herself directly for it.  When she reached it, she tried to pull it open, pounding at it with both fists.  But she had no time to wait for an answer.  The two vampires lunged forward at her, their bodies landing upon the door as she just dodged to miss them.  Lina then raced around the building.

As she came around the front, she found herself in the main street of the village with person’s moving about and a dozen or so eyes immediately looking in her direction.  She didn’t linger to return their stares. The door besides which the “Apothecary and Vampires Wares” sign swung back and forth was just opening as two customers sought to leave.  She pushed inside, taking them with her and once inside she closed the door and held it closed.

The two customers screamed with fright at Lina’s pushy entrance, but she screamed at Andrei and Ileana who stood behind the counter, “Lock this door now!  There’re vampires after me.”

Andrei was paralyzed with indecision, but Ileana didn’t hesitate, leaping over the counter and quickly dropping two door beams into place just as a pair of bodies pounded into the door from outside.

<-- Go to Part 78         Go to Part 80 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

The guard looked down at Lina and saw her guilty, frightened look, and then finally noticed the massive bulge on her back.  He shouted back down the hall, “I’ve got Lina, she’s right here,” as he reached down to grab her wrist and hold her.

But Lina swiftly pushed away his hands and, mustering all the strength she had within her, pushed the guard through the wooden door.  He was a strong, heavy creature, with rapid reflexes, but he was unprepared for the surge of strength and energy from what he perceived to be only a tiny vampire.  He tripped over and fell through the door, which Lina promptly closed behind him.

She then applied herself to the rock.  She had been barely able to do it before and now that sinking weakness from the food in her belly made her struggle.  But the rock did give way and she had it raised above her head as she heard the sound of several vampires scrambling to unlock the door.

The vampires opened the door a crack, but quickly recoiled from the sunlight with screeches of pain.  She leapt out and let the rock drop behind her with a resounding crash that was so loud that it caused Nicoleta to involuntarily jump and cry out.  Lina had to tell her, “It’s nothing.  We’re good.  Now hold on tight,” and then she began to run with all the speed she could muster.

The first thought that crossed her mind as she began to run was that she was leaving the coven for good.  She realized, now, for the first time since she’d planned on hatching Nicoleta’s escape, that there was no going back: she was either going to end up dead or permanently banished and at enmity with Asha’s coven.

Lina accelerated with full intensity, nearly to the speed of a horse in gallop.  The wind flowed around her, blowing off the heavy hood over her head, which she had to hold in place while her other hand tried to hold onto Nicoleta whose grip was slipping after holding on for so long.

When she turned back for a quick glance behind her, she could see that there were already two vampires on her trail.  The vampires had been delayed by the necessity of putting on their daylight coverings, but they were making quick progress, gradually reducing the distance between her and them.  Lina was not nearly as quick on her feet as the older, stronger vampires, and she was slowed by the weight that she carried on her back.  As she looked at them, she began to doubt that she could make it to her destination without them catching her.

She then realized she didn’t know her destination.  She’d been running aimlessly.  But, as she turned forward, she perceived that she was heading towards the village of Vallaya.  It’d been the last place she’d gone, and her direction must've spontaneously pointed there for that reason.  She recalled the fortified building that Sim had told her they couldn’t break into.  This would have to be her destination; though, how she would get in there, she didn’t know.

She turned back and she could see the two vampires even closer, their torsos bent forward, their arms punching with wrathful energy, and their legs wildly flailing beneath them and.  They seemed to be only a few paces behind her now.

When she turned forward again, she could just see Andrei’s home in the distance.  There was a door on the back of the building and she aimed herself directly for it.  When she reached it, she tried to pull it open, pounding at it with both fists.  But she had no time to wait for an answer.  The two vampires lunged forward at her, their bodies landing upon the door as she just dodged to miss them.  Lina then raced around the building.

As she came around the front, she found herself in the main street of the village with person’s moving about and a dozen or so eyes immediately looking in her direction.  She didn’t linger to return their stares. The door besides which the “Apothecary and Vampires Wares” sign swung back and forth was just opening as two customers sought to leave.  She pushed inside, taking them with her and once inside she closed the door and held it closed.

The two customers screamed with fright at Lina’s pushy entrance, but she screamed at Andrei and Ileana who stood behind the counter, “Lock this door now!  There’re vampires after me.”

Andrei was paralyzed with indecision, but Ileana didn’t hesitate, leaping over the counter and quickly dropping two door beams into place just as a pair of bodies pounded into the door from outside.

<-- Go to Part 78         Go to Part 80 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Vampire Wares pt 79