VOL. 1
Story 1
THE WARM NEIGHBORHOOD
The bones were cold and felt old, but I knew they were old, they were mine. Rejuvenation had been long this time, and I was not myself yet.
Feeling the last rays of the sun sinking behind the horizon, I thought about moving from the shade of the deep-set porch. It was late January, and the air was bitter with damp moisture hidden in its gusts.
From my porch it was an easy study of the area. This place was quiet which helped when moving around again after being down a long time. It was easier in an out of the way neighborhood with warm, helpful people. These people had no idea that I was around. If they had known, they would likely have run.
The thought made me grin, because running would not help. Grinning hurt my old jaw bone and that soured my mood, not that my mood was good, it just got worse. When you had been down as long as I had, the world moved forward and you forgot how to be in it. Your bones get very dry; I knew mine needed a good wetting.
The rays of sunlight lingered, touching the moisture on the leaf-barren tree branches having a prism effect, like hundreds of tiny diamonds.
It was time to move. I needed to move, actually wanted to, and stepped out into the wind. The powers that be laughed, as they pushed their cooling night air harder at me.
My suit jacket was worn, my slacks thin, and my shoes were still wet. That was another thing about being down for a long time; as you slept, your clothes failed you. I stepped further away from the doorway.
There was a car running somewhere up the street which meant people, warm people. Listening until the direction was known took a minute, then I started walking. The engine was old and had a lifter knocking, calling me to my left. I walked the concrete path from the porch to the public sidewalk.
The darkening skies promised snow before the night was over. Snow is a hated thing with me; once you got cold you never quite got warm again, not for long anyway, and the snow also left tracks. I would rather that it rained, but it was cold either way.
VAMPIRE LINE Vol. 2 is currently available only in paperback, but excerpts of Story 5 can also be read by clicking on the Vol. 2 book cover on our home page
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