Vampire (7 page)

“God, Darcy, are you all right?” He sounded shaken, but Liz brushed him off.

“She's fine. We're dropping her off, and then
we're
going to that movie you've been promising to take me to all week. And I can stay out
late
, remember? Since I don't have a
job
to go to anymore.”

Brandon ignored her remark, his eyes darting between the mirror and the road. “Well, is Jake home? I mean, we can't just leave Darcy there by herself.”

“She's a big girl,” Liz retorted. “She's used to taking care of herself, aren't you, Darcy?”

Darcy was too drained to answer. To her surprise, it was Brandon who accepted Liz's challenge.

“Lay off, Liz. Can't you see she's upset?”

“Upset?” The sound in Liz's throat wasn't pleasant. “I don't know why she's so upset—walking around alone after dark, she was just asking for trouble. She's just lucky
she
didn't end up in some alley like that other girl.”

“God, Liz.” There was no mistaking the disgust in Brandon's tone. As the car pulled to the curb, Darcy got out at once, managing a feeble smile in Brandon's direction.

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

His eyes looked anxious and sad. “Hey … no problem.”

“Let's
go!
” Liz gave him a push. “I
hate
missing the start of a movie!”

“Maybe we should go in with her,” Brandon stalled. “Just check out the place—”

“You don't want to be late.” Darcy stepped back quickly, finding the idea of a dark apartment more appealing at the moment than this argument brewing in front of her. “Have fun, okay?”

Brandon's expression didn't look hopeful as they drove away. Darcy let herself into the brightly lit lobby, then leaned back against the door with a groan. She could still see that heap of rumpled clothing in the alleyway … that one hand clawing out in a last reach of panic. Her mind blanked out, and she tried to focus on the room around her … counter … souvenirs … posters … beaded curtain …

Her eyes glided past it, but a soft tinkling sound brought them back again. She stared at the long red ropes of glass and saw them shimmer.…

Those beads are moving
.

Catching her breath, Darcy molded her spine to the door, pressed her palms flat against the wood. She saw the lobby as if she were watching from somewhere else—a casual observer from some other, safer dimension. She saw the bloodred beads stirring so softly that it might have been only a whisper that moved them … only a breath.

The air-conditioning, Darcy thought, and it was such a silly, unexpected thought that she felt her lips move in a wry smile.
Of course, that's it … the air-conditioning just kicked on … or it's just some draft in this old building
.… Yet she felt her feet moving forward … saw the strands of glass part with a cautious touch of her hand … heard herself call out, “Elliott, is that you?”

The tunnel beyond was all darkness.

Frozen there in the doorway, Darcy's mind catapulted between options—
call the police … run upstairs and lock myself in … get to the Club as fast as I can
.… “Elliott?” she called again. “Are you in there?”

Her voice floated down the labyrinth of hallways, fading into the unknown. Overhead the ceiling lights cast only a feeble glow. She took several steps and searched for a lightswitch. Damp walls slid beneath her fingertips. She paused as yet another tunnel curved before her and felt her heart slide slowly into her throat.

From somewhere down the darkness came a faint illumination, as if one of the exhibit spotlights had been left on.

“Elliott?” Darcy said hoarsely, but
Elliott's not here, he's working across town, and he's gone off and forgotten to turn off one of the lights
.…

She squinted, trying hard to pierce the gloom along the passage, but the faint glow drew her on in a mixture of curiosity and fear.
If you were home and lights were on, what would you do?

I'd get ahold of myself and go turn them off
.

Annoyed now at her own cowardice, Darcy continued on, trying not to think about the ghoulish faces that watched her from the dark. As she stepped out into another chamber, she saw that one of the exhibits had indeed been left illuminated.

Count Dracula.

It was his eyes, she decided then, his eyes, so black, so commanding, so horribly lifelike in their pitiless seduction. Like the doomed woman in his arms, Darcy felt powerless to look away, mesmerized not only by his cruel intensity, but also by her own knowledge of vampire myths and legends. With an effort she finally pulled her eyes from his pale face, thinking how realistic it looked in the camouflage of light and shadow. Her gaze moved over the coffin—a
real
coffin—with smooth satin lining and brass handles that shone dully from one gloomy corner. And there were Dracula's feet, the toes of his black boots showing beneath the hem of his cape, and the bloodred lining, and upon one of his slender fingers a ring with a bloodred stone. As her eyes lingered upon that ring, she could almost swear that it winked at her, that some subtle movement, some unseen flick of the vampire's wrist had caused it to catch the half light … had caused it to shimmer … as the red-beaded curtain had shimmered.…

A cold-blooded snake of fear coiled slowly along Darcy's spine. She shifted her eyes to the dark ones of the vampire … black, shiny, glass eyes … and yet they seemed to mock her with an almost human glow of triumph.…

With a gasp she stepped back, not able to look at him anymore … just wanting to get away from those horrible, sadistic eyes—

There was no warning when the lights went out.

In front of her the stage went black … around her the chamber swallowed her alive.

With a scream Darcy backed into nothingness—

And felt strong, slow fingers curling around her neck.

9

D
amn it, Darcy, is that you?”

Somewhere through her screams she recognized Jake's voice. At the same instant the pressure slid from around her neck.

“Jake? Where are you!” As the lights glared on, she put a hand to her eyes and tried to follow the sound of his voice.

“What are you doing in here?” Jake sounded annoyed. “You scared the
hell
out of me!”

“I scared
you!
” Relief and anger surged through her, and she blinked against the light, searching the walls … the doorways …

Jake pointed at the stage. “There shouldn't be any spotlights on back—”

Darcy didn't wait for him to finish. “I saw it, too, that's why I came in. I guess Elliott forgot this one when he left.”

Jake shook his head. “That's not like Elliott.”

“And why did you grab me anyway? You scared me to death.”

“I didn't grab you. I wasn't even near you.”

“Well, something did,” Darcy said and watched Jake's eyes shift from Dracula to her face.

“How could anyone have grabbed you? There's no one here but you and me.”

“But I felt it. Something around my neck.”

“You must have imagined it.”

“I didn't imagine it!”

“Come on, you just found a stiff in an alley—you're bound to be a little jumpy, huh?”

Darcy hesitated, confused. “Are you sure someone couldn't have gotten in here?”

“Not likely.” Jake shrugged, then came slowly to her side, reaching up to a spot near the ceiling that she couldn't quite see.

“Here's the culprit.” He drew down a handful of cobwebs and shook them onto the floor. “I've got to get this place really cleaned up soon.”

“It wasn't cobwebs,” Darcy insisted shakily. “It was solid. And smooth, not sticky.”

Jake gave her that indifferent look she was beginning to recognize so well. “Darcy, it
had
to be cobwebs. What
else
could it be?”

Her eyes darted around the chamber, over the scattered shadows. “It felt … alive. Human. Like fingers.”

“Fingers.…” Jake nodded and raised his arms, gesturing collectively at the exhibits in the room. “They come to life, you know. At night. After closing time.”

Darcy didn't know whether to laugh or be furious with him. “It's creepy in here. I don't like it.”

“And now you've hurt their feelings.” Jake sighed, but he nudged her toward the tunnel. “Go on. I'm right behind you.”

Darcy was relieved to get out of the Dungeon. While Jake rummaged through his office, she stood by, trying to calm her shattered nerves.

“How come you're here? I thought you had a meeting.”

“Yeah,” Jake said without looking up. “Funny, right? When I got to my office, the guy was gone. I just came back to pick up some stuff. Business.”

“Oh.” She'd been hoping he was home for the night and tried to hide her disappointment. “Well … then … good night.”

“Yeah,” Jake mumbled. “See you.”

Her room was sweltering. Darcy raised the window and turned out her light, sitting there in the muggy darkness, listening to the night sounds below. Her head felt so heavy, and she leaned against the wall, wanting nothing more than to sleep.
It's all the excitement
, she argued with herself,
finding that body … and the Dungeon, that light going off … I know I felt something around my neck, but Jake's right, it couldn't have been anyone, and it's so hot in here, this terrible, sticky heat, I can hardly keep my eyes open
.… She squeezed her eyes tight, trying to keep all her grisly thoughts from forcing their way into her mind.
That poor girl and her look of terror
…
of surprise
.…

She didn't even get undressed. She fell onto the bed and was instantly asleep.

*    *    *

“Darcy …”

“I'm awake, Mom.” Groggily Darcy turned over and groped for her alarm clock, her hand swishing empty air. With a low groan she reached again, and as her eyelids struggled open, she suddenly realized that the unfamiliar darkness wasn't her old room at all.
Of course. I'm at Uncle Jake's. I must have been dreaming
.…

“Darcy …”

The voice came again, soft … eerie … Darcy raised her head from the pillow and froze.

As the voice whispered her name a third time, she saw a subtle darkening at the window, as if shadows had gathered just outside.

Something scratched at the screen.

Something … trying to get in.

In paralyzed horror, Darcy saw the outline of a hand working at the edge of the sill … heard the soft scraping of lingers against metal.…

She tried to scream but couldn't.

Helplessly she saw the fingers groping across her window … like quick black worms squirming out of the night.…

She scooted back against the wall, her mouth open in a soundless cry.

The fingers froze, like outstretched claws.

And as the hand pulled back into the darkness, something glittered at her and disappeared.

She saw it in that split second, a glimmer of red.

Something—
someone
—watching her with his bloodshot eye.

Darcy couldn't believe the time when she finally woke up the next morning—nine-thirty and hardly any time to spare before the Dungeon opened. As she rolled out of bed, she remembered her nightmare and moaned softly. Such a horrible dream—a prowler with red eyes, scratching at her window, calling her by name.… She massaged her temples gently, then crossed to the window to look out.

The first thing she saw were the rips in the screen.

Numbly Darcy stared at the jagged tears and then noticed one lower corner where the screen had been pulled away from its frame.
My God … I wasn't dreaming … something was trying to get in
.…

After throwing on her clothes, she raced downstairs, but Jake was nowhere around. As she came out into the lobby, she found Kyle and Elliott lounging on the counter, sharing a bag of jelly doughnuts, but the conversation stopped as she stared at them.

“Have you seen Jake?” She was trying to act normal, but Kyle was giving her a funny look. Elliott had no expression at all.

“He's probably at the Club,” Kyle said helpfully. “You can call him … or I can run you by.”

“You must have had nightmares,” Elliott said softly. “You have that look … that bad-dream sort of face.”

Darcy glanced at him sharply. “How do you know that, Elliott?”

The boy moved slowly down the counter, putting distance between them. When he didn't answer, Kyle spoke up.

“His mom's been sick a long time. She has lots of nightmares.”

“She's dying,” Elliott said to no one in particular.

At Darcy's look of alarm, Kyle shrugged sympathetically. “She has cancer,” he mumbled.

“Oh, Elliott … I'm … I'm so sorry.…”

“He doesn't like to talk about it,” Kyle said quickly. “So what's up?”

“Someone was trying to get in my room last night.” Darcy tried to shift her attention back. “Trying to get in my window.”

Elliott turned away from her and seemed to be staring at the beaded curtain. Kyle shifted awkwardly.

“But it was just a dream,” he echoed, “like Elliott said.”

“I don't know. I don't think so.” Darcy leaned on the counter, her voice anxious. “I checked my screen when I woke up, and it's torn. And I thought …” Remembering the red eye glittering in at her, she gave a shudder. “I thought I saw someone looking in at me.”

For a moment there was silence. Kyle glanced over at Elliott, but Elliott's attention remained on the entrance to the Dungeon.

“Did you tell Jake?” Kyle asked quietly.

“No, that's why I was looking for him.”

“Your room's in the attic,” Elliott said, and Darcy moved toward him.