With a colossal effort, Desiree bent her knees and, using the side of the hill as leverage, pushed outward while at the same time, let loose from the tree limb and fell.
Her life flashed in front of her as she descended at a quick pace. The rush of wind engulfed her body as memories of her hometown where she spent her vampire youth sprung up, only to be replaced with the memory of meeting Maryl for the first time at one of the battles Maryl had initiated. Still, more recollections soared up through her consciousness at a breathtaking speed until she felt a sudden thump.
When she landed on the pile of vampire corpses on her backside, she bounced a few times from the impact. Not soon afterward, she lost consciousness.
Desiree had no idea how long she had been unconscious when she woke up. She gazed upon the burning sun. She attempted to get up but fell back down.
With determination bordering on self-preservation, she struggled to sit up. When she rubbed the back of her head, she got lightheaded and woozy. She thought she might have what humans called a concussion. How, she wondered, if she had invulnerable skin and thicker bone density? Maybe in her weakened state, some of her invulnerability was lost?
“Damn, that was a long fall!” Desiree said after a moment of clarity.
“Help me…”
“What the hell?” Desiree cried as she found the strength to move away from the pile of vampire bodies.
“Help me… please.”
“Who… said that?” Desiree demanded as she struggled with delirium. She crawled back to the pile. “I said, …who said that?”
“I did.”
“Where are you?” Desiree asked as she stared at the stack of vampires.
“I am on top of the heap. You fell on top of me,” the voice said weakly.
Desiree found a woman with long blond hair that hid her face. She brushed the woman’s greasy hair away. “How did you get down here?”
“Please, my back... it’s broken from the fall, and I can’t move. Maryl force-fed me food and water, and then she slit my throat! Help me, and I will explain everything.”
“I have a better… idea.” Desiree slowly approached the woman and went down on her knees.
“What are you doing? I have a secret about Maryl I will share with you if you help me!”
“Sorry, … but down here, in the sweltering sun, … and with predatory animals… lurking until the sun goes down… it’s survival of the fittest…”
“No, let me explain! Maryl is…”
“Normally, I… I would care who Maryl is… but… I am… at death’s door… and I… hear the… knocking. It’s imploring… no, begging me to… go inside. But… I’m not ready to die…”
“No. Listen to me! Maryl is…”
Desiree had no strength left in her as she crouched down. She fell on top of the woman. Desiree could tell her life was almost extinguished. She looked at the woman’s tears flow, and Desiree knew why. If she were to die on top of her, the woman would die. If she were able to suck the blood from the woman, the woman would die.
Desiree’s head fell back on the woman’s chest and slowly, with death looming closer and closer, forced herself up inch by inch.
“You don’t have to do this! It’s Maryl you want!”
Desiree barely reached the woman’s neck. Salvation was at her threshold! But Desiree could tell she had only a couple of breaths left before death would overtake her. On her last dying intake of air, one of Desiree’s teeth managed to penetrate the woman’s sweaty neck. A trickle of blood, no larger than the head of a pin, dripped on her tooth. The absorption was immediate. Suddenly a small surge of power flooded through her. Her body, instead of shutting down, found itself gradually awakening, and it wanted more!
“Please don’t do this! I can tell you a secret of why Maryl is…” the woman said pleadingly.
But Desiree heard none of her meaningless words or their implications. Her body was being restored, and that’s all that mattered. As life came back to her, clarity also reestablished itself. Her hunger was relentless and unceasing as the blood pumped out of the woman and into Desiree’s eager mouth.
Not long afterward, Desiree stood up. She felt revitalized as she felt her ribs and the back of her head. They were slowly healing. Desiree felt as though she could take on Maryl Rosser and win. She got up and seriously considered climbing up the hill and launch a surprise attack.
Desiree went so far as to walk toward the hill when she stopped.
“No, that idea is insane,” she said as she stared at the sky. The sun was starting its descent. Darkness would come sooner rather than later.
She had to leave. She had no interest in encountering coyotes, foxes, and whatever lifeforms prowled nocturnally. Besides, she thought, she couldn’t take blood from them, but they could take hers if she were still in a deteriorated state.
Desiree turned around and sped away from the hillside. She ran a quarter of a mile when she stopped and noticed the trails she had seen earlier when she was perched over fifty feet in the air. Desiree could smell two hikers in the distance. One human was a B positive blood type, and the other one was an A negative, which was odd. This was Maryl’s property. She would never allow different blood types here or anywhere on her land.
She peered at the human beings. It amazed her that the humans were probably good friends, hung out with other human friends, even
