The Guest & The Change - By M. D. Bowden Page 0,6

the like.’

Sarah looked at Daniel, he had just started to open his mouth to reply when they were interrupted.

‘Sarah, Megan wants you to go up and read her a story.’

Sarah jerked her leg away from Daniel, embarrassed as her Dad was looking at them, pushed her chair back and started to rise.

‘I think this is my cue to leave. Goodnight Sarah,’ he said, extending his hand.

Sarah took it and this time felt a warmth spreading through her body. She didn’t want to let go, but made herself release his hand and step back. His attention shifted to the rest of her family as they exchanged farewells and he left the house as Sarah called ‘Goodbye’.

She felt an odd sense of loss. There had been no word of seeing him again. But however much Sarah longed after him - he was so beautiful - she resolved it would be best for her, and Jo, if she stayed away from him. He was too tempting.

After Megan and Bea were tucked up in bed Sarah tried to call Jo but received no answer.

That night Sarah tossed and turned and dreamt of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, Daniel and Jo. All flitting through her sleeping and waking hours. Haunting images, fearful running, fighting. Jo dead. Daniel’s face.

She woke that morning with the image of Daniel still in her mind, at the forefront of her thoughts. Yet she felt uncomfortable, like something was wrong. She couldn’t point her finger at what it was. She reached for her phone and saw Jo hadn’t called her back. That was strange, he would usually call. Sarah shrugged it off though and started getting herself together for the day.

***

Sebastian parked Jo’s car deep in the woods where nobody would dream of looking for him. He unloaded Jo from the trunk and slung him over his shoulder. Being a vampire had its bonuses, thought Sebastian - Jo was a large man, yet he was easy enough to carry.

Sebastian felt full of strength after pretty much draining Jo of life, earlier that evening. His blood had tasted warm and sweet as he’d fed off him outside Jo’s front door.

That had been fun, Jo hadn’t even seen him coming before he’d had the pleasure of sinking his fangs into him. Not quite as much fun as drinking from a beautiful woman, he mused, images of previous victims surfacing in his mind. But warm blood straight from a living body was always delicious.

Jo had nearly died then, which would have ruined his plans, but he had managed to give him some of his own blood just in time. Once he was healed Sebastian had influenced him to have a nap on his living room floor and he had watched through a gap in the curtains as Jo had awoken all confused. It had been quite amusing!

And then he’d had the stupidity to step out his front door again. What an idiot. His mind obviously hadn’t grasped what had happened - couldn’t absorb the reality of the situation. But then few people could.

If Jo had just been sensible and stayed in his house for a few days, Sebastian wouldn’t have been able to do what he just had - killed him good and proper. He would soon wake up though. But he would be no longer living, not in the proper sense. Half human, half demon. Or so they said, whoever they were. Not that Sebastian believed in demons. He was what he was, in fact, there was probably a perfectly rational scientific explanation for vampirism. Probably.

He lay Jo down at the foot of a tree in the place Sebastian presently called home. He liked living in the forest. It was dense, packed with closely growing conifers and spruces. The smell of pine was strong and refreshing. And the tree canopy provided protection from sunlight, even in the day.

Sebastian liked to sleep high in a tree during the day, in the form of a bat. He could handle the sunlight. It was a myth that vampires couldn’t go out in the day - yet most preferred the night. Bright sunshine hurt his eyes and made his skin itch. Like there were things crawling under it.

Turning into a bat in the day when he slept made it highly unlikely anyone who ventured into the woods would discover him. That’s one thing he would have to teach Jo right away. Animal transformations were very useful for keeping under radar.

Jo would need to feed on human blood first though,