Midnight Alley(4)

      He stripped off the rubber band and unfolded the cheap pages of the second newspaper. Claire read the masthead upside down: The Fang Report. The logo was two stakes at right angles making up a cross. Wild. 

 

      "What's that?"

 

      "This?" Michael rattled the paper and shrugged. "Captain Obvious. "

 

      "What?"

 

 "Captain Obvious. That's his handle. He's been doing these papers every week for about two years now. It's an underground thing. "

 

      Underground in Morganville had a lot of meanings. Claire raised her eyebrows. "So ... Captain Obvious is a vampire?"

 

      "Not unless he's got a serious self-image problem, " Michael said. "Captain Obvious hates vampires. If somebody steps out of line, he documents it -- " Michael froze, reading the headline, and his mouth opened, then closed. His face set like stone, and his blue eyes looked stricken. 

 

      Claire reached over and took the newspaper from his hands, turned it, and read. 

 

      NEW BLOODSUCKER IN TOWN

 

      Michael Glass, once a rising musical star with too much talent for this twisted town, has fallen to the Dark Side. Details are sketchy, but Glass, who's been keeping to himself for the past year, has definitely joined the Fang Gang. Nobody knows how or where it happened, and I doubt Glass will be talking, but we should all be worried: does this mean more vamps, fewer humans?

 

 After all, he is the first newly risen undead in generations. 

 

      Beware, boys and girls: Glass may look like an angel, but he's got a demon inside now. Memorize the face, kibbles. He's the newest addition to the Better Off Dead club!

 

      "The Better Off Dead club?" Claire repeated aloud, horrified. "He's kidding, right?" There was Michael's picture, probably right out of the Morganville High yearbook, inset as a graphic into a tombstone. 

 

      With crudely drawn-in fangs. 

 

orize the face, kibbles. He's the newest addition to the Better Off Dead club!

 

      "The Better Off Dead club?" Claire repeated aloud, horrified. "He's kidding, right?" There was Michael's picture, probably right out of the Morganville High yearbook, inset as a graphic into a tombstone. 

 

      With crudely drawn-in fangs. 

 

he Better Off Dead club!