came as I walked out of the front door and stood on the path from the front entrance and looked down the steep hill.
How the heck did I get down there? It had clearly been raining a lot here and the path was muddy. I placed a foot on it and then another, starting to slowly make my way down… and then my right foot slid and the rest of me followed. My bottom landed with a squelch.
“Oh my god. Who puts a house on top of a steep hill for crying out loud?”
“The first Death did. We can’t have people wandering up here. It’s for the dead,” Death said holding out a hand.
He helped me to my feet.
“Well, what are we going to do, because I need to be able to get to the village?”
At this my guide guffawed. It was highly unnerving. He made the strangest sound like a grunting pig as he doubled over.
I stuck a hand on my hip.
“What’s so goddamn funny? You’re supposed to be grim, not hysterical with laughter.”
“M- Mya.” Actual tears rolled down his face. “You’re a vampire.”
Again, he doubled over.
“Yes, I’m aware of that. So?”
“So you can just… whizz down the hill. You have vampire speed.”
“I can whizz. Of course I can bloody whizz. My membership of the Vampire Book Club needs revoking. I’m so busy thinking about purchasing a vacuum cleaner when it’s my brain cells that are being sucked out.”
I looked down at my muddy butt. “Great first impression.”
But Death was still laughing, so I closed my eyes, pictured being at the bottom of the hill, and off I went.
Death
I really did have things to do but being with Mya was intoxicating. Her humour, her taking in of her new surroundings, and her opinions. It was all like a breath of fresh air blowing through Wayward Souls. Something sorely needed. I’d wanted Mya to meet a soul and see how she went on with helping them to move on, but after her freak out, I could tell she wanted to get out of the house. It made sense for her to go explore. It would help her come to terms with her undeath.
I’d been watching from an upstairs window when I’d seen her trying to negotiate the path. It was obvious there was going to be only one conclusion to her attempts, a fall, and so I’d rushed downstairs and out of the door, just in time to watch her foot slide from under her.
Her butt did look good soaked in mud. Like a plaster cast, only I wouldn’t get a keepsake from it. I really did have to stop thinking about her like that, but I liked her, and she was pretty, so it would be a challenge.
Right now, I’d portal to the bottom of the hill and make sure she was okay after her first whizz.
I found her at the bottom dry heaving.
“I’m going really dizzy,” she cried out, “like I’ve been stuck on a Waltzer.”
“Oh dear,” I stated. “I really didn’t think about your new vampire legs and how wobbly you’d be.” I took my phone from my pocket. “I’ll give Lawrie a call. See if he can come assist you and give you some advice on being a newbie.”
“You’re inviting the man who wanted to drain me and did indeed take my life?”
“Yes, because he’s your sire, Mya. He made you, so he now has responsibilities to look after you and advise you. Lawrie can’t harm you now. He has to protect you.”
“Really?” This seemed to cheer her up, if the movement of her mouth was towards a smile and not another heave. Yep, a smile. “Okay, call him. In fact,” she swiped the phone from my hand. “I’ll call him.”
“Hey. No, it’s not Death. It’s your daughter. Now, Daddy, could you hurry up over here because I need some lessons in being a vampire. I’m sure if I drain one of the inhabitants of Gnarly Fell, that won’t go down well for you with the Letwine clan?”
“Huh? He hung up.”
“That’s because I’m here, daughter dear.” Lawrie stood behind her.
Mya span around, and then clutched her head.
“How do you do that? How do you appear here in a split-second and look so unruffled.”
“I’ve had years of practice, darling.”
He looked at me. “Everything is taken care of regarding Mya’s funeral. I’ve got Bernard”—he pronounced it Bair-narrd—"to take the role of Mya’s brother.” Those eyes were calculating as he said the name of the vampire I hated the