Vampire's Breath

8.

Did they see us?

Can they see us in the pitch darkness, our backs against the stone wall?

Bats fly over open coffins. Their flapping wings were shiny, silvery under the moonlight.

I heard a clatter, like the sound of a snake warning. But the clanking quickly became a hiss. Bats open their mouths, exposing pointed yellow fangs and hissing. What

the sound! A shrill and angry whistle that rose higher,

higher, to drown their roar

wings that flap. A hiss attack.

They are awake and ready now. Ready to swoop down at me, knocking me to the floor, digging those pointy fangs deep into my skin. And drink...

"Freddy!" Crying way. He raised his hand forward to protect his face. "Freddy!" A shrill hiss surrounded me. It seems to come from inside my head. I covered his ears, tried to close them.

Covering my ears. Watch their red and glo-and wait for the attack. But to my surprise, the hissing bat did not approach us.

They fluttered, up. Turned. And pack

line out an open window at the other end of the room. My mouth gaped. I realized I had stopped breathing.

I saw them fade into the moonlight, sh

wings flapping rapidly, fa hissing screeching

with them.

Then I took a deep breath and released it slowly

"How," I whispered. "We're doing fine. They d

saw us back here."

He nodded but did not answer. Thick stra

his black hair became tangled

foreheads. He brushed it back with trembling

hand. "Wow," he muttered, shaking his head, "Wow."

"We're fine, '" I said. My eyes examined the long room. The open coffin stretched out to the window. Their dark wood glistened under the mother's light. Their long shadows crept along the floor. "We're fine now" I said to Cara. "We

alone." The footsteps behind us made us both cry. I heard the throat cleared. Ispan around so hard, I almost toppled over

Count Nightwing stepped into the room while carrying a burning torch. The torch light twinkled on his smooth face. His silvery eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked for

I opened my mouth to answer. But only choking and choking sounds could I let out. - You don't belong here, "that old vampire

blaring. He waved the fiery torch in front of him. It left a trail of orange light as he swung it. "You don't deserve to be here. It's my time. And this is my palace."

He floated off the floor. His eyes suddenly

shining as bright as the fame torch. "You don't

a place here!" re-threatening

"But - but

I stammered, frightened and

angry and confused - all at the same time. "But you brought us here!" How to protest with rage. He waved his finger at her, foreign bin, "We didn't follow you!"

"He's right!" I finally found my voice "promising like you would go and go by yourself. But you brought us back to your aste with you." Still hovering a few feet above the four Nightwing Counts holding torches in one hand and rubber

his chin that looked fragile with the others

mmm," he muttered. His eyes shone on t "Hmmmmm." "You must send us home" Cara said to him, pressing her hand against his waist.

"Yes!" I concur. "Send us home-now."

Count Nightwing lowered himself silently to the floor. Under the twinkling torch light, he suddenly looked tired. The light in his eyes dimmed. He sighed.

"Just send us home" urged Cara. "We're not going to do it

tell anyone we saw you. We'll forget this whole thing

something happened."

The old vampire brushed off He's robe

shaking his head. "I can't send you home" he whispered

prior to

"Why not?" i demand.

He nodded again. "I don't know how to." "Huh?" Cara and I both flinched.

"But-but-but-" I started stuttering again. My whole body was in panic.

"Then what are we going to do?" The way de manded shrill.

The old vampire shrugged his shoulders again. "That really doesn't matter" he replied gently. "It doesn't matter at all once I find my fangs, I'll drink your blood and I'll turn you two into vampires."

But we want to go home!" my yelling. We don't want to be vampires!" Wailing way. This is not fair! We help you. You must help s

The old vampire did not hear us. In flickering

In the orange glow of the torch, I saw his eyes go away

all daydreaming. His whole body seemed to be flickering

and come out with the light. Vampire's breath" he whispered. "I need it-now." "Send us home - now!" How ordered. "1

mean. Send us home!"

I clenched my hands. I feel very angry!

I mean, we helped him get back to his castle. And

how's he gonna pay us back? By biting our necks and turning us into vampires. By keeping us here forever. I try to imagine what it's like to live

here in this castle. Sleep all day in coffi Wake up at night and turn into a bat. Fly night after night looking for neck to bite Forever.

Just thinking about it made me tremble in fear. I'll never complain about having to babysit Tyler Brown again, I broke up.

And then that horrible thought made me

heart Skip: I may never see Tyler Brown again."

Or Mom and Dad. Or one of my friends. "You have to send us home!" I cried to Count Nightwing. "You must!"

He was pacing in front of us now, his flashlight dived and darted. He didn't notice us. I guess he doesn't even remember that Cara and I are in the room.

"Vampire Breath" he repeated. "I have to find

e Vampire Breath." Where's the bottle of Vampire Breath? I wondered. I held it in my hand when we reopened it in the restroom.

My eyes are looking on the floor. No sign of the little guy

blue bottle.

It must have disappeared while we were traveling

back in time, I realized. "Why do you need it?" How to ask. The old vampire narrowed his eyes at him

"When he wakes up, a vampire needs a Vampire to breathe every day" he said gently. "We can't live on blood alone" Cara and I both looked at him, waiting for him

to continue. "We all live together, here, in my castle" he explained in a husky, whispering voice. "We stayed here so we could get close to our supply of Vampire Breath. We each have our own bottle. We're keeping it tight." He sighed. "But now I remember the availability

almost out. I went down to my last bottle. My

must find. I must!"

"But what's the point for you?" i demand. "Everything!" Shouted Count Nightwing. "Vampire Breath does everything for vampires! It allows us to travel in time. It can make us invisible and reappear. It makes our skin smooth and clean. It gives us energy. It helps us sleep. It keeps our bones from drying into powder Refreshing our breath!"

"Wow" I muttered while shaking my head. "But how will it help you find your fangs that Cara asked for.

"Vampire Breath restores memory," the old vampire told him. "When you live for hundreds of years, it's hard to remember things. Vampire breath will help me remember where I put my fangs." He's spinning. His eyes locked on me. "That

vials. Do you still have it?" I could feel the power of his silvery eyes. I could feel them burning me, probing my thoughts. "T-no-!" i stammered. "I don't have it."

"But it won't do you any good!" Crying way.

"We emptied it, remember? We emptied him

whole bottle to get you back here." Count Nightwing shook his head impatiently. "That's in the future," he snapped. "It happened over a hundred years in the future. It's 1880, remember? In 1880, the bottle was still full." My head feels spinning. I leaned against the coffin

and try to understand what he's saying. The old vampire started pacing back and forth again, rubbing his chin while thinking. "I hid the bottle somewhere" he murmured. "I hid it so that others

can't find it and use it while I'm napping. But

over where? Where do I hide it? I have to find him. My

gotta." gotta."

He spun away from us, his long purple robe swirling behind him. The orange torch light bounced in front of him as he floated towards the doorway. "Where where?" he asked himself, shaking his head. A few seconds later, he disappeared.

Cara and I were left alone with a row of coffins in a long room. How to sigh sadly. He pointed to the coffin. "I wish I had it by the window" he said. "I like a lot of fresh air."

I'm still leaning on the nearest coffin. I stood up and slapped the side furiously with my hand. "I can't believe this!" I cried. "I'm only twelve years old" Cara complained. "I didn't

ready to die and then live forever!"

I swallowed spit. "You know what we have to do, don't you?" I said gently. "We must find the Breath of the Vampire before Count Nightwing des. If he finds it first and gets his fangs back, we'll be destroyed." "I disagree," answered Cara Sharp. "I have

better plan." "A better plan? What's up?" my many.