The Red Thirst (2 page)

“I wonder what Ana was like,” said Mary.

She took some bread and cheese out of the bag the priest had left. Edgar bolted the door.

“Do you want something to eat?” said Mary, with her mouth full.

Edgar slid the last bolt into place. He turned around. “Are you
eating
?”

“Mmm,” mumbled Mary. “Do you want some?”

“No, I do not!” said Edgar. He lit a candle. “How can you stand there, next to a dead body, and stuff your face?”

Mary didn't care. “I wonder if Ana knew her body was going to be used as bait,” she said.

“Never mind her, she's dead!” said Edgar. “What about us?”

He went around the chapel, and lit all the candles he could find.

“Us?” Mary snorted. “We're not bait! The priest said this vampire only feeds on the dead.”

“How does he know?” said Edgar. “Maybe the vampire feeds on the dead because they don't fight back. Maybe it really prefers hot blood from living people.”

“Yes, who ever heard of a vampire that prefers dead blood?” said Mary. “Maybe it will come for us after all!”

She smiled and popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Edgar. “Why do Mr Blood's plans always put us in danger?”

He walked up and down. “This vampire is going to come looking for a dead body. And it's going to find us. And when that happens, it's going to think that it has been missing out on nice warm blood.”

“Yes, and it will attack us! Fun, isn't it?” said Mary.

Edgar shook his head. “It's dark outside. I bet the vampire is on its way here now.”

“I wish I was out there with Mr Blood,” said Mary.

“I don't know why you say these things,” said Edgar. “You know we're safer in here.”

“But I want to go out there and catch vampires!” said Mary. “I want to see what happens. I want to know how to do it.”

“Why?” asked Edgar. “It's so scary!”

“Mr Blood is never scared,” said Mary. “And he always wins, no matter what the danger is.”

She waved her dagger. “Don't you see? That's what I want to be like. I want to be fearless and get rid of vampires and monsters and anything else that is evil.”

“I just want us to live,” said Edgar. “Every time we do one of these jobs, I get to the end of it and wonder how I'm still alive.”

“Well, we are in no more danger than anyone in the village.” Mary gave a big yawn.

“We are guarding a dead body so she can be buried,” she went on. “If we don't do it, who will? The people here won't do it. They would not look any of us in the eye. Even the priest couldn't look at us.”

“They were weird,” said Edgar.

“They were scared,” said Mary. She yawned again and then bit into an apple.

Edgar walked over to one of the windows and looked out.

Any of the shadows could have hidden a vampire. There was no sign of Mr Blood. The wind rattled the windows.

Mary lay down on the stone floor.

“Edgar, do you mind if I rest for a few minutes?” she asked.

“
What?
” Edgar shouted. “You want to sleep? A minute ago you wanted to go out and fight vampires! What is wrong with you?”

But Mary was already asleep. Edgar shook her and shouted at her but he could not wake her.

“This is just like her,” Edgar said to himself. “Now what?”

He went over to the open coffin. It had been placed on the altar.

For the first time he saw how lovely Ana was. She had jet black hair, very pale skin and dark red lips. Shadows danced across her face as the candle flames flickered.