A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters - Martin Harry Greenberg [33]
I repeated what Aunt Anna said, then added, “ ‘Hannah Montana’ will be on in ten minutes. It’s my favorite program.”
“Good girl. Now say good-bye. I’m watching. It will be over soon.”
When I hung up the phone, the man put the gun back in his jacket and patted my head like I was a baby. “Nice work. You’re a born liar. Like your dad.”
The way he said it made me mad. “My daddy is not a liar. You’ll be sorry you said that.”
He looked at the way my fists curled up in a ball and he laughed. “You are a feisty one. Maybe when this is over—”
The woman slapped his arm. “Forget it, Jake. We’re not hurting the kid.”
Quicker than I can take a breath he slapped her, hard, across the mouth. “You fucking idiot. You used my name.”
She fell back onto the couch and rubbed her cheek. Her eyes got big and shiny, like she was trying not to cry.
He looked at his watch. “How long does it take to walk fifty fucking feet?”
He went over to the window. “Which house?”
I wasn’t sure what he meant so I asked, “What?”
He came back to the couch so fast, it made me jump. “I said, which house?”
I start to shake my head because I still didn’t understand what he was asking me.
The woman put an arm out in front of me. “Don’t you touch her,” she said. “We agreed. We want the kid’s dad. No one else.”
The way his eyes looked made me think he wanted to hit her again. Or me. I tried to make myself small but he pushed the woman’s arm away and reached for me anyway. He grabbed my arm and gave it a shake. “Right or left. Which house?”
I tried to think. His fingers hurt my arm but I wouldn’t let him see that. I wish I knew if either of the neighbors was home tonight. “Left,” I said, crossing my fingers.
He went back to the window. But he was there only a minute before he turned to look at me. “There are no lights on in that house.”
His eyes were angry again. “If you tricked me with that phone call, there is going to be trouble. I want your daddy. But I’ll settle for you.” He smiled. “In fact, you might even be better. More fun for me. Clearer message for him.”
He came toward me and the woman sprang up at him. “I said leave her alone.”
He didn’t even stop. He raised his gun and hit her. She fell so hard, I was sure she was dead. He was almost at the couch. I grabbed the remote and threw it at him as hard as I could. It just bounced off his chest and he laughed but it gave me a chance to crawl away under the coffee table.
He grabbed the corner of the table and lifted it up. “Come out, come out wherever you are,” he said. “Come on. I won’t hurt you. Much.”
“Get away from her.”
There was a blur from the kitchen. A blur. Like when a cartoon character moves really fast. Only it wasn’t a cartoon character.
It was Aunt Anna.
She tackled the man before he could raise his gun again. She hit him so hard they both fell back against the wall. But Aunt Anna, her face was different. Her eyes flashed, and they were greenish-yellow, like a cat’s. Her mouth was open. Her teeth were funny, too—pointy with two long fangs.
I looked and looked. I’d seen people like this before. A long time ago, in a movie I wasn’t supposed to watch.
They were called vampires.
Aunt Anna?
She grabbed the man and shook him like he was a doll. He was looking at her face and screaming. He dropped the gun but Aunt Anna didn’t let go. She had his face in her hands and she pulled him toward her. She stripped off the mask and put her mouth right on his neck.
Then she looked at me.
Something changed in her face. She stepped back a little, nodded at me, and swung her fist. The man’s jaw kind of moved sideways. He dropped just like the woman had when he hit her with a gun. Only Aunt Anna just used her fist. She grabbed his gun and stuck it on top of the television.
Then she ran over to me and scooped me up. “Are you all right?”
She was hugging me so hard, I thought I might break. Where our cheeks touched, her skin was very cold. After a few seconds, she held me away from her. Her face was normal again.
“He didn’t hurt