The Living Dead

Kevin woke up in a cold sweat. Did this actually happen or was it just a dream? She looked around and noticed she’s not in the safety of her warm bed at home, but in a hard hospital bed and she has a headache that would break her head in half if it got any worse. A nurse came into her room to check her heart rate. Kevin laid back down and pretended she didn’t wake up. When she was close enough Kevin asked in a raspy voice, “Miss, is there any way possible you can tell me how I got here?”

“Well, Miss Crittontin, a lady found you lying in the woods near a highway passed out bleeding profusely,” she stated, writing down some things on Kevin’s chart. “You had lost a lot of blood- six pints- and you were in a great need of a blood transfusion. She brought you here immediately. Two holes in the side of your neck and scratched from what appears to be thorns from the woods. Here take this.” She handed her two Tylenols. “I trust you’ll need these for your headache,” she said.

“How did you know I had a headache?” Kevin asked.

“You’re squinting and have a pained expression on your face,” she replied, hanging her chart on the foot of her bed.

“Thanks,” Kevin said and popped the pills in her mouth and downed some water that was sitting beside her on a tray. “How long do I have to be here?”

“Just tonight - for observation,” the nurse said, crossing the room to the door and opening it. “Now, go back to sleep so you can build up strength.” She walked out the door and before closing it said, “G’night.”

Not being able to sleep, Kevin turned on her side to look out at the bright shinning stars. She stared for five minutes before she saw a dark hooded figure peering in, looking directly at her. Kevin sat up as quickly as she could and ran to the window. Kevin looked out into the dark, dreary night. Not a soul. She turned back around and ever so slightly saw the figure again. Kevin grabbed the nearest weapon in the room: a greenish-blue glass vase. She knocked the bottom out on the nightstand and grasped the neck in a firm grip. She looked out of the corner of her eye. Again, the figure stood there, watching Kevin intently. She counted to three in her head before she turned around to face the figure.

“Shhh, it’s me, Rachelle.”

Kevin walked over to the window, quickly, and unlatched it, for it was her best friend ever since grade school.

“What are you doing here this late at night?” she asked, as

Rachelle pulled off the hood revealing platinum, almost white, hair and shocking cold blue eyes.

“I’ve heard you’ve been in here since two o’clock this morning,“ she said. “Oh, here, this is from Tom. It’s a ‘get well soon before I kill you’ present.”

Rachelle handed Kevin a poorly wrapped package.Kevin opened it, ripping the paper off and throwing it in the waste bin. It revealed a small black box that said Hot Topic on it in red. Her favorite store. She opened the box and saw a bat necklace. It had a black stone on the bat. It was beautiful. She smiled as she fastened it around her neck. It hung down about to her collar bone. Then, Kevin got to thinking, is this just a coincidence? Getting bit by a vampire and receiving a bat necklace from my boyfriend? Chills went up and down her spine.

“Kevin, you okay?” Rachelle asked. “Are you cold?”

“I’m fine,” She lied, shaking the worry out of her voice.

“Okay. Pete’s coming to pick you up at ten o’clock tomorrow morning,” she said, placing the hood back over her head and jumping on the window sill. “I’ll leave you alone and let you sleep. See you tomorrow.” She hopped onto the roof of the hospital and Kevin latched the window again.

Kevin walked back to bed exhausted and clambered into it. She lied back on her pillow and it only took one second before she was fast asleep.