The Vampire Stalker Read Online Free

walked quickly, eager to get past the park. Pleasant Park was the city’s attempt to green up the area by planting some trees and bushes. A couple of dilapidated buildings had been torn down, and a basketball court, play structure, and swing set had been put in. It was deserted at this time of night, and the sight of it wrapped in fog was creepy.
    Suddenly something slammed into my windpipe, cutting off my air. My body reeled with the force of impact. I caught a glimpse of blond hair inches from my face, heard a vicious snarl.
I’m being attacked,
I realized, frozen with horror. An arm snaked around me and then I was moving so fast it felt like I was flying through the air.
    A dark figure leaped from the shadows and grabbed my attacker, who was forced to drop me to the ground. I scrambled to my feet and started to run. I could hear blows, grunts, and a sick, almost inhuman growl. A high-pitched screaming filled my ears; it was coming from me.
    “Are you all right, madam?” Someone had run up beside me, a long coat flapping in the wind. “Are you injured?”
    I stopped running. A nearby streetlight illuminated the fog, giving me a glimpse of the guy’s face. He looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
    “Where’d he go?” I gasped, shaking. I scanned the bushes, terrified my attacker would jump out at any second.
    “Ran off. I could not catch him.”
    Catch him? This guy had to be crazy to think about running after my attacker.
    I glanced at him, and felt like the air had been sucked out of me.
    His profile was straight and chiseled. Dark brown hair curled slightly over the collar of his long, cape-like coat. A line from
Otherworld
came to mind:
He would have been classically handsome were it not for the forbidding expression on his face.
    I gave my head a shake. Jeez. After all I’d just been through, I was still thinking of Alexander. I did a double take, but his face and figure were now shrouded in darkness and mist. It must have been a mirage — my mind’s way of bringing me comfort after the terror.
    With trembling hands, I pushed the wild strands of hair out of my face. I didn’t know who, or what, had just attacked me, and I had no idea who my savior was. All I knew was, I had to get home.
    “I will show you to your door, miss,” the guy said. “Is this the way?”
    I looked around, confusion muddling my brain. I was at the other end of the park, where the sandboxes and swing sets were located. How did I get all the way over here? I couldn’t have run this far.
    It took me a few moments to orient myself. “It’s on the other side of the apartment complex.”
    I practically had to run to keep up with him, while at the same time scanning the darkness for signs of another attack.
    “I’m lucky you were there,” I said, still trying to catch my breath.
    “It was not luck,” he said tightly. “I was tracking him. And about to pounce on him before he grabbed you, I might add. I cannot imagine what possessed you to break curfew and leave yourself so exposed. There is no excuse for such recklessness.”
    I was dumbstruck. He was blaming
me
for getting attacked? “I wasn’t breaking my curfew. I don’t even have a curfew.” Mom had never needed to impose one on me. Chrissy, of course, was a different story.
    He shot me a glare. “Indeed? I wonder if the town council would confirm that.”
    I had no idea what he was talking about, or why he was speaking in such a weird, formal way, but I didn’t care to ask. I had bigger problems. We’d reached my building, and I practically dove for the heavy glass door. “I’m going to call the police.” I fished in my pocket for the key. “I hope you can give them a better description than I can.” My fingers closed around the key, but my hand was shaking so hard that it took several attempts to fit it in the lock.
    “Call the police? Are you mad? They are of no use against him. They are too afraid themselves.”
    I turned to look at him. The area