Ch. 14

“So, what do you want to do today?” Michael asked Rosemary. They had been seeing movies every weekend for two months now, and there weren’t any more movies to see.

“I don’t know,” Rosemary replied.

“Well, we haven’t really talked since the church, so, why don’t we go to the park, walk around a bit, and just talk?” Michael asked her. Rosemary had a feeling he wanted to do more than what he was telling her. She couldn’t tell. She didn’t have that potion with her.

But she said yes anyway. “Let’s do it. It should be fun.”

Rosemary grabbed her coat and they left her house. She made sure that she had 
her locket with her. Bodoleck could be very sneaky, and he didn’t know how to make 
one. At least, she hoped that he didn’t have a locket.

Once they were there and had been walking in silence for a little while, Michael asked Rosemary, “Why did Veripema kill your parents?”

Rosemary was suprised at this question. She had never expected Michael to ask anything like it. “She used to be good, but after she reincarnated, she went bad. She did have wings, but now that she’s bad, she has trouble controlling her thirst. My mother, Margaret, had known where this spell was. She never told anyone, except my father. Veripema thought it would be a bit easier to get the answer out of my mother. But oh, how wrong she was.

“My mom never caved in. Even on the night she died, she never told Veripema where it was. In the meantime, Veripema was getting closer to my dad. So close, she got pregnant, but didn’t tell anyone. On the night my mother died, she went to him. She told him about Susan, my half-sister. He said she should tell Mom. She told him she was dead. And that’s when she told him how and why, and asked him where it was. When he refused, she killed him, too.”

“That’s how your parents died? I never knew that,” said Michael. He took Rosemary’s hand, wanting to suppress the suffering he knew she was enduring at the moment.

Rosemary, desperate to change the subject, asked, “Why does Anna hate me so much? Every time I come over, she always makes some sort of threat, saying that I won’t be able to come over if anything happens.”

“She just wants to look out for me. She’s a bit different. She cares about me, in her own weird sisterly way. I don’t know why she does it, but I’m guessing that she doesn’t want you to kill me. I know you wouldn’t, but she doesn’t. That’s just how it is,” said Michael, holding Rosemary’s hand tighter.

“Okay, I think. I guess I’ll never really understand it. Susan is nine years older than me. So, I won’t be able to really connect with her unless we talk about how much we hate her mother. Otherwise, we have nothing in common. She’s married, too,” said Rosemary.

There was a silence, until Michael decided that they needed to have a little lighthearted conversation and said, “So, was that movie yesterday great or what?”

“Yeah. I loved it. I think we should watch some old vampire movies.”

“Why? I know what real vampires are like. I don’t need to see a movie about fake vampires,” said Michael.

“This one is really good. They get the bloodsucking scenes just right. I’m serious. It’s what we really do. You have to watch it. It’ll give you a better understanding of our power,” said Rosemary, trying to convince Michael that he needed to see it for his own good, not for entertainment.

Michael smiled a bit, having an idea.

“Well, we’ve only kissed once, and we’ve been dating for months, now. Do you want to try it again?” Michael asked Rosemary.

“Uh . . . sure, I think,” replied Rosemary, her voice going higher and higher from her nerves.

“Okay.”

As Michael was just leaning in, something hit Rosemary on the back of her head hard, but not hard enough to knock her out. She turned around and hissed, making Michael jump back a few feet.

“Hi, my little niece. I’ve read the book. The spell isn’t in there. I know that you have the book, so tell me. Where is it?” Veripema asked, clutching a rock in her hands.

“I’ve read it, too. I can’t find it, either. You shouldn’t of killed my mother. She would’ve told me, and then you might have been able to get it out of me, instead of her,” replied Rosemary, her face calm but her heart racing.

“Are you telling the truth, or are you just fibbing to get me to leave?”

“I’m telling the truth. I have the book. I’ve read it hundreds of times. The spell isn’t in there,” said Rosemary, her voice now panicking since Michael had walked up to stand next to her. She wanted to kick him, get him to leave, but she was rooted to her spot.

Veripema’s lips curled into an evil smile. “I have an idea. Why don’t I ask your boyfriend. I’m sure he knows. Michael, where is that spell?”

“I didn’t know there was supposed to be a spell in whatever book you’re telling me about. Rosemary doesn’t tell me much. She just answers most of my questions.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll have to force the answer out of you, Bloodrose, like I should of with your mother.” Veripema, using her speed and strength, pushed Rosemary out of the way and grabbed Michael. He tried to struggle, but Veripema was too strong. It took a while, but once he was running out of energy, Veripema laughed cruelly.

Veripema whispered in his ear, “It’s no use to struggle. You still smell delicious. My strength is stronger when I’m thirsty. And I haven’t eaten in ages. This is my little treat. I won’t ever give up a treat all to myself, I hope you know that. Do you know that?”

Michael cringed at the thought. He had seen his share of vampire movies, and he knew that the bloodsucking scenes were his least favorite, especially since he was the prey now. He was too tired to struggle any longer. He passed out, and the last thing he saw was Rosemary’s face filled with determination. At least it was a happy thought.

“Let him go! I’m telling the truth! The spell isn’t in the book! My mother was lying to you all those years! She told Bodoleck that it was supposed to be in the book, and he just told me. It isn’t in there. You even said that you’ve read the book and didn’t find it! Now please, let Michael go! I’m not lying to you!” Rosemary yelled.

Then something hit her. She knew it wasn’t Veripema; she was holding Michael with both of her hands. The last thing she knew was the words: I’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry about Michael. I’ll save him.

Then she saw only blackness as well, thinking about how Michael was going to be safe now.