Sarah hadn’t thought that a night could be more terrifying than the previous one had been, but she hadn’t considered the possibility that a night as traumatic could happen again, let alone the very next evening. What was even more horrifying was knowing that with her father dead ensuring her escape, this time she had nowhere to seek refuge. Her home had been infiltrated, and she had hours before daylight would drive the vampire into hiding. She could not feel more vulnerable. Not even stumbling down the street naked last night.
Could the vampire track me?
It must. How did it find her home?
She had seen how quickly the awful thing had dispatched Hathandra and her Adjutants, there was no reason to think that her father could last substantially longer. The only thing he had in his favour was a thin awareness of what he was up against.
Sarah had no time to waste.
She ran down the street shoeless for the second time in as many nights. It was still early, where could she go? There was a church a few blocks away – Our Lady of Something – vampires couldn’t enter churches, she knew she’d be safe there for the moment at least.
It only took her a few minutes to run up the wet sidewalk to the church, Our Lady of Eternal Rest. The door was open. No one was in the main room – whatever that was called, but she heard voices coming from downstairs. She followed the sound of quiet murmuring. A room – a circle of chairs, a dozen and a half people sitting in them. Sarah approached the door. A grey haired lady looked up to meet Sarah’s gaze. The woman interrupted the younger man who was speaking.
“Excuse me Alistair... Can we help you?” She addressed Sarah.
Had she actually been looking for someone? What would she tell anyone? “My father was just attacked by a vampire that tracked me home last night after it turned my boyfriend into one of its own.” No.
“We’re almost done here, dear. If you’ve come for the meeting you really need to be punctual.”
Sarah noticed the handwritten sign taped to the doorframe. It read ‘Alcoholics Anonymous.’
“I’m sorry.” Sarah turned and ran back upstairs.
She approached a pew and sat down. Safe.
She looked around. Damn. If there was one thing churches sure had given society, it was opulent decor. Garish, even. Which wasn’t to say that it wasn’t beautiful in its own intricately detailed manner.
And then she broke.
#
She had cried herself out by the time the grey haired woman from the AA meeting found her. There wasn’t any hiding it though. Sarah was still dripping from the nose, her eyes were red and her cheeks hot.
“Are you okay, dear?”
“I’m... I don’t-”
“Okay.” The woman sat down in the pew in front of Sarah.
“Normally I just lock up and go home after the Sunday meeting. But there’s no rules saying that I have to. I’ll be right here until you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?” Sarah whispered between her fading sighs.
“Ready to talk to me - tell me what is wrong.”
“Oh.” Sarah had been worried she meant ‘ready to leave.’
“Are you hurt? Has someone hurt you?”
“No. I’m not hurt.”
“Have you – are you... are you in trouble?”
She wouldn’t call it ‘trouble’ exactly, even if she could tell a total stranger what had happened in the past two days.
“No. I’m not in trouble.”
“Forgive me dear. I’m asking if you are pregnant.”
“Oh! No. Definitely not pregnant.”
“My name’s Clara. What’s your name, dear?”
“I’m Sarah.”
“What is the matter, Sarah? Have you nowhere else to go?”
“I don’t.”
“I see. I’m sorry, dear but we haven’t a shelter here.”
Whatever she did, Sarah couldn’t leave. She had to keep to the holy sanctuary of the church. She would be safe from the demon here.
Those were the rules...
“Please. I can’t go out there.”
“Sarah, don’t be dramatic.”
Vampires couldn’t enter churches. They couldn’t see their reflection. They hated garlic, holy water and crosses. They couldn’t enter your home unless invited...
Oh my god...
“Sarah, are you alright? You look ill.”
The vampire had broken right into their house. If it could break that rule, what else could it do? There was absolutely no guarantee that she was safe in the church. If she wasn’t safe, if the vampire was tracking her, she was endangering anyone she was with.
“Sarah dear, where are you going?”
I have no idea.
As she approached the end of the nave her eyes fell on a wooden box labelled “donations.” She had nothing. She didn’t know what she might need or when. She was desperate and she knew the church was in business of helping the needy.
This is just making the decision of how to distribute their money for them.
Besides, for all anyone knew Sarah was saving Clara’s life by leaving... that ought to be worth something.
She grabbed the box and ran into the night, kindly Clara’s voice disappearing behind her.
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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