An American Vampire in London, Chapter 5
Angel woke to a blinding headache and a blurred face staring intently at him. When he was able to focus, he could see it was a girl. Seeing he was awake, she sighed but did nothing else. He lay there, waiting to see what would happen. And so they stayed there, watching one another.
Finally she smiled. 'You're ok then.' It was said as a statement rather than a question.
'Yeah. I think.' He tried to get up but a feeling of nausea made him think the better of it.
'You took a nasty blow, or should I say, nasty blows from those guys.'
Guys? Angel wondered what she was talking about for a few seconds but then it came back to him. He'd been out; trying to get some information but that'd fallen through. Angry, he'd been in a mood for a fight and he certainly got it. Vampires had rushed him. 6 on 1. Not good statistics for him. He'd fought, his anger pushing him on, but they eventually overcame him. He remembered seeing the girl coming in his direction and trying to warn her away. That was all he could remember before he blacked out. He seemed to be doing this quite often, here in London. But the girl was still here. Alive. And the vampires were gone. Somehow she must have frightened the vampires away. How, Angel didn't have a clue. The vampires had obviously been hungry, as they'd attacked him, also a vampire. And the girl seemed to be an easy, desirable target. Young. Girl. Perfect.
The girl spoke again. 'I thought you'd fainted. Or became unconscious. Or even fallen into a coma. I couldn't see anyone around. Those thugs disappeared. And my mobile batteries are dead. So I couldn't call for help.'
'I'm quite alright. I'm tough. Head as hard as concrete.' Angel replied.
'Right…' She sounded as if she didn't believe him.
'I mean,' he continued, 'I'm still here aren't I? Alive, awake, not dead.'
'I don't know…I mean, I hate to break this to you, but you have no pulse.'
'What?!' Angel sprang up, instantly regretting his actions, as he felt a sharp stab of pain in his stomach. He began to rub the sore area.
'What…what makes you say that?' he asked cautiously. Had she somehow figured out he was a vampire?
'Well. When you fell unconscious, I panicked. No one was around so I was alone. With you. Dead. Or so I thought.'
Angel began to drift in and out of consciousness, not really listening to her but to the sound of her voice. It had a trace of nobility in it but it also sounded slightly like the cockney accents that were the norm around this area of London. Kinda like Spike. But better.
She carried on, oblivious. 'So. I checked your breathing. You weren't. I checked your pulse. You didn't have one. So you waking up scared the shit out of me. 'Cos I mean people with pulses are alive and those who don't aren't. Alive that is. And you don't have a pulse. So you should be dead. But you're not. You're alive. Without a pulse. Or…maybe I'M dead.'
She put two fingers to her pulse, and began to look worried.
'I have no… I have no pulse…I have…oh, yes. I do.' She sighed. 'I'm not dead. And so are you. I think.' She looked confused. Angel couldn't blame her. She'd lost him on the second word she had said.
The girl looked alarmed. 'Wow! I could have been killed! And Nain would have killed me if that had happened. I mean… I'd already be dead but… I think I'd better go home. I'm probably in trouble for losing Henry.'
'Henry?'
'My bodyguard.'
'Oh. Bodyguard. Right.' What was so special about this girl that she had to have a bodyguard. A bad one since she'd got rid of him. Was she royalty or part of some mega rich family he'd seen on TV over here in London? She definitely seemed familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe if she had her hair loose…
'…And if she finds out I came and stopped a fight to save a man who I haven't got a clue who he is, who happens NOT to have a pulse. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Henry. He just gets on my nerves. Argh! He insists on sitting in all my lessons. And lunch. It's a wonder he doesn't come to the toilets with me! I can't stand it! Stupid bugger. I hate him!'
'Where is he?'
'Who?'
'Henry.'
'Oh. I ditched him at school. Told him I needed the loo. Sneaked out through the window. Doofus he is, he's still probably standing there, waiting for me. Legged it to the park. Bliss, I tell you. No one watching me, my every move, waiting. Nothing. It started to get dark so I thought I'd better get home. Nain would be angry. But not as much as she'd be if those thugs came back and beat me up. Or stabbed me. Or kidnapped me. Or even killed me. Yeah, I'd better get home. It's cold as well. And I've got a history essay to hand in too, tomorrow. Ick.'
She looked at Angel's watch and her eyes widened. 'What?! 8.35pm?! That bloody late! I gotta go. I gotta…Nain's probably called the police by now. I gotta go.'
She stretched to grab her bag, which was on Angel's other side. As he came face to face with her, he recognised where he'd the girl's face.
She jumped up and began to run. 'Must go! Hope you get better!'
Angel stood up, swaying, took a few steps and stopped. He was too hurt, too tired and in too much pain to catch up with the girl. And she was surprisingly fast. He watched as she became smaller and smaller until he couldn't see her. He'd remembered where he'd seen the girl before. She was the girl who the sacrificed in his vision. The one that had said she loved him.
Angel woke to a blinding headache and a blurred face staring intently at him. When he was able to focus, he could see it was a girl. Seeing he was awake, she sighed but did nothing else. He lay there, waiting to see what would happen. And so they stayed there, watching one another.
Finally she smiled. 'You're ok then.' It was said as a statement rather than a question.
'Yeah. I think.' He tried to get up but a feeling of nausea made him think the better of it.
'You took a nasty blow, or should I say, nasty blows from those guys.'
Guys? Angel wondered what she was talking about for a few seconds but then it came back to him. He'd been out; trying to get some information but that'd fallen through. Angry, he'd been in a mood for a fight and he certainly got it. Vampires had rushed him. 6 on 1. Not good statistics for him. He'd fought, his anger pushing him on, but they eventually overcame him. He remembered seeing the girl coming in his direction and trying to warn her away. That was all he could remember before he blacked out. He seemed to be doing this quite often, here in London. But the girl was still here. Alive. And the vampires were gone. Somehow she must have frightened the vampires away. How, Angel didn't have a clue. The vampires had obviously been hungry, as they'd attacked him, also a vampire. And the girl seemed to be an easy, desirable target. Young. Girl. Perfect.
The girl spoke again. 'I thought you'd fainted. Or became unconscious. Or even fallen into a coma. I couldn't see anyone around. Those thugs disappeared. And my mobile batteries are dead. So I couldn't call for help.'
'I'm quite alright. I'm tough. Head as hard as concrete.' Angel replied.
'Right…' She sounded as if she didn't believe him.
'I mean,' he continued, 'I'm still here aren't I? Alive, awake, not dead.'
'I don't know…I mean, I hate to break this to you, but you have no pulse.'
'What?!' Angel sprang up, instantly regretting his actions, as he felt a sharp stab of pain in his stomach. He began to rub the sore area.
'What…what makes you say that?' he asked cautiously. Had she somehow figured out he was a vampire?
'Well. When you fell unconscious, I panicked. No one was around so I was alone. With you. Dead. Or so I thought.'
Angel began to drift in and out of consciousness, not really listening to her but to the sound of her voice. It had a trace of nobility in it but it also sounded slightly like the cockney accents that were the norm around this area of London. Kinda like Spike. But better.
She carried on, oblivious. 'So. I checked your breathing. You weren't. I checked your pulse. You didn't have one. So you waking up scared the shit out of me. 'Cos I mean people with pulses are alive and those who don't aren't. Alive that is. And you don't have a pulse. So you should be dead. But you're not. You're alive. Without a pulse. Or…maybe I'M dead.'
She put two fingers to her pulse, and began to look worried.
'I have no… I have no pulse…I have…oh, yes. I do.' She sighed. 'I'm not dead. And so are you. I think.' She looked confused. Angel couldn't blame her. She'd lost him on the second word she had said.
The girl looked alarmed. 'Wow! I could have been killed! And Nain would have killed me if that had happened. I mean… I'd already be dead but… I think I'd better go home. I'm probably in trouble for losing Henry.'
'Henry?'
'My bodyguard.'
'Oh. Bodyguard. Right.' What was so special about this girl that she had to have a bodyguard. A bad one since she'd got rid of him. Was she royalty or part of some mega rich family he'd seen on TV over here in London? She definitely seemed familiar. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe if she had her hair loose…
'…And if she finds out I came and stopped a fight to save a man who I haven't got a clue who he is, who happens NOT to have a pulse. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Henry. He just gets on my nerves. Argh! He insists on sitting in all my lessons. And lunch. It's a wonder he doesn't come to the toilets with me! I can't stand it! Stupid bugger. I hate him!'
'Where is he?'
'Who?'
'Henry.'
'Oh. I ditched him at school. Told him I needed the loo. Sneaked out through the window. Doofus he is, he's still probably standing there, waiting for me. Legged it to the park. Bliss, I tell you. No one watching me, my every move, waiting. Nothing. It started to get dark so I thought I'd better get home. Nain would be angry. But not as much as she'd be if those thugs came back and beat me up. Or stabbed me. Or kidnapped me. Or even killed me. Yeah, I'd better get home. It's cold as well. And I've got a history essay to hand in too, tomorrow. Ick.'
She looked at Angel's watch and her eyes widened. 'What?! 8.35pm?! That bloody late! I gotta go. I gotta…Nain's probably called the police by now. I gotta go.'
She stretched to grab her bag, which was on Angel's other side. As he came face to face with her, he recognised where he'd the girl's face.
She jumped up and began to run. 'Must go! Hope you get better!'
Angel stood up, swaying, took a few steps and stopped. He was too hurt, too tired and in too much pain to catch up with the girl. And she was surprisingly fast. He watched as she became smaller and smaller until he couldn't see her. He'd remembered where he'd seen the girl before. She was the girl who the sacrificed in his vision. The one that had said she loved him.