Chapter 6: The monster

Dib couldn't say he hadn't found the email odd, but followed it to the letter. He returned to the thrift shop and bought a cheap-but-pretty vase. He put the rose inside, and did not fill it with water nor gave it any plant food. He thought about putting it in the window, but feared it would dry out all day in the sun, especially since he would not water it. After placing it in many different locations around the room, he set it down next to his alarm clock.

Satisfied, he went into the bathroom for a few band-aids.

Dib jumped when he heard a loud pounding on the front door. He listened as Gaz answered.

"Where's Dib?" asked Auri panicked voice.

"Upstairs, I guess." Answered Gaz's

"Can he come down?"

He heard Gaz sigh. "DIB! SOMEONES AT THE DOOR FOR YOU!"

Dib dropped the box of band-aids, forgetting completely to put any on, and ran down the stairs.

"H-hi Auri." He said slowly and nervously when he stepped off the last step. He had never seen her in his home.

Auri seemed near hysteria, but calmed for a second when she saw his hand was bleeding. Then, in her almost-forced panic voice: "Dib! Th-there's something in the woods!"

"What, what's in the woods?"

"A monster. It attacked me!"

"Are you okay?" he asked, giving her a look over.

"Fine." She snapped. "Get your equipment and hurry."

"Right." He turned and ran up the stairs.

Once Dib had his backpack (still full of his vampire hunting things), the pair ran for the woods. They both ran relatively fast, and arrived there in no time. Dib put on a pair of futuristic goggles and scanned the area.

Dib screamed! What felt like hundreds of volts of electricity were zapping through his body from a spot on his back. It stopped and he collapsed.

Auri was standing behind him, holding a smoking tazer. "Silly me, I forgot." She smiled evilly.

"I'm the monster."

---

Dib woke up, having the worst headache of his life. Unable to see past it for a moment, he tried to get up from his sitting position. He couldn't. Dib realized he was tied up, and to the tree behind him.

This was familiar.

A little too familiar.

Was he dreaming again?

You aren't dreaming.

"Ahh!" Dib shouted in surprise. That thought hadn't been his. He looked up. Auri stood a yard in front of him. This time she was not holding a knife.

"Wh-what's going on?" he said shakily.

"You already know."

Huh?

What, you can't hear words being spoken right to you?

"Get out of my head!" He stopped. "How are you in my head? What are you!"

"You already know." She repeated.

Vampire, he thought instantly.

"Oh, give the man a prize."

"But the-how can you read my mind!" he interrupted himself in mid-thought.

"Vampire, duh."

"Vampires can…? But the garlic…" he couldn't even form a sentence.

"Garlic? You're kidding me, right?" The vampire looked at him. Then she smiled as she pulled some information from his mind. "You really believe…" She laughed and continued to search his mind.

Dib tried to push her out, but his attempts were fruitless.

"The whole deal; coffins, garlic, silver, holy water, sun allergies, bat shape-shifting, and crosses?"

The poor boy was ten percent embarrassed and a hundred percent confused. (Yes, he knows that equals to 110, you try thinking properly when face to face…err, face to kneecap with a vampire.)

"B-but if you…WHAT'S GOING ON!" he demanded of her.

"Must you?" she held her ears. "You're so loud." She grinned at him again. "I guess I can tell you, since you're going to die anyway."

"I'm going to…what?"

"Well, you are, one way or another."

"If you don't tell me the story can I go home?"

"No."

He hung his head in temporary defeat. "Then start please."

Auri sat on the ground, cross-legged. Dib struggled with his rope. Uncomfortable? She asked, though began before waiting for an answer.

"I was sent to get you. And before you ask, yes I could have manipulated your mind, lured you out of your house and drank your blood easily enough, but I find no fun in that. I'd rather use human mind games instead of the ones used by my kind."

"Sent…?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm sure you'll love to hear this: you're a threat to us. You might expose us to the humans. They aren't ready to know. Imagine the chaos, and how much garlic the grocer would sell."

Dib looked up at who he thought had been his friend. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"No."

He prepared himself for her to drink his blood, before her statement sunk in. No.

"You're not?" he asked carefully.

"Not at this very moment." He cringed.

He watched her as she rose and walked toward him. Dib whimpered and pressed himself against the tree, eyes closed. He waited.

"Stop cowering." She scolded. "I've untied you."

Dib was shocked. Was she letting him go?

"No, I'm not letting you go." She rolled her eyes.

"Then what are you doing?" he couldn't get used to her doing that. And he'd never get a chance to…

"I told you, I don't always hunt exactly as my kind does. I'm going to give you a chance: Run."