Chapter 3: School shocks

When I got home, I ran up to room only to find it occupied by--

"Shock?"

She was sitting on my bed and her stuff was strewn all over my floor.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost," she commented.

"Worse," I said, still trying to catch my breath from my dead run from the cemetery.

I looked in the mirror hanging on my wall. I was dead white and my hair was wind blown.

"Has your employer ever tried to get you to act as vampire bait?" I asked with a fake smile plastered on my face.

She looked at me for a second and then started shaking her head slowly.

"Anna! Your cousin's here!" called my mom from down stairs.

"She's in my room with me!" I called down.

"I thought you were a vampire hunter," she said.

"I've never acted as bait though. And to be honest, I don't know if I've actually met a vampire." I looked around at my once spotless room and my eyes came across Shock's suitcase. "How long are you staying?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe a week, maybe more."

"You do know that nobody on earth gets Halloween off, right?"

"Sure, I knew that," she said examining her nails.

"And I have homework."


In homeroom the next day I tried to finish the rest of my homework, but it was no use. I wasn't able to concentrate because I kept thinking of that "interview" with Rookery. He sure was weird, even for a vampire hunter.

I wish I knew who the vampires were, so I didn't have to hang out with him so much.

"Anna, do you know the answer?" asked Mrs. Gilligan, the Algerbra II teacher.

"I have no idea," I said with wide eyes. It's not that I never paid attention, because that was so not the case. I paid attention all class period except for today because of my distraction, but no matter how much I pay attention I still don't get it.

"Theo, come up to the board and show your fellow class mates how to work this problem out."

I couldn't help but drift off.

Not only did I have to worry about vampires in the area, I also had to help Lock, Shock, and Barrel get rid of Oogie Boogie. Or at least help Shock.


Tony's POV

I sighed in boredom. School might be just alittle more interesting if I had someone to talk to. I wish vampires could go out in the sunlight.

"And then to cure the poison in the snake bite we'd need the antivenom. In the case of a rattlesnake bite a good antivenom is located in horse blood."

I was in science. Not my favorite subject, but this was interesting. We should have guest speakers more often.

I wonder if there's a vampire antivenom, I thought. Next thing I knew my hand flew up in the air.

"Yes m'boy?" asked the guest speaker.

"Is there an anti-venom for vampires?"

The whole class burst out laughing.

I turned red and shrunk on the inside. I never should have asked.

"Now hold on," said the guest speaker, Mr. Moloue, holding up his hand for silence. "A vampire anti-venom?" He thought for a second. "I don't know of any but that's a good question." He walked over to my desk and leaned over so only I could hear him. "I'm a vampire hunter myself, but an anti-venom would be a good antidote. I just hate killing them. They can't help it if it's their fate. It's not like they asked to become a vampire."

I nodded and stared at him in awe and amazement.

He slipped me a card with his number on it.


After class was over I introduced myself and asked for another card. "It's for my friend, Anna. She's a vampire slayer who's in need of an employer. I think she had an interview with Rookery and I don't know how that went over."

He handed me another card and shook his head. "Rookery is still in town?" he asked in disbelief. "We went to college together. We were rivals and still are. He loves killing the vampires just for the spite of it. I, on the other hand, find no joy what-so-ever in killing the vampires."

The tardy bell rang. "I'd better get to class," I said turning away.

"Call me when you figure out an anti-venom," he called after my retreating back.

"I will," I said smiling at him.