Vampire Dreams_Int.indd Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand, then he kissed the tears from my face with his cool lips.
    “Best wishes to you, my beautiful Zoe.” He managed to choke out through his own tears.
    We were still and quiet for some time. Then he said, “You know, I never told you this but if you ever need me, you just need to cal me. Before you sleep, just say my name over and over and picture my face. And I’l come fi nd you. Will you remember that? Wil you write it in your journal?”
    He sounded so serious, and it was such a shift from the exuberant mood he was in when he arrived, but I was in heaven because I was engaged. “Oh, Alexander, you know I always write down my dreams.”
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    I must have been really tired last night. After that I just felt grey and fel asleep.
    † † †
    Zoe cried as she closed her journal. That last conversation now held much more meaning than it had when she wrote it. She had had no way of knowing it would be the last night she’d dream of Alexander.
    She got up, dispersed the embers, and secured the screen in place. Then she began getting ready for bed and as she did she refl ected on something the whole while. By the time she’d climbed into bed she’d come to a decision. She turned out the light, put her head to the pillow and softly called Alexander’s name over and over, and thought only of his face, until she fell asleep.
    † † †
    The vampire leaned against the green railing along the Charles River on the Cambridge side. He liked that view of the Boston skyline. It was where he went when he had to think, although this time he didn’t want to think. But how could he stop thinking about someone who just wouldn’t leave his thoughts? What he really wanted to understand was why, after fi ve painful years of not seeing Zoe, he just couldn’t stop thinking of her.
    Not a night had passed when he didn’t feel tempted to check up on her, maybe just look at her and not even enter her dreams or speak to her. But he knew it to be wrong.
    40

    Christina Moss
    Why was that night so much worse than most? Maybe because it was her birthday; maybe it was because he was obsessed with thoughts of her; or maybe it was because on that night her face and scent were exceptionally vivid in his mind.
    Of course, he’d brought it all on himself. It was to be his self-infl icted punishment for foolishly getting involved — or so he had it fi gured.
    He walked along the river looking into the distance and indulged himself in more memories of various nights with Zoe. He knew he was being weak, but it was pleasant.
    Then he heard something! “Alexander, I need you.
    Alexander. Alexander. Alexander.” It was Zoe and she was calling him!
    He fl ew back to his car faster than humanly possible, but for once, he didn’t care if someone had witnessed how fast he moved and he didn’t care about blowing his identity. The vampire didn’t care about much of anything right then — just that his girl was calling him and he hadn’t seen her in fi ve long years. He jumped into the car and headed for Winchester, ignoring speed limits. Lights began fl ashing behind him and a siren was blaring. Alexander blanketed the cop with a grey cloud and the chase ended.
    He fi nally reached her house, jumped out, scaled the wall and entered through her bedroom window. He stopped to look at Zoe sleeping peacefully and all alone. It was a tremendous 41

    Vampire of My Dreams
    relief to see that she wasn’t hurt. He inhaled her pleasant scent.
    Then the vampire blanketed the girl with a cloud of grey, settled on her bed next to her, and entered her dreams.
    “Zoe, I’m here! Are you all right?”
    She rolled over to face him. “Alexander, you heard me.”
    He felt guilty for thinking she looked more beautiful than ever. “Where’s Michael?” he asked.
    “He’s gone.”
    “Gone where?”
    Zoe lifted her left hand to show him her bare fi nger.
    “Did he hurt you?” the vampire asked.
    “No, it was drugs. I didn’t know. Then