“ But you all were going to buy drugs and do who knows what . You might as well be criminals .”
“ They don ’ t deserve to die , Daddy ,” Tabitha piped up . “ Please don ’ t make me drink their blood !”
“ Drink our blood ?” Lita glanced from Tabitha to Old Man and back again . “ What , like a vampire ?”
“ My little girl isn ’ t a vampire !” Old Man roared . Everyone in the room , even Tabitha , flinched . “ She ’ s just sick ! And the doctors say there ’ s no way to help her . They say she should have died years ago ! If her mother … her mother died to make sure our baby lived . She gave her blood for her ! My wife ’ s blood kept her alive for ten years ! And more blood , fresh blood , will save her ! You think she ’ s weak now ? She was worse before I started giving your friends to her ! Every trip to the bathroom wore her out ! Getting an audio book from the shelves was a marathon for her !”
“ But Daddy ,” Tabitha sobbed , “ I don ’ t want people to die for me ! I never even got to know Mommy because she ’ s dead !”
“ I can ’ t believe I ’ m asking this ,” Knives interjected , “ but why couldn ’ t you give her rats or bunnies or something ? Why us ?”
“ You think I haven ’ t tried ?” Old Man snarled , tears forming in the corners of his eyes . “ I fed her rats , cats , rabbits , dogs ! Anything I could get my hands on ! I even bought some blood from someone who works at the local blood bank and fed it to her . Only fresh human blood will do ! And lots of it . More than any one person can donate . Not that there are plenty of people who will donate blood to her . Not without a hefty price tag attached , that is .”
She really is a vampire , thought Grey . Not the classic kind like in Dracula , or the monstrous ones in old Baltic legends or
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