Her Vampyrrhic Heart Read Free Page B

had ended the night the village had been flooded, and tragedy and horror had changed his life for ever. Tom saw shadows gathering behind his eyes. Darkness was coming. He could feel it. As if storm clouds approached. He could almost smell terror in the air. The signs were present. Bad dreams every night. Perhaps some primeval instinct warned of danger. Whispers of death. Predictions of disaster.
    â€˜Hey. Are you ever going to get those stinking bones of yours out of the river?’
    The voice wrenched him away from those morbid thoughts.
    He saw a figure on the river bank. ‘Owen? Are you allergic to school?’
    â€˜I hoped for a “Great to see you, bro”.’
    Tom smiled. ‘Great to see you, bro.’ He stepped clear of the water.
    â€˜You’re right, school is pissing me off.’
    â€˜They’ll suspend you if you keep skipping days.’
    â€˜I’m in the clear today,’ said the sixteen-year-old. ‘The heating’s busted so they sent us home.’ He flicked snow from a branch. ‘Isn’t winter wonderful? It frees us from the tyranny of school and mind-shagging boredom.’
    â€˜So you came and found me.’ Tom unbuckled the aqualung. ‘I’m touched.’
    â€˜Nah. I’m meeting Kit and Jez. I saw you floating face down in the river, so I thought I’d check if you were dead.’
    â€˜I’m touched again.’
    â€˜Touched in the head, more like. Who’d go scuba diving here in winter?’
    â€˜It’s work, Owen. There’s bills to pay.’
    â€˜Aye, and beer to be bought.’
    â€˜You’re sounding more like Jez every day.’
    Owen held out his hand. Tom took it and allowed his younger brother to help him to a rock where he could sit down and prise off his flippers. Tom liked Owen. They got on well together, and Owen was one of the few people who could make Tom laugh again.
    Tom noticed a mark on the teenager’s face. ‘Someone took a swing at you?’
    â€˜Uh, the bruise? You should see my back. It’s every shade of purple, and then some.’
    â€˜Someone has attacked you?’ The thought of his brother being beaten up immediately fired up Tom’s anger.
    â€˜No, I fell off the back of Jez’s truck.’
    â€˜Damn it, Owen. Have you been riding with that idiot again?’
    â€˜Hey, Jez is OK.’
    â€˜No, he’s an IDIOT. Everyone knows he takes off in his dad’s truck and drives like a maniac. He’s going to get the attention of either the cops or a coffin-maker.’ He stood up. ‘Now you’re making me sound like Dad, but I don’t want you getting hurt.’
    â€˜I’m fine. Westonbys are made out of iron and steel.’
    Tom pointed at Owen’s bruised face. ‘But we still break if we take a hard enough knock.’
    Tom wore thick rubber bootees so the woodland paths wouldn’t be a problem. Owen walked with him. He didn’t seem annoyed that Tom played the caring big brother role. He took Tom’s concern in his stride, just as he’d taken falling off the truck in his stride. Owen was easy-going … sometimes too much so. Tom didn’t want him drifting into a lifestyle of heavy drinking and drugs, which could become the fate of teenagers in rural villages. Often, the biggest danger in isolated communities is boredom.
    Owen suddenly paused. ‘I’ve got something to show you.’ He swung his rucksack from his shoulder. ‘It’s interesting, but I haven’t a clue what it is.’ He pulled out a steel canister about the size of a Thermos flask and handed it to Tom. The thing had been crushed almost flat.
    â€˜Where did you get it from?’
    â€˜I found it upstream.’
    Tom peered through a split in the casing. ‘There are wires and circuits inside.’
    â€˜Do you think it fell off a plane?’
    â€˜Could have done. It’s hit the ground hard … or