Year One by John G. Hartness

Author:John G. Hartness [Hartness, John G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falstaff Books

4

As always, The Girl from Ipanema was playing in the elevator as I rode down to the bottom of the parking garage. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed a different song in an elevator. I don’t know if it’s just the song that elevator people use, or if I notice that song because it’s so annoying, and other songs don’t bug me, so I ignore them. Either way, I stepped out into the garage humming Ooh…but I watch her so sadly, and almost missed the sound of shoe leather on concrete that told me my target was somewhere off to my left.

I took a handful of marbles out of my jacket pocket and gripped them tightly in my right hand. I brought my fist up to my mouth and whispered “Lumos” into my closed hand. I cracked my grip just enough to let the light stream through my fingers for a second, then closed my fist again.

I walked down the ramp, trying to look innocuous and vapid, like any other yuppie trying to find his SUV or mini-van, or crossover, or whatever it is yuppies drive. I’m not a car guy. I have a shitty Honda Accord and an old Harley that I keep at Luke’s. I heard the scuff of shoes poised for a leap as I turned the corner into the lowest level of the garage. I tensed, then dove forward into a roll as my attacker sprung for me.

I was rewarded with a surprised gasp, then a heavy thud as the vampire crashed into the side of a parked car. I spun around and flung my fistful of glowing marbles out in front of me. Immediately half a dozen little balls of sunlight flew into the air and hovered a little over head height, banishing all the shadows in the garage and leveling the playing field pretty quickly. I saw the vampire, a man turned in his thirties or forties, dressed in contemporary clothes, spin back toward me and launch himself at me again.

He was fast, but I was expecting his leap. I dove under him, staying low to the ground to avoid his claws and fangs, then popped up to my feet five yards away from the pissed-off vampire.

“I’m going to drink you dry and burn your carcass, human,” the vampire hissed.

I grinned at him and said, “Human? Somebody’s been feeding you bad information, friend.” He came at me again, staying on his feet this time, just using his speed to close the distance between us in half a second. He slashed at my throat with his razor-sharp claws, but my throat wasn’t there. I dropped straight down to one knee and let his hand pass harmlessly over my head. Then I stood up, throwing my entire body weight behind an uppercut that should have taken his head off and ended our little encounter right then.

Except it didn’t. I heard a loud crack as his jaw broke, and he staggered back a few steps, but then he cracked his head from side to side and grinned at me.

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