Propping her feet up on the dashboard, Amaliya played with the screw top of her soda that

Rob had bought her. She thought it was a kind gesture, though she had no real desire to drink or

eat. Once she had sated herself on the blood of the crazy woman, she had lost what she now

defined as the “need.” Rubbing the side of her nose with her finger, she felt the tiny stud in it

scratch her skin. It was a comforting feeling for some reason and she let it sink into her.

It felt good to be moving again. She had felt downright claustrophobic in the hotel room with

Pete laying on the bed like that, helpless. Knowing she could not go outside during the day had

eaten away at her nerves. The memory of her crisped fingers was a pungent memory and

repulsive to her. Another thing from the movies that seemed to be true. How many more would

join her slowly growing list?

"Why you going to Dallas?"

Rob's voice startled her. He had been so quiet for the last thirty minutes, she had slowly lost

herself in her own thoughts.

“It's just a stop along the way back home,” she answered, and pretended to take a sip of her

drink. She was growing more and more reluctant to talk about herself and her plans. The more

lies she made up, the harder it was going to be. Of course, she could just make up one really

good story and stick to it, but that thought depressed her somehow. Besides, most of her life she

had just lived on a whim and went with the flow. The only thing she had ever staunchly planned

for was going to college. Of course, when she got there, she had no idea what to study or do with

herself.

“Most people hitching a ride are doing it cause they're running from something,” Rob said

softly, but his voice seemed big and full and filled the cab.

Well, that summed her up pretty well. She was notorious for running from any situation she

didn't like. It was her natural instinct. Flee.

“Well, I'm running to something,” she decided. “I want to see my Grandmama before it’s too

late.”

Rob nodded. “Gotcha.” He sank back into silence, his big meaty hands holding tightly to the

steering wheel as the big truck rumbled down the long highway.

Glancing into the line of mirrors out the window, Amaliya studied the row of cars behind

them. Most were jockeying for positions to pass the big truck, and she wondered briefly if

Professor Sumner was in any of them. He had told her he would watch her and she believed him.

Smiling slightly, she wondered what her score was so far. Was he taking notes? He was a damn

psychology professor. Was he picking her apart? Examining her motives?

A rat in a maze. She had a feeling that was what she was to him.

“Married?”

“No,” she answered softly. “Almost was...once.” Well, technically Pete and she had never

been engaged or even dated, but if things had gone differently maybe there would have been a

chance. Probably not, but maybe. She could console herself with maybe, even if she was inclined

to believe she would live up to her reputation and would have bolted.

“I was married, but she died almost two years ago,” he said.

“Sorry.”

“It happens.” Again, the man went silent and seemed to turn all his attention to the road.

The silence enveloped her and she snuggled down into the seat to stare up at the stars. Her

fingertips lightly stroked the scar where a rosary had been tattooed on her arm. The rough skin

was strangely comforting, despite what it meant. She could heal and heal well now, so she

wondered how it had happened. Maybe when she had transformed into what she was now. She

did remember vaguely an incredible amount of pain when she had woken up buried in the earth.

“We’re almost to Dallas and I'm feeling pretty damn tired,” Rob said, breaking the silence. “I

think I'll just pull over and get a motel room. I guess you got folks to pick you up? Or do you

need a room for the night?”

Amaliya looked at the man with his big bland face and slightly smiled. “Not going to Wichita

Falls then?”

“Too tired. I'm gonna crash for a few hours here, and then head up through Wichita to

Oklahoma.”

“You don't sleep back there?” she asked, motioning over her shoulder.

“It ain't too good on my back after awhile. I'm feeling my last few hauls in my bones. 'sides, a

shower sounds good.” He gave her a big toothy grin. “You're good company. You don't talk

much. ”

“Not much to say. Okay, cool. Find a motel.” She nodded her head and tapped a little rhythm

on her knees. “I could use some rest.”

The big man shifted gears and the truck switched lanes as a sign to Dallas flashed by. The

sight of the white lettering on the green sign was a comfort. She was halfway to her

Grandmama's. Then she could tell her grandmother goodbye and figure out what the hell she was

going to do next.

* * *

The motel near Dallas' downtown was packed with families in transit after the long Easter

weekend and a few big trucks sat idling in the parking lot. The night had cooled off quite a bit,

but the heat coming off the highway rolled in waves over the asphalt parking lot. As she walked

beside Rob toward the office, his whole body quivered. The man was not only impressive in

height but girth. He had barely spoken after their brief interchange and that had been fine with

her. She needed time to think and figure out what the hell was going on with her.

A part of her was afraid that her reaction to everything happening around her was wrong, that

her transformation had altered something inside of her forever, that she was so changed she

could not even fathom what it was that had died inside of her.

Lighting a cigarette she had bummed off Rob, she exhaled slowly. She didn't feel like slipping

into the building just yet. The night felt good. There was energy in the air. Maybe it was because

they were so close to Deep Ellum, the Dallas hot spot for entertainment.

“Coming?”

Exhaling, she shook her head. “Nah, I'm going to take a moment out here, then I'll head in.”

She gazed out over the Dallas skyline and smiled slightly. She always loved the way cities

looked at night with their flashy lights and fancy glass buildings. It had been a far departure from

the four-block downtown of her small hometown.

Rob hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. Well, catch you later.”

“Thanks for the ride,” she said with a wide smile. “I really appreciate it.”

The man abruptly smiled, his teeth flashing under his mustache. “Was a pleasure.”

He turned and disappeared through the door that took him into the office. She could see him

approaching the battered front desk through the window and turned away slowly to look down

the highway.

Tucking one hand into her jeans pocket, Amaliya watched the cars speeding past the motel. If

Professor Sumner was around, she couldn't feel him. But then again, maybe she could only feel

him when he wanted her to. Frowning slightly, she took another deep drag on her cigarette and

crouched down next to her bag. Pretending to take her money out of her bag, she actually took it

out of her boot, then stood up.

A few more drags had her cigarette burning low. She exhaled slowly as she dropped the butt

to the ground and ground it out.

“Night,” Rob said emerging from the office and moving past her, heading toward his truck to

get his stuff.

“Night, Rob. Thanks again,” she said, then headed inside.

The very dark man behind the counter looked like he could be Indian or Pakistani. He was

listening to exotic music she had never heard before. He eyeballed her thoughtfully as she

approached and gave him a wide smile.

“I need a room,” she said.

Amaliya leaned against the counter on her elbows and looked up at him from under the brim

of her hat.

“You got one,” he answered. He slid a little white envelope toward her with a card tucked

inside.

“Thanks,” she said and pulled out her wad of money. “How much?”

“Paid for by your boyfriend,” the man answered, and turned to fuss with his reservation cards.

“The big guy?”

“Yes, he paid for you. Said you are his girlfriend and need your own room to be respectful to

your father.” He looked at her as if he didn't believe she could ever be respectful.

“Oh, well, thanks,” she said and took the card.

Walking back out into the night, Amaliya felt as if maybe her luck was changing. First a

good, clean ride into Dallas and now a free hotel room. She had yet to spend any of the money

she had brought with her. Heaving her bag onto her back, she trudged up the stairs to the second

floor. She started scanning doors for her hotel room number. Her hearing seemed to be keener

than before for she could clearly hear what was going on behind each door. When she heard two

burly male voices urging each other on for hotter sex followed by a room with a family reading

the Bible together, she struggled not to burst out laughing.

Finding her room at the far end and tucked a little out of the way, she slipped the card into the

slot on the electronic device on the door. The little light turned green and she shoved the door

open. She sighed as a room, nearly identical to the one in which she’d left Pete, swung into view.

The door clicked shut behind her. She threw the bag on the first bed, walked over to the second

queen size bed, and grabbed the comforter.

Yanking the ugly thing off the bed, Amaliya carried it to the vanity. She frowned at the empty

room in the mirror. She easily jumped onto the counter and worked at getting the comforter

adjusted over the mirror. It was a little hard since it was bolted to the wall, but she managed to

get it tucked around the corners. Jumping back down, she looked at the ugly bedspread covering

the mirror with satisfaction. She did not need to deal with staring into an empty mirror tonight.

Kicking off her boots, she sprawled on one of the beds and turned on the TV. Some late night

news show was on and to her surprise, her old college was being shown in stock photos. But then

again, how could she be surprised? She’d known this was coming. Chewing on her thumbnail,

she turned up the sound as video of body bags being carried out of the frat house filled the

screen.

“Well, you know, man, they were in a secret room. That's just weird,” a student was saying to

a reporter.

“Did you know anyone who was killed?”

“No, no, but that one guy was, like, the football star. We're gonna lose all the games next

season, that's for sure.”

“Did you hear rumors about a cult being on campus?”

“Satanists are everywhere, man. I saw it at my church camp. They had a video,” the guy said

confidently.

Amaliya rolled her eyes.

“There is still no official word on the cause of death, but many speculate that this could have

been a ritual killing. Whether or not the deceased were willing participants remains to be

determined. Sources close to the investigation say that the room held evidence of—’” the female

reporter hesitated, “evidence of an orgy and drug use. The authorities and school officials ask

that students call the number on the screen. They are still trying to estimate how many students

may still be missing. As stated earlier, there is a report of an unmarked grave being discovered in

the forest behind the school. The grave held the body of a young woman that has yet to be

identified. Authorities are now searching the woods as a report of yet another grave being

discovered has surfaced. This one was supposedly empty.”

“He killed another girl?” Amaliya blinked. “Shit.”

She rolled onto her back and killed the sound. So far she was safe from suspicion. The satanic

cult theory would take awhile to disprove and she knew that people would cling to it like crazy.

Satanists were easier to believe in than vampires. Slowly, she worked her socks off her feet using

her toes as she lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

“Two graves, huh?”

She pondered this new bit of information. Obviously, the empty grave was the one she had

crawled out of. But they had found another grave with a body still in it. She almost felt angry and

jealous that the Professor had killed another girl and just not her. Apparently, that victim had not

changed into a vampire since her body was still in the grave. She wondered why the other girl

hadn't changed like she had.

Probably just her bad luck...again.

“Well, fuck it,” she muttered and slid off the bed. Shoving her jeans down over her hips, she

pulled the covers down on the second queen size bed in the room. Dancing her way out of her

pant legs, she collapsed on the bed and stared at her toes. Her toenails were looking wicked

sharp, too.

Grabbing her toiletry bag, she headed over to the vanity to brush her teeth and wash her face.

Maybe both things were totally unnecessary now, but she felt the need to do something normal.

She was leaning over the sink, scrubbing away when she heard the door open behind her.

Whirling around, she was startled to see Rob standing in the doorway staring at her with his

usual blank look. In utter silence, he shut the door and walked over and sat down on the bed she

had turned down. Spitting out the toothpaste and quickly rinsing out her mouth, she tried to

process his strange appearance in the room.

“Uh, Rob? What are you doing here?”

Sitting with his hands on his knees, he turned his head and looked at her calmly. “I paid for

the room. They gave me a card.”

“Yeah, but why are you here?” She put her hands on her hips and tried not to be intimidated

by the fact she was standing in her pink and black bikini underwear and AC/DC tank.

He slowly smiled. “You're a nice girl.”

She snorted slightly and shook her head. “Okay, maybe, but why the hell are you in my hotel

room?”

Shifting his massive weight, he adjusted himself and gave her a surprisingly sly expression.

“You know.”

“Aw, fuck,” she said and threw up her hands. “My luck so freaking sucks.”

“I think you need to get over here and get to sucking,” Rob said with a sure smile.

“Fuck you.”

“Get to it.”

She flipped him off and walked toward him. “Get out. Now!”

“Not until we're done,” he said firmly. His expression was fading from blank to incredibly

forceful.

She moved past him, intending to open the door and usher him out. He snagged her wrist,

yanked her off her feet, and onto his lap. He was suddenly all over her, his hands creeping under

her shirt and down her panties. He was massive and his girth seemed to consume her smaller

frame. She began to panic.

“Just don't fight and it will be okay,” he whispered in her ear and licked it.

Her elbow came up and hit him hard in the sternum as her anger flared. To her surprise, he

fell back, stunned and gasping. Realizing she had the upper hand, she leaped to her feet and

kicked his huge gut hard.

“Do not fuck with me, asshole.”

To her surprise, he kicked back, hitting her square in the stomach with his big boot, and

knocked her back into the TV. If she had been a breathing mortal, she would have had the wind

knocked out of her. But she wasn't breathing and she wasn't mortal. As he sat up gasping, he

reached for her, and she stood with her feet apart.

“I'm warning you,” she said in a low voice.

“Get on your knees,” he snarled and unzipped his jeans. His face was flushed and angry.

Scowling, she drew her fist back and punched him square in the jaw. His head rocked back as

he let out a startled cry. Reaching down, she grabbed him by his belt buckle and heaved him off

the bed. Despite his massive weight, he came up easily. She whirled him around and reared back

her fist. He was choking and foaming at the mouth, trying to speak. Spitting out a few of his

teeth, he reached desperately for her neck. She slammed her fist into his nose, felt it break, then

sink into his meaty face. He hit the ground with a resounding thunk.

Licking the blood off her fingers, she stood over him, her gaze cold and cruel.

“I said don't fuck with me,” she repeated.

Reaching down, she heaved the dying man up and bared long terrible teeth, and drove them

into his fatty neck.