Pearl: A Vampire Story by Robyn Hunter (phonics reader txt) 📖

Chapter 1-
My Life So Far

This is my story. I was born to a vampire by the name of Silas Twain, and a young woman named Paisley St. Claire. This makes me only half vampire. I feast on the little things in life, and on occasion, blood. I live next door to my best friend, Pearl. She's lived in this neighborhood for over 45 years with her late husband, Walter. Pearl turned 72 over the winter. We celebrated by drinking Andre Champagne and watching Wheel of Fortune. Pearl fell asleep by the fire. I fantasized about draining her of her sweet blood. I always stop myself. "I'll be heading home now, Pearl" I called out as I opened the front door. It's a new day. The sun is shining through my curtains just enough to give me a migraine. I go to the kitchen for my coffee, black. My given name is Dakota St. Claire, taken from my mother, Paisley Dakota. I peek my head out the window to find Pearl reading the morning paper, drinking her usual hot chocolate on the front porch. She's talking to herself. Mumbling, really. "Those damn commies! The whole country is going to shit!" Her orange cat, Vanna White, sat calmly by her side. "Top of the morning to you, my friend" I called out. She didn't look up from her paper. "Those dreaded alley cats got into my garbage cans again last night. I'm gonna buy me a shotgun!" "Calm down now, Pearl. I'll buy you a slingshot instead." "Are you going to bingo tonight?" asked Pearl with her glossy blue eyes. "You know I never miss a game, alley cat" I stated. 11am brings The Price is Right and tuna fish sandwiches. I'm not hungry, as usual. Pearl hums along to the theme music, reading her Reader's Digest and drinking a root beer float, made by yours truly. Her tattered flowered gown drapes to the floor, friend to every dust bunny and flea alike. Pearl has three grown children, all living in Alabama. She's even got a handful of grandkids. No one comes to visit anymore. It's a lonely life for both of us. But at least we've got each other. Pearl knows all too well my thirst for blood. She's acceptive of my situation. It's not like her to judge anyone. Bread crumbs reside on the front of her gown like tiny freckles, baking in the morning sunlight. Everyday between 12 and 12:45pm Pearl nods off into a deep sleep in her lazy-boy recliner, with the local news blaring from the tv set. An old 13" purchased at a flea market some years back. I've been meaning to buy her a nicer television for quite some time now; note to self. Vanna White curls up in a ball on the coffee table, full of outdated Tv Guides and Reader's Digests. This is my time to disappear for a while to feast on my own growing need for blood. I feel my nostrils flaring as I begin my journey through the alley. Cats, boxes, grease, trash. It's a filthy destination. Being a vampire is frowned upon in these parts. Downtown Atlanta Georgia. I make my way through the dead end streets. I rarely take a victim. I prefer to buy my blood instead. I struggle with the idea that I have the power to turn someone into a monster like me. I can't live like that. My last victim was 3 months ago. I still remember his eyes. Wide and curious. Instead, I buy my blood from the local drug dealers. 2 liters of blood will cost you $100. I exchange money for bottle and quickly chug it all. Pearl will be awake soon. I buy her some gerber daisies on my way home, her favorite. I feel the blood flowing through my veins and I am alive. My eyes are tiny pin points.


Chapter 2-
Sickness


Bones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Because bones come in a variety of shapes and have a complex internal and external structure they are lightweight, yet strong and hard, in addition to fulfilling their many other functions. One of the types of tissue that makes up bone is the mineralized osseous tissue, also called bone tissue, that gives it rigidity and a honeycomb-like three-dimensional internal structure. Other types of tissue found in bones include marrow, endosteum and periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage. There are 206 bones in the adult human body. Pearl has been dealing with bone cancer for over 2 years now. Everyday is a struggle. I've read nearly every textbook on bone cancer at the local library. I prefer to study about her body alone. I think to myself "the one thing that's killing her is the only thing that's keeping me alive. BLOOD." Pearl started losing her hair last summer. I bought her a nice long-haired grey wig, although she's never worn it. Sometimes I cry for her when I'm alone. I hate knowing that she's suffering. It's Monday morning now. Time to get ready for Pearl's doctor appointment. I jump into my pinstriped black dress pants. They fit me like a glove. Buttoning up my white dress shit, I glance out the window at Pearl. She's using her cane to walk to the mailbox, I guess her back is bothering her again. No time for coffee this morning. I grab my crimson blazer, buckle up my motorcycle boots, and run out the door. "Do you have your insurance card with you, Pearl?" "I'm out of english muffins, Dakota. How will I have a decent breakfast, now?" "I'm afraid we've gotta leave in a hurry, did you forget about your doctor's appointment?" Pearl clutches the butter knife in her hand, staring at the empty dinner plate on the table. "C'mon, let's get you out of these bedroom slippers. Where are your shoes?" No answer. "Pearl?" I grab a pair of white cloth Keds from the closet. I pick up her jacket and we head out the door. It's especially sunny outside, which I hate. Pearl sings aloud as we begin our walk to Doctor Toppi's office. "Hello my baby, hello my darlin', hello my ragtime gal. Blow me a kiss for a while, baby my heart's on fire." Birds are chirping in the trees. There's a slight breeze in the air. As we pass the local butcher shop, my nostrils begins to flare. BLOOD. I think to myself "oh God, not now. We have to go to the doctor and I have to fight my cravings." We're half a mile away now and I can still smell the blood in the air. The hair on my arms stand straight up. Ten minutes later we arrive at our destination. The entire waiting room is filled with old people. "Stale blood", as vampires refer to them. There's a short old man with no teeth, reading a National Geographic. One woman is sitting with what appears to be her daughter, reading a magazine. "Miss Pearl, how are you doing this morning? Right this way, ma'am" says a plump nurse in white clogs. I wait impatiently. The tv is on the Fox News Network. I want to die. Twenty minutes later, Pearl walks through the waiting room door. "How's everything, Pearly?" "Fine as always" replies Pearl. And so it's back to the streets to begin our short journey home. I cannot bare to pass that damn butcher shop again, so I take a different route home. Fifteen minutes go by, as we start approaching the neighborhood. There are kids playing kickball near the street. A golden lab puppy trails close behind. "Wanna watch The Price Is Right together while I fix you your lunch?" I ask Pearl. "I'm feeling quite tired, I'm afraid. I'm gonna take my nap a little early today" she replied. "Ok neighbor, I'll stop by later for Bingo." And with that, I knew exactly what to do. BLOOD. It was time. I make my way through the filthy alley once again. Before long, I'm back in the projects. On the corner of Moreland Avenue I catch a glimpse of a drug dealer I've bought from before. I try to get his attention without making a scene. After waving my arms around a few times, he walks over to me. "How much you need, home girl?" "2 liters. I need 2 liters, fast" I say. He pulls out the glass bottle from his jacket pocket and I toss him a hundred dollar bill. "Pleasure doing business with you, vamp!" No reply, I just walk away.


Chapter 3-
Flashing Lights


My entire room fills with bright red lights and I awake from a dead sleep. Sirens. "Pearl!" I scream. I get halfway out the door before I realize I'm naked. In a hurry, I grab the tablecloth off the table and wrap it around me. By the time I ran inside they had already loaded her onto the stretcher in the ambulance. "What the hell happened?" I yelled. "Calm down, ma'am. That's what we're trying to find out. Your neighbor is very sick." "My grandmother" I interrupted. I lied. I had to. "You're more than welcome to ride in the ambulance with your grandmother if you so choose." I climb in. Pearl is pale and cold. Her eyes are fluttering in the back of her head. The ride to the hospital seemed like hours, though in reality, it was only about ten minutes. They began unloading her off the stretcher and asked me to meet them inside on the 2nd floor. I've always hated elevators, and this one couldn't go fast enough. It's like everything was in slow motion. Time just stood still. Minutes later they rolled Pearl past me. She had an I.V. bag and a blanket covering half her body. "We've gotta work on your grandmother for a while, ma'am. We're gonna have to ask you to wait in the waiting area. We'll alert you as soon as we're done" explained the doctor. And so I wait. And wait. And wait. I started dosing off in my uncomfortable chair, when the nurse came up and gave me a nudge. "Miss? your grandmother is stable now, you can see her if you'd like." The nurse had a sweet face. Young and intelligent looking. I walked into Pearl's room unsure of what to expect. She was sleeping. Heavily sedated, according to the nurse. "What exactly is wrong with her this time?" I asked. "It's the bone cancer. I'm afraid it's taken a toll on her body, there's nothing more we can do for her" replied the nurse. Tears ran down my cheeks. This was it. There was no turning back. I sat by her side all night, reading the Reader's Digest out loud. At around 2am a young man came in to take her blood. A phlebotomist. I decided to excuse myself from the room. I couldn't handle being around that much blood. Especially Pearl's blood. A few minutes later he was finished and Pearl was talking to the nurse from earlier. "There's my girl!" she exclaimed, as I walked into the room. "Pearly, how do you feel?" "Oh don't you worry about me, honey. They've got me on Morphine. Ol' Pearl can't feel a damn thing!" "Haha, ok good" I chuckled. She drifted in and out of sleep all day. When she was coherent and well rested, she pulled me close and whispered to me. "Dakota, I want you to listen very carefully. I've spoken with the doctors