Harder to Breath by Sedona McDonald (ebook pc reader txt) 📖

placed his hand in front me, waiting for me to take it.
I started to slide my hand out, but something stopped me. Oh! How I wish I had never taken his hand!
“First, tell me your name…” I had whispered to him.
“My name is Ralph, Erica” he replied with a grin. His hand was still waiting for me to take it. Slowly I grabbed it. In an instant we were flashing through the streets. We were running, fast.
My breath came in short gasps; finally we stopped in a meadow.
“The woods?” I had thought, “We got here so fast…. This couldn’t mean he-“
It was too late, Ralph had already gotten me here, and He was the man who had killed my parents. I turned from the meadow and started to run. I knew that he would soon catch up. Not even soon, he would be there in a second.
He was.

He grabbed me and shoved me up against a tree.
“You are right, my dear Erica, I killed your parents”
--- --- ---

I hadn’t realized I was crying till I had come out of my revere. I turned my head just a little just to see out the window.
“I killed the man, who killed my parents” I thought
First Day Back

It had been 3 weeks since the accident of me. I don’t wear the brace anymore but my throat is still bandaged. Today would be the first day that I go back to school. I awoke to the sound of Monty in my room, yelling at me to wake up.
“Erica! Get your ass up! You are going to school whether you like or not “she shouted at me and then walked out of the room.
I slowly crawled out of bed and pulled on my clothes. I wore my usual jeans and an old shirt. I went to the middle bathroom of our little apartment and brushed my dark brown hair and brushed my teeth. When I was done I grabbed my string backpack and walked into the little half kitchen. Monty sat at the table and sipped her tea.
“Thanks for waking me up in such a nice way, Monty” I said to her, grabbing a cup of coffee off the counter.
“Erica, you have skipped school for 2 weeks, you should have gone back last week and you can’t be late on your first day back” she snapped back at me
“Who says I’m going to be late?”
“Trust me, Erica, I know you, you will always be late no matter how early you get up”
I chuckled at her commentary, scratching at the bandage on my neck I kissed Monty on the top of her head and walked out the door. I walked down the two flights of stairs that led to the little parking lot and walked to my blue, Volex wagon beetle. I opened the door and slumped into the passenger seat and started the engine. Putting my coffee cup in the holder I backed up out of the parking lot.
I went down Paris rode, the easiest way to get to Minnesota’s high school. I sighed as I caught almost every red light, by the time I got to the school and parked my car, Monty was right, I was late.
I walked into the front office where Mrs. Patterson sat typing at the secretary’s desk.
“Why, Erica, It’s so good to have you back” she said to me writing me a pass to first period.
“Thanks” I managed to mumble grabbing the slip out of her hand.
And before she had time to respond I walked out of the front office and walked down the 200 hallway toward my first class. I walked pass all the yellow and green lockers and hit the end of the hallway before I realized that I had already passed my class. I turned around and walked straight into a guy that was standing behind me.
He was sort of tall and had long black hair, his eyes were a golden, light brown color. He was absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.
“Sorry I… uh.. I…” I managed to mumble
His eyes lit up and his face turned up in a bright smile.
“No,” he said “It’s fine. I actually needed somebody’s help, I’m lost and I need to get to my first period”
“What’s your first period?” I asked him hoping that it wasn’t mine.
“English, with Mr. Sutton”
“Oh! That’s where I’m going” I told him in a sing songy voice.
I didn’t want him to be in my class, there was something about him that makes me feel on edge.
“Great” he told me “Should I follow you?”
I nodded and started heading back down the hallway where I had just come. When we walked in Mr. Sutton gave us both evil looks and told us to sit. Everybody stared at me in the class. I didn’t really have any friends so I knew that a rumor had started. Everybody was whispering about how I was attacked.
--- --- ---

When the bell rand signaling the last class of the day was over, everybody piled into the halls. Immediately I got surrounded by people that I didn’t even know asking all sorts of questions.
“Erica what happened? Are you all right?”
“Oh my gosh I heard that you had your throat almost slashed, is that true?”
“Erica, did you really almost die in the woods?”

I shoved past all these people and ran to my car. Already the tears were coming to my face. I was trying to unlock the door when I felt a presence behind me. I froze for a second and spun around in the next.
The guy who was lost in the hallway was there behind me.
“Can I help you?” I asked him
He smiled again letting his face light up. “No, I was just wondering what your name was?”
I blushed and coughed at the same time. “My name is Erica and you are?”
“James, my name is James” James held out his hand waiting for me to shake it or something.
“Nice to meet you James, but I really must start heading home if you don’t mind?”
“No of course not, we all have to get home. It’s been very nice meeting you Erica, I do hope we get to see a lot of each other” He smiled at me and winked.
I blushed and immediately dogged into the car. I looked in the rearview mirror and didn’t see him. Is it possible he was already on the other side of the school? No couldn’t be. Unless he was…. No now I’m thinking strange. I laughed at my own weird thought.
I backed out of the school parking lot and started on my way home, to Monty’s. Do you see how boring my life is?
--- --- ---
When I arrived home in the little apartment I found Monty asleep on the couch. I walked into my little bedroom where all it held was a bed and a desk. I strung my backpack on the back of the chair and plopped down onto my bed.
A stream of cool air blew on my face and ruffled the curtains. I immediately sat straight up; I hadn’t left the window open! I got up off the bed and looked around. Everything seemed to be in its place. Then what was it that seemed out of place?
All this vampire stuff was starting to get to my head. I walked into the living room and shook Monty awake.
She awoke with a stutter and looked at me defensively. “What are you doing home?” she asked me.
I stared at her with the look that said ‘are you kidding me’ but apparently I wasn’t.
“Aunt Monty, school is already over its 4:30 in the afternoon..”
“Oh” she said and got up. She patted me on the head and walked into the kitchen. “I’m sorry sweaty, I guess I forgot”
I stared at Monty, the circles under eyes looked odd and her dark skin looked paler.
“Monty… have you been feeling ok” I ask her
She doesn’t reply, instead she starts making dinner.
I let her drop the question and walk back into my room. I start to work on my homework and slowly I fall asleep.


I awoke to the sound of a loud clattering noise.
“SHIT!” I hear Monty say in the kitchen
Immediately I’m up and running in there like crazy.
“Monty! Is everything all right?” I ask her in a loud voice.
Monty is picking up pots and pans and cursing under her breath.
Monty looks up at me and shrugs. I know something is wrong, so I grab Monty by the shoulder and take the pot out of her other hand. The look in my eyes is telling her not to lie to me.
She shrugs and takes a deep breath.
“There was a man standing on the patio, staring in at me”

Revealing

A growl escaped from his lips, a shriek escaped from hers. As he slowly lowered his head toward her neck, the more frightened the girl became. Even before his teethe had entered her neck the girl knew she was going to die, she felt it within her heart.
The man felt her fear just as strongly as she felt death creeping along the edges. He slid his tongue along his fangs and felt how dry his tongue was. It had been forever since he had drunken from a single soul.
The girl closed her eyes and did the only thing she could think of to do, she smiled. She whispered a silent prayer; when she was done she felt something move. Something moves within her. A strong power of strength from deep within her.
“At last, I