College Vamp

Amiss (Part 1) (EDITED)

Pancake batter sizzled and bubbled in the pan. Damon stood over the stove, dressed in a bathrobe over his pajamas. The local morning news played on the small box TV atop the fridge. Rubbing the grogginess from his eyes, he flipped the pancake over. As the other side cooked, he gazed out the window above the sink. He spotted one of his remaining horses galloping towards the creek down the backyard hill. He let out a defeated sigh, focusing back on his breakfast.

The sudden sound of the doorbell jolted him fully awake. Yawning, Damon abandoned the pan and went to the mudroom. The doorbell rang again, piercing his ears.

"I hear ya, I hear ya." He shouted at the door. As he opened it, he rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. The muggy, early morning air rolled in to greet him. A thin mist floated above the ground outside along with a layer of dew on the grass. As Damon uncovered his eyes, he stopped in his tracks. Standing on his welcome mat was a well-dressed man with pale skin and well-polished dress shoes.

"Good morning, Damon."

The farmer furrowed his brow right back. "What are you doing here?"

"Shelly told me that you called her the other day," Joseph recounted, crossing his arms behind his back. "While I was out for a summit."

"I don't see how that's a damn problem."

"Don't call her again, ever."

"She's my sister. So, I can call her if I damn well please!" Damon stomped forward, jabbing a finger at Joseph's chest.

However, the vampire's demeanor didn't flinch or react. "Is this the hill you want to die on?"

Damon gritted his teeth. His rage scorched his insides. In a swift motion, he thrust a hand to a small shelf next to the door, grabbed and brought forward a slender, wooden stake. Joseph peered down at the weapon. Yet, he remained stoic and calm. The two continued to stare daggers into each other. Damon's fingers clenched tightly around the stake. His hand twitched with fury.

"Is this the kind of attitude you're teaching Seblia? What would your parents think?"

"GET OFF OUR FARM!"

Damon's voice echoed from his front doorstep and out into the field. It startled the horses near the fence, causing them to scatter out. Joseph just stared back, unfolding his arms to adjust his collar.

"Good day."

Turning on his heel, he descended the doorstep and began walking away.

Damon glared the whole time, watching the man begin down the unpaved road back to town. He kept clutching the stake, only loosening his grip when Joseph was out of sight. Stepping back inside, he slammed the door shut and tossed the stake back on the shelf. However, before he could stew on the situation more, he caught a faint whiff of smoke. His eyes went wide, looking towards the kitchen and seeing a cloud of smoke forming.

"Oh, for the love of!"

He scrambled in and over to the stove, coughing as he waded through the cloud. He turned off the heat and moved the pan off. Grabbing the spatula, he jammed it under the burnt pancake. Managing to pry it off, the smoldering pancake batter flopped onto the counter with a crunch. Damon dumped the pan in the sink, threw the faucet on, and doused the thing in water.

7:04 am

Rays of sunlight poked through the window shades of Seblia's room. The time of day allowed them to creep onto her face, causing her to stir. She laid sprawled out on her bed, lying on top of her blankets. Still dressed from the previous night. She rolled over, trying to avoid the warm rays. However, this only woke her up further. She felt absolutely groggy, her head felt heavy and her eyes were tuckered out.