Free Call of the Vampire by Gayla Twist Page A

me. “Don’t you know where you’re going?” he asked.
    “Step away from my car and leave me alone,” I said in a loud, firm voice. I actually had to force myself to say it with authority. My inner girl had almost said, “Would you please leave me alone?” but that was asking him to do something. That put him in charge.
    “And what if I don’t want to?” he asked, his smugness continuing. “What if I say no?”
    “Step away from my car and leave me alone,” I said in a much louder voice. I wasn’t going to engage him in his “what if” game of cat and mouse.
    “Whoa, whoa, quiet down, now.” He held up both hands trying to gentle me. “There’s no reason to shout,” he said, lowering his own voice.
    There was every reason to shout. The Tiburon Library wasn’t out in a cornfield somewhere. It was near the center of town, and there were houses on all sides. I wasn’t going to quiet down in hopes of placating the sleaze ball. “If you don’t step away from my car and leave me alone, I am going to start screaming my head off,” I told him in a voice that was just below yelling.
    “Relax. You don’t have to be so uptight,” the perv told me. “I’m just trying to be friendly.”
    “You’re not being friendly,” I told him. “You’re harassing me, and you’re blocking my access to my car.”
    “I told you to be quiet,” he snapped at me, not at all pleased I wasn’t proving to be an easy target but still trying to gain control over me.
    “No! Now get away from my car, and leave me alone,” I repeated at my loudest volume yet.
    The guy gave me a look that was sheer venom. His easygoing demeanor had vanished. “You little bitch,” he said in a snarling whisper. “I was being nice, but now I am going to make you so sorry.”
    The porch light went on at a house across the street, and I moved in that direction, never taking my eyes off the jerk for more than a second and still glancing around from time to time to make sure no one else was sneaking up on me. The door to the house opened and an old man shuffled out. “Is everything all right out here?” he asked.
    “No, it’s not all right.” I looked over at him, just for a brief moment. “I need help.”
    There was a sound like a flag flapping in a stiff breeze, accompanied by a muffled shriek.
    “This jerk is harassing me and won’t let me into my...” I looked back to keep an eye on my potential assailant, but he was gone. Not just that he’d walked away—the parking lot was completely empty.
    “What’s that, young lady?” the man on the porch asked.
    “I’m sorry,” I told him. “There was some guy harassing me, but I guess he left when you came out. Would you mind standing there for a minute while I get in my car? I’m worried he might come back.”
    “I guess so. Be quick about it,” the old man muttered.
    “Thank you so much,” I called to him over my shoulder as I jogged over to my car, jammed my key in the lock, and scrambled inside, immediately locking the door again and starting up the engine.
    Seeing me reasonably safe, the old man went back in his house. I released the clutch and pulled out of the parking lot. Where the hell was that guy? I scanned the sidewalks all around me. He had to be around somewhere. He didn’t just vanish into thin air.
    I began to shiver a little. Partially because of my confrontation with the perv and partially because I didn’t know what happened to him. I was definitely spooked. When I got home, I pulled my car into the garage, something I usually don’t do in nice weather, and didn’t get out until the garage door was completely closed and I was sure no one was in there with me.
    “Hi, honey,” my mom called from where she was sitting at the kitchen table as I let myself into the house. Her smile faded once she got a look at my face. “What’s wrong?” she asked, immediately concerned.
    “I was at the library and some perv was harassing me in the parking lot,” I