Free The Red Thirst by Benjamin Hulme-Cross

Chapter 2
Stakes
    Mary turned to Mr Blood. “Are you going to wait outside to catch the vampire?”
    â€œYes,” said Mr Blood.
    â€œAnd we will wait in here on our own, with Ana’s body?” said Edgar.
    â€œYes, that is my plan,” said Mr Blood.
    â€œBut, if this vampire feeds on the blood of the dead…” said Mary.
    â€œAnd there is a dead body here with us in the chapel…” said Edgar.
    â€œYes?” Mr Blood snapped.
    â€œWell, the vampire might come for Ana,” said Mary.

    â€œMaybe it will,” Mr Blood said. “That is why I need you to wait here with the body. But you will be quite safe.”
    â€œI hope you are right!” said Edgar.
    â€œOf course you will be safe. That door is the only way into this chapel.” Mr Blood pointed at the huge oak door. “And you can bolt the door from inside.”
    â€œBut we can’t lock the door with a key,” Edgar said.
    Mr Blood ignored him. “You must not let anybody in, apart from me,” he said.
    â€œShouldn’t we wait outside with you?” said Mary.
    â€œNo,” said Mr Blood. “You are safer in here.”

    â€œBut we want to help you hunt the vampire!” said Mary.
    â€œNo, we don’t.
I
don’t want to sit in a graveyard waiting for a vampire,” said Edgar.
    â€œI want you to stay in here. But thank you for the offer, Mary,” said Mr Blood.

    He gave each of them a large wooden stake. “Take these. Remember, don’t let anyone in.”
    â€œYes, we know,” said Mary.
    â€œGood,” said Mr Blood. “I will watch the graveyard. I will wait for this vampire to come for Ana. When it arrives, I will destroy it.”
    â€œSo why do we need these stakes?” asked Edgar.
    â€œJust in case something goes wrong. I am being careful, that is all,” said Mr Blood.
    He went out into the graveyard.
    â€œMake sure you bolt this door behind me,” he said.
    Edgar and Mary stood in the doorway with Ana’s open coffin behind them.
    Mr Blood looked among the gravestones for a place to hide.

Chapter 3
Waiting
    â€œI wonder what Ana was like,” said Mary.
    She took some bread and cheese out of the bag the priest had left. Edgar bolted the door.
    â€œDo you want something to eat?” said Mary, with her mouth full.
    Edgar slid the last bolt into place. He turned around. “Are you
eating
?”
    â€œMmm,” mumbled Mary. “Do you want some?”
    â€œNo, I do not!” said Edgar. He lit a candle. “How can you stand there, next to a dead body, and stuff your face?”

    Mary didn’t care. “I wonder if Ana knew her body was going to be used as bait,” she said.
    â€œNever mind her, she’s dead!” said Edgar. “What about us?”
    He went around the chapel, and lit all the candles he could find.
    â€œUs?” Mary snorted. “We’re not bait! The priest said this vampire only feeds on the dead.”
    â€œHow does he know?” said Edgar. “Maybe the vampire feeds on the dead because they don’t fight back. Maybe it really prefers hot blood from living people.”
    â€œYes, who ever heard of a vampire that prefers dead blood?” said Mary. “Maybe it will come for us after all!”
    She smiled and popped a piece of cheese in her mouth.

    â€œI have a bad feeling about this,” said Edgar. “Why do Mr Blood’s plans always put us in danger?”
    He walked up and down. “This vampire is going to come looking for a dead body. And it’s going to find us. And when that happens, it’s going to think that it has been missing out on nice warm blood.”

    â€œYes, and it will attack us! Fun, isn’t it?” said Mary.
    Edgar shook his head. “It’s dark outside. I bet the vampire is on its way here now.”
    â€œI wish I was out there with Mr Blood,” said Mary.

    â€œI don’t