tell if Charlie was still asleep； or if he had already left。 I went to
look out my window； and the cruiser was gone。 Fishing again。
I dressed slowly in my most fy sweats and then made my bed — something
I never did。 I couldn't put it off any longer。 I went to my desk and
switched on my old puter。
I hated using the Inter here。 My modem was sadly outdated； my free
service substandard； just dialing up took so long that I decided to go
get myself a bowl of cereal while I waited。
I ate slowly； chewing each bite with care。 When I was done； I washed the
bowl and spoon； dried them； and put them away。 My feet dragged as I
climbed the stairs。 I went to my CD player first； picking it up off the
floor and placing it precisely in the center of the table。 I pulled out
the headphones； and put them away in the desk drawer。 Then I turned the
same CD on； turning it down to the point where it was background noise。
With another sigh； I turned to my puter。 Naturally； the screen was
covered in popup ads。 I sat in my hard folding chair and began closing
all the little windows。 Eventually I made it to my favorite search
engine。 I shot down a few more popups and then typed in one word。
Vampire。
It took an infuriatingly long time； of course。 When the results came up；
there was a lot to sift through — everything from movies and TV shows to
roleplaying games； underground metal； and gothic cosmetic panies。
Then I found a promising site — Vampires A—Z。 I waited impatiently for it
to load； quickly clicking closed each ad that flashed across the screen。
Finally the screen was finished — simple white background with black
text； academiclooking。 Two quotes greeted me on the home page：
Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure
so terrible； no figure so dreaded and abhorred； yet dight with such
fearful fascination； as the vampire； who is himself neither ghost nor
demon； but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious
and terrible qualities of both。 — Rev。 Montague Summers
If there is in this world a wellattested account； it is that of the
vampires。 Nothing is lacking： official reports； affidavits of wellknown
people； of surgeons； of priests； of magistrates； the judicial proof is
most plete。 And with all that； who is there who believes in vampires？
— Rousseau
The rest of the site was an alphabetized listing of all the different
myths of vampires held throughout the world。 The first I clicked on； the
Danag； was a Filipino vampire supposedly responsible for planting taro on
the islands long ago。 The myth continued that the Danag worked with
humans for many years； but the partnership ended one day when a woman cut
her finger and a Danag sucked her wound； enjoying the taste so much that
it drained her body pletely of blood。
I read carefully through the descriptions； looking for anything that
sounded familiar； let alone plausible。 It seemed that most vampire myths
centered around beautiful women as demons and children as victims； they
also seemed like constructs created to explain away the high mortality
rates for young children； and to give men an excuse for infidelity。 Many
of the stories involved bodiless spirits and warnings against improper
burials。 There wasn't much that sounded like the movies I'd seen； and
only a very few； like the Hebrew Estrie and the Polish Upier； who were
even preoccupied with drinking blood。
Only three entries really caught my attention： the Romanian Varacolaci； a
powerful undead being who could appear as a beautiful； paleskinned
human； the Slovak Nelapsi； a creature so strong and fast it could
massacre an entire village in the single hour after midnight； and one
other； the Stregoni benefici。
About this last there was only one brief sentence。
Stregoni benefici： An Italian vampire； said to be on the side of
goodness； and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires。
It was a relief； that one small entry； the one myth among hundreds that
claimed the existence of good vampires。
Overall； though； there was little that coincided with Jacob's stories or
my own observations。 I'd made a little catalogue in my mind as I'd read
and carefully pared it with each myth。 Speed； strength； beauty； pale
skin； eyes that shift color； and then Jacob's criteria： blood drinkers；
enemies of the werewolf； coldskinned； and immortal。 There were very few
myths that matched even one factor。
And then another problem； one that I'd remembered from the small number
of scary movies that I'd seen and was backed up by today's reading —
vampires couldn't e out in the daytime； the sun would burn them to a
cinder。 They slept in coffins all day and came out only at night。
Aggravated； I snapped off the puter's main power switch； not waiting
to shut things down properly。 Through my irritation； I felt overwhelming
embarrassment。 It was all so stupid。 I was sitting in my room；
researching vampires。 What was wrong with me？ I decided that most of the
blame belonged on the doorstep of the town of Forks — and the entire
sodden Olympic Peninsula； for that matter。
I had to get out of the house； but there was nowhere I wanted to go that
didn't involve a threeday drive。 I pulled on my boots anyway； unclear
where I was headed； and went downstairs。 I shrugged into my raincoat
without checking the weather and stomped out the door。
It was overcast； but not raining yet。 I ignored my truck and started east
on foot； angling across Charlie's yard toward the everencroaching
forest。 It didn't take long till I was deep enough for the house and the
road to be invisible； for the only sound to be the squish of the damp
earth under my feet and the sudden cries of the jays。
There was a thin ribbon of a trail that led through the forest here； or I
wouldn't risk wandering on my own like this。 My sense of direction was
hopeless； I could get lost in much less helpful surroundings。 The trail
wound deeper and deeper into the forest； mostly east as far as I could
tell。 It snaked around the Sitka spruces and the hemlocks； the yews and
the maples。 I only vaguely knew the names of the trees around me； and all
I knew was due to Charlie pointing them out to me from the cruiser window
in earlier days。 There were many I didn't know； and others I couldn't be
sure about because they were so covered in green parasites。
I followed the trail as long as my anger at myself pushed me forward。 As
that started to ebb； I slowed。 A few drops of moisture trickled down from
the canopy above me； but I couldn't be certain if it was beginning to
rain or if it was simply pools left over from yesterday； held high in the
leaves above me； slowly dripping their way back to the earth。 A recently
fallen tree — I knew it was recent because it wasn't entirely carpeted in
moss — rested against the trunk of one of her sisters； creating a
sheltered little bench just a few safe feet off the trail。 I stepped over
the ferns and sat carefully； making sure my jacket was between the damp
seat and my clothes wherever they touched； and leaned my