1

THE NEXT VICTIM

 2013 Rafael Alcolea.

My Place for English: English Readers Collection: 1
The Next Victim.

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THE NEXT VICTIM

1
She was special, incomparable to all others.
I lived in a working-class neighbourhood on the outskirts of
the city, one of those neighbourhoods used to sleep by middle
class workers that eternally aspired to move to a more exclusive
zone in midtown, in a small, but welcoming house.
She lived in the house in front of mine. Contrary to what you
would think, I rarely saw her during the day; and that too,
always in a dodging way.
Her face was a blessing in all ways, full mouth, intense green
eyes; all this accompanied by long blonde hair and a well
proportioned body. But what really attracted me to her, was not
her physical appearance, it was her as she was, all of her being.
She had something that hypnotized me; something abnormal
strongly attracted me towards her, and forbade me from getting

her out of my head. Each night while I studied, I searched my

window with hope of seeing her.

Most nights I didnt achieve it, and that night I didnt have
much more faith, it just wasnt the right weather. It was infernal
outside.
It was real shame because my parents had gone to the burial
of the father of one of my fathers co-workers, and they
wouldnt be back until late. This meant that I would have the
house to myself. If the occasion had come up, I could have
invited her for a drink, and that way I could finally get to know
her.
6

It was three oclock in the morning when the brightness of

the light in her kitchen surprised me. I had already lost all hope
of seeing her, but it looked like I was in luck. She finally
appeared, there in her washed jeans and her favourite black
blouse.
Suddenly, an internal force took over me and I decided to talk
to her. I quickly picked up the house keys, a small black
umbrella that was in the entrance, and I jumped to her door.
Once I was at the doorbell, I hesitated for an instant; it was
three in the morning. In the end, my finger settled down on
Edisons invention. It must have startled her because I heard
something fall and bang subtly on the floor. Just then I heard her
light and cautious footsteps to open the door.
Once she assured herself that she knew the person behind the
door, she opened it. When I looked at her directly in her eyes, I
thought the whole world stopped existing and was paralyzed
around me. who said rain?.
I had never come across such enigmatic and attractive eyes.
Once I recuperated from her spell, I was in her home. Inside, it
was very welcoming, although simple and quite functional. The
7

walls were covered with oak wood, which proportioned certain

darkness; it didnt help that there werent many lights and those
shone towards the roof, leaving the house in shadows.
Whats the matter? She asked with a sweet and worried
voice.
Dont worry! Im O.K. I said rapidly I dont know
how to explain it. Ive spent quite time seeing you in this
neighbourhood, one night we waved each other, we talked about
the weather, trivial things without importance, and I
wondered if some day you would like to come around and
have something to drink or eat with me.
Okay, if you are so interest in getting to know me, why
dont we have something, at a more reasonable time? She
protested with an uncomfortable pause, which made me feel like
a nocturnal psychopath Im only saying it because it is past
three in the morning and the weather is terrible. She smiled
showing me some white and perfect teeth.
Im sorry! Youre right I apologized I was just
studying and I didnt realize how late it was and just one last
thing I interrupted what is your name?
8

My name is Sasha she said with a big smile closing her

front door.
There I was under the rain, I had made a fool out of myself, a
university student ridiculed at three oclock in the morning, but
right now I was the happiest thing on this earth.
When I got home, a few minutes later, I didnt believe it. It
had been so fantastic, <she wanted to go out for something> I
thought out loud. I took some time to concentrate again after the
get-together, just when I thought about leaving it and going with
the god of sleep; the light in my bedroom switched off.
Damn fuses, they jump every time theres a storm, it was
strange that it hadnt happened before, I said to myself trying
to calm myself down in the darkness.
I took a few seconds to turn over my drawer in my bedroom,
where there should have been a torch for these occasions.
Evidently, it didnt appear. When I finally found it, I went
bravely towards the garage and the basement of the house, well
that is where the fuse box of the house was.

I was walking down the stairs to the second floor, and

without realizing I looked at Sashas house, and I was annoyed
when I saw her come out of it; dressed in a black raincoat and
high boots.
Bit by bit, the indignation and fury over the fact that she had
tricked me, and that she had said she was staying at home,
passed on to an enormous suspense and later a logical
preoccupation that made me follow her. < Where do you
suppose a young and attractive girl would go alone, at four
oclock in the morning, and on a night like this?>

10

2
When I left the house the storm had passed, it was barely
raining now. The atmosphere had changed, and the night was
much warmer. I felt my mind clearing out, and the intense and
warm smell of wet earth invited me to take a walk even though
it was almost five in the morning.
I followed her through the grand avenue with a prudent
distance, hiding behind the cars. But when it seemed that she
would keep walking on the avenue, she took a right turn towards
the old forest. Now I was really surprised. It wasnt normal that
a youngster walked alone at this time, and even less normal that
she would go into a solitary and inhabited forest like that one
was.
In the distance I heard the bell of the old church that was near
the outskirts of the village. As I went further into the forest the
humidity of the earth as well as the mould decomposing on the
floor caused a thick fog that raised up to the waist; which did
not invite me to enter such a solitary place. This fog didnt make
my job of following her any easier; well I could only see a faint
reflection of her figure in the distance. When I had nearly
11

thrown in the towel, and had thought about returning to the

village, I thought I knew where she was going. Following that
track in the middle of the night, the only civilized place that she
could be going to, was Saint Pauls cemetery.
The really old cemetery built by the first villagers centuries
ago, was surrounded by impressive old cypresses that held dark
guards of eternal life.

12

People from everywhere of this area came to the old

cemetery, and even people from other parts of the country; well
people said that it was a holy place, because it was here that the
saint appeared to the first settlers. I t was very difficult for me to
locate among so many mausoleums and graves. But I finally
found her knelt down in front of a huge monumental tomb made
out of white marble. Her delicate figure, and the fragility of her,
contrasted with the rough place surrounding us. Suddenly, I felt
something hit me on the head and everything went dark, I felt
like my body wasnt responding and I fell to the floor, I didnt
feel pain, because I didnt feel anything then.
I dont know how long I was unconscious for. The only thing
Im sure is that some distant voices rescued me from my
unconsciousness. I got ready to open my eyes, but I didnt dare
to, from fear of receiving another bang if they saw I was
conscious. I knew, that bang hadnt been an accident. Somebody
had wanted to get me out of the way, but who? I wondered.
The ideas piled up in my brain and ran over each other each
instant. My head hurt a lot just above the nape. I felt my neck
was wet, surely it was some blood that I had lost in the way.
Slowly, I regained the rest of my senses work methodically; due
13

to the unbearable smell of that place. It was obvious that we

werent out in the fresh air; I noticed the humidity of closed
places, that didnt have anything to do with the comfortable
smell of wet earth from before. That rare air that slowly filled
my lungs, lowered and rose through my respiratory system
disgustingly caressing the opening of my stomach, inviting it to
chuck up its contents in more than one occasion. I tried to keep
the nausea that it caused, and I focused my attention on the hot
voices that argued at little distance from my lifeless body on the
floor.
Sasha I dont care what youre saying, he saw you coming
here, he followed you. He can discover our secret. We have to
put him to sleep. At least, he has found our hiding place, the one
that took us long to find.argued a furious male voice.
Imagine what would happen if the rest found out. I cant come
out.
No, Radgll, you wont kill him. I know this guy, he is my
neighbour and he is a good person. His family wouldnt be able
to deal with it. He just followed me because he was worried
about me; the fool has been in love with me for ages. Sasha
tried to defend me in an energetic angry voice.
14

As I heard her words, I felt like all my blood went to one

place, my chucks How had I been so stupid and let her notice
that I was spying her and that I was in love with her? How
embarrassing! I thought. I wish the Earth would have
swallowed me, but what I didnt know, but I would find out later
was that it already had.

Anyway. Why did you hit him like that? I already told you
I knew he was following me. Perhaps you think I couldnt hear
his noisy footsteps in the silence of the night? She asked.
Didnt it occur to you for a second that maybe I wanted to be his
friend, instead of killing him.

15

Sasha you know thats not possible, he would betray us

sooner or later. Remember what happened in Boston. Either, one
of us, or against us. Im not risking everything for a simple
mortal. Radgll said starting to get impatient. He seemed like
he wanted to finish this situation quickly.
Lets go and ask the rest! We have to go to the
congregation anyway, thats why we came here. Sasha
sentenced, pushing him out of the place, before a third person
could even have a look at where I was.
I listened attentively to how they walked away, and after the
shock of the bang of the big metal door closing. I opened my
eyes. Everything was dark; I remembered that I had the torch
that I had used at home when the lights went out because of the
storm, in my jacket. I searched in each and every one of the
pockets of my jacket, until I found the torch in the last one.
When I turned it on, thrown on the floor, the perspective of the
place nearly made me faint again.
I was in a That was, a crypt!

16

3
I found myself surrounded by some type of sarcophagi; water
in some place was decomposing, like the bodies. I was sure that
that horrible smell came from there. That unpleasing smell made
me go stupid at every mouthful of air.
I noticed that my shirt was soaking, I thought that the
tremendous bang on the head would have made me lose a lot of
blood, and maybe I was bleeding myself to death now
I touched the place where my occipital bone was, and I found
that I had an enormous open wound; but fortunately it wasnt
bleeding; or the blood was at least coagulating. Terribly
exhausted, nearly passed out, and with barely any energy to
think clearly. I tried to calm myself. In order to achieve it, I
started to think that Sasha and her friends were terrorists or
belonged to hidden society r religious group, and this was their
hideout. I had discovered it, but she didnt want them to hurt
me; on the contrary, her sadist friend, Radgll, had nearly killed
me and hadnt hesitated in his determination, I fell asleep from
thinking too much.

17

More than an hour must have passed while I was sleeping,

because something that was moving in the darkness of the crypt
woke me up. There was something or someone else in that
sinister place next to me, and it came closer with discretion and
the caution of a grand feline or a snake; as it spied on its
innocent prey. Was it coming for me? Was I going to die
swallowed by some kind of creature in the darkness? I asked
myself paralyzed with horror.
I couldnt believe what was happening to me; if I only
listened to dad and focused on my studies of medicine, instead
of going after girls I would save myself all these headaches,
and thats never said better, according to my situation. I had to
do something quickly to save myself. I knew that I couldnt
scream, I couldnt ask for help, I didnt have a mobile phone, I
didnt even have something to defend myself with; apart from
that ridiculous torch, which I decided to switch on as I
remembered it. I never thought I would die this way, well, in
fact I had never thought about dying until now.
But now That I was so close, <should I resign to just dying?>
I thought. When I was thinking that all was lost, I
recognized her voice. It was her
18

An intense smell of burnt was flooded my sense of smell,

alleviated from not having to smell that nauseating stench, I
inhaled the penetrating burnt smell. Immediately I felt that her
hands caressed my face, and then I dared to open my eyes out of
darkness. The blinding light of the candle next to my face, it
made me jump back a bit, I couldnt see clearly because my eyes
had got used to absolute darkness these last hours. Once my
eyes adapted to the light, I could observe the crypt more
thoroughly. In the end, it was really a really creepy place. Sasha
sat on the floor by my side and started to talk.
I see youve woken up. she said looking at my head
Im really sorry about the bang on your head. Radgll was only
trying to protect us.
And he did it well. She smiled.
Because of the appearance and the amount of blood, you
look like youve lost a lot of blood, but your life is not in
danger.
She got something out of her pocket, it was a doubtful
looking flask, it didnt have any labels, nor any sign of
identification.
19

If you take this potion, youll be fully cured soon, its a

revitalizer. She said as the dark green flask was coming closer
to me. You will quickly recover all the lost blood with this
potion.
I nodded, incapable of pronouncing words.
I guess youll ask yourself what this situation means, and
the questions will all pile up in your mind. Dont worry, youll
know soon.
Dont worry! You dont have to explain anything I lied.
I started to notice a slight improvement in our relation, and I
tried to sit up. Seeing me, she helped me.
How long do you like me? She asked without any
hesitation. I guess that after this strange situation, you dont
like me anymore. She said as her look was fixed on me.
You dont think Im going to stop liking you, just because
your mate is a beast I joked, noticing that my face was turning
all tones of magenta.

20

Tell me about yourself! Tell me how your life is she

asked me with sudden interest of someone who wants to be
someone elses friend out of necessity, as she sat on a coffin.
Theres little to tell I explained my parents have a real
estate business downtown, I spend all my time studying and
going to university. My name is Marc, and the rest of my family
lives in Italy. My grandparents are Italian, but I was born here in
the States.
Italy! I adore Italy! Sasha exclaimed loudly, I love
that country, what I enjoyed the most was Venice, so pretty in
the day time, but so mysterious at night.
Ive never been there. My parents havent gone back to
visit their family, since I was born. Its always them who want
to come and visit us, the trip ends up being really expensive.
Why dont you talk about yourself now? I asked, trying to
figure her likes and interests.
Dont be impatient, if you really want to know something
about me, you could wait until tomorrow she said
mysteriously I guess youre tired, you should lie down again.
She said while I obeyed her as hypnotized and lied on her lap,
21

as if some magic spell occurred after hearing her words. I felt an

enormous peace inside, and all the muscles of my body relaxed,
until my mind slowly stopped functioning, and I ended up in a
lovely sleep. In the last instants in which drowsiness over
powered me, I could only see her precious eyes fixed on me. At
my side was the miracle flask of revitalize, and my last thought
was: and what if instead of medicine the flask contained
poison?
When I woke up, I was sweating. I should have cried loudly
because my parents entered in my bedroom, blinding me with
the light.
Oh my son! Are you okay? my mother asked with a
worried face. She neared a glass of water that was on the
bedside table.
So much studying cant be good Marc! You should go out
more and have some fun! My father advised me.
Dont worry mum, it was only a horrible nightmare. And
now if you dont mind I would like to keep sleeping,
please! I begged trying to calm them down.

22

4
As soon as my parents closed my bedroom door, I ran
sneakily to my bedroom window, to observe her house. All
seemed normal, the windows were closed, and on the horizon
the sun started to rise. She would be sleeping and all of that
would have been no more than a terrible nightmare. I went back
to sleep, but I couldnt. My head wouldnt stop filling with
scenes that I had dreamt or lived that night. I didnt know
what to think, but everything had been so real although the
most horrific dreams were always the most realistic ones.
When I woke up, it was three in the afternoon. I was
surprised by how long I had slept. I was home alone; my parents
wouldnt be back until 5 oclock. Truthfully, I couldnt
understand how they could work after a night out. I still didnt
know what to think about what had happened the night before. I
went to the kitchen to eat something because I was famished.
I spent most of the afternoon studying, and I didnt go over
the subject any more. Surely I fell asleep while I was studying
and my subconsciousness played a bad pass time.

23

At about six oclock, my parents arrived. So they were the

perfect excuse to close my books, and quickly switch on my
television to not have to listen to mum telling me that shouldnt
study too many hours without a rest.
Hello, son! Mum exclaimed, smiling as she saw that I
was doing something other than studying. I hope you have
recovered from last night, because your friend told me that you
are going out tonight. She said that at ten she would come over
again. She seemed like a very educated girl, and a pretty, right
Leonard? She asked dad trying to involve him in our
conversation, and between the two of them convince me to go
out with the Stevensons daughter.
Mum! How many times do I have to tell you that I dont
like Helen.I protested anyway, its always a struggle trying
to get a phrase of more than three words out of her.
Lets see sweetheart, I think youre getting confused. Im
not talking about Helen, who is the best girl you could go out
with in this town. But that blonde chick that is so cute, our
neighbour!My mother announced.

24

Then, I was petrified; I noticed that the blood left my cheeks

to go to my heels. Unconsciously, I took my hand to my head,
and quickly localized an enormous bump on the back of my
cranium. It was true everything I had lived last night was
right.I thought without believing it.
Son! Whats up? Youre suddenly pale mum asked
resting the palm of her hand on my forehead, youre poorly, I
think you have a fever. I will call that girl right now and youll
tell her that youre ill in bed, and you can set a date another
day.she sentenced.
Take this pill too, it will make you feel better she said
without letting me protest and made me swallow it with the help
of a sip of hot milk. Very good, now go to sleep, rest and
tomorrow you will have time to see whoever you want to,
My head was going over and over what I had lived, a part of
me, the rational part, told me that it was impossible that my
experience of the night before was real. But my senses indicated
otherwise. There was an internal fight in my brain between
rationalists and empirists. Descartes and Hume fought to see
who would take the cat to the water.
25

This philosophical debate with myself, over powered me, and

soon I fell asleep.
I dont know well how long I was sleeping for, but I must
have rested for quite a while, because a little noise from the
window made me jump. I switched on the light and went to the
window. When I drew the curtain, there was only darkness
outside. I opened the window to check that the noise came from
outside, and assure myself that I wasnt experiencing some type
of post-traumatic paranoia.
Good evening Marc! A whispery voice spoke from the
garage roof did you think I would leave and I wouldnt come
back to tell you more about me?
It was her, Sasha! She had come back, I couldnt believe it! I
had so many questions that her invitation to chat was irresistible.
After thinking it over a second, I realized that I didnt know
whether to shout for help, throw myself on her and kiss her or
close my window, and run through the back door. But finally, I
decided to do the thing I least expected I would do without
hesitating: accompany her.

26

5
I suppose you are asking yourself thousands of questions
I nodded thats why Im here, to explain everything you need
to know. She asked me to follow her, and like a poor little white
rat hypnotized, I did what she asked me to do. Maybe it was
because I had spied on her from my bedroom every day, but
now that I had her close, I didnt want to let her escape. I felt I
could not control my mind and senses.
She started walking quicker, but without any apparent effort,
so much that sometimes I could only see the reflection of her
golden hair as she went round some corners.
It took ten minutes to reach our destination, an enormous
weeping willow at the start of the forest. The inhospitable place
was a constant mash up of giant moths and the close howl of
some owl that lived nearby in a stunning tree. We sat on an
enormous grey rock, covered with electric green moss which
was a bit humid on the bottom; and she started to narrate.

27

You know that my name is Sasha, and you will see Im not
a figment of your imagination. You also know that I am your
neighbour, although that might not be for much longer. She
clarified.
I felt like my pulse stopped. Was she telling me that she was
leaving?
You know that after last night, my friends and I are in
danger, and we have to run away to somewhere safe.
Why are you in danger? Do you belong to a terrorist group
or something similar? I asked.
Nothing like that. She said laughing I see that you
dont suspect a thing about who we are or what we do.
For a few seconds the silence overpowered us.
Have you never stopped and thought why my skin is so
pale, or why I only go out at night? Before interrupting me, let
me explain you everything. She ordered I know you are
one of those university guys related to science, so you wont
believe in anything except the physical and real world. I think
that you should begin thinking in the other side the
28

underworld, etc. After tonight, your way of looking at life will

change forever, I assure you. It just depends on joining us or
not.
Even though my mind was working overtime, I couldnt or
maybe I didnt want to figure out what she was saying.
Before confessing everything, you must give me your
word that you shall never tell anyone that you have spoken to
me after that incident, or what we have spoken about. Because
all of us, even you, would be in terrible danger she said in a
serious tone, looking directly into my eyes like never before.
Ok! Ill say it: Im a vampire and the most important aspect for
you: I have chosen you to be my partner, and before the night
ends, you could also become a vampire.
In any other normal circumstances and before another
person, I would have laughed at her face. Thinking she had gone
mad, I would have walked away, leaving her with a big letdown.
But the strange transformation, nearly imperceptible, that her
face suffered when she told me, froze my blood. Her face didnt
start to wrinkle, nor did she grow tusks like in the movies; but
that devil like grin of a wild hunter after its prey, made her face
29

change. Her gaze on my neck and her absolute mind control

over all my movements made me shake.
Now what?I thought.
You still dont believe me, do you? Sasha asked
fulminating me with her look. Follow me!
She grabbed me from the waist quickly, and I felt like I was
getting dizzy. I noticed that my feet werent touching the floor.
I hardly had time to react because we were already dozens of
metres off the ground. Sasha brought me closer to her body to
prevent me falling or thats what I thought then. Suddenly I felt
a faint stab in my neck. Both my eyes opened trying to see what
was happening to me. I could only see darkness around me and
the partial shadow of the electric lights of the far away village
that was under our feet.
Time stopped, no sound reached my ears. I felt as if life
stopped inside of me. Was it the beginning of death? I wasnt
scared, cold, angry or any other sensation. I only wanted to
sleep. Could I have been dead already?

30

But my thoughts about death lasted a few seconds. I returned

to myself as I heard the sound of the blood passing her throat at
a fierce speed, I needed to do something or she would kill me.
She wouldnt stop gulping; she never seemed to satisfy her
thirst. I tried to pull away from her, but all my titanic efforts
stayed in a brief thought of the action. A few seconds later, my
mind started fogging over until it finally switched off.
An intense smell of something familiar woke me from my
lethargy. My senses were asleep like when they start to wake
after a surgical operation. She hadnt killed me, I dont know if
this was her way of demonstrating, but I didnt feel like staying
to figure out more. I tried to move, and I realized I was chained
up, as bit by bit I recovered sight.

31

Once again I found myself on the filthy and disgusting floor

of the crypt. I started to focus more, I noticed that something
had changed in that place, it was lighter and I could distinguish
the silhouettes better. Some lifeless silhouettes that were barely
perceptible were moving near, they were people. I wasnt alone.
I slowly looked around, three hundred and sixty degrees of
perplexity. The whole crypt was full of guys and girls of my age
more or less, who were asleep but with difficult breathing. They
slept thrown on top of a grave or lying on a tombstone; some
girl sobbed at the end of that good damned place, but most of
them were dumb struck from the effects of some sedative drug.
I supposed that that was the dispenser of those beings or
something like that, because nearly all of them, until the faint
light let me see, had a pair or several pairs of dots around their
necks. I started to get closer to some of the lifeless bodies, I was
sure I had seen them somewhere.
One thing was clear: I had to escape. That was serious now. I
had to manage to get out of there, quickly. With a gigantic effort
I managed to stand up. From that height I could see some sort of
door that led to an extension, but logically it was closed. I crept
up. When I was near touching the door, I heard that somebody
32

was coming closer. The only thing I could do was hiding in the
space that the door left when it was opened. A massive door of
that size couldnt be too easy to open, so I hoped that they didnt
open the door,
A figure dressed in long and dark clothing, and very white
face, crept up, as it floated instead of walked. The being went to
the last place of the room. In that moment I came out of my
hiding place, it was my last and only opportunity. As I could I
managed to close the door behind me, and I blocked it with
some wood I had found at my feet. I ran like I ever thought I
could until I found some spiral stairs. As I climbed them at full
speed, I tripped, I slipped, I skimmed the dry walls with my bare
arms: I heard some blood curdling screams from the creature
trying to open the door of the crypt. When I had nearly reached
the end of the stairs, for even more disaster, my right leg sank in
the old rotten step. My foot was stuck, and an intense pain ran
up my back until it reached my brain. Then I heard how the door
gave way. I leant on the previous step and with an inexpressible
pain; I pulled put the member from the step. I fell face down
from the force used. When I got ready to go on the march again,

33

something pulled on my wounded leg. Had I broke my ankle

and I couldnt walk? I asked myself.
I looked down to find that horrible being, biting my wound.
The smell of blood blinded him and instead of grabbing me, he
started to lick and bite my wound. It was so disgusting and
annoying seeing that parasite attached to my leg that I used all
the remaining energy to hit him with the other leg in the face
three times. The vampire that was in trance from the taste of my
blood fell rolling down the stairs.
I continued dragging stairs until I finally reached the surface.
The door of access to the mausoleum had an enormous lock, I
closed it behind me. After recovering my breath for a second, I
ran terrified. I had to hide until sunrise. I didnt have any idea
how many of those monsters would come looking for me; I had
to find a hiding place and get out of the cemetery.
When I thought I was nearly safe, and I had slowed down;
because the pain of my leg was unbearable. Radgll appeared in
front of me.

34

6
I had to do something right now or he would kill me, it was
barely fifty metres that separated us. The belfry of the church,
far away chimed seven rings of the bell, soon the sun would rise.
I just needed ten minutes more and I would be saved. But I
couldnt run from that fast vampire for all that time. I reached
the old stone bridge when Radgll was right at my heels. I could
nearly hear his grunts and feel his smelly breath on my nape.
Then, I distinguished a figure at the end of the bridge; the
morning fog didnt help me distinguish who it was. I started to
shout for help like an insane. I was saved. As I was reaching the
other side of the bridge and my savior, something elevated me
from the floor that was the end, it was Radgll. I started to shout
for help, and Radgll burst out laughing. Now he had me, I was
his prey.
Instead of elevating us, suddenly I started to lower very fast.
From about five metres he threw me to the floor, the collision
with the hard surface was brutal. Thankfully, the ground was
somehow softer after the heavy rains, and the mud balanced the
bang a bit.
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Youre an idiot! You knew I wanted him alive. I was going

to convert him, he would have been one of us Sasha argued
with rage in her eyes youll never let me choose anyone,
according to you nobody is good enough to get our immortal
gift.
You mean our curse Radgll sentenced anyway, he
wouldnt have ever accepted becoming a vampire. No sane
person would. No human being would sentence themselves till
eternity to move from one place to another without direction like
we constantly do.
I was just about to move and beg him for my life. But I knew
that it wasnt going to happen. I had two options: Radgll killed
me or Sasha turned me into a vampire. In that moment, none of
the possibilities attracted me.
Dont worry! We will find you another toy! Radgll
shouted ironically there are three millions of creatures waiting
out there. All you have to do is choosing which one you want.
Another TOY you say! I wanted this human being I hate
you! Shouted Sasha throwing herself towards him to hit him
and leaving me forgotten for an instant. In that moment of
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inattention, I stood up stupidly and advanced to the edge of the

bridge. I glanced at my capturers and it seemed like my look
alerted them. Rapidly, when I overcome the security railing of
the bridge and was ready to jump, they started to run at full
speed to the place where I was. The annoyance could be seen in
their eyes, especially in Sashas for having tricked them and
faked my death; I confirmed my negativity to turning into one of
them. All three of us understood in that moment that for me
there was no option but death.

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To die by the sharp jaws of those two vampires, or God

knows how many other evil creatures were not preferable to die
drowning. So I jumped. I noticed quickly the change of
temperature as I entered the water. It was really cold, nearly
freezing. I must have lost consciousness because I woke up
early in the morning in a faraway shore. The rays of the sun
heated my soaking body in the open air. The sun gave me my
life back, and protected me from vampires. I had been
saved I thought barely believing it. I got up with difficulty, I
walked a few metres, and when I thought that my strength and I
would die at the shore, a neighbour of the village walking his
dog saw me a few seconds before I fainted. Five hours later,
when the doctor had gone back home, told my parents that some
crazy man had run me over and had thrown me in a next place to
the old bridge. Listening to his distant words, I fell asleep under
the security of my home.

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7
Some months had passed since that episode in my life. It was
clear that the vampires had left. A few days later I was found,
watching TV with my parents. They put on a programme about
missing people. Then, they were all shown. Every single one of
the boys and girls that I had seen in the crypt appeared in the TV
screen. Poor guys, for their families they had just disappeared,
but I knew the truth. I wanted to tell my parents, but that was
useless and nobody would have believed me. So that was what
those freaks used for substance.
Meanwhile, I had met a girl at the medicine university and
we had been together for four months. One weekend our group
of friends decided to practice hiking in the mountain. We rented
a very welcoming little house at the bottom of the mountain.
The first day in the pure nature was tiring, but we had a great
time. We all went to sleep about twelve.
I looked at my wristwatch jumping for some reason, at five in
the morning. I thought it was the bed, as it made noises when
you moved and it was quite hard. Anne wasnt by my side, I
seemed to see certain brightness under the door that came from
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the living room; after a good amount of time, she didnt return
but the light stayed on. I got up to find out what she was doing
up at those hours and with all the lights on. When I reached the
living room, nobody was there.
Suddenly, the light switched off. A shiver ran through my
body. Then Radgulls diabolic laugh was heard all over the
house. I knew what had happened to Anne and all my friends.
The door behind me slammed shut in the middle of the darkness.
I understood it was the end, this time it was impossible to
escape. They had returned, and this time they wouldnt leave
without me.

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WORKING WITH THE BOOK IN CLASS

Questions about the book

1. What is Sasha like?

2. Why did Marc feel angry with Sasha in chapter one?
3. Where did she go in the middle of the night?
4. Who are those people in the crypt?
5. What are Sashas feelings towards Marc in the third
chapter?
6. Describe the character: Radgll.
7. How did Marc escape from the vampires?
8. Do you think that the end of the story is appropriate?
9. What is going to be Marcs fate?
10. Write a summary of the end of the story.
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Further Activities:

1* Invent a different ending for the story. (100-120 words)

2* Name books or movies related to vampires.
3* Investigate about Dracula and its author Bram Stoker.
4* Imagine the past of Sasha or Radgll before becoming
vampires. (60-80 words)
5* Find out the main features of the Mystery and horror
literary genre.
6*Find elements in the story related to the gothic novel.

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Acnowledgments
I want to offer gratitude to Casey Talboys and Amber
Crookshank, their help in the translation of this book was
invaluable, (you got your A+ in the end).
I am grateful for the encouragement provided by many
students and my wonderful family to publish this story.
The English Department of my high school, they are always
giving me support to write and revising my works.

I am also most grateful to all those creatures that exist

beyond our reason, and we dont admit their existence, at least
in our imagination

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About the author

Rafael Alcolea Harold is an English teacher at a secondary
education High school in the south of Spain. His father lived
half of his life in Australia so he was in touch with English since
a baby.
He has written other novels and short stories in Spanish such
as: Legado infinito ( Eternal Legacy, available in Amazon.
The Next Victim is his first story in a collection of English
Readers published in his web for learning English: My Place for
English.

Contact: rafalcolea@hotmail.com

Twitter: @RafaelAlcolea
www.myplaceforenglish.blogspot.com

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