CHAPTER TEN:
Two hours pass, and during those hours, I ponder what to do next. Danny lays unconscious, his wounds have healed, but I can sense he still is in pain. On impulse, I have injected him with my blood. I enough to turn him into a vampire. I know he will not be as powerful as I was when I was turned, as I have not ibingiay him enough to accomplish this feat. I lay back in a chair, continuing to ponder my susunod move. I am startled when the phone rings. When I look at the clock, it is eleven thirty. I answer, not knowing what to expect. “Hello?” I answer. “Hey Ashley.” I hear from the other end. I recognize the voice as belonging to Harold Sunderland. His voice startles me. His tone is happy enough, but he sounds horse, like it hurts him to speak at all. “Harold are you all right?” I ask. He coughs but tries to hide it. “I’m Fine.”
He says. “Listen, I need to talk to you.” He ang sumagot after a moment. “I need to talk to you too.” I say, once again pagganap out of impulse. “Okay. Can you come over to my house?” he asks. I look at Danny, still asleep, and realize he will not wake until sunrise at least. I doubt it will take him five days to awaken. I have not ibingiay him nearly enough venom to give him that kind of power when he awakens. I estimate he will be awake at sunrise. “Where do you live?” I ask into the phone. Harold gives me the address, and tells me to try not to wake up his dad when I get there. “He won’t here me.” I reply. We exchange goodbyes and I hang up the phone. I walk over to Danny and allow part of my hypnotic voice to emerge. “Try not to wake until dawn. I’ll be back. I’m sorry for all this.” I say. I walk out of the apartment, and then stop. I realize nothing will stop sibat from coming back to the apartment tonight. Although I don’t think he will, I can’t rule it out. I return and carry Danny to the car, and put him into the back seat. He does not awake through any of it, and remains asleep when I shut the back door. I climb into the driver’s side and crank the ignition, before driving off.
I arrive at Harold’s address twenty minutos later. The lights are all out except for one room on the tuktok floor, one with a balcony. I lock Danny in the car, and easily jump up to the balcony, climbing over the railing. I look in through the glass door, and see Harold at his computer, typing away. I tap on the glass, but do not seem to startle him. He sees me and smiles, before walking over to the door and sliding it open. I enter the room and look around. The first thing I notice is a bunch of bookshelves, lined to the ceiling with different books. I briefly glance at Harold’s computer, and note the line he has just written. “Nightfall Ch.10” He also has a bunch of old horror movie posters as well as a telescope susunod to the balcony door. Harold shuts the door, and returns to his computer chair. He coughs once more, and I note his coughs have gotten worse. “Danny told me you were sick.” I tell him. Harold smiles, and then sighs. “I’ve got kidney cancer. It runs in my family. My mother had it.” He replies. He coughs again. “But I try not to think about it too much. Although soon, my doctor says I’ll have to stop attending school altogether.” He says sadly. “But at least, even then, I’ll have my stories to write.” He says. “I’m sorry.” I say to him. “Don’t be. I accepted what is going to happen to me after I was diagnosed two years ago. It just gets worse, until eventually, my kidneys fail on me. It’s hard on my dad. He’s not a match as a donor.” I look at him. “How long did they give you?” Harold turns away. “Let’s change the subject.” He mumbles. “How long?” I push, until he finally relents. “My first kidney has already failed. Last time I went to the doctor, he gave me a month. This was two weeks ago. But I try not to think about it. I CAN’T think about it.” He says, and for the first time, I see a tear come to his eye. “I’ll probably be pulled out of school after susunod week. The only reason I’m not in a hospital right now is my choice. If I’m in there, I’ll never finish my story. I HAVE to finish it.” He says. I look at him, and after apologizing once more, I ask; “Why did you need to see me?” I ask. Harold turns. “I fell asleep earlier, and I had a nightmare about Danny. You know him.” I nod, and Harold continues. “In my dream, I saw him die. It felt real enough that when I woke up, I called him. His parents picked up and sinabi he never came home. And that none of his mga kaibigan had seen him.” Harold tears up again. “I had to talk to someone. You were the first person I though of.” I comfort him sa pamamagitan ng patting him on the back. “I’m sure he’ll be okay.” I say. Harold continues sobbing, and suddenly seems to regain himself. “You’re right. It’s just, after what happened to all the other missing kids recently, I’m worried.” Harold seems tired sa pamamagitan ng this point, and says goodnight to me. I tell him I’ll see him tomorrow, and when I leave, I leave the door unlocked. He falls asleep twenty minutos later. I return after that, and bring out my syringe, which I have filled with a few drops of my blood. Not enough to turn someone, but enough to cure basically any human disease. I climb back up onto the balcony, and creep into Harold’s room. I silently inject him with the needle, and hear his breathing steady. He wakes up for just a moment, but I allow the hypnotic powers I have enter my voice again. “Everything’s alright.” I reply. “You’ll be fine.” His eyes close again as he falls back into his slumber. I climb back out over the balcony, and back into the car. Danny still has not awakened. I drive back to my apartment, wondering what the morning will hold, not just for me, but for Danny and Harold. I also dread what Pike’s true plan is and hope that when it is all over, Harold will survive.