Half past midnight, Molly Kwiat lay in bed, eyes wide open despite her being exhausted. She hadn’t slept a wink the night before, what with losing her virginity, shooting her boyfriend who turned out to be not only a vampire but a lying creep as well, then feeding his corpse to the hogs and dumping his car in a pond. Anybody would be tired after all that, but then she went and put in a full day of work. She was physically drained, but her mind wouldn’t shut off. Not having the energy to undress or even pull down the comforter and blankets, she simply fell back onto the bed and stayed there for hours, mulling things over in her mind.
“Honey girl,” Molly’s father said as he knocked at the half open door. “I noticed your light was still on.” He opened the wide, crossed the threshold, stopped and looked at his daughter. “You all right?”
Molly turned her head slightly to look at her father. “Yes, Daddy, I’m okay,” she said, her voice low and tired sounding.
Daddy walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, gave Molly’s arm a gentle rub. “Looks like you got the weight of the world on your mind, honey girl. You not havin’ trouble with that boy of yours, are you?”
She tuned her head away from him. “Not anymore. I decided to break up with him. He just wasn’t right for me.”
Daddy was elated, but did his best not to show it. He neither trusted nor liked Patrick Alpin. Daddy felt he was one of those fellows that’s nice on the outside, but with something rotten on the inside. “Well, I’ll bet that boy is heartbroken. For the best though. My honey girl deserves only the best man out there, no less.”
“Thank you, daddy.” She paused, then said, “Daddy, I was wondering. I thought I might take the summer off, maybe drive around, go see the country. I’d like to do it before I get all settled down and what not.” She looked at her father expectantly. “What do you think of that?”
He grinned a little grin and said, “Pine Springs too small for you now?”
Molly shook her head. “No, but like I said, soon enough I’ll be all settled down with a family and all and, well, might be nice to see what’s out there. I always wanted to take a drive across the country.”
Daddy put on his pondering expression, as if he were giving the matter great thought, but he knew he didn’t have the heart to refuse her. Eventually, after some chin rubbing, he said, “Well, you know, Momma and I would be worried about you every minute you’re gone.”
“I know, Daddy, but you taught me pretty good how to take care of myself.” Just ask Patrick, she thought; oh, wait, you can’t because I put him in the feed last night. The thought of that brought a slight, knowing smile to Molly’s face.
“True,” he replied. “I guess it would be okay. Let me talk to your momma in the morning, and we’ll get everything squared away. I’ll make sure that car of yours is running good. And you can take one of my credit cards. Just try not to max it out too quick.” He grinned his little grin again.
Molly sat up and kissed her father on the forehead. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re the best.”
He laughed and said, “I know. So what direction are you going to head? What are your plans?”
“I don’t know, Daddy. I don’t really have a plan.” Which wasn’t the whole truth. She did have the seedling of a plan, and that was to kill every damn vampire she could find, especially the male ones. She wasn’t too sure what she would do if she came across a female vampire. She didn’t feel the same vitriol for vampire women, as it wasn’t a woman that wronged her, and to the best of her knowledge she’d never met a girl blood sucker. Molly would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it.
“Well, whatever you do, try not to get into any trouble. Now get some sleep, honey girl, it’s getting late.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left the room. The light still on, still in her clothes, Molly drifted off to sleep and dreamt of dead vampires.
“Honey girl,” Molly’s father said as he knocked at the half open door. “I noticed your light was still on.” He opened the wide, crossed the threshold, stopped and looked at his daughter. “You all right?”
Molly turned her head slightly to look at her father. “Yes, Daddy, I’m okay,” she said, her voice low and tired sounding.
Daddy walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, gave Molly’s arm a gentle rub. “Looks like you got the weight of the world on your mind, honey girl. You not havin’ trouble with that boy of yours, are you?”
She tuned her head away from him. “Not anymore. I decided to break up with him. He just wasn’t right for me.”
Daddy was elated, but did his best not to show it. He neither trusted nor liked Patrick Alpin. Daddy felt he was one of those fellows that’s nice on the outside, but with something rotten on the inside. “Well, I’ll bet that boy is heartbroken. For the best though. My honey girl deserves only the best man out there, no less.”
“Thank you, daddy.” She paused, then said, “Daddy, I was wondering. I thought I might take the summer off, maybe drive around, go see the country. I’d like to do it before I get all settled down and what not.” She looked at her father expectantly. “What do you think of that?”
He grinned a little grin and said, “Pine Springs too small for you now?”
Molly shook her head. “No, but like I said, soon enough I’ll be all settled down with a family and all and, well, might be nice to see what’s out there. I always wanted to take a drive across the country.”
Daddy put on his pondering expression, as if he were giving the matter great thought, but he knew he didn’t have the heart to refuse her. Eventually, after some chin rubbing, he said, “Well, you know, Momma and I would be worried about you every minute you’re gone.”
“I know, Daddy, but you taught me pretty good how to take care of myself.” Just ask Patrick, she thought; oh, wait, you can’t because I put him in the feed last night. The thought of that brought a slight, knowing smile to Molly’s face.
“True,” he replied. “I guess it would be okay. Let me talk to your momma in the morning, and we’ll get everything squared away. I’ll make sure that car of yours is running good. And you can take one of my credit cards. Just try not to max it out too quick.” He grinned his little grin again.
Molly sat up and kissed her father on the forehead. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re the best.”
He laughed and said, “I know. So what direction are you going to head? What are your plans?”
“I don’t know, Daddy. I don’t really have a plan.” Which wasn’t the whole truth. She did have the seedling of a plan, and that was to kill every damn vampire she could find, especially the male ones. She wasn’t too sure what she would do if she came across a female vampire. She didn’t feel the same vitriol for vampire women, as it wasn’t a woman that wronged her, and to the best of her knowledge she’d never met a girl blood sucker. Molly would just have to cross that bridge when she came to it.
“Well, whatever you do, try not to get into any trouble. Now get some sleep, honey girl, it’s getting late.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and left the room. The light still on, still in her clothes, Molly drifted off to sleep and dreamt of dead vampires.
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