Late one afternoon, I was walking down a mountain trail in the mountains of North Georgia, 20 miles west of the Dahlonega. I tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. I must have hit my head on a rock, because when I awakened it was dark. Fortunately, I had a flashlight and was able to continue walking to my car. Just before I reached the end of the trail, I heard a snarling noise in the bushes to the right of me.
Bear, I thought and quickly walked to my car. I had opened the trunk, when I heard a noise much closer to me. When I shined a flashlight into the trees, and I saw a man holding his right hand over his face.
"Please don't point the flashlight in my eyes," he said.
As I moved towards him, I saw blood on his hand, his face, and shirt. "Are you all right?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he said. I was close enough to see him lick the blood off his lips.
My God, a vampire. I took a step backward, then another.
"Please," he said. "You're in no danger. I'm sorry I frightened you."
I held my ground, realizing that if he meant me harm, running would do me no good.
He reached behind him and brought forth a flask of water. Then he took out a large handkerchief from his pants pocket and washed his face clean of the blood.
"That's better," he said. He moved towards me until we were less than four feet apart. "I'm Stephen Harklos." He extended his hand.
"Paul Grady," I said gingerly taking his hand.
"This is an embarrassing situation for me. I assure you that I get all the blood I need from a blood bank in Atlanta. However, now and then, I get an urge to taste it from a warm living animal. I take less than a pint from a deer, and none of them die. Is there any way I could reward you so that you wouldn't report me to the authorities?"
"What do you mean?"
"I own a jazz club downtown and am able to obtain tickets to the Falcons, Hawks, and many other sporting events."
I finally let myself relax. "I'm a great basketball fan. A couple of tickets to a Hawks game would be very nice."
"I can do better than that," he said. "I can get you courtside seats for the entire season."
So, Stephen and I became friends and attended many basketball games together. I also visited him at his jazz club whenever my wife and I could make it.
Bear, I thought and quickly walked to my car. I had opened the trunk, when I heard a noise much closer to me. When I shined a flashlight into the trees, and I saw a man holding his right hand over his face.
"Please don't point the flashlight in my eyes," he said.
As I moved towards him, I saw blood on his hand, his face, and shirt. "Are you all right?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he said. I was close enough to see him lick the blood off his lips.
My God, a vampire. I took a step backward, then another.
"Please," he said. "You're in no danger. I'm sorry I frightened you."
I held my ground, realizing that if he meant me harm, running would do me no good.
He reached behind him and brought forth a flask of water. Then he took out a large handkerchief from his pants pocket and washed his face clean of the blood.
"That's better," he said. He moved towards me until we were less than four feet apart. "I'm Stephen Harklos." He extended his hand.
"Paul Grady," I said gingerly taking his hand.
"This is an embarrassing situation for me. I assure you that I get all the blood I need from a blood bank in Atlanta. However, now and then, I get an urge to taste it from a warm living animal. I take less than a pint from a deer, and none of them die. Is there any way I could reward you so that you wouldn't report me to the authorities?"
"What do you mean?"
"I own a jazz club downtown and am able to obtain tickets to the Falcons, Hawks, and many other sporting events."
I finally let myself relax. "I'm a great basketball fan. A couple of tickets to a Hawks game would be very nice."
"I can do better than that," he said. "I can get you courtside seats for the entire season."
So, Stephen and I became friends and attended many basketball games together. I also visited him at his jazz club whenever my wife and I could make it.
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