A Vow of Tears: The First Vow

By Jo Rentschler

How far would a mother go to save her child?
How far would she go if she was a vampire?

Ten years ago, Sara buried her husband and father.

Last month, she buried her mother.

Two weeks ago, her only child was kidnapped and she was left for dead.

Today, Sara found out that she is a vampire.

Previously published by Jill H. O'Bones

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo Rentschler
• Release date: Sep 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301583652

Jo Rentschler

Jo writes in many different genres, including fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, and horror; but she also likes to add a little romance within.She has always had a love for books, both reading and writing, so when she's not writing or spending time with her family in rural Iowa, you can find her, and probably one of her cats, behind a book.Jo's stories started out as a hobby, but when she wanted to start showing them online, she enlisted her son for help and with the use of a handful of 'Scrabble' tiles, they created her first pen name, Jill H. O'Bones, and she used that pen name to publish her first book, 'A Vow of Tears' as a surprise for her son, never thinking she'd go on to publish five additional books.But as her writing matured, she knew it was time to start writing under a more professional pen name and after a lot of thought she has republished all of her books under her new pen name, Jo Rentschler.Jill isn’t gone, you’ll still be able to find her writing during National Novel Writing Month and visiting other various websites.

Book preview

A Vow of Tears

The First Vow

Jo Rentschler

A Vow of Tears

The First Vow

By Jo Rentschler

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental or is used fictitiously.

A Vow of Tears

The First Vow

COPYRIGHT © 2020 2nd edition by Jo Rentschler

Previously published by Jill H. O’Bones

COPYRIGHT © 2012 1st edition by Jill H. O’Bones

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781301583652

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

2013 Cover design by Jill H. O’Bones

Images provided by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Foto76, Zole4, Gualberto107, Danilo Rizzuti, Voraorn, Suat Eman

To my son

I love you, Booger

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my friends for taking time out of their busy lives to listen to my ideas, and a special thanks to Susan S., Susan P., and Laura M. for being the first to read.

To my family: thank you for your support when I disappeared in the computer and for ignoring me when I started to talk to myself.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Title page

About Jill

Chapter 1

‘Where am I?’ Sara thought as she walked with slow steps down an alley. She looked around in the dim light, boxes, damp with rain were scattered around overfilled dumpsters.

‘What am I doing here?’ she asked herself, starting to feel real panic flow through her body as she kept walking. Images of her mother’s house came back, an old man grabbing her son. Remembering, she quickened her pace. ‘Eric,’ she thought, ‘I’m looking for Eric.’

The alley ended at a crumbling red brick wall, dark patches of moss clung to it, making it look like eyes were staring back at her. Someone was leaning against it in a shaft of bright sunlight. Sara's heart quickened, had she found her son?

As Sara got closer, she realized it wasn’t Eric, but a woman dressed in a faded pair of blue jeans and a black blouse. Slowing, Sara stared at the woman’s long hair, so white that when a gentle breeze lifted it, it reminded Sara of falling snow.

She started to take another step but stopped when her eyes were drawn to the woman’s left forearm, just below the crook of her elbow, and she focused on the dark smear on the woman’s white skin. From it, two thick streams of deep red liquid made their way down her arm towards her wrist, the drops falling one by one to the ground. As Sara looked at it, she felt the hair on her arms tickle her skin with anticipation.

Walking towards the woman with slow steps, Sara tried to keep her eyes on the woman’s face to see if the soft expression would change, but the blood kept drawing her attention. Sara’s heart started to beat harder with excitement as she stood before the woman. A chill ran over her skin as if there was a cold winter’s breeze coming from the woman’s body.

She took a step closer and was about to ask the woman about her injury, but she met the woman’s bright silver eyes. New words came out of her mouth before she knew she was saying them: I want my son back.

Sara’s eyes didn’t fully grasp the quickness with which the woman moved. Suddenly, Sara felt her shoulder grabbed, and the woman’s other arm came towards her. She seized it, slowing the attack, but still felt something hit between her breasts. Shearing pain coursed over her skin and into her body.

Clutching onto whatever the woman was holding with both of her hands, Sara tried to stop it from going deeper inside, but her hands failed to gain a firm grip, feeling them slipping on the smooth, hard surface as it slowly slid between her palms and into her chest. Sara tried to step back, but the woman’s grip on her shoulder wouldn’t let her. She gazed into the woman's eyes and silver pools with pinpricks of light blue shone back at her, anger deep within, but the woman’s eyes slowly started to fill with puzzlement.

‘This isn’t a dream!’ Sara’s mind shouted as she looked at what the woman was trying to push into her chest. A piece of wood, sanded to a smooth finish, was sliding between Sara’s palms and through her filthy pink blouse, making its way into her chest.

The woman fought against Sara's grip, and the tip of the stake slowly slid deeper, every inch of Sara’s skin felt ablaze as it went in.

Please, Sara begged as she tried to back away from the woman, her heart beat wildly, don’t kill me. My son.

The woman pushed Sara against the brick wall, holding her against it, and looked into Sara’s eyes, easing the pressure that bore into Sara’s flesh.

Margret, what are you waiting for? a man’s voice said from somewhere nearby, it was as rough as a file, grating and aggressive. She’s one.

Yes, but there’s something different about her.

Who cares? We need to finish it. Do it now!

Sara felt the pressure return, she took a breath, no longer able to hold back her tears as she tried to keep the stake from moving any farther. Eric, she whimpered.

Margret! the man said, his voice becoming furious. Quit playing and get it over with.

Who’s Eric? the woman asked in a soothing voice, her silver eyes searching Sara’s.

It just turned, you have to kill her, the man yelled.

Sara turned her head as the man walked into her sight. He stared at her with bright silver eyes that shone like new dimes, his handsome face frozen behind a hard and angry expression. Only strands of his dark brown hair moved as they lifted with the breeze.

Please, Sara’s voice came out as a whisper. My son.

Eric, is he your son? the woman asked.

Sara turned back to her and nodded. Please, I just want him back. I won’t tell anyone. Tears blurred her vision as she spoke.

We can’t let her kill her own child! the man yelled. Destroy her now!

No! Sara screamed, I’m trying to find him. The old man who tried to kill me took him. Sara could feel her heart hammering harder against her chest, and her body began to tremble as she felt warm liquid seep from her chest, damping her bra. It was then she started to realize she had failed. Her son was going to suffer at the hands of a crazy old man because, for some reason, this woman, Margret, was going to kill her.

A bright flash of light went through her eyes as her thumping heart hit the tip of the stake. Fire encased her heart and it convulsed in agony.

Images of people and places flashed from behind her eyes, the last was of her husband, and behind him, thick lines of blue and yellow spun in a slow circle. ‘Matt!’ her mind cried as the world around her dimmed. ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t protect our son!’

Sara sat with her sister under a blue and yellow striped umbrella as the sun beat down on the black pavement. Leaning forward, towards the paper cup she held between her hands, she drew some of the ice-cold pop from the straw into her mouth. As she swallowed, screams of delight erupted from her right. Looking over, she saw the tail end of a rollercoaster disappearing behind a building, the cars’ rattle echoing, then the laughter of children erupted next to the food stand, and Sara turned to watch as they tossed bits of food over the metal railing into the water, the fish swirling and splashing on the water’s surface as each large carp tried to be the first to suck up the kids’ offerings.

Oh, Robin said, nudging Sara’s elbow with hers, almost knocking it off the table, look at those two. They are hot! And old enough to be in college.

Sara glanced over at the two men as they walked towards the food stand, and she agreed with her sister; they were both cute. Their t-shirts were stuck to their backs with sweat, showing they both had athletic builds. The shorter one had dark, sandy hair, cut short, while the taller one’s blonde hair hung down just above his shoulders in unruly curls. Sara felt his height was what made him cuter, and she quickly looked away when his eyes glanced over to their direction.

You say you’re a witch, Robin whispered, leaning towards her. Cast a spell to get them over here.

Sara shook her head, I told you before, that’s not what the craft is for.

Then what good is devil-worshiping?

I don’t worship the devil, Sara snapped. How would you feel if someone made you do something that you didn’t want to do? That’s dark magick.

It’s not like I want you to make them jump off a bridge. I just want to meet them.

Then go talk to them, Sara said, taking another glimpse at the men.

As they stood next to each other at the counter, Sara saw the tall one was only an inch or so over his friend’s head, and he was a little more muscular. When they turned to walk away, Sara saw both of them cast another look in their direction, and she quickly looked back down at the table, hoping they didn’t see her checking them out.

Sara knew her sister was right, that the guys were old enough to be in college, but what college guy would even take a second look at her, a high school girl, when there was Robin?

Besides being older and a hair taller, Robin got her looks from their mother, the blonde hair, blue eyes, and a tall, skinny frame, while Sara got her father’s brown hair, brown eyes, and his larger bone structure.

Robin, Sara muttered, looking to the rollercoaster as it started up the hill that would send the cars into the two loops, "I want to ride the Dragon."

I’m not going on that thing, Robin snorted. It will mess up my hair. She stood. We’re going to follow those two.

I don’t want to chase boys, Robin.

You’re not a little kid anymore, Sara. You’re sixteen, and you need a boyfriend.

I don’t want one.

Well, I do, Robin said, taking Sara’s wrist. The tall one is mine, she added, pulling Sara along.

Sara stood next to Robin as she played a dart game, but instead of paying attention to her sister, Sara watched the line move closer to the Sidewinder; the two guys in the next group to get on.

The ride was set up like a giant pendulum, the passengers seated in a circle. For the last half hour, she had watched the orange and blue machine spin and swing its passengers around as her sister waited and watched the guys.

Are we going to go on any more rides? Sara asked as she felt her skin burning in the sun. ‘Just what I need, more freckles,’ she thought and looked over at her sister. Robin’s tan skin looked as if it was getting darker. That was the only thing Robin got from their dad, his ability to tan, while Sara got their mom’s fair, freckle-prone skin.

Yes, Robin moaned, when they pick one that won’t mess up my hair, we’ll join them.

We’ve been following them for almost two hours.

And they have been checking me out, Robin said, running her fingers through her locks. How’s my hair?

Like it’s been since we got here, Sara groaned. You know all of that hairspray can’t be good for your health.

Robin turned and gave Sara a dirty look. Well, you need to comb yours, it’s all tangled.

Whatever, I’m going on a ride.

Mom and Dad said we are to go together, Robin stated.

Yeah, together, not stand around following boys.

What are you bitching about? We rode some rides.

"Please, the Falling Star and Sky Ride, not very thrilling. I want to ride something a little more fun."

Fine, Robin huffed, "how about the Tilt-a-Whirl?"

How about that one? Sara pointed to the Sidewinder.

No way, Robin shrieked. Oh, they’re getting off, she whispered, Look like we’re having fun.

You might be, but I’m not.

Quit being a child.

Sara watched the guys as they walked by them and she felt Robin grab her arm as she got ready to follow them, but they didn’t go far; they went into the men’s restroom.

I’m done, Sara yelled, pulling her arm from Robin’s hand. "I’m going on the Dragon."

You’re not supposed to go without me. Mom and Dad are going to be mad.

You can wait here. I’m not going to spend the afternoon following people around the park.

But the guys…

What about them? They’re having fun and I’m being pulled around behind you like a dog. What do you think Mom and Dad will say about that? Sara snapped, then took a breath. They paid for the hotel and trolley so we can go on rides while they’re at the farm show. I’m not going to let their money go to waste. As she turned and walked towards the entrance to the rollercoaster, she could feel Robin’s glare following her.

Slowly the line inched forward, and Sara could feel the anticipation in her stomach, feeling as if a weight was expanding inside of her each time the structure rattled beneath her feet.

Hearing the wheels grin on the tracks as the train came to a stop, she watched as the people got out of the cars onto the empty platform across the track and made their way to the exit.

The line moved as the people ahead of her got into the rollercoaster’s dark green cars, the operator checking the harnesses holding the passengers in, and a few seconds