Seven

A girl leads a boy to an old house on top of a hill

A girl was pulling a boy up a grassy hill. Night had fallen and only the stars and the moon illuminated the hill and the old house that stood on top of it. The boy was nineteen years old and called Seven. He hadn’t gotten the girl’s age yet, but she looked about as old as him. She had said her name was Maya. 

           

The girl pulled the boy too fast, so he stumbled into the grass. Something fell out of his pocket, Seven could see it glint in the moonlight. It had to be the pen. Losing that would not be good. He was quick to feel around in the grass until he found it, then he put it back in his pocket and stood up.  

           

Maya was waiting for him. She brushed strands of pink hair out of her eyes and smiled.  “Come on.”  She started back up the hill, towards the house. 

           

Seven didn't follow the girl right away. “Are you sure, about this?”  He glanced at the house. It stood large and ominous in the pale moonlight. Most of the windows had been barred and the wood looked rotten. 

           

Maya stopped and turned around. “Of course I'm sure.”  She smiled again. Maya walked down towards him, hips swaying. She was wearing jeans that hugged her slim legs and a halter top that left her smooth arms bare. “This house has been deserted for ages.” 

           

“But … can't we just go somewhere less … creepy?” Seven asked. He had dark hair that was longer on one side of his face than the other. 

           

Maya smirked. “Are you … scared?”

           

“No.  Of course not. Let's go,” Seven said in a too-loud voice and walked with firm steps up to the aged door of house. Maya followed him. Seven stopped in front of the door and glanced back at Maya. “What if it's locked?”

           

“It's not.”  Maya proved her statement by twisting the tarnished brass handle. “Look.” The door swung open to reveal an interior that was a perfect match to the exterior. Seven felt like there should be lightning brightening the windows in momentary flashes, but there was just moonlight. Cobwebs and dust covered most every surface.

           

Seven walked inside and Maya closed the door behind him. The floor creaked as he stepped on it. He glanced down and noticed that there were footprints in the dust, further in than he or Maya had gone. Seven glanced up at his companion. “Do you think there are other people here?”

           

Maya’s gaze followed Seven’s to the footprints. She shrugged. “Who knows?  We may not be the only ones to come here.” 

           

Seven looked at Maya’s attractive face. “Why did we come here?” he asked, even though he knew the answer very well. 

           

Maya’s eye’s locked with his and she smiled. “Not for what you imagined when I picked you up at the bar.”  She took a few steps backwards, to a square of light on the old wooden floor. Maya glanced towards a door on the left. “Kobe! It's your turn!”

           

Seven watched as the door opened to reveal a man with a mane of dark wavy hair. The man was handsome and wore a black shirt with an open collar. Kobe joined Maya and the two of them shared a passionate kiss before turning back to Seven. “I'm sorry, Seven, but my boyfriend needs to eat,” Maya said. 

           

Kobe faced Seven. Without warning his eyes turned yellow and his teeth elongated. “Unfortunately for you, I'm on a special diet.” 

 

Seven’s eyes widened and he turned to the door. Just as his hands closed around the door handle he felt a warm breath on his neck. “You'll be dead before you even open it,” Kobe’s voice said, just behind him. 

           

“Care to make a wager?”  Seven’s hand dropped into his pocket and closed around his black pen. 

           

“How much?” Kobe replied. Seven could just imagine the vampire’s confident grin. It was amazing how many of them fell for this routine. Turn your back on them, pretend to be scared and all of a sudden they feel the need to make clever conversation.

           

Seven pressed the button on top of the pen and in one practiced and smooth motion drove it into the vampire’s heart. “Oh, how about a couple of grand?” he said in a calm voice, just as Kobe’s body turned to dust. Seven glanced up at Maya, who was staring at the pile of dust at his feet. 

           

Maya looked up at him with wide eyes. “What did you just do?”

           

“I killed your boyfriend,” Seven said in an emotionless tone of voice. 

           

“But how …” May looked at what he was holding. “… pens don't kill vampires.” 

           

“They do if the pen is tipped with silver and driven into the vampire’s heart.” Seven withdrew the pen’s tip and put it back in his pocket. 

           

“Who carries around a pen tipped with silver?” Maya asked. 

           

“Someone who knows there is a girl who leads guys up to an old house, only for them never to return, at least not alive,” Seven replied. 

           

“You knew?”

           

“Of course. Nice acting by the way,” Seven said. “If I hadn't known about it forehand I’d have let you lead me to my demise.” 

           

Maya looked away. “You weren't so bad yourself,” she said in a quiet voice. She glanced back at the pile of dust, and then her eyes went to Seven’s impassive face. “What happens to me now?” 

           

“Nothing.” Seven turned around and opened the door to the dark outside. He glanced back. “You're human. Which makes what you did all the worse.” Seven heard the girl began to sob as he stepped outside. 

 

Seven knew she wasn’t doing it because she lost her great love, but rather because what she had done was now all for nothing. He had heard this story often enough to know that odds were Kobe had strung her along with promises to turn her, to make her into a vampire. As if that foolish idiot had been old enough to turn anyone, he thought. Seven closed the door behind him with as little noise as he could. He didn't even spare a glance back as he headed out into the night.

           

There were always plenty of monsters left to kill.