L.C.'s Heroic Looter: Prequel Ch. 2: Dead

Chapter two and final of the prequel stories telling the origin of Lin Callahan. Well testing her powers, she happens upon someone unexpected.

Well testing my new found shadow powers after dark, I came across the man I met. The one from the nightmare I had before waking with my abilities: Bert Grinzlow. I was shocked to see him and I felt like something was up. I decided to got closer and snoop. Collapsing down into the shadows of the night, I slipped over to him. He was talking with another guy, he looked about as alive as Olivia Moore from iZombie. Undead. Bert didn't look as bad, but something was off about him as well.

"...To trap them in their dreams so that you could feed without a struggle. Why else resurrect a mage skilled will manipulating dreams and the mind like me? Your wasting my magic for nothing if you won't even try to eat. Using magic is difficult, doubly so now that I'm dead! I can't keep doing this for nothing!"

"Don't lecture me, Connor." Bert said in a low growl.

"It's cause of that girl a while ago, right? that was the first time you went without eating. I demand you tell me what happened."

Bert made a look at Connor that had me feeling smaller and smaller before letting it go and saying "My fangs kept passing threw her as if she wasn't there." after a pause, Bert looked harder again at Connor. "It has something to do with your magic doesn't it, you did something...?" Bert began to accuse.

"I assure you master, my magic has nothing to do with your performance issue." Connor countered with snark.

"Watch your tongue servant! Or I'll end you!" Bert boomed.

Surprisingly, Connor didn't shy away, he goaded him on "Go for it you blood sucking, freak! It's been disgusting working for such an unnatural creature like you! finding out vampires exist has been a horrid experience! End me now you hyperactive corpse!"

"Fine." Bert said with cold rage.

I hardly saw what happened but Connor, with his sickly appearance and rude mouth, lost his head while his body started to decompose on the spot. I was so horrified, I popped back into my physical form, sitting on the ground right beside Bert and the corpse as it fell over. Bert seemed blown away by my sudden appearance. He reached for me at that same speed he used to decapitate Connor. For a split second, he made contact before I could change to shadow Thankfully, I managed to avoid getting hurt. I didn't collapse down flat and run for it though, rather I remained in a sitting position as a shadow person, to scared to think about running.

Bert waved his hand threw me after the shock wore off a little and asked "if you can hear me, I want answers. In return I won't hurt you."

I didn't really know what to do... In the end, I slide a few paces away then became solid again. My face instantly went red as tears welled up and my whole body shook with fear. Bert didn't move closer but he did repeat his question.

In response, I said "I don't know, I woke up like this after a strange dream... You were in it. Who, what are you?"

Bert looked amused. "I'm not the person from your dream. I am the walking dead. A vampire, actually. He was closer to a zombie." He added well lightly kicking the corpse. I can only assume he made the clarification because of the show, The Walking Dead.

"My name is Bert. Have you never met another being besides a human? There's a lot of different creatures out there. From the undead to the magically inclined to, well, whatever you are." He didn't wait for a reply before asking "I tried to drink your blood well Connor held you in a dream. But I couldn't bite you, why?"

"I dunno, I don't have to turn completely into a shadow. Maybe well you tried to bite me, my neck became shadow. I need to see it coming to do that though."

"Maybe your ability triggered because of Connors magic. Your dream seemed bad, so maybe that had you changing in defense of what you were seeing. Good enough. I think I'll stop using mages to hold my pray so I don't end up with a case like you again."

"That's... Nice." I finished. Well the conversation died, Bert held my gaze, giving me the sense that there was more. It was making me feel awkward on top of scared. After a stressful moment, I asked "Can, can I go?"

"Sorry, just thinking. Would you like to become a vampire? Your powers would make you very... Interesting, or maybe I could have you be my next blood servant, that requires you to be dead for at least a day before I can bring you back but it does ensure my control over you."

"You're contemplating on whether to kill me or turn me?!"

"Technically you're dead in both situations but yes. Your choice, one or the other."

"N-neither!"

As the word came out, I lost sight of Bert. Then I felt him gripping my shoulder. His hand felt like a vise but it seemed like he wasn't putting any strength into it. When my reflex caught up and I turned to shadow, I didn't hang around.

I was worried he'd hunt me, try to turn or kill me, but I never saw him again. Before long he was just a two part nightmare and I was moving out of this insane town, for my new job at Loot Crate!