Part Four

1

          With just about 500 years of avoiding him, and trying to stay as clean as I possibly could, I was finally going to meet the man behind the strings that tugged all the creatures of darkness. I wasn’t exactly thrilled of finally making this grand meeting, but there was one bright side to this hell: I at least would be going down into the fiery pits knowing that I never killed a human, and I did everything in my power to make sure I could save them. Lucifer might not have liked it, but I could bear a smug look on my face as I was tormented for all eternity. And hopefully, if Satan was kind, I would be human in hell. They say you are what your soul is, and I tried my hardest to keep it as human as possible.

          Yet, if I was in hell, there was something oddly wrong about it.

          My body didn’t increase with heat, which it should have if I was surrounded by fire.  It actually felt cold, yet warm, as little prickles of hay were gently brushing against it. I doubted it was hay; Satan had no need for the stuff unless hell was divided into multiple sections of punishment, and mine happened to be cleaning cow s**t for all eternity.

          “Wakey! Wakey! Wakey!” a shrill childish voice giggled.

          My eyes clenched tightly shut. I didn’t want to see the devil, not today, and I was going to delay it every second I could. My head also was sizzling with pain and I groaned like a sleepy teenager does right before they whip the pillow at the parent.

          “Wakey! Please wakey!”

          Why would there be little children in hell? What was the worst they could do to deserve to be down here? And what sort of sick prank was Satan playing having little kids wake me up? It was just wrong! My mind then clicked on the sound of that shrill voice. It belonged to that little girl, the one that Damian had.

          Did she die with me? How did she die!? Did I snap when everything went black and killed her myself? My eyes snapped open terrified. What the hell did I do to her!?

          There she was just staring up in front of me, her smile almost as wide as her face. Behind her was huge piles of hay and the horrid smell of cow droppings.

           “You awake yet?” she giggled.

          The barn! That farmer, he didn’t do what…

          He did! Why couldn’t he have just left me out there to die?! Did he even realize how dangerous it was to have me in his home when I hadn’t eaten?!

           I was going to have a long ‘discussion’ as soon as I could get my grimy hands on him.

          “Why didn’t you leave me outside?” I growled flashing my fangs trying to look scary.

          She just laughed at me pretending to flash fangs that didn’t exist. “You were smoking and Uncle John broughts you in,” she answered in that matter-of-fact tone of hers.

          My eyes narrowed. “You don’t save monsters! I’m just like that big bad boogie that grabbed you! The one that shredded that dog to pieces!”

          Why would a dog be in the woods? Maybe it was a-

          I couldn’t let my mind wonder on some stupid mutt. I was here, in a barn! This wasn’t supposed to happen. Damian’s wound across the face was probably healed by now, but he was still going to go after me for it, and I didn’t even want to think what Luna was going to do when she got her hands on me.

          It was going to be worse for any human in contact with me!

          “You no monster,” she answered.

          I rose to my feet shaking my head. “You don’t know me little girl. If you did you would high tail it out of this place as fast as those stubby baby legs could carry you.” I walked towards the doors swinging them open, I had to leave. The less contact the safer this family was going to be.

          The blaring rays of the sun seeped through. I winced shielding myself. My body felt weak once again but I was able to shut the barn doors before falling on my knees. “It’s still day…” I sighed.

          Stupid Damian. Stupid Luna. Stupid, stupid, stupid vampires! He was going to come back. He went after this girl for a reason and he wanted me gone. We were both in the same location! It just made it easier for him. Locked doors wasn’t going to stop my little friend either. He could easily lure the family out and BAM! The game was up, he would win and they would lose their lives.

          “Where’s your damn uncle?” I hissed pacing about through the thick piles of hay. The cow manure was maddening and I could feel my nostrils flare up and down. “He wasn’t supposed to bloody bring me here! Why can’t you people leave a monster to die?! Are you asking for a death wish or something? Is that it! You people want to die!”

          “Seems like you’re the one asking for the death wish,” a new voice chimed in. It was young, low and deep with a rhythmic quality to it.

          I spun my head around looking towards the other doorway, the one that led to the inside of the house. What stood there was a boy leaning casually against the door. He was about the age I was before I became this hideous monster, sixteen or seventeen. He had green emerald eyes lit up with some sort of light that I had never seen before. They were mesmerizing and it almost made me forget all the racing thoughts that were set loose in my head. I shook myself out of it preventing myself to smile like some silly love-struck school girl. I didn’t even understand why I was concerned with his eyes than the deadly facts that were going to happen tonight. His hair was just as untamable as the little girl’s was. Unlike hers, though, he had light milk chocolate hair that blended in perfectly with his already per-

          I snapped my eyes shut in frustration shaking my head as I crossed my arms. I had to stop thinking about this one kid’s godly body. I was probably losing my mind from the lack of hunger. What he was and why he was standing by that door couldn’t and wouldn’t bother me. I wouldn’t let it. “I’m already dead if you haven’t noticed,” I growled.

          He gave me a sarcastic, devilish smile. “You’re standing right before us breathing and talking. That doesn’t seem dead to me. And instead of teething and growling at what my uncle did for you, you really should be thanking him. If it was my choice, I would have staked you right then and there.”

          “Who are you anyways?” I asked raising a brow at him. “You don’t even look like you have the nerve to stake my kind.”

          The boy laughed. “You’re looking at the great Louis Briggs here!” He whipped out a crudely made stake. It was probably a broken baseball bat or something close to that.

          My brow only rose higher, if that was possible. My eyes diverted for just a second, seeing the girl’s arms crossed as well, huffing at what the boy said. “If you’re really the great Louis Briggs, stake me,” I challenged. “I really don’t care about living anymore. You’ll be doing me a favor ending my misery sooner rather than later.”

          The boy’s face twitched for just a moment. I doubt he expected me to say anything along the lines on what came out of my mouth. He was hesitant for a second and then began to sprint towards me holding the stake over his head like it was some javelin.

          I sighed, mistake number one.

          He stopped two centimeters from me getting the aim right.

          Mistake number two.

          He plunged it near my ribs and it was nowhere near where my dead heart was.

          Mistake number three.

          I grabbed his wrist firmly, the end of the stake lightly tapping me. “Louis Briggs would never come at me in the form you just displayed,” I said ignoring how is green eyes widened with shock and dismay.

          I had to ignore, it, but it was harder than denying my need for thirst.

          “Second,” I continued. “You never come at a vampire with your weapon above your head! Are you insane?”

          “I don’t think you’re the expert at vampire killing,” he snapped. I hid my smile realizing he wasn’t shaking in fear; it was just pure agitation and dismay in those eyes of his.

          I guided his arm with my hand. I could feel his struggle but I could still move him around without effort at all. “You always go underhand. You have the weapon near you at all times, near your chest and rib cage. That way you can easily hide it from your enemy’s gaze. When you have it overhand it’s clearly visible as it sticks out over your head.”

          He glared at me. His face tightened and I wondered if he was biting his tongue to prevent from saying something.

          “Third, my heart is here,” I guided the stake to where the useless mass stood. “Not wherever the hell you were aiming. You miss the heart you’re screwed. Hunters are lucky that they get close enough to our kind to strike us. You miss and your our dinner. That’s why many hunters don’t make it in this business. Precise aim is vital. You could even throw at a distance, as long as you had aim like a hawk.”

          “You think you-”

          I ignored him. “And lastly, you never hesitate! Why would you hesitate? Hesitating is the biggest sign that you’re unsure of yourself! Being unsure in battle is just a doorway to death. Louis Briggs would never make any of the mistakes you made.”

          I expected to see those eyes of his to drop in shame or show any sort of feeling of being caught. Unfortunately he just stared into mine dead on. If looks could kill, he would give the greatest hunter a run for his money.

          “Who are you and don’t lie this time.”

          “I told you the truth,” he sneered at me. “I’m Louis Briggs, go ahead, ask Ells, she’ll tell you the same thing.”

          “Ells?”

          “She’s my sister,” He said, giving me a tone as if I should have known this already. “The girl behind you. Eleanor, Ells, Ellie, you can call her Barbie and she’ll look at you.”

          “Louie! Why you soo mean?” She pouted. “Why you go do what daddy do? She no Boogie! She good!”

          My eyes widened and one of them twitched. “You’re his kids!?!? He has kids!?!?!”

          Louie laughed ripping his arm away from my hand. “It’s a fact dear ole Dad likes to hide. Apparently it’s a risk to our lives if people found out he had kids.”

          My teeth sunk into my lip feebly as everything began to look worse. Briggs had kids? Luna wanted Briggs…Damian wanted the girl and me.

          That was why Damian went after her! He wanted to end Briggs before Luna could.

          But why? No one in the clan tried outmaneuvering Luna.

          Unless….

          “No. No. No. No. No no no no no no no no no NO!” I panicked digging my hands in my hair pacing back and forth.

          He laughed. “I think the vamp here is having a spasm!”

          My claws shot out and I dug them into the collar of his shirt. “You don’t get it do you? A vampire just went after your sister, kid. THEY know you’re his family. And if they know then you’re frikken screwed! And all you can do is play around acting like your Briggs while creatures are hunting you down!? Are you insane?” I hissed.

          He spit in my face. I scowled dropping him and letting my claws become normal nails again. Who the hell did this kid think he was anyways?

          “We can handle anything you leeches dish out,” he smirked.

          My eyes narrowed. “And I’m the Easter bunny handing every child ecstasy pills instead of eggs! Your dad has protected you so much that you don’t even know how the real world works! They’ll make you watch your loved ones die just to get a hold of you! And I bet you haven’t even watched a person die, have you?” I snarled.

          There was no answer.

          “I thought so,” I grumbled turning away from him taking a flop into a large hay pile. “I have no choice to stay here, sadly. Sun’s still out so I can’t really go walking about, now can I? You can do what you want, you can leave me alone or kill me. I won’t stop you. Actually, killing me you’ll be putting me out of my misery. Maybe it’s good to be selfish once in a while. If I die then I won’t have to worry about this giant mess!”

          “I don’t wants you to die,” Ellie said scampering over to my side. I was clenched in one of her bear hugs before I could say anything to rebuke her. And I was getting too weak. Maybe it was from the sun escapade or that I hadn’t had blood in days, whatever it was I was just too tired to try and stop her. My nostrils flared still smelling the blood on her earlier. She wore different clothes but it was still there.

          I sighed; this was like showing a lost island survivor fresh water and saying they couldn’t have it. I just didn’t know which one was worse off, the islander or me.

          The Briggs kid walked over casually taking a seat by his sister. He watched me carefully, those emerald eyes of his scanning me up and down. They were filled with hate yet with fascination at the same time. I think it was filled with more fascination more than the other one, but I couldn’t be sure. “How’d you become a vampire anyways?”

          I raised a brow not expecting to hear that. I didn’t know whether to answer or not. Talking helped me distract my hunger before, maybe I could do it again, yet this was still a sensitive subject.

          “I was bit like everyone else,” I said. “Why do you want to know? You should be taking your sister and start preparing for the worst.”

          He shrugged. “I never talked to you leeches before and I’m curious. You’re weak as a dog so I won’t have to worry about you attacking or anything like that. But there’s got to be a story about it.”

          “It’s not the greatest story.”

          “It’s your story.”

          I smiled, “Exactly my point.”

          The smell of them was driving me insane. I could feel something bubbling inside of me craving to let my fangs sink into their flesh. I began to wonder what human blood tasted like and it brought goose bumps down my flesh. I knew thinking that was heading towards the wrong direction. I sighed knowing that if I was going to survive this without seeing two dead bodies I was going to have to kill time.

          “I was born in 1520. I don’t remember the date because it’s been so long, but I do remember I was born in London. I had a mom a dad and a sister. Unfortunately my mom died when I was just a baby. I was probably your sister’s age when she died from sort of sickness. I really can’t remember for the life of me,” I said. My voice was soft, their smell was still thriving in my skull but I had to keep going. “When you become a vampire your human years become nothing more than a dream and sometimes you wonder if you really lived them.  But I’m not talking about that am I? Oh well…I’ll just continue. My dad then took Luna and me up to Scotland where we had a farm.”

          “My mommy gone too…”Ellie muttered her eyes drooped looking down at the floor. Louie slung an arm around her shoulder. He was smirking at me, I guess he could tell I was beginning to die or beginning to snap was more like it.

          Was that his plan? Waiting for me to snap and lose control, so he could kill me when I had no sense at all? If that was it he was being really retarded, the kid still didn’t understand that when we got into that state we were as scary as hell, and stronger than we were when we are under control.

          “Luna and I grew up learning how to take care of sheep and cattle.  She was the dominant one on that trait. Luna had a natural ability to lead. She had everything under control and Dad trusted her more when it came to farm work. I didn’t blame him either, every time I handled a job a horrible accident would happen. I think if I was living today, America’s Funniest Home Videos would have a good time watching what I did. But my dad trusted me more when it came to just talking,” I smiled closing my eyes. I could smell his pipe and the warm fire. And I could almost see him sitting casually in his chair reading the Bible.

          “Are you crying?” Louie asked. “I didn’t know vampires cried!”

          I looked up at him dazed, now feeling the hot streams down my cheek. I chuckled wiping my tears off. “I was just thinking about my dad, it’s funny but I miss him. I never got a chance to say goodbye to dear ole Dad. I don’t know if he ever figured out what happened to us or how long he searched. After I was turned, Dactylius brought us back to London.”

          “Who’s Dactduckdus?” Ellie asked.

          “I’m getting to him,” I said closing my eyes once again. “What we didn’t know was that when we were six someone was watching us very closely. When I think about it now I guess I always had a sense he was there. I would get a shiver down my spine and I was always afraid to leave my house when it was dark out. Like Ellie, I always feared it was a creature like the Boogieman out there hunting me down. Luna had a fun time scaring me about it. But nothing scared me more when I found out I was right.”

          “Dactduckdus is boogieman?” Ellie tilted her head looking confused.

          “Shh, Ells, let her finish,” Louie hushed, sounding interested.

          “Dactylius was the one that hunted us down and observed us for ten years,” I continued. “He wanted to create his own clan and was interested in us from the beginning. Since there’s a toddler in here I won’t explain why he was interested in us, you can figure it out on your own, Louie.”

          He just continued to stare at me, those green puddles burning inside my skull. He didn’t flinch or show any sign of remorse. But it wasn’t my place to see where remorse was deserved, now was it?

          “One of our cows went missing on Christmas Eve. Dad was gone in town trying to get a turkey for us, so Luna and I were all alone in the house,” I breathed out. Talking wasn’t working; the smell was becoming unbearable. I was going to have to make them leave soon. “Luna convinced me to go out looking for Betsy. It was dark, and being the coward that I was, I refused to go out there alone unless she was with me. We argued but she finally caved. We both went out and that’s when we met him.”

          “Did he…”

          The smell clogged my nose as my nails began to grow into talons. I tried to reduce them but it wasn’t working.

          “Go.”

          “What?” his voice was perplexed. I clenched my eyes shut feeling my fangs grow.

          “NOW!” I growled feeling my hands shake violently. My eyes snapped open and I could see Ellie jump behind her brother.

          Louie took his sister’s hand and walked out slowly, never taking his eyes off me. I dug my claws into my thighs to make sure I didn’t lunge at them. When the door was locked I ripped them free, yelping in pain. I feebly brought my claws to my mouth licking my own blood.

          It didn’t help at all.

2

          My finger was in my mouth like a lollypop.  My fangs numbly bit into them in a pathetic attempt to quell my hunger. I could smell all three of them and it drove me insane. I could feel my mind splitting at the seams and I began to wonder how long I would last.

          I also wondered why there were no animals in the barn if I could smell their droppings. Where did the farmer hide them?  If I knew where they were or if they were in the barn, then it would make this whole ordeal easier than it was becoming. I sighed lying down still sucking my index finger.

          “You feeling alright?”

          Was that the farmer?

          “Miss?”
          I let one eye open slightly. I saw an old cow struggling its way in. The poor thing could barely walk.

          I was slowly going insane.

          “Miss? Are you sucking your own blood?”

          “Why is a cow talking to me…” I groaned.

          I heard a chuckle. “Cows can’t talk, miss. I can see you’re really determined not to do what your kind usually does.”

          Forcing myself up, I saw the farmer. The pain for hunger increased seeing him and smelling the aroma that humans gave off. He had a cow by his side, old and feeble. I just hoped I didn’t snap and got a hold of that instead of him. “You should get away from me,” my voice was barely audible.

          He ignored me taking a seat on one of the hay piles. “Mimi here is a very sick cow,” he said, his hand petting the poor thing lightly, “And Louis told me that I had to shoot her to put her out of her misery. Mimi’s been around for years but her time’s been done and it’s time for God to take her. So I thought since I owe you for bringing Ellie back you should have her.”

          The man paused for a moment licking his lips nervously. I could see he was still scared at looking at me. I didn’t blame him. He was about to pee his pants when I was through with him. He hesitated another moment, “Does it hurt them?”

          I looked at the cow and back at him. “No, our victims have sweet, pleasant dreams when being drained. It’s…” I paused trying to recall my own experience. “…almost like you don’t want to come back.”

          He nodded letting the rope around Mimi’s neck go. The poor thing waddled over to me before I could say or do anything to make it come. It was funny how animals always did that to me, they never were afraid of a monster like me. “Why’d you do it? Are all vampires really like this?”

          “No, we’re not,” I sighed stroking the cow’s neck gently. “I should ask you why you dragged me in.”

          “Shortly after you left I had calls from neighbors and friends,” he shrugged. “They all freaked out saying the same tale about some vampire chick breaking into their house, scaring them and then telling them to lock the doors before she left, without even causing them harm.”

          I smirked right before I sank my fangs into Mimi. Poor Mimi, but she was close to death anyways and I was just going to have to live with that.

          “After getting all those calls I began to wonder why a vampire would do what you did,” he continued. “As I was pacing about Louie broke into the room yelling that Ellie was gone. I panicked and then heard a knocking on the door. It was faint and I almost didn’t answer it because I was worrying about Ellie. But when I did decide to open the barn gates, there you were passed out against the doors with Ellie right there beaming up at me. She was covered in blood and I nearly killed you then, but when I examined her and saw no wounds of her own I realized what you did. So Ellie and I dragged you in. You were sizzling real bad out there, girly.”

          I looked up at him but that was just about all I could do considering what I was doing.

          “Did your clan know my brother was gone, is that why they showed up?”

          I couldn’t exactly answer him so I just stared as I fed.

          “Oh yeah…your busy aren’t yah…”he sighed taking off his straw hat. “Sally Arty, Bert and Will went missing last night. I’m guessing there was more than one of you scoping the area last night. I just wish the other ones were like you and left us alone. We aint done nothing to your kind, why do vampires just…” he sighed once again lowering his head. “Bert probably was minding his own business, he didn’t deserve to be no meal for hideo-…well you know what I mean; you’re different for some reason.”

          Again, I just stared at him. “With all the calls I got and when I went around town almost everyone saw you last night. If you never came then there would have been more than four of us missing! How many doors were unlocked, miss? Can you answer that when you’re done? Have we gotten so ignorant of our safety because we live in the town where Louis Briggs lives? Creatures run in fear when they hear his name so we’ve never had this problem before…”

          Mimi was gone. I closed my eyes letting my fangs reduce to their pitiful size. I kissed the cow’s forehead a tear rolled down my eye. A vampire with a conscience was a heavy burden to bear. “I’m sorry Mister…”

          He looked at me raising his brow. “For what? You saved lives, miss, and you didn’t kill my friends.

          “I didn’t stop it either…” I sighed. “Every home…I know it won’t make you feel better, but every home.”

          His face grew chalky white, but he nodded trying to accept the facts.

          “What time is it?”

          “Sun’s just about to set.”

          I nodded, arising to my feet. I stroked Mimi one last time. Thanks to her I would last another day being a vegetarian vampire. “I have to go.”

          “What are you going to do?” He asked, his voice almost as shaky as our first meeting.

          I sighed, turning to look at him. It was the last time I would see him for quite some time, but at that moment I thought it was going to be the last time I ever saw a human again. “I’m going to make sure we don’t lose any more Berts or Sallys, mister. I can’t guarantee anything, but I’m going to try to make sure this town is clear from my kind.”

          I walked out of that barn facing my impending doom with Ellie’s Boogie Oogie. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, but I was ready for it. Or as ready as I could be…

 

 

 

To be continued…

 

Reviews

[Chillbear Latrigue]

I think this may be the best of the four chapters that I've read. I think that you may want to break it into two smaller chapters on here to get it read more. Just a thought. There were some minor editing issues, but this chapter had the long awaited character development that I needed. I now care about your main character and the people with whom she is interacting. The botched vampire slaying was funny as well. Really good chapter.

[Danny J.H.]

more talent shown in vast expanses of imagination great job

[Maximus. R.]

I walked out of that barn facing my impending doom with Ellie's Boogie Oogie. LOL Boogie Oogie funny word.
A good one at that...well written. It might do better in small stanzas but I enjoy your words.

[Wunderlich]

Once again, another great chapter. The dialogue was good, good descriptions, just awesome stuff.

[BarbCarAn]

Excellent dialogue. I loved your references..."Thanks to her I would last another day being a vegetarian vampire."
I'll be back tomorrow for another chapter. I'm really enjoying this, well written.