Chapter 1: Midnight Terrors

“You don’t own me!”

 

Veronica slammed the screen door behind her and stomped out onto the sidewalk. Fading orange street lamps lit her way along weedy, fractured concrete. The sky was midnight blue and yellow from the metropolitan “light pollution.”

 

She was a young woman of medium stature, dark skin, and raven black hair pulled back into a short, spiky ponytail. She wore a black camisole, a grey hoodie, dark but faded bluejeans, and once white tennis shoes. Deep black eyes glared menacingly at the sidewalk as she stepped.

 

It was a warm summer night, which soothed her nerves. Her pace eventually slowed, as she left the residential slums of her “fair city” and entered more of a… local community area. Adult stores, bars, Laundromats… You name it. A real charming place, right?

 

Veronica sighed and shuffled her feet across the ground. I didn’t mean to yell, she thought. Why does Joey have to be so possessive? I have a life, too! Friends, family, a job…

 

She looked up as she heard voices. A group of baggy-clothed guys were walking down her side of the street, coming towards her. And they didn’t look friendly. Veronica looked around frantically. An alley! She quickly ran into it and tucked herself on the other side of a dumpster that reeked of old cheese. She grimaced at the stench. Seizing a good reason to hold her breath, Veronica waited for the gang of guys to pass. However, their jeering and laughing grew ever louder. She stifled a gasp as their shadows crept down the alley. Her heart pounded in her chest.

 

Then – she wasn’t really sure how – there appeared another gang, as if they had dropped from the air. They looked tough, decked out in black leather and spikes, piercings and tattoos. Two girls stood amongst them, with wildly colored hair.

 

The first group shouted in surprise and started throwing out challenges and insults. One of the newcomers stepped forward. He was a giant of a man, dark skinned like Veronica, with a tall thick stripe of lime green hair on his head. Multiple gold earrings adorned his ears. He wore black pants tucked into hefty black leather boots, leaving his muscled torso bare to the night air.

 

In an instant, he had one of the opposing gang by the shirt with one hand. He threw the man aside like a ball, who landed with a thud on top of the closed dumpster. Veronica emitted a small squeak! but fortunately the gang’s shouts of fear covered the noise.

 

The newcomers were attacking the others, but what they did was appalling. Throats ripped, screams, and… were they drinking the blood? Veronica tried not to vomit. Although the temperature was a toasty 73° F, her body shuddered.

 

 

“Well, look what we have here…”

 

Veronica looked up to see the face of one of the girls. She was pale, with layered orange red hair and dark makeup. Her face was blood spattered and contorted into a malignant grin.

 

“What’s up, Jesse?” called a deep voice from the right.

 

“Seems we have a breather, here,” she replied, her smile widening.

 

Veronica scrambled to her feet and attempted to dodge to the right; but the girl matched her moves. Veronica whimpered. Is this how I’m going to die? she thought in dismay.

 

“Hey, man! – AUUUGHH!”

 

The body of one of the creatures came flying past, crashing into the girl with a sickening crunch. Veronica peered around the dumpster, looking for this new attacker.

 

The rest of the gang was occupied with a lithe figure; he was clothed in bluejeans, a black t-shirt, black Converse, and a long leather trenchcoat. A scraggly mess of black, dark brown, and blonde hair fell in his eyes a bit, reaching past his ears. In his hand was a thick metal pipe, seemingly broken off of something. He was currently swinging it at his opponents, breaking arms, knocking them away – anything to hinder them.

 

It was going pretty well… until the big guy came forward. He faced off the challenger and, punching his fists together, released a battle cry, his newly red-stained fangs bared. From a pants pocket, he withdrew a long, thick chain ; grasping it with both hands, he swung one end of it around like a lasso. In a quick maneuver, he brought the chain down like a whip towards the young man, who raised his pipe just in time, so that the chain wrapped around it. The brute took this opportunity to yank on the chain, pulling the man’s weapon away from him.

 

The young man evaded him and jumped up onto the nearest fire escape. With a frustrated growl, the brute turned and ran towards him – just in time for the young man to swing down and kick him straight in the face. The brute staggered for a moment, before he fell over backwards, unconscious. Standing up straight, the young man looked over to the three that remained standing. Without hesitation, they turned tail and fled, sprinting with amazing speed down the alley and into the darkness. Veronica didn’t dare move. Besides even if she wanted to, her body wouldn’t budge.

 

The young man’s face appeared from behind the dumpster. Veronica started and gave a little cry of fear. He held out his hand.

 

“Are you all right…?” he asked. His brown eyes were inviting; but Veronica only shrunk away, as her eyes were focused on the two fangs that were visible in his slightly smiling mouth.

 

 

“You’re one of them,” she said, almost inaudibly. He stood up straight, shaking his head.

 

“I’m not like them, though. Come on.” He re-offered his hand. “We’ve gotta get out of here before our friends wake up.”

 

Veronica looked apprehensive, but soon complied, and allowed herself to be pulled up.

Almost immediately, her judgment kicked in again.

 

“I have to get back home…” She pushed past her savior and walked towards the sidewalk, but he took hold of her arm.

 

“Wait!” he cried, pulling her back. She gave him an indignant look. “You can’t go back now! They’ll find you,” he continued.

 

Veronica placed her hands on her hips. “Well, where else am I supposed to go?” she said, shaking her head.

 

“Come with me,” said the man. Veronica shook her head again.

 

“I don’t even know your name!” she cried.

 

He held out his hand. “It’s Kalvin.” He smiled, flashing his fangs again.

 

Veronica sighed. What am I getting myself into… she asked herself, as she placed her hand in his. “Veronica,” she said, smiling for the first time that night.

 

~