by Philip Henry
“Go, on. I’ll take care of this guy.”
Claire wanted to tell Xavier about the strength of the creature. She wanted to make a plan to meet up after this was all over. She wanted to tell him she loved him. She wanted time for Tom to say goodbye. There wasn’t time and she knew it. She just had to hope that there was time later. And again the thought came to her; you deserve this, and more. You’ve lost your home and your husband. And if the gods have their way you will lose your son, too. You deserve all this and more. You’re going to see what it’s like to be on the receiving end. You are going to know how it feels to lose everyone you love. Claire shook the thought from her head, wiped the tears from her cheeks and ran into the chapel.
She scooped Tom up in her arms and stepped back into the corridor. Risk was almost on his feet now. He saw Tom and lunged at him. Xavier caught him before he got far and the two began to fight. Claire ran to the upper end of the corridor and used the emergency exit to get out into the car park. She saw cars letting people off at the entrance and made her way towards them. A car pulled up in front and the driver quickly hopped out and ran to the boot of his car and got a wheelchair out. He unfolded the wheelchair and pushed it to the doors. Claire slammed the boot on her way past and got into the car. Tom put on his seatbelt in the passenger seat and Claire brought the engine to life. The driver, who was wondering why the side window of the hospital was smashed outwards, turned and saw the car drive off with a screech of tyres.
He ran after for a few yards and then gave up. He shouted after the taillights, “What goes around; comes around. You’ll see!”
Inside, Xavier was discovering just how tough his opponent was. He had been hitting the creature with his best punches and having little effect. It was like fighting a huge statue; like stone, its flesh didn’t yield at all when punched or kicked and it never seemed to tire. It grabbed Xavier and hurled him at a wall. Xavier’s back slammed into it hard and some of the ceiling plaster fell down on him. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to beat this thing with strength. He remembered Kaaliz lifting it and flying away. OK, it couldn’t fly; he could use that. He flew at the creature and grabbed it by the ankles and flew upwards. The creature was really heavy but Xavier managed to lift it. Xavier hovered by the ceiling with the creature hanging upside down helplessly flailing its arms. Xavier flew down the corridor and out his custom-made exit in the window and into the night sky.
Xavier flew as fast as he could with the extra weight. He was over Portstewart in no time. Then he continued out to sea. The dark waters swelled beneath him and the creature had stopped struggling. When the creature spoke Xavier was surprised that something with such animalistic qualities even had the power of speech.
“Hey, you! Take me back to the land and I’ll let you live.”
“I think you need somewhere to cool off, er, what’s your name?”
“My name’s Risk and you better remember it because I’m deh guy dat’s going to fucking kill you if you don’t do what I tell you. Now take me back to deh town.”
“Sorry, Risk. Can’t do that.”
“Look, I’m deh strongest vampire dat ever lived and you’re just some ordinary vampire, so I’m your leader, really. So do what I say!”
Xavier laughed a little. “OK, Risk, here’s your stop: Dempsey’s Island. I hope you enjoy it. I’ll be back when I figure out what to do with you.” Xavier released his grip on Risk’s ankles and he plummeted head-first from a hundred feet in the air into the hard rock of Dempsey’s Island. Xavier flew quickly to the unused lighthouse and sat on top of it. He saw Risk get up from the fall – damn, he was strong – and brush himself off. He looked like his neck was sore from the impact but that seemed to be all that was wrong with him. Risk looked around the tiny little island and could see the water crashing on the rocks in all directions. Xavier watched him closely. He feared that the first thing Risk would do would be to try to swim back to land but as he watched him he sensed that Risk was not overly keen on the water and probably didn’t know how to swim. Risk made his way to the lighthouse and smashed the door in. If you’re looking for the lighthouse keeper, Xavier thought, you’re out of luck, Risk, old boy. This place has been fully automated for years. No food in there.
It was only then that Xavier remembered what Tom had said: “Don’t go to the island, daddy.” Xavier turned his head in all directions looking for danger – there was none. He tried to tell himself that it had just been Tom’s fear and imagination but he retained a sense of foreboding and kept alert. Xavier stayed outside for another twenty minutes and when Risk didn’t come back out he thought it was safe to leave. Risk must have resigned himself to the fact that he was stuck here. Xavier looked at the sky and decided it was time he got back to land and found somewhere safe to sleep during the day. Tom’s words still echoed in his head: “Don’t go to the island, daddy.” Even though nothing had happened this time, he knew he would have to come back here when he had a more permanent way of dealing with Risk. He would have to break his promise to Tom again. He hovered above the lighthouse for a few seconds longer and then left, content that his homemade Alcatraz would do the job for now.
the bride of frank stein
The bride was nervous that morning. Everyone told her that brides are always nervous on the big day, but this seemed like something more. There was a sense of disquiet in her mind that had been building all night. Maybe Frank wasn’t the right man for her. Her friends had laughed it off as cold feet and had given her a wee nip of something that warmed her right down to her toes. Now as she sat in the vestry staring at her shoes she wondered if it was just nerves or was it something else. Something she couldn’t explain to her friends. Something she didn’t want to consider. No, that was just paranoia, she reassured herself. This was just nerves and nothing else. Why had she even come in here? She could just imagine what they were all saying in there. She had told the bridesmaids to say she had an upset stomach and was just going to the toilet. This had seemed like a plausible excuse at the time but it was only now that she realised how the congregation waiting for her next door would interpret that little nugget of information.
“She’s got morning sickness.”
“I always suspected as much.”
“Young Stein was railroaded into this marriage.”
“Sure you might have known it. His family marrying the likes of her?”
The vestry door was knocked lightly. “Hello, it’s me. Can I come in?”
“Isn’t that bad luck?” she shouted back.
The door opened and Frank walked in and closed it quickly. “I don’t believe in all that crap.” The bride smiled. Frank walked to her cautiously and sat next to her on the sofa. He waited for her to speak and she didn’t. “You know they’re getting pretty near the end of the Hymn book out there.”
She was silent and looked at her shoes again.
Frank suddenly thought that this was more serious than nerves. “Do you not want to marry me?” he said solemnly.
She raised her head quickly and looked in his eyes. “No, I really do want to marry you. I love you.”
“Then what is it?”
She shook her head and looked at her shoes. “I’m not sure it’s anything.”
“If you do love me then let’s get married. Whatever’s the matter with you, we can deal with together. Come on, what do you say?”
She raised her head and smiled at him.
“Come on, me ma will throw a wobbler if she doesn’t get to show off her new hat.”
“I’m just a little scared is all.”
“You don’t have to be, it’s only a hat.” She laughed and Frank took her hands and lifted her to her feet. He kissed her. “Calmer now?” he asked. She nodded. Frank walked to the door and took the handle then turned back to her. “You OK?”
“I am,” she answered. Frank smiled and walked back in.
She straightened the wrinkles out of her dress and replaced the veil. She was ready; good idea or not, she w
as going to do it. She left the vestry and walked around to the main doors. The bridesmaids, groomsmen, best man and her aunt were waiting for her. She nodded that she was ready and her aunt popped her head through the door and cued the music. The Wedding March began in all its glory and the congregation turned and looked over the backs of the pews. The three bridesmaids locked arms with their designated male partners and marched out two at a time.
Her aunt came to the bride’s side and took her arm. “What happened to you in there?”
“Nothing,” she replied. “I hope.”
The last peach-coloured bridesmaid went through the doors and the bride took a deep breath. Her aunt turned to her, beaming with delight. “I’m so glad you asked me to do this. Are you ready to start a new chapter of your life?”
She nodded. “I think so.”
“Think? You’d need to know by now,” her aunt joked. “In about half an hour you’re no longer going to be Lynda Walls, you’ll be Lynda Stein.”
Lynda swallowed hard and nodded. She and her aunt began marching forward in time to the music. When she started up the aisle all her fears disappeared. Seeing all the smiling faces on both sides of her. The very young were excited, those her own age were spilt into ecstatically happy and happy with a hint of jealousy, and the older generation looked proud that in these heathen days some youngsters still believed in marriage. The walk up the aisle seemed to be happening in slow motion. She had so much time to see everyone. She turned to her Aunt Janice and saw that she was already welling up. She looked to the front and saw Frank standing with the posture of a Royal Guard and a big, dopey grin on his face. Tall, dark and handsome – what could she say? The cliché looked good on him. She did love him and couldn’t imagine why she had spent so long sitting in the vestry.
Then it hit her like lightning. An image flashed in her mind and she saw blood. She saw a vampire biting the neck of a child. Back in the church she stumbled to a stop and her smile was gone. She turned to Aunt Janice who was tugging her arm gently forward. Another flash of three dead boys lying beside each other with a burned out building behind them. A redheaded woman vampire stood over them. The dead children seemed to stare at Lynda. Aunt Janice was shaking her gently. Lynda looked at the front of the church and saw all the bridesmaids had reached the front and were staring at her with concern. Another flash hit her and she saw a male vampire walk over and throw the body of a little girl on top of the other three children. His mouth was smeared with blood and he kissed the redhead and let her taste it. Aunt Janice looked concerned now, more concerned than the others because she had seen this before. Lynda’s mind became clear – it was over. She knew what this meant. She didn’t know how or why, but she knew that she wasn’t going to make it to the end of that aisle. She looked at Frank, who was being advised by his best man to wait and see what happens. She turned to Aunt Janice whose tears of joy had turned to tears of sadness. Her aunt knew what this meant. Lynda turned to the front and looked at Frank. She mouthed the words “I’m sorry” and then turned and ran back down the aisle to the doors.
Outside the doors she bunched up her dress so she could run faster. She made for the car and one of her shoes flew off. Her foot came down on the gravel and she felt no pain. She paused to kick off the other shoe and continued barefoot. She reached the car and was thankful that it was open and the keys were inside. Frank ran from the church doors and saw Lynda getting into the car. He bolted towards her and reached the car just as she brought the engine to life. Frank jumped in the path of the car as she tried to drive off. She stopped and shouted at him to move.
“I’m not moving until you tell me what the hell is going on, Lynda!”
Lynda was annoyed by the delay. “I’ll tell you when I get back. You just have to trust me. I have something I have to do.” Lynda revved impatiently.
“On our wedding day?” Frank cried in disbelief. “You made another appointment on our wedding day? What is it?”
“Will you just get out of the way? You won’t understand. Just let me go. I’ll be back, I promise, and I’ll explain everything to you then.”
Frank shook his head. “Explain now.”
Lynda dropped her head to the steering wheel. Frank saw his chance and darted around to the passenger’s side and jumped in the car beside her. Lynda looked up quickly. “No, Frank. You have to let me go alone.”
“Not until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Lynda thought for a moment, then put the car in gear and sped down the driveway of the church, spewing gravel from her wheels over all the brightly polished cars lining the path.
When they got out on the road she really put her foot down. They whizzed along the small country roads faster than any boy-racer in the area had ever done. Frank remained silent; gripping the arm-rest so tightly that all colour left his hand. He was relieved when they reached the main road and the danger lessened, even if the speed did not.
Frank straightened himself and prised his fingers from the arm-rest. “OK, you ready to talk now?” Lynda shook her head gently. “I’ll take that as a yes. OK, first question: where are we going?”
“Portstewart.”
“Portstewart? Isn’t that in the north?”
“Yes.”
“Why are we going to Portstewart?”
She considered her answer. “To help. Some children are in trouble. They’re going to be killed – this evening probably.”
“How do you know this?”
“That’s the unbelievable bit, can we leave it for later?”
“OK, why do you have to help these children? Can’t you just call the police in Portstewart?”
“No.”
Frank waited for more. He didn’t get it. “Listen, honey, I think…”
“What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you, Frank?”
Frank was thrown by the question but found an answer. “Probably my fiancée running out on me halfway up the aisle.”
“No, not that, I mean has anything ever happened to you that you couldn’t explain. Ever seen a UFO, a ghost, Bigfoot?”
Frank stared at her trying to assess if she was being serious. When he decided she was, he searched his memory. “When I was about nineteen a few friends and I went on a fishing trip. Well, there wasn’t much fishing done in the end but we did get through a lot of beer and marijuana. So, in the middle of the night, after everyone had keeled out, I had to get up to take a wazz. I walked to the nearest tree and when I was done I zipped up and turned quickly, and just for a split second I saw…”
Lynda saw the fear blossom on his face. The seconds ticked by as she waited for him to finish. He was staring into space, remembering. “You saw what?” she prompted.
He shook his head and tried to laugh it off. “Just for a second I saw…I saw a man in peasant clothes hanging from the branch of the tree. His hands were tied behind his back but he was still alive. He looked right at me.”
“Do you think it was a ghost?”
“I told the guys in the morning and they said it was just the dope fucking with my head.”
“Is that what you thought?”
“I couldn’t dismiss it that easily. I went to the town hall and looked up the old records and found out that that tree was used for hanging criminals over two hundred years ago. I didn’t know that before so how could I project that hallucination?”
“So you believe it was a ghost?”
Frank shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I’ll never know for sure.”
“Do you want to believe it was a ghost or the dope?”
“What has this got to do with you running out on our wedding?”
“If it could be proved conclusively, what would you prefer?”
“The dope, I suppose. I don’t like the idea of us sharing this world with supernatural evil spirits that we can’t do anything about.”
Lynda took a deep breath. “What if I told you that there is supernatural evil in this world and I’m one of the few who can do so
mething about it?”
Frank stared at her for a long time without blinking. “I’m waiting for the punchline,” he said eventually.
“No punchline, Frank. Don’t you ever talk to any of the older doctors at the hospital? Things have been quiet for a long time so you wouldn’t have treated any victims but the older doctors will definitely have seen cases.”
“Cases of what?”
Reluctantly she answered. “Vampire attacks! There it is. It’s out there now for you to think I’m insane and want to book me in for a stay in the rubber hotel. You’ll think this is all some kind of breakdown caused by the stress of the wedding but it’s not. There are a hell of a lot of people who know that vampires do exist, Frank. If you ask my aunt she would be able to tell you. This is not all in my head. I have killed vampires, Frank. Lots of them. They were trying to hurt innocent people and I killed them. Why me? Is that what you’re thinking? Well, I’ll tell you, you see my father was a vampire and my mother was human so that makes me…ta da! A dhampir! What’s a dhampir, Lynda, I hear you ask. Well, Frank, a dhampir has a human mother and a vampire father, this makes her, or me, a natural warrior against vampires and also gives me some pretty weird powers – like being able to see when children are going to be killed in Portstewart – and a lot of extra strength. How come you never knew about any of this? Because, dear Frank, ten years ago I lost my powers. Now, this is only supposed to happen if the vampire that fathered me dies, and that’s what we all assumed happened. I’ve been without visions and powers for ten years and BOOM they come back this morning while I’m walking up the aisle towards you. So that’s why I left, that’s why we’re here, that’s why we’re going to Portstewart.” She exhaled quickly.