by Ian Woodhead
She looked in dismay as two huge vampires grabbed the blonde girl, as she raced away from Paul, and dragged her struggling body into a large tent. Another Swarmer ran past her. He turned around, growled then dived onto a blond boy. Within seconds the Swarmer was streaking away, leaving his victim on the ground, shaking.
Darlene couldn’t more her legs; she found her body frozen to the ground. Her mind could just not take in the overpowering sounds of shrieks, helpless screaming, as well as the hoarse growls of all the newborn vampires all emerging from their incredibly fast change in order to hunt down and change even more humans.
The blonde girl ran out of the tent. Darlene found her paralysis broke when the girl ran over to her. Darlene saw that the girl’s eyes were already beginning to acquire their scarlet taint. She swept her arm out, effectively clothes-lining the girl when she tried to run past her.
The two Swarmer vampires ran out of the tent and walked over to her. She lifted her foot, said a silent prayer for the girl on the ground, acting like she’d being demonically possessed, then slammed her foot into the side of her face. Darlene wanted to throw up when her shoe caved in the girl’s skull.
“I can smell the stench of our enemy in your blood, you foul witch,” growled the largest vampire. “If we did not have our set tasks, we would both enjoy filling your holes.”
Paul was just a few steps away from the bald Swarmer. She clenched her fists and glared at the vampire beside him. He had yet to speak. Darlene felt the wave of lust coming off the pair of them; these disgusting creatures would like nothing better than to abuse Darlene.
She saw that Paul was just a few steps away from the bald vampire. Darlene saw the hate in Paul’s eyes. Yet nothing else, he radiated no thoughts at all, it was like he was a ghost. Darlene clenched her fists tight, feeling her nails break the skin. The sensation of her freezing blood rolling down her flesh helped her focus on the two Swarmers instead of Paul’s imminent attack.
Darlene glared at the vampire beside the bald one. He had yet to speak but there was no need. Darlene ‘heard’ the vampire’s disgusting thoughts. His mind continued their implausible scenario, with him pushing his huge member inside her and the other one muffled her agonizing screams.
“Is that the best you can come up with, you sad little man?” Darlene said, smiling. She saw silent rage replace the vampire’s sudden shock. “Maybe that would have terrified the thick whores from your time, you medieval tosser. Your childish fantasy does nothing for me though.” Paul was ready to lunge. Darlene lifted her hand in the air and wiggled her pinkie. “Not when I know that you’re both hung like mice.”
Both the vampire’s roared. Paul wrapped his arms around the bald vampire’s neck and dragged him back. When the other one spin around, Darlene jumped and crashed into the other vampire. They both went sprawling onto the ground. Darlene wasted no time. She crawled onto the vampire’s back and sank her teeth into the side of his neck. She jerked her head away, gagging on the foul stench as a fountain of dark red blood exploded from the vampire’s wounds. Darlene choked back the revulsion and bit into the other side of his neck.
She climbed off his back and spat out some of the dead vampire’s vile fluid. “Why are we even bothering?” she cried, watching Paul end the other one’s foul life. “We stand no chance of stopping the Swarmers from spreading.”
Paul hurried over and grabbed her shoulders. “We put an end to the source, honey. We exterminated the vile bastards that slept for so long. You’re right that we can’t stop it. The plague was inevitable a soon as they climbed out of that pit.”
See sighed, looking around her. They were the only ones moving now, in this field. Darlene knew that they weren’t alone, about half the tents were still occupied, their sleepers having no clue that their drunken binges had undoubtedly saved them from changing into monsters. The newborn vampires and the survivors continued their struggle in the next field.
“Honey, look at me and you, especially you, Darlene. You’ve had this stuff inside you for centuries. We’re not acting like they are.”
“We did though.”
He slowly nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” He took her hand. “And the stuff running through our veins is pure Deathgazer. These kids only have diluted Swarmer filth in their systems. Don’t get me wrong, this contagion is going to be bad, but it won’t be the end of the world. The authorities will eventually see what’s going on and they’ll stop it.” Paul pulled her through towards the field. “If we don’t put down the ones that caused this, we really will be facing Armageddon.”
Darlene knew he was right and tried to get to grips with her out of control feelings. “What’s wrong with me, Paul? I’m a vampire for crying out loud. I’m supposed to find all this blood, death and gore exciting!” They stopped by the dry stone wall that separated the two fields. Just like in this field, there were very few in number left now. Both the survivors and the new Swarmers were running away.
Paul shrugged his shoulders. “Honey, I’m not sure, perhaps, me and you are just different? Maybe, we are the start of a new clan?” he sighed, only time will tell, Darlene.”
“All you will be seeing is the death of your woman before you join her corpse.” Amulius stood up from behind a small tent. He slowly looked at the pair of them before wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “This is a most interesting development, is it not? I am like I was from waking into this new place. My initial plans, tattered like a Swarmer’s cloak.” He moved like lightning.
Darlene jumped back but it was too late for Paul, the First Father had already caught him in his deadly grip. Amulius lifted him up by his throat, then threw the vampire behind him. Paul landed in an untidy heap and didn’t move.
“Do not worry, my traitorous woman, he is not yet dead. It is so surprising that he has survived for so long, the essence within him is most tenacious.” Darlene’s own scream was choked back when he moved again impossibly quick and put both his hands around her neck. “He will not die until I have dealt with you.” The First Father looked back at Paul. “I want to find out why that young vampire was able to evade my senses. It will be a useful talent to possess.” Amulius gazed into her eyes. “He wakes. Goodbye, my sweet Darlene.”
Darlene kicked out with her left foot, striking him in the ankle. The vampire grunted but didn’t loosen his grip. Amulius moved his head a little closer, opened his huge jaws. Darlene looked into that cavernous mouth, just hoping that he wouldn’t make the pain last. He then shook he head, slowly closed his mouth and started to squeeze his fingers.
She felt her vision fade as the vampire applied more pressure. Darlene heard a voice but could not make out the words, the noise of waves crashing against the inside of her head drowned out every other sound.
Her world went grey, there was no pain. Darlene’s senses just vanished as the greyness enveloped everything, only the sound of those waves reverberating around her skull held sway now. The sound of those waves increased in volume, until the noise was unbearable. Darlene’s senses flooded back, bringing an agonizing fury from deep within her body. She napped open her eyes, seeing that her entrance back from the dead, visibly shocking the First Father. She knew that his iron-like fingers had crushed her neck and yet she had not died.
“This is not possible!”
Darlene lifted her arms pressed them against her chest then snapped them forward. Amulius suddenly released his grip and he staggered back and fell over the low stone wall. Her fingers went up to her neck. She ran the tips of her fingers along the deep grooves that the First Father had left in her throat, feeling the flesh beneath her fingers expand and fill out. She tried to speak and found that task utterly impossible right now. Instead, Darlene ran over to the wall and looked over, expecting to see the First Father still lying there but he had disappeared.
She leaped over the wall and ran up the Paul’s still form, kneeling on the grass, taking his head and pressing it against her chest. Despite the First Father’s boasting, Da
rlene knew that he had really hurt Paul. She brushed her hand down his chest, he moaned when she felt the broken bones ripping though his flesh, under the fabric.
The Vampire looked up into her eyes. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to mend again,” he whispered, running his tongue over his cracked lips. “All my bones are broken again, Darlene. I’m so sorry, but this time, I really am going to die.” Paul sighed. He slowly turned his head. “You’re still here so I’m guessing you put down the First Father. I hope you made him suffer.”
Darlene so wanted to tell him that he was going to be alright, there was no way that she would allow him to leave her, not again. She brushed his hair to the side then bent down and kissed the top of his head. Darlene tried to move his face back but he wouldn’t shift. Darlene followed his gaze and saw the remaining Swarmer Clan heading in their direction. She choked back a gasp at the sight of her son next to the Swarmer First Father. He looked so different now; Damien was twice his original size.
Paul looked into her face and offered her a single sad smile. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for us, Darlene. Well, at least now we’ll both die in each other’s arms.” The vampire closed his eyes.
They hadn’t spotted them yet, that much, she did know. Their vampire senses were far inferior to hers. Darlene grabbed the bottom of the tent by Paul’s feet and slowly pulled it over their bodies. She closed her eyes, found an opening in her son’s mind and dive inside.
Chapter Twenty
Damien felt something, like a cold breeze; rush through the inside of his skull. He looked sharply at Eleanor, wondering if the nosy bitch was trying to poke inside his head again. He dismissed the notion as ridiculous. There was no way that she’d be able to see his thoughts with him knowing.
“There he is!” cried Desmonus, pointing towards the horizon. “Just look at the dirty coward flee from the battle. It is the only virtue that he has left. You can run all you want, my friend. You can not hide from me. I shall find you, Amulius and I shall end your miserable life.”
“This world is a big place, Desmonus.” Damien studied the First Father, watching the man play with his fingernails. His outward exterior showed a vampire that had succeeded in making sure that his plans were fruitful, below that though, Damien sensed a great anxiety. As if he was waiting for something else to happen.
The First Father laughed out loud. “You still think like a human, Damien. Out timeline is not measured a days like those pitiful specimens. The Deathgazer Clan will become extinct, that fact is an absolute conclusion. Time is irrelevant.
“He’ll just find another set of human’s to restart his Clan.”
Desmonus shrugged. “I do not doubt that, Damien. Even so, just like his last attempt, his next effort will also end in failure. His blood as well as his ideas, belong in the past. This new world belongs to us, to the Swarmers. Thanks to you, Damien, our clan will purge this new land of all that stands in our way. The First Father closed his eyes and smiled contentedly.
He rubbed the side of his neck. The multiple bite marks had long since healed but the humiliation still remained. Just before they had reached the campsite, the First Father had ordered him to lie down. While sitting on Damien’s chest, Desmonus had then told the rest of the Clan to each take blood from his neck. He remembered the brothers taking great enjoyment in ensuring that their bites were very painful.
He took great satisfaction in hearing their death cries. Damien achieved a greater thrill in the knowledge that neither Eleanor of the First Father knew that they were the only original vampires left in the Swarmer Clan. This fact made him very happy. By drinking form him, he had become linked to each and every one of them. The only vampire that his still could not read was Eleanor and that was because Desmonus forbade her to drink from him.
Damien now knew that the dozens of new Swarmer vampire that the former Clam members had made would listen to him and him alone. He had his own army. Was this the reason why the First Father was so edgy beneath his triumphant exterior? Had he realized that he’d bitten off more than he could chew? He pushed the thought away, like he didn’t have enough to think about, without looking for devious schemes within even more devious schemes. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up just like the bitch standing beside him.
He still needed to sort her out for what she did to him with Sandra. It wasn’t fair, why did he never have any luck with females in his life? The only one who hadn’t fucked him over was his mum and he didn’t think that it would be too long before that happened. Damien could sense her close by. Bumping into his mum was once meeting that he was not looking forward to. How the fuck would he be able to cope, knowing full well that she had Deathgazer blood running through her veins. He just have to kill her, there would be no other choice.
He felt the female take a step closer to Damien. She waited for Desmonus to turn back around, the First Father’s eyes continued to follow Amulius’s progress as he made his way across the dark field’s, heading for the forest. Damien looked at the woman, trying to work out what she was playing at. He shook his head. Damien had no idea what she was doing now. He silently sighed and blanked the bitch and watched the shadow disappear into the trees. Why couldn’t his mum had not gone with the Deathgazer First Father? He could still feel her presence. There was no obvious sign of her and Damien wanted it to stay that way.
“We should find the others,” said Amulius. Their absence is beginning to worry me now.”
Eleanor laughed. “Why should it, my First Father? You know where they will be. Each and every one of your Clan will be inside one of these little fabric shelters, with some young female. Human or changed. Perhaps in Helix’s case, even dead.” She chuckled. “Allow them a few more moments of pleasure, Desmonus. We both know that their responses will be sharper after they are sated.”
“It is one answer.” Desmonus wondered over to a flattened tent. He stopped and gazed at the fabric for a few seconds. “Eleanor, I sense a great sense of anticipation coming from you. At first, I just thought that it was just my suspicious nature coupled with your tendency to construct elaborate games.”
Damien couldn’t explain why but he felt a great deal of relief when the First Father moved away from that ruined tent.
“You are playing another game.” Desmonus looked directly at Damien. “Yes, I can see that now. He is your unknowing game piece. He chuckled. “That is very clever. I applaud you for your ingenuity.
Damien took one step away from the female. Something was happening here. He could feel both their emotions rising past the danger point. They were both staring at him as well. For the first time since bumping into these insane bastards, he actually wished the other Clan vampires were still alive.
The First Father suddenly ran over to him. “You mean that they are not?” He wrapped his fingers around Damien’s shirt collar and threw him down onto the ground. Desmonus straddled Damien and grabbed the sides of his head. “Where is my clan!” he screamed.
“Leave him alone! If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t have a new army.” Eleanor stopped her advance when the First Father expended his forefinger and held it directly above Damien’s eye.
“It is wise to stay still, my devious little fox. I shall deal with you once I have extracted the required information from his head. Although I have been inside once, I shall take a more forceful approach on this occasion.”
Damien didn’t need to read the First Father’s mind to realize that he meant his words. “All right!” he screamed. “Yeah, all your original Clan are dead!” The Deathgazers slaughtered the bastards. You know what else? I’m glad of it too.” Damien shut his eyes; he had just one chance left. The newborns would save him, they had to. Their only purpose was to obey his commands. Just like his was to obey the First Father’s word. Well, fuck Desmonus; he had no intention of losing an eye and probably half his brain just because the First Father had lost some of his vampires. “If you hurt me, you loony fucker, what’s left of your Clan will tear you apart!”
Feed his paranoia. Give the bastard what he really wants.
He managed to catch Eleanor’s eye, trying to work out exactly she was trying to say to him. Damien was way too stressed out to think clearly. “I don’t know what you want!” he yelled.
Desmonus leaned a bit further down. “I want you to tell me why my clan is now dead and I want you to tell me what you are planning with the she-wolf.” He now pressed his finger hard against Damien’s eyeball. “Time for talk is over.”
Tell him the Deathgazers are in this field! Do it now, I can’t afford to lose you, my son.
Mum!
“There are Deathgazers hiding in this field.” He pointed at Eleanor. “She’s the one who’s betrayed you, First Father. She told them to kill your Clan.”
The First Father slowly climbed off his body and dragged Damien onto his feet. “You are worse than she is. Your lies become more ridiculous the longer I allow you to exist.” He threw him at the woman. “Do you see how quickly this one would betray you? You have ripped off more meat than you can chew, my devious wife.”
Damien found himself back on the ground when Eleanor pushed him away from her. Eleanor walked straight past him and wrapped her arms around the First Father’s waist. She then leaned forward and kissed Desmonus.
Tell them that you’re not lying about the Deathgazer Clan hiding, Damien. You only have one chance at this.
“If I’m lying, First Father, then explain where the others are.” He leaned onto his elbow. “You can’t explain it, that’s because they are all dead. The Deathgazers killed them all, just as they are about to kill you two.