Dead of Winter

by Lee Collins

  They found a second staircase in a hallway attached to the main bedroom. Ben led the way down, rifle at the ready and saber on his hip. Cora kept her big Colt pointed behind them as they descended. The stairs emptied into a large kitchen. The shadows of cooking stoves lurked in the corners of the room, their fires long dead. Baskets of stale bread sat on shelves lining the walls. A door to their right opened into a pantry. In the dim light Cora could see cans of vegetables and fruit.

  As they moved toward a door across the room, Ben stooped down and picked something up. He turned to his wife and handed her his find: a small hatchet. She took the handle in her free hand, then looked at him with a question in her eyes.

  "We need some sunlight in here," he said, his voice just above a whisper. "Go on back upstairs and see to the windows."

  "What about you?" she asked.

  "I'll hold the line right here," he said. "Hurry on back so we can lick these bastards."

  Cora nodded and, keeping her pistol handy, made her way back up to the second floor. Starting in the main bedroom, she began chopping away the boards covering the windows. The hatchet was light but still sharp, and streams of sunlight soon began filling the room. Her efforts echoed through the house, making her more than a little nervous. She kept one eye on the door, ready to drop the hatchet and open up with her pistol at the first sign of a vampire, but nothing came. Moving from room to room, Cora worked as fast as she could. Soon, the upper floor was awash in late afternoon sunlight.

  When she finished, she made her way back down to the kitchen, dropping the hatchet by the bottom of the staircase. "All set up there," she said.

  Ben was gone.

  Her Colt's hammer clicked in the stillness. She gave the room a thorough sweep with her eyes before moving from her place next to the stairs. The kitchen was silent. Lowering her gaze to the floor, she checked for any sign of a struggle. The carpet of dust remained undisturbed save for two sets of tracks leading toward the far door. She knelt down next to them and took a closer look. One set belonged to Ben's boots, and the other had been made by a pair of smaller shoes.

  A thrill ran through her as she began following the tracks. She didn't know how someone could have survived in a vampire nest, but they must have heard her racket upstairs and come looking. Perhaps a butler had been trapped or away when the vampires attacked, or perhaps it was a drifter taking advantage of the abandoned house. Either way, Ben must have taken him outside as soon as he appeared.

  Keeping her eyes on the trail, she followed it out of the kitchen and through the central hallway of the house. The fresh sunlight pouring from the second story gave the house a glow like deep twilight. The tracks led her to a closed door near the front of the house. Cora stared at the door in confusion. If Ben had found a survivor, he would have taken him outside to keep him safe, so why did his tracks lead deeper into the house? She reached out and pulled the door open. The groaning of its hinges seemed to screech in the silent house, making her wince. Behind it, a staircase descended into the darkness of the house's underbelly.

  Before Cora could give the mystery much thought, a wail echoed from somewhere in the basement. The barrel of her gun gleamed in the dim light as she pointed it into the shadows. Moments passed, but nothing came rushing up the stairs. Her own breathing filled the silence. Cora's mind urged her forward, screaming that her husband was down there somewhere, but her instincts held her in place. She couldn't help him if she was blind and stumbling in the dark.

  After a few minutes of silence, she took a step toward the door. Her worry was overpowering her sense. Ben was down there, and if she didn't follow soon, she would be too late. The silence told her that he wasn't fighting anything, but that didn't mean he wasn't in danger. Vampires could see in the dark, and he couldn't. They were no smarter than animals, but enough of them might be able to bring him down. Her boot creaked on the top step, and she paused. Nothing. Tightening her grip on her Colt, she began making her descent.

  Two steps later, a savage mass of arms, legs, and fangs slammed into her, throwing her back through the door into the hallway. The vampire's weight kept her pinned to the floor as it snarled and snapped at her. Her hands clamped around the vampire's neck, holding its fangs at bay mere inches from her face. She didn't remember dropping her gun.

  Cora managed to bend her knees enough to get her heels on the ground and shove upward. She released the pale neck at the same time and threw the vampire over her head. It slammed into a nearby wall with a hiss. Collecting itself, the creature regained its bearings and sprang at her. Cora rolled out of its path, and the vampire sailed through the open doorway back into the shadows.

  Drawing her silver dagger, Cora got to her feet. When the monster came charging out of the basement a second time, she drove the point into its face as it smashed into her. Smoke billowed around them as the vampire let out a final, inhuman screech and went limp. She pushed the corpse off of her. The dagger slid out of the vampire's skull with a wet, slurping sound. Clutching it in one hand, she crawled on her hands and knees toward the stairs. Her pistol lay on the top step, its barrel gleaming in the semi-darkness. She picked it up, stood, and wiped the dagger on her buckskin pants.

  Before she could sheathe it, another snarl came from the shadows. She pointed both weapons toward the stairs. Small pinpoints of light winked at her. The flash from the revolver's barrel lit up the darkness like a bolt of lightning, but it vanished before she could make anything out. No screech cut through the gunshot's thunder, so she thumbed the hammer back and waited.

  Then, without warning, a series of wails filled the air, followed by the pounding of many feet. Cora backed up as her heart began to race. The echoes made it difficult to determine their numbers, but it was more than a few. Glancing over her shoulder, she could make out the stream of sunlight coming through the front door. As much as she hated it, she couldn't take on the entire nest by herself. Keeping her face toward the chorus of howls, she began making her way toward the door. Hissing, gray shapes poured out from the basement door. Their savage eyes locked on her, their fangs glistening in the twilight. She jumped backward into the doorway. The vampires approached her, snarling and snapping, but they did not follow her into the sunlight. Counting three targets, Cora grinned to herself. She took aim at one of the ugly faces and squeezed the trigger.

  The vampire ducked as she fired. Her bullet punched into its shoulder, and it shrieked in anger and pain. The rest scattered like roaches. Cursing, Cora pulled back the hammer and fired again, but her target had already vanished into the darkness. Gunsmoke drifted through the sunlight as she stood facing an empty hallway.

  In the waning daylight, Cora's mind began racing. She glanced at the sky over her shoulder. The sun hung just above the western mountains; her time was short. The shadows inside the house still rumbled with the movements of the vampires, but they kept themselves hidden from her sight. She could charge down the basement stairs and hope to find Ben before they noticed, but she'd only have a minute or two at most. If she failed, neither of them would make it out alive. Still, she couldn't just abandon him to darkness and death.

  Behind her, she heard a horse whinny. Cora pulled her hat low against the sun as she looked out at her mare. She was a new purchase, bought only a few months ago. Her last mount, a bay named St. Andrew, had been shot out from under her by a group of bandits. This new mare didn't have the stamina old Andrew had, but she had a gentler nature. Cora had taken to calling her Our Lady of Virginia.

  Cora looked at her now, wondering how long it would take her to ride out to the farmhouse where she and Ben were staying. Father Baez was there, protecting the family in case they failed to root out the infestation. His help would be essential if she was going to storm the nest and rescue Ben, but she didn't want to leave her husband to be devoured by vampires.

  Common sense finally won out. Cora smashed a vial of holy water on the front steps of the house, ran over to her mare, and swung up into the saddle. They hadn't bother
ed to tie their horses when they went in, so she turned the mare toward the eastern road and gave her a punch with her heels. Our Lady started off at a good canter, and Cora let her warm up as long as her patience allowed before breaking her out in a full gallop. The house shrank behind her, its whitewashed walls glowing in the sunlight.

  As she rode, Cora kept replaying the scenario in the kitchen over and over in her mind, trying to figure out exactly what might have happened. The tracks she found in the dust showed no sign of a fight, so Ben hadn't been jumped by a vampire. If she had read the signs right, there was someone else still alive in the nest. How they had managed to hide from the vampires was beyond her, but maybe they knew of a secret place protected with holy water or garlic. If that was the case, maybe they'd hidden there with Ben when she'd drawn the nest's attention. All they had to do was wait for her to return with Father Baez. Cora whispered a prayer as she urged Our Lady forward into the approaching night.

  By the time she flipped Our Lady's reins over a lowhanging branch in the farmhouse's front yard, the sun had already slipped behind the mountains. She glanced at the sky as she ran across the yard, cursing the evening stars for their eager arrival. Every minute that passed put Ben and his companion in greater danger.

  Cora crashed through the door of the house, hollering for Father Baez before she cleared the entryway. The priest emerged from the kitchen a moment later. Behind him, she could see the worried faces of the farmer and his wife.

  "What is it, Mrs Oglesby?" Father Baez asked.

  "You got to come quick, Father," Cora said. "Ben's trapped down in the nest someplace, and I can't get him out by myself."

  "Calm down, my dear, and tell me what happened."

  The priest motioned for her to join them in the kitchen, but she remained where she was, her hands on her hips. She recounted the events at the abandoned house, adding her theory about the mysterious survivor's hiding place. When she finished, Father Baez stroked his salt-andpepper beard.

  "A troubling situation, certainly."

  "Right," Cora said with a nod. She took a few steps toward the door, then looked back over her shoulder at the priest. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

  "I'm afraid I can't just abandon this family," Father Baez said. "The sun has already set, and they would be vulnerable if we both left."

  "But we're leaving to whip the vampires," Cora said. "Once we do, they'll be safe as a pair of bear cubs with their ma."

  "We may kill some of them, yes," the priest replied, "but there would be no guarantee that we would get all of them. This house is the closest to the nest, and the vampires have already attacked it the past two nights. You and Ben were able to fend off the attacks, yes, but these people can't hope to fight the undead by themselves."

  "They watched us do it enough to get the idea," Cora said, shifting her weight and glancing through the front door. They were wasting time that Ben might not have to waste. If Father Baez wouldn't leave, she would have to go back alone, and the odds would be against her.

  "I'm sorry, Mrs Oglesby, but I can't come with you," Father Baez said. "My place is here."

  Cora looked into his dark eyes, gauging his resolve. Finally, she nodded. "All right, then, I'm going back by myself."

  Surprise filled the priest's face. "You can't be serious. Nobody can hope to survive a vampire nest after nightfall."

  "Maybe I'm just that crazy," Cora said. "All I know is I ain't leaving Ben in that nest by his lonesome." Without waiting for a reply, she marched down the hall toward the door. Near the entryway, a staircase led to the second story of the house. Cora took the steps two at a time, then threw open the door to the guest room where she and Ben were staying. She pulled their traveling trunk from its place in the corner, undid the latches, and began digging through their supplies. She grabbed a spare crucifix and tucked it into her belt. A few more vials of holy water, a handful of garlic cloves, and she was ready.

  She snapped the clasps closed and shoved the trunk back toward the corner. Dropping the vials and cloves into her belt pouch, she turned and thundered back down the stairs. The outside air was cool on her face. She grabbed the mare's reins and swung into the saddle.

  As she turned Our Lady toward the road, a shape darted through the evening shadows toward the farmhouse door. More figures appeared, following the first with frightening speed. In the dim light, Cora could just make out the stooped forms of men on all fours. Before she could draw her pistol, they disappeared into the house.

  Screams and shouts began echoing from the interior. Cursing, Cora jumped out of the saddle and landed running. She drew her revolver as her boots pounded up the porch stairs and into the house. One of the vampires crouched in the hallway, hissing at something through the kitchen door. The big Colt's thunder filled the entryway. Charging through the cloud of smoke, Cora took aim at the vampire's head and fired again. The gray lips fell silent, and she rounded the corner into the kitchen, revolver at the ready.

  Father Baez stood a few paces back from the doorway, pointing a crucifix toward her. Behind him, the farmer and his wife stood with their backs to her, crosses pointing outward. Two small children clung to the woman's dress, their frightened eyes peering out from the protective ring of adults.

  "By the grace of God," Father Baez said, crossing himself.

  "I'm here, Father," she said. "Stay sharp. There's more vampires about."

  Father Baez nodded, his eyes searching the ceiling while Cora loaded fresh rounds into her revolver. The pounding of running feet began shaking the walls, the sound moving from over their heads toward the stairs. The clicking of the Colt's hammer was lost amid the cacophony, but the big gun's roar deafened them all when she opened up on the first monster that charged through the doorway. The silver bullet punched through the creature's skull, blowing it backward into the body of its fallen comrade.

  Behind her, she heard a shout from the farmer. She whirled around in time to see another vampire standing near the kitchen table, hissing at the raised crosses. Yelling at them to get down, she took aim at the creature's chest. The couple dropped to the floor, the mother grabbing her children and pulling them down with her. Another flame erupted from the revolver's barrel, and the vampire sprawled across the table, limbs dangling.

  The rumble of the gunshots faded, and the house fell into an uneasy silence. Sobs came from the youngest child, a girl no older than five, as she hid her face in her mother's dress. Father Baez placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The farmer stood up, eyes searching every corner of the kitchen as he raised his cross.

  Cora's pulse pounded in her ears. She caught Father Baez's eye and nodded. The priest returned the nod, fingering his crucifix. Turning on her heel, she stepped into the hallway. Her free hand pulled the crucifix from her belt as she approached the staircase. Pointing the holy symbol toward the top, she began her ascent.

  Something stirred in the guest room. Cora pointed the crucifix toward the sound, followed by the revolver's barrel. Nudging the door open with her foot, she interrupted another vampire as it was nosing through the sheets on the bed. Its blue eyes locked on her as a hiss escaped its teeth. Cora's breath caught in her throat. The creature's face was gray and lifeless, but she recognized it. Another rush of air hissed out from beneath the vampire's familiar brown mustache as it bared short white teeth at her.

  Teeth that had once belonged to her husband.

  Cora backed into the hallway, shaking her head in disbelief. The monster inhabiting Ben's body followed her, using his arms and legs to creep along the floor in a halfcrouch. It was still wearing Ben's buckskin pants and button-up shirt, but his riding boots and hat were gone. Cora's foot slipped off the top step, and she almost fell head-over-heels down the stairs. Regaining her balance, she brought her gun back up and pointed the barrel at her husband's face, but she couldn't pull the trigger.

  "Ben," she whispered. "Ben, please stop."

  The creature didn't listen. Ben's graying knuckles came to rest on the t
op step as Cora backed down the stairs. Tears burned in her eyes, blurring her vision.

  "Ben, it's me," she said. "Don't do this, please."

  Cora reached the bottom of the stairs and continued backing out the front door. The savage hunger in her husband's eyes hypnotized her, stopping her from pulling the trigger. She couldn't shoot him. No matter what was inside him now, it was still his body, his face. She couldn't kill him.

  Her boot stepped on air where the porch ended, and she fell backward. The vampire lunged. Cora brought the crucifix up at the last moment, and the wicked face she loved twisted in pain. Ben's body backed away, beating the air with his arms.

  "Cora? Are you OK?"

  Father Baez's voice echoed from the kitchen. The vampire turned and sprinted toward him with the agility of a mountain cat. Cora pulled herself to her feet and ran after it as the priest retreated into the kitchen. She brought her Colt up again, but couldn't bring herself to fire before the vampire disappeared around the corner.