“Oh,” said the voice from within.
A hexagon had been dug into the earth around the wigwam by repeatedly walking its shape and digging in with feet as spells were chanted into the forest environment. Several of the trees surrounding the wigwam were shaved by a small hatchet and carved with effigies of vampire bats of varying shapes and sizes. Three upside down vampire bat skeletons also faced the entrance and were painted with layers of vampire blood every new moon, their skulls covered with small leather pouches containing four fangs in each. It wasn’t easy to lure and catch a vampire in bat form. It was a special talent not afforded to many.
The shadows of the trees formed shapes that ebbed and then extended. Those shadows took on the figures of vampires dancing, like puppets on the forest floor. One large tree cracked and creaked under its own weight. The sound of it rushed through the woods seeking ears to acknowledge it. That particular tree would fall to the forest floor within weeks and be converted into the home for even more bugs and grubs, and become the commencement of another enchantment. The life of the tree was growing short and it suffered under its own weight. All things came to its eventual demise, even as the planet would one day. But the tree was being slowly pulled down by a spell to take its remaining life force.
A white-tailed deer that had originated from miles away was entranced to enter the wigwam. It approached with no hesitation whatsoever. It moved into the enclosure as if it had arrived into the lushest valley, ready to consume all that was good. It could smell the hickory nuts, beechnuts and pecans, could see the reddest apples in a basket that didn’t exist. The nature of the animal was overtaken by things that could not be seen. Achak immediately killed and drank the blood of the deer. Death was instantaneous. “There, there, you sustain me in my hour of need.”
He was a large native biter that dealt with magic, and almost always wore a red beaded headband passed down from his grandfather, which had been soaked in the blood of many vampires over the years. He occasionally had disturbing dreams of his grandfather’s disappointed face. Achak was a hunter, a healer, a dealer in paranormal ways. He was also a destroyer. A complicated soul of considerable might. He had the darkest brown eyes that one dared not look into for long. His dark skin made him even more handsome. Achak looked to be in his late forties but was in fact ancient. Dracula was aware of his existence and didn’t care for his ways. They hadn’t set eyes upon one another in way over a century.
Achak exited the dwelling and dropped the bloodless deer carcass to the right of the wigwam. Nearby were four trees that he had cut down, each resembled giant sharpened pencils. He stretched and cracked his back as he noticed the raven. The bird flew out of the tree as it came to rest on his left arm. It let go with a gurgling croak which made the native nod. “Yes, yes, I know we have company approaching. They are like elephants on rice paper. Mortals.”
Sharpton had been in the forest for two days and two nights. He carried a large green duffel bag and was annoyed. His guide was a young looking New Yorker named David Allen Finch who wore a nose ring and a Mohawk. He had Japanese writing on his right forearm that he believed to be ABANDON ALL HOPE ALL WHO FACE ME, but in actuality it read THIS SPACE FOR RENT. He was a friend of Achak’s and they talked regularly on their satellite phones. An acquaintance of a friend put Sharpton onto David in order to get into contact with Achak. Of course it was all accomplished with money and favors promised. David had wanted his wife killed and that had been granted. Her life insurance would pay him over a million dollars, and he would no longer have to listen to his mother-in-law’s endless mockery.
Sharpton was getting impatient as he wasn’t used to dealing with humans, feeling that they were so far beneath him. “How much further?”
David checked his compass to make sure he was on course. There were paths to follow and secret signs to read. The fellow felt that he was close but one tree was starting to look like another. At times the compass spun oddly. A spell had been recently placed over the area, and although they were within a couple of miles of the wigwam, the last two hours had been spent going in circles. “I think we’re close. I think. How do you know about Achak?”
“His magic is well known to many, though I imagine he’s destroyed as many vampires as he helped. His nature is unpredictable. He often turns on his friends, not a warning just a fact. If he eats you, he eats you.” Sharpton showed David what appeared to be a knowing smile.
David stopped and stared at Sharpton. He considered the statement but then thought that it was one of those things best left alone. It was either factual or it wasn’t. He wondered about Sharpton’s motives for being here. The guy didn’t appear to be a fellow that one could get to like. “You’re not here to kill him are you?”
“No, I need his counsel.”
David took in a deep breath and let it out. He looked left and then right, staring up into the trees and paused there. “Yeah. You know, he brings vampires to him when he needs their blood. He summons them and then kills them when they show up. Is it your idea to come here or did he summon you?”
Sharpton thought that David appeared lost. “I have a spell that protects me from being summoned.”
“Really?”
“No, but it sounds good doesn’t it. We’re going in circles aren’t we?”
“Yeah, something strange is going on. I’ve been here many times but suddenly it’s different.” Certain parts of the forest looked indistinct and confusing, certain trees looked blurry. David took out his backpack and pulled out his satellite phone. “I could be in a boat in the middle of the ocean and this thing would still work.” He called Achak and they yakked for almost ten minutes as Sharpton looked annoyed.
“On a boat in the middle of the ocean is a good place for you,” Sharpton said to himself. “Well?”
“He’s placed a spell on the area around him. We’re close enough to him to experience its magical properties. We have to sit tight and wait for the raven.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
David placed his green backpack on his back, shifted his weight and adjusted it. “Yeah, a raven will come and guide us in. You know a bird. Not a vampire named raven.”
Sharpton looked to the trees but saw no bird. They sat on an old tree covered by moss that had fallen more than a year ago and they waited. They were quiet for a time as they listened to the sounds of the forest. The resonance of two Black-backed woodpeckers banging their beaks was heard in the distance; they were on adjacent trees to one another. Their cacophony had an almost musical quality to it. Then suddenly the raven appeared and landed at the end of the tree that they sat on and squawked. When they stood it flew north to a branch and waited, when they followed it continued to lead them.
In less than an hour they found themselves approaching the wigwam as Achak was in the process of doing something on the forest floor. It looked as though he was arranging something and in fact he was. Four trees that he had felled were set just so; they met in the middle with one facing east, one west, one north, one south. The raven flew onto the wigwam and observed. They entered the vicinity of the dwelling as Achak spat on each piece of wood where the points came together in the center. He took the deer carcass and placed it on top of the wood, making sure to adjust each point beneath the animal so that they were all touching one another. It wasn’t easy and it was necessary to make multiple adjustments. Achak held out his hands to indicate that they should halt their approach until he had completed the spell. Finally satisfied Achak slowly and deliberately brought both hands together as if pulling energy from the sky. He breathed long and nosily into his hands, then spreading them, seemingly throwing the contents over the dead deer. Achak repeated the gesture eleven times as Davis and Sharpton watched in silence.
Achak’s deep voice resonated through the woods. “Oooooo, ah stagotah!”
The deer started to smoke then abruptly burst into flames, reaching some two feet over the animal. The red flame combined with orange and yellow, and then morph
ed into the brightest red that they had ever seen in a fire. Achak held his hand out to Sharpton and he knew what he wanted; he placed a small plastic baggie containing some of Jenny’s hair into his hand. The hair was immediately tossed into the fire, where it forced the flames up to over ten feet into the air. They all backed up. The native appeared both surprised and dismayed and perhaps even a little frightened.
“Well? Is she the one the Blood Book speaks of or not?” Sharpton took several more steps backward as the flame increased in intensity, then lowered to that of a campfire.
Achak stared at Sharpton and actually made him look away, not an easy feat to accomplish. “I would have to enter the fire for that. But that could actually put the child onto me. I won’t do it.”
Sharpton was both angry and frustrated. “Then you don’t get the three vampires skeletons in this bag!”
Achak crossed his arms and gave him a most serious look. “Make an attempt to leave with them and see what happens. Go on, just see what happens. I eat vampires like you for lunch.”
David shrugged at Sharpton. “I wouldn’t try it.”
Sharpton pulled his sword and decapitated David with such precision that it appeared to be one movement. He departed the area without the skeletons, knowing that it would take him awhile to get back to civilization without his guide.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
THE DARK GRAY SKY was heavy. Stephen, Luke and Noah arrived in Moncton on a rainy afternoon with the dagger secure in a black briefcase. Noah thought it was an appropriate gloomy atmosphere for Dracula to meet his end, although it might actually clear up before they got to him in a day or two. They would try to take their time to think it through. Stephen believed Moncton to be a small city prior to their arrival, but it appeared as if every house had two or more cars and they were all on the road. They rented a Toyota Corolla from Hertz on Mountain Road and headed for the Chateau Moncton Hotel near the city’s downtown. It was just after four when they finished checking in to their individual rooms.
Dracula’s presence was felt even from the hotel, as if they had sailed too close to the sun. There was an excitement deep down in their bones. They also had second and third thoughts about the endeavour, but such a thing was not to be discussed. Luke’s right hand had started to shake slightly but he concealed it from the others. Noah considered that the Master might show up any second and kill them all. Dressed in their best suits, they felt like children after church walking down the train tracks in search of an adventure. Would they be able to dodge the train?
They went in for drinks at the cocktail lounge at the hotel and discussed how they would approach the big guy. Since he was deemed suicidal, it was thought that he just might let Stephen walk right up to him and stick it in his chest. But that’s if he was TRULY suicidal, and his mind simply couldn’t be read, or so it was thought. A million rumors existed about Dracula, impossible to separate the facts from fiction. Now that the time was almost at hand, they were also filled with trepidation, but no one wanted to admit it. They knew that death at his hands might be quick, but there were tales of prolonged torture.
They went for a drive to clear their minds and ended up in the town of Shediac. Luke stared at the map as Stephen looked annoyed.
“I thought you said that this was a small town?”
“That’s what the map says. Supposed to be like six thousand people.”
“Then what the hell is with all this traffic?”
Noah turned to his right and observed the giant crustacean that was over thirty feet long. “Hey, look at the size of that lobster! Now how did they catch something that big? How would you cook it?” Noah watched as several tourists stood near the lobster to get their photos taken.
Stephen took his eyes off the road for a second to stare at Noah and had to push hard on the breaks to avoid hitting the red Chevy Malibu in front of him. “That’s not real you idiot!”
“I was just kidding.”
They ended up at the Shediac Marina where they hired a boat to take them out on the water to clear their heads, but their minds were full of horrific possibilities of the upcoming battle. When they returned they walked on the wharf silently for about an hour. Memories of times past flowed from one to another almost as if their lives were flashing by in anticipation of their impending deaths. Thoughts always went back to the possibility that if they killed Dracula, and if that act destroyed all vampires in existence, including themselves, what fools they would be. What would happen to the hybrids? Would only their vampire side perish? In a way they felt like dead men walking with the outcome inevitable. Nevertheless, there was no turning back. They would see it through whatever the consequence.
Stephen had another unpleasant thought as they headed back to the Toyota. If the unthinkable occurred and they did destroy all vampires, would they become heroes to the humans, with the mortals believing that they had sacrificed themselves for them? It was beyond unthinkable, it was revolting.
Luke broke the silence. “We should just get the damn thing over with.”
Twenty-four hours later they parked the Toyota across the street from the mill on the Mill Road. It was a short walk down the sidewalk and then a left onto the trail that led several kilometres into the woods. They passed a small bench near the beginning of the trail and paused there quietly for a minute or two. They followed Dracula down the forest trail as the rain continued to accumulate upon them, across small bridges wooden bridges and past an old dead tree riddled with holes. He was an indistinct speck in the distance from their vantage point; he knew of their presence but didn’t turn to acknowledge it. They all had the feeling that he was aware of them but not once did he stop to look back. The excitement combined with anxiety made them hyper aware of the situation. It was as if life itself had grabbed them by the throat and was deciding what to do with the three of them.
The rain turned into a heavy downpour. The sound of it was deafening to their sensitive ears as it increased in intensity. It was also frightening as it was the perfect opportunity for Dracula to kill them all. The deluge endured for less than five minutes but felt a hell of a lot longer. When the rain went back to its less intense state, they discovered that he had vanished during the heavy rain. They had been transfixed to their positions like three mice waiting for the cat to show up. They blurred to his last position but could see no sign of him. The fact that they continued to sense him in the immediate area was maddening. The crack of a tree branch would have made them jump out of their pants; the screech of a blue jay almost accomplished it. They made their way to the end of the trail, which ended at a street with moderate traffic.
Stephen scratched his head vigorously. “Let’s head back. We know where his house is. Let’s just go wait for him.”
They decided to walk back at a human’s pace. It enabled them to better observe their surroundings and to discuss whether to flee or not. The rain stopped. It was a break that would soon end, but that fact alone was somehow unsettling in their heightened minds. Noah considered fleeing the area, leaving the other two behind and never looking back, but he simply couldn’t do it. It was an uneventful walk until they spotted Dracula sitting on the bench on the trail. Stephen thought that ominous music should be playing in advance of death’s embrace. Not one of them had ever been more frightened. Stephen pulled the dagger as they all blurred up to the master. Dracula stood, looked at the dagger and smiled. No words were exchanged as the dagger was thrust into his heart. He fell to the ground with a thud.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
SOME STARS MANAGED TO TWINKLE in the night sky over New York City, and Jupiter was visible. Wei and Bao blurred to the front of the London Meat Company and looked confused as they scanned the area. They walked across the street to two skeletons of vanquished vampires that lay in front of the Brass Monkey Bar on Little West 12 Street. Wei and Bao had finally found the time to search out the girl that had saved their lives. They stared down at the two skeletons near the barrel by the front window as a young c
ouple passed them hand-in hand and entered the bar.
Bao shook his head at Wei. “Thought you said you could track the girl?”
Wei shrugged and made a bit of a face. His red badge glowed slightly on his trench coat. “Thought I could. I can sense her aura but it’s bouncing all over the place. I’ll never find her like this. I thought I could but I can’t, that’s it.”
Bao’s cell phone went off and he looked slightly annoyed as he answered it. Lately nothing but bad news came out of it. “Bao. Yes, I understand. Where is it?”
“What is it now?” Out of habit Wei placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Terrorists. Sounds like a McVeigh and Nichols type of deal.” Bao didn’t look happy.
“That’s not really our jurisdiction.” Wei observed a young man on his way into the bar and nodded to him.
“Take those damn skeletons with you,” was the response to Wei’s gesture.
“He said there’s a biter on scene but I get the feeling that he was lying. Must be something serious though.” Boa simply shook his head at the disrespect.”
“Best go check it out before something blows up.”
They discovered the police surrounding an abandoned warehouse in Yonkers. The place was rundown with lots of broken windows. Lots of graffiti was on the bottom part of it, with the words DRACULA CAN BITE ME featured prominently. Sargent Brown was a short fellow with a white mustache and a little overweight with a beer belly. He ran to the red sheriffs as they blurred to the front of the warehouse. He was a little excited for a law enforcement officer.
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