A Moonlit Night Saga: Episodes 1 - 4

by Adrianna White

“A vampire can charm any human, rendering them under their control,” Simeon said. “Of course he probably didn’t tell you any of this. Can you really be so sure that your thoughts are your own?”

  “I’m warning you,” Xander barked. “She can’t be charmed, and you know it.”

  “Why can’t I be charmed?” Emily asked, waving her knife around. “Somebody better start paying attention to me or I’ll start stabbing!”

  “That, my dear, is a very interesting story,” Simeon said. “Where do I begin?”

  “Back off, Simeon,” Xander cautioned. “I will not let you hurt her.”

  “Or what?” asked Simeon, baring his fangs. “Are you going to do something about it?”

  Xander growled, and suddenly sprang forward. He lunged towards Simeon, launching the two of them down the porch steps.

  Emily screamed, running out of the house after them. She wasn’t thinking of her own safety, she was only thinking about the mysterious man that had risked his life for her.

  Xander and Simeon clawed at each, while they rolled around on the grass. Simeon may have been older and stronger, but Xander was fighting with purpose. He was fighting with his heart.

  “You should have listened to your boyfriend,” said a voice from behind Emily. “Leaving the house was a very bad idea.”

  Emily spun around to see both Jacob and George, standing between her and the door. Startled, she tried to run, but was paralyzed with fear; their bright red eyes shaking her very existence.

  “You should watch,” said George, pointing towards the fight going on in front of them.

  The two ghouls grabbed Emily by the arms, forcing her to watch as the two vampires battled for control.

  “No!” screamed Emily, flailing her arms around as the ghouls tried to restrain her. “Let me go!”

  Chapter Eight

  Simeon struck Xander in the face, sending him crashing to the ground. The battle had been raging for a few minutes now, but it had already become clear who the stronger vampire was.

  Simeon slowly walked over to Xander, seemingly enjoying himself.

  “You see what happens to those that challenge me?” asked Simeon, as he kneeled beside Xander. “You haven’t a chance in hell of stopping me, but of course you already knew this.”

  “So why then?” questioned Simeon, striking Xander in the face once more. “You’ve gone soft, Xander. You used to be my fiercest warrior, and now look at you; lying in a pool of your own blood; and for what? For the affection of a woman you hardly even know?”

  “Y—you wouldn’t know love if it sunk its teeth into you,” choked Xander, as he spit some blood on the ground.

  “You make me sick,” continued Simeon, lifting Xander off the ground. “You’ve turned your back on your own kind. We gave you your life back and this is how you repay us? I will have your head for this.”

  “You gave me back my life?” Xander asked. “You stole my life from me. I hate you for what you did to me!”

  Simeon lifted Xander up by the throat, tightening his grip as he tried to crush whatever life was left in Xander.

  “No!” screamed Emily, trying to fight off her attackers from the top of the steps. It was no use; the ghouls were much stronger than normal men. Emily had no choice, but to watch on, in horror, as the only man brave enough to help her was paying for it with his life.

  Simeon’s gaze turned towards Emily, the woman he had traveled so far to murder. This momentary lapse in judgment gave Xander and opening, and he took advantage.

  Xander clawed at Simeon’s tight grip, and with a swift boot to the sternum, sent Simeon flying backwards. Xander hit the ground, and quickly charged towards Simeon, who was still in midair.

  Xander moved with lightening quick speed, as he tore through the yard, towards his maker. Launching himself into the air, he grabbed hold of Simeon, and threw him to the ground with thunderous force.

  He struck Simeon with many furious blows to the head. Tearing into the flesh of Simeon, Xander tried to make quick work of the much older vampire. Xander knew that he had a small window, and needed to take advantage of it.

  Clutching at Simeon’s head, Xander tried to tear it from his body.

  Simeon screamed in anger as he could begin to feel his skin peel away. He grabbed Xander’s hands, and ripped them away from his head.

  Xander looked on in shock, his window had already closed.

  “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” asked Simeon, beginning to smile as his skin already started to heal. “Now it’s my turn.”

  Simeon threw Xander off him, and picked himself up.

  “You’ve got me all dirty,” said Simeon, dusting himself off. “You know how much I hate to be dirty.”

  Xander tried to defend himself, but Simeon easily avoided the blow, and sent Xander tumbling to the floor with a blow of his own.

  Coughing up blood, Xander was finally beginning to see the futility of his actions. He scrambled around the ground, trying to regain his composure. Vampires may have healed quicker than humans, but they still felt pain, and he was in plenty of it.

  “Please get up, Xander,” pleaded Emily, still wrestling with her captures. “You have to get up!”

  “Pay close attention, dear,” said Simeon, looking back towards Emily as he picked the bloodied Xander up. “And now… I’m going to kill your pitiful savior.”

  Chapter Nine

  Emily screamed in horror, as she watched the life drain from Xander. Blow after blow from Simeon sent the little remaining blood Xander had left, splattering all over the ground. He continued to lash at Xander, stripping the flesh from his bones with each vicious attack.

  That’s when it happened. The real Emily Johansson had awoken. The clouds turned back as they spread out across the night sky. Thunder boomed and lightning cracked, sending bolts of energy from the heavens down to the ground below.

  Lightning fractured the ground around the country home, lighting up the night as it struck several of the now-fleeing ghouls. Many of them exploded in a fiery blaze, sending panic through their ranks as Xander’s men mowed them down in systematic fashion.

  Rage began to overcome Emily and overwhelming pressure started to build up inside her, from parts unknown. Feeling like she was being torn apart from the inside, Emily screamed in agony, flailing her arms around as the two ghouls desperately tried to contain her.

  “Hold her still!” shouted Jacob, as he tried to hold Emily in place. His scabby hands clawed into her flesh as he tightened his grip. “You’re letting her go!”

  “I’m not!” George yelled back. “You’re the one letting her go!”

  In fact, neither of them was letting go of her. It was Emily herself that was getting stronger.

  Emily’s eyes were engulfed in white swirling energy, as the ghouls frantically turned to subdue her. She could feel herself become stronger, faster, and more self aware with each passing moment.

  With the flick of her arms, she sent the two ghouls hurdling down the porch steps.

  Emily raised her arms, and with strength that she never even knew she had, began to call forth power of terrifying proportions. White streams of light started swirling all around her arms; and with the shrieks from a thousand roaring creatures, blazing white energy pulsed from each of her hands. The energy swirled around her fists as the creatures started to get louder and louder; their screams echoing throughout the country, the sound of a thousand monsters screeching in unison.

  Two monstrous dragons took form, as they danced around in circles, heading straight for the two ghouls that had assaulted her. They were breathtaking and majestic as they hurdled forward with incredible speed.

  The blast tore through Jacob and George, swallowing them up in a blinding white light. Their skin and bones started to melt away, being eaten alive by the mystical dragons’ wrath.

  “I—it can’t be,” stuttered Simeon, unable to believe his own eyes. “The summoner has awoken.”

  Simeon dropped Xander in
a hurry. The once mighty vampire had been humbled from the fury unleashed by a young woman. He quickly realized that victory would not be in his grasp tonight and took off into the night.

  “Emily!” shouted Xander, lifting his battered body up, and rushing over towards her.

  Emily stood motionless, staring blankly at the chaos she had caused. Unable to comprehend what had just happened, Emily’s mind overloaded, causing her to slowly lose consciousness.

  Xander ran up the steps, and threw his arms around Emily. He grabbed on tightly to her, as her knees began to quiver. Whatever power she had awoken, it had drained her completely.

  “W—what was that?” Emily asked, in complete shock. “What did I just do?”

  “I don’t know,” said Xander, running his hands through her hair. “I just don’t know.”

  Emily’s head was beginning to spin now. Unable to keep conscious, she fainted into Xander’s arms.

  “Emily!” cried Xander, as he held a cataleptic Emily in his arms. “You can’t leave me now!”

  The End

  The Awakening

  A Moonlit Night Saga: Episode Two

  Chapter One

  Emily walked along the beach, her toes sunk into the sand as the water washed against her feet. It was peaceful, and she found herself strolling along the shore without purpose or worry.

  Seagulls gawked, as they flew high above the ocean; and the bright sun sparkled in Emily’s eyes, as she watched them from a distance.

  Dolphins danced in the ocean while monkeys played in the trees. Amazing, she thought, witnessing the beauty of countless creatures living in harmony. Wherever she was, life was good.

  Was she in heaven? How did she get here? These questions should have been important to Emily, but they couldn’t have been further from her mind.

  “Come to me,” a voice whispered in the breeze.

  Emily spun around, seeking the voice that had spoken to her. Her eyes frantically searched around, hoping to find anyone nearby.

  “Come to me,” the voice repeated. “Come to me…my child.”

  “Mother?” asked Emily, yelling out to the unknown. “Is that you?”

  The only response Emily got was the lighthearted laughter of several gibbons playing in the trees. Emily had not seen her mother in many years, and searched the area, looking for her.

  Emily sprinted down the wet sand, hoping to see her mother standing on the beach. Finding nothing, she dropped to her knees, trying to remember just what had happened to her.

  “You will find no answers on the ground,” said her mother.

  Emily picked herself up off the sand, and spun around to see her mother.

  “I—I can’t believe it,” said Emily, staring back at the woman who had given her life. “How is this possible?”

  Her mother, Amanda, hadn’t aged more than a day since Emily last saw her. It was as if she had been frozen in a moment in time.

  “Mother, you’re…beautiful,” said Emily, at a loss for words. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I know, my child,” replied Amanda, embracing Emily with open arms. “But I’ve never left your side.”

  “What do you mean?” Emily asked. “I don’t understand.”

  “You’re not meant to,” answered Amanda, stroking her daughter’s hair. “Not yet.”

  Emily pulled herself back and with a worried look in her eyes, she asked, “Why am I here? Where is father?”

  “You are here because you are meant to be,” Amanda said. “And where we are, is a world apart from the place you were born.”

  “You’re not making any sense,” said Emily, grabbing hold of her mother’s shoulders, giving her a shake. “You’re speaking in riddles.”

  “I wish it were that simple, my child,” said Amanda, looking her daughter deep in the eyes. “We only have a few short moments together, and I have an important message for you.”

  “What do you mean?” Emily questioned. “What happens in a few short moments—?”

  “Please, just listen!” interrupted Amanda, turning sternly at her daughter. “I know your powers have finally awoken; you wouldn’t be here now unless they had. I also know that you have been introduced to vampires; that some have come to hurt you, and some have come to save you.”

  Slowly, Emily began to remember the events that had led her to this meeting. She remembered the terrifying ghouls, and their vicious master; her friends, who would give their lives to save her, and finally the vampire, Alexander, who had nearly lost his own life.

  “You cannot trust them!” Amanda shouted. “Vampires only know death and decay. They are parasites to your world, and seek to destroy what they cannot control. I will not let them hurt you…like they did to me.”

  “The vampires killed you?” asked Emily, beginning to tear up. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know—.”

  Her mother, knowing she had little time left, continued, “The vampires will try and destroy you, and everyone that you care about. They will try and seduce you, until you care about nothing other than blood. They will try and break your very existence.”

  “Why mother? None of this makes any sense,” Emily said.

  “Because of who you are, and what you represent,” Amanda said. “Unlike anything else in the world, they fear you. Everyone single one of them. Do not trust a vampire; not any of them.”

  From what Emily had seen of Simeon, she would have to agree. However, Xander was also a vampire, and she would probably already be dead if it wasn’t for him. Looking deep into her mother’s eyes, she said, “Not all vampires are like that. A vampire saved me—.”

  “All vampires are like that!” Amanda screeched. “Especially him—!”

  All of a sudden, a powerful force grabbed hold of Emily, ripping her away from the beach; away from the mother she had just found.

  “No!” screamed Emily, as she flew into the air, high above the birds. “Not yet, please! Please just give me just one more minute with my mother!”

  Chapter Two

  “Emily…,” said Steven, prodding his sister in bed. “C’mon, it’s almost lunch time. Are you going to sleep all day or what?”

  Emily slowly opened her eyes, and looking up at her brother, she asked, “How did I get here?”

  “Well…I’m assuming you fell asleep?” questioned Steven, with a puzzled look on his face.

  That’s when Emily remembered the events of last night, both the attack and her visit with her mother.

  “You won’t believe it, Steven, but I met mother last night,” Emily said.

  “You must really be out of it,” said Steven, shaking his head. “Mom died a long time ago, you know that.”

  “Y—yeah, you’re right,” Emily stuttered. “I could have sworn that I saw her.”

  “What happened last night?” Steven asked. “What happened to your gentleman caller?”

  Figuring that it was best not to worry her brother, Emily slid out of bed, and said, “Oh…nothing happened. We talked for a bit, and then I went to bed.”

  “Yeah, sure,” said Steven, laughing. “You tapped that ass, didn’t you?”

  “Ugh, you’re such a pig sometimes,” complained Emily, entering the bathroom.

  “Hurry up and get ready!” shouted Steven, from the bedroom. “I figured you needed to get some fresh air, after the rough last couple of days.”

  “Where are we going?” inquired Emily, turning on the sink faucets.

  “Out for lunch with Tyler and Julia, hope you don’t mind,” Steven replied.

  “Not at all, I think that’s exactly what I need,” Emily said. “Give me a couple minutes and I’ll be ready to leave.”

  And so, the two siblings made their way downtown. They walked down the busy streets, which was unusual for the small city of Georgetown.

  “Look at all these people!” exclaimed Emily, as all the strange people brushed by her. “Are they all tourists?”

  “I don’t think so,” Steven answered. “Since when did Georgetown
become a tourist destination?”

  “Well I don’t recognize any of them,” said Emily, looking around. “Not a single one—.”

  Emily’s voice trailed off, as she something caught her eye.

  Down the block, a strange man was staring directly at her. It was almost as if he was staring straight into her soul. When Emily looked back at him, the man looked away. For whatever reason, he didn’t seem to want Emily to know that he had been watching her.

  “Did you see that?” asked Emily, pointing down the street. “That man over there, he was looking directly at me.”

  Looking down the street, Steven searched for the man Emily had been talking about. Finding none, he put his hand on her shoulder, and said, “You’re losing it, Emily. There’s no one watching you. C’mon, let’s go, they’re waiting for us.”

  They found Tyler and Julia, waiting for them a few blocks down the street. They were sitting on the patio, having a few beers. Grabbing some chairs, Steven and Emily joined them at the table.

  “Hey, bitches!” shouted Julia as they sat down. “I’m already on my third margarita, time to catch up.”

  “And you call me a lush,” said Tyler, taking a sip of his beer. “You’re one wild woman. Don’t ever change, baby.”

  “You love it,” said Julia, scrunching up her face.

  “All right, you guys,” said Steven, waving his hands in their face. “Let’s settle down.”

  Emily looked around, searching for the man that had been staring at her. She wasn’t about to overlook this, like her brother had suggested.

  That’s when she noticed someone else staring directly back at her. This time it was a woman in her fifties. She had been staring at Emily, as she pretended to read the local newspaper; something Emily knew was never that interesting.

  “—Emily!” shouted Julia, tugging on Emily’s arm. “What are you going to drink?”

  Emily looked back to the table, where an impatient waiter was waiting on her order.