In Love With A Vampire

by M. J. Stevens

  “What were the consequences?” Jesse asked, gently, tilting her head forward, curiosity getting the best of her.

  “When you revive someone … someone else has to die … sort of like a sacrifice. So a week later after my friend was magically revived by me, my neighbor had a sudden mysterious illness and died on the spot. That was the consequence. The death of my neighbor was the consequence of bringing my friend back to life. I knew that there would be consequences for doing the revival, but I didn’t care as long as I could save my best friend. But when I realized that I’ve caused the death of my neighbor, I was racked with guilt. It was hard to endure that guilt for many, many years, and I vowed never to perform any revivals anymore since then …”

  Jesse could see the pain in Maggie’s eyes, and all of a sudden, she felt bad for forcing this upon Maggie. She decided not to press Maggie on if Maggie really didn’t want to do it. Jesse felt the ray of hope fading away, and gloom settled over her again once more.

  She stood up weakly, walked over to Maggie and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know this is hard for you,” Jesse whispered gently, “so I won’t force this on you if you don’t want to do it. I’ll have to find another way then. Thanks for your time. I’m sorry for showing up on your door earlier like that unannounced. Goodbye.”

  And with that, Jesse started to head for the door, her shoulders sagging in hopelessness. She was going back home, and then call it a day. She was so exhausted that she felt as though she could just collapse on the floor and doze off.

  As Jesse turned the doorknob, she heard Maggie say, “Wait …”

  Jesse paused, and then whirled around, feeling the clouds of gloom slowly drifting away.

  Maggie stood up boldly, her face etched with a confidence which Jesse had not seen before. “Let’s nail this Catan vampire guy. I’m going to revive Rellie, if it means bringing this killer to justice.”

  Jesse smiled in spite of herself. “But what about the consequences?”

  “Screw the consequences … I’ll think of a way to get around the consequences.” Maggie flashed Jesse a conspiratorial smile, and Jesse zoomed over to Maggie, and gave her a hug.

  “Thank you, Maggie,” Jesse said gratefully. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “I’m not only doing this for you … but for the greater good,” Maggie confessed. “I think that this vampire serial killer needs to be found as soon as possible. The clock is ticking.”

  Jesse knew that the sooner the vampire serial killer was apprehended, the better it was. There was no denying that there would be impending deaths in Wartwick if Catan was on the loose out there.

  8. Deception

  Matt Riddles was normally working late at night, so it wasn’t an usual thing to see him walking down Avenue 13 Street in the late hours of the night when all bars and shops were closed. He was an accountant with a reputable accounting firm, and he had the tendency to burn the midnight oil just to get his work done and make sure that everything was perfect. Some of his colleagues had reprimanded him for neglecting his social life, putting his career first. But Matt didn’t have a social life … he was a single man in his late thirties, and work was all he was married to.

  Once Matt had finished his paperwork and he was satisfied, he shut down his laptop and decided to pack his things and go home. He glanced at his watch, and wasn’t surprised to see that it was already ten o’clock. He had gone home later than that before, so that wasn’t something to shout about.

  He switched off the office lights and locked the main door before heading to the lift. Once he walked out of the office building, he trembled a little as the cold night wind wrapped around him like frozen hands. His Totoya Prius was at the parking lot at the end of the streets, and he wanted to reach home quick and have a nice shower, so he quickened his pace.

  The wind howled around him like cold darts, and Matt wished that he’d brought his jacket from the office. He was so exhausted from the work that he just forgot about it.

  The quicker he walked, the faster his heart drummed. In the chilling night air, he could hear something … or someone … tailing him. He thought that he was just hallucinating, but he swore that he heard a noise, which he couldn’t make out what it was. So he turned around, and saw nothing in the distance.

  It’s probably the wind, Matt thought, trying to assure himself that there was nothing to worry about, although he felt a sense of trepidation surge through him.

  He’d heard about the deaths, alright … the deaths that had happened over the past few months in Wartwick. And when he thought about the possibility of the vampire serial killer lurking in the streets where he was at, he felt him heart pounding so hard against his chest that for a moment there … he was hyperventilating.

  He had never thought about his own safety at night. He was always so focused on his work that he’d never thought about this chilling possibility … lurking in the dark.

  Matt took sudden long strides, hoping to reach his car as soon as possible. He knew that he was to be blamed for wanting to work so late, but he couldn’t help it … it was in his blood … he was a workaholic.

  The sight of his metallic silver Toyota Prius brought a tentative smile to his face, and he practically darted to his car. He knew that as soon as he reached the interior of his car and locked it, he would be safe, and all those worries would have all been a waste of energy.

  He whipped out his car key and was about to flick the car doors open when some force grabbed him from behind and shoved him to the ground. Matt tumbled onto the cold earth and his key was flung across the air to a random direction.

  Matt rolled around to face his attacker. His attacker looked familiar.

  “Ken!” Matt gasped incredulously, staring at Ken with wide-opened eyes. “What are you doing here at this hour?”

  Matt couldn’t believe that the man who had just pushed him to the ground was his friend’s husband, Ken. Matt had known Jesse for more than eight years, and they had been pretty close friends. Matt was Jesse’s college mate at Wartwick College, and they both took the same course in accountancy. Unfortunately, Jesse didn’t do well in the course and eventually she dropped out, and found her calling as a police officer with the Wartwick Police Department (WPD). She was a natural at being a police, with her great athletic ability and coordination. She had nabbed countless of criminals over the past years, and had even been awarded a few times for her courage and bravery by the WPD.

  Even though Matt and Jesse found their own callings after college, they still kept in touch as close friends, and Jesse had even introduced Matt to her husband, Ken. Matt had met Jesse and Ken up occasionally through parties, dinners and social gatherings.

  So Matt was surprised when he saw Ken staring at him as though he was a dinner steak. Yes, Ken had that hungry look in his eyes, and his mouth twitched a little, a hint of saliva oozing from the corner of his mouth.

  Matt gasped in horror when he realized what was going on. Ken was a vampire! Since when did he become a vampire? How come Jesse had never told him about this? And all the while, he thought that Jesse had been against Ken from becoming a vampire. Why the sudden change of thought? What led to Ken’s transformation into a vampire? Did he want to become a vampire, or was forced to become one?

  “K-K-Ken … ,” Matt stammered, not knowing quite what to say, as fear gripped him at the terrifying sight of Ken as a vampire, his hungry-looking eyes trained intensely on him.

  But Ken looked at Matt as though he didn’t recognize him at all. His eyes looked feral, filled with insatiable hunger for … blood. Ken hovered around Matt like a vulture, staring hard at him as if trying to figure out who Matt was … it seemed as though Ken knew him from a distant past, but couldn’t quite recall who he was. The transformation took a toll on Ken. He seemed to have suffered amnesia, forgetting who his loved ones were.

  Ken’s thirst for blood was stronger than the conscience that was tugging his heart. He pounced on Matt, as te
rrified screams filled the air. Blood drained out of Matt’s veins as Ken fed on him. He grew wild and uncontrollable as the taste of blood enticed him, making him stronger and powerful, and hungry for more blood.

  The screams slowly faded as the life oozed out from Matt, and his blood-drained, limp body collapsed in front of Ken’s feet. Ken howled wildly, feeling the power surging through his veins. The blood made him feel good, made him feel strong … as though he could conquer the world.

  And he craved for more. Ken disappeared into the misty night at a blinking speed, looking for his next victim.

  ***

  Kalista couldn’t believe that Rellie had died … and she knew well who had done the heinous deed. And she had no doubt that Catan would come for her as soon as he knew where she was. She had to get as far as possible from Wartwick, and maybe join the witness relocation program and start a new life in a new town somewhere.

  Kalista packed a few essentials, some clothes and some old photos of her family. When she gazed into the photos, sadness and fear overwhelmed her. She was the last family member in the Urukan line, and if she died, then the Urukan line would die with her. She couldn’t let Catan find her, at all costs. There was no telling what Catan would do to her if he found her … Kalista could feel Catan’s rage from miles away. Sure, there was the possibility that Catan would hesitate to kill her because of his feelings for her … but she wouldn’t completely bet her life on that. Catan was a vampire serial killer, and there was no telling what he would do when he was hysterical.

  Kalista zipped her duffel bag shut and dashed downstairs, ready to leave everything behind. She was going to leave the place she’d called home since she was a little girl, and now, she had to abandon this place because her life was at stake.

  People who were connected with Catan would likely suffer the fate of death sooner or later. Rellie had some knowledge about Catan, and it was most likely because of that knowledge … she was killed. And Kalista had the most knowledge about Catan himself, and his secret lair … the Maze of Doom. Catan had kept tight-lipped about the Maze of Doom, and those who knew about his secret place were bound to be dead … and Kalista was the only surviving person who knew about it and got to live to tell the tale. But she had only told Rellie, because she’d feared that if she told her closed ones and friends about it, they would all end up dead at the hands of Catan.

  Kalista trudged to the sidewalk in front of her house, lugging her duffel bag. She’d called a cab, and it should be arriving soon. Mr. Harris, a friend of hers for many years, was a cab driver whom Kalista would call whenever she needed to go somewhere. And for tonight, she needed to get far, far away from Wartwick, and leave all her friends behind. She didn’t have that many friends to begin with. Mr. Harris had agreed to drive her northward to Greenhills, just across the state border. When Kalista reached Greenhills, she would settle there for a little while before going further north again, hoping to stretch the distance between Wartwick and her. There was a train service at Greenhills that was connected to other states northward, so she’d travel again when she felt the need to.

  Kalista glanced at her watch. Mr. Harris was already ten minutes late. Normally, he was punctual, so his lateness was fraying on Kalista’s nerves. Cut him some slack, Kalista reprimanded herself. Maybe he had to fill gas on the way or something.

  Kalista whirled around and looked at her house one last time. She’d switched off all the lights, and locked all the doors. She doubt that she would return anymore, but she didn’t want to jump to that conclusion yet. As long as Catan was alive, she couldn’t return home. To Wartwick.

  The sudden glare of headlights from the other end of the street made Kalista squint her eyes a little. It was a yellow cab, which sloshed through the puddles on the street, signaling its approach to where Kalista was standing.

  A smile crept up Kalista’s face. Mr. Harris was finally here. And she would be out of this town in no time. She heaved her duffel bag, ready to get into the cab once it stopped in front of her.

  The cab halted in front of her with a low screech. Heart pounding with anticipation, Kalista zipped toward the cab and opened the door. As she slid halfway into the passenger seat, she realized that the man who was behind the steering wheel wasn’t Mr. Harris at all.

  A terrified screech blasted out from Kalista’s throat, and she made an attempt to immediately get off the passenger seat, but she was too slow.

  Catan yanked the hem of Kalista’s bohemian-style skirt, and Kalista was pulled back into the car, her head knocking against the dashboard with such a ferocity that it drew a sharp groan of pain from her. Blood started to ooze out from Kalista’s scalp, and the smell of flowing Urukan blood seduced Catan so badly that he just couldn’t take it anymore.

  He pounced on Kalista and sank his sharp fangs into Kalista’s neck, sipping the unique taste of Urukan blood, desiring more and more for it as the blood quenched his thirst. Kalista continued screaming, flailing her arms around and trying to break free from Catan’s grasp but he was just too strong for her, pinning her down as though she was just a toy.

  “I-I-I …,” Kalista choked the words out in shallow breaths. “I … th-thought you didn’t w-w-want to kill me …” She trailed off, fighting for her life as her Urukan blood was sucked like pump from her system.

  Maybe Catan had changed his mind already. Maybe he wanted to kill her already, after holding it for so long. Maybe he had completely gone mad, and all the feelings he once claimed that he had for her were now … gone … like ashes.

  There was no hope for Kalista now. Catan didn’t care for her life anymore, and she knew that she’d die at his hands.

  Kalista saw the world around her turning into a blur, and her body felt so weak and detached that she couldn’t even flinch a muscle at all. But in that blurry moment, Kalista was still conscious … at least her mind was still vaguely aware of what was going on around her.

  She saw Catan sprout wings from his back, and he suddenly went into a spasm and started screaming like mad, eventually releasing Kalista. Kalista collapsed back onto her seat, her head banging against the headrest. Catan had stopped feeding on her for some strange reason, and finally let her go. But he was screaming in pain, and Kalista started to feel the oxygen returning to her lungs and the blur in her vision faded away. Kalista let out a breath of relief as she slowly regained her strength. Catan had not completely drain all of her blood yet, so she was still able to survive … but it had left her weak and drowsy.

  Through her weak vision, Kalista could see Catan rolling around wildly in his seat, as though he was fighting with his inner demon. She saw that Catan had grown a pair of white wings on his back … and they were flapping around uncontrollably, the edges slightly hitting Kalista on the face, causing her to whimper in pain.

  What is going on? Kalista wondered, amazed at the sudden change in Catan, who was shouting out expletives at no one particular. It seemed as though a demon had possessed him, making him roll and twist around his seat like a mad vampire with an unstable mind.

  “Don’t you control me!” Catan screamed furiously, clutching his head as though it was going to explode. “Don’t you dare manifest. Why do you have to do this to me? You’re supposed to be suppressed!”

  Kalista had no idea what Catan was talking about. Who was going to manifest? Was Catan talking to somebody who had enraged him in some way or the other?

  Kalista had to get out of the car, and run as far as her legs could take her. She tried to slid off her seat and out of the passenger side door, but she felt someone grab the shoulder and hauled her violently back into the seat, causing her head to smash against the windscreen in the process. Kalista groaned, her head throbbing with jarring pain.

  Catan pounced on her, tugging at her and trying to inflict more pain on her, but occasionally, he would let her go, as he seemed to be in a struggle with his own inner demons, spouting out expletive-laden gibberish as though he was possessed.

  “Stop it!” Ca
tan cried, his grip on Kalista loosened as he tugged forcefully at his head, as though there was another voice torturing him inside his head. “Stop it! Don’t you manifest now! Don’t you dare!”

  Kalista glanced frightfully at Catan, her body trembling in fear as she watched Catan twist and turn in his seat like a mentally-ill patient, the veins in his forehead creasing like branches. Catan was writhing in his own agony, momentarily oblivious to Kalista, who figured out that she had a chance to escape … it was now or never. But her body was rendered weak from the crashing impact, and she felt every muscle in her body ache as she tried to squirm around in her seat.

  Mustering every ounce of strength that she could and straining against the stabbing pain raging in her body, Kalista slowly crawled out from her seat, whimpering in pain with every movement made.

  As she was about to completely slid off her seat and out of the door, a sickening, ear-splitting scream echoed in the car, causing her to swivel her head around. It was so thunderous that Kalista could almost feel her eardrums shatter.

  What she saw made her jaw drop. Catan’s face warped terrifyingly into something else, slowly taking the familiar features of someone she’d seen before. Catan’s eyes rolled inward, becoming more depressed and as his eyes rolled outward, Kalista didn’t recognize Catan’s eyes anymore. In fact, those eyes became completely different, and looked like somebody else’s … Catan’s aquiline features twisted until his nose became broader, his lips became fuller and his ears twitched until they became sharper. His broadened jaws became more defined, and Kalista gasped when she recognized who it was … it was Lipton!

  Catan’s body had exploded into a muscular form, sculpted to perfection with bulging biceps. Catan’s lean body had transformed into Lipton’s male-perfect body, and Kalista couldn’t help but gaze in admiration at the form that lay in her vision like a gorgeous Greek God.