What Lies Beyond
Page 25
He lunged at me as I shifted to the left, bending slightly to get a better angle. I propelled my stake forward and smiled as the sharpened tip connected with flesh, letting the momentum of the vampire’s run force it through his sternum and into his un-beating heart. The penetration made a sickening crack, but I held still.
Warm blood coated my shirt as an ear-shattering scream protruded from the monster. I wished it were like the books. I wished it would turn to ash and disappear. Instead the creature crumbled to the ground in a heaping pile of unnaturalness. I reached out to retrieve my stake, having to use my foot to create counter pressure to slide it out. I brushed the weapon along my jeans, transferring the blood from the wood to my pants, and returned it back to my belt. I did a final sweep of the tunnel, counting my small blessings that there were no more, and I could rest. I laid small trackers down near each of the dead vampires, flipping on the switch and taking a second to watch the red orb move around like it was in a lighthouse. The hunters did this so the cleaning crew knew where each one lay, and that this location was cleared. A team would be by to pick them up for burning in the morning, or if they were in ‘good’ condition they would be brought back to be studied further, in attempt to find a cure.
I worked my way back to the built-in ladder, leading me up to the warehouse I had originally entered through. I added trackers to the last three vampires up here. My uncle would know I went out on my own now that these gave my location away, each one linking to my unique employee code, and he was not going to be happy. I hoped the number of bloodsuckers I took out would help ease whatever I was going to face in a few hours, a type of atonement for my actions if you will.
Who was I kidding? I was dead meat.
As I opened the rusted door, the chilled breeze that started to blow as the sun went to sleep across the horizon was a welcomed feeling. I knew it would warm up as soon as the sun moved high in the sky but relished in the weather October was bringing us. The air dried the perspiration that coated my skin and supplied a refreshing breath to my winded chest.
The door shut with a loud bang that echoed through the ghost town that used to be Brisbane, a small town outside of San Francisco. The full moon lit the street in beautiful white rays, battling the orange hue rising in the east as if it wasn’t prepared to lose its turn to be seen. The sight almost let me ignore the decaying buildings and trash that littered the ground. It looked nothing like the city, resembling more of a forgotten wasteland than anything. The sunrises here were still unbeatable; though so were the deaths.
I worked my way back north. I could call for a ride, but then I’d have to turn my phone back on and see the missed calls I knew for certain were there. The walk back to San Fran would take forever, but with the sun making its appearance shortly, the buses would start on their daily routes and I could catch one for the remaining distance as soon as I hit the limits of the Protected. I knew I should be worried about more vampires, but I pressed on, almost begging one to jump out and find me.
Just one more for me to kill.
This was my life, my job. I was paid to rid the world of a new type of plague. One that didn’t have a cure, and until recently didn't have a working Band-Aid. This was a sickness. Age-old diseases were no longer the most feared illnesses for humans, but rather a welcomed way out of the new world we lived in. A world of deserted communities and fear. People like me were the only thing standing between life and these monsters who needed our very essence to sustain their own.
Before I left the quiet, abandoned street, I took one last look at the warehouse. The windows were shattered, littering the ground with glass confetti. Bubble lettered graffiti was painted on the walls asking God for help. I hoped that gave the person some reassurance, especially since the chance was good they were gone now. I didn’t know what the old world looked like before the vampires, but I dreamed of it with busy streets, like the ones in the city and people all over, not just in the safe zones we called the Protected, afraid that the day may be their last. A life of soaking up the sun and getting to explore the night. No curfews, no monsters, and no fear.
I guessed it could still be worse. Though people were condensed into zones, there was still food, plenty of work, and trades to help stimulate the economy. The Protected was set up to feel like nothing had changed, you could be safe there. We had the essentials. However, as soon as you ventured from that, as soon as you were past that imaginary line and crossed into the Deserted and the light faded from the sky, everything that I and the other hunters had been working so hard toward was gone. You were gone.
Disgust boiled in my chest, rising into my throat like angry froth as my achy legs walked me closer to the edge of civilization and my transit home. It was ridiculous speaking to no one, but I couldn’t help but to whisper my feelings to the wind anyway, praying it would venture to whoever could make this all go away.
“Fucking vampires.”
Also by B.B. Palomo
The Blood Society
Engraved in Blood (coming soon)