“Seriously, you mean as long as I don’t make the kind of mistake my predecessor made, I could live forever?”
“Yes, that’s your reward for doing the job. I’m sorry, I thought you knew that.”
“Oh my god, but then there’s the down side; I’ll have to do this for the rest of eternity,” said Dale.
“Not true; there will come a time when all the monsters have been eradicated. On that day, you will be free to do whatever you wish. I, on the other hand, will have to return to Hell, so I’d be happy if we never run out of monsters to kill.”
All of that left Dale with a lot to think about, but as he lay there thinking, he soon fell asleep. He awoke to a sound coming from the bathroom and got out of bed. He opened the door to find Candy lying on the bathroom floor groaning. She looked as if she were in pain.
“Candy, what’s wrong?” shouted Dale rushing to her side.
“Someone is using voodoo on an effigy of me. They somehow managed to get some of my hair, or something else that belongs to me. I’ve felt this before, many years ago, and it turned out to be a witch. The locator found her for me but aaah…”
She suddenly doubled up again and couldn’t speak anymore. Dale held her, and then asked her if he could use the gadget for looking at their next target. When the pain died down a little, Candy brought it out and handed it over. Dale had seen how she’d used it once before and did the same thing. The smoke-like substance began to form a shape, and sure enough, the picture of an old hag appeared between the cubes. “I need the locator so that I can take her out.” Candy reached behind, and suddenly the locator appeared in her hand. Dale took hold of it, and it immediately pulled him towards the door.
“Stay here, Candy. I’ll track her down as quickly as I can and take her out,” said Dale.
Candy tried to call out, but the pain stopped her; besides, Dale was already out the door and running down the corridor. Once outside, Dale discovered something he didn’t know. He was running and realizing that he was moving extremely fast. He figured it must be that there was no mass or resistance from the air to slow him down. Pretty soon he was homing in on the location, which turned out to be a large fenced-off mansion. He walked through the gate, appreciating just one of the abilities he now possessed.
When he reached the front door, he walked through and was aware almost immediately that the people he saw inside were all watching him. He didn’t know how they could see him, but they weren’t his target so, for now, he ignored them. He put the locator away and began to search the building. It was when he passed through into an upstairs bedroom that he discovered what he was looking for. Directly in front of him and standing in front of the window was the old hag he’d seen in the monster imager.
“I’m here to end you,” he said as he reached up for his sword.
“We’ve been expecting you, young man,” she replied calmly.
Dale suspected there was more to this than met the eye, but he didn’t know what it was. Just then, he could hear chanting coming from various parts of the room. He stepped forward, ready to take out the witch but suddenly felt strange. He stopped walking, looked around, and when he didn’t see anything, he took another step. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find a young man.
How is he able to touch me? thought Dale.
Just as he was thinking that, the same man pulled him backwards and slammed him into the door. Dale was dazed but conscious, and tried to regain his footing.
“You may be wondering why your powers are deserting you, young man. I think before we kill you, you deserve to know whom you are up against,” said the old hag from across the room.
Dale managed to stand up, only to find two men blocking his path. He could still hear the chanting and knew that he was now solid and unable to use his gifts. The sword had vanished from his hand as he hit the door. He guessed that it had probably returned to its scabbard, but dare not reach up for it. Besides, he wanted to learn a little about whom he was up against.
“We’ve known about your kind for some time now. However, what we didn’t know was when our turn would show up on your list of things to kill. I came up with a spell that would inform me when I was to be next. I knew that wasn’t enough though, I needed allies. I knew that the only ally I could ever hope to get help from was another one of your targets. After all, they would appear on your list sooner or later. I then devised a spell that would make you corporeal and at the same time vulnerable, which is what the chant you hear is doing. I see you looking at the men before you. I’m guessing you’re trying to work out what kind of monsters they are,” said the old hag.
Dale was curious as to what they were, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
“Well, let me tell you. You’re in the presence of vampires.”
Dale looked shocked; he wasn’t even aware that vampires were real. Candy had never mentioned them, and he assumed that the reason for that was because they were fictional characters, or so he believed.
“You look surprised, I’m guessing that you’re new to all of this,” she said.
Dale could see a doll in her hand as she lifted it up in front of her.
“Of course, stopping you was only one part of the plan. We had to stop your bodyguard as well. In fact, it was essential that we stopped her first. You may or may not know this, but the succubae are a most formidable enemy. They are even stronger than vampires, which is the main reason the vampires were willing to help me. Now then, it is time to die,” she said with a smile.
The vampires on either side turned to face him. He quickly reached up for his sword, but his hand was blocked from reaching it with a speed that surprised him. Then one of the vampires bit his neck, and he could feel the blood being drawn out at an alarming rate. He was going to die and he knew it, but even though he knew that fact, he still wanted to live. His mind raced as to what he should do, and then an idea occurred to him. He’d always heard that to become a vampire you had to be both bitten and to have tasted the blood of the vampire biting you. With that in mind, and being so close to the vampire that was sucking out his blood, he opened his mouth and bit the vampire’s arm as hard as he could. He just managed to taste the blood as the vampire pulled away, and he fell to the floor in a heap.
He was still alive, but then the room seemed to be spinning, and he blacked out. When he opened his eyes again, he found that he was in a wooden box. He had no idea how long he’d been there, but he had to get free. He pushed the top of the box but there was no give whatsoever. Then he remembered his abilities and turned intangible. He sat up and discovered that his head was just clearing the ground he’d been buried in. After standing and climbing out of the coffin, he looked around. He was in a forest, with no clue as to where it was.
He reached up, and his sword was still there. He guessed that no one could steal that. Then he remembered the locator, and sure enough he still had it. When it was activated, it was telling him that his target was due east. He started to run and found that he could now run even faster than before. It didn’t take him long before reaching the edge of the forest, and discovered the mansion he’d been attacked in was just a mile ahead.
His thoughts as he ran were of Candy and how she must still be in pain. He had to stop the witch at all costs. How was he still alive, and why, were the main thoughts that entered his mind, but such questions could wait. Soon he was approaching the front of the mansion again, only this time it would be different. As he passed through the door, he saw two vampires ahead of him. He lifted his arm and reached for the sword. Once in hand, he ran forward and with an arcing swing, he cut through them both. Their tops seemed to be detaching from the rest of them at first, and then they suddenly turned to dust.
He ran up the stairs and did the same to everyone he knew could see him. Until now, he’d gotten lucky as they weren’t prepared for him, but as he entered the same room as before, there were four vampires blocking his path from the hag who stood behind them. The chanting started up again
, only this time he didn’t wait to be told what it was. He moved with a purpose and sliced the air with speed and meaning. The vampires might be able to move fast, but they’d have to be quick to avoid the blade that could barely be seen as it passed through the air.
His first target wasn’t quick enough, and the dust coming from his corpse filled the room around him. They attacked him together, and he was somehow able to dodge each of their attacks. He kept swinging and caught another one, and then he did something unexpected. He ignored the two remaining vampires and ran straight to the hag. Before she could even move, she felt the blade at her throat.
“Goodbye,” was all he said as his sword cut through her neck and severed her head.
The vampires had stopped behind him and then backed up. They had failed and saw no reason to die for a lost cause. In a moment, they were gone. Dale allowed them to leave as they weren’t his target, at least not on this day. He reached down and took a hold of the doll that was still in the witch’s hand. He pulled out two pins that were sticking in its chest, and he could see a long hair wrapped around it. He gently untied it, before dropping the doll onto the floor. He had no way of knowing if that was all he had to do, but decided to wait outside. Within twenty minutes, Candy was coming down the driveway.
“I’m sorry it took me so long, I was trapped for a while,” he said as she got nearer.
When she reached him, she placed her hand around his neck and squeezed hard.
“I’m sorry too, Dale; I wish I could’ve been here. I genuinely like you and would’ve enjoyed working alongside you in the coming years,” she said as a tear formed in each corner of her eyes.
“Wait, please,” he managed to say.
Uncharacteristically, Candy loosened her grip enough to allow him to speak.
“Why are you doing this?” he said.
“Of all my abilities, I have one that allows me to see through certain things and find the truth. I knew as soon as I saw you that you’d been turned into a vampire,” replied Candy.
“So, it worked. I was in deep trouble, Candy. The blood was being drained from me, and the only thing I could think of doing was to bite the vampire, thereby making myself one so that I could finish what I started. When I came to, I found that they’d buried me out in the forest. I quickly came back here to take the witch out, but I didn’t know for sure that I’d been turned,” said Dale as he sat down heavily on the ground.
Candy was conflicted; she knew that she had to take him out, but she also knew that he’d saved her. She didn’t know what to do.
“Tell me, Candy; is there such a thing as a good monster? I mean, I don’t feel evil, and I certainly don’t want to kill anybody,” said Dale.
“That may be true now, but there will come a time when you’ll want to feed on the blood of a human,” replied Candy.
“Couldn’t you procure the blood I’ll need from time to time so that I never have to go that far?”
“I could, but there is no precedent for a monster becoming a monster slayer.”
“Well, how about this; if my image ever appears between the two cubes, you take me out. If not, we carry on as before,” suggested Dale.
Candy thought about it for a minute and then came to a decision.
“Up until now, you haven’t done anything evil, and provided I supply you with the blood I know that you’ll need, I see no reason why that should ever change. However, I might receive a calling on this matter, and I’ll have to follow any decision that’s made. The powers that be probably already know what’s happened to you, but I doubt they’ll come to a decision as to what to do about it anytime soon. Until then, we will carry on as before,” said Candy.
Dale stood up and thanked her before they both left to return to the hotel.
Chapter 3
Dale sat in the hotel room, trying to get his head around the fact that he was now a vampire. He looked up at Candy, who was pacing the room deep in thought.
“Tell me, Candy; why did you decide not to kill me?”
Candy stopped pacing and turned to him.
“There are two reasons. The first is because of me. On Earth, I’m considered a monster, so how can I judge you. However, it was the second reason that stopped me. You can still hold the sword and use the ability to become intangible, which tells me that you’re still good. There are just two people who can touch that sword, and they are both in this room. If you’d become evil, you wouldn’t be able to hold it as it wouldn’t recognize you as a slayer.”
“I didn’t think of it that way. So, are we going to carry on as before?”
“Until I’m told otherwise, we will carry on as before. However, this does change a few things. The first is that you no longer have to sleep or eat, except for the blood that you’ll need on a weekly basis. In addition, I’m not sure about the sunlight. Will it affect you when you use the intangible ability or will it burn you?”
“I forgot about the sun, and I hate the fact that I won’t need sleep. I enjoyed sleeping, not to mention the food,” replied Dale feeling depressed.
Candy sat down beside him.
“In all the excitement, I forgot to thank you for saving me. I do appreciate it and know how hard it must have been for you,” she said.
“I tried my best, but the fact is they were not only expecting me – they were prepared. They took you out of the picture first with the voodoo doll, knowing that I’d try to stop them. They had a chant that made me vulnerable by disabling my ability to become intangible. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of them either. On the plus side, I’m now able to do things that I couldn’t do before. I’m much stronger than a mere human and a lot faster,” replied Dale.
“How do you feel though, are you feeling the need to feed yet?”
“That’s the strange thing about it all. I don’t feel any different than I did before it happened. Is that normal?”
“I don’t know. I wish I had the answers for you. I think the best thing we can do is to carry on and do the job at hand. With that in mind,” said Candy, taking out the two cubes.
Dale watched her place them close together and hold her hand over the bar. A figure began to show itself. It had a male face, with two horns coming out at the top of its head.
“That’s unfortunate– we’re up against a demon,” said Candy.
“I’m assuming they’re dangerous?” replied Dale.
“It depends on what kind of demon we’re up against. You see, there are several kinds of demon. The lesser demons are the weakest, but the higher demons have abilities that make them formidable enemies. I’m a demon myself, one of the most powerful in Hell, but there are some demons who are stronger and faster than me.”
They left the hotel and followed the locator, which led them out of town. Soon, they were entering the industrial sector, and the locator was taking them to an abandoned warehouse. Once they entered the locator turned off, indicating that the demon was in that building.
“How do you want to handle this one, Candy?” said Dale.
“Be on your guard and stick with me. If I know demons, it will try to separate us,” replied Candy.
“Then you don’t know demons very well, my dear,” said a voice that seemed to be coming from the rafters.
Candy looked up and around but couldn’t see anyone.
“You know why we’re here. If you come out now, we will make it as painless as possible,” she called out.
“That’s very considerate of you, but I have a counter offer. If you leave now, I won’t kill you painfully,” said what they assumed was the demon.
“The only death here tonight will be yours, and I’ll be sending you back to Hell,” replied Candy.
“You know you’re only here through sheer luck of the draw. You’re no different from me. In fact, in many ways you’re inferior,” said the demon.
Just then a loud sound made them both reach for their ears to block it out. When it didn’t stop Candy tried to locate its origin, but before she
could, a mass of something large fell to the floor from the rafters twenty feet away. Dale noticed something immediately.
“Candy, we’re both solid. That’s the second time in two days the power to become intangible has failed me. It’s becoming a liability,” said Dale.
Candy was trying to concentrate on the figure before them, and couldn’t quite discern what they were up against. The lighting was poor at best.
“Keep on your toes, Dale; he’s about to attack,” said Candy.
As if on cue, a huge tentacle suddenly shot through the air towards them, taking Dale off his feet and pinning him to the back wall. Dale looked down to feel the thick hide that surrounded the tentacle and then reached up for his sword. Taking it out, he raised his hand and sliced straight through the slimy limb. He heard a cry in the background, but before he could celebrate his release, the severed limb re-formed and pinned him again. This time it drove harder and pierced Dale’s stomach. Dale coughed up blood and tried to raise his sword arm again, but before he could, he lost consciousness.
“We can now talk freely,” said the demon as it moved forward towards Candy.
When it was a few feet away, Candy realized what it was.
“You can’t be free; you’d have to be summoned with the aid of a sacrifice,” said Candy.
“In point of fact, several,” replied the demon.
“It was the vampires, wasn’t it?” said Candy knowingly.
“Yes, my dear; they seem to think that you’re a threat. Personally, I’d put you squarely down as an annoyance, but that’s just me. I think before I kill you, I’ll have a bit of fun,” replied the demon.
Before Candy could reply, several tentacles shot out from its body and gripped both her legs and her arms. The demon then moved nearer. Candy knew it as the inseminator, a demon that was made to impregnate any captives with Hell spawn. His only function was to bring about the rebirth of Satan upon Earth. However, the recipient had to be a willing host.
“Try not to struggle, my dear; I’m sure you’ll enjoy what I’m about to do to you,” said the demon.
Taking Innocence - 12 Erotic Tales of Lost Innocence Page 17