by Ilia Bera
“So?”
Brittany wasn’t exactly lying. She hadn’t had time to clean her bloodied clothes up from the night with Thomas—not to mention all of the garbage bags covering the windows, or all of the charms and trinkets that helped to calm her thirst. Any sane person would assume that she was a psychopath.
“Your place. Let’s go to your place,” Brittany insisted.
“My place? It’s not close.”
“That’s fine.”
“What’s wrong?” Kane asked. “Are your parents home or something?”
A light went off in Brittany’s brain. She laughed, pretending like she had been too embarrassed to admit it. “Yeah—My mom would kill me if she heard a boy in the house,” Brittany lied.
Kane smiled. “I understand. Come on,” Kane said, taking Brittany by the hand.
The two began to playfully run down the icy streets of Snowbrooke. They held hands tightly as they ran across empty streets and through desolate parks.
Snowbrooke was their own personal playground—A town frozen in time.
There wasn’t another soul in the snowy town that morning—no passing tail light on the street—no glow in a distant window.
It was as if time stood still. The beautifully thick snowflakes floated seemingly motionlessly in the air around the carefree couple. The soft street lights lit the town like a stage lights on an empty stage.
No impatient audience. No disparaging critics.
Brittany couldn’t contain her childish laughter. She stumbled as she hopped down from the sidewalk curb, and began to slide on the ice—nearly falling off her heeled feet. Kane was quick to place his hands on her soft sides, keeping her up.
There were no lights in any house windows, and no hums from distant cars. Even the little cafes were closed during that awkward hour between the morning and the night.
Finally, they reached Kane’s apartment building. Brittany and Kane stopped for a moment as they stared up at the crumbling building.
“I thought this building was abandoned,” Brittany said.
Kane laughed. “Come on,” he said, taking Brittany by the hand and guiding her down the shovelled walkway towards the decrepit building.
They playfully ran inside and began to make their through the lobby, and up the stairs.
“This is where you live?” Brittany asked. “It smells like… Indian food.”
“Shh,” Kane whispered. “You’ll wake up my landlord. These walls are kind of thin.” Kane stuck his key into his lock, and he opened the door to his barren apartment. “Home sweet home,” he said.
Suddenly, Kane felt a sense of insecurity wash over him. He too had things that he wanted to keep hidden—things that were suddenly far too close for comfort.
Kane looked towards his closed bedroom door at the end of the small apartment.
Brittany looked around the empty apartment curiously. It was almost painfully empty.
“It’s not a lot—but it’s mine,” Kane said. “Can’t complain. The heat works, the oven works—the in-suite laundry usually works.”
A strange wave of nausea temporarily crossed Brittany. She winced as the moment passed. There was something about the apartment that was off-putting—something was wrong. Brittany scanned the room trying to pinpoint the culprit.
Kane’s bedroom door curiously caught her attention.
“Are you okay?”
“Huh?” Brittany said, turning her head back to Kane. The strange sick feeling passed for the moment. “Yeah—I’m okay.”
“It looks worse than it is. I just haven’t had a chance to fill it with anything yet. I tried to find a furnished place.”
“It’s fine—Stuff is just stuff, you know? Sometimes I wish I had no stuff.”
“It’s liberating.”
Brittany turned to Kane and smiled. Kane leaned forward and the two finally resumed their kiss. Kane’s arms wrapped around Brittany as he kicked his apartment door shut with his foot.
Brittany slipped her hand under Kane’s shirt, feeling his hard abs with her soft fingertips. Her sensibilities were quickly being overrun by a strong passionate energy. Brittany’s warm hand continued its way up the stacked torso, onto Kane’s chest, which was as solid as a rock—thick and chiselled.
Then, Brittany’s fingers glistened across an abrasion—an imperfection. She stopped on the spot. Gently, she leaned back and looked down. She began to move her hand along Kane’s skin, feeling more and more of the protrusions.
Kane placed his hand on Brittany’s, pressing it against his chest. With his other hand, he tilted Brittany’s head back up.
Another jolt of powerful sensual energy elicited a grasp from Brittany’s hand. Her hand tightened against Kane’s hard chest, and she looked down at his torso. She was shocked and impressed by his toned physique. She took a deep breath, controlling her overwhelming hormones.
Kane started to guide Brittany towards the apartment couch. Over Kane’s shoulder, Brittany could still see the ostensibly hostile bedroom door, intimidatingly closed on the other side of the small apartment.
“Wait,” Brittany said.
“What?”
“Let’s go to the bedroom,” she suggested.
“The bedroom?” Kane asked as he stared into Brittany’s beautiful eyes for a moment while he tried to formulate an excuse. “Let’s just keep it out here for now.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Brittany’s again. Brittany began to melt into the mysterious boy.
But Brittany hadn’t fully lost sight of her sensibilities. She pulled back and took a breath. “Wait,” she said.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“I mean—I think we would be more comfortable on the bed. Let’s just go to the bedroom. Please?”
Kane awkwardly forced a laugh. “Believe it or not, the couch is more comfortable than the bed.”
Brittany stared into Kane’s dark brown eyes. “What’s in there?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“You’re hiding something. What are you hiding? What’s in your bedroom, Kane?”
Kane stood still. He knew that he’d been caught. He knew the only way past this roadblock with Brittany was to come clean.
“What is it, Kane?” Brittany asked. “Just tell me.”
THIRTY-NINE
THE TRUTH
Kane stood nervously in front of Brittany.
“I don’t want you to think I’m a lunatic, Brittany—because I’m not.”
“Why would I think that? What’s in the bedroom?”
Kane looked at his feet. “This isn’t going to be easy to understand, so I don’t blame you if you run away.”
“Kane...”
“There’s a reason I’m in Snowbrooke—And it’s going to sound… Ridiculous. But it’s serious. Please just let me explain everything before you make any decisions.”
Kane took a breath and looked down at his feet. He couldn’t push the words off of the tip of his tongue.
“Kane—Just tell me!” Brittany demanded.
“You’ve obviously heard of the murders that have been happening in Snowbrooke over the past few months...”
“Oh my God…” Brittany muttered, assuming the worst. She took a step back, out of Kane’s embrace.
“No, no—That’s not it. I’m not the murderer.”
Brittany took a breath of relief, but remained tense—apprehensive of the whole situation. Kane opened his lips to say it—but again, he was overcome by a sheepish resistance.
“What is it?”
“There are things in the world—you won’t believe me, so please don’t overreact.”
“Just tell me!” Brittany demanded.
Kane closed his eyes. “I hunt vampires.”
Brittany froze as her eyes became wide. Her heart suddenly stopped in her chest, and her head became hot. Suddenly, she was the one who couldn’t speak.
“I know—I know that it sounds absurd. I know that—believe me. But you’ve heard the news reports—of the va
mpire-like string of murders. It’s not a coincidence, Brittany. They’re real. I’ve killed dozens of them. I’ve been all over the country—I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe.
“The reports are always the same—they suck human blood. They can’t go out during the day—their skin burns as if they fell into hot oil. You can only kill them with a wooden steak to the heart. They have no reflection, but they’re smart. They know to avoid mirrors and windows.” Kane looked Brittany in the eyes.
She hadn’t blinked since the reveal. She was completely speechless. A dreadfully cold shiver ran through her small body. “You—You do what?” she muttered.
“Look—I know this sounds crazy, but I can prove it—they have these teeth that come out before they feed. I have the teeth—I can show you. And I have all of the articles—the police reports, the autopsy reports, pictures, security camera footage—all the stuff the government doesn’t want you to see. Just let me show you. Please.”
Kane took the frozen Brittany by the hand and led her across his apartment to his bedroom. Completely spaced out, Brittany followed like a limp rag doll, stumbling in her tall heeled leather boots. Kane let go of her hand as he opened his bedroom door, revealing all of his weapons and ammunition. A series of garlic strands hung in the doorway.
Brittany winced in disgust as the pungent garlic smell wafted into her sensitive nose. She took a step back into the hallway, nearly vomiting from the sudden nausea.
Not noticing Brittany’s episode of disgust, Kane went into the bedroom. He started to dig through a large cardboard box. After a moment, he pulled out a handful of articles, and a little box. He turned back around and walked over to Brittany, handing her the articles. “Look—Everything is there. The reports are all the same—look where I’ve highlighted: Two puncture wounds to the neck—body drained of blood. And look here…” Kane said as he opened up the box, revealing a number of long, sharp teeth. “They look human—but they’re not. They’re as sharp as a scalpel. But they aren’t from an animal. They’re canines—See the long root? And the enamel has that yellow tinge—the vampire was a smoker.
“These teeth push out when they go to feed. See the little hole on the tip? Like a snake, they release this paralysing venom. Look—You’re a smart girl—look at it,” Kane said, looked up at Brittany and insisting she look at the tooth.
Brittany still hadn’t blinked since Kane’s reveal. Once again, she found her world crumbling beneath her feet. Her eyes were beginning to water and her knees were beginning to buckle and tremble.
Kane could see that she was visibly shaken up. He placed the box of teeth down on the nearby counter and took a step towards Brittany. Gently, he placed his hand on the side of her head. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Brittany’s body turned tense as the vampire hunter’s hands touched her skin. A cold shiver shot up her spine.
“Huh?” Brittany said, looking up at Kane. Her head was spinning out of control with uncontrollable rapid-fire thoughts. She wanted to run away.
She wanted to cry.
She wanted to kill Kane.
She wanted to kiss Kane.
Her stirring emotions were tugging her heart in different directions, and she didn’t know which way to fall.
“I know this is a shock, and I don’t want you to be freaked out. I like you, Brittany—I don’t want this to ruin that,” Kane said as he ran his fingers down the side of Brittany’s face, towards her neck.
Brittany looked back into Kane’s dark mysterious eyes. She forced a smile. “I’m fine.” She remained tense as little goose bumps formed down her arms and neck.
“Really? You believe me?” Kane waited nervously for a response.
Brittany tried her best to remain composed. “I don’t know what I believe. I like you, Kane. And—And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I’m good at what I do. I can keep you safe—I’ll never hurt you. I promise.”
A tear fell from Brittany’s eye, trickling down her soft cheek. “You promise?”
“I promise.”
Brittany smiled, desperately wanting to believe Kane. Perhaps he would look the other way on her being a vampire.
“Explain one thing to me,” Brittany said.
“What?”
“Why spend your nights going to night-school? Why go out to the bar with everyone for drinks?”
“I think its Hanna. I’ve been here for a month, following the reports—researching the victims. Vampires tend to have feeding grounds. All of the victims are tied to the university. They’ve all been teachers and students that happen to be around the university at night.
“But vampires aren’t stupid. They aren’t just mindless animals. They try to blend in. They’re usually the ones with the best alibis. After the first few murders, Hanna enrolled in the night class—conveniently the only class still running. A perfect alibi, right? Promise me you’ll stay away from Hanna.”
“H—Hanna?” Brittany asked.
“I haven’t been able to confirm anything yet. I needed a cover too, so I signed up for the class.”
Brittany took another deep breath.
“It’s a lot to take in—I know. All you need to know is that I’m going to keep you safe, okay?”
Brittany smiled. “Okay.”
Brittany smiled as Kane leaned back in for another kiss. Brittany’s spiralling feelings were quickly becoming blurred together. She was completely overwhelmed.
Kane began to lead her into the bedroom. She scowled as she passed the hanging garlic—nearly gagging from a sudden fit of nausea.
“Maybe—Maybe the bedroom isn’t the best idea,” Brittany said, staying outside of the doorway.
Kane stopped. He looked around his room and laughed. “Right—I guess it’s not the most romantic spot.”
“Does the couch pull out?” Brittany asked.
“I think it does. It’s supposed to—I haven’t tried it out.”
Kane walked past Brittany and began to lead her back towards the couch, away from the horrible garlic odour.
Kane stepped up to the couch and fumbled with it for a moment. Suddenly, a creaky metallic bed frame sprung free, with an old limp mattress on it.
“Ta-da!” Kane said, turning back to Brittany.
Brittany giggled and she began to relax again. Kane pressed his muscular body back against the dark-skinned beauty’s softness.
With her gentle fingers, Brittany pushed Kane’s pea coat over his shoulders, and watched as it drop to the floor.
Brittany’s hands suddenly had a mind of their own as they began to pull Kane’s shirt gently over his body, slowly revealing the deep ridges of his hard abs and the deep pelvic lines that sunk below the waistline of his pants. As Brittany dropped Kane’s shirt onto the ground, she noticed all of his harsh battle scars—permanent reminders of his hardened past.
“Oh my God,” Brittany muttered, looking down at the countless abrasions. Her hair fell down onto her face as her head tilted downwards.
Kane pushed Brittany’s hair back behind her ear, and tilted her head back up gently with his fingers. Carefully, he pushed Brittany’s furry shawl onto the floor, and then unzipped Brittany’s fitted black leather coat. Gently, he slid it down off of her arms, and onto the ground. Underneath, she was wearing a black low-cut racerback spaghetti strap top. The top edge of her lacy red bra was visible above the deep cut of the thin top.
Kane ran his masculine hands up the dark-skinned beauty’s soft bare arms, starting from her wrists. As he reached her shoulders, he gently pushed the thin straps of Brittany’s shirt off. The garment began to fall down, but was barely caught by the bust of Brittany’s pushed-up chest.
Kane’s heart rate began to accelerate. His body was becoming overwhelmed with an insatiable lust as he looked down at Brittany’s perfect body.
Kane slowly pulled Brittany’s scantily clad body in tight to his muscular torso, and the two continued to kiss.
Brittany let her body melt into th
e strong man, but she wasn’t able to fully release her tension.
The elephant was bigger than the small apartment.
Kane’s problematic identity never left the front of Brittany’s mind—reminders were all around her. She could still smell the nauseating garlic on the other side of the apartment. She couldn’t ignore the bedroom door, which hung open just slightly.
But the passionate force between the two star-crossed lovers overwhelmed Brittany’s strong desire to run away. Kane began to spin Brittany around, leading her towards the creaky sofa-bed. He lowered her down onto the lumpy mattress and then gently fell down onto her with his hard body.
He felt warm against Brittany’s smooth skin as his thick muscles flexed against her soft body. Kane’s skilled hands pulled Brittany’s shirt down over her red bra, and down to her waist. As he began to caress up and down her soft bare skin, Brittany’s hands sunk low and began to fidget with the buckle of Kane’s belt.
After a moment, she successfully pulled the leather band away from his waistline.
Both of the young lovers were sinking deeper into a blurred euphoria. Their inhibitions and sensibilities were quickly fleeing their bodies in the dark bedroom.
As Brittany carefully pulled Kane’s pants down to his rigid thighs. She looked down below his waist, letting her hair fall down onto Kane’s chest. Kane placed his hand under Brittany’s chin and led her back up—resuming their wistful kiss.
Brittany’s tongue penetrated Kane’s lips gently and her fingers dug hard into his skin as a jolt of elation buzzed through her spine. Kane’s warm, strong body was eliciting powerful and uncontrollable euphoria inside of Brittany.
Pleasure wasn’t the only thing growing inside of Brittany.
Brittany’s thirst was beginning to overwhelm her body. Her razor-sharp fangs began to push out of her gums, in front of her canines. As her lust became more intense, so did her thirst. She could smell Kane’s sweet blood pumping through his body.
She could see his veins throbbing over and through his big stiff muscles.
Brittany’s reached down and her hands began to slide her pants down her thighs. She lifted her soft toned butt slightly off of the mattress to allow the bottoms to pass.