The Rise of the New Bloods, From Dark Beginnings

by K A HAMBLY

  ‘Did you hear that?’ Blaze nudged me.

  ‘It sounded like a howling of a wolf?’ he said, jumping off his chair.

  ‘What?’ I took the headphones off, and walked towards the window.

  ‘There’s a wolf in New York?’ Jonesy laughed. ‘Blaze how much booze did you put in your coffee?’

  ‘You said you heard a wolf. Are you sure it wasn't a dog?’ I said.

  ‘Nah, It was most definitely a wolf. Man, that was fucking creepy,’ he said, peering out of the window.

  I looked down onto the dark, desolate street.

  The rain pelted down as usual into the puddles that glowed orange under the street lamps. A frown drew across my face, as I was almost sure I saw a shadow disappear into the alleyway between the two buildings opposite.

  Blaze could have been right, but the guy has not slept in almost 48 hours. I knew humans needed sleep, just like I needed time out, but I just felt a strange sensation come over me, as if I was being watched again.

  I backed away from the window and picked up my jacket.

  ‘You're leaving? Don’t tell me you’re spooked out by imaginary wolves too?’ Jonesy laughed, almost dropping the guitar he was tuning up.

  ‘Fucking hell,’ I heard him yell, catching the neck of his Gibson before it hit the floor.

  ‘That’s what happens when you mock people,’ I said, smiling at his expiration.

  ‘Wait for me!’

  Blaze looked startled.

  He picked up his keys and ran towards me at the door.

  ‘Where are you going, Do you need a lift? Because I don't fancy driving through here tonight. We can finish up the tracks another time.’

  ‘Ok, just er, drop me off...’

  ‘Down the docks?' He said, finishing my sentence.

  ‘You know me too well, but er, no, not tonight. I need to find Stride. You know, that guy who was with me at the bar that night? I haven't seen him since and he owes me something.’

  If anything, he owed me an explanation.

  ‘Oh yeah, I remember. Do you know where he lives?’

  ‘No, I've no idea, but I've got a feeling he'll be looking for me tonight though.’

  Blaze instantly noticed my dark mood in the car, and began asking questions again.

  ‘Is everything really alright with you? I know you said you didn't want to talk about stuff, but I hope you won’t mind me saying this, but there's something about you I can't put my finger on.’

  ‘I'm not an American?’ I laughed.

  ‘Funny! No I meant, you are different, you just seem different, oh never mind,’ he shrugged, and regained his focus on the road.

  I looked at him, and was about to tell him the truth, but I just could not get the words out. I mean, how do you explain to someone that every belief he held about the world was wrong? Oh Blaze by the way I'm a vampire, and I'm sitting next to you in the car. I do not think that would go down very well. Humans, I had come to believe, lived in their own little world, a world that shielded itself away from the impossible and unimaginable. Why should I be the one to destroy his ignorance?

  ‘Who the fuck is that following us?’

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘That bike behind us, it's almost blinding me with its headlight.’ Blaze snapped

  I looked into the wing mirror, and could see a hand movement gesturing us to pullover.

  ‘Pullover, its Stride.’

  ‘Him? How the fuck does he know where to find us?’

  Blaze swerved the car off the road, and pulled up onto the pavement, almost knocking down a couple of prostitutes leaning against the streetlight.

  I got out of the car quickly when one of the women began walking towards me.

  ‘Looking for business boys?’ she said, touching my arm.

  ‘Not tonight love,’ Stride said, pushing her away from me.

  I looked at her in her tight blue dress and overdone face and scowled. I was hungry and there was nothing I would have liked more than a cup of fresh blood right now.

  ‘Ok, ok chill, you freak. I wouldn't have done you anyway,’ she said as she walked off.

  Stride shook his head, watching her as she walked back to her friend.

  ‘What a filthy slag, eh?’ he said, shaking his head.

  ‘Stride!’ I said, relieved.

  I was thirsty, and I was hoping he would have something to drink on him.

  ‘Where the hell have you been, you can't just walk off like that and not tell me where I can find you?’

  ‘Why? What’s the problem?’

  ‘What’s the problem? Something has been watching me tonight?’

  ‘Watching you?’ I was shocked, ‘Um, Look, I do apologise okay. It was wrong of me to leave you there, but my life is in danger too, just for helping you. So, tell Slash in there to follow me back to my place all right. Jyrki, can you trust him?

  I turned around to look at Blaze sat in the driver seat, fiddling about with his mobile.

  ‘Yeah, I can't see him being a problem.’

  ‘Right then, follow me, and see you in a bit.’

  ‘Sure, oh do you have anything for me to drink?’

  ‘Of course, I'm stocked up on the stuff.’

  I turned around and got back into the car.

  ‘We need to follow Stride, step on it.’

  ‘Ok, I just tried April’s phone again, and there’s still no answer. This is really weird.’

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  ‘Welcome to my personal hell!’ Stride said, gesturing us towards his warehouse.

  ‘Is this where you live?’ I asked.

  I was trying my hardest not to laugh at the unsightly rusted warehouse that seemed so out of place amongst all the thriving businesses down the docks.

  ‘Yeah, turns out this little old tin can was a lot cheaper than renting out a flat in the city, you like? I bumped into some old geezer in an English bar in Brooklyn, and he mentioned he had a place for rent, so he’s letting me have this for two hundred dollars a month. A pretty good bargain eh?’

  ‘Hm, not bad,’ Blaze nodded, obviously wondering what we were doing here.

  I could see Blaze seemed a little worried by the intense frown he had across his face as he looked around the area. The only road in and out of this place was deserted, and lit by a few sparse streetlights. He began to fidget with his keys in his pocket and was looking rather nervous.

  ‘Look, do you want to leave?’

  The last thing I wanted was for him to find out the truth about me.

  ‘No, he can't,’ Stride ordered.

  ‘Why not?’ I fumed.

  ‘I specifically asked you if you could trust him and you said you could. Now, I don't think it's wise if he left right now because if we were being followed, it is more than likely they'll go after him. You don’t want that on your conscience do you?’

  ‘What do you mean by being followed?’

  ‘Fucking hell Jyrki, by the S.O. Y’know,’ he winked.

  He did have a point, I could not risk putting Blaze in any danger.

  ‘Hey guys, I'm getting freaked out here, would someone please tell me what is going on?’

  Stride and I exchanged glances.

  ‘You tell him...’

  ‘No, you tell him, he's your buddy. I don’t want the responsibility of breaking up a friendship.’

  ‘Oh for fuck sake, are you drug dealers or something?’ Blaze asked.

  ‘Er, not quite,’ I said, trying not to laugh.

  Stride sniggered to himself as he pushed the rusty door open.

  ‘Boy, are you gonna be in a for a fucking surprise.’

  He was right.

  The fluorescent lights flickered a few times before coming on fully, and when they did, Blaze and I stood at the doorway with open mouths.

  ‘What ya think?’ Stride asked so proudly.

  ‘Erm, what is this place man? It looks like you've ransacked a library!’ Blaze said, looking quite stunned.

  ‘Ransacked
?’ I looked at Blaze, and then back at the small living area that was littered with books and documents stacked on anything that could take its weight.

  ‘Looks like you’ve been burgled.’

  ‘Forgive me. I haven't cleaned up here for a while.’

  Blaze laughed nervously and walked through almost tripping up on a suitcase on the floor.

  ‘You mean, not at all.’

  ‘Well this place is only temporary. I’m only in the States for a short while.’

  It did not take long for Blaze to notice the contents of the mad clutter either.

  ‘Vampire books? What’s this? The X files office?’ he sniggered as he flicked through the dusty book.

  Well at least he laughed I thought, It could have been worse.

  ‘Stride this is crazy,’ I said as I watched him pour himself a scotch. ‘What exactly do you do here?’

  ‘Sit yourselves down boys; we’ve got some talking to do. Hey Jyrki, he, er,’ he nodded to Blaze, ‘knows what you are right?’

  I looked at the floor, and just shook my head.

  ‘Oh right, fantastic, I think he's gonna need a scotch then...’ and he began pouring another two glasses.

  I was feeling slightly dizzy with hunger, but I tried to ignore it, as I did not feel it was appropriate to ask for some blood in front of a human, especially one who did not know about our existence.

  I was prepared to hear what Stride had to say.

  Did I trust him though, well, he was gaining my confidence slowly.

  ‘Stride, what are we going to tell him. He will find out eventually?’

  ‘Tell me what?’ Blaze asked, ‘Y’know, you guys are scaring me...’

  ‘Hey lad, it’s nothing to be concerned about, well actually it depends on the way you look at it...’ Stride said, looking at me with growing concern.

  Now I was feeling very weak, and must have been looking very pale in complexion, more than I did normally, because Stride knew straight away what was wrong, and ran to the fridge.

  ‘You’re looking like a fucking ghost Jyrki, when was your last meal?’

  ‘What’s up with him?’ Blaze said, turning to Stride, quite freaked out by the way I looked.

  I sat leaning over the chair, struggling to stop the transformation, but the shakes and the smell of blood just feet away was too much to handle.

  ‘It must’ve been bad blood…Stride, I can’t control it…’

  I glanced over towards Blaze, who was staring at me from the sofa, I noticed he shifted his gaze towards the door, obviously wondering whether he should make a run for it or not.

  The evil chatter in my head was slowly drowning out their voices and the darkness began to consume my entire body. The last blood I had, could not have been good enough to keep me from shifting this quick. How stupid of me to think the meat alternative was going to last.

  I stumbled off the sofa, gripping onto the legs of the coffee table.

  ‘Striddeee! Quick!’ I growled, trying to cover my face with my jacket. However, it was too late. Blaze knew something was up. He must have noticed my eyes shift to yellow.

  The next thing I knew I heard Blaze screaming.

  ‘Fucckkk! Fuckkkk!’

  He leapt from the sofa, and backed away to the door.

  ‘Stride, what the fucking hell is happening to him?’ he yelled

  ‘Chains by the door; bring them to me!’ Stride yelled at Blaze ‘Now!’

  ‘What is it? What is it?’

  The fangs began to slide into place, and the useless chatter that was in my head felt somewhat calmer.

  The demon had taken me over completely.

  I soared up from the floor, and was just about to attack Stride trying to open a sachet of blood when I felt a stinging sensation of a glass bottle over the back of my head.

  ‘My fucking Scotch! What did you do that for?’ I heard Stride holler.

  ‘Are you fucking serious?’ I could hear Blaze scream. ‘Can’t you see he’s a fucking monster, you stupid old bastard.’

  I sprawled head first into the file cabinet, knocking all the stacked papers flying everywhere.

  Stride grabbed both my arms around my back, and tried to secure them with a chain Blaze had retrieved from the door, but I was far too strong for him, and yanked the chain from his hands.

  ‘Get away from me!’ I scowled, as I pushed Stride halfway across the room.

  I swerved my body around, and turned my attention to Blaze.

  ‘Jyrki! Stay away from him! Please!’ Stride begged me.

  I was in my head but it was not me, it was almost as if I was watching myself in a mirror.

  I really did not like this feeling.

  I had this overwhelming urge to kill and hunt.

  I could feel the new blood running through my veins. It was like an electrical charge pumping to every fibre of my being. I had to slow it all down, and fight off the adrenaline that was keeping the demon alive, but the voice kept telling me to kill him.

  I licked my lips, laughing manically to myself, as I walked slowly up to Blaze, who was now struggling to open the door.

  ‘Don't hurt me man, please, it's me Blaze, oh please don't kill me.’

  Every step I took, Blaze went a shade whiter.

  Inside, I was desperately fighting the demon off, but I had let it go on so long it was becoming an impossible task.

  I slammed my hands against the metal door, trapping him between my body and the wall. I became aware of my sinister laugh echoing throughout the building.

  Blaze cowered down, and whimpered.

  He looked at me with eyes begging me to let him go.

  I lifted him up and slammed him against the door but as the force of my arm came down, I scratched him across his cheek with my ring.

  I sniffed the air.

  ‘Blood!’

  ‘Fucking hell Blaze, don’t let him anywhere near the blood for Christ sake!’ Stride yelled.

  As I went to grab Blaze, I felt a sharp tug of a chain wrap around my body. Stride pulled me with all his strength, and dragged me along the floor.

  ‘Here, take this Jyrki,’ Stride said, as he emptied the sachet of blood over my mouth

  I was shaking.

  I sucked the blood from the sachet so fast I didn't even bother to question if it was human or not.

  ‘You've got to calm yourself down now, Jyrki, ok, come back, you got it?’

  I was lying flat out on the floor, feeling completely satisfied with myself.

  ‘He, he has fangs!’ Blaze whimpered from the corner.

  ‘Of course he has bloody fangs, he's a vampire, what do you expect?’

  I had to laugh at Stride.

  ‘It's not the Jyrki you know, don't worry, he'll be alright in a bit.’

  I hoped I would be okay, as I was aware the vampire was still lingering on. It never used take this long for me to change back.

  ‘What do you mean he's a vampire?’ I heard Blaze whimper.

  ‘You've seen the films right? Well you ought to know what a vampire is when you see one. But this one doesn’t sparkle in the sunlight,’ Stride laughed. ‘You see this Ankh here? Huh? It's what keeps him safe from the sun.’

  ‘There's no such thing as vampires.’

  ‘Then what do you think this is?’ He pointed towards me sitting like a wild animal on the floor.

  ‘A bloody good actor? I think not.’

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  I came around slowly, not remembering much of what had happened or why I was laying down on the floor at Stride's place. I lifted my head up off the floor and was about to get up when I noticed some scratches on my arm, and an empty sachet of blood beside me.

  ‘Oh fuck, what did I do?’ I said, feeling drowsy.

  I shot a glance towards Blaze.

  He was sat on the sofa shaking, and looking at me as if he did not know me. His eyes were on me, and it quickly dawned on me I had almost killed him.

  Oh no, he knows.

  Strid
e grabbed my arm and helped me up onto a chair.

  ‘Are you ok? You're Jyrki now right?’

  I nodded.

  ‘Yeah, I think so. How bad was I?’

  ‘Let's say I wouldn't want a repeat of it,’ Stride said exhaustedly, as he undid the chains on my hands.

  I was overcome with guilt and remorse.

  I sat limp on the chair, full of shame for what I had done to them. I hoped there would be a better way of telling Blaze, but selfishly I felt relieved it was all over.

  ‘Here, let's clean the blood up; we can't let you walk around like that.’

  Whilst Stride tended to my wound, there was an awkward silence that quickly followed by a lot of pent up anger and rage from Blaze.

  ‘It's not possible; it's just not fucking possible,’ he stammered.

  I lowered my head in shame, unable to look him in the eye.

  I do not think sorry would have sufficed.

  I felt like I had destroyed his childlike look upon the world.

  ‘I, er, think we all need to talk,’ Stride broke in. ‘Jyrki, listen, you can't help what you are but you can help who you are, don't go beating yourself up ok, just consider it lucky I was around to help.’

  ‘Blaze,’ I paused, ‘I am truly sorry you had to see that, I was going to tell you...’

  ‘When? When you were going to eat me? Fuck sake man, I took you in, you rode in my car, you could've killed me at any time...,but vampires don't exist. You are not real, how could you be real? Explain it to me, c'mon?’

  I looked at Stride who was sitting on the arm of the sofa sipping on a Scotch; he gave me an encouraging nod. I then looked towards Blaze who looked half the man he did earlier. His eyes were blood shot and his hair just hung over his face, sticking to the blood from the gash on his cheek.

  I hoped I would find the right words, but to put it mildly, I had just destroyed the only real friendship I had. Nothing was going to make him forgive me. I decided I had to tell him the truth.

  ‘You deserve the truth, but please don't hate me for what I am ok?’

  ‘Hate you? You almost fucking killed me man. You know, I always suspected there was something different about you, but it never crossed my mind that you were a sideshow freak!’