by K. A. Poe
That was when I sent you away. I didn't want to, you have to understand that. You were the world to me, Alex. You were all I had left of her. But it was for your own good, you were safer that way.”
“I understand,” I said, watching a tear trickle down his cheek. I could feel the moisture welling up in my own eyes, but I forced it back. “Paul – dad... there is one more thing I need to know.”
“Anything, Alex,” he reached over and gently touched my hand. I smiled warmly, feeling closer to him than I ever had.
“What happened to the vampire that took mom?”
“He escaped,” he replied bitterly. “Of all the vampires I have fought in my lifetime, he was one of the few to escape. I might not be the greatest of hunters, but it is rare that I let one get away. He was old and powerful. I can still remember the way he looks, the sound of his voice, his name,” he shuddered.
“Dad...”
“Yes?
“What was his name?”
“Raziel,” he seethed, and I tried to cover up my sudden gasp at the sound of his name.
I leaned over and hugged him tightly, hoping he hadn't noticed my reaction. I wanted to hurry out of his house and find Salem to tell him what all I had found out. “I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I am so sorry about mom....”
He wrapped a bulky arm around me. “Don't worry about it, Alex,” I could feel the moisture of his tears soaking through the thin material of my shirt.
“Oh, crap!” I said, releasing Paul and nearly dumping my soda on the already-stained carpet.
“What's the matter?” he looked alarmed and curious.
“I told a friend of mine that he could throw a party at my house tonight,” I hung my head in shame. “How in the world did I get myself into this mess!?”
Paul laughed. “It’s part of being a teenager.”
“I’ve got to get home as soon as possible. Maybe I have time to call him and stop it.”
"If high school is anything like it was when I was there, the house is probably already full!" he laughed again, with a gleam of nostalgia in his eyes.
“You're only making it worse,” I grumbled. “Thanks for answering my questions.”
“Anytime. Never hesitate to come over – and if the party gets out of hand, you know where to find me. I can come get you any time and you can stay here.”
“I might just take you up on that offer,” I smiled and went to get up.
“Oh, wait! Before you leave, I have something for you,” he stood from the lumpy couch and went down the hall. I heard a door open then close and he returned with a cardboard box. “I meant to give you this on your birthday.”
“You didn't have to get me anything, Paul.”
“I'm your father, of course I did,” he smirked, pushing the box into my arms. “Go on, open it up.”
As I pried open the box, I began wondering what he could possibly have got me for my birthday. I nearly dropped the box when I finally got it open: a silver and black hand crossbow lay within the core of the box. I swallowed and looked up at Paul, expecting an explanation.
“Every hunter needs a good weapon,” he smiled, apparently thinking I would appreciate the gift.
I felt sick as I stared at the weapon. “I don't know what to say.”
“You don't have to say anything, Alex. Let me show you how to use it,” he offered, reaching over to take the bow.
“No, it's okay. I think I can figure it out,” I muttered, pulling it away. “I’ve got to go.”
“Sure, sure,” he smiled again. “Maybe you will be the one that finally puts an end to that Salem Young.”
It was difficult to hide my fury at his words. “I have to go,” I said again, grabbing the box and running out to the car. I slammed the door behind me, almost wishing it would fall off its hinges. When I got into my car I angrily shoved the crossbow under the passenger seat.
10. DENVER SLAYINGS
I raced home, driving faster than I probably should have. It was mid-day now, which ought to give me plenty of time before the party started. When I unlocked the door and made it inside, I was relieved at all of the space around me. Paul's trailer would have made anyone claustrophobic! The scent of pizza from the previous night lingered in the air. I glanced at the living room briefly before climbing upstairs, half-expecting to find Salem. I dialed Jason's number as soon as I got in my room, but he didn't answer so I decided I would wait and call again later. I sunk down on the edge of my bed, wondering just where Salem might have gone to and when I would see him again.
An annoying light kept bouncing around the otherwise dim room. I looked up and saw it was a ribbon of lights floating around on the screen of my laptop. Just a screen saver, I thought to myself. I wiggled the mouse to get rid of the bothersome light, and decided I might as well play around with this new toy a little while I waited to get ahold of Jason. I opened the internet browser and typed: ‘Denver, Colorado’ into the search box. So many things came up that I wasn't sure what to go to. Then I saw something that made my heart sink.
“Denver Zookeeper not the only one mauled by a bear? Reports have been looming around the city of Denver, and other nearby cities, of brutal attacks similar to the attack on Zookeeper Janet Hobbs.”
I clicked the link anxiously. It was a news article discussing not only the attack on Janet, but of three other people discovered in Denver with similar injuries, as well as a few in the surrounding cities.
“The only plausible explanation is one of the bears got loose, or there's a wild one gone mad!” says local Ms. Rachel Shetland.”
“I've never seen anything like this. It's almost like the animals have gone on a rampage!” says high school biology teacher and wildlife lover Leslie Woods.
“It's a coincidence. There are brutal murders and animal attacks going on all the time. There is no reason to think it's the same predator.” Zoologist Mark Prince ensures.
I paused and re-read the last quote again, mostly the name of the speaker. Surely this wasn't the same Mark I thought it was. How many other Marks were there likely to be out there? A lot...but what were the odds of it being another zoologist named Mark, in Denver? I left the news page and went back to the search engine. After scrolling down the page, I found something that caught my eye.
“Colorado Slayings – Man, Bear or Mystery?”
Beneath the title it read “Your place for paranormal news!”
I clicked the link curiously and was brought to a page with a black background and red text. There were links to the side relating to UFOs, crop circles, Sasquatch, chupacabras, vampires, werewolves, witches, and all sorts of other supernatural things. I ignored them for the time being and spotted the article about the Denver ‘slayings’. As the page loaded, I noticed I had begun shaking a little. I inhaled deeply.
“Recently, a supposed bear attack occurred at the Denver Zoo. A Ms. Janet Hobbs was viciously attacked by one of the bears while feeding the animal. Her injuries were severe, ranging from deep scratch marks across her face and mid-section and two identical deep puncture wounds along her right wrist. What would cause this bear to attack this woman? Not to mention, these distinct markings on her wrist do not match the bite of a bear, but more closely resemble a snake bite.
Over the past few days, three other Denver citizens have been found attacked – with similar injuries, namely the wrist markings. Progressively, more and more incidents were spotted in nearing cities of brutal attacks, similar to the one on Janet Hobbs – unfortunately, most of the other victims were not as lucky as Ms. Hobbs. Is there some sadistic murderer on the loose, attacking people in the exact same manner, or is this something entirely different?
Tell me – did the word 'vampire' come to mind at all as you read this article? If so, you might be on the right track. If you are familiar with my other articles, you will know that I believe these Night Walkers are lurking around in our world, preying on our blood. These are definitely no mere animal attacks.
K
eep your eyes open, and be wary! They could be anywhere.
-A.N.”
My eyes grew sore from reading the bright red text against the black background, and my hands hadn't stopped shaking. Clearly, I wasn't the only one skeptical about these ‘bear’ attacks. I closed the browser and sat for a moment, thinking over what I had just read. What would Salem think, would he agree or would he think I was over-reacting and digging too deeply into this? It was odd thinking how if I had found this website just a week ago I would have laughed and considered it bogus…but not anymore.
I stepped down the stairs carefully, still a little rattled from what I had just read. The coolness from the refrigerator felt relaxing against my skin as I browsed through its core. I hadn't realized how empty it was getting – there was half a gallon of milk, some orange juice, and some leftover spaghetti from who knows when. I dumped the pasta and poured a glass of juice.
“Looks like I'll be going grocery shopping...” I muttered aloud to myself. I searched for the envelope of funds Janet had left me with and pocketed some of the money before hiding the envelope beneath the microwave. As I was leaving the house, the phone rang and I hastily picked it up; Karen was on the other end.
“Oh, my god, Alex! I’m so glad I got a hold of you. I've been trying to call you all morning and you never answered! I even made a trip over to your house hoping to find you, but no one answered. I have been so worried!” she rambled on to the point that it was hard to catch each word. “I saw the news about your mom! Why didn’t you tell me last night!? Are you okay? Is she okay? Do you need anything?”
Once I was positive she was done talking, I sighed and spoke into the receiver. “I'm as okay as I can be. She is in the hospital recovering, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten hold of you. I should have known you would be panicking when you heard about it, mom was always close to you, too,” I smiled at the memories of how fond Janet had been of Karen, how she often treated her like another daughter. “I’ve just been so overwhelmed with mom leaving and now this,” I lied slightly, “and I didn’t want to ruin the party you worked on for me. I’m sorry.”
“I'm just glad it was nothing worse and that you're okay.”
“I will try to keep you posted on mom’s status. Thanks for calling,” I said awkwardly, surprised by my eagerness to get off the phone. There was so much on my mind; even a conversation with my best friend wasn't going to be enough to distract me. “I need to run to the store, again I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Alex, I understand. Please call me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I responded and hung up.
After making a very quick grocery run, I dropped the food off at home. My attempt to get a hold of Jason failed again. I decided to drive over to Salem's house – assuming I could find the way there again. The twisting road was even more terrifying when I was alone, but I eased my way slowly along the asphalt. I met the familiar dirt path with a groan, not looking forward to the bumpy ride. Fortunately, the turn to the left came into view before long and I was relieved to find I had miraculously remembered just how to get there.
The magnificent Victorian appeared empty when I pulled up. I sat in the parked car for a few minutes, admiring the vast house. I hadn't noticed the wide windows on the top floor before; they looked almost like two large eyes staring down at me. I shivered. My gaze was distracted by the surrounding nature. A cobblestone path started at the back of the house, curving off into dense foliage. My curiosity got the best of me and I exited the car. I hoped Salem wouldn't mind me trespassing around his house.
I followed the thin, winding path through the thick forest. There were berry-speckled shrubs here and there, and the sound of rushing water. I glanced behind me, shocked that I could no longer see any evidence of the house or my car. It was amazing to be amongst nature for a change. A white bunny stood out from the surrounding green. I slowly approached it, wanting to get a closer look.
I jumped back and almost screamed when I saw a pale hand slowly, carefully reach through the shrubbery and grab the rabbit. It wriggled helplessly as it was pulled out of sight. The noises coming from behind the bush were unbearably disgusting – the high-pitched squeal of the poor bunny, the sickening slurping sound...I covered my ears. I tried to run but my legs felt like jelly. Part of me knew what was going on, but my mind wouldn't let me admit it.
“S-salem?” I whimpered with my eyes locked on the spot where the white rabbit had stood just seconds ago.
I heard the crunch of twigs and the thump of something hitting the ground. “Alexis...” his silky sweet voice met my ears, and I shuddered unexpectedly. “What are you doing out here?”
I couldn't see him; he was shrouded by the wilderness. “The house was empty, and I saw this path out here...and I thought maybe I would go exploring while I waited for you to get back from wherever you were...and...” my voice trailed off when he emerged from behind the bushes.
His appearance was startling. The pale blue eyes I adored were brightly tinted with red. Blood stained his pale hands, which he promptly hid behind his back. He looked ashamed, “I was hoping to avoid you seeing me like this,” he said quietly, keeping his distance.
“No...It’s okay...” my voice was just as quiet, “I understand what you were doing, and I’m not upset.”
He arched a brow, “You aren't the least bit scared?”
“Oh, no...I'm a little disturbed,” my laughter lacked any humor. “It's just something I’ve got to get used to, right?”
“Or you could avoid me altogether,” he suggested with a frown.
“I'd rather not,” I whispered.
“There is a creek not too far from here, if you would like to see it while I...clean up.”
“Sure,” I replied warily, eying the spot again where the rabbit had once stood.
11. TWIN SOULS
We walked down the winding path for a few more feet until it broke off and our shoes fell upon dark soil and gentle green moss. The sound of water grew louder with each step. As I looked around the area, I saw that we had come into a clearing in the dense forest. The surrounding trees formed an arch overhead and brilliant rays of light eased through the branches and leaves. Ahead of us, beneath the archway was a magnificent, long creek lined with large stones varying in size and color. A fallen tree lay across the water, forming a natural bridge.
I watched in awe as Salem gracefully walked across the log. He smiled back at me expectantly, but I shook my head. There was no way I was climbing across that thing! I could easily picture myself tripping, falling into the creek and smashing my head against one of the many large creek rocks.
“I will keep you safe, you know that,” he called toward me as he slid off the tree, ran his hands through the water and cleansed the blood off. “At least come to the water’s edge.”
I obliged, walking to the edge of the rippling creek. I sat on the moist soil, pulled both of my shoes and socks off, and slowly inched my feet into the shallow water. It was freezing cold!
“How can you stand how cold this is?!” I said as I pulled my feet out.
“It feels pleasant enough to me,” he grinned. “Let your feet adjust to the temperature.”
I reluctantly lowered my feet back into the ice cold water. Gradually, it didn't feel quite as cold.
“See, it's not so bad.”
“It's still a lot colder than I was expecting!”
Before I had a chance to react, Salem was at my side, pulling me further into the water. Despite my shouts of protest, he continued dragging me in. I shivered against his chest as he held me. “It's even colder with you next to me,” I laughed through chattering teeth.
He just smiled down at me. I was relieved to see his eyes had returned to their familiar pale blue. I gazed up toward the sky, noting it was beginning to darken and realized I had never gotten a chance to convince Jason not to have the party. I groaned.
“What's wrong, Alexis?” he whispered into my ear.
“Jason is
still planning to throw a party at my house,” I sighed. “I tried to call him and have him put it off to another night, or forget about it altogether, but I never got ahold of him.”
“Oh,” he replied quietly, “do you need to leave?”
“Maybe...I don't know. Is there a phone at your place?”
“No, but that could easily be arranged,” he laughed. “or, better yet...” he held out an empty hand and his eyes twinkled violet momentarily. A small cell phone materialized against his palm. “This ought to work.”
“You're amazing, do you know that?” I grinned and took the phone from him. I quickly dialed Jason's number – finally he answered!
“Hey Jason, it's Alex,” I said into the cell.
“It's about time! The party is in less than an hour and I’ve been trying to call you for the past two hours!” his voice sounded strained.
“I tried calling you this morning, but you never picked up.”
“I was out picking up some supplies. Are you at home?”
“No...” I muttered. “I'm at least twenty miles away from home.”
“How am I supposed to throw this party if you're not there?!” he nearly shouted.
“There's a spare key under the owl statue beside the walkway. I'll try to make it home before the party is over, but you can take advantage of the place before I get there. Just remember your promise!”
“No alcohol,” I could hear his voice relaxing, “I hope you can make it, it wouldn't be the same without you.”
“I'll try to make it, I promise.”
“Great! Have you had a chance to try out the laptop yet?”
A sudden queasiness overcame me as I recalled the articles I had read. “Yeah...I used it a little today,” my voice was distant, “just to test it out. I'll definitely use it more, though.”