by J. G. Wilson
“Get away!” she screamed, as she slapped at it.
It screeched, and she could feel her feet leaving the ocean floor as it tugged at her hair. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Colton grabbed her and pushed her down into the water. Melody felt the wind of the bat’s wings as it flapped away. She paddled wildly against the waves, searching for footing.
Colton lifted Melody to her feet and held her tightly as her eyes found Valery, the huge bat lingering right over her cousin’s head, going in for the kill.
“Valery!” Melody cried.
The bat dived right above her cousin’s head, lifting Valery from the sea into the air.
“Melody!” Valery screamed, arms flailing, hands extending for her cousin as the bat flew across the ocean.
“Valery!” Melody called as her cousin disappeared in the night. She leaned over, suddenly sick, longing to fall to her knees as Colton held on to her tight. “It’s okay,” he said, over and over again, running his hand through her wet hair. Melody knew she was crying, could feel hot tears coming from her face, but nothing seemed real.
“Get off her, Creature of the Night!” Max shouted.
Melody looked up, saw Max running for her, shouting, “The gun, Luke! The gun!”
Luke bobbed across the waves, pulling the water pistol from his waistband, firing a stream of Holy water that landed dead on Colton’s face.
Colton pushed Melody back, and she stared in horror as his flesh began bubbling. He lifted his hands to his face, thin plumes of smoke escaping through his fingers. He shrieked.
Max pulled out a stun flashlight and cut it on. The beam was extremely bright and hit Colton dead in the face. He hissed, then disappeared. Melody could see a small bat in the air, its leathery wings dripping water as they flapped. It turned and flew away.
And then everything became dark.
Chapter 11
Melody awoke with sunlight streaming in on her face. She blinked, saw the huge window beside her and sat up in bed. She looked around the bedroom, her head hurting, observing blue walls with posters of baseball players and models tacked to them. The room was a mess with clothes scattered all over the floor.
She put her feet on the floor and started to stand up when she realized she was wearing a man’s flannel shirt and some checkered shorts she’d never seen before.
“We had to put your clothes in the dryer,” Luke explained, a smile creeping along his face. “Don’t worry. I didn’t look.”
Max entered the bedroom and tossed her clothes on the bed. “You alright?” he asked, concern in his voice.
“What—what happened?” Melody asked.
“You fainted,” Max explained, “Right after we rescued you from that vampire.”
It all came back to her, like a hammer driving a nail through a board in a single blow. Like a baseball going through a window. Melody gasped, bolting up out of bed. “My cousin!” Melody shrieked. “Where’s my cousin.”
“It took her,” Max said grimly. “It took her to the island.”
“The bat? But that was just a nightmare!” Melody shouted hysterically. Though it felt warm in the room, and she was wearing a long sleeved flannel shirt, Melody couldn’t stop shaking.
Max sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. “It’ll be alright,” he said. “It’ll be okay.” He paused. “It wasn’t a bat. It was a vampire.”
Melody knocked the arm off. “Where’s the phone at?” she said, standing up. The room started spinning, and she felt lightheaded. Yellow dots flashed before her eyes. Melody lost her balance and started to collapse, but Max grabbed her and gently lifted her up.
“Just relax,” he said. “You’ve been through a lot.”
“We need to call the police,” Melody said.
“And tell them what? A bat abducted your sister?”
Luke howled with laughter.
“Shut up, Luke!” Max said. “This isn’t funny.”
The room grew silent. Melody tried to focus on the night before, but everything seemed fuzzy. Max and Luke, those were their names. A faint memory sparked a sudden thought. The nightclub, the beach—
“You used us as bait!” Melody said, beating her hands against Max’s chest.
“I’m sorry,” Max said. “It was the only way to get them out in the open. I just wanted to destroy them for what they did to Ann.”
“Ann?” Melody asked.
“My girlfriend,” Max said quietly, pulling a framed picture off his dresser and showing it to Melody. “The one that grabbed you in the ocean last night, that’s the one who killed her.”
Colton—remembering the name, the face and the dark, sparkling eyes brought emotions of confusion and disgust. Melody remembered his face bubbling, the skin oozing off, and his fangs, like scalpels, pressed against his lips as Max shined the flashlight in his face. Melody focused on the photo of Ann in her hands. Golden, honey hair. She looked eerily similar to Valery.
Melody handed the frame back to Max and absently rubbed her neck. Her hand stopped when she felt something. She stepped in front of the dresser mirror and stared at horror at the band aid on her neck. She pulled it off and gasped.
Chapter 12
The puncture marks in her neck were red, the flesh surrounding them a bruised purple color. Melody quickly put the band aid back on. It looked gross. She looked at Max in the mirror, noticing the way he stooped and the sadness in his face.
“Yes, you were bitten, but it’s nothing to worry about,” Max reassured her.
Melody nodded her head. She felt like crying, exhaustion seeping into her.
“Let’s get something to eat,” Max said. “Then we’ll find your cousin.”
Luke spoke up. “Where are we going to eat? The Waffle House?”
“You’re going home to gas up your boat. We’ll meet you in an hour.”
“We going to the island?” Luke asked, snickering. “This early?”
“The earlier the better,” Max said glumly.
Max drove slowly into town, the black Mustang never going above 35 miles per hour. Melody noticed the tension in his voice as he spoke to her. There was concern in his eyes.
They pulled up to a restaurant called Sport’s, and Max led her inside the building.
Melody had no appetite as she slid into a booth. The smell of food—bacon and eggs and sausage— disgusted her.
“I’m starving,” Max said. “When was the last time you ate?”
Melody peered over his shoulder, across the restaurant at a couple in the corner. The man was breaking up with the woman. She could hear him whispering it was over as he stirred his coffee, the spoon hitting the cup. She hated that sound. The girl’s heart rate sped up. She chewed on her gum, smacking her lips. They were both annoying.
“Uhmm … Melody?” Max said.
“Huh?”
“What do you want to drink?”
Melody looked away from the couple and saw a young waitress standing beside her, an amused expression on her face. “It’s alright, honey,” the waitress said. “I’m dead to the world too when I wake up in the morning, sometimes.”
“Coffee,” Melody said quickly, wondering how it was possible she could tell the girl was chewing Juicy Fruit gum. She could smell it from all the way over here.
“You seem distracted,” Max said as the waitress left. “I don’t want you going to the island if you can’t focus. It’s dangerous.”
“Melody,” a strange voice whispered her name.
“We’re going to have to go into the cave,” Max said. “There’s no doubt that’s where that huge bat took your cousin. We’ll have to come up with a plan to—“
“Melody!” the voice hissed.
“Did you hear that?” Melody asked, interrupting Max.
“Hear what?” Max asked, an annoyed look on his face.
“Someone keeps calling my name.”
Max sneered. “Well, you better not answer. They say when someone’s calling your name, but no one’s there i
t’s the devil.”
The waitress returned, setting down two steaming mugs of coffee.
Max picked his up and took a sip.
“What ya’ll want to eat?” the waitress asked.
“Give us a minute,” Max said, opening the menu on the table.
Melody stared absently into the black, steaming coffee. The aroma was making her sick.
“Melody,” the voice called.
She stood up, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Max looked up at her, a frown on his face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’ll be back,” Melody said, leaving the booth. She rounded the corner of the restaurant, eyes scanning the tables and booths for any sign of human life. Someone had called her name. She was sure of it. She let out a sigh of relief when she made it to the restroom door and spotted no one. It was her imagination, getting the best of her in a stressful time.
Melody walked into the ladies room and ran cold water over her face. She looked up, into the mirror, and noticed how much paler she’d become. I’m as white as a ghost, she thought. Her red hair was wild and her eyes shined like emeralds. She scooped more water in her hands and splashed her face, turning the faucet off.
Something was moving in the wall of the restroom, and when she looked at the tiles she could sense it was a mouse. Weird, she thought to herself. This is so strange.
She stepped outside the restroom, the light flooding in from the windows hitting her eyes and momentarily blinding her.
“Pull it together,” she told herself. “Valery needs you.”
Melody took a deep breath, then took a step forward, heading back to the booth.
A hand reached over her shoulder and clamped down tightly on her mouth.
Chapter 13
“Don’t scream,” the voice from behind said—she recognized it as the one that had been calling her name—“I’m not here to hurt you.” He slowly released his grip, and Melody turned to look at her assailant, her eyes wide.
Melody slapped Colton as hard as she could across the face. “Where’s my cousin?” she demanded, pulling back her hand to slap him again.
Colton caught her hand. “Shh! You’re in danger. That guy you’re with, he’s bad news.”
“Max saved me from you, didn’t he?”
“No,” Colton hissed, removing a pair of sunglasses, looking into her eyes. “I was trying to save you from him.”
His eyes, dark and hypnotic, seemed to be boring through her. She looked away, momentarily stunned by them. “I thought vampires couldn’t come out in the sunlight,” she said weakly.
“That was before sun block,” Colton said. “Now listen to me . . . you need to get away from that guy.”
Melody nodded, her hand slipping inside her pants pocket, reaching for the small water pistol Max had given her in the car. “Where’s my cousin, Colton?”
Colton examined her closely, sniffing something. “You’re changing already,” he said. “I can smell it in your blood.”
Melody stared at him. “Changing?”
“Oh Melody . . . did the one who took your sister, did he bite you?”
“It’s all a blur,” Melody said, gazing into his eyes once more. Those black eyes that sparkled like a starry night. She suddenly felt lightheaded, gazing at those eyes.
"You're coming with me, right now," Colton said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards the door.
Melody pulled out the water pistol and shot him in the face.
Chapter 14
Colton lunged for her, his face blistering, and Melody screamed.
Colton stopped, staring at her momentarily, then evaporated to mist.
Max rushed up to her as she watched the mist seep under the Men's restroom door.
"Quick, he's getting away!" Max shouted, trying to turn the knob. It was locked. He pounded on the door.
"Someone's in here!" a man called out.
"I need to get inside of there right now!" Max barked, slapping his hands furiously against the door. "Open up!"
"Get lost, buddy!" the man shouted back.
"Stand back!" Max screamed at Melody, "I'm kicking this door down, right now!"
"I don't think so," boomed a voice directly behind Melody.
Chapter 15
The cook stood there, his white apron smeared with food. "If y'all don't get out right now, I'm calling the police," he said.
Max and Melody walked outside. She shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun it was so blinding.
"You okay," Max asked.
"I'm having trouble seeing," Melody said. "The sun is too bright."
"Here," Max said, putting an arm around her, "Let me help you to the car."
Melody leaned against him as he led her gently across the parking lot, opening her door and closing it behind her.
"Here," Max said, getting in the car and reaching inside the glove box. He pulled out a pair of shades and handed them to her.
Melody put them on and noticed an immediate improvement. "What's wrong with me?" Melody asked. "Colton, he said I was changing. Am I becoming a vampire?"
Max started the engine, a frown on his face. "I hope not," he said.
"Do you think Valery's still alive?" Melody asked as the car sped down the road.
"We're heading to Luke's now to get his dad's boat. Then we'll hit the island and search for Valery in the cave."
"What cave?" Melody asked.
"That's where that huge, blood sucking bat lives," Max said through gritted teeth. "The island I was showing you last night, it has a sea cave. That's where we'll find the vampire and probably your cousin."
Melody gulped.
He turned and looked at her grimly. "If you don't want to go with me to the Island of the Dead, you don't have to."
"Island of the Dead?"
"Yeah, Island of the Dead. They call it that because there is nothing alive on it."
Melody looked away from him. She felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach. "Nothing's living?"
Max glanced at her. "Oh, no . . . I don't mean that your cousin's dead or anything like that."
Melody nodded.
A bat smashed into the windshield, blocking Max's view.
Chapter 16
Max slammed on the breaks, the Mustang screeching, coming to a halt on the center line.
"Reach under your seat and hand me the gun," Max ordered. "Do it now!"
Melody automatically reached down, felt the pistol grip, and pulled the weapon out, staring at it in horror. This was not a water gun.
Max snatched it from her. "Wood tip bullets," he explained, turning to open the door.
Colton appeared beside the door and grabbed it, ripping it off its hinges and throwing it over his head. He grabbed Max as the door landed with a thud across the road, snatching him from the car like a doll."
Max hung in the air, his feet dangling, kicking to find the ground. Melody noticed the pistol in the driver's seat.
"Tell her the truth!" Colton yelled.
"What are you talking about?" Max cried, trying to fight his way free from Colton's grasp.
"She's coming with me," Colton said.
Melody came to a decision then, grabbing the gun and opening the passenger door. She bolted out, training the gun on Colton. "Colton!" Melody shouted. "Let him go, or I'll shoot you."
"Melody, it isn't what you--"
"Let him go. I'm not joking!" Melody said.
Colton lowered Max. "He's going to kill you," the vampire said.
"Shoot him!" Max screamed.
Melody fired, the shot echoing across the fields.
Colton's mouth dropped open, a look of horror on his face.
Chapter 17
Colton howled in rage, the sound coming from his throat low and inhuman. His shoulder was on fire, and his hand slapped at the flames, trying to extinguish them.
Melody lowered the gun.
"Shoot him again!" Max cried.
Colton turned then and ran for
the field, leaping across the road, landing on all fours and running off into the woods like a beast. Melody fired, the shots going wild.
She was still pulling the trigger, though the gun was empty, when Max hugged her.
She could feel tears spilling down her face as Max held her close, rubbing her back, telling her everything was okay. He led her back to the car.
"What do you know about vampires?" Max said as they drove to Luke's house.
"Just that they live off blood and sparkle." Melody frowned. "Why wasn't Colton sparkling?"
Max let out a laugh. "Are you serious?" he asked.
"What?" Melody said. "Haven't you ever read the Twilight series?"
"No," Max said. "No. Vampires do not sparkle, Melody."
"You don't have to say it like that," Melody said.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm stupid or something," Melody said. "How am I supposed to know about vampires? How is anybody supposed to know about them?" She took off her sunglasses, the light blinding her. She quickly put them back on.
"Something's wrong with me. The bite marks on my neck. Am I changing into a vampire?"
"Of course not," Max said.
"Are you sure?"
"Listen, vampires can't go out into sunlight."
"Colton looked like he was doing just fine in the sunlight."
"That's because he was wearing sun block," Max said. “You’re not wearing sun block. If you were a vampire, you’d be a ball of fire right now.”
"I can barely see without these shades," Melody said.
"Well, let's do a test then," Max said, "just to put your mind at ease."
"What?" Melody asked.
Max adjusted his rearview mirror. "How do you think those sunglasses look on you?"
"Fine," Melody said, looking into the mirror.
"See, you're definitely not a vampire," Max said. "You cast a reflection. Vampires do not cast reflections."
"But what about my eyes?" Melody asked.