The Dead Days Journal: Volume 1

by Sandra R. Campbell

  “Dad chained him to a tree outside the courtyard. He’s planning to kill him when the other vamps show up at dark. He says he’s setting an example or something. He thinks he can beat them. But I know its suicide for us all, and I’m eleven.”

  I have to save him!

  The second rope fell and I scrambled around to help Lincoln untie my feet. “Where’s Ben? Tilly? Duncan? Are they helping Dad? Is Robert…dead?”

  I’d almost forgotten that I'd stabbed Robert in the stomach, using a sadistic tactic my father called gut twisting—a maneuver he referred to as a kill shot.

  “Tilly’s hurt, but she’ll be okay. Robert’s fine. I don’t know if they’re all helping Dad, but they’re out there with him.”

  Robert’s fine? No way. He can’t be fine, not unless he’s the one possessed or used Halloween’s blood to heal. But how would he know to do that? Unless Ben…

  I kicked the chair out of the way and stood up with a little help from Lincoln. “Is it light outside?”

  Lincoln exchanged the rope in his hand for the dimming light stick. “Just about dusk. It’ll be dark soon enough.”

  “So there’s no one else left inside the bunker?”

  Every inch of my body ached, but nothing felt broken. Whatever damage my father had inflicted was on the mend, thanks to drinking large amounts of Halloween’s blood.

  I felt around to the back of my belt; my knife was missing. The only items in the closet were the chair, one light stick, a few ropes, and my brother.

  Right now, Linc’s my only viable asset.

  “Just us kids. We’re supposed to stay in the panic room and keep an eye on Tilly.” A sly grin transformed my innocent brother into a deviant sidekick.

  I decided that using Lincoln was a necessary risk and grabbed his small hand. “Are the bodies still hanging over the doors?”

  “Yeah.”

  As long as he stays inside, he’s safe from the hungry horde.

  “Count like this: one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and so on until you reach one hundred and thirty. Then light it. I’ll be counting with you.”

  If I ran fast enough, I’d make the front entrance before our distraction went sky high. Lincoln and I were finally using the fireworks he’d been hording, along with my father’s highly combustible concoction of extra fine sawdust and gunpowder. By no means was this a celebration, but an explosion, even of the sparkly variety, would draw everyone’s attention to the cave and away from the courtyard—away from Halloween. I just had to reach him before anyone noticed.

  Once he gets a taste of my blood, he’ll be fine.

  I double-checked the fuses I’d twisted together and the ignition line we’d run along the dirt floor. I wasn’t entirely sure the cave opening wouldn’t collapse; but if it did, well, it’d be one less entrance we’d have to worry about protecting.

  “As soon as this sparks, head to the outlook room. You’re my eyes and backup if anything goes wrong. Are you sure you’re up for this, Linc?”

  Lincoln re-adjusted the shoulder strap of his rifle. The gun was almost as tall as him. “Yeah.”

  I ruffled the white-blond hair on the top of his head with the palm of my hand, fighting the urge to give him a bone-crushing hug. “Okay. Be careful, baby brother.”

  Lincoln stumbled forward, reaching for my arm. “Leo, wait!”

  “What is it?” Please do this for me. It’s Halloween’s only chance.

  Lincoln’s pale green eyes pooled with tears. “I’m sorry…”

  I snatched my arm out of his tender hands. “What?” Shit, it’s almost dark! We don’t have time for this.

  Lincoln shuffled his feet and then watched as a small dirt cloud dispersed over his shoes. “I called you a liar. I only said it because I was mad. That vampire wasn’t a dream. He was real. The dream didn’t come back, he did. You never lied to me.”

  I bent over, took his round chin in my hand, and raised his head. Looking him square in the eye, I gave a hard nod. “And I never will.”

  Lincoln responded with a curt nod of his own and then swiped away a falling tear. He believed me. I was his big sister. I’d always be there for him. He’d never doubt me. We’d never have this misunderstanding again. And now I knew I’d never be able to leave him.

  “Start now…” I slipped through the steel door.

  Behind me, in a soft soprano voice, Lincoln began counting. “One Mississippi, two…”

  The door clicked shut and I took off at a dead run, silently counting along with him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The heavy pounding of my boots echoed through the cement tunnel like a pair of automatic weapons. I’d reached one hundred-twenty Mississippi when I heard the distant rumble of multiple explosions.

  Lincoln lit it early…

  I ran faster. When I reached the front entrance, the blasting fireworks disguised the banging of metal as I barreled through the door blind.

  Four steps into the open courtyard, I saw Halloween thirty feet ahead at the edge of the woods. He was chained to a large oak. His battered body was slumped, bloodied, and motionless. I sprinted through the courtyard until I crashed into him and the tree at full speed. It felt like hitting a wet brick wall. Sliding the small blade I’d secured to the inside of my sleeve, I balled my fist, pierced the vein at my wrist, and pressed it to his slacked mouth.

  He didn’t move. I jerked his head up by his blue blood-soaked hair. “Drink!”

  Halloween’s eyelids briefly fluttered and then went still. I slapped his face before practically jamming my arm down his throat. “Come on, asshole. I don’t have all night.”

  This time his scorched lips closed around the wound. I could feel a pull. It was weak, but he was drinking. The exposed blue-black cords in his throat worked to move the blood down to his mangled gut.

  While he fed, I eyed the thick chain and locks that imprisoned him to the tree. I had no key, no tool to break the welded links…

  There’s no way I can get him free.

  I hadn’t thought far enough ahead. My blood would heal him just enough for him to suffer my father’s wrath all over again. The tears that welled in my eyes were less of a surprise than I wanted to admit. Despite all my efforts to not care for this being, I did. I cared a lot.

  Edging his silky hair around the perfect tip of his pointy ear, I leaned in close and whispered. “I don’t know how to save you.”

  The painfully sharp pull on my wrist was the only response Halloween gave. The more blood he took the stronger he’d get. It was the only chance he had to fight back, though with his hands and feet chained, he had no real means to do so.

  The sky turned dark. The woods would be crawling with vampires soon. A buried tampon applicator had been all it took to entice Halloween. Surely an open wrist wound would be like ringing the dinner bell. And once Halloween had his fill, I’d have no strength left to do anything. I wouldn’t be able to protect myself. My head was spinning, my legs already weak.

  This time we’re both dead.

  I lifted my head from Halloween’s shoulder at the sound of gunfire. The woods swirled around me as I fell to the ground. I held my head, waiting for the dizziness to clear. When I looked up, a much better-looking Halloween had broken one hand free from the chains and extended that strong hand to me. It took every ounce of energy I had to reach up and place my hand in his. The second our skin touched, he yanked me to his side. Pinning me to the tree with his hip, Halloween used his iron-like claws to break his other hand loose.

  Bullets whizzed by the tree. Instinctively, I cowered as far as I could behind Halloween’s massive size. Then I heard shouts. My father and the others were approaching.

  I peered out from behind Halloween to see my little brother ducking back through the outlook hatch. Lincoln’s aim had never been great, but I also knew he didn’t want to shoot anyone. He’d only meant to keep them away long enough for Halloween to get free. Unfortunately, my father and Robert knew it too.

  I was sho
cked to see Robert running without any signs of the wound I’d inflicted. He should have bled out hours ago.

  They reached us just as Halloween sliced the last bit of chain from around his feet. When Robert leveled his gun at point-blank range, three vampires fanned out from behind the large tree. Their deadly gazes raked over Halloween and me before turning their attention to the others. The constant chattering of their teeth was a disturbingly sick display of their hunger.

  A tall and wiry-thin vampire with deep-set flame-red eyes spoke first. “You mountain hicks don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word sacrifice.”

  Halloween took a step forward, but he kept one hand over my stomach, keeping me fixed to the trunk of the tree. “Give me a few moments inside with them.” Halloween jerked his head toward my father. “Then this prick will send out your blood.”

  The muscles in my father’s jaw pulsed. “Fuck you. My family’s not yours to eat!”

  My father’s knuckle flashed white as he flexed his trigger finger. The very next instant the head of vampire to my left exploded. Tree shrapnel and pieces of bloody gore pelted my side. Halloween crushed my face to his chest and whipped us behind the tree to protect us from the bullets that were now whizzing in every direction.

  Chaos echoed through my ears, screams of cruelty from both human and vampire lungs. But I was too tired to care very much.

  At that moment the only thing I wanted was what I had: Halloween’s strong arms holding me up. His strength was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. The people I was fighting for weren’t my family, not anymore, not when I would soon become a vampire.

  I’m fighting a losing battle.

  Maybe the best thing for them would be to let Halloween take me away to his island. He didn’t want to kill his own kind, and my family was capable of defending themselves. My presence only fueled my father’s raging delusions.

  He blames me for Mom’s death.

  If I left he wouldn’t be so distracted. He’d regain some level of control.

  That’s what I desperately wanted to believe, but no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I knew it wasn’t true. My father would destroy everyone and everything to get what he wanted. Halloween was right. No matter what, I had to see this through to the end.

  When Halloween released his steel grip, I threw my head back and gasped for air. I’d expected to fill my lungs with life-sustaining oxygen, but all I pulled in was thick smoke and the pungent saccharine and metallic odor of plasma. I breathed in death. While Halloween had held me, protected me, everyone on the other side of the oak tree was murdering each other.

  Halloween smoothed my hair from my face as I hacked on the putrid air I’d inhaled. Then he picked me up in his arms. “You do know how to save me.”

  I flashed a tiny smile, laid my pounding head against him, and closed my eyes to the carnage that littered the ground. I might have saved Halloween, but I’d done it at the expense of the people I loved and had, until recently, called family.

  I kept my eyes locked in darkness, refusing to see the damage I’d done. “Who died?”

  “Many,” Halloween said solemnly, and then his movements stopped abruptly.

  I cracked an eyelid, expecting the worst, and I found exactly that. Our path to the bunker was blocked by three new vampires standing shoulder to shoulder, unmoving.

  The first was tiny, almost pixie-like in her stature, with skin more grey than black, flowing strands of salt and pepper hair, and eyes of sparkling amethyst. She was the first female vampire I’d seen. She cocked her head to side as if she were studying an unknown oddity. Maybe that’s what Halloween and I being together amounted to for her, an oddity.

  Flanking her were much taller male vampires. The one to her right was almost as wide as he was tall. His head was completely bald and he had blue-black skin that matched his piercing blue eyes. Rolling his head, he sniffed the air and growled.

  The third vampire was the most unique of the three. From head to toe his charcoal skin was branded and scarred, but instead of making him grotesque, the unusual markings made him exquisite. His wide almond-shaped eyes were spiraling colors. Looking at his eyes was like gazing into the sun through a pair of crystals. This one smiled, revealing straight pearly-white fangs.

  Cautiously, Halloween lowered my feet to the dirt path. My legs were the consistency of spaghetti after being drained of so much blood. The only thing that held me upright was the one muscular arm he kept wrapped around my waist.

  “Do they always come in threes?” My words came out slightly garbled.

  Halloween glanced at me with a quirked brow. “Not usually.”

  “I guess it’s my lucky night.” I was exhausted and punchy, whether for the lack of blood pumping through my veins or the new craving I had for his I did not know. Aggravation took the place of fear and left little room for anything else. “What do you want?”

  “We’ve come for dinner,” the big bald vampire quipped as he took a massive step forward. But the little grey pixie hopped in his way.

  “There are some scraps back there. Help yourself to whatever’s left,” I challenged, and I immediately hated myself.

  “Check the humans first to see if anyone’s alive. Feed if you must, but only with their permission. And heal them when you’re finished.” Halloween gave his orders like a general leading his troops.

  I sagged against him, defeated. He’s won. Halloween had fooled me into sacrificing myself to him and sacrificing the lives of my entire family for his hungry horde of monsters. I’m such a fool!

  I barely blinked and the scarred vampire was standing inches from me with his menacing clawed-hand draped over Halloween’s tense shoulder. “And the others?”

  Halloween’s arm tightened around my waist. “Anything that bleeds black, destroy. And be sure to contain the essence,” he said before tearing a hole in his thumb with a lengthy canine and pressing it to my wrist, mending my wound.

  “And if they don’t bleed black, if they bleed blue instead?” The sound of the female vampire’s high scratchy voice made me cringe.

  “Let them go.”

  “What? No! You promised.” I tried to twist free from Halloween’s clutches and managed to get nowhere.

  Halloween glared down as I continued to push against him. We both knew I couldn’t do anything to stop him, but that didn’t mean I’d stop trying.

  “Leo, I’m done here. There are far more important things at stake than just your family.”

  Dead Day # 1,454

  The feel of the vampire’s devil flesh ripping beneath my blade brought immense pleasure to my soul. And when my hands tore into his gut, removing pieces of his intestines, I actually felt the bulge between my legs grow. It’s been years since I’ve been that satisfied.

  I will give the beast credit for his strength—not once did he cry out or beg for mercy. But I did wonder what went through his puny mind when I chained him to the tree and whispered the atrocities I had planned for my lovely daughter into his partially chopped ear. The vampire’s eyes burned with a fierce fire at the mention of her death, but he never said a word. Of course, that’s where my celebration of the beast’s destruction ended.

  My daughter brought her brother into her traitorous ranks. Their fireworks display was a brilliant idea. It gave Leo just enough time to reach the monster and give him what he needed to heal. I could have ended it all there. While she stood there, bleeding life back into the vampire, her skull was in my sights. I could have pulled the trigger at any time, and I would have if it weren’t for Ben. I didn’t believe him at first. After all, he’s the one who told me Leo refused to sleep with him. But once Duncan assured me his words were true, I gave Ben a chance to explain.

  Oh, thank the Lord! Leo is pregnant! Ben’s a daddy! And I’m going to be a grandfather! My legacy is protected and the human race will continue to reign. I will not let these vampires defeat me. They cannot have my grandchild or my daughter, at least not until she has given
birth and her duty to me is complete.

  A new plan begins today, after Lincoln proves his worth. If my son really is sorry for siding with his sister and taking pot-shots at me, then he will show me. He will perform his training as I have instructed and not force me to defile little Zoe myself.

  Because I sought to change our fate, no sacrifice was chosen, and the vampires made good on their threat. They burned our crops, and in our battle this night, many have perished. I know that Robert, Duncan, and Ben live because they rescued me from the courtyard. We’re now secure in the bunker. The children, of course, are safe inside the panic room with Tilly. But the rest… We’ll not be certain of anything until dawn arrives.

  Population: Unknown

  Rations: Unknown

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Clear water lapped against my ankles, cool and refreshing. I teetered along the slick boulders that edged out into the river’s swiftly rising rapids as a gentle wind blew the scent of crisp mountain water and freshly bloomed flowers through my hair. I stopped to breathe it in. For a fraction of a second I felt joy and peace in a world that was for the most part dead.

  The sound of clinking glass drew my attention down to the base of the rocks near where I stood. Between the smooth, water-worn stone edges bobbed a red bottle, a lot like the ones Halloween used to capture vampires. I bent down, cupping water and the bottle into my hands, and watched the swirling mist trapped inside.

  Fascinating.

  A heavy thump in the river and the rush of displaced water sloshed against my legs, startling me. I jumped and the bottle slipped from my fingers. I watched the bottle tumble end over end and explode into jagged shards. Thin funnels of smoke moved around my feet, creeping ever so slowly upward. I used my arm to cover my nose and mouth and turned to run, but there was no escape.

  Lining the riverbed were hundreds of red-eyed, teeth-chattering vampires, bloody and hungry. Without warning, they charged. Scrambling toward the river, I screamed for Halloween again and again before leaping from the smoke-covered rocks and into a raging blood-red river.