by Lana Melyan
“Don’t be,” said Craig. “Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise.”
“I love you so much,” said Eleanor. She stroked his hand and kissed it. “I want you to remember that.”
She could see a sudden fear in Craig’s eyes.
“Eleanor, is there—”
“Yes, there is something.” She smiled to make his fear go away. “This might be a bad time for this,” her fingers brushed his hair, “But I want you to kiss me. It will give me strength.”
“There’s a small door on the other side. It’s boarded up, too,” said Riley.
“Good,” said Samson, keeping his eyes at the cemetery. “We’ll split up. Riley, Craig and Edmond— go to the left. Hanna, Eleanor— you stay here and prepare your arrows. Ruben comes with me. Remember— quick and quiet.”
As Hanna and Eleanor saw shadows from both sides streaking off toward the cemetery, they took their first shot. Two vampires hit the ground. But then the fight began in earnest, and it was impossible to aim. They put down their arrows and took out the stakes. As they moved forward, they saw a few vampires running to the church door.
The next second, Hanna and Eleanor stood before them.
“Where do you think you’re going?” said Hanna and knocked down one of them.
The second vampire swung his fist. She dodged under his hand then rose sharply. Before he could make another move, she stuck the stake into his chest. Hanna grabbed the first one, who was trying to escape, but instead of staking him she began furiously beating him up.
“It’s all . . . because . . . of you. . . . It’s all . . . because . . . of you. . . .” She sent blow after blow into the vampire’s face.
Eleanor killed two others and looked at her bitterly.
“Hanna,” she called, stepping closer, “Hanna.”
“It’s all . . . because . . . of you. . . .” Hanna kept hammering the vampire’s face.
Eleanor dragged her back. She staked the unconscious vampire and turned to Hanna, who glared madly at the shrinking body.
“Hanna.” Eleanor hugged her. “You have to be strong. I need you strong.”
“I am strong. I am stronger than ever,” said Hanna with a shaking voice.
Hanna’s shoulders shuddered. Eleanor hugged her tighter.
“Listen to me. I know you’re in pain. But the thing is, this isn’t over yet. I want you to be strong so you can handle what’s coming next.”
“What do you mean?” Hanna pulled back.
“Nothing.” Eleanor shook her head. “It’s just . . . things are crazy right now. We have so much to deal with.”
Edmond showed up beside them. “Hanna, are you all right?” he asked, taking Hanna’s blood-covered hand.
Eleanor was glad for his appearance.
“It’s not mine,” said Hanna. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Samson kicked the church door, and it crashed to the floor with a bang. They stepped in.
The room seemed much bigger than it looked from the outside. It was packed with vampires waiting for their turn. On the long stone altar lay a man, and on the other side Samson saw his case with the Book in it. It was placed on the stand for prayer books. Fray, who was standing between the stand and the altar, slowly turned his head.
“Samson.” He rounded the altar. “What took you so long? No, wait, I know. The funeral,” he said. “Sorry I missed that.”
Riley clenched his fists.
“I’m not up for small talk,” said Samson in a stone voice. “I’m here to take what is mine.”
“Are you ready to lose more members of your precious family?”
“You are not my family.”
Fray laughed. “You know that you can’t kill me.”
“Everything in its time,” said Samson, stepping forward.
He grabbed the vampire closest to him and hit him in the chest. His fist went through and came out from the vampire’s back. Samson pulled his bloody hand out and threw the body to the growling crowd.
“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t know that your army is so fragile.”
“When my army wakes up—” started Fray furiously.
“That will never happen,” said Samson, and he jumped.
He landed in front of Fray. Fray swung his fist, but Samson hit him first. He noticed the dagger wasn’t on Fray’s belt.
Riley jumped into the middle of the crowd and began crushing them. Craig, Eleanor, and Ruben wedged into the swarm of raging vampires.
Samson tried to jostle Fray away from the Book, but it didn’t work. Fray kicked him a few feet away. Samson jumped up and punched him in the jaw, then kicked him in the stomach. Fray flipped and fell face down across the man lying on the altar.
Samson grabbed Fray by his clothes and pulled him up. Fray clung to the body lying beneath him and dragged it along. He jerked his head backward and hit Samson in the face, knocking him off balance, then turned around and hurled the body at him.
Meanwhile, Riley was getting closer to the Book. He was now fighting on the stairs before the altar, attacked from all sides. Standing back to back, Craig and Eleanor put down half of the vampires surrounding them. Edmond, who was fighting between the wall and the line of pews, was swinging his sword madly right and left, but the vampires were too many, and they were punching him and pulling him from side to side. Ruben was making his way to Edmond to help him. Hanna was furiously fighting under the opposite wall and at the same time, she was trying to lure the vampires away from the altar.
Samson held Fray with one hand and punched him over and over. Then he spun around and kicked him away from the Book. Roaring, Fray jumped up and flipped. Still in the air, he pulled the dagger out of his long sleeve. He landed behind Samson, and when Samson turned around, Fray thrust the dagger deep into his heart. Samson shuddered. His legs weakened, and he fell to one knee.
“It hurts, doesn’t it?” rasped Fray. “Your Gabriella stabbed me. So she got what she deserved.”
Samson saw Riley fighting right behind Fray, and he pulled himself up. Fray turned to Riley, raising the dagger. Samson grabbed him and pulled back. The dagger slid down Riley’s back, cutting his clothes. Riley looked over his shoulder. He saw Samson falling and hauling Fray with him. But Samson’s grip wasn’t tight enough, and Fray was on his feet again. Riley saw the blood on Samson’s chest. He rushed toward Fray and punched him so hard that he flew to the wall and collapsed.
Eleanor jumped behind Riley and closed the case. Craig and Ruben covered her flank, protecting her from the vampires coming up the stairs.
“Ralph, take her. NOW!” Fray suddenly yelled, staring as Eleanor ran down the stairs with the Book.
Everybody looked at Eleanor, who held the case with both hands. Craig, Ruben, and Edmond stood around her. But all the remaining vampires ran toward Hanna. They grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. One of them pulled the second dagger from behind his back and put it against Hanna’s heart.
“Hanna!” screamed Edmond, and he jumped over the line of the pews.
“Edmond, stop!” yelled Samson.
Everyone froze.
“One more move,” hissed Fray, “and she dies.”
Eleanor stopped and turned around.
Fray pointed at Edmond. “Bring that one to me.”
Two vampires took Edmond under his arms and led him to Fray. Edmond didn’t resist. Fray flipped the dagger in his hand and put it against his heart.
“You think I’m stupid?” Fray glared at Samson. “I knew you’d find me sooner or later. Look at your Hanna.”
A few vampires held Hanna, stretching her arms and pushing her shoulders against the wall. Others stood before her. Ralph, the vampire who was holding the dagger, smirked. Hanna glared at his bloodshot eyes and spat in his face. Ralph growled, and jerked her head by her hair.
“Don’t touch her!” roared Edmond.
“Quiet, Romeo,” said Fray and then turned to Samson. “She was always a firecracker, your Hanna. You love her
like a daughter. So if you don’t want to bury her too, you’ll do as I say.”
Samson knew they didn’t have a choice. He looked at Hanna, then at Edmond, and then his eyes stopped at Eleanor. His heart sank.
“Step back to the door,” said Fray sharply. “All of you, except Eleanor. Go.” He gazed at Samson.
Samson looked at Riley standing at the end of the stairs and nodded to the door. Clenching his teeth, Riley obeyed. Samson went after him.
“I said all of you,” Fray barked, staring at Ruben and Craig.
Ruben stepped back, but Craig didn’t move.
“Are you scared?” Fray sneered at him. “Don’t be. I have a better target.” He glanced at Hanna, then at Craig again. “Your Eleanor just has to do what I say.”
Eleanor looked at Craig. “Go. Do as he says,” she whispered.
Craig stepped back.
“Eleanor, come forward,” Fray said.
Eleanor turned to Samson. They looked at each other for a moment.
“Eleanor, I am so sorry,” said Samson quietly.
Eleanor nodded once. Then her sad eyes looked tenderly at Craig. “I’m sorry, my love,” she mouthed, then smiled weakly.
“Eleanor.” Craig started toward her.
Samson grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
“You are stupid, Fray,” said Samson, trying to distract Fray from Eleanor’s actions. “You’re raising monsters, and you thought I would let you get away with it?”
Eleanor moved her hand, and the case opened. The Book fell onto the floor and Eleanor knelt before it.
Riley gasped, predicting the next move. He gazed at Samson, his mouth open. Fray had the same expression on his face.
Eleanor pulled up one side of the heavy cover of the Book and with great effort, using all her power, pushed it down against the yellow pages, rustling in protest.
“NOOOO!” Fray screamed wildly.
“ELEANOR!” cried Craig.
The Hunters shuddered. Rays of shimmering silver-blue light came out of their chests and flew into the Book. They couldn’t move. Through the wall streamed about fifty other blue rays, coming from the barn.
Fray stared at the dagger. One by one, its symbols disappeared.
“Eleanor, NO! Please,” Hanna cried.
When the Book was almost closed, sharp iron teeth, like a small arrows, popped out from the iron clasps. They pierced Eleanor’s hands and her blood flowed, soaking the pages. Two rays of glittering light came out of Eleanor’s chest----one blue and one red. As they slipped into the Book, it clicked shut.
The Hunters could move once again. Tears rolled down Samson’s face. Screaming Eleanor’s name, Craig ran to her, and she fell dead into his arms.
28
TODAY
As Amanda and Alec took off, Alec pulled out his cellphone.
“I have to tell my mom I won’t be home for dinner.”
He touched the screen a few times and then put the phone away.
“You didn’t write anything,” said Amanda.
“No.” Alec smiled. “I sent the old message.”
“Does it say I’m sorry that her son will starve because of me?”
Alec beamed.
“We can by some donuts at the gas station if it’ll make you feel better.”
While Alec was paying for the donuts, Amanda looked around the gas station. Her eyes stopped on the big flashlights.
“I have two of them in the trunk,” said Alec, approaching her. “I have a compass, too,” he added jokingly. “Donut?” He handed her the open paper bag.
“Thanks.”
She followed him back into the car.
She watched the trees flashing away behind the car window and thought about Craig. Surely, Melinda had already told him that she was gone, and he was going crazy not knowing where she was. He probably hated her right now.
“Are you still with me?” Alec asked “Amanda, you look worried, and a little scared. Just tell me what it is. Maybe I’ll be able to help.”
“I’m fine, and you’re already helping.”
Amanda’s phone vibrated.
“Is it Melinda?” Alec asked.
“No, it’s Hanna,” she said, and turned the phone off.
“That house . . . have you ever been there before?” Alec asked after a moment of silence.
“No.”
“But you recognized it. It means that you’ve seen it? Where? Another picture?”
“Not exactly.” Amanda paused. “You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but the thing is—” She glanced at him. “I’ve seen it in my dreams.”
“You’re not crazy. Dreams can be very important.”
“I just want to make sure it’s the same house.”
“And if it is?”
“Then I need to do something. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”
“Do what?”
“You’ll see when we get in.”
Alec looked at her, a little puzzled.
“You want us to break in?”
“Yep,” said Amanda, nodding. “I hope you have some tools in that trunk of yours?”
“Sure.” Alec grinned.
Craig’s hands clutched the steering wheel. The image of Amanda falling dead was freezing his blood. Was that how it was going to end? He couldn’t let it happen. Not again.
“She turned off her phone,” said Hanna from the back seat.
“How much do they have—seven, eight minute head start?” Riley asked.
“Something like that,” said Melinda.
“We’ll catch them. Besides, in her dreams, or whatever it was, the house was empty. You said there was no vampire around Amanda’s house. So it’s possible they have no idea what’s going on.”
“Fray wouldn’t just leave the Book without somebody guarding it,” said Craig. “Maybe the house is empty, and maybe Fray is not there right now, but the woods are probably full of vampires, and any of them can have the dagger. I’m sure he’s prepared surprises for us.”
“That’s what scares me,” said Hanna. “We’re like blind kittens.”
“He’s had a hundred and sixty years to plan this day, and we are not mind readers,” said Riley, “All we know is that the Book is not opened yet. We have to get there before the blue light hits our chests.”
As Amanda and Alec came out of the woods to the front of the house, she stopped.
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, staring at the fountain.
She walked through the tall grass and up the porch stairs. Screwdriver in his hand, Alec stepped to the door.
“Wait,” said Amanda.
She suddenly remembered that in her dream she never locked the door. She approached it and pushed the handle. The door opened.
“If I’d known that it was open when I came here…” said Alec.
“It wasn’t,” whispered Amanda. Her own words made her shiver. “This is impossible,” she said as they walked in.
Everything felt exactly the same—the silence, the smell of the dust, the chill and moist air.
The sun was already behind the hill, and the faint light of dusk, falling in through the doorway and the gap between the heavy curtains, weakly illuminated small portions of the room.
Amanda’s eyes froze as she looked at the floor. She switched on the flashlight and examined the stairs. And then she heard it, that weak, plaintive moan calling for her. She closed her eyes, listening.
“Amanda, are you alright?” Alec asked.
Her eyes flew open.
“Alec, is this real?” she said, looking at him. “I mean, this isn’t a dream, is it?”
“Okay. You know, this is becoming a bit creepy.”
“A bit? I’ve never been here, and you see these spots on the dust? Those are my footprints,” said Amanda, pointing at the floor.
“What? If you’ve never been here, what makes you think they’re yours?”
“I just know,” she said, stepping forward.
“So wh
at are we looking for?” asked Alec.
He turned on his flashlight, too, and followed her.
Ruben drove off the highway and hit the brakes, stopping the car on the dirt path.
“Is it here?” Kimberly asked, eyeing the woods on both sides of the road. “You said house. I don’t see any house.”
“Kimberly, I have to run,” said Ruben. “Take the car and go back, please.”
“So let’s run,” said Kimberly, stepping out of the car.
“Kimberly,” called Ruben.
She slammed the door.
“Kimberly,” Ruben got out, too. “It’s getting dark.”
“Yeah, we’ll need flashlights.”
“You have to go back, please.”
“Ruben, we’re wasting time.”
The climb wasn’t very steep and they moved pretty fast. Ruben always had a stake on him, and now it was his only weapon. With Kimberly beside him, the stake was poor comfort. Ruben clutched her hand at the slightest noise and stopped to look around.
Luckily, he didn’t find anything suspicious. As soon as they saw outlines of the house, Ruben slowed down.
“Wait,” he whispered a few feet away from the clearing, pulling Kimberly closer.
That view brought a sad smile to his face. For a moment his memory drew him back in time, showing him images of the day when he allegedly hunted the vampire who attacked Eleanor, then the day when Gabriella sent him to check on one-year-old Margaret while Craig and Eleanor were in Egypt.
“Look,” said Kimberly, pointing at the house.
Through the open door, Ruben saw two strips of light swaying from side to side. Vampires didn’t need flashlights since they could see in the dark as well as humans in daylight.
“It’s them,” said Ruben.
Amanda turned her flashlight to the left of the fireplace.
“You see that door?” she said to Alec. “That’s a library.”
She walked ahead and glanced out at the garden as she passed by the backyard door.
“Does it look familiar, too?” Alec asked.
“Yes. Especially that bench” sighed Amanda.