by R. M. Garcia
“A fortunate find my sisters,” another voice whispered from the mist.
“What the hell?” Donnie said.
“They’re here, Donnie, grab Mother and I will try to hold them back,” Luther said.
“No way, I’m not leaving you behind,” Donnie said.
“Donnie, run, please take Mother, she’s helpless, and they will kill her first,” Luther said.
“No, we will keep her,” a voice said from the fog.
“We have many questions,” another voice loudly whispered.
“Kill the two males. I will take the female,” another voice escaped from the fog.
“No! Mother!” Luther yelled as he began moving to the back of the truck. Donnie lost sight of him as he went toward the back on the truck. Then he suddenly saw Luther being dragged into the mists and was followed by an agonizing scream bellowed by Luther.
“Donnie,” a voice said from the mists.
“He’s so handsome,” another voice whispered from nearby in the mists.
“Donnie, don’t look at them, they can arrrgghhhh!” Luther screamed from somewhere in the mists. His voice seemed to be moving around within the mists.
“Bring it! You . . . whatever you are!” Donnie yelled. Donnie could hear laughter from the fog and was startled when an incredibly beautiful woman materialized from the mists. She was dressed in a flowing white dress that was quite see through and revealing. She opened the door to the truck and looked Donnie in the eyes.
“Hello, Donnie,” the woman said and she started to caress his arm.
“Oh, we like you,” a second woman said, as she materialized inside the truck and took a position on his other arm. They were stunningly beautiful and were using their womanly wiles to seduce Donnie. They kissed his arms and face, and caressed his lower body seductively. Donnie was transfixed by their movements and their wonderful intoxicating aroma. His senses were being artificially heightened. Every touch, every sensation was being somehow magnified. They began to pull and push Donnie out of the truck. Slowly, he exited the truck and was being pulled into the mists by the first woman. The second woman began sliding out of the truck, when she knocked a pillow out of the truck to the ground below. Donnie didn’t notice Abbie’s pillow falling behind him, but he did smell . . .
“Apples,” Donnie said as he pulled his arm away from the first woman.
“Impossible!” the first woman screamed. Donnie quickly grabbed the truck door and violently slammed it shut on the second woman. She was only partially outside of the truck and was caught completely unaware. She had one arm, a leg, and her head exposed. The door severed all three clean off. The moment she was split in twine, her body turned to mirrored glass and shattered.
“Micaela! No!” The first woman screamed out. “I will rend you limb from limb!” Donnie watched as her delicate hands elongated and grew long black nails. She grabbed hold of Donnie and dragged him into the mists.
“Now you die Foundling,” the voice cried from the fog.
“Heard that before,” Donnie replied, “and I’m still here.” Donnie felt what seemed to be a dozen slashes on his body from numerous directions. They continued to assail him viciously. Donnie could just see them as they materialized for a split second, delivered their slash, and faded back into the mists. Donnie tried to punch, kick, and grab at the figures in the mist, but they were impossible to hit. His every effort was rewarded by an attack from his rear. Donnie had enough! Even when fighting against Luther and Clara, he had been keeping himself in check, but no more, he stopped holding back. Donnie stood up and rain began to fall, the more he opened up the harder the rain fell. Within seconds, the fog became nonexistent, and Donnie could now see his attackers clearly and charged headlong into them. The women came at him as well, all fourteen of them, their wet clothing sticking to their shapely bodies, was even more revealing now. Donnie didn’t bother with subtlety, every swing was delivered at full strength, and every blow was a killing one. With deadly accuracy that he had learned from Luther, he pummeled their heads. Each fisticuff was delivered with such force that it lopped the impacted cranium clean off the body. Every decapitated vampire shattered in glass fragments that sprayed all over Donnie’s person. The vixen vampires piled onto Donnie and began to pull him down. There were ten left now, and Donnie now realized what Luther meant about numbers. The Adored brought over a dozen exterminators to complete their task. Their plan was working, Donnie, as much as he struggled, was being held fast by those trollops. A flash of lightning over head lit the area momentarily. Donnie spotted Luther, he had been tied to a post and his innards were being pulled out by a woman dressed in a red translucent gown.
“So that is the head tramp?” Donnie asked, “What do you say if go kill her now.” Donnie began to struggle as his attackers clawed and ripped at his chest, neck, and face. Donnie let out a roar, and a bolt of lightning came down on top of him. When the flash abated, Donnie had five less vampires to contend with. The ones that weren’t vaporized by the electricity were thrown back several yards. Donnie regained his footing as water evaporated off his red searing skin. He could feel the heat emanating from within him, like a charcoal. With all of his attackers knocked away, Donnie made his move and charged the woman in red. The remaining Adored moved to intercept him, but as they attempted to grab hold of Donnie, they erupted into flames. Donnie was leaving burnt footprints in the grass as he ran.
“I must protect Alyssa,” the last of the remaining women said, and she jumped on Donnie’s back and she too burst into flames. The woman in red turned and saw his charge, and she was shocked to see the last of her sisters go up in flames.
“What have you done?” Alyssa asked.
“Same thing I am going to do you!” Donnie yelled.
“I think not!” Alyssa replied and held her fingers at Donnie. Her nails grew and grew until they were each a foot long. They fired out of her fingertips like arrows and skewered Donnie. The force of the projectiles was enough to take Donnie off his feet.
“OK, that really hurt,” Donnie said as he got up and then fell back down. The nails were also somehow hollow and blood was spurting out of them at a rapid pace. He ripped the nails from his body and stood back up.
“You are a resilient one, aren’t you?” Alyssa asked and fired ten more nails at Donnie. Her aim was perfect and they all hit their mark. Donnie was rocked by the volley, but continued to advance on her. Alyssa grew another set and fired them again. Donnie bore the brunt and like a juggernaut continued to advance. She fired volley after volley, but he forged ahead stalking her.
“How is this possible?” Alyssa asked and started to back away as Donnie reached within a few feet of her. Donnie looked more like a porcupine than a man now.
“What? Don’t you want to kiss me?” Donnie asked with a bloody visage that terrified Alyssa.
“I don’t know how you can do this, but I will remain here no longer.” She turned and began to run, but Luther lunged and grabbed her hair with his teeth. She was yanked back into Donnie’s hands. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him. Alyssa gasped as the hundreds of her nails that were protruding from Donnie’s chest were slowly driven into her back. Her blood began to drain into Donnie’s body.
“Time to put a nail in your coffin,” Donnie whispered in her ear and bit into her neck. Alyssa tried to struggle, but she was firmly connected to Donnie by her own nails. He drank from her until Alyssa was nothing more than a desiccated husk. With a soft exhale, she shattered in his embrace. The nails that riddled his body also turned to glass, and Donnie fell to his knees.
“What about Mother?” Luther asked weakly.
“She’s fine,” Donnie said as he got up. His wounds were quickly healed and despite a myriad of holes in his clothes, he seemed unharmed. The same could not be said for Luther. His internal organs had been ripped out and were hanging loosely from his chest. Despite what legends say, and vampires being undead, they still needed all of their major organs. Donnie
unstrapped Luther and lowered him to the ground.
“I need blood, and all the livestock is gone. I think I’m doomed.” Luther was fading quickly.
“Not so fast,” Donnie said, doing his best to stuff Luther’s parts back in him. “Drink some of mine.” Donnie held his wrist over Luther’s mouth.
“That’s suicide,” Luther said and turned his head away.
“You’re dead anyway if you don’t,” Donnie said. “It’s safe, your mom drank from me once before. It’s something my Bloodline can do.” Luther turned his head back and sank his fangs into Donnie’s exposed wrist. He drank for several minutes and then stopped. His lacerations began to heal.
“Please, go take care of Mother,” Luther said. “I will need a few minutes.” Donnie went over to Clara and found her still safe and sound in the back of the truck. Donnie could tell that she was healing her wounds, but was struggling to do so. Her eyes opened up and she had a look of fear.
“It’s OK, I’m not going to hurt you,” Donnie said. “Please drink some blood.” Donnie extended his wrist to her and she greedily reached for it. She also drank for several minutes before Donnie began feeling a little discomfort and pulled his wrist away.
“I am sorry, Donnie,” Clara said. “It was not out intention to hurt either of you.”
“Once I am back in Abbie’s arms all will be forgiven,” Donnie said. Luther joined them shortly after and they began driving the truck deep into the woods. After a few hours they reached a large boat house that was nestled against an enormous lake.
“This is as far as this truck goes,” Luther said. “I have a tarp we can cover it with.”
“Are we going by boat?” Donnie asked.
“No, the barge has already left,” Clara said as she opened up the door to the boathouse revealing a seaplane. “We travel by air.” They all boarded the aircraft and took off. Clara piloted the aircraft for what seemed like hours northbound. When she began to descend Donnie looked out the window and could see a community situated by the lake below.
“Welcome to the compound, Donnie. You earned it,” Luther said. Donnie smiled and looked forward to seeing Abbie once again.
CHAPTER 29
Tranquility
CLARA LANDED THE seaplane and brought the craft up to a dock. Donnie had been so anxious to see Abbie that he hardly noticed how weak he was now feeling. Several people were waiting on the deck; among them was an excited Abbie. Donnie smiled and waved at her through the window, as she blew kisses at him. Clara and Luther smiled; their feelings for one another were obvious to anyone that saw them together. The door to the plane opened and Abbie jumped inside and hugged Donnie fiercely.
“I missed you!” Abbie said. “I woke up alone.”
“I am sorry. I won’t let it happen again,” Donnie said and then kissed her warmly. “I missed you too.”
“When they told me I might not see you for a few weeks, I was really worried,” Abbie said.
“We were hoping to avoid a confrontation with the Adored, but they found us sooner than we hoped,” Clara said as she got out of the plane and moored it to the dock.
“They found you?” Abbie said alarmed.
“Yeah, it was nothing. I wasn’t in any danger,” Donnie replied.
“Ha! Quit being modest, Donnie,” Luther said. “We were outnumbered sixteen to three.” Donnie shot a look at Luther, but Luther either didn’t see or understand that Donnie wanted him to be quiet so he just kept talking.
“Sixteen!” Abbie said in horror.
“Yes, sixteen of the most beautiful women you could imagine,” Luther continued.
“Luther,” Donnie said softly.
“Beautiful?” Abbie said.
“They pulled me into the mist and began tearing me apart. I was sure that Donnie was next. They had him in their trance,” Luther continued to talk and was unaware that Abbie was getting angrier and angrier.
“Luther,” Donnie said a bit louder.
“How did you escape?” Abbie asked Luther while looking at Donnie.
“I’m not sure. They exude this chemical scent that weakens the will of men. He looked like he was enthralled as they kissed and pawed all over him,” Luther continued.
“Luther! Not helping me man,” Donnie yelled. He knew he was going to get an earful from Abbie that night.
“Pawed and kissed?” Abbie raised her eyebrow and stared into Donnie eyes.
“Then somehow he broke free and started fighting back,” Luther said excitedly. “He shattered them all into tiny pieces. It was extremely . . . gratifying.”
“How did you do it?” Abbie asked Donnie.
“Apples,” Donnie replied.
“Huh?” Abbie asked.
“I will give a detailed account of what happened later. Let’s just get situated first, OK?” Donnie asked. Abbie was a bit miffed at this point but decided to let it go for now.
“Fine, but don’t leave anything out,” Abbie warned. Clara came back to the plane cabin.
“He saved us, Abbie. There is no doubt in my mind about that,” she said.
“How hurt did you get, Donnie?” Abbie asked.
“Plenty,” Donnie replied.
“Then you need to feed?” Abbie asked.
“Yes, I could use a drink,” Donnie, said smiling. Abbie cleared her hair off her neck and moved closer to Donnie.
“Not here,” Clara interrupted the feeding. “Let’s get you to a private area.” Donnie got out of the plane with Abbie, and he was awed by the compound. The compound or Tranquility as the locals called it was a hybrid community. There were about three thousand humans living here and among them were about three hundred Foundlings. It was located on the northern edge of Lac Manitoba, and situated about ten miles north of the Crane River Indian reserve, and about twenty miles west of a city named Grahamdale. The community was hidden in a bay that fed into the large lake. Donnie and Abbie quickly learned why this place was so special. It was made up of normal people and vampires, both living in harmony. The humans here all shared something in common. Each human had a family member that was once or currently is a Foundling. Donnie and Abbie were amazed to find entire families living here.
There was Jeremy, who had been turned thirty years ago and his wife Jeannie. Even though he looked no older than twenty-five, and she was well into her sixties, their love was undeniable. There was also Jason; he had been turned fifteen years ago at a rave at the age of seventeen. His family had uprooted and moved to Tranquility to protect him and had now been here for ten years. His younger siblings were now all grown up, each looking older than their elder brother. Every human who lived in Tranquility had been dealt a loss by a vampire. Some of them had moved here to help keep other families from enduring what had happened to them. The compound was also completely walled in. It looked like a fort, with its wooden walls made out of tree trunks. Donnie could see that there was a military presence here. A militia of sorts, only better organized. They rode horses and had small arms and rifles. Donnie and Abbie were taken to a warehouse by Clara and Luther. They were given a small bunker to live in. It was little more than a double wide coffin.
“I am sorry for the box, but we really don’t need to be comfortable to sleep as you already know,” Clara said as she opened the box. “You will need to remain inside tonight, and stay until we get you tomorrow night. I have to lock you in.”
“Great,” Donnie said sarcastically.
“You need to be cleared,” Luther said. “It should only be one night.”
“Tomorrow you meet the elders, and if they agree, you will be able to stay,” Clara informed.
“So wait, we’re not yet in?” Abbie asked.
“It’s a formality,” Clara explained. “A procedure that everyone needs to follow.”
“Fine, I’m tired, and I need some rest, so just lock us in already,” Donnie said a bit annoyed. Clara closed the box door, and Donnie and Abbie could hear the locking mechanism closing shut. Abbie could tell once they were t
ruly alone in the warehouse.
“Donnie, can you believe this?” Abbie asked.
“It seems like a great place and safe,” Donnie replied.
“Donnie, do you think that we could bring my parents here?”
“It’s a possibility, but do you want to put them through that?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been six months. I can only hope that they’ve accepted your death.” Donnie turned in the bunker to face her. “It was hard on them, and you can’t be sure they would be open to this type of life, much less, accept you as you’re now.”
“I know, Donnie, but I miss them so much.”
“They’re safer not knowing about you or where you are, but we can ask about the possibility,” he said and embraced her and prepared for sleep. “If there’s one thing I have learned this year, it’s that anything is possible.”
“OK, let’s go to sleep. I’m sure a whole new life awaits us here.” Abbie snuggled against Donnie and fell asleep. In the evening that followed, Donnie and Abbie were presented to the Tranquility elders. The town hall was a large building and one of the few within the compound that was constructed out of concrete. The leader of this den was a vampire named Claude, and he appeared to be about fifty years old and, like many here, had a French Canadian accent. Claude looked them over and reviewed reports given to him by Clara.
“Claude, these are the two new Foundlings that wish to become residents,” Clara informed as Claude reviewed her reports. He got off his chair and walked toward Donnie and Abbie.
“We have very strict rules, and as long as you follow them you will live happily here,” Claude said. Donnie and Abbie looked at each other and then nodded to Claude.
“Very good, the rules are simple,” Claude began, “no drinking human blood unless it is conscientiously given.”
“OK,” Abbie answered and Donnie nodded.
“Second, you will need to put your part into the community and get assigned a job or jobs that you will perform daily.”
“I’m good with that,” Donnie replied, and Abbie nodded her agreement as well.