by Thomas Bach
Suddenly, without a sound he appeared, standing just outside the loading dock doors. Flanked by three Royals who were in turn flanked by six of the Hulk vampires. Even from this distance it was clear he was substantially taller than the others. He stood there almost majestically, a full length black coat encircling him. His pale white face glowing in the moonlight. He momentarily stood there gazing over the sea of vampires like a proud father gazes over his children. I could feel his evil presence even from this distance. As He began to walk towards the infield his evil entourage followed. The lower order vampires scurried about making a clear path before him. The other Royals began to fall in behind making a macabre parade of Vampire aristocracy. At least 300 Royals now stood behind the King as they reached the spot where the humans were tied up. We all watched as the King circled the terrified group of helpless humans. He nonchalantly pointed at one of the humans, a young woman maybe in her early 30's. She didn't have a stitch of clothing on, her skin was covered in dirt, her ribs outlining her waist. Her long blond hair was filthy and matted. Two of the Hulk vampires stepped forward taking hold of her arms and cutting her free from the main rope. Her terror filled screams penetrated the silence, I have never felt so helpless in my life. I was literally becoming sick to my stomach. The woman began thrash around in a futile attempt to escape the clutches of those mammoth vampires. They dragged her with little effort forcing her to her knees in front of the King. The glow from the fires and the reflection from the full moon made for an incredibly horrifying scene that none of us could have prepared for.
“Oh my God no, is that” .... David said.
I glanced over and saw the fear and panic in David's eyes. Ivy had tears running down her face as she also waited for David to finish.
“Is that who David,” I whispered.
“I'm not sure, oh God....I think that's Carol. Let me see your binoculars again.”
David peered down at the poor woman for what seemed minutes. Examining her closely before setting the binoculars down and lowering his head.
“Yes, that's Carol. She was a school teacher in our settlement. She lived close to us with her husband and three children. She was always kind and caring.”
“I'm sorry David, I wish we could help her.”
David looked up at me, he eyes stern and serious.
“Give me that rifle and I'll help her.”
“You know I can't do that; you know we have to get back to Station Hope.”
“I don't give a damn about your Station Hope! That woman down there never hurt a fly, she doesn't deserve this, none of them do”!
“Get a hold of yourself David. I'm sorry but there is nothing we can do right now.”
David slowly came to the realization that I was right. He crouched down and began to move back towards the Dodge.
“I can't watch this anymore, I just can't.”
Down below the King had picked up Carol by the neck. She dangled like a rag doll as he turned and displayed her to the evil masses. The regents stared intensely, their fangs protruding from their mouths. The lower order vampires grunted and drooled like a pack of dogs getting ready for a feeding frenzy. The King brought Carol to his mouth and sank his teeth into her neck. Through my scope I watched as the life was sucked out of that poor woman. When he had finished he flicked her body to the regents. They took little time ripping her body apart and devouring every drop of blood.
The King turned back towards the cowering humans, searching them for his next victim. I put my cross hairs on his face and wondered what if I took out the King right here right now. Suddenly he snapped his head up pointing his nose in the air, sniffing, analyzing, alerted to something. After several strong sniffs he snapped his head in our direction, his eyes peering into the dark. I thought there's no way he can see us from there. His face glowed green through my scope as his eyes searched the hills around us. They were dark, empty eyes, pure evil in the flesh. My heart sank as our eyes met, his evil penetrated me to my core. He could see us and we both knew it. Without hesitation I pulled my trigger. There was nothing to lose now, he could see us so we had to fight. My mind processed the next seconds in slow motion. My bullet raced towards the Vampire King, I expected to see his head explode. Instead I watched in horror as the King simply moved his head slightly to the left as if he could see the bullet coming. It passed by without hitting its intended target. Instead it struck a Regent square in the face causing him to collapse just behind the King. The Kings eyes never left mine, he raised his right hand and shook his index finger like a teacher gesturing to a naughty student.
Gun fire erupted next to me as James and Spencer opened up on the vampires. It was a futile effort, even if every bullet we had struck and killed a vampire it would only be a fraction of their numbers. Before my mind could formulate another thought I watched as the King began to move in our direction at an incredibly fast speed, it looked like he was hovering over the ground as he approached the old iron bridge. Several Regents were keeping pace directly behind him. The look of rage in their faces sent a chill of terror down my spine. A combination of fear and panic began overtaking me. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to run, run as fast and far as I could. Instead I Grabbed Ivy by the scruff of her jacket and lifted her to her feet. Pushing her towards the truck I yelled, “Get to the Dodge now, get David in it!
James and Spencer continued to fire, several lower order vampires lay dead on the ground. The humans still reacted like any caged animal would, tugging and straining at their restraints in a wild fear induced panic to get away. James and Spencer instinctively began to retreat as they fired. I took one last look down at the sea of vampires. The King and Regents did not hesitate as they crossed the bridge. It was a different story for the lower order vampires. They began to bunch up at the foot of the bridge, unwilling for some reason to cross it. I guess what Nancy said about them not liking moving water was true. I watched as the Hulks began to toss the lower order ones aside as they made their way to the bridge. I'm can't be certain but I think it was the lust for fresh blood that finely drove the lower order vampires to cross. Their hesitation gone they spilled onto the bridge and ran across. By this time the King and Regents were well out in front of them and my panic level was sky high. James and Spencer had stopped firing and were now sprinting for the Dodge, I was right behind them. That feeling that your just about to be grabbed from behind caused me to run just a bit faster than normal. I reached the back of the Dodge just as James and Spencer were leaping into its bed. Ivy was in the front seat, her face staring out the back sliding window, covered in fear. David was in the backseat of the cab just looking out the side window, he had checked out again.
“Hurry up little man,” Spencer said with a fear in his voice I had never heard before. “Get us the hell out of here.”
I jumped into the driver seat and fumbled with the keys. Not now you idiot, I thought to myself, take a deep breath and start this thing. I could scene Ivy was nearing the panic stage.
“Come on, Come on Billy! Let's get out of here”!
“I'm trying my best sweetie.” I said sarcastically.
I gained what little composer I could, slipped the key in and gave it a turn. The Dodge roared to life, down into drive, gas pedal to the floor. The Dodge leaped forward sending James and Spencer sliding back to the tailgate. I watched in the rear view mirrors as a cloud of dust formed from the spinning tires. I headed down the dirt road just as fast as I could safely. Sharp curves and pot holes slowed us down. There were high hills on both side of the road making it difficult to predict when the next curve was coming. A sharp right followed by a steep hill, the ground began to level off. The old Dodge was humming along nicely. We were out of the river valley now, on a relatively flat platitude. The moon was full and lit up the night just enough for me to see the road ahead stretched out in a straight line for several miles. For a split second a feeling of relief overcame me, we were safe for the moment. Suddenly Spencer and James began to yell from the
truck bed.
“Holy shit here he comes,” screamed James. His voice filled with terror.
“You must go faster Billy, much faster”! Yelled Spencer.
The image in my rear view mirror sent a shock wave of fear through me the likes of which I had never experienced. The moon illuminated the King as he raced towards us. Adrenalin focused my vision making his face clearly visible. His eyes were open wide and filled with evil, they penetrated me to my soul. His black cape fluttered wildly in the air as he moved effortlessly ever closer. I knew right then and there I would never get that image out of my mind.
He was moving incredibly fast, gaining quickly. Was he running or flying? I couldn't tell from this distance. I could see that James and Spencer were frozen in fear.
“Start shooting at that bastard”! I yelled out the window.
“Oh my God Billy, he is gaining on us”. Ivy's voice was completely panicked now.
“I have the pedal to the floor, that's as fast as we go”!
Gun fire erupted from the truck bed, mussel flashes caused the King to disappear for a moment only to reappear in my rear view mirror. It reminded me of the old black and white movies my Grandfather loved, but most of those had happy endings.
The old Dodge strained for speed as we tried desperately to out run the King. Up ahead I could see a fork in the road. One fork continued north while the other veered off to the east. I knew we needed to head north so the choice was easy.
“Billy, he's still coming”! James screamed.
“I know; I can't go any faster!”
The bullets seemed to have no effect on him, either they were missing him completely or he was one tough son-of-a-bitch. I watched in horror as he neared the back of the old Dodge. There were deep drainage ditches on either side of the road making any evasive maneuvers impossible. I could see clearly as his hand reached out, inches from the tailgate. At that very moment an idea popped into my head. I knew it would not stop him but it might buy us some time. With the King just inches from reaching the tailgate I slammed on the breaks. James and Spencer went flying, slamming hard into the cab of the truck. The King flew overhead glancing off the top of the truck. The thud was startling; a large dent could now be seen in the rear of the roof. He continued over the hood and rolled down the road in front of us. Screeching to a halt we watched as the figure laid on the road, dust settling around him. We all starred in shock, not breathing, waiting to see what happened next. The King suddenly leap to his feet with his back to us. Instantly spinning around to face us, his terrifying face was now illuminated in the headlights. He raised his left arm, bring the cape with it, in an attempt to shade his eyes from the bright lights of the Dodge. I fixated on his long white fangs as they protruded past his lower lip. He let out a guttural hiss that further fed my fear. My head was swirling, fear, terror, panic, it was overwhelming me. My stomach churned as I broke out into a cold sweat. The moment seems to last forever until instinct overcame me and I floored the gas pedal, this time sending James and Spencer flying into the tailgate. The Dodge burst forward quickly covering the short distance between us and the King. The center grill of the Dodge hit him square in the chest. Ivy slapped her hand on the dash to brace herself as the Dodge rapidly slowed. It felt like we hit a telephone pole. The Dark Prince stumbled backwards leaving a substantial dent. I slammed on the breaks as he quickly regained his balance. He once again hissed at us exposing those long white fangs.
“Oh my God,” Ivy let out with a disbelieving tone.
“Hold on!” I yelled mainly to alert the two poor souls in the truck bed that we were about to be bounced around again.
The gas pedal once again hit the floor board and we braced for the impact. This time the Dodge pushed the Dark Prince back hard enough to knock him down. I wasn't about to stick around to see if he got up again. The Dodge continued over that evil bastard causing us to bounce in our seats as the tires rolled over him.
One eye on the road, the other frantically searching in the rear view mirror. The outlines of James and Spencer surrounded by the pitch black of night was all I could see.
“I can't see him now,” Ivy said.
She was twisting her neck around to look behind us. Her expression portrayed the same terror I was feeling; we all were feeling. This vampire and the regents that surrounded him were unlike anything we had ever encountered. Bullets had little effect and the King just survived a direct hit by a 4,000-pound truck. I only hoped the second impact and running over him had done more damage.
“I think you got him big brother!” James voice sounded both afraid and joyful.
“That was some good driving Boss.” Spencer yelled.
“Stay down and keep your eyes open”.
Everything got quiet, only the hum of the motor and the tires rolling over the dirt road could be heard. We all peered into the night behind us. No one breathed, no one made a sound. Our slim hopes we had killed the King were soon crushed.
I heard Spencer's voice raised a few octaves the same moment that evil creature came back into view.
“Holy shit! Here he comes again.”
“No way, it can't be. Get us out of here Billy,” screamed James.
A feeling of dread filled me, I knew we could not out run him and I was out of ideas on how to stop him. I focused on the road, maybe there was something up ahead that could help us.
Before I realized it the Dark Prince was once again nearing our tailgate. His terrifying image once again in my rear view mirror.
“Billy, he's right here!” screamed Spencer. “Oh my God no... Billy stop, stop the God damn truck!”
It all happened so fast. I couldn't comprehend why Spencer wanted me to stop the truck. A quick glance in the rear view mirror told me why. To my disbelief there stood the King in the middle of the road. His right arm outstretched, his hand grasping the scruff of James’s neck. James hung there limp, his feet dangling several feet off the ground. The King had a satisfied look on his face, like a hunter showing off his prey. Opening my door I leaped from the truck with my rifle in hand and started to run towards the King. Reacting on pure instinct I never heard Ivy screaming.
“No Billy, Stop!”
A sudden sharp pain filled my left side. My left shoulder hit the ground hard as I realized Spencer was now on top of me.
“No way boss, you can't. “
“I have to save James!”
I scrambled to my feet as Spencer grabbed hold of me. He took hold of my shoulders and turned me to face him.
“He's gone Billy, there's nothing we can do for him.”
“Bullshit, I screamed as I struggled to free myself, I have to try!”
“We can't save him; we have to get out of here!”
I was Losing it, I had to save James, I couldn't return home without him.
“Let go of me, I have to save him!”
“Billy!” Spencer shook me with his powerful arms. I think it was the fact that he called me Billy, he never called me by my name, that brought me back from the edge. I looked into his eyes and knew James was gone.
“OK, Spencer,” my voice was calmer. He eased his grip, we both turned look at the King. It sickened me so to see my brother dangling from that creature’s grip. The feeling of helplessness filled me as Ivy ran up alongside of me.
“Oh my God, how did he get James so fast?”
“He was next to me one second and gone the next,” said Spencer.
“It happened so fast, I'm sure there was nothing you could have done.”
“Thanks but...I should have done something.”
“Forget about that now,” I said with a somber voice. “What are we going to do now?”
We stood there frozen in time as we watched the Dark Prince toy with us. He stood erect, unfazed by our efforts to destroy him. His rage filled expression had changed to one of satisfaction with a touch of arrogance. He had James and he knew there was nothing we could do about it.
James opened his eyes and begun to squirm,
just now realizing his predicament. The King held him effortlessly in the air the way a fisherman displays his catch. For a split second I was relieved to know he was still alive but that feeling was immediately replaced with horror. A cold chill cascaded through my body as I made direct eye contact with the King. I could swear I saw him give me a condescending grin just before he turned and sank his fangs into James neck.
“No you bastard!” I screamed.
Spencer once again held me back as I tried to run towards my brother.
“Billy you can't, there's nothing we can do now. We have to get out of here now. We have to warn the people at Station Hope.”
I stood there in utter horror as that evil, veil creature drained the life from my own flesh and blood. When he had his fill he turned and disappeared into the darkness taking James with him.
Silence now, not even the wind made a sound. We stood in shock, unable to process what just took place. Ivy sank into my chest wrapping her arms around me. Standing there empty inside I felt her shivers as she wept. Spencer placed his hand on my shoulder not knowing what else to do but needing a human connection.
“We should get out of here Billy,” he said. We don't know where all the other vampires are. They could be heading this way.”
“No....they got what they wanted for now. But your right we need to get going.”
“I'm so sorry Billy.” Ivy's voice what soft, full of sorrow. “There's nothing any of us could have done. It wasn't your fault.”
I knew her words were meant to comfort me but they didn't. I was numb, not fully comprehending what I had just seen. A feeling of helplessness, disbelief and fear all balled up inside. As we walked back to the truck I began to process the events that just took place, rage began to rush though me pushing all other emotions aside. This was an all-consuming rage the likes of which I had never felt before. The kind of rage that fills a man’s soul, forces the remainder of his life to be one of seeking vengeance. At that moment I had a vision of celerity, all the fear and sadness was gone. Replaced by simple, pure rage. Vengeance was my driving force now, the engulfing need to avenge my brother and to rid this earth of that monster.