by Joe Fowler
The video cut off to complete silence both in the news studio and in Josh’s living room. We sat stunned. All that we had done was meaningless now. Even worse was that the vampires were trying to use our fighting to help their cause. I looked around at my new friends and wished it all to be a bad dream.
“I am being told that this is no joke. My producers have verified the vampires’ claim. They really do exists, ladies and gentlemen.” The anchorman was obviously being told what to say. He was in so much shock that he was having problems delivering the lines. “This is the start of a worldwide breaking story and you heard it here first, on news channel five.”
“What happens now?” Cynthia asked.
“The politicians will talk about it for a few days while the public starts to panic. That’s what I expect anyway. There will even be a few factions of humans backing the vampires call for equal rights and bullshit like that.” Seth paused for a moment. “For us, we lay low until we see what direction everything goes. The vampires didn’t say anything about werewolves, so maybe we will have more time. I need to speak to Josh, Rosalyn, and Austin alone please. Can the rest of you go outside and let the others know what just happened?”
As the others went outside, I wondered where this was all going. If the vampires were successful and the humans listened, then would they turn the humans against the werewolves? Would the packs be painted as ruthless monsters? These were the best people I had ever met. If the world was going to learn about the supernatural, they needed to hear the truth. I wasn’t sure if Seth would feel the same though.
“I will call the packs I sent to Memphis and tell them to lay low and to spread the word that we do not make ourselves known.” Seth grew quiet. I started forming a plan in my head but I needed time with it. “I am torn between staying here in case they attack again, and heading back to Mobile. Josh, you might want to come to Mobile as well. They know where you live. Rosalyn and Austin, I am grateful for the efforts you made in trying to stop this. In the time I’ve known you two, I have come to respect you and would like to consider you as friends. You are welcome to stay with us until we know what will happen with the humans.”
“Thank you, Seth. I feel the same. Yes, I think we need to stay close to you, like you said, until the humans figure out their response.” Rosalyn said. I wasn’t sure they were thinking far enough ahead.
“If the vampires get their place among the humans, they will turn them against werewolves. Have you thought about that? They will paint you guys as monsters and lead the humans to you.” I took a drink before I finished. “What if we made a video ourselves? They have already seen my face. I can explain what the truth is. It would be the best way to show that werewolves are the good guys and that we were justified in killing the vampires. I can tell them how their children will want to be turned. I can tell them how easy it is for a vampire to lose control and kill a human when we feed. They need to hear the risks.”
Seth, Josh, and Rosalyn all looked at me with astonishment. I could see the thoughts behind their eyes. They knew I was right. I sat and waited for them to gather their thoughts. I hoped I wasn’t making a huge mistake.
“You would be painting a huge target on your back. Every vampire will want you dead.” Josh cautioned.
“I am willing to risk it. You guys don’t really know me. Even Rosalyn doesn’t know me all that well. I had become a sad loner who was becoming more cynical every day. The people in my life were always letting me down or stabbing me in the back. I lost faith in humankind altogether. Since I met you and your packs, I have truly turned my thinking back to where it needs to be. Rosalyn started to show me and you guys made it complete. I would hate for the vampires to put you at risk when there was something I could do to stop it.” I hoped they understood.
The next hour was a rush of activity. We told the pack what the plan was. They were a bit confused but they would go along with anything Seth said, believing it would be the best thing for them. We used a blank wall as the backdrop hoping to not give any clues to where we were. Alicia did the filming while I spoke.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Austin. I was involved in the attack at the warehouse in Chattanooga. I am a vampire. We fought very hard to keep the other vampires from announcing themselves to you because we know how dangerous this could be for everyone. I want to inform you of the dangers that accepting them into your society may pose.
“First thing is that when feeding, there is only a small difference between feeding and killing. A few seconds too long and the human dies. What you may not realize is how hard it is to stop feeding once we have started. The taste of human blood is like sex or drugs would be to most of you. It is intoxicating. Many of you will die when you were told you would be fine, all because the vampire feeding on you took a little too much.
“For most of you, the most important thing in your life is your children. Try to imagine them cursed to a life of darkness feeding off the life blood of living humans. The dreams of youth are a dangerous thing. All the recent vampire movies and television shows make being a vampire seem like a good thing. Your children will want to become vampires more and more.
“Know this, the life of a vampire may seem exotic in the movies but it isn’t like they make it out to be. You will always be on the run from the sun, even if society does accept vampires. Do you want to be damned for an eternity when you meet your end? We are parasites that feed off of life. We die to become what we are. Is this truly a life you want for your family? Is this the kind of person you want as your neighbor?
“Humans have had one main defense against vampires over the centuries. Werewolves. Yes, werewolves exist too. They are the good guys of the supernatural. They are not the mindless beasts you’ve seen in movies. They can think as clearly in their wolf form as they can in their human state. They have kept the vampire population in check. If you see a wolf fighting one of us, root for the wolf to win. Of course, vampires do a good job of killing each other as well. That’s what vampires are. We are soulless killing machines. Do not be fooled by what this group is trying to say.
“Vampires can be killed by decapitation, fire, and sunlight. The crosses, garlic, and wooden stakes are useless against us. Guns will slow us down, but not stop us. We must be invited into your home, or we cannot enter. We can compel you to let us in, however. The best defense against this is sunglasses. If you open your door at night, wear sunglasses and stay well back inside the door. I would go so far as to advise you to always wear sunglasses at night, except while driving. This will keep you from being compelled by one of us.
“I am lucky in that my maker still has a deep respect for human life and she instilled that respect into me. I only feed off of other vampires. I will not place humans in danger when I can rid the world of an evil being instead. I have been working with the werewolves trying to stop this public announcement from happening. I am truly sorry that we failed.”
We stopped filming there. After several reviews, we decided the video would have to do. Josh suggested we find a cop and compel him to deliver the video to a different news station. He was afraid that the council vampires had compelled the station managers to not let a response video be aired. The rest of us agreed. Josh and Rosalyn left in Josh’s Dodge. They would make the handoff and she would do the compelling.
Rosalyn and I did not get to see my video as it aired. The sun came up shortly after Josh and Rosalyn returned. She and I headed down to the basement, already feeling the sun’s approach. We lay in each other’s arms worried about what kind of world we would wake to. Would it be acceptance, or war.
Chapter 11
I opened my eyes and felt Rosalyn stirring beside me. I looked at her and could see desire warring with curiosity. I was happy to see that desire won out. We needed this contact now more than ever. With so much going on it was good to just enjoy each other, although she still wouldn’t let me be on top.
We headed upstairs to join the others. Everyone was huddled around the telev
ision. They cleared a small area for Rosalyn and me to sit. No one was talking which was getting kind of eerie. When I could finally pay attention to the broadcast, I turned away almost immediately. They were rioting in Chicago. The screen changed and a demonstration in Los Angeles filled the screen. Most of the signs and shouts were condemning vampires but here and there were pro vampire sentiments.
“It has been like this all day on every channel. They have gone from one city to another to get their reactions. Some are rioting, some are demonstrating, and there are even a few who are on the vampire side and want them to be accepted. Thousands of people have died. It is much worse in Europe. The hatred of vampires runs deeper there. Many cities are in a state of panic. Paris might be the worst. They have had a serious vampire problem for years but no one paid much attention. When the sun set and vampires found out what had happened here, they began to feast. London wasn’t much better.” Seth sounded numb.
“New York has vampires fighting vampires in the streets for all to see. Some of them are trying to feast and the rest are trying to stop them so the humans won’t kill them all. The good news is that some of the cities in Europe have openly asked for werewolves to help protect them. I am expecting some of the American cities to do the same.” Josh sounded much the same as Seth. I had only watched for a few minutes and I was feeling almost as numb as they sounded. This was not a good situation.
“Does anyone need a beer?” Alicia asked as she headed to the kitchen.
She went into the kitchen and came back with a whole case of beer since everyone in the room said we needed one. Seth had the remote and was going through the news channels, both local and national. Scenes alternated between shouting for equal rights and fighting. Miami was hit hard by the vampires. There were hundreds of attacks reported in just over an hour. Atlanta, Detroit, and Newark were also hit hard.
One of the news programs was showing warnings for people out west where the sun had not set yet. The most important message was to stay inside and do not answer the door. The sunglasses warning was being highlighted by this channel as well. The obvious warnings of being wary of really pale people, or any who were being overly aggressive were being stressed as well. I hoped the warnings would be heeded but I knew it wasn’t enough. If a vampire is hungry enough he will set your house on fire and wait for you to try to run.
“I am going to call Misty again. We need to find out how bad it is in Mobile.” Jimmy left the room as he was dialing.
“I almost made the whole pack come with us. I really wish I had now.” Seth said. This was news to me. I thought this was his entire pack. I had no clue that he had left others behind in Mobile.
“We still had hopes of stopping this. They will be ok. I just hope they don’t try to save the whole city by themselves.” Anna added.
“How many more are there in your pack?” I asked.
“Six. Most of us that have jobs can miss a few days here and there with no problem or we can get someone else to work our shifts. The ones that stayed would have lost their jobs. I figured we would be able to handle whatever came up with who we brought. I was overconfident. I knew with Josh and Rosalyn helping me, there was very little for us to fear.” Seth was sad and frustrated at the same time. “Now I feel helpless while six of my wolves are beyond my reach and in a great deal of danger. I hate to say it, but it would be better if the vampires in Mobile go on a killing spree.”
He didn’t have to say it. If the people in Mobile accepted the vampires, they would let the vamps lead them to the wolves. If the vampires were killing, then the rest of the pack could blend in with the humans. I could see Anna’s worry as well. The wolves would try to defend as many humans as they could even though they were outnumbered and didn’t have Seth to counter the numbers advantage.
“We have just received a communication from the White House.” The news anchor was on screen. “The President will issue a statement when he lands. He is currently returning from a diplomatic conference in London. He has asked that the leader of the vampires named Jonas, the speaker in the second video, and the vampire, Austin, who warned us in the other video, meet with him. The President will be in Chattanooga tomorrow night and wishes to have a conference with these vampires. He has stated that each vampire may bring two compatriots to help argue their case. He asks that you be at the City Council Building on Lindsay Street at 8:00PM and that you come in peace. He has promised that you will not be arrested or harmed in any way.”
The anchors began debating this latest news. We sat around the living room wondering what to say. I drained my beer and reached for another from the case Alicia had brought us. I would be meeting with the President tomorrow night. Boy had my life changed.
“No. This has to be some kind of trap. They would never let the President be in the same room with vampires. There’s no way you are going, Austin.” Rosalyn was nearly shouting. “You can’t really believe that they will keep their promise of no harm.”
“I have to go. Even if it is a trap, I have to try to help as much as I can. If I don’t show and the other vampires do, then a lot more people will fall in with the acceptance movement.” I spoke softly but my words hit her like I was screaming them.
“So what! We have done more than our share to help the humans. If they take the wrong side then it is their fault, not yours.” She was pleading now. It was breaking my heart to see her like this but I knew what my decision needed to be.
“I love you, Rosalyn, but I am going to go to the meeting tomorrow.” I said it firmly hoping she would see I meant what I said.
“The next question is, who will go with you? They said you could bring two friends. We need to decide the best candidates for that.” Seth stated. I took my eyes off Rosalyn reluctantly. She was clearly hurting.
“I don’t expect anyone to go with me. Rosalyn is right, this is probably a trap. I have to go but we don’t have to lose anyone else.” I was fairly sure I was right.
“We are all at risk now in one way or the other. I think I need to be there.” Seth’s words lit a fire in every wolf in the room. All of them started shouting at once that he couldn’t put himself at risk. With one word Seth asserted his dominance. “Quiet! Austin has to go, he is right about that. I know more about werewolves than any living being. We need to be represented properly at this meeting too. This isn’t only a vampire problem. I will be there with you Austin.”
“Thank you, Seth. I would need your wisdom anyway. I think it should just be the two of us. No reason to risk anyone else.” I thought that would be the end of it.
“I am going too.” Rosalyn surprised everybody with her declaration. “I am not going to sit here and wait for you to come home. I have lived far longer than I needed to and thought love was no longer an option. You proved me wrong. If you are going to die, then I am going to be with you even then.”
I looked at Rosalyn. We stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments before I kissed her. When we broke the kiss, I noticed how quiet the room had become. I looked around and saw several of the pack members wiping away tears. They could see the love between Rosalyn and me. They knew the danger we would face at the meeting. The worst for them, clearly, would be the risk Seth was taking. Seth was more than just an alpha. He was more like a father to most of them.
Our attention was once again drawn to the tv. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania had been hit by vampire attacks early on but the tv was showing wolves fighting the vampires. This sight brought a cheer from our crowded living room. The wolves were winning from what action the cameras were able to catch. This was soon followed by similar scenes in North Carolina and Virginia. The anchor was talking animatedly about how the wolves were showing up and stopping the vampires from hurting more people.
We continued to watch scenes from across the country, some good and some bad. I am not sure how long we sat there before Seth got my attention. He motioned with his head for me and Rosalyn to go outside with him. Josh followed after us. The pack stayed where they wer
e in the living room.
“I don’t want you two wasting time worrying about whether this is a trap or not. If it is then we will try to fight our way out of it. There is nothing else to think about as far as that goes.” He looked around at Josh’s yard and took a deep breath. “Don’t worry about what questions there will be or what to say when we are there either. I want you two to try and enjoy the rest of your night. Go find a nice quiet place in the woods or whatever sounds peaceful to you. We’ve all been under a boatload of stress lately and tomorrow will be dangerous enough without our worry tonight.”
“Thank you, Seth. We could use a break.” I said in relief. I had expected some strategy planning when he motioned us outside.
Rosalyn was already pulling at my arm. We headed for the woods to find some moments of peace. We found ourselves returning to a spot we had found earlier in our stay at Josh’s. Deep in the woods there was a pond where we had sat for a while to get away from the commotion at the house. We sat in about the same place. I put my arm around her and she leaned into me. We didn’t need to talk. Mostly we just needed each other.
We listened to the sounds of the forest. The smaller animals in the bushes were the most numerous. We did see a few deer come down for a drink. The pond gave a good reflection of the trees and the moon like it was a huge mirror. Occasionally a fish would break the surface and send ripples across the water. This was so peaceful you could almost forget the mayhem that the world was going through.
We headed back to the house after a few hours. Taking a break was nice but we needed to see what was happening in the world. Everyone was still gathered in the living room. We went back into our spot.
The screen was filled with the victim lined streets of Brazil. The sheer number of vampires necessary to cause so much death was mind blowing. The vampires had swept through whole districts of Rio leaving apartment buildings that now only housed the dead. There were already an estimated three thousand deaths in Brazil.