HUNT AND ESCAPE

JOVITA

    

      Humanity lies on your shoulders now...

    The man standing by my door was so pale to be human. His sullen dark eyes refused to leave my form on the bed. Goosebumps blanketed my skin, and it was as if I was frozen on the spot. I could not move or speak. I only stared at the nightmare standing by my door.

    Who are you? I wanted to ask, but my lips were sealed with fear.

  But this man seemed to hear my thoughts. He left the door and took a step toward me. I forced my vocal cord to produce a sound, but nothing came out until the man leaned and loomed over me on the bed. His touch was cold. I stared into his eyes and realized there were no eyeballs, only hollows. A red substance was smeared around his mouth, and it did not take me long to realize it was blood. He grinned at me, exposing his long, sharp canines.

                Vampire!

      "I am your worst nightmare," he said, but his lips were not moving.

   My heart pounded, my body shuddered in fear, and I could only hyperventilate. The vampires were here, and they were here to take me. But this man, instead of dragging me away from the bed and across the room, leaned down, flashing me his ferocious fangs again, bringing his face down to my neck. I needed to stop him from biting me. I tried to fight, but my body was still stiff.

     I struggled within myself as his breath fanned my neck. I needed to escape; I would not let him bite me. The hex holding me broke when I felt his cold, sharp fang on my skin. I screamed and bolted from the bed.

     My room was dark, and I quickly turned to the bedside table and turned on my lantern, still over breathing. I placed a hand on my racing chest and gummed my eyes to the door as if waiting for a figure to form out of it.

       "It was just a dream," I whispered, wiping the beads of perspiration that had formed on my forehead.  "It was just a dream," I assured myself again, throwing the blanket off me.

      Coldness gnawed at my feet as they hit the floor. I grabbed my rose-red robe draped on the armchair in my room and wore it. After only a few steps toward the door, I was stopped by a heavy crash downstairs and shrieks. My first instinct was to run through that door and find out what was going on. But I halted when the face of the man in my dreams flashed in my eyes.

       "Vampires," I muttered and turned the locks on my door, taking a few steps back.

   But I knew locking myself up in the room would not save me from them. Harrison really sold me out. I fought the tears that had pooled up in my eyes. This was not the time to cry like a baby; this was the time to think.

          Humanity lies on your shoulders...

   I looked behind me at the only window in the room. It faced the backyard and led into the woods. It was an escape route but might be infested with those night creatures. And jumping from it was not really a clever idea because I might break my legs and still get caught by them.

      A heavy knock came at my door, and I froze in the middle of my room, my eyes glued to the door. This was my nightmare come to pass.

      "Jo, it's me, Uncle Kala. Open the door."

    I took a few steps toward the door but stopped again. I have read a few things about vampires and know they can assume people's forms. They were also shapeshifters, although they could not hold it for long. I was torn. Will I wait until the man at the other side of the door proves he is not a vampire? What if it was really Uncle Kala?  I resolved to use a means I knew might be effective in finding out.

       "Uncle Kala, you remember when you sang me lullabies in bed because I was so scared? You were the only one that could make me sleep."

      There was a deep sigh from the other side of the door. "Jo, you and I know I have never sung you a lullaby before because my voice is so terrible at singing. It is your father who did that. You are smart, but we need to be quick. It is really me, Uncle Kala."

     It was him. Uncle Kala has a horrible voice at singing, and my father would always tease him that if he sang for me, I would have nightmares instead of sweet dreams. I opened the door, and he barged in, grabbing my arm.

     "We need to leave now. Your father would not be able to hold them much longer." 

      "Uncle Kala, will they be safe?" I asked, dreading his reply.

       

      "I can't tell, but whatever happens, bear in mind that they did it for you and humanity's sake."

   I knew what he meant by that, and I would have broken down if I was not overcome by the sudden zeal of fulfilling my destiny. I made a vow to myself to vanquish those creatures of the night. I will do everything I have to do. To my surprise, Uncle Kala opened my closet; there was a large rose flower drawing there. It has been there since I was a kid, and I did nothing to it order than admire it. Uncle Kala surprised me when he wiped the top petal drawing and pushed the wall in. He shoved me into the basement.

     "This house would blow up in a few minutes. We need to get out of here," he said, walking faster.  "There is no time to explain anything to you until we are safe."

    I nodded and followed him across the room but still could not get the thought of my parents out of my head. We climbed a wooden stair and entered a street I did not recognize. Uncle Kala led me to a car parked in a corner.

    Once I was seated and wearing my seat belt, he ignited the car at the same time, he pressed a device.

  RALPH

   I stood in the yard, waiting for my men to bring out the girl, but it was taking them too long. The human boy stood beside me, fidgeting and praying to whichever deity he believed would save him. The ignition of a car in the distance hit my ears, and my head snapped toward the sound, but I was drawn back to the house when it blew up in flames.

         Fire!

    Fire was another vampire weakness. They burned my men. They were prepared for us. The bitch was really the one in the prophecy, and the humans would do anything to protect her until she became a viable weapon. I knew the sound of that car meant she had escaped. I smirked and turned to look at the lad beside me. He was looking as white as a sheet.

     "She escaped."

      "Holy Mary, the mother of God, accept my soul," he said and made the sign of a cross before he stabbed himself twice with a sharp object I did not even know he possessed.

    He dropped at my feet with a thud, and I rolled my eyes. I did not even plan to kill him. He would have been helpful in getting information about my target—stupid humans.

     "What a waste," I scoffed and stalked back toward my car.