O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Purgatory. It brought out the monster in us. While we had wandered the earth we all had preyed on humans one way or the other and at the same time had tried to hide among those very same humans in constant fear that one day the hunter would became the hunted. We had been wolves in sheep's clothing.

Here in Purgatory there was no need for that. No sheep here, just wolves. And we preyed on each other.

I hated it. Hated the endless forest and the everlasting twilight which was only interrupted by pitch black nights. The constant looking over my shoulder. For half a century I had managed to stay alive in this afterlife. Most didn't survive the first week.

I missed the sun. For a vampire it must be kind of odd to miss the sun but I did. On bright days I'd needed sunglasses to go outside and still the sun had stung in my eyes and on my skin. I'd have done anything to feel that one more time. But there was no sun in Purgatory. No light, no warmth.

In the fifty years I'd been stuck in this place I had never given up hope to find a way back. Back to the sun. But the only thing I'd found was a human only loophole.

God or whoever had built this shithole had created it as a prison for monsters. It wasn't a place for humans and I'd never seen a human or even heard about one in Purgatory. However, the existence of that loophole alone told me that it was possible for a human to take the wrong turn on his way to Heaven or more likely Hell and end up in Purgatory. So I memorized the location of the portal and the spell I'd need to hitchhike a ride out. Just in case.

Compared to eternity fifty years wasn't that long but I had almost given up hope to see the sun ever again when the rumors started. Rumors about a human in Purgatory.

First I dismissed them. Probably some poor sap who had been turned into whatever recently and had a run-in with a hunter before he'd even made his first kill. Wouldn't last long anyway. Not in Purgatory.

But the rumors persisted. Had come in with an angel, they said. I'd never heard of an angel before either and even if they existed shouldn't they be in Heaven or something? Purgatory wasn't a place for humans but it was even less a place for angels. Apparently the human and the angel didn't stay together but about both I heard rumors whispered in the wind.

With nothing else to do and the slight hope that it really was a human I decided to check it out. It took me a while to track that thing down which maybe was the reason it was still alive after a few weeks.

Fresh human blood wasn't rare in Purgatory, it simply didn't exist. You could dream of it, remember the taste on your tongue but you'd never get it here. So when I finally found that thing that everybody was talking about I wasn't surprised to find two of my own kind already there.

I caught the scent and my instincts ran wild. Oh brother, that scent. Fresh and alive and human. The human's heartbeat drummed in my ears and I had to fight the overwhelming urge to sink my teeth into that warm flesh. Taste the sweet blood.

While I fought to pull myself together the human had managed to defeat one vampire.

"Where's the angel?" He demanded with a knife at the vampire's throat. I'd have been impressed if I hadn't been fighting my own instincts. The blood was right there.

"I don't know." The vampire got the knife to his arm for that which pinned him to the tree behind him and then the human beheaded him with his own weapon.

When a second vampire got the drop on the human I finally managed to suppress my instincts. This human was probably my only chance to get out of Purgatory. Better not letting him get killed.

Clenching my own weapon I threw myself at the other vampire. Surprised by the attack the vampire didn't stand a chance. Adrenaline mixed with that scent right next to me. I bared my fangs and with one quick blow the other vampire went down. For a second I feared that I'd lose control so I didn't dare to turn and look the human in the eye.

When I finally did turn my teeth were still descended but the human was no longer in immediate danger from me. However, it looked like I was the one in danger from the human.

Keeping his distance and holding his weapon in a way that meant business the human circled me and I had to mirror his movements to avoid getting attacked.

"What, no thanks for saving your hide?" I asked in the most comradely tone I could manage with the scent of fresh blood in my nose.

"Sure. I won't shove this up your ass."

The human didn't just jump at the opportunity to get out of this place but I gave him points for listening to my offer. He could have tried to kill me instead.

I didn't know what I'd expected. A weak thing maybe that would crawl under my wing, seeking protection from the first monster that offered it. Not this human. He was wary, careful and he clearly didn't trust me. Good, that would help keeping him alive a little while longer.

The human quirked a smile at me and stopped circling.

"First we find the angel." He had his own agenda and he didn't look like that point was negotiable.

"Mm, three's a crowd, chief." The last thing I wanted was a delay. It would be hard enough to keep this jackass human alive long enough without looking for stray angels.

Giving up his fight stance the human stepped closer and rested his weapon on his shoulder. Without fear he looked me in the eye.

"Well, hey. Either you're in or you're out." He repeated my own words.

tbc