Chapter one
She woke with a start, her head was pounding. The night before not much more than a blur. She remembered a man and a creature killing her partner. "Oh God! Jason." She whispered. He was dead. She was the only one who knew, she had to tell his wife. As she started to stand, she felt her legs fall out from under her. Her head swam. She was in someone's arms.
"Don't try to move yet." A voice said. The arms laid her down again. "Rest. I'll be here."
Her sleep was troubled. Images from that night plagued her sleep. She didn't want to re-live it.
Trees flew by her as she ran. "Oh god, Jason. He's dead." She sobbed through staccato breaths. " What the hell were those things?" She asked no one as she ran towards the church. Suddenly out of nowhere one of those strange things creatures that looked human stumbled from between the trees. "SHIT" She stopped "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" screamed the military woman. Just as suddenly as the thing appeared a man with a rather large gun seemed to drop out of the sky and opened fire on the creature. "SHIT!" she took off toward the church again.
She threw open the door and scrambled inside. She slid to the floor with her back against the door. She couldn't catch her breath. It came in short rasping gasping. If things got any more out of hand she may have to…. no, she wouldn't take things that far. There could still be people alive here. She couldn't risk that. No matter how slight the possibility. She checked her gun clip. She would do everything in her power to keep herself from dying here.
"Hello there child, what brings you here in the middle of the night?" the church father asked from the front of the pews.
"It seems the dead walk the earth, Father." She paused. "You should get out of here while you still can." She got to her feet and moved toward him.
"I know." He said. "They are my slaves, as you will be, once I drain you of you precious life's blood." He chuckled.
"What the hell is going on here?" She raised her gun and fired into the father's chest. He laughed and moved toward her.
::Click::
::Click::
The clip was dry.
"No more bullets. Not that it would help you." He laughed. "I cannot be killed by normal means." He paused, looking at her, "Come to me."
Against her will, her body started moving on it's own. She tried to fight it, but she had no say. He kept laughing. She stood before him now. Turning her around the demon whispered in her ear. "I don't suppose you know how sweet and powerful your blood is. Not that I would make a female vampire with free will of her own."
She struggled to speak. "Let..go..of..me." he breath was shallow and her body felt heavy.
He laughed, "Let you go? Ha! I don't think so."
From the velvet dark toward the back of the church a voice like that of a devil spoke. "You should listen to the girl."
"Who's there?!" the monster screamed. Laughter answered, deep, dark and dangerous laughter that seemed to sound from the pits of hell.
"You should have listened to her." Stepping into the dim of the moonlight, the speaker stopped feet from them. Tall and clothed in darkness, he had a sinister look about him that struck fear into her heart. "They're all dead." Her head was flooded with images for fire and the monster holding her. 'Do it.' Was all she heard.
Struggling to breath she reached deep inside herself touching the very fires of creation. Drawing the flames from the timeless place she pushed the fires out from herself, letting it flow from her in waves. The monster screamed and released her. She fell to her knees, out of breath as the monster's cried died.
Suddenly she was being lifted off the ground by gentle hands. "He's dead." The voice from the darkness said. "Come on." She was placed on her feet, unsteady though she was and guided out of the charred ruins of the church. She lost her footing and fell backwards into the strong arms of the creature that guided her. "I-I'm sorry….I can't…" she was lifted than and held to the chest of the creature that had guided her. "I'm sorry..the fire…."
"Hush. I know. You did well." He chuckled. "I never thought you could kill the vampire though. You've got a power we could use someone with your abilities." He looked down at her. She was nearing the limit of her conscious state. " You could join us.."
"Alright, if it'll keep monsters like that under control." Her speech was slurred and quite.
He smiled to himself. "Rest now. When you wake, you'll have a new life."
"I'm Romie Hargraves." She said as she passed out.
"I know." He chuckled, walking to the pickup point, the fire-starting girl in his arms.