Timmy felt miserable again, he felt being duped by his boss, his current client, by his luck. He was mentally cursing everyone, whom he could think about.
His life was never easy, losing your parents in freak accident, having a wheel chair bound sister to take care can't fit in with definition of easy.
When his parents were alive things were so smooth, he never had to bat an eyelid, but now things were different, he had to pay the bills, get the food and most importantly taking care of Tabitha.
On that eventful day, probably a Sunday evening, the Turners're returning from a long drive. It was to celebrate 5th birthday of Tabitha, everybody was busy singing while his dad kept his eyes on the a truck hit them from the front and he lost conciousness. He woke up in a hospital with mild injuries and a broken left arm. He was fortunate enough, his parents and sibling wasn't that fortunate. His parents succumbed to death on the spot, while Tabitha's spinal chord was seriously injured, rendering her wheel-chair bound. The 12 year old boy was so grief stricken that he forgot to cry, he didn't shed a tear, he knew now Tabitha is his responsibility and crying is not gonna help his cause.
The accident manned him up, on the grave of his parents he vowed "Mom, Dad; I know it is very hard, life without you. I'll miss you very much, but I vow that till my death I will take care of "Tabby", I won't leave her till there is a breath in body." That was 10 years ago, this 10 years passed like whiskers, still memories of those days send chills through his spines. The constant pressure of the bills, the accumulating taxes, delay in getting the the insurance money.
At that time, Cosmo and Wanda, his neighbours helped him a lot. They would often cook food for the young Turner's, look after Tabitha when Timmy was in school. The fee of Timmy's education and Tabitha's medical expenses were also covered by the loving couple. Else it would have been really hard for him, when they noticed his interest in photography they urged him to pursue it even covered his expenses, he took photography classes and became a professional photographer and joined spectrum studio. The pay was good enough for him and his little sister. After he got his job, Cosmo and Wanda moved away, still they are connected virtually and would often chat over mobile or on-line. They never let the siblings to feel the absence of their parents. The loving couple were almost parents to Timmy and Tabitha. Sometimes he was just amused by the affection of Cosmo and Wanda, "Maybe they see me and Tabby as their own wards, as they have no issues."
Tabitha was a very meritorious student, currently pursuing a bachelor degree in science from an online college.
The day didn't start this badly, he woke up as usual in the morning, made breakfast, fed his physically challenged and wheelchair bound little sister, ate his share and then set of for work. He was a professional photographer working in the famous "Spectrum Studio."
When he reached his boss jovially announced "Timmy got a new assignment for you, there's a funeral in 21st Rhode's Street,the family wants a photographer to click some pics."
"What? Nobody photographs a funeral, are they mad or something?" Timmy was visibly dumbstruck.
"I don't care about their sanity, they are ready to pay a shitload and my new cam is ready to be used. Don't worry I'll give you a bonus." Mr. Afronsky knew how to deal with his employees.
"Ok fine, just hand me the cam." Timmy knew better than crossing his employer.
"Don't give me that look, their will be many fair maidens to lighten up your mood." his employer jokingly assured him.
With a little chuckle Timmy strode off to the cupboard to get the brand new digital camera.
The location was known to him, he knew whereabouts of the Rhode's Street, though this particular address was an unknown territory. Rhode's Street was one of the outskirts of the metro, where you could find greenery, pollution-less air and a soothing tranquillity even in this era of modern anthropocentric civilization.
The environment lit up his gloomy mind, he easily located his destination from the little gathering. He entered, the letterbox read "Valentine", the house was a traditional two story house with a touch of aristocracy. "Only these wealthy people can indulge in such absurdity." Timmy mentally chuckled. He passed the small garden to get through in the house. People were sitting and standing in that big room and in the middle a coffin was laid.
Timmy sent an sms to the clients number, about his arrival. Within a minute a woman of early twenties was seen coming at him by dodging and dribbling numerous mourners, "You must be Timmy Turner, I am Charlotte Valentine, your client."
Charlotte Valentine, the name was familiar, he had heard recently about it but couldn't recall.
Timmy had a chance to look at her client, a pretty raven haired girl with a very stylish spectacles. He almost felt like being enthralled by his client, "You will be filming everyone who will be coming here and on every thirty minutes you will take a snap of the dead-body. Is that understood?" her commands took him out of the trance.
"This woman has lost her sister and she is just referring her as the dead body? Something is going on, why she she is this cold to her own sibling? who cares, she is paying me enough so no need to ponder on this." Timmy focused on the instructions."Fine, so I will film everyone and click the body every 30 minutes?" he tried to cross-check,
"Yup, so get going then." Charlotte Valentine was a practical woman, she asserted her authority on the supposedly enamoured photographer.
Timmy got down to his work, much to his chagrin ,he went to the coffin. The coffin was laid on a black mahogany table, the lid was opened. It contained a corpse, not just any corpse a very peculiar one. It was female body dressed in a black dress, from the facial features most likely the elder sister of his employer, little pale yet very pretty even in death. Her fiery red hair, her sculpted body and Athena like facial features won over him. He was awestruck, "How can this beauty die this early? Still I can ogle her and she won't be stopping me." A very naughty thought registered on his mind, "Brain bleach, I can't do dead-bodies, that's so sick, focus mind, focus, just film everyone and take snaps and get the hell out of here." he chastised his mind.
The first two hours were very fast, people poured in big numbers. He had to film everyone of them and it was not an easy task. People came and paid their respects, consoled the grieving family and then left. He had to film everyone, he was bored beyond limit, still he continued. The sum of promised money kept him going.
Something still bothered him, everybody even the younger sister of the dead looked sort of relieved as if the dead person was a burden. The dead-body didn't show any sign of prolonged illness or physical deformity; then why there are silent celebrations in the place of mourning? Maybe she had a horrible personality or a lunatic with perfect physique , this would have been only confined as his thoughts if he didn't overhear the conversation; he was filming the guests suddenly he heard a murmur, a bald African-american was having an almost inaudible conversation with a Blond Caucasian. Both being around his age , early twenties. This interested him, he was bored, who on earth enjoys filming mourners at a funeral?he wanted an escape route. He almost crept towards the pair with extreme precaution, then he started filming other people while keeping his ears open.
"I don't wanna speak evil 'bout the dead, but she was some menace." the bald guy uttered in a husky voice.
"She was a living demon, making us miserable in every chance she got, right from our early years, though Tootie got worst of it." the blond supported his friend's assertion.
"But I heard that she became deranged in her last days?" bald one asked the blond.
"Yeah, she became unfathomably insane, she would often leap at the pet dogs or cats and bite their throats, she even drank blood from a pigeon once. She was a total threat to anyone around her." the blond murmured.
"Served her right, a filthy imbecile like her deserved this, Karma still exists. huh?"
"Shh...zip it, that cheeky cunt of a photographer is overhearing us."
Timmy knew it was a very suitable time to get the hell out of here, he was not only filming a funeral but the funeral of a very fiendish lunatic.
He almost felt like puking when he recalled his initial thoughts about the corpse of Victoria Valentine; yes her name was Victoria according to the board outside the hall.
A cold chill ran down his spine, if those two guys were to be believed then surely this woman was a very evil person as of late had vampire like mentality, "Ah..those knuckle heads got me, Vampires exist only in imagination and stupid Rom-coms."
Timmy suddenly felt a cold breeze grazing through his body and thus bringing him in reality once more. The rush has been toned down, the visitors were leaving one by one, those two guys also left, though they gave him a death glare before leaving.
A tall man came in, he wore black tuxedo just like all male guests, had a very pale skin and deep socketed eyes. The mere look of this man unnerved Timmy, though the remaining guests didn't seem to even budge.
He steadily walked to the coffin and took his hands out of his pocket, then he started moving his hands over the dead body, caressing every body part. Timmy knew this was anything but normal and this man was dishonouring the dead.
She might had been a psycho bitch but nobody should dishonour her dead-body, Timmy rushed to the coffin, the man quickly pulled over his hands and nimbly got past Timmy.
Timmy looked at his watch, he had to take another photo of the dead-body, "Maybe the man couldn't do much due to my presence of mind, the corpse looks untouched and unchanged. First an evil lunatic and then a Necrophiliac, and I thought this to be boring."
He clicked the photo, then he again found himself staring at the dead redhead, suddenly the corpse opened its eyes and grabbed his right wrist with immense pressure "Naughty twerp, are you feeling jealous?"
Timmy was sweating and panting heavily, his heart rate sky-rocketed, his visions became blurred.
Timmy woke up from the slumber after being shoved lightly, "Dozing off on assignment? If there is anything wrong I won't be paying." his client reprimanded him strongly, four people were carrying the coffin out of the hall, likely to a corpse carrier.
"So it all was a stupid dream when I dozed off." he was visibly happy despite the threat from his client.
"I see, you have high fever, so just go and take some rest." Charlotte being little empathetic towards him while accompanying the undertaker;, his whole body was burning with fever, he had difficulty in standing up let alone walking.
With the last bit of strength in him he reached his motor-bike, the cool afternoon bridge soothed him a lot. The fever got subdued.
He reached studio at 5.30, was waiting for him, "So how was it, Timmy?"
"Fine, no issues, now need to print the pics and burn the film in a cd." he replied.
He was a fast worker, he burnt the whole film in a cd within seconds and printed the 8 photos that he had taken.
Vicki Valentine looked even prettier in the photos,"It is a shame that such a beauty is dead, oh she was so my type." Timmy sighed.
They were done for the day, closed the shop while Timmy rode away on his bike.
Tabitha was waiting for her brother's return. Despite being a wheel-chair bound person she was very affectionate towards her brother.
"Sis, I am home." Timmy announced happily, he even brought Pizza for dinner.
"Must have been a hectic day, bro?" Tabitha asked Timmy.
"Yup, had to film a funeral, photograph a dead body, dozed off while working, had a crazy night-mare, hectic is too soft for my day." Timmy replied.
This forced a giggle from Tabitha, "What filming a funeral, photographing a dead-body, then dozing off and having a weird dream, you must be high bro."
"Haa...let's dig in, else the it's gonna be cold." he was referring to the pizza.
After cleaning up Timmy yawned loudly, "You are tired bro, why don't sleep early?" Tabitha looked concerned.
"Probably, then let's call it a night." Timmy went towards his room.
"Good night, Timmy." Tabitha wheeled towards her room
"Goodnight ,sis." Timmy entered his room, it felt little stuffy. He opened up the window, it was moonlit night and a cool summer breeze came in his room. The moonlight painted the whole locality in silver. The trees dancing in the breeze, a overwhelming calm prevailing.
Suddenly a thing jumped in his room through the window and now the said thing was sitting on his chest, he was forced on his back on the floor. Her eyes were glittering in the moonlight, the pink eyes reflected the moonlight in an otherworldly manner, her hair was tied in a ponytail, it looked like fire, she bared her teeth, her teeth were ivory white, her canines were very large, her lips were blood red. She held down his throat by her left hand and caressing his face with her right hand.
He felt pressure increasing on his throat, her nail dug in, blood streams oozed out of the newly inflicted wounds, "Hi, Twerp. Where are the photographs?"
This immobilised him, she is none other than Vicki Valentine, the same woman whose funeral was filmed and pictures were taken by him.
"You thought that I will just let you go? You played in the hands of my bitch sister, photograph me, filmed my funeral and worse thought dirty about me. You have to pay, Turner." She was angry, very angry.
"Please, I never knew that You were alive all the time, please forgive me, I am just a ph..." his apology was cut short,
"Stop whining. I was never alive cause I am a vampire, my sister had her doubts so she hired you to keep an eye on me. You are as guilty as her, I can't let you live." she dug her nails on his throat.
"Please, I have my a sister to take care, if you kill me then..."he was again cut off, this time by more pressure..."I will kill her also, I don't care." she sneered.
He couldn't speak anymore, he tried with all his might to get out from her vice like grip but no avail, tears poured from his eyes, he was very sad, not for his imminent death but for his sister's fate.
Vicki noticed this, being a genetically engineered vampire made her more perceptive, "You are more concerned about your sister than your own well being, you are making it harder for me, now I have to let you live for the sake of your sister but bear in your mind if anyone finds out about this..." she released her grip to let him breath in.
Timmy knew the consequences of that, "Thank you..." he was relieved, he somehow knew that Vicki wasn't lying.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" the question hit him like a truck.
"Ah.,no...!" he was surprised, "Well from your looks it's evident that you lusted my body back there."
"So that wasn't a dream?" he was surprised.
"Yes, I had to convey my point to you, My sis experimented on me, made me a beast as a potential defence project and drugged me, faked my death,tried to ship me in the army research facility, but I broke out and killed all those fucks ; though your thick skull was thicker than I thought." she stated.
Now it was clear like a crystal, Charlotte Valentine the famous prodigy genetics expert transformed her own sister in a living weapon as a pet defence project, faked Vicki's death, used Timmy to make her death look realistic but it all backfired.
"I need food, clothing and shelter, Government will kill me at sight, so I was thinking how about I stay here as pretending to be your girlfriend for now?" she asked rather timidly.
"But? " he was taken aback by the chain of the events.
"Look I need a cover and those photos have to be destroyed, if you don't co-operate I will have to take steps." she tried to be threatning.
"Well, those photos can be easily destroyed and I will erase the data, but please don't hurt my sister ,I will do whatever you have asked please don't hurt her." he pleaded.
"I won't, and for now I am you girlfriend till this ends." Vicki looked contempt, her special powers were telling her that Timmy won't rat her out, she might have just find her home at last.
"So ...Will you need to drink..." Timmy was again cut off, "Nope, Man made vampires like me don't need blood, we just need haemoglobin. You will can easily take care of that else I have to go for the natural resource." she bared her fangs to get her point across.
Timmy sighed, it was surely an acid test for him, his sister's life is at stake, this mad fugitive is surely can't be messed with. His life was now in a complete misery.
...
Tootie dusted herself, "It was a good idea to take the serum else wouldn't have healed this fast." she noted. "You can run Vicki but You can't hide, I will hunt you down. Your DNA will change the world." Her wounds were healed , though her minions weren't that lucky. They all were ripped by none other than Vicki.