Take back the night
Chapter 1 Howdy, stranger!
Westville, Colorado.
I ran my fingers on the wooden placard with the town's name written on it, probably the only thing that escaped the attacks in one piece. The wood was shriveled, scratched and dirty in some places, but the way it stood up left some dignity to the town its name was caring.
Though, like many other towns, Westville was just a ghost of what once was. Already knowing what view was expecting me when I raised my eyes to look around, I sighed. The rocky mountains spatter with green here and there shielded half the town, looking enormous and powerful. Some puffy clouds swam on the pastel blue summer sky and the sun was shining bright upon the ruins of the town.
Westville. Once a proud little town in the rough and seducing wilderness of Colorado, now the reminding that this country is no longer ours. Not one building was untouched. All of them wore, like soldiers, the destruction, savageness and ruthlessness of our attackers. The flag of United States of America that used to wave proudly above the town hall was now down, as a sign of our defeat.
The entire image of the town was pitiful; but others didn't have time to cry for our town and residents who lost their lives trying to resist the attacks because they have their own destroyed towns to deal with. Some little towns were real ghost towns now- no residents left, just havoc. It's been a hard year for everybody on this planet; in fact, it all started last year by this time…
July 2013. No one guessed what was going to happen. No time to prepare, like the freaking 2012 Apocalypse that never happened. No time to make yourself a shelter and hide. And we knew so little about our enemy.
Just a normal hot summer day. I would lounge in the backyard, basking in the sun on a sunbed with a glass of lemonade by my side, daydreaming about all the things I could do that summer, now that school was done and I was waiting for the acceptance letter to university- I couldn't wait to go to Denver in autumn, to college. Big city, big opportunities.
I had dinner with my parents that evening, like any other evening, then later set at ease on an armchair in the living room and watched a comedy movie with them. Suddenly, through the middle of the movie, we heard screams from the neighbors and the distant alarms of police cars and ambulances. What was happening? The phone rang as on cue and a friend, on the background of shrieks and noise, gave us the answer: vampires.
We were attacked by vampires. Vampires don't exist. No, they don't exist. Then why, looking out the window, did I see my neighbor rushed by a man running with super speed who then plunged his teeth in his necks. Not teeth, I realized as I stared in terror and disbelief, they were fangs. Well, my only knowledge about vampires came from Bram Stocker's Dracula but I guessed that if some of the things from the story were based on truth, that it was enough for the moment.
That's what the others thought too, probably. People brave enough- and maybe too reckless- ran on the street attacking the vampires back with impromptu wooden stakes and fire- summarized, anything made of wood or silver that was sharp. It would have worked if the vampires weren't so powerful and fast. It probably would have worked better if they couldn't sense our smell from long meters distance, or see so well in the darkness, or have such a good hearing. Luckily, they couldn't enter houses- not without invitations- but by sunset, when they retreated and we learned one more thing- the sun burned them- the destructions and losses were too many. More than half the town residents were brutally dried of blood and the town itself was the aftermath of a bloody battle.
The left ones proudly call themselves survivors. It was a hard night, but a harder year was yet to come. Vampires took over the whole world. They destroyed it, ruined it, killed it hopes. They killed all the leaders of every country, so we were powerless politically. They made us subdue their brutal and bloody governance. We once owned this land- now we were slaves of a new system, leaded by someone that wasn't of our kind. And unfortunately, vampires weren't the only supernatural beings we had to face.
During day time, we would search supplies if needed, or just…hang around like I did now. But when the nighttime came, everybody would rush to hide underground. And there, knowing a vampire could be passing our town looking for 'dinner', we would stay alert and always with our weapons besides, and always careful to barricade the entrance. We weren't many left, just a few small families-including me and my parents, so we hide together in the large basement of a house. The town hall had a big basement, but it was also burned to the ground, like the church and other buildings.
So, one year since the vampires occupied the world and I'm a survivor. But besides being a survivor, who am I?
A nineteen years old girl named Jade who still thinks there's a way to take back what's ours. Freedom. Power. Night.
Exactly, the night. What can I say? I love the night. The stars splattered on the velvet dark sky, the pale moon reigning among them. The blend of colors- scarlet, shades of blue, orange- of the sunset and sunrise sky. Ah, I'm the romantic type.
Vampires have the night and humans have the day- excepting the humans brave or stupid enough to go out at night.
I want both day and night.
I heard the distant roar of an engine, echoing in the silence of the ruined town and wild surroundings. I looked at the horizon where the desert seemed to kiss the bright blue sky and saw a figure outlining on this background, a trembling image because of the hot air. But even from distance, it was clear what was approaching me: a motorcycle.
A motorcycle speeding on the lonely, dusty road, roaring and growling. I stood by the placard with the town's name, staring at the lone rider. Questions were forming in my mind and curiosity grew inside of me, more intense with every meter the rider covered, coming nearer and nearer.
And the rider reached me and the placard but stopped only one-two meters later, with a loud screech. I began going towards the black motorcycle that shone in the sun. When I got to the motorcycle, the mysterious rider took off his helmet, revealing dark rich hair and…
A pair of piercing icy blue eyes. Eyes so bright and blue they seemed unreal, like two gems. They were staring back in my eyes, a gaze so mesmerizing and deep.
"Howdy, stranger." I said, eyes still locked, and my voice sounded rather impressed.
Hello, blue eyes.
A\N: So what do you think? I know I didn't give many details on the character's appearance but I promise that I'll make a description on the second chapter. Also, I know the start is a little slow, but I wanted the reader to get an idea of the America I'm portraying. Please let me know what you think in a review! Reviews are very, very appreciated!