No Sympathy for the Dead
Chapter 1
"This will be the last time I say this to you Lea, so listen up," My sister parked her car and we made our way inside the local Starbucks, "Johnny Depp is way hotter then Brad Pitt."
I stared at her in bewilderment. "Andrea, listen to yourself for a second. What you're saying is completely false. There is just no way Johnny Depp comes close to the hotness that is Brad Pitt." Big bright letters that spelled Starbucks illuminated what would otherwise be a dark parking lot. Midnight coffee runs with my sister were always the funnest. We'd chit chat about the most random things. Topic of conversation tonight, who was the hotter actor, Johnny Depp, or Brad Pitt.
"Johnny Depp is not only the better actor-"
"I'm not asking you who the better actor is, because I agree, Johnny is the best. But in a competition of sexiness? The Pitt all the way." Holding the door open, I ushered her in. She wouldn't be winning this conversation.
"Johnny Depp is mysterious, eccentric and just flat out gorgeous."
"Very true, but Brad Pitt is strong, has a killer body and sweats carnal desire." We made our way to the counter.
"What do you know about carnal desires?" A smile appeared on her pretty face. She had golden skin and sported a cute and choppy pixie cut. She radiated happy happy joy joy, and I couldn't help but grin too.
"I know a few things."
She smacked her lips and placed a hand on the counter, "I think I'll have whatever you're having."
"Living dangerously today, I see. Two venti caramel brulee frappuccinos please. Two percent milk, and as much whipped cream as you're allowed to put on there. And two slices of coffee cake." A trip to Starbucks wasn't a trip to Starbucks without coffee cake.
My sister began rummaging through her her pink tote bag that looked attacked by butterflies. Green, aqua and yellow ones were designed on it.
"Shit," she cursed under her breath, "I left my money in the car. Give me a second to go get it."
I nodded and she left in a hurry. Tapping my fingers on the counter, making my own little tune, I waited for her to come back so we could finish our debate. Brad Pitt was hotter because...he just was! For her to think Johnny Depp was hotter was just foolish, and someone needed to set her straight. And that someone was me.
An employee brought the food up and handed me it. It all looked scrumdiddilyumptious. Especially the coffee cake which eyed me devilishly. Andrea was taking one hell of a long minute. This was the world record of a minute. Temptation took over and I took just a pinch of the coffee cake, letting the cinnamon streusel melt in my mouth. Good lord, is this what heaven felt like? Sugary confections were the best.
"You know you have to pay for that right?" The redhead cashier huffed and rolled her eyes as she watched me pick apart the delicious cake. Her high pitched, nasally voice was filled with annoyance. And with good reason too. God knows how many extra hot caramel macciados with half 2% milk, half whole milk, one splenda, no whipped cream, but drizzle the caramel on top, in a double cup, not a sleeve, she had to make.
"Yeah, I'm just waiting for my sister to come back and pay for this."
"Well when do you think she's coming back?" Her tone grew tired and bored.
I looked around, searching for her outside but not seeing her. "I'm actually not-"
The whole room fell in a deafening silence when the most hair raising, bone chilling, scream tore from outside. The hairs on my arms didn't feel raised, but ripped out. And bone chilling didn't suffice to describe this scream. My bones felt like they were dipped in liquid nitrogen and then thrown against the pavement. It was horrible enough to produce another woman over in the corner drinking a cappuccino to scream. Everyone looked at the exit door, waiting for one another to do something.
Not realizing my mouth was agape, and my eyes where frozen on the door not blinking, I tried to regain control. That was, until another scream echoed and ricocheted off the walls of the cafe. I reached my hand out to grab Andrea's and it was then when I realized that she wasn't with me. She was stuck out there with whomever was producing the shrills, and whomever was responsible for them.
Dropping the coffee cake and knocking into a few people, I ran outside, damn near stumbling to get to where we parked. She wasn't there. I didn't see anyone. Placing my hand on top of the car to prevent myself from falling over, my heartbeat drummed an unsteady beat against my ribcage. Slowly raising up higher until it reached my throat, and then until I could practically taste it. My breaths became hitched, and I began to slip from off the car because my palms became sweaty.
"Andrea?" A dry, raspy cry escaped my lips. A shadowy figure moved from behind the car and my apprehension faded. I ran up to where the shadow was, ready to give my sister a huge hug, "Andrea, you have no idea what I just thought happened to-"
My back crashed against the concrete knocking the wind out of me. I tried to push my way up only to feel a gooey substance coat my hands. Pennies. The pungent smell of pennies overtook ravaged my sense of smell. Red. A sanguine color was everywhere creating a puddle around me. Suddenly finding enough strength to move an airplane, I jumped to my feet, and wasn't prepared for what I saw.
A body, a womans body, drenched in her own blood, camouflaging her identity. She was face down, but her head was contorted in a way that I never thought was humanly possible. I couldn't tell where she was bleeding from because the blood...she was swimming in it. Hand gripping my stomach, I doubled over and began dry heaving, stomach and throat convulsing in harmony. Vomit finally stained the ground, splattering into the red mess.
"HELP!" My vocal chords ripped into the cold night air. I searched the area for a bag to find a cellphone so I could call the police. It wasn't until I found a tote bag, that I found a phone. A pink...butterfly infested...tote bag. The bag slipped through my fingers as I looked at the body and noticed the woman had a short...black...pixie cut.
"No, no, no, no, no!" My hands ravaged my hair, probably pulling out chunks of it. I dropped to the ground like a fly sprayed with raid, and crawled over to this woman. Turning the woman around, I laid her on my knees. Before noticing anything else, I noticed two huge gaping hole puncturing her neck. Huge holes. These were the grand canyon of holes, "Andrea! Is that you? Is that fucking you!"
Rocking back and forth on the brink of losing it, everything happened to fast. A man called the police, they took my sister out on a stretcher, and I was now sitting in a police station getting asked a million questions at once, all while hearing my mother sob hard.
"Are you sure that's all you saw Miss Thompson?" Sheriff Forbes held a pen in one hand and a notebook in the other, jotting down everything I told her.
"Yes. I was in Starbucks, heard a scream, went outside, saw a shadow, and then..."
"That's when you saw your sister?" Her brows touched, meeting her eyes. Her lips thinned out and the edges of her mouth curved downward.
"Yes." My woods lacked emotion.
"And this shadow, did you catch a good look of it."
"No." At this rate, I'd become a robot in no time.
She stood up, making her way to the door. "Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, I'd like to have a word with you." Mom and dad got up, following Miss Forbes outside to discuss I don't know what. Why did she want to talk to them? They weren't at the crime scene. They didn't see Andrea die. They didn't have her fucking blood all over them. In their hair, on their face, on their clothes. Why did she wanna fucking talk to them?
And as quickly as they left, they came right back in. Moods now completely different. My dad's face wasn't sad, but had regret written all over it. My mom had stopped her crying and her bloodshot eyes were now shut as she shook her head from left to right. The only persons demeanor whose said stagnant, was Sheriff Forbes. She still wore the concerned face she had before she left. You know, the ones cops have to perfect for situations like these.
"I think we know what killed your sister." She spoke slowly never looking me in the eye.
"What?"
"Attacks like these have been very common these last few weeks. Remember Anna Smith?"
"The name sounds vaguely familiar, yes."
"Well, she died around the same area as your sister. And the two attacks were very similar..."
"But Anna died from an animal attack." I now knew what she was getting at, and my blood now boiled. I was a volcano, and my blood was pure lava. "You mean to tell me a fucking animal did that to my sister!"
"I know you're upset Lea, but let her explain." My mom cried placing a hand over her heart. She too, didn't look me in the eye.
"It's the only thing that can explain it." Sheriff Forbes shifted in her seat before tugging on her ear.
"Do you take me for a fool Miss Forbes?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you take me for a fool. Because I find it quite insulting to both me, and my sister that you would blatantly lie to my face and say an animal killed her. What type of fucking animal lurks in the shadows of coffee shops? A fucking squirrel? You mean to tell me that this squirrel did this to my sister. It hopped from one of the trees it stayed in, landed on her, breaking her neck from the impact, and then proceeded to drain her dry?"
"Not a squirrel, Lea." My dad tried getting a hold of me but it was too late.
"This must have been the most vicious fucking squirrel in all of existence. This squirrel was out for blood. And had the strength of an MMA fighter because my sister surely isn't strong enough to fight off a kitten, let alone the king kong of squirrels. I can see it now, 'Blood Thirsty Squirrel Sees Red And Murders Poor Starbucks Drinker' in the Mystic Falls daily."
It was all too obvious, their lack of eye contact, shiftiness, and ear grabbing. They were all a bunch of pathetic liars, and I wanted to know the truth now!
"Calm down, Miss Thompson. The sooner you accept the reality of the situation, the sooner we can all have a clear head, and figure out what animal did this."
My own blood now coated my fingers because my nails were digging into my lap, "I'll calm down as soon as you all tell me what really did this."
"Good night Mr. and Mrs. Thompson."
That bitch of a cop left us alone and I slowly cranked my head into the direction of my parents. Their heads were hung low and neither of them spoke, so I did it for them.
"You know the truth don't you?"
Silence.
"Don't you?"
More silence.
"You heard what Sheriff Forbes said Aaliyah." My dad murmured.
"Tell. Me. The. Truth." I grit through my teeth that were now super glued tightly together.
My mom threw her hands up, admitting defeat, "A vampire did it."
I laughed. I laughed the hardest I'd ever had. Yeah, there were two holes in her neck, but vampires were stories told to make little kids afraid of the dark. Then evolved into sparkling pussies with no personality. "I respected you all more when you blamed it on an animal."
"It's true Lea," Dad breathed rubbing his bald head, "Vampires are just as real as you and me. You said you wanted the truth and now you got it."
My heart sank when I saw how serious he was. His eyes, once filled with sorrow and grief, were now burning with rage. But that didn't matter, vampires were a lie and unfortunately, so were my parents, "How could we have let this happen, Lisa."
"I don't know, Charles." My mom placed her hand on his lap hoping it would cool his anger, "What do you think we should do?"
"We're doing what we do best and are gonna hunt these sons-of-bitches." He stood up stretching his huge muscles. My dad stood at six foot three, and even though he was 47 years old, always stayed in tip top shape.
"Despite what you may be telling yourself, darling, we're too old for that now."
I laughed following into their little trap, "I'll do it." They both snapped their necks at me. "Yeah, I'm young and strong. I'll follow in your footsteps and kill the bastard who did this."
"No, no, no," My mom was now standing, biting down hard on her thumb, "You said you screamed for help, and saw a shadow. And the mess it left means this clearly was a newly turned vampire. So they're probably scared shitless, and have left town by now."
"Well, that doesn't mean I can't protect Mystic Falls from the other vampires inside it." This was where they said they were just kidding and we could leave fantasyville.
But all they did was look at me. They scanned me and sized me up from head to toe. Inspecting me like I was now their science project.
"I think we can do it, Charles."
"You know what Lisa, I think we can too."
They exited the room, not even bothering to tell me, "let's go." They were in their own little world, and it was then when I realized that they were dead serious. They thought vampires were in fact real, and were gonna make me into a vampire hunter.
Wow. They were taking this joke way too seriously.