10. Vampire Stories
As Skipper woke up the next day, he felt like reborn. He was glad that he was finally able to sleep on night through because of sleep deprivation was very dragged to his forces. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. Kowalski was sitting with his head down on the bed and Mort and Maurice, were nodded off and during their night shift.
"Kowalski, you feel better?" the leader whispered softly, because the small Private still slept soundly. "I feel better already, Skipper." said the scientist in a low voice that somehow sounded still tired and exhausted. Kowalski looked at his broken foot and noticed that the swelling had gone slightly. Skipper yawned and stretched before he climbed slowly out of bed. He turned around and covered Private with the blanket again.
With a gentle smile, he watched his young son as he was still sleeping soundly. The leader turned to Kowalski now, who had to tell them a whole lot. But before, Skipper made him something to eat, because the scientists had not eaten anything decent for ages. "Thank you, Skipper." Kowalski said, and took the can with tuna, which the leader gave to him. Greedy he ate his meal without saying a word.
Meanwhile, the lemurs and Private slowly woke up too. "Morning, everyone." Private yawned and stretched. As the lemurs woke up, they noticed immediatly, that they had fallen asleep during their watch of the night, and got a stern look from Skipper. "Sorry, but we were so tired and didn´t wanted to wake you, because you have slept soundly." Maurice stammered embarrassed and nudged on Mort, so that he could even apologize.
But was more interested in Kowalski´s story now, so that he didn´t paid any more attention to the lemurs. "Skipper, how is it that you're alive again?" said the scientists, who still couldn´t believe that Skipper is simply resurrected from the dead. "I also like to know. I was just waking up like as I´ve slept. I laid on my grave when I came back to consciousness." the leader said thoughtful and Kowalski nodded. "So to you now. What has happened to you. Tell us everything, every last detail." Skipper said, and sat on the ground, because he knew that this would be a long story.
"So, how Private had already told you, we were all taken prisoner. Me too. They tortured me again, because with my scientific mind thei really wanted to put me into their team. But I refused. The rest you can imagine for sure. As you have already seen, you know what happens to rebels. " Kowalski told, and shuddered at the thought of all the torture and pain, he had to endure, because he had refused to become a vampire.
Skipper was also against the idea, to hear of Kowalski suffer again so he avoided further questions on torture. "Do you know what happened to the others?" Private asked curiously. The scientist sighed. "Well, yes. As far as I know some have died. Burt, for example. They wanted to turn him into a kind of giant vampire, but something went wrong and he was killed in the attempt to transform him." Kowalski said, looking sadly at the floor. Skippers stomach clutched unpleasant. Burt was just a neighbor, but he was always there when you needed him.
"'And also they´ve completely transformed Marlene. She is like a otter version of the devil now, without scruples or feelings. I've seen her a few times. He has changed so much and became so strong that she is now responsible for the new vampires. I suspect that her new life without a cage and without zoo had made her so emotionally broken that her soul was drawn into the darkness. She is very strong and sadistic. Also the fact that she has no fences around her, that made her going crazy before, seems to strengthen her present power only. " said the scientist, but skipper shook his head.
"I think she tries to get rid of what she has become. When I was alive again, I had no idea where I´ve been, or indeed if anyone was still alive. I went alone through the streets and met her. She wanted to bite me and drink my blood. But in the last moment she stopped and ran away. She talked to any master. " Skipper said, hoping that Marlene was able to free herself from her fate, after all, they were good friends. "Who is this Master?" Maurice added, hoping that they would also learn something about King Julien.
"No one knows. But this one has all the strings in his hands but just in the backround. You must know that the vampires are not evil by nature. They are controlled, by someone who likes to draw the whole world into the darkness. I have no idea who that might be because all work is the vampires job. Nobody has ever seen him or her. " Kowalski said.
"What happened to Rico?" Skipper asked cautiously, because he somehow had the feeling that the weapons expert had not come quite so good from it. The scientists startled when the leader mentioned Ricos Name, because he knew exactly what had happened to him. Kowalski had seen it with his own eyes, but he wanted to avoid the terrible news to his friends. "Kowalski, answer me." Skipper said, to whom the hesitation seemed to be very suspect.
The scientists took a deep breath. "Well, they have turned Rico into a monster. Yes you heard right. They´ve gone to fifth on him and have attacked him until he could no longer resist. Then they have transformed him when he was already half dead. ..." Kowalski murmured sadly. Skipper got a painful stinging in his chest as he heard this. He knew that Rico would never give up without a fight.
"Not Rico. No" Private whimpered and sobbed. But Kowalski nodded silently. "He is togheter with Marlene leader of the new vampires and he has become incredibly powerful. Even more than Marlene" added the scientists. Sadly, all looked to the ground. It was like Rico had died and they would never see him again. "Do you know what happened to Julien?" asked Maurice sad in a low voice. "As far as I know, they have also transformed him, but I have seen him only once very briefly. I don´t know what role he plays in this whole story." Kowalski said, and sighed.
Skipper had heard enough. He wanted to know how they could defeat the vampires, because after all, they didn´t want to spend the rest of their lives in the dark. "What exactly are these creatures, Kowalski?" asked the leader to distract from the mourning mood. "Well, I figured out a lot. So at first. These Vampires just eat or more drink blood. Thats where they get their incredible powers and the immortality from. But it´s not just the bite that transformes you into a vamprie, that's a little more complicated. Ýou can just be transformed from the vampire, who bit you, but this must in turn proffering his own blood. It's like an blood exchange. First the vampire drinks your blood, but then he must give his. But the transformation takes place only if this is done voluntarily and without coercion. It is a matter of trust between the victim and hunter. " said Kowalski, who was now completely in his element.
The others were now quite clear. Therefore, all had to be tortured, because they couldn´t just be bitten so and then transformed into a new vampire. "How can you fight them and where are their weaknesses?" Skipper asked, curious.
"Well, it's almost impossible for mortals to hurt or kill a vampire. For vampires, however, is it just as if I was ramming you a knife into the stomach, Skipper. But vampires can be killed by mortals, when their heart has been destroyed. But this is almost impossible because they are incredibly fast and strong. They could break your bones, all with a single hand. But apart from all they also need to sleep and can starve to death when they receive no blood. But they will never grew older and can not die a natural death. It is like you pressed a kind of pause button. They don´t change, that means, they don´t grow and their appearance will not change ever again. For example, if a child becomes vampire, then it remains forever a child and there is no way to get rid of it and the only thing that is inevitable for a vampire, the constant thirst for blood. " said the scientist, who was glad that, despite his broken foot, to contribute something useful to the destruction of vampires.
But Skipper was happy to hear that they could defeat these creatures of the darkness even though it was almost impossible. His fighting spirit rose and he reached for his knife, but Private and the others reacted in alarm. "You're not about to challenge them, do ya Skipper?" asked the little penguin in horror. "Do you want to stay here forever in hiding, or do you want someday to lead a normal life again, Private?" asked the leader slightly annoyed, but worries were written all over his friends faces.
"Skipper, no. The will kill you. You have no chance against them. They´ll torture you to death." Kowalski said shocked and hoped that he could beat this insane from his leader's head. But Skipper was confident because he always relied on his martial arts skills. With his knife in the right flipper, he got up and looked into the anxious faces of his friends. "Skipper, no. You walk directly to your death. This is something I can´t let you do!" said the scientist, and rose.
But through the pain in his leg, he quickly sat down again. "Is all right, guys. I will not challenge them just for fun. But we need something to eat soon, because the stocks are running out. We should go back to the supermarket." Skipper said resilient to soothe his friends.
The others were relieved that the leader finally changed his mind. But he was right, because the food was really running out, because now Kowalski was here. "I'm coming with you. I will not let you go alone, Skipper." said Private brave and got up. Skipper nodded, because he was the only one who was able to fight. "All right. Kowalski, Maurice and Mort. You stay here and guard the headquarters, while I get something to eat along with Private." said the leader and the others nodded in agreement.
The two penguins went to the entrance and took a last look at the worried faces of their friends. Armed with knives and sticks, they made their way out. Skipper and Private have become used to the darkness that prevailed outside, but the oppressive atmosphere still gave them shivers. Quickly they ran onto the main road and made their way to the supermarket. But they were not alone, because they were observed. Marlene sat silently on top of one of the street lights and was preparing for an attack...