Part Three: The Vampire
February 2000
It was the night of the Chinese New Year—the year of the Rabbit, or something—and as such, for Americans, it was a night for celebration. In reality, yet another excuse to drink and light things on fire and watch them explode.
Thus was the reason why Darwin found himself slinking home at such an abhorred hour. Not because he was out drinking with the other festive individuals—he preferred to drink in solitude, personally. No, his late return was because of all the various injuries that resulted from such vigorous merriment.
Since the Council's involvement in his affairs made it so he couldn't even get a job at the local McDonald's even if he tried, Darwin had managed to keep himself busy and—mostly—fed by becoming a sort of concierge doctor for individuals that were too poor for proper health care. Most of his clientele were recent immigrants still waiting for their citizenships to go into effect so they could get decent benefits for their families.
And of course the occasional wealthy moron who doesn't wish their parents to catch them drinking and needs a stitch or two after making the attempt to reach the swimming pool from their roof.
Going through the motions, Darwin hung up his coat and keys on the hooks in the hallway then entered the kitchen.
The house he'd been extremely fortunate to rent was a duplex with one entrance in the back ally and another—his entrance—in the street out front. It made it very convenient to avoid being friendly with other residents. Not that he snubbed them whenever he happened across them—he simply did not wish to indulge in idle chitchat about families and other cheerful topics.
Since it was much too late in the night to wait for the oven to pre-heat, Darwin tossed his randomly selected ready-made meal into the microwave. Four minutes and thirty seconds later, he brought his severely over-cooked dinner out to the living room, setting it on the metal TV tray along with a bottle of single-malt scotch and an empty glass.
Settling into his second-hand couch, he picked up the remote and turned on his TV and VCR, automatically playing the tape already inside: Back to the Future. He never got round to watching the movie up until a few years ago when he'd gotten the tape free at a local station with a purchase of ten gallons of gas. Such things never really spoke to him before, movies and the like.
But lately, the idea of being able to go backwards in time—to be able to return to a pivotal moment and change the outcome—fascinated him into his near compulsive need to watch this movie again and again.
Bam!
Darwin's fork flew from his hand at the sudden loud noise that erupted from his front door. It was almost like a paper being tossed upon his doorstep… if the paperboy was using a baseball-pitching machine.
Muting the sound, Darwin got to his feet and stared at his door, listening, waiting for more. Nothing… besides a new crack in the door that was going to come out of his deposit.
Cautiously, he moved to the window overlooking the street and, using only his fingers, moved the dark curtain aside and peered out.
At first, it appeared to him that someone had thrown his dirty laundry onto his porch. There was a nest of clothing bundled on his doorstop. Then he noticed skin and hair.
"My God!" he gasped in horror. It was a person lying on his welcome mat!
As he was about to rush outside to assist, movement caught his attention. Concentrating against the darkness beyond, he noticed several figures lurking in the shadows across the street.
Vampires.
Lots of vampires.
More than a dozen at rough estimate. And they were all making their way to his house at an almost leisurely pace. Strolling to their assured victim.
Fighting back the panic that welled up inside his chest, Darwin raced down the hall, nearly tripping in his haste. He rushed into his office and threw open the closet door. Yanking down spare sheets and blankets, he located the object of his search: the satchel of weapons he hadn't touched in years.
Too many to possibly battle, Darwin instead grabbed four glass vials of holy water and the largest wooden cross he could find. Running as fast as he could, he hurried to the door, threw the locks back, and pulled it open.
One vampire had the person—a young girl—by the collar, teeth bared. Darwin hurled one of the holy waters right into its deformed face. Roaring in rage and pain, it dropped the girl and fled back into the night leaving a trail of smoke and the scent of burning flesh in its wake.
Seeing one of their own injured, the remaining vampires all rushed forward, snarling and growling like a pack of ravenous lions.
Darwin launched one more bottle, catching two in one blow then moved outside to stand over the girl, holding up the cross.
There were more than he'd originally counted. Not including the three that had fled from injuries, there were at least twenty. Never in all his years as Watcher had he seen such an enormous cluster before.
They paused before the cross, hissing their anger and revulsion. But it wouldn't keep them back indefinitely—sooner or later one or more of them would be willing to brave the holy items and charge forward.
"Right then—time to go inside, little one," he murmured fearfully to the unmoving girl at his feet. "Come on, now."
Wishing he could be more gentle, Darwin grabbed hold of the girl's arm and dragged her back over the threshold, keeping the cross out in front of him. A daring demon managed to catch her ankle and pulled her back a few feet. It got a face full of holy water for its trouble.
Once they were inside, Darwin immediately closed and locked the door, having to remind himself about the invitation law to keep from barricading the door. Strange, he'd expected to hear yelling or growling or banging—some sound of them trying to break their way in to reclaim the child. But there was no noise.
Now wasn't really the time to worry on that. Not with a life hanging in the balance.
Darwin picked up the girl and brought her out in to the living room so he could get a decent look at her. She was so young—fifteen, sixteen—with very long dark hair and pale, pale skin. And she was covered in bloody wounds all over. The bone of her right shoulder was sticking out of the skin.
Plucking his phone from the end table nearby, he dialed 911 with one hand while checking for a pulse with the other. He'd gotten to the first one before he stopped and hung up.
No pulse. No heartbeat. No breath.
The poor girl was dead. He'd been too late to save her.
"Damn it!" he growled, throwing the receiver across the room in a fit of rage. If only he'd reacted sooner, faster, there might've been a—
Below him, the girl moaned.
He jerked back, startled, staring down at the girl. Her brows furrowed in pain and she moaned again.
But… but she'd had no pulse—he was sure of it! How could she…
"Oh dear Lord…"
A vampire! The girl… it, it was a vampire! And he'd invited it into his home!
"Bloody idiot!" he reprimanded himself, scrambling to his feet. He had to move quickly before the thing had a chance to wake up and attack.
The bag was still on the floor where he'd left it; he had no trouble finding a stake. Gripping it tightly in his hand, he hurried back into the living room and back to the vampire who still hadn't moved from its spot. Pinning the creature's unwounded shoulder down, he reared back and…
Tears. Twin streams of tears leaked from beneath the girl's closed eyelids.
The sight froze him in place. He'd spent his entire life researching all manners of demons, but vampires especially. Long hours stuck in a room bent over book after book, studying, learning everything he possibly could about them.
But he never knew they could cry.
Darwin's arm lowered independently while he gazed down at the tear-streaked face. It… she… looked so helpless. So fragile and breakable. More victim then predator.
Are you a complete fool? This thing is a creature of darkness and death! It'll slit your throat and drink your life's blood once it gets a chance! Stake it and be done with it!
Once more, he raised the stake. It was a vampire after all, an unnatural beast from Hell. It had to die.
But… Why were the other vampires attacking one of their own? He'd often read about vampires offering their own lives as penance when they've displeased their master. However, this did not look like mere discipline. It looked more like vampires attacking a human.
Have you learned nothing from all your years of study? Vampires are evil—it's the first thing you learn from the Council.
But the Council is far from omnipotent; hadn't Darwin already learned that lesson quite clearly. Was it possible they could be wrong about this?
Her lips parted ever so slightly, allowing a tiny whimper to escape.
This time, the arm that lowered the stake to the floor did so under his command.