CHAPTER 4

by

Goosefire

Bobby hunted and hunted, knowing full well that failure on his part meant Cindy's death.

It happened: while Bobby was using his research, Cindy was found dead, fully drained with 2 puncture marks on her neck. The family was wrecked, but where was Bobby? He and Cindy were always incredibly close.

Bobby finally learned the vampire's identity and at first opportunity went to confront her. Bobby knew enough about her kind to fight and destroy her and would take his vengeance for his sister. It had taken two days and he was growing more angry by the day, but he was careful enough to hang onto his caution.

He tracked to the vampire's lair, but was surprised to learn that with the sliding covers for the windows, she was able to be active as long as she was not exposed to daylight. He was even more surprised to learn that she had no fear of him. He had both tools and knowledge to fight as well as the courage and willingness to use them.

She attempted to use her mesmeric powers on him, and discovered to her shock that they didn't work. "Wondering what went wrong?" he asked. "Partially it does have to do with the strength of will; but it also involves focusing the mind, and I have only one focus for my thoughts, and you killed her!"

"I didn't just kill her, silly human." mocked the vampire. At those words, Bobby's blood went cold. "What did you do, then?" "I turned her." was the reply. "Three nights after dying, she will rise from the dead, and only I can control her. Now you have a choice: you can fight and try to kill me, but if you do your dear sister will rise and feed and you know what that means; or you have just time to reach her body before sunset but that means letting me go. What is your choice?" Bobby spat. "There is no choice; Cindy is more important."

Bobby was careful not to break any traffic laws until he reached the mausoleum where Cindy was. Looking at Cindy's lifeless body, he cried then kissed her cold lips. "I will always love you, Cynthia. Please forgive me for what I must do."

He then removed a wooden stake from his bag, made from Rowan wood and drove it into her heart. Was that a smile? Sadly, Bobby knew, staking her was not enough; he then beheaded her. Noticing a barrel with fire, like homeless people use at night, Bobby deliberately reduced the head to ashes, and dumped the body in another fire to keep the ashes separate and eliminate the possibility of her being resurrected.

The sun was close to setting; the vampire hadn't lied: Bobby could not have solved both problems! He had made a choice. He had to hope that the choice was the right one. He fell to his knees and wept over the loss of his sister and the role he had played in that event.

He returned to the lair, but it was after sunset: not the wisest time to hunt vampires. But, something was wrong: there was an eerie stillness. The door was unlocked, so he entered. There was no furnishings of any sort; that was when he realized: the vampire had fled! The monster could go anywhere in this wide world so how to track her? Then he saw it, a slip of paper. A receipt for a moving company to move all furnishings to Reno, Nevada. Not much but a start.

Epilogue

"Can you beat that? They say some girl was killed and her brother burned her body." The speaker was a burly trucker who looked appalled at the thought. "How did they reach that conclusion?" asked a voice in the diner. "Says they found the body, partly burned, with the head missing. Now they think he was the one who killed his sister in the first place." "That's terrible." replied the voice.

A young, non-descript man left the diner trying to thumb a ride on the highway.

The road is my home now; I have no place else. Ahead of me, a monster that must be destroyed. Behind me, two parents who have lost their youngest children. A mother who lost her daughter to a killer more evil than she can accept. And a father who believes his son IS that killer. Nothing left for me but to destroy the real monster and pray it puts Cindy's soul to rest.