Chapter 11

Manhattan, lower-Eastside

            A conversation was picked up with his extraordinary hearing just then, as if to add to the ironic coincidence of his almost clairvoyant hopes.  Almost a block away, two vampires were having a conversation, and a name was mentioned by one that sent chills up and down the living vampire's nervous system: Blade. 

            The name was pronounced quite normally, but it seemed to be stuck in the record of his psyche and echoed and slivered in his mind.  Blade, the Daywalker, seemed to be alive.  He closed in on the conversation again, and more closely he heard them talk about the events which happened only two miles from his very dwellings in a human compound earlier this day.

            The Daywalker and several others—humans—breached the compound's poor security, and set dozens of humans free. 

            Amazing...

            Though the humans were probably all gathered up and killed or tortured by now, once again, Blade was shaking things up in the Vampire Nation it seemed. 

            Blood…fresh blood…fresh human blood.  The scent became overwhelming around this last corner, as Morbius inhaled a fresh breath of air.  No human dared to venture anywhere in the open above ground at night.  But here, in the middle of downtown Manhattan, on Fulton Street to be exact, the smell reached out to him like a palpable arm. 

            Next, a heartbeat.  Slowly, it was beating; near death. 

            The vampire walked around the corner and was facing the water.  The wind had picked up with evening, and the ocean's scent was overpowering the smell of blood.  Morbius figured it was a left-over meal.  Regardless, he wanted to know for sure. 

            He heard a cough.  It was coming from behind a phone booth. 

            "What happened to you?" Morbius asked the person, whom was bleeding profusely from the chest.

            "Well, I've been shot..." was the sarcastic response as he looked to his chest, and then up to the stranger with a smile.

            "So I see," Morbius replied.

            "So why'd ya ask?"

            "What are you doing out here at night?" Morbius asked with concern in his voice.

            "I got lost..."

            "Can you get up?"

            "Yeah, I guess.  Why?  You're a vampire, right?"

            "I am.  I won't kill you, though I can't say the same for those vampires," Morbius said as he looked up and over the wounded man's shoulder. 

            Five vampires stood under a lamp light whispering and pointing. 

            "Huh.  Guess I don't have much a choice.  Where are we goin'?" the kid asked.

            I've got a place up the road.  And some friends who can probably help you with your wound there," Morbius said as he helped the bleeding kid to his feet.

            "Good, that's good...'cause I'm feelin' kinda woozy."

            "I don't think we can out-run them in your present state.  Do you trust me?" Morbius asked.

            "I don't even know you.  But since it looks like it's either you or them, I'm gonna go with yeah, I trust you," the kid said still clutching his left shoulder above his heart. 

            "Hey!  What'dya got there?" asked one of the vampires as he started to advance on the two.

            "Hey!  I asked you a question.  What's that human doing here?" he asked quite pissed off, almost offended.

            "Ok, let's go.  Jump up," Morbius said.  "Like a piggy-back.  You know what a piggy-back is, don't you?"

            "Aw, you're gonna carry me?  That's so sweet!" the kid said as he reached over the stranger's shoulder with his right arm.

            Morbius began to trot away at a fast clip, but the vampires were catching them.  Morbius looked over his shoulder, and realized this wasn't going to work on equal footing, and so decided that he didn't need feet at all.

            In the next step Morbius leapt into the air, as if clearing a gap in the street, but continued to climb, and the kid let out a wail of laughter.

            "Aw shit!  You can freakin' fly?!  Get outta here!"

            The kid looked back down to his pursuers, and gave them the middle finger, and nearly fell off the flying vampire's back.

            "Easy, kid," Morbius said casually as the wounded kid lost consciousness.

            When the kid awoke, he was greeted by his flying vampire rescuer.  And another person was in the room.  Someone wearing a white lab coat; like a doctor.  He was obviously still in pain, the kid, and near unconsciousness once again. 

            He's not going to make it...He's lost too much blood...How are we going to find enough blood now...? I'll get him the blood...No, there isn't enough time...He's coming too...

            "Hello there.  It's me, Morbius.  You have only one option.  Obviously it is human nature to survive, and I don't know why you were on that pier bleeding and wounded, but I'm going to give you the choice whether you continue to walk planet Earth again.  You will die, either way, but you can still walk amongst the living, and continue on your journey, whatever that may be.  You are near the final destination now as we speak.  If you wish to become, immortal, let me know any way you can.  If not, I'll let you rest in peace—" Before Morbius could continue, the kid's hand grabbed Morbius by the collar.

            "Do it...do it," the kid said as his eyes struggled to stay open, but finally slammed shut.