The wind rushed around me, blowing my hair around my ears as I ran. I could still spot Vigo's white blonde hair in the distance, slowly getting farther and farther away from me.
I wouldn't let him get away this time.
We ran through the dark streets in our usual cat and mouse chase. The houses on either side of the road flew past my vision, but I payed them no mind.
They would have no assitance for me to catch Vigo.
We ran across Michigan Avenue Bridge heading towards the Elgin District.
I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body, lighting my veins with electricity and added energy. Soon enough, I reached the end of the bridge. I didn't notice at first the differences around me.
My eyes trained on Vigo, I saw him take a left turn and disappear around a corner. I followed after, and came to a halting stop.
The streets were mostly dark and empty, but at certain intervals odd little lamp posts shone into the black night. The buildings were more colorful and upkept, and there were shiny cars driving down the streets.
Why is no one following the curfew?
I caught a glimpse of Vigo again, and took off.
Soon I had chased him all the way into a more empty area, with no people around. I lost him for a moment when we reached a long and oddly placed park, but found him again.
He had sprung on his would-be victim, snatching them up and taking off down the side walk. Of course, I gave chase. I would not let him kill another innocent.
I ran along the shadows until I had caught up with him, leaping out and grabbing Vigo's shoulder. I yanked him back and he dropped the poor lass. Pulling my arm back, my clenched fist connected with his child-like face, the sound of cracking bones reverberating in the chilly air. I landed punch after punch, trying to free one of my hands to grab my stake. But Vigo was putting up too much of a fight, and I was progressively loosing my hold on him. I fought him with all the strength I had left, but my thirty seconds was soon up. Vigo fled with an inhuman growl, and I was tempted to go after him.
Alas, I was out of strength and I could feel the adrenaline draining as if a hose had burst.
Remembering the girl who had almost been killed, I looked around for where she had went.
I spotted her running down the sidewalk and caught up easily. She was much slower than Vigo had been just then.
"Are you alright Madam?" I asked, the only sound our breath and my coat flapping in the wind. "Are you injured?" She suddenly turned to look at me and stopped running.
Her mousy brown hair was tangled from the wind, and her cheeks were red with cold in the darkness.
She looked around, her eyes flitting around.
"Where'd he go?" She breathed, her body trembling. I would be too, if I were her. However, I am not, and fear is not something I would say I have when it comes to Vigo Skaar.
"Ran off. I could not catch him." She gave me an odd glance, before her eyes grew wide. She shook her head and looked at me again, pushing the hair out of her face. Her blue eyes shone in the dark as we stood under a street lamp.
"I will show you to your door, Miss. is this the way?" I asked. She should not have been out after curfew.
She looked around, her brows furrowing in confusion. "It's on the other side of the apartment complex." She said. I nodded once and started off, making sure she was following after me.
"I'm lucky you were there." She said suddenly, her voice wispy from being out of breath still.
"It was not luck, I was tracking him. And about to pounce on him before he grabbed you, I might add. I cannot imagine what possessed you to break curfew and leave yourself so exposed. There is no excuse for such recklessness." I said sternly.
I had never known of someone to be so foolishly brave as to break curfew, and be alone no less.
"I wasn't breaking my curfew. I don't even have a curfew." She said.
I glared at her as we continued on. "Indeed? I wonder if the town council would confirm that."
We had reached a large building, and she practically dove for the door handle. She opened it with a small key as she said,
"I'm going to call the police. I hope you can give them a better description than I can."
I frowned as we walked into the lobby area. "Call the police?" I scoffed. "Are you mad? They are of no use against him. They are too afraid themselves."
She slowly turned and looked at me. "Look, I don't know why you were following that guy, but you shouldn't put yourself in danger. He could really hurt you."
The lights in here were bright, confusingly so.
"I have every intention of killing him before he can do so."
She pulled something small out of her pocket, and pushed a button. It lit up with more fake bright lights.
"What is that?" I asked. I was by now fully perplexed with this woman and her odd little building and gadget.
"A cell phone." She said slowly, as if she had to sound it out for me. I am not incompetent.
"Do you mean a telephone? That is very odd, Miss... Forgive me, I did not catch your name." I said, realizing I had not introduced myself either.
"Amy Hawthorne." She said, almost automatically.
"I am Alaexander Banks. At your service." I said, bowing.
She started to laugh and I straightened up.
I raised an eyebrow and demanded, "What is so humorous?"
"You look a lot like him; I'll give you that." She said.
"A lot like whom?" Perhaps she was mentally unstable?
"You know, Alexander Banks from the Otherworld books."
The what books? My frown deepened in confusion. "I do not know what books you speak of. In any case, I must be off to the Byward District to see if I can pick up his trail. Do you know, perchance, how I can get there from here?" I must have gotten lost in the chase and ended up in a different part of Chicago. This side looked nothing like the Elgin District.
She paused for a moment before she replied. "I'm sorry, but I'm not into the role-playing thing. I'm a fan of the books, too, but I need to deal with the police right now." She turned away from me and walked towards the shiny metal door.
"You will offer me no help?" How rude.
She turned around and looked at me. "My mother's waiting for me upstairs and could be down any second. And there's a security camera over there." She pointed at the camera perched above a mirror. Our reflections glinted back at me.
I turned back to this strange girl. "Just a moment ago I saved your life. Now you act as if I am threatening it?" I was perplexed by her, to say the least.
Had I not just saved her from being killed by a vampire?
"That guy wasn't necessarily going to-" she started, but I cut her off.
"Vigo Skaar never leaves his victims alive." I said bluntly.
She froze, her muscles clenching in shock and momentary fear.
"Vigo's just a character in a book, okay?" She quickly stepped into the little room beyond the sliding metal doors and pressed another button. I stuck my foot between the doors and they popped back open.
"Not so fast." I said, giving her a fierce look. "Not until you explain why you doubt who I am."
She immediately stepped out of the elevator.
"Why don't we sit down." It was not a question. This girl was getting annoying. Never before had I had someone doubt who I am, and I wished to know why she did now.
I took her arm and pulled her easily over to the uncomfortable looking couch where we sat down.
"I would like to know why you do not believe what I'm telling you."
She started to inch away from me. Subtly, but I had trained in the art of subtleness.
"I don't know what to say. I told you I just want to call the police." She said.
"And I told you, the police are ineffective. Rather than patrolling the streets at night, they adhere to the curfew. They are not qualified to take on Vigo and his coven. This cannot be news to you."
Her expression slowly morphed through different emotions, before it fell blank.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyway, if you want to get to the Byward District, it's just, uh, a couple of miles north of here. Turn left at the stop sign half a block down, and keep walking."
Finally. "Thank you for the directions." I said, standing up. Amy stood up as well.
Now, what are these 'books?'
"You keep referring to these books. Please tell me why."
She sighed and glanced back at the shiny metal doors.
"Alexander Banks is a character in the Otherworld books."
"And what role do I supposedly play in them?"
"You're James'a cousin. The vampire stalker."
I considered this. "I am aware of my actions being reported in the Daily Sentinel, but not in any books. Whatever these volumes say, I assure you they are entirely unauthorized. I am the real Alexander Banks. I give you my word." There. Now she must believe me.
"Okay. You're Alexander Banks." She deadpanned. I cleaned my jaw and breathed in deeply.
"You clearly do not believe me. How can I prove who I am?" This has gone farther than I expected, but I had never met someone who challenged my word so.
"You could stick out your tongue."
That's an odd request. Her reply threw me for a moment. "I beg your pardon?"
"Alexander Banks can't drink anything too sweet or tart because his tongue got slashed by a vampire's blade. If you show me the scar, I'll believe you."
How did she know this? I thought about it for a moment. "Very well." I stuck out my tongue.
She gasped and took a half step back. She stared at me in shock and stood there speechless. Finally, maybe I had gotten the message across. I wasn't going to stop there, not until she believed me.
"I have several other scars that may reinforce the verdict." I pushed back my coat and unbuttoned my shirt to show her the circular white scar beneath my collarbone. She blushed.
"James and I were nine, fencing with tree branches. He impaled me. I almost bled to death." She nodded almost drunkenly. I began to roll up one of my sleeves.
"I also have-"
"It's okay. I-I believe you." She said, cutting me off.
She seemed to falter and closed her eyes for a moment. Was she going to faint?
"I just don't understand. How could you be the Alexander Banks from the books?" She asked.
"I have absolutely no idea. Which is why I must see these books you speak of. But first, please, tell me where I am. I know this city as well as I know the lines in my own palm, but I must have chased Vigo farther than I thought." I said.
She shivered violently and wobbled again. She was definitely going to faint.
"Are you well, miss?" I asked, my voice laced with concern.
"Not if you're saying the guy who jumped me was actually Vigo." She said quietly.
"Indeed, it was." I said. This was all very confusing.
"Okay. I have to show you. The books, I mean. I think you better come up to my apartment... Alexander."
This was the most cooperative she had been since I had saved her from Vigo. I was definitely making progress.
