Kiss with a Fist

I made my way through the nearly deserted town, arms wrapped around myself as way to warm myself against the coolness of the night air. I wasn't even sure if I was going the right damn way, but I was still walking as fast as I could without running. Something deep in my mind told me that there would be hell to pay when I got back to the plantation, and I wanted to be prepared for it.

I was shivering. The air was much too cool for what time it was in the year. There was an...evilness in the dark, like a monster was lurking in the shadows ready to strike. Little did I know, as I finally made my way to the docks, that that was exactly the case. The whole place was destroyed! It looked like a cannon had gone off and blown the whole place nearly to smithereens. What the hell had happened here?

I swore as I nearly fell into a hole in the dock. It looked like someone's head had been bashed through it. The real question, though, was who's head was it? Had it been Jack's, or had it been someone else's? Before I even had time to answer that question, something grabbed me by the back of my hair and threw me backwards. I hit the brick wall across the way with a thud and fell to the ground, groaning and gasping for air. I could hear whatever had thrown me coming closer. I could smell its awful breath all the way over here. When I got the nerve to look up, I almost lost whatever nerve I had left.

It was Jack. It was Jack Barts. It was him in his full evil vampire form and I damn near soiled my own pants. But, with that fear came adrenaline. I made to flee, attempting to get back on my feet, but Jack grabbed me again. This time, it was by my neck. He lifted me clear off the ground and I let out an involuntary strangled sound of pain. I swung my legs at his, attempting to kick them out from under his so I could escape, but it did not work. It didn't work in the slightest. His haggard nails were digging into the delicate skin of my neck. I could feel myself beginning to bleed as my air supply began to dwindle.

At the last moment, as I felt my breath fading, I took advantage of something that was right in front of me. The bullet that was currently nestled in his right eye socket. I quickly reached up, digging my fingers into that wound and pressing on the bullet. The vampire let out an otherworldly howl of pain, and probably rage as well, and dropped me, scratching up my cheek in the process. I don't know how, but I managed to land on my feet. I wasted absolutely no time in running. I knew he wouldn't be far behind me, so I decided that arming myself would be a grand idea. I ripped a piece of wood out of the damaged part of the dock and held it in my hands.

I listened. Both of my ears were open and searching for any sound at all. I heard nothing. There was nothing to give him away. And, what did I expect? He was a vampire! I slowly, like a deer in the brush, turned my head to look over my shoulder. The moment I did, I regretted it. Jack Barts was going for my bloody neck this time and I knew that he wouldn't miss. Instinctively, I shoved the wood in my hands forward...and straight into his chest.

Barts stumbled back, his face morphing almost all the way back to his human form. He looked surprised, shocked. As if he hadn't expected me to have the balls to do anything like that. For a moment, all I did was stare at him. Why wasn't he dying? Weren't wooden stakes driven through the chest supposed to be fatal to vampires?

"Hate to break it to you, sweetheart." I flinched at his little pet name, "But, obviously, this doesn't actually work." The condescending tone in his voice had me glaring, but before I could do anything else, he had a gun pointed at me. He was aiming straight for my chest, for my heart. I turned and ran as fast as I could, but not before he pulled the trigger and sent me flying face first onto the earth. The bullet had went straight through my gut and out the other side. I wheezed from my place on the ground, feeling my blood trickled out around me, but I pushed on and continued to run.

"Go on and run, little rabbit!" Jack Barts laughed, his voice cruel and unforgiving, "Running won't save you from what's coming."

Somehow, I knew he didn't mean him. I knew that I was bleeding to death and wouldn't even be able to make it to the tavern. I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to make it to the treeline. I'd die in the woods, forgotten and alone. I tripped, skidding on my hands and knees before shakily pushing myself up. I didn't make it another five steps before I collapsed, falling to my knees before tumbling down and landing on my face. I gasped, arms and legs moving wildly, panicked, to try to get me back up and moving again. But, I knew it was no use.

I managed to roll over onto my back, a pathetic mewl escaping my dry throat. I wanted to see the stars. I wanted that to be the last thing my eyes took in before I left the earthly plane. My eyelids began to droop, feeling heavy. It wasn't worth the effort to keep them open anymore. I, however, didn't see the dark shadow above me or hear the whispered words of comfort. And I blacked out before he could get me back to his home.