Sam, Bridget, and Alan kept near the alleys and narrow, damp back streets with the distorted sounds of synthpop drumming out from the clubs around them. Depending on which area of downtown Santa Carla a person was in, it would give them one of three impressions. One being the heart of Santa Carla, filled with the regular coffee shops, stores and mall that was frequented during the day but abandoned for the wilder streets nearer to the boardwalk at evening and night. The second impression was being the seediest place around with drunks and homeless people wandering the alleyways and finding a place to sleep in the bins and rubbish that had been dumped all the way down these streets. Beds had been made of cardboard, beer cans and takeaway boxes. The third impression still wasn't completely swanky but it was nicer than the rowdy night clubs. The bars were more jazz focused with some salsa and Latino clubs and the area was also home of the movie palace and the sole theatre in Santa Carla after the second had shut its doors permanently a few years ago. It was now yet another abandoned building in Santa Carla.
Still, nobody in their right, sober mind would want to walk down these streets by themselves. Unfortunately that wasn't most people in their town.
"So far this area is nothing but a haven for the bums," Alan said. He carefully dodged a sleeping man, almost covered by cardboards.
"Give it another hour or so before we head back and report?" Sam asked.
"I could really do with staking one of them tonight," Bridget said. "I need to vent otherwise Bobby and Imogen will be the ones getting their faces punched."
"I get Bobby for opening his mouth today but why Imogen?" Alan asked. "She hasn't said anything."
Bridget shrugged. "I know. It would just entertain me."
He sighed, giving her a look she had only ever received from her sister and parents. That disapproving glare she got whenever she was getting herself into trouble or being mouthy.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"Be nice," Alan said.
"I am fucking nice."
"Guys!" Sam suddenly hissed. "I swear I heard someone scream."
They stopped in their tracks, keeping their eyes in different directions and didn't say a word as they listened out. For a few seconds there was nothing but the muffled laughing from a nearby crowd and the thumping music from the clubs but then there was a bloodcurdling scream, echoing further up the alley.
Alan darted in front, over to the wall and beckoned Bridget and Sam to follow him. They stayed pressed up against it as they moved quietly and quickly, weapons ready to use as they followed loud sobbing.
"Somebody help!"
A girl was in the arms of a blonde vampire. Her back was to them as she easily kept hold of her kicking and wriggling victim whose sobs were turning into weak whimpers and gasps.
"Drop her, Vampira," Alan snarled, pointing the stake in front of him. Both his friends cringed at his fighting talk.
"Really, Alan?" Bridget muttered.
"You're lucky you're cute, you know," the vampire said and turned to face them. Her features were human and heart wrenchingly familiar. The same full, pink lips and large, grey eyes that were wide set and looked almost doll-like. But her skin was porcelain and her pale blonde hair was a wild mess. Charlotte laughed at him and dropped the dead girl to the floor.
"That was some terrible fighting talk," she said.
Bridget put her hand to her mouth. "Charlotte?"
Her old friend stared her way. Fresh blood dripped from her mouth and she bared her blood stained teeth in a sneer.
"Things didn't get any better after I left the dance. I got kidnapped and turned into this." She gestured to herself and her eyes flashed yellow. "Fucking great night."
"I'm sorry," Bridget said.
"Sorry is not going to be good enough," Charlotte snapped. "I took my first kill last night. And that's it, isn't it? Once you kill, you're fully turned and there's no going back."
"I'm afraid so," Alan said. "There's only one solution." He raised his stake higher.
Charlotte grinned at him. "That's not going to happen."
She acted in seconds. Too fast for any of them to react. First, her face changed. Shifted into those sharp, angular features with the prominent forehead and long fangs. Then, she growled. A feral, rumbling growl. And she flew forward with the sound of screeching bats and the flapping of wings echoing around her. She soared straight into Alan, shoving him backwards before landing in between Sam and Bridget. Sam didn't even get chance to aim when she knocked the crossbow out of his hands and punched him right in the face. Pain radiated through his cheek as he stumbled back into garbage, tripping over rubbish and falling backwards.
"Bitch!" Bridget snapped and gave a cry as she ran towards Charlotte with her stake ready and aimed. All Charlotte needed to do was grab her arm, pull her closer and wrap a hand around her throat. She bared her fangs.
"Get your hands off her!" Alan ordered, scrambling to get up and off the rubbish he had landed in.
Charlotte turned to him. His knees were bent slightly, in a fighting stance as he held his stake high and kept his eyes focused on the new vampire.
"You're not going to touch her," he said, baring his teeth. "You want to pick a fight with someone, pick one with me. I'm the one who really upset you. Just let her go."
"Still protecting her," Charlotte said with a sigh. She turned to face Bridget and leered in her face. Her friend gagged, getting a whiff of blood from her breath. "What does he see in you?"
"I protect a lot of people," Alan said. "Give it up with all this stupid jealousy, Charlotte."
"Alright. I'll let her go. Then it's you and me," she said and threw Bridget into the wall. There was a horrible smack when her head collided with the brick building and a cry as she dropped down to the floor. Sam was by her side in seconds while Alan tried to keep his stance, ready for a fight but also tried to catch a glimpse at Bridget to see if she was alright.
"Aw, shit," Sam hissed as he took a hand away from the back of Bridget's head. There was fresh blood staining his fingertips and Bridget was also clutching her shoulder. He peeled the sleeve away to see a large red mark, already swelling and Bridget swore when he poked the injury.
"Stop prodding. Fucking hurts!" she groaned.
"Sam, get Bridget back to the Boardwalk. Then get the others," Alan ordered. Charlotte laughed and ran, disappearing down the alley.
"Don't even think about chasing after her by yourself," Sam said.
"I have to stop her," Alan argued and dashed after Charlotte, following the echoes of her giggling.
"Al! Don't be…"
It was too late. Alan had already disappeared down the street.
"An idiot." Sam sighed and wrapped his arms around Bridget, lifting her up and keeping her balanced as she wobbled on her feet. She groaned again, a hand going to where her head was cut and she looked a sickeningly pasty colour. She doubled over, as if about to be sick but all she could do was retch.
"I don't feel great," she mumbled, clutching onto Sam.
"You don't look so hot either. Come on, let's get you to the car."
She groaned again as Sam walked her back, stumbling along the way and trying to ignore how much the world felt like it was spinning around her. To keep herself awake she mumbled numerous rants over Charlotte.
"Stupid bitch… wait till I get my hands on her… gonna… fuck, what did she do to my head?"
"Charlotte, I'm not chasing you around all night," Alan shouted as he was led into yet another small back street.
"Why not? I was chasing you for years."
Charlotte stood near the back door of an old club, boarded up and covered in graffiti. He spun to face her. The blood was still on her face, drying but it looked bright red in contrast to the paleness of her skin now. She smiled when he turned to her, gesturing to him.
"This is… interesting," she said, looking him up and down. The army clothes were nothing new. Alan had always worn camouflage jackets like the one he had on now. He always sported dog tags and a black beret. But the paint on his face was new. As was the vampire hunting equipment he held. He wore a baldric across his chest and over his left shoulder with pouches that held two other stakes.
"I wouldn't have pegged you all for vampire hunters."
"Can you see why I'm friends with Bridget? We both faced vampires last summer and all we've ever been doing is hunting. Bonnie, Bernice, Sam, Edgar… we all hunt vampires. That's why we stick together. It's why we're all close."
"Hmm… no. I'm sorry, no, I don't believe that. It still doesn't explain why you act the way you do with her."
"I don't know how else to explain."
"I was really in love with you," Charlotte said. "I think a part of me still is."
When Alan didn't flinch from his stance, still holding his stake like he was ready to attack any minute, she sighed.
"Now I really have no chance, I guess. A vampire and a vampire hunter? That's definitely not going to work."
"I'm not into the walking undead," Alan said, a sneer curling on his lips. "I'm sorry, Charlotte, I really am, but you're one of them now and there's only one way to solve this."
A small smile tugged on her lips. A knowing smile. She almost couldn't contain the excitement that came over her, biting on her lower lip with her fangs to stop herself from giggling like a child on Christmas Eve. Alan frowned, slightly unnerved by that strange smile on her face and was suddenly aware of how alone he was. Sam had taken Bridget. Edgar, Bernice and Bonnie were at the Wharf and wouldn't get to Alan for a while now. He was by himself facing a vampire; a new bloodthirsty one at that. He tried not to shake or show any fear in his face.
"No, it isn't," she said and nodded behind Alan.
He froze as soon as she did that. When he heard the crunch of footsteps walking over glass he turned. Another vampire was here. Tall, gangly, with dark hair and a grin that crept up his face. Alan clenched his jaw, moving so he had both vampires in view and gripped the stake in his hands. His eyes flickered back and forth for any sign of movement between the vampires. Any indication that they were about to attack him.
But Charlotte continued to smile, way too eagerly, and the new vampire, Logan, studied Alan.
"You're just a boy," he said. "I was quite surprised to hear that Santa Carla's vampire hunting gang were a bunch of high school teens."
Alan raised an eyebrow. The vampire still had his boyish features. He was young when he had turned. Maybe just younger than Alan.
"You're just a boy, too," he commented.
Logan laughed. "I was a boy. I've been around for quite a while now." Without warning, he was right in front of Alan, towering over him and he knocked the stake out of Alan's hand. "I'm one hell of a vampire, kid."
"I'm one hell of a vampire hunter," Alan whispered and the vampire laughed, backing away.
"Okay, I quite like you," he said, kicking away the stake when Alan lunged for it. He grabbed the hunter by the collar of his jacket and lifted him clean off the ground. Alan kicked his shin and Logan snarled, letting go. Alan landed on his back but quickly scrambled up, grabbing the stake and running straight at the vampire.
"But you're fighting needs work," Logan said, easily sliding to the left. He stuck a leg out, tripping Alan over who stumbled. He yelled out as he flew forward and landed on the ground, hitting his forehead hard. There was almost darkness but he fought against it, swaying as he pushed himself up onto all fours.
Holy water, he thought. Just as the boy came up to him and reached down, Alan rolled onto his back, teeth bared as he pressed the trigger on his water gun. The water splashed on the Logan's face and he hissed, hands flying up to his face.
Those reptile-like hisses quickly turned into amused laughter while Alan scrambled away, legs kicking to push himself backwards until he felt a wall behind him. He kept the water pistol aimed, ready to hit the vampire with more water.
"You don't give up, do you? Very determined," Logan said. He glanced back at Charlotte who had been watching the fight with a cruel enjoyment. "I approve. I think we could do with someone like him."
Alan swore as he stayed crouched on the ground. His instinct didn't tell him to keep fighting. When it dawned on him what the unfamiliar vampire meant, he was ready to run. And he tried. He forced his body to move even though his head thumped and he felt sluggish from fighting. He was almost up when hands grabbed him and a knee collided into his stomach. He gasped; wheezed. Almost fell forward into the vampire but he was held up.
"That frightens you, doesn't it?" Logan asked. "There's really no need to be. I'm doing you a favour."
"Bullshit," Alan growled. He pressed his palms against the boy's shoulders, attempting to push himself away and out of the vampire's grip.
"Charlotte's told me a lot about you. You're a freak at school. Your parents neglected you."
"Shut up."
"Edgar bosses you around like a little bitch. I've seen him on hunts. He fancies himself the leader, doesn't he? And despite being his brother you're just another one of his soldiers, there to take orders instead of leading yourself. I can help, you know. I don't have to be the enemy, kid."
Don't listen to him, Alan thought but he could feel his blood boiling. Those words were stinging, opening up more wounds and he wanted to lash out at the boy.
Logan grinned. "You're only the sidekick, aren't you?"
Sidekick?
That single word made something snap inside Alan. It was like his own stake in the heart.
"How do I put this in terms you'd understand? Oh, yes. Edgar's Batman and you're Robin."
Alan swore out loud, yelling and screaming insults as he flailed his hands, desperately trying to punch the smirk off this vampire's face. Instead, he got punched and collapsed back onto the ground, feeling the left side of his face sting and throb just like his head. It was a chore to even move his fingers and he lay there, eyes slowly closing and groaning.
"Come on, kid," Logan said and pulled him up into a sitting position. He tilted Alan's chin up. "Drink this."
Darkness was quickly taking over him and Alan was barely aware of a bottle being pressed against his mouth. He wanted to raise his hand and bat whatever was near his lips away but he couldn't move. He felt numb… weak… sleepy…
In a daze, he let the strange liquid from the bottle trickle into his mouth and down his throat.
Everything finally went black.
Thank you for taking the time to read and please feel free to leave a review if you'd like to. :) Next update will be on Saturday.