Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

13

       Cops surrounded a large, dilapidated building. It still stood high after thirty years of neglect. It's surprising it hadn't collapsed already under its rotting wooden structure. The men all aimed their guns forward, waiting for an order to shoot from Helsing. Helsing stood beside them, sucking on a small strawberry sucker that he held between his fingers like a cigarette. When offered a cigarette by the cop beside him, Helsing responded: "No thanks. I'm trying to quit." Ronnie Anne was less anxious about the situation at hand and more so about the fact that Lincoln was running late. Finally, he arrived half an hour later around 8:30. Helsing scolded him with his focus still on the shabby skeleton of a house. "You're late. Don't apologize either, there's no time for that. I've been waiting specifically for you. You can kill a vampire—I know that. You can hold your own. So, I want you to go in there and lure that vampire out. I know that gothic prick is in there, and on the off chance that he attacks you, I have faith that you'll be able to fight back. Go in there and get him out, alright?" Lincoln felt like he was being ordered around and was not keen on that impression. He also made sure to express his doubts. "What's with all the guns? You can't kill a vampire with a bullet, you know that right?" Helsing growled, "You can—if it's a silver bullet. I've been killing these things before you were born, kid. Don't underestimate me. Now get in there, and lure that bloodsucker out of there."

       Lincoln entered and quickly noticed the creaking beneath his feet, which traveled along the walls and knocked dust from the ceiling. He walked around, cautious and vigilant, and waited for a movement to act. Alerting his ears, there was a noise that came from downstairs. It was an echoed whisper. Or, perhaps an incantation? Lincoln walked down the steps, descending into a basement that was lit by candles placed periodically down the hall that he was led down to. At the end of the hall, fixed a door. He pressed his ear against it and listened. He heard the whispering plain as day. He pushed the door open and trepidation reached its peak. When the door pushed far enough to allow sight inside, he met face to face with a vampire, who stood there, eerily close, staring with pin-point black eyes, as if he were waiting for Lincoln to arrive. "Hello. Do you have business with me?" he hissed. "I do, as a matter of fact. If you behave and come with me, maybe they'll stake you in the heart quick enough to prevent any suffering." The vampire gave a wry laugh. "Well, I guess the jig is up. This is the end for me, isn't that right? Don't worry, I'll cooperate. Lead the way, my friend." Lincoln did not expect such subordination from a vampire. Immediately his mind questioned whether this was a trick or not. It had to be unless he truly did understand how doomed he was. Then another thought materialized: Where was the secretary?

       He brought the vampire up; one hand pushing him forth on his shoulder, and Lincoln's other hand hovering behind himself over his dagger-concealing pocket. He made it quite clear that any sudden movements would be harshly punished. They both came out of the front door and all the cops greeted them with pointed pistols. Helsing's expression changed for the first time since they'd arrived. He looked shocked now—either that or just a sudden wave of fear struck him. "You mother..." he said, string the vampire in the eyes. Ronnie butted in and started spitting out questions. "Where is she? What did you do to her?!" Helsing lowered his tone and asked the same question with more poise. "Where's the girl? The secretary?" Unexpectedly, to this, the vampire smiled. His fangs poked out and made his face even more punchable. "Why, she's in the attic. Maybe you should all go in and say hi." The inflection of his voice was disturbing and ominous. It was like he knew something we didn't. Lincoln started confirming with himself, "I knew it! That bastard had some trick up his sleeve! What did he do to her? What did he do?" Helsing, Lincoln, Ronnie, and two cops rushed inside the house, up the stairs, up a ladder, and found her. The secretary girl was in the attic, he wasn't lying. But the state she was in... appalled everybody, to say the least. One cop vomited, Ronnie covered her eyes, and Lincoln couldn't look away. She was completely disemboweled, and her organs were separated and placed onto plates. Vampires suck the blood of their victims, that much is known, but what if... that's just the surface of it all?