The Vampire Hunter

Chapter 4

Lloyd.

After a weekend of not being at college, I forget how insufferable most of the people are in these hallways. Trying to get to one class takes double the amount of time it should due to the fact that every single person in this building prioritises themselves, myself included. As I attempt to walk towards the Science lab for my first class, I am stopped by my brother Baelan.

"What do you want?" I snap. I was in no mood to talk to my grumpy, older brother. But it seems like I was as grumpy as him.

"Have you seen Scott?" He asks me with concern plastered over his face. Was something wrong?

"He went to get food earlier, I left for College before he came back." I reply, I can feel my eyes staring at him blankly.

Suddenly Baelan's face changes from concern to worry.

"Baelan, seriously, calm down. You can't spend your life worrying about him when he's gone for a little longer than usual. Maybe he's still getting food." I put my hand on his shoulder, feeling his tension underneath my palm. Scott is an idiot, but he's not that dumb. He wouldn't get into any trouble. I think back to the time he managed to get his arm stuck in a hole of a tree trunk, I grimace.

"This isn't funny Lloyd! What if something happened to him? How would you feel then?" He shouts at me. I could tell Baelan was also hungry, like myself.

"Look, just go get something to eat, and look for him on the way. If you can't find him, then I'll take you seriously." I pat him on the back and walk towards my classroom.

I knew we should have moved to the city. Getting food is a lot easier, our diet is different from the average human. Because we are not human. Living in a quiet place like Pavington is taking a toll on our nature, there are only a certain amount of times that a town can label a death as an animal attack before they begin to hunt the animal. And that's the issue, we are not animals.

I mean, would you count a vampire as an animal?

I find Baelan standing in my way again, I glare at him. "Baelan, we need to act normal. So act normal and let your little brother go to his lesson. And stop acting like a creep by walking onto campus." I tell him. I feel a burning sensation tingle in my throat, I needed to feed. Quite badly. Baelan wasn't helping the situation.

"We need to find him Lloyd, come to the woods and help me look." He demands. I feel his hand grab my arm, and I shake him off.

"Scott. Is. Fine! Seriously, He's been gone for like, two hours. That's not abnormal, B." I tell him. Baelan isn't convinced.

"I know something is wrong, okay? Don't ask me how, or why. I just know it. And as my brother, I am asking you to help me, please?" He gives me the look, the famous begging Baelan look.

"I'm going to class, you go and get something to eat. Text me if he's not back in an hour, okay?" Call me a bad brother, but I really didn't feel worried about Scott in the slightest. Baelan sighs, and nods at me. He knows I'm right, Scott has only been gone for a maximum of two hours.

I smile at Baelan and walk towards class again, until it hits me. That sweet, sweet aroma smacks me straight in the face. Someone is bleeding. I spin around frantically, where is it coming from? Baelan meets my eyes, shaking his head at me.

Stephanie Bryson comes storming out of the classroom next to us, one hand pinching her nose, the other is held underneath her chin to catch the blood. She walks towards the toilets and passes in between Baelan and I, and I see his eyes widen. My nails dig into my palms, it would be incredibly foolish to follow what every instinct I have is telling me to do. Baelan knows that too.

My eyes shut and I take a deep breath, fighting this urge is like trying not to pop bubble wrap. But magnified by a thousand. If I walk into those toilets, the urges will be gone. My eyes open, and immediately dart towards Baelan, who is looking at me as well.

I roll my eyes, ignoring the hunger as best I can. I storm over to Baelan and grab his arm dragging him backwards.

"Fine, I'll help you look." I say as I drag him away from Stephanie Bryson's bleeding nose.

***

Within 5 minutes we are searching the woods. No sign of Scott, just a bunch of trees. I watch as a frustrated Baelan storms back and forth through the wilderness, desperate to find any trace of our brother.

Don't get me wrong, I am worried about Scott and his whereabouts. But pacing through the trees is not exactly what I had in mind when Baelan suggested we go and search for him.

"Baelan, he's probably home." I say, trying to calm him down. He glares at me, his hungry vampire eyes are not to be messed with.

"We checked home you idiot." He snaps. This type of conversation would make me storm off, leaving my moody brother to search alone. However I know that combining the worry of a missing loved one with the demanding burn of vampire hunger is enough to kill an entire town, let alone snap at your little brother.

"Well then he might be playing a good old game of hide and seek." I smile at him. Usually Baelan and I tease one another when either of us are feeling on edge. This time he turns away from me, sighing.

"Not funny, Lloyd." He states.

"Look, I think we both know that he's not here. When he shows up, he shows up. We'll ask him what happened then. Scott has been alive long enough to not get killed. He's fine." I walk over to face Baelan, pacing my hands on his shoulders. I can see the worry in his eyes, and I try my best to make him believe that I believe what I am saying. "Now, let's go find something to eat, okay?"

Baelan nods at me, a small smile on his face. We take a different route through the woods, heading away from home and towards Pavington college. Between the three of us, Scott has always been good at keeping tabs on the news updates in Pavington. He befriended a local in the town hall who has the scoop on most things going on around here. Scott has learned that people are beginning to take notice of the attacks going on in Pavington. Unfortunately for us, this means we have to feed on animals rather than humans.

Bleh.

As Baelan and I make our way through the woods, we spot a body slumped against the tree, I feel my heart drop in my chest. Even from this distance, I can recognise the fluffy brunette hair that belongs to my brother Scott.