Puppet Games [Mature Version]

Chapter Four

Author's Note: The picture on the right is of what I imagine Cora looking like.  I will be trying to add pictures of main characters each chapter.

Weeks had gone by.  Blake was losing hope that he would fine the vampire who attacked Cora, and losing faith in his own abilities and honor.  ‘Why now?!’  He couldn’t seem to control himself much anymore, his blood-lust consuming him no matter how much he fed.

Two young women were walking towards him laughing.  His fangs bust from his gums, lengthening to the point of pain for even him.  As if sensing the danger rolling off him like a second skin, the two girls became very quiet and veered away from him as they walked past.  Blake clenched his fists inside his jacket pockets, causing puncture wounds with his nails into the palms of his hands.  ‘Fight it!  FIGHT IT!’ he kept repeating in his head as he fought for control of his urge.  Once the women were well out of his range of smell, he was finally able to relax.  “What am I doing?”

“Hey, Blake!” a male voice shouted ahead of him.  Blake looked up to see Kael running towards him.  “I’ve been looking for you, man.”

Kael stopped just in front of Blake, his expression changing now that he could see his friend’s features up close.  Blake’s eyes were blood red.  “Dude!  You’re not total ‘vamp’, are you?”

Blake shook his head.  “No, just really need to feed.”

“Well, you just missed two hot babes!  Why didn’t you put them in a trance and take them somewhere to feed?”

Sighing, Blake replied.  “I told you, I don’t use just anyone for blood.  Only criminals.”

“Whatever.  Your loss.”  Kael moved as if to follow the women, but Blake grabbed his arm, stopping him with his abnormally strong grip.  “Leave them alone.”

Kael shrugged nonchalantly.  “I was only kidding.  Come on, let’s get you someone to eat.”

“Kael, could you not talk about it like that?  Have some respect for the part of you that was human.”

“Geez, what crawled up your butt?  I come here to tell you I know someone who might be able to help you find that vampire who attacked Cora, and you jump down my throat.”

Blake snapped to attention.  “What do you mean?  Tell me!”

Kael shook out of his grip.  “Let’s get you fed first.  Then we can talk.”

The two walked several blocks toward an unfavorable part of town where crime was rampant.  They came across a street gang of five young men.  Kael pulled Blake to a stop before they reached the group.  “Will you be able to entrance them all?  I don’t know if I’d be much help.”

Blake’s eyes glowed for a moment before he replied, giving Kael a shiver, feeling as if he was standing next to the devil himself.  “I can handle them.”  He slowly walked to the group.  His mind forced into theirs, working a trance to hold them in place while he fed from each.  He could see in their minds all the crimes they had committed, all the suffering they had inflicted on others.  He could feel what they had felt when they had beaten down an old man with his own walker, just for the fun of it.  He could feel the sexual urge and satisfaction when they had cornered a young girl and raped her in an alley, all of them taking their turn with her before leaving her in a bloody heap among the trash.  How powerful and strong they felt to have such control over others’ lives and fates.  He drank greedily from them, until all five were just as weak and helpless as the victims they had preyed upon.

Kael smiled as he watched Blake drain all five men of blood with no remorse.  His own eyes flashed red for a moment and returned to brown just as Blake looked over at him.