Pressing up his weight, it was just enough for me to bring one of my legs up to thrust him off me and into the dark of the garage as he writhed and convulsed on the cement floor. I wiped at my face as best I could and ran ahead of him, unlatching the garage door lock and heaving it up. It rolled on squeaky rails and let in the late morning sun. The feral squealed in pain as it caught the sun's rays and sizzled into a blacken pile of ash. I dropped to my knees, breathing heavily as I recovered from the unexpected surprise attack.

I groaned, wiping at the stickiness that drenched my face. The black-red blood clung to my hair, face, neck and arms like a thick, rancid muck. Sighing, I frowned at the still-smoldering, smoky pile next to the car that I had wanted to take. I made my way back inside, finding the small hallway half bath where I grabbed the hand towel off the rack and wiped away what I could of the thick, disgusting ichor. Satisfied but knowing I now needed another shower, I turned to find the keys I had dropped by the door.

The car took a few turnovers before it started, showing a full tank of gas. Smiling, I shifted it into reverse, stopping in the driveway to slam the garage door back down to ward off any suspicion of disturbance. Jumping back into the driver's side of the car, I pulled out the rest of the way and headed back home to change.

Once inside, the sweet feel of the shower made me want to stand under the water forever. Remembering to conserve the heated water, I proceeded to scrub the nastiness of the feral vampire's blood off my body. The water swirled black and pink down the drain, like clouds of death, spinning as it fell into the holes of the pipe drain. Finished, I changed into fresh clothes and proceeded to cleaning my weapons, which were now caked in the clotted muck of blood. It would take me most of the afternoon to get them cleaned up. I figured my day was wasted. I hated not heading to town to search for my mother and brother but what good would I be in this anxious and spooked state? Unfortunately, it was time to lay low for a bit and this was the day to do it, especially with those hybrid vampires lurking about.

I dropped the belt of weapons and cleaned my hands again, knowing I had to stuff the little car into the garage before nightfall. I didn't want anyone seeing anything changed on the outside of my cabin. Walking out, I moved the car into the garage and closed the garage door down, locking it with the key lock. Luckily the owners of the place had left the keys to the garage hanging nicely by the door.

As I turned, my eyes landed on a sight that arrested my heart. Staring right back at me from across the road, in the shade of the trees, was a woman. Her chestnut brown hair floated about her in the breeze as she stared me down. I froze, mentally cursing myself for coming outside without a weapon.

So stupid!

I contemplated my options as we continued to look at each other, her eyes and face never wavering away from mine. Her skin was pale and her eyes did not shine red but a tiger eye color swirled in grey. I had never seen eyes like that. They shone like cat's eyes as she stood as still as a statue. I wondered if I should speak. Why hadn't she attacked me yet? I searched her silhouette for weapons and possible hiding spots that she could carry on her person. Finding none, I waited for her to make a move, wondering if she would.

"Hey! Who are you?" I called out to this stranger. She angled her head to the side, seemingly interested in my speaking. Her face sat still and frozen. "Um, do you talk? I asked you who you are!" My frustration leaked into my voice and she seemed to catch on to it. Her head snapped back up straight and glared at me–her eyes narrowing into thin little slits.

She seems a bit perturbed, I thought.

I chewed on my tongue as I held my ground, not wanting her to see any fear spilling into my face. I glared right back, daring her to make the first move. Her lips moved into a half smirk as she gave me a nod. She then moved faster than I could ever hope to, turning to run, and disappearing in a blur. I gasped; scanning the direction I had seen her run, squinting my eyes to try to catch sight of her.

"Ah!" I groaned, cursing at losing her in the forest. What if she came back with more vampires? This day was starting to look really bad for me. I felt my panic surge up into my chest as I spun around, glancing in every direction for the lone woman. No way was she human; and there was definitely no way she seemed friendly, either. This was starting to turn into a very dangerous place for me. My sanctuary in the mountains had turned into an island surrounded by beasts. I made my way back into the compound, locking the door behind me, ensuring that each bolt and lock was firmly in place. I felt small, like a rat in a maze. They must have been toying with me. How did they find me so far away from the city? I was going to have to leave, run farther away to find a safer place.

I slipped to the floor, burying my face in my arms and knees as I realized that there was nowhere to go. No place was safe. There was nowhere left to go in this world anymore. There were no humans left but me. Why would I think any place was safe? The warm tears squeezed out of from beneath my eyelids and made their way down my cheeks in a rush of warmth. I let my sobs shake my body as I cried and cried.

The horror of my predicament made me want to scream and fling things across the room. I held the destruction inside and bit down on my lip as the sobs eased. I hated this. The world had gone to shit and I could do nothing about it. What good was being a fierce warrior when a little despair broke me down into a sniveling mess? Losing my family had been inevitable. We were not meant for this world now, and to continue on was to be running forever.

I bent over, hitting the concrete floor with the sides of my fists, pounding it until the pain stopped me. Rolling over to my back, I stared up at the fluorescent light above me–glaring down its artificial glow and not giving one care for whom it lit up the room. I was sure that when I was gone, it would continue to glow until the power ran out or the bulb flickered out, all used up in its inevitable death. It would not remember me in any shape or form or be aware of anything at all. It too would stand forgotten and silent in desolate disrepair.

Not knowing how long I laid there on the icy-cold, hard floor, I finally picked myself up and dragged myself to the monitoring desk. I sat there for a few minutes longer, my puffy red eyes burning from crying and my arms aching. I watched the monitors, still lit up with daylight outside, but nothing crossed them. Maybe I had imagined the woman. But her porcelain face was emblazoned in my mind. I could still see her fiery eyes staring me down, attempting to slice into my head and sift through my mind as she pleased. In a way, I felt violated–my sanctuary was no longer pristine and solitary–no longer mine. She had trespassed, along with her comrades, into my only corner of the world. I wanted it to be mine again, quiet and safe. I wanted to reclaim its solitude once more.

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