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Shortly after Cameron had finished telling Kristie about what had happened to her in the alley and the events following that had led her to the present situation, Cameron sat back in the uncomfortable silence and waited for a response, any response at all. Kristie seemed to have nothing to say, instead choosing to stare at him incredulously. Finally, she cleared her throat and smiled.
"You must think that I am pretty stupid? I mean, that is the stupidest thing that I have ever heard, and I worked at Wal-mart for two months."
Cameron rose from his chair, unsure about what to do now, but certain that further attempts to sway her opinion would be fruitless. He walked to the far corner of the room, hands on his hips, unsure about what action to take to convince Kristie that he was telling the truth.
The whole experience was like nothing Cameron had ever experienced before. In all the years of being a hunter; the battles with unknown enemies, the betrayals by close friends, and the countless close calls that almost led to undeath at the hands (or teeth) of a vampire, Cameron had never once had to actually explain to someone what he
did and try to prove that it was real. In fact, he had never once saved someone and been there when they awoke to answer their questions. A tiny voice in his
subconscious asked him why she was different, but that same voice answered the question immediately. Because she reminded him of.... It was best not to think of
her; it would only drive him crazy.
Cameron was unaware that he had not said a word, had not answered the woman's question. He had instead stood in front of her, deep in thought, mouth closed, eyes open and blank.
Kristie rose from the bed and looked at Cameron with furious intent.
"If you aren't going to tell me the truth, or anything at all, I am outta here. I don't have to stand for this shit".
Cameron motioned to stop her, opened his mouth to convince her to stay, but he never said a word, and his motion was only a reactionary movement. Truthfully, besides a small attraction, he had no reason to keep Kristie with him. It would serve no purpose and only risk her life again at the next sign of vampires.
"Last chance, weirdo."
Kristie stood by the door, hand on the knob, waiting for Cameron to stop her. Cameron wondered why she stopped. Maybe she feels something, too? Maybe she doesn't want to turn her back on me? No answers seemed to tell the entire truth, so maybe it was a little of both. But, the important thing was, she was still here. Still giving him the chance to keep her with him.
"Fine".
She opened the door, and Cameron watched her take a step out of the room, standing between leaving and staying.
A sudden feeling gripped Cameron's heart, making him grip the knife clipped to his belt. He pulled it from his waistband, and ran to the door.
Kristie stared at him as two hands from outside the room pushed her back and a man entered the room with murder in is feral eyes!
Cameron was in front of him in an instant, taking in his appearance in the next instant. He was short, with a barrel chest and loose clothes. His red hair was cut close to the scalp, only giving the hint of hair. He had pale, white skin with freckles. He appeared to be every bit the Irishman, but his yellow reds, tinted with red, gave away his true nationality.
Cameron acted on impulse, stabbing outward with the blade, trying to end the battle before it began. The knife went towards Irishman's heart, but it was knocked away with a powerful blow that stunned Cameron's wrist, and drove him back a step.
Kristie screamed as realization of what she was seeing dawned on her. She knew then, Cameron was not
lying; she really had been almost killed by a vampire. They do exist!
"Get back! Hide in the bathroom," Cameron yelled to Kristie when he saw the knife fall to the floor and slide to the radiator as his hand exploded with pain. Kristie tried to pull herself away from the vampire, but his eyes held her still. She knew that if he took a step towards her, she would not be able to control her bladder.
Irishman straighted up, letting his hands drop to his side, while a smirk escaped his lips. A hint of his long teeth was evident. "I expected better from you, Hunter."
The Vampire jumped towards Cameron, seizing his shirt in his hands. Cameron poked at the monsters eyes in vain, as the powerful arms gripping his chest held him back. The vampire pulled Cameron's arms to his sides, and pulled him close.
"You reak of defeat, weakling. I will make you watch me kill your whore, and then I will turn you into one of us. That is the only justice for you, Hunter".
Cameron squirmed in the Vampire's arms, but it did no good. Like quicksand, the more he struggled, the more he could feel the hands tighten around his arms, threatening to crush his bones to powder.
His time was up. He had been lost in thought talking with Kristie, and the Vampire had struck at the opportune time. His feet were six inches from the ground, and even as he tried to kick the Vampire in the crotch, the blows were weak and
caused the vampire no obvious pain.
Cameron realized he was finished, but Kristie could escape now if she went immediately. He looked into the Vampire's eyes, and stopped squirming. The Vampire smiled, opening his mouth to show his razor sharp teeth. "How easily you give in."
Cameron struck immediately, driving his forehead directly into the bridge of the creatures nose. Pain exploded in Cameron's head, making him see stars in his vision that appeared as white fireworks on the side of his peripheral. Dazed, he felt the creatures hands loosen for an instant, and knew this was his only chance.
He looked at Kristie, as she stood paralyzed with fear against the wall. He met her eyes, and screamed, "Run! Now, this is your only chance".
The vampire gripped Cameron by the side of his face. The creatures hand was ice cold and dry, but it still made Cameron shiver with it's touch. The powerful
hand shoved Cameron across the room, sending him crashing against and then over the bed, where he landed on the floor with a loud thud that racked his brain against his skull. The pain wasn't as intense as the head butt had caused, but the world was beginning to look dim.
The vampire used his forearm to wipe the blood from his face and snarled at Cameron as he lay on the floor. Kristie felt her bladder loosen and still couldn't move. Cameron saw the urine running down her leg, and watched it puddle between her feet.
"Kristie, for the love of Christ, get the fuck out of here," Cameron yelled loudly, hoping he could break her trance.
She straightened up, seeming to come back into reality a little, and her back slid off the wall an inch. She stepped to the side, standing
towards the far window, ready to run towards it as an escape. The Vampire began to run towards her, and she finally moved.
She stepped directly onto her urine underneath her, and felt her foot lose purchase, sending her crashing to the floor as the Vampire dived above her, crashing head first into the wall. The Vampire's face and head left a large dent in the wall, as pieces of white plaster began to fall next to Kristie,
and she slid away from the writhing creature.
On the other side of the room, Cameron tried to stand, but it was an effort. He shook his head, hoping to clear the mess in his mind. His arms and his head already screamed in unified agony from their injuries.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the handle of the knife from under the radiator. He reached for it, and took it in his hand as he stood. He faced the Vampire as it too began to stand, concentrating on Kristie as she tried to back away by crawling on the floor. The
creature's face was a bloody mess. Streams of blood flowed from it's nose and from it's scalp and face, where numerous pieces of wall plaster still stuck out of holes in it's cheeks. But, despite the injuries that would heal soon, it had lost none of its determination to kill Kristie and finish the Hunter.
Cameron leaped on top of the bed and dove into the Vampire as it tried to stand, sending it crashing into the wall again, creating another large hole in the plaster. Kristie screamed, and crawled towards the bed. She stood and ran over the bed to the door. She paused at the door, looking back at Cameron as he lay atop the creature. Camerons eyes met hers, and he began to stand, again.
"Go", he yelled as he felt the creatures hand trying to grip his back and pull him down.
Cameron turned towards the Vampire, and felt his own blood run down his nose between his eyes. He turned the knife in his hands, and brought it down towards the vampire. He slid the blade across it's throat and saw blood spurt by his face, gushing from it's neck. Cameron wiped the blade across the already bloody shirt of the vampire, as he gripped the
creature's shirt collar and pulled its weakening body from the wall. The Vampire fell to the floor lifelessly, but Cameron knew that despite its numerous wounds, the chance that the Vampire was playing possum was much better than average. Cameron acted fast, not wanting to wait to find out if this was an
act, a clever trap waiting to kill a conceited Hunter.
Cameron thrust the knife into the Vampires heart and felt the creature's body jerk
violently and then fall to the floor. A disgusting belch of violently nauseous gas escaped its lips, as its face became grey and ashy. Finally, the creatures face began to crease entirely like a dry desert. The Vampires face turned to ash and then powder on
the floor in front of Cameron.
Kristie stood in the doorway, frozen with shock, but finally regaining some sense. She walked towards Cameron and helped him off the ground. He felt weak and needed Kristie's help to balance him as he walked to the door. She placed her arm firmly around his waist as she opened the door. A stiff breeze blew into the room, sending the ashes of the Vampire into the air, spreading them across the room and out of existence.
Cameron leaned heavily on Kristie as they walked out of the room, away from the nightmare that almost cost them their
lives and into a nightmare that would leave one dead and the other on the verge of suicide.
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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