A Moonlit Night Saga: Episodes 1 - 4 (7 page)

“If you let everyone go, I will give myself
over to you,” said Emily, inching towards Simeon. “But you have to
promise me that you will let my friends walk away.”

Simeon stared down Emily, as she made her way
across the porch. He grinned fiendishly, and said, “Didn’t anyone
tell you? Never trust a vampire.”

Simeon dashed towards Emily, speeding towards
her in the blink of an eye. He grabbed hold of her flailing arms,
wrapping them around her back, as he held her from behind.

Growling, Simeon bared his fangs, as he sunk
his teeth deep into the neck of Emily. The blood poured down her
neck, as the pain overwhelmed her.

Emily could feel the life drain from her
body, as Simeon continued to consume her.

“I have waited for this moment for a long
time,” said Simeon, as he raised himself from Emily’s neck. “I’m
going to enjoy this—.”

Emily jerked back violently, as Simeon
dropped her to the floor.

“I told you that I would have my revenge one
day!” shouted Xander, wrapping a silver chain around the neck of
Simeon.

Simeon gagged, choking on his own spit and
blood. The silver burned through his skin, as Xander threw him to
the floor. He thrashed around frantically on the porch, as Xander
continued to pull the chains tighter.

With the sound of bone snapping, Simeon was
engulfed in a smoldering flame. Not a single fiber of Simeon
remained, as his body rapidly turned into ash and blew away in the
breeze.

Xander collapsed to the floor in exhaustion,
breathing heavily as his battered body slowly healed. A single tear
streamed down his face, as he remembered the woman he had lost,
thankful that he been strong enough this time.

Chapter Eleven

“Are you okay?” asked Steven, running
outside. “Emily, say something to me.”

“—Steven?” inquired Emily, slowly lifting her
head. “Is that you?”

Emily’s vision was blurred as she tried to
pick herself up. She grabbed hold of her neck, trying to apply
pressure to her wound.

Steven grabbed hold of her, helping Emily
back up to her feet.

“Is there anything I can do?” asked Xander,
offering his support.

“I think you’ve done enough,” said Tyler,
exiting the house with a bat in hand. He waved the bat in the air,
trying his best to look as intimidating as possible.

“None of this was my intention,” Xander said.
“I never meant for any of this—.”

“Master!” shouted Horace, running up the
steps. “The battle is over. I regret to inform you that we have
sustained heavy causalities.

Horace was battle worn and covered in blood,
but beamed with confidence. His men were well trained, and had
carried about their business with deadly speed and accuracy.
Simeon’s junkies never had a chance.

“Unfortunately, that was inevitable,” replied
Xander, patting the ghoul on the shoulder. “You have performed
admirably. The threat has been eliminated, but more may be lurking
in the shadows. We will remain in the town, and hunt for any
survivors.”

“Retire for the night,” Xander continued. “I
shall join you shortly.”

Horace signaled for the remaining survivors,
and they quickly disappeared into the night.

“Emily,” said Xander, stepping towards her.
“I just want you to know—.”

“Stop,” interrupted Emily, holding up her
hand. “I only want to know one thing.”

“Anything,” Xander replied.

Emily steadied herself, and slowly walked
towards Xander. She wobbled a little, but as Xander moved to
stabilize her, Emily motioned for him to remain where he was.

“Were you there…when my parents died?” Emily
asked.

Unsure how to answer, Xander began to choke
on his words, and said, “I—I was, but my reasons for—.”

“I have heard enough,” said Emily, with a
look of sadness and regret. “I can’t believe I was beginning to
care for you. I would like you to leave.”

“Emily, it’s not like that,” explained
Xander, taking another step towards Emily. “You are not safe
here—.”

“I said, leave!” shouted Emily, pushing him
back. “I should never have trusted you. My mother was right about
you!”

Xander cringed in pain, her harsh words
cutting him deeper than any blade could.

“I will spend the rest of my life making it
up to you,” said Xander, backing away. “I promise you.”

And so, Xander disappeared into the night,
vowing to keep a vigilant watch over her.

Emily may have asked him to leave, but she
couldn’t possibly imagine the threat that still remained; but she
soon would.

The End

The Vampire Hunter

A Moonlit Night Saga: Episode Three

Chapter One

He rushed through the dense forest, his heart
racing as he unsheathed his sword. He could hear the monster to his
left, and then to his right; it was circling him. The hunter had
become the hunted; or at least that’s what he wanted the creature
to think.

His long brown hair blew in the night wind,
and his tan duster thrashed against the damp forest ground. He
watched, in the corner of his eye, as a shadowy figure stalked him,
circling around him like a hawk hunting his prey.

“This is what you’ve trained for,” the man
whispered to himself, trudging through a shallow river. “There’s no
turning back now.”

He came to a complete stop, and listened, as
the sounds of the forest spoke to him. It told him exactly what he
needed to know.

“Die, ghoul!” said the man, slicing his sword
in downwards arc as a ghoul came lunging at him from the trees.

The blade cut deep, running along the ghoul’s
side. Blood splattered against the man’s face, as the ghoul
collapsed to the ground.

The ghoul shrieked in pain, writhing in agony
on the ground. The blood gushed from his body, spewing all over the
foliage around him. Attempting to crawl away, he cried out for his
master.

“Your master will not be coming for you,” the
man said. “No one will be coming for you.”

The ghoul grasped at the nearest oak tree,
pulling himself along, as he left behind a trail of blood and guts.
The vampire blood would sustain him for awhile, but unless he
received a fresh dose of blood, he wouldn’t last long.

“I want your master to know who did this,”
said the man, taking off his Stetson as he knelt down beside the
ghoul. “My name is Samuel Anderson, and I’m coming for him.”

Chapter Two

“You’re wake, finally,” said Emily, walking
out of the kitchen. “…Another rough night?”

Emily handed Tyler a glass of water, as he
lay on the couch, dripping with sweat. His eyes were bloodshot from
lack of sleep, and his hands, shaky, as he brought the drink up to
his lips.

“It’s been a week now, and I still keep
having these nightmares,” said Tyler, sitting up. “I don’t know
what’s wrong with me, Emily, I really don’t.”

Tyler brought his hands to his head, and
began sobbing. His hands trembled as the tears dribbled down his
face.

Emily sat down beside him, and held him
gently. She looked him deeply in the eyes, and said, “We all feel
that way, Tyler. Julia meant the world to
all
of us.”

“Why her, though?” Tyler asked. “What did she
ever do to anyone?”

“…Because of me,” answered Emily, looking
down to the floor in sadness. “Julia died, because I was too scared
to stand up for myself.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Emily,” said Tyler,
bringing his hands down from his face. “Julia wouldn’t have wanted
that.”

“There’s something I’ve been too afraid to
ask you,” said Tyler, rising to his feet. “What are you? What
is
a summoner exactly?”

“I wish I knew the answer to that,” said
Emily, with her hands caressing her brow. “All I know is that
everyone wants me dead.”

“Why don’t you just pack up and leave?” Tyler
asked, picking up a bat beside the couch, which hadn’t left his
side since the initial attack.

“Where would I go? Should I go to college,
and hope they don’t take down a hundred students on their way to
me?” asked Emily, trembling violently. “I have nowhere to run! All
I can do is wait until they come looking for me again! What kind of
life is that?”

This time it was Tyler who came to aid of the
sobbing Emily. He put the bat down, and tried to comfort her,
resting her head on his brawny shoulder. He rubbed her back
comfortingly, and said, “C’mon now, Emily, don’t cry. Everything’s
going to be fine. Didn’t you just finish telling me that?”

Emily looked up towards Tyler, who was
smiling at her. She playfully pushed him aside, and thanked him for
cheering her up.

“So I take it you’ve decided to stay home
from school?” Tyler asked. “Well at least it will be comforting to
know you’re close by, incase trouble comes crawling back.”

Tyler walked in the kitchen, sat down, and
grabbed the local newspaper.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve read this
thing,” said Tyler, thumbing through the sports section.

“It’s been awhile since you’ve left the
house,” Emily replied.

“Wait…what’s this?” asked Tyler, flipping to
the cover. “Oh my god, Emily; what the hell is going on?”

“The attacks have been happening since Simeon
died,” said Emily, sitting down across from him. “Innocent
civilians have been found, torn apart in the woods. Their bodies
were strewn about the forest, for everyone to find.”

“What do you think it is?” asked Tyler, with
his eyes wide open.

“I don’t know,” Emily said. “But whatever it
is, they’re trying to make a point—.”

Noticing Emily’s somber expression, Tyler
decided to change the subject. Smiling, he said, “Where’s Steven? I
barely see him these days.”

“I don’t know where he’s been going,” said
Emily, standing up and grabbing a beer from the fridge. “But every
night he strolls in the house, around three in the morning,
stinking of booze and piss.”

Chapter Three

“I’ll have another,” said Steven, signaling
to the bartender.

The Midnight Riders was located at the edge
of the town, a frequent destination for all the lowlifes and
degenerates passing by. A sleazy bar, with gussied up meth addicts
offering specials to any man foolish, or drunk, enough to pay for
their services.

From what Steven could see, at least a dozen
men were packing heat, ready to open fire on anyone that tried to
stop them. The perfect place, Steven thought, to wash away his
sorrows.

“I think you’ve had enough, Chief,” said the
bartender, withholding the liquor bottle.

“I’ll tell you when I’ve fucking had enough!”
shouted Steven, slamming empty glass on the counter.

The bartender gave him a puzzled look, leaned
over, and said, “You better calm down, friend. Do you have a death
wish?”

Steven stared the bartender down, refusing to
budge. The bartender was right, he thought, maybe he had a death
wish after all.

“You’ve got balls, kid,” the bartender
grinned, handing the bottle over to Steven. “Here, have the whole
thing.”

Steven grabbed the bottle, brought it to his
lips and took a swig. The liquor burned his throat, and he slammed
the bottle to the counter. It was good to feel pain, he reflected,
it was just good to feel anything at all.

The front door swung wide open, sending light
beaming into the dimly lit bar. Steven looked over, and saw the
silhouette of a man walk through the door. The man wore a Stetson,
and long tan coat. Finally, someone even more out of place than he
was. Steven smiled, taking another drink from the bottle.

“You’re a long way from the range, cowboy,”
said one of the bikers, which caused the entire bar to erupt into
laughter.

“Your hog, is it outside?” another biker
asked. “Or did you get here by horse?”

The man walked over to the counter, and took
a seat beside Steven. He didn’t give his tormentors any
satisfaction, and motioned for a drink. He looked at the bartender,
and said, “I’ll have a whisky, neat please.”

“What’s your name, stranger?” asked Steven,
looking over to the mysterious man. “Where are you from?”

“Well, my name is Samuel Anderson; and let’s
just say I’m from a place very far away,” said Samuel, taking a sip
of his drink.

“Well if that’s not mysterious, I don’t know
what is,” Steven grinned.

“And what brings a man like you, into a
shithole like this?” asked Samuel, looking Steven over.

“I’m looking to wash away some pain,” said
Steven, with a solemn look on his face.

“…In a sea of vomit and blood, yeah, I know
the pain,” said Samuel, patting Steven on the shoulder.

The two continued to drink for awhile,
sharing tales of pain and suffering. Steven caught the odd glimpse
of the bikers, leering at the mysterious stranger; their devious
expressions saying more than enough.

“Hey, bartender,” said Samuel, calling him
over from the other side of the counter. “Can I ask you some
questions?”

“You can ask,” the bartender replied. “But
don’t expect much in the way of answers. We’re not exactly the most
open kind of people.”

“Fair enough,” said Samuel, nodding his head.
“What do you know about the recent attacks?”

“What are you, a cop?” asked the bartender,
alerting every biker in the club to their conversation.

“Do I look like a cop?” asked Samuel, pulling
on his jacket. “I’m… a mercenary, looking for any leads on the
killer. I don’t want any problems.”

“Well it won’t be a problem,” said the
bartender, polishing a glass. “I don’t have the information you’re
looking for.”

“What about any guys coming in here with
bright red eyes?” Samuel inquired.

This question piqued Steven’s interest, and
he found himself listening intently to their conversation. The vile
ghouls had not left his mind since he first encountered them one
week ago; their blood red eyes piercing through his very existence,
while they tried to tear apart his house, family, and everyone he’s
ever cared for.