The Journal of Tom Barnett: Vampire Apocalypse Survivor

by Daniel S. Atkinson

  I could see the church just a hundred metres away now and my hopes began to rise. Only to be cruelly dashed a moment later. Standing proud as punch on the roof of a house to my left was a tall dark figure. I knew instantly who it was. I poured on the speed towards the church. I saw the master vampire leapt from the roof onto the pavement below. I heard his boots thudding behind me, giving chase. My heart hammered in my throat like a sledgehammer. I sped through the little gate that bordered the churchyard and tried to dismount the bike while in motion. My foot caught on the pedal and I fell. I tumbled onto the lawn, my backpack twisting underneath me. I flipped onto my back and covered my head with my arms. I waited for the inevitable, the feel of his teeth ripping into my soft flesh. But nothing happened.

  I slowly lowered my arms and looked in the direction of my pursuer. He stood at the little gate and glared at me. He was huge, like a mad bull he began to stalk back and forth, his fury clearly evident. I laughed softy and said, “You can’t come in here, can you?” The Master vampire roared in response, the sound a mixture of hunger and frustration. Then, as if someone had flicked a switch, his entire demeanour changed. I saw it ripple across his face like shimmering water. He now looked kind and soft, still strong though, like he could take care of you. He spoke and his voice sounded as if it was dripping with honey. “No. I cannot come in there. But that place is full of lies. Why don’t you leave that den of despair and take my hand.” He reached out one arm, the tendons of his forearm like steel cables. I hesitated for a moment, and then forced myself to remember Mr. Robinson and his daughter. My hand was still gripping the gun. I raised it and fired. My aim was well off but the master vampire struck out his right hand and caught the bullet. He had moved so fast that I didn’t even see it happen. Black blood dripped from his palm where the bullet had struck. He grinned maliciously and threw the bullet back at me. It clanged onto the concrete path beside my leg. The black fluid dripped off it and onto the church grounds where it began to smoke and bubble. My adversary laughed like a loon. “You’re a monster and a liar,” I croaked. He laughed again and said, “I know where you are now boy. I will never give up chasing you. No matter where you run, I will always be there. Waiting.” I tried to fire the gun again but it was empty. The monster laughed harder this time, sending shivers up my back. I scrambled to my feet and entered the little bluestone church. I closed the heavy doors and slumped to the ground. Fortunately I could barely hear him outside.

  I didn’t sleep at all last night. It was not until the sun had fully risen did I finally drift off.

  5th January. 18.33pm.

  I’m going to stay here at the church from now on. I’ve already made one trip back to the safe house to get some things. I’ll get the rest tomorrow. I’ll also bring the Jeep here too, it’s too hard to carry all my gear on the bike. I also dragged a mattress from a house next door, it will have to do for now. I’ll get some more permanent things set up in the days to come.

  6th January. 10.53am.

  I’m so tired. I stayed up last night watching Him. He was calling out to me for four hours straight. I didn’t want to take the risk of hearing the lure of his voice, so I had earplugs in and some big-ass retro headphones over the top of that. About midnight he disappeared and didn’t return. Why? I couldn’t sleep so I kept watch. I can’t sleep knowing he’s out there.

  7th January. 09.47am.

  Somehow that bastard found my other safe house. How the hell could he? Did he track me there? Then I realised my error. I had left my bike outside on the front lawn yesterday morning. I found its twisted remains in the middle of the road, just where he wanted me to find it. He must have scoured every house for miles last night until he found the bike. The same bike he chased a couple of nights ago.

  The safe house place is burnt to the ground, along with half the street. Did he do that? He must have. He’s trying to corner me. What the hell am I going to do tonight if he tries to burn the church down?

  8th January. 07.59am.

  I am so tired I feel like a zombie myself. I’ve just spent the entire night fending that monster off. It started about midnight. I had almost come to think that I had accidentally burnt down the old safe house. Then the first bomb struck. He was using Molotov cocktails. It looked to me like petrol in glass bottles. God knows where he found them. Luckily for me this church is made of bluestone. The bombs would strike against the stonework and burn briefly. The shrubs and trees in the yard are the biggest concern. One of them caught alight and there was nothing I could do about it. I waited till he had ran out of the fiery bombs, then I ran out with a blanket to try to smother the flames. I had almost put the fire out when something huge crashed into my back. I panicked, thinking he had jumped me. I clambered for the safety of the church and looked back. A lesser vampire was struggling on its back in obvious agony. Another vampire seemed to fall out of the sky next to me and I realised what was happening. Beyond the churchyard I saw the Master vamp pick up another ghoul. He grabbed its crotch in one hand and its chest with the other. His claws sunk into the lesser vampires flesh to gain extra purchase. He lifted it easily above his head and hurled it at me. I had to jump out of the way as the body crashed bloodily into the bluestone. I retreated to the safety of the church interior and watched with morbid curiosity. The lesser vampires squirmed and thrashed about. Being within the churchyard caused them immense pain. Flames began to flicker from within their flesh and they cried out in despair. Soon they died within their own personal infernos. Just like the sunlight effect but this time there was an intense white light at the centre of the flames. No wonder he can’t enter the church grounds. I dimly recall reading something about consecrated earth.

  I managed to survive the night. Luckily nothing here caught fire too seriously. Not sure how lucky I will be tonight. This guy is really desperate, he’s not going to give up. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep doing this. I’m exhausted.

  9th January. 09.19am.

  Last night was the worst yet. He arrived here at the church about an hour after sundown and the bombardment began soon after. At one stage it got so intense I felt like I was a soldier in Saving Private Ryan. Around midnight the big gum tree lit up like a candle. I watched it burn for about an hour until a huge branch came crashing down. I had to leap out of the way as it speared through a stained glass window. I cut my palm on the broken glass as I gained my feet. The branch was hanging halfway inside the church and it was still ablaze. It took me another hour to put the flames out. It was very difficult, as I had to construct a makeshift ladder and then beat at the fire with a blanket. Eventually I got it under control with only minor damage to some of the wooden roof beams. Luckily the branch was blocking the open window so he couldn’t throw any more Molotov’s inside, not that he didn’t try mind you.

  He ran out of ammunition around three in the morning. I watched him through a crack in the door. He was really getting worked up out there. He stalked back and forth, calling out to me. It was relentless. About an hour before dawn he began throwing the lesser vampires again. That was the worst part of the night. I reckon near to a hundred of those poor souls perished outside my door. It nearly broke me down listening to their screams. The horrid stench of burning hair and flesh filled the church and I couldn’t escape it.

  I think I nearly lost it during that final onslaught. I knew deep down that he would never stop, that this would go one night after night until he broke me down. It had only been three nights and already I was cracking. That was probably why I did something really stupid. As dawn began to break over the eastern suburbs, I followed him to his lair.

  The weird thing was I felt no fear at all. I didn’t even really make a conscious decision to do it. I saw him give one last longing stare at my church, then he turned and left. I didn’t hesitate. I opened the door as quietly as possible and stole out into the pre dawn gloom. The Master vampire wasn’t in a rush. He strode confidently down the middle of the road as if he owned the place, which I guess he does
now. Every time a lesser vampire blocked his path he would sweep it aside with one of his arms like it was a fly. This occurred less and less as we travelled, the zombie vamps were packing up for the night as well. I crept along, hiding behind cars and trees. Always keeping his shadowy form ahead of me in the distance. Once or twice a lesser vampire spotted me but they seemed more concerned with returning to their resting places than attacking me.

  After about half an hour of travelling the sun began to peek over the rooftops to the east. The Master vampire noticed this as well. With a burst of speed he took off and I lost him. We ended up in Balwyn I think. We are pretty close to Whitehorse Road and the cinema there. Not long after he disappeared, the sun rose fully. He must be close by. I walked for five minutes in the direction I had seen him heading and stopped. I was in the middle of a beautiful tree lined street. The houses here were old, but in excellent condition. Most of them were Californian bungalows with well-manicured gardens. This was a wealthy part of town before the world went to shit, now it was just like any other street: dead. I was incredibly tired but forced myself to push on. I approached the closest house and began my search for the monster’s lair. I found it after the thirty-second attempt.

  10th January. 3.44pm.

  I’m going to kill that son of a bitch. The way I figure it, if I don’t, he’ll get me eventually. How can I keep running from something that powerful?

  I’ve got a plan. I know where he sleeps. I even went back there this afternoon, looks like he sleeps in the same spot. Good. I almost used the stake right there and then, but chickened out. Well, not really chickened out, more came to my senses. I know a stake will kill one of the ghouls, but when you drive it home, they wake up and thrash around. I almost got my head knocked off the first time I tried it. For one, I don’t even know if I can drive a stake through a Master. What if their skin is too tough? What if it just bounces off his chest? He’ll wake up and turn me into a blood smoothie in two seconds.

  The only thing I do know for sure is that sunlight hurts him, just like it does the lessers. He has always left me alone during the day. Now sunlight kills the lessers eventually, so I’m sure holy water and stakes will work as well. I just got to be sure. Safe and sure.

  Anyway, here’s my plan. Sunlight will be my main weapon so I’ll hit him at noon. Today at noon the street was in full daylight, hardly any shadows. My first weapon will be the stake, it seems to be the fastest method. Hopefully this means there will be less time for things to go bad. My backup will be the sunlight itself. If the stake doesn’t work (or I chicken out) I’ll drag him out, just like I’ve done with the lessers. But this prick is super strong (I saw him throw a car for fuck’s sake) there is no way I could physically move him, especially if he wakes up. I’m going to tie a rope around his legs, both if possible, it will make it harder for him to stand when the sun hits him. The other end of the rope will be tied off on the Jeep. There is large bifold window that looks straight into his room. If I can pick up enough speed, hopefully I can rip him straight off the bed, through the window and onto the front lawn of the house. The sun can do the rest. If I can keep dragging him, he won’t have time to escape to the shadows. There is a reason why this isn’t my preferred method: I don’t trust my driving skills.

  Just had a thought, what if I soak the rope in holy water first? Nah, better not, he might wake up prematurely. Please God don’t let him wake up.

  11th January. 07.02am.

  Last night was just as bad. I have to finish this today. I don’t think I’ll be strong enough if this torment continues.

  11th January. 11.54am.

  All of a sudden this seems like a shit idea. No alternative. Wish me luck.

  12th January. 0.00am.

  -

  13th January. 9.15am.

  I’m lucky to be alive. Incredibly lucky. And stupid. Zoe agrees. I’ll tell you about her in a moment, first I want to get down what happened, or what I can remember. God my body hurts, I feel like a stampede of horses has run over my back.

  This is what happened: I stood outside the Master’s house waiting for my watch to tick over to midday. The Jeep was idling steadily in the driveway. I had tied one end of the rope to the rear towbar. The rest of it snaked across the front lawn like a giant anorexic anaconda. The other end was coiled on the windowsill. I don’t know why I had to wait until exactly noon. It just seemed right. If I planned this perfectly, even down to precise timing, it should run like clockwork. Boy was I wrong. As soon as my trusty Casio read 12:00 I approached the front door and ran into my first problem. It was locked.

  It wasn’t locked yesterday. I just stood there dumbfounded. Millions of possibilities flew through my head. Maybe he had moved his resting place? Maybe he knew I had been here before? I could have left some incriminating evidence, a footmark, knocked over a card. Did he have a security system? Cameras, tape recorder, etc?

  Maybe he had a human slave who kept watch over him. I had read about that particular possibility. They called them familiars. A vampire was particularly vulnerable during daytime or when resting. So they would employ a human or animal familiar to protect them. The familiar would be completely under the vampire’s control. Probably via some kind of mind control or trance like state. The most common reason these familiars worked for their masters was not due to mind control, but on a promise. The human slaves had been promised eternal life. To be like their masters one day. To be converted into a vampire if they are faithful.

  I decided to amend my plan. First I would sweep the house to make sure we were alone. The last thing I need would be some vampire’s sycophant clubbing me over the head, tying me up and presenting me to his master for an evening snack. The gun may not work on vampires, but it will deter any possible human familiars. This is assuming I could get inside the house in the first place.

  The back door was also locked, as was the garage. I’m not even sure I could have accessed the house from inside the garage, but it was worth a shot. I studied all the windows, but they were shut tight. My palms began to grow damp. I glanced at my watch worried about the daylight slipping away. I chided myself and let out a nervous laugh, there was plenty of time, just don’t rush it. I went around the back of the house to a window that looked into the laundry. This room was the furthest from the front bedroom where the creature was sleeping.

  Dad was a big fan of crime shows like Law & Order. I wasn’t as keen as him, but sometimes we would watch it together. He would get all excited trying to guess who the killer was, explaining his theories on the case. I enjoyed that interaction more than the show. I remembered those shows now, particularly on how the crooks would break into houses. I took off my jumper and wrapped it around my fist. I struck the windowpane hesitantly. My cushioned boxing glove just bounced back. I added more force. On the fourth attempt the window shattered. Good thing I had the protection because a nasty, jagged sliver of glass was sticking into my makeshift glove. I could feel it pressing on the tender side of my wrist. I shuddered while thinking of the damage that could have done to my precious veins.

  I removed the excess glass clinging to the window frame and took out the gun. I fumbled with the safety for a few nervous moments and aimed it inside the window. I made myself wait five long minutes. The gun grew heavy. I rested the barrel on the window to ease my burning forearm muscles. After I was satisfied no one inside the house had responded to my home breaking I reached inside and unlocked the back door.

  The house was as silent and still as a mausoleum. I crept towards the main bedroom, holding the gun at shoulder height like I’d seen in the movies. The locked doors were not the only change to the house. Yesterday the Master was lying on the bed asleep in the main bedroom with arms by his side. Today a huge blanket was thrown over the bed. I could see the outline of someone or something under the blanket. My brain screamed at me, ‘Get out. This is a trap.’ But I couldn’t turn back now. If it was a trap then I had to find whoever was behind it. I searched the rest of the house, crucifi
x in one hand, and revolver in the other. It was the tensest five minutes I have yet to encounter. The house was dark and foreboding. I imagined all kinds of vampires and demented familiars lurking in every shadow.

  I eventually returned to the main bedroom satisfied I was alone in the house with whatever was under the covers on that bed. The form hadn’t moved an inch. I took off my backpack and laid out my equipment. I had the revolver, holy water in squeeze bottle, three wooden stakes and a sharpened metal crucifix (using a file I had sharpened the four ends into deadly points). I arranged them neatly on the bedside table. Clutching the crucifix in my left hand I gingerly reached out to grab the blanket. A drop of sweat fell from my brow and wet the blanket about where his head would be. My muscles tensed and I nearly locked up. I forced myself to breathe and relax my muscles.

  I drew back the blanket very slowly, revealing the pale face of the Master. It was my first look at him up close. A tidal wave of revulsion washed over me. I can’t really explain why I felt this way. It was something intangible. Something inherently wrong about his existence that repulsed me. This was a creature that no man should ever have to encounter. He was evil incarnate. Unnatural. Supernatural.