A Bloody London Tale (Book 2): The Epidemic

by Prichard, Cornelius

“I look forward to it. Good luck with getting some money back on those flights.”

  “Thanks.”

  Marie left me alone then, able to focus on making my cup of tea. As I stirred the milk in, making sure there was plenty of it, I found myself thinking about vampires. I was certain there were more of them at home than most people believed. They were partly human and I knew that from experience. The vampire who’d killed my parents knew what he was doing, but he didn’t care. When he stared at me there was no emotion there. For a moment I was certain he was going to do the same thing to me. I had no idea why he walked away and it wasn’t a question I’d hunt him out to ask, even though I knew he was still out there somewhere. The hunters hadn’t found him because he was too human for them and they seemed to be expecting him to be some sort of animal.

  As I made my way back into my room I found myself wishing the people of London truly knew what vampires were, instead of lusting over the fictional version. Once I was there I sat at my desk, put my cup of tea on the mat, and started looking into whether I would get some money back from cancelling her flight. It didn’t matter where I would or not. Either way I needed to cancel it. Going back to Romania when they were dealing with a vampire problem wasn’t my idea of a good time. Neither was staying away when I knew my grandparents were there, but I doubted they’d be stupid enough to go out at night, even though there had been a time, far in the past, when my grandmother was a hunter. She’d made the decision to give it up when she found she had a daughter to raise, making the decision to put her family first - at least until that daughter was killed by a vampire.

  Gareth

  Waking in the middle of the night starving hungry wasn’t something I expected to happen, but I slipped out of the bed anyway. The fuzziness from before had faded away entirely. I remembered who I was, where I was from, and why I was in a flat that wasn’t mine. As it wasn’t I knew the best thing I could do was go out to get something to eat, instead of searching around a kitchen I didn’t know in the dark, especially as Polly had left me her spare key - just in case I needed it. I didn’t even think about getting dressed before I left. I realised that when I was walking down the street, surprised by how much I could smell. Then someone walked past me, someone who smelt incredibly tasty, and I found myself grabbing hold of them. In return I received a punch to the nose.

  “Freak.”

  A wave of fury took me over then. I have no idea where it came from. I just knew I wasn’t going to accept that and I went after the guy who punched me in the nose. “You think I’m a freak.” Laughing, I sunk my teeth into the guy’s neck, not thinking about what I was doing in advance. All I knew was I wanted whatever smelt so good. It was far too much later I realised I was drinking the guy’s blood. Scared of myself for the first time I dropped him to the ground. “I am a freak.”

  I should have stopped to see if the guy was still alive, but I ran instead. There was nothing else I could do after that, because I was panicking, and I was lucky I could make my way back to Polly’s flat. Fortunately it seemed like she was still in bed. I locked the door behind me and made my way into the bathroom. When I switched on the light I nearly blinded myself. It was far brighter than I remembered it being. After a few seconds I could see what I was doing. Slowly I made my way over to the mirror. Blood was all around my mouth. I washed it away, not wanting to think about what I’d done to a total stranger. Doing my best to be calm about it all I looked at myself in the mirror. My canines were exactly the same way they had been before. Nothing happened when I poked them. Apparently there was nothing different about me, apart from the inexplicable urge I had to drink other people’s blood.

  Tears trickled down my cheeks as I sat down on the floor. “Gareth?” Polly’s voice made me jump. “What’s the matter?”

  “Don’t come in.”

  “I won’t if you tell me what’s wrong.”

  From where I was I could smell her and I wanted to sink my teeth into her. That was when I felt my canines changing, but I wasn’t going to bite her. “Stay away from me, Polly. I’m…” I tried to find the words I needed. “Contagious.”

  “We’ve spent enough time together I’m pretty certain I’ve got whatever it is you have.”

  I shook his head. “You don’t and I want to keep it that way, but if you come too close you might well find yourself contracting what I have.” I looked up at her. “I mean it.”

  She must have seen my canines, the way I wanted her to, because her eyes widened. “What happened to you?”

  “Romania.” I found myself laughing. “I went out hunting vampires and apparently one of them found me.”

  “You’re certain?”

  “I want to drink your blood, like I drank the blood of the guy who called me a freak out there.” A tear trickled down my cheek. “I don’t know what came over me. I was really angry with him, so I bit him.” I brushed the tear away. “The best thing you can do is walk away from me and not come back.”

  “No, the best thing I can do is call help.” She stepped away from me, not taking her eyes off me, and I was almost relieved she was taking me seriously. “I’ll be back with someone who’ll be able to stop you from doing things like that.”

  Moments later she was gone and I was alone. I felt safer alone. I stood, looking around the bathroom, and tried to work out what I was going to do. Were other people in the same position as me? I tried to remember being bitten, but there was nothing. Maybe that was why I’d felt so lost. Sighing, I brushed a hand through my hair. “Serves me right.” I stared into the mirror again and thought about blood. When my canines grew into pointed things that could easily piece flesh another tear trickled down my cheek. “I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have gone to Romania on the hunt for vampires. That guy… he might be dead.”

  “He’s not.” Polly’s voice made me jump. “If you took enough and dropped him what you probably did was turn him into a vampire. Hopefully he won’t realise what he is and he’ll die when the sun rises. If he doesn’t we’re going to have a hungry new vampire out there who’s going to end up doing the same thing you did - drink and drop. One vampire can change ten or twenty people in a night. What made you come back here?”

  “I was drinking blood.” I shuddered. “I should walk out into the sunlight myself. It would make the world a better place.”

  “Gareth, there are already vampires. Most of them are careful. They don’t change people without taking them under their wing for a little while, which is why you’re now someone they’re going to want to look after, even though you made a huge mistake. It’s not as though you could have known what was going to happen. If anything I’m the one who should have realised what was wrong with you, but I haven’t spent much time around the newly changed. I know I’m not safe.”

  “Why are you talking to me?”

  “This is the best way to keep your mind off what you want to do to me.” She almost smiled. “My vampire friend will be here soon and she’ll be able to teach you everything you need to know about being a vampire. Once you’ve spent some time with her you can decide what it is you want to be doing.”

  Amalia

  Miron walked into the room as I pulled my boots on. He looked angry. “You’re not going to like what I found out.”

  “I didn’t think I would.” I smiled at him. “Tell me.”

  “About ten miles away from here there’s a little village. No hunters, which is to be expected. One of their own got bitten and they thought they’d be able to tame him. They…” He shook his head. “We need one hunter in every town. It’s the only logical thing we can do, because they locked him in a cage, feeding him little tiny bits of blood through the bars. Unsurprisingly he didn’t take too well to that. With every day that passed he became more animalistic, until he broke out of the cage and taught them a lesson they’re never going to forget. Almost everyone was dead. One of our hunters found out what happened when he went to visit an aunt. It seems likely we’ll dealing with the mad vampire.”r />
  “Which means he isn’t going to be predictable. He’s going to sleep wherever he ends up at night and there is a chance I won’t be able to find him at all, unless he happens to find me.”

  “You’re still going out there when you know this.”

  “There’s a mad vampire out there, Miron. When he can find someone to feed from on the streets I don’t doubt he’s going to break into someone’s house and feed from them there. No one’s safe. Anywhere. You can stay in all you like and there’s still a chance he might get you.”

  “I’m coming with you, then.”

  “You’re not a hunter.”

  “No, I’m not, but I’d rather be out there with a chance, than in here, jumping at every possible sound.”

  “In that case you need to promise me you’ll do whatever I tell you to.”

  “I promise.” He studied her. “What do I need?”

  “Weapons.” I nibbled my lip. “I think I know where we can go to get you them.” I stood. “A stake isn’t going to do you any good against a vampire that’s fighting you. A stake isn’t going to do you much good against any type of vampire, because it takes a lot of strength to be able to go through the rib cage to the heart. Sometimes you might get lucky. Most of the time you’re going to end up dead. Best thing you can do is use a knife, axe, anything with a blade. If you stab a vampire in the heart they aren’t going to survive it.”

  “Does wood poisoning exist?”

  “Possibly, but I’d rather kill a vampire and know they’re dead. With wood poisoning there is a chance they might be able to fight it off and I don’t want that to happen. I want them to be dead in front of me, even though that means I need to bury the body. Sometimes you get lucky and there’s an open grave to shove them into. In this town no one bats an eyelid if there’s a little less space than expected in a grave.”

  Nodding, Miron brushed a hand through his hair. “So basically you’re telling me I know nothing?”

  “I’m not telling you that. At least you know some of the myths about killing them, which do have a basis in truth.” I led him down the stairs. “Learning the truth is the most important thing when it comes to killing vampires - otherwise all you do is annoy them, if you’re lucky enough to find a vampire at all. Normally, if you do come across one, you’ll be going up against a vampire who has gone mad from lack of blood… or too much of it. The others are too human, too smart, and too careful for any hunter to find them. Unfortunately that’s the main problem with vampires. They were once human. Becoming a vampire doesn’t stop them from having that intelligence. It just changes them into humans who need to drink blood and can’t leave their hidey holes during the day. Some hunters think we should go after the nests and I disagree. Any vampire who isn’t actually hurting someone doesn’t deserve to die. The vampires who are out hunting humans I will kill.”

  “Surely it’s better to kill them all. Doesn’t being bitten by a vampire turn you into one?”

  “Not if you don’t die from the bite. Not if you’re being fed from once a week. You will only change a human into a vampire if you want to or if you don’t have enough experience with feeding. A drink and drop will probably turn a human into a vampire.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “I’ve spent a lot of time talking to hunters, including Grandpapa.”

  “And me.” Papa’s voice made me jump. “I’ve spent a lot of the time telling the two of you stories about vampires, which I did say I was passing on from Grandpapa, but some of them were my own.” He smiled. “Personally I agree with Amalia. If the vampire isn’t hurting anyone they don’t deserve to die. The best thing you can do in that situation is walk away. Vampires aren’t… becoming a vampire doesn’t make someone evil. The vampire you’re hunting is a different case entirely. The people in his village had no idea how to treat a young vampire and by making the decision they did they turned him mad. If they hadn’t done that we wouldn’t be in this position now.”

  “From what the aunt said there are going to be other vampires. He drank from everyone and most of them died. She couldn’t bury them, but when she woke up the next morning they were all gone.” Miron sighed. “Will they be heading in this direction?”

  “They’re going to be all over Romania and they’re going to be dangerous. What did the hunter in question say he was going to do?”

  “He’s talking to as many others as he can find, thinking the most important thing they can do is go after those vampires, especially as he knows there are plenty of foolish tourists who come here looking for vampires. If they’re out after dark they are going to end up dead or vampires.”

  “Yes, they are, and there’s a chance it’s already happened. Vampires are normally very careful about who they change. Leaving new vampires to fend for themselves is thought of as anathema in the vampire community. New vampires who might be travelling to other countries…” Papa shook his head. “I need to talk to some people about what’s happening. If you’re taking your brother out make sure you’re both careful. I have my own weapons, so you’re not going to have to worry about me.”

  Lena

  All I could do was stare at the report in the paper. Three dead bodies with their blood drained. I shook my head. Wishing was one thing. Having my wish come true… I looked around at my friends. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  “No, Lennie, it doesn’t mean there are vampires in London.” Marie laughed. “Vampires don’t exist.”

  “They do in Romania.” I bit my lip. “What else do you know that drains the blood from the body of a human?”

  “Another human. Serial killers do exist.”

  “Someone turn on the telly.” Tallulah ran out of her bedroom. “Do it now.”

  Marie turned it on and the five of them stared at it. “We have reason to believe we might be dealing with a vampire epidemic. People are warned not to leave their homes after dark, unless they have no other option, and if they do to be extra vigilant.” Marie started laughing. “I’m sure you’re all thinking this is a joke, but it isn’t. There are vampires in London. The pictures you are about to see aren’t for every viewer, so if you have a sensitive stomach or are under the age of eighteen please leave the room.”

  Tears trickled down my cheeks as I stared at people who’d had their blood drained from their bodies. I couldn’t look away. It was like seeing my parents all over again. An arm wrapped around my shoulders and I lent against a warm body. “How did you know it was vampires, Lennie?” Tallulah’s voice was quiet. “Have you dealt with them before?”

  “In Romania we deal with them all the time. It’s normal, for us, even though they mostly keep themselves to themselves. There are some vampires who are evil, but the majority are just humans who have to drink blood.” I wiped the tears off my cheeks. “One of the vampires killed my parents when I was young. I don’t know why they did it, or why they left me. All I know is my parents are dead and now I have to deal with vampires in London, even though I came here to escape them and the memories I have of my parents. I don’t think they’re ever going to leave me, though, especially if I’m going to have to deal with those pictures being shown over and over again.”

  “We’ll do our best to hide them from you.”

  “I still don’t believe there are vampires.” Marie stood. “How can blood drinking humans exist?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. We don’t know why the vampires exist - we just know they do. Maybe there is a single vampire who created the rest of his race. Maybe it was magic. Maybe there’s some other reason.” I shrugged. “In the end it’s up to you whether you believe in vampires or not, but I know they exist. I’ve stared one in the eyes and seen how little emotion they can have. I’ve seen one feeding from my parents and killing them. When that happens a human won’t turn into a vampire. If it’s a drink and drop it’s another matter.”

  “What’s a drink and drop?” Tallulah was going to be the one who asked the questions. She’d always be t
he one who accepted the weird things first. “How is it different to a vampire draining a human?”

  The last thing I wanted was to answer all their questions, but I knew they needed to know. It was the most important thing. “Okay, a drink and drop is when a vampire takes enough to pretty much kill the human, but hasn’t drained the very last of the blood. If a vampire does drain all the blood the human is dead. It’s simple. If a vampire leaves just enough behind then the human will turn into a vampire. Obviously the vampire who killed my parents had no interest in keeping them.”

  “What can we do to kill the vampires?”

  I laughed. “Killing a vampire is one of the hardest things you can do, Tally, and to be honest I really wouldn’t suggest you go out there trying to kill them. Most of the vampires we will be dealing with are newbies. They’re going to have been changed by other newbies. If you come across one of them the best thing you can do is keep walking, pretend they’re just another person on the street, and hope they aren’t still hungry. Newbies are faster and stronger than older vampires.”

  The doorbell rang. Marie went to answer it. “I’m here to talk with Lena.”

  “Close the door, Marie, now. I’m not going to have any sort of conversation with him.”

  “I wouldn’t have come here if I wanted to hurt you.”

  “You already have hurt me.”

  He sighed. “I was rescuing you, but obviously you wouldn’t remember that part.”

  “Rescuing me by killing my parents.”

  “They weren’t your parents, Lena. Your grandparents don’t know that. They believe the paperwork your parents had with them and I don’t have an issue with them. When you were left with them they did everything they could to make sure you lived a comfortable life, which is something I will always be grateful to them for. I couldn’t look after you. Not in this state.”

  “I’m not going to listen to a word you say. You killed my parents.”