by M. D. Bowden
Sarah felt her feet squelch on marshy ground, and tried to be as light footed as possible so as not to get her feet stuck in the bog. As they ran on clouds obscured the moon, and quickly the sky became darker still as the clouds too disappeared.
Sarah glanced over her shoulder again. She could not see those that followed her as they were masked by the darkness of the valley, but she could tell they were still there for she could smell them and she could hear their creaking bodies. She shuddered and ran on, tears that fell down her cheeks quickly whipped away by the harsh wind.
She was getting impatient now, tired psychologically of running, of the building fear and tension. She knew that soon they would need to fight, and a part of her, the reckless part, wanted to turn and fight now, to conquer her fears and to get the fight over. But they had to be sensible; they had to make sure their chances were as strong as possible; they had to fight in the most advantageous place to defend.
‘Sarah,’ Daniel projected, ‘you see those woods to the right?’
‘Yes?’
‘Let’s take a detour that way, through the woods - I can strengthen myself,’ he said, his words traveling through their connected hands so as not to give any clues to those that chased them.
‘OK,’ Sarah said, a wave of panic rolling over her – was there really time?
When Daniel communicated mind to mind she grasped a general sense of his emotions, and she could tell he was very tightly under control, trying to mask his fear and stay together; to protect her. But she could tell that under the surface fear and doubt were there.
She held his hand firmly as they ran towards the woods, aware that she would soon need to let him go if he was to feed. Would she have time to feed too? Could she risk it? If she could it would make her stronger, and she would feel more confident – but would it make her more reckless?
She knew that she and Daniel were ahead of the dead, but they were quickly advancing on them. She really could not believe how fast they were moving. And what about whoever was controlling them? She should keep a lookout for that crow while Daniel’s feeding. She should protect Daniel – then he could strengthen himself enough, and he will be more able to protect them both – because – let’s face it – he’s the best fighter. He’s more experienced, and he can use magic.
As they neared the woods Sarah nodded to herself. That was what she would do; she would watch and stay alert and make sure she was able to warn Daniel if the dead, or that crow, were about to catch up with them whilst he was mid-feed.
Sarah glanced back one final time to see how far back the dead were now, before they entered the woods and their view would be obscured. They were not far back at all, but about half way down the hill and rapidly getting closer.
‘Quick Daniel,’ Sarah said.
She loosed his hand, and he exchanged one look with her that said, ‘Stay close,’ before stalking ahead.
Sarah listened to the sounds of the woodland. It was unusually quite within, and any sounds there were muted by the approaching mass. Sarah followed Daniel closely, her heart doing things she did not know it could – it felt like it had moved into her throat. She could not let Daniel out of her sight. She felt exposed and at risk without him holding her, and she kept glancing around making sure they were still safe, or as safe as they could be under the circumstances.
Daniel was moving stealthily, slowing, so she stopped, not wanting to scare away his prey. She watched as he leapt and landed on a black and white mammal; a badger.
She heard him gulping blood, and she scanned the trees and woods in the darkness, not sure she would see danger even if it approached. She heard the animal’s pulse slow, and this time it stopped. Daniel had killed it.
He was back at her side in an instant and holding her hand. Relief swept over her and she started to run again, this time dodging trees instead of rocks.
She wanted to feed too, but now knew that she definitely did not have time. The dead were in the forest.
The wind hit her face as they left the final trees behind. She took a deep breath, and ran on. She had been worried the dead would have surrounded them during their time undercover, but she and Daniel had kept a little ahead.
She let out a strangled cry as the first one of the dead came out from between the trees, and she pushed ahead as fast as she could. They needed to get to that hut. It could not be that far now – over this hill they were ascending, down into one more valley, and then near the top of the next – nestled somewhere on that hillside. Then they would stop running. They would stand and face their enemy.
They reached the top and Sarah spotted the place. It looked more like an old fashioned war time bunker than a hut. Perfect. She refused to look back. She could tell the dead were not far behind by the sounds of their movement, but she and Daniel continued to be that little bit faster.
The temptation to run forever hit her. But no. That would lead other people into danger, and the whole reason they had come to Dartmoor was to try and help people. They needed to deal with this problem themselves.
Sarah leapt over more rocks and pushed herself for a final burst of speed. She wanted to gain time for a breather when they arrived at the hut; to gather her thoughts, and sanity, before they stood to fight.
As she ran she glanced up at the stars as clouds moved aside. She took reassurance from their beauty, letting the sensation strengthen her, drawing energy into her from the sight.
She glanced at Daniel beside her. He was moving with ease over the rugged terrain. She wanted to know what he was thinking, how worried he was about what they faced. Yet another part of her feared the answer to that question, so even had she time to ask it, she would not.
Daniel caught her eye and she tried to smile, but failed.
Then they were there, they had reached the hut, and Sarah glanced back to see how much time they had left. The dead were moving so fast her heart pounded painfully.
She estimated they had three minutes.
Chapter 2
The sorcerer watched the scene before him while blending into the night.
The two vampires had found a post to defend and it looked like they planned to fight.
Like that would do them any good, he thought.
He focused his will on providing extra strength to the dead, strength that would prevail through damage or injury. He turned his attention to himself, and focused on remaining under radar; on not being seen, not attracting the dead and not being noticed by the two vampires.
He did not want to reveal his presence until he knew that he could take them on and that he was sure to win.
The sorcerer was ready to attack at the first sign that the vampires were weakening.
He waited for them to fail his test.
Chapter 3
Sarah was amazed to see that the hut really was a wartime bunker. It was set into the hill and backed by barbed wire, made of stone and covered in earth and grass. It had windows but they were tiny, blacked out and broken.
Daniel grasped the door handle and yanked it open, its hinges creaking and the lock snapping, then he grabbed her and quickly kissed her hard on the lips.
‘Don’t worry, we will survive this,’ he said, looking intently into her eyes. ‘We can stand out the front here, and if things become too much we can retreat inside, and tackle them one at a time as they come in.’
Daniel spoke in a hurry, and Sarah just nodded to show she understood, her throat too constricted to speak.
Daniel continued – ‘When they arrive let’s try violence first, I’m guessing kicking their heads off might stop them, but we don’t know how the magic that’s controlling them works. If fighting doesn’t work I will try and use magic to cremate them, but this will take more power so we should try to see if we can stop them without resorting to that first. Remember that they can’t kill you unless they stake you in the heart or cut off your head, and I don’t think they have weapons. If they hurt you you will heal. If I need to use magic I will shout to
you and you should try to get behind me, so I don’t hurt you.’
Sarah nodded again to show she understood then turned to face the enemy that she could see getting closer under the starlight. Their movements filled the night with creaking and crunching, but Sarah knew she would have to block this out. And the smell. It must be her enhanced senses but it overwhelmed her, but she could not let that stop her. She would have to ignore all of this or she would not be able to keep herself together. She would have to remain strong, and she could not forget that she was a vampire now. Physically she could do this. Strength flowed in her veins. She had power.
Just before the dead were close enough to fight Sarah glanced back at the darkness of the bunker behind her, and wondered if they had made a mistake. If they had to retreat into it, and the enemy proved too strong, they would be trapped.
She did not have time to dwell on it, she turned as the first of the dead moved before them. She breathed a quick sigh of relief that they were not managing to approach in an organized way; the dead had sped up and separated in their desire to attack fast.
A blur to her right, and she saw Daniel soaring through the air and kicking the first revolting animation before them. She did not have time to register what happened after that as there were three dead approaching her. She gulped and then took action; she was not going to let them grab her this time. She too leapt forwards, her leg extended to her front, copying the martial arts films she had seen on TV. Her foot impacted the first head which crunched and flew back. She did not have time to deal with the revulsion that welled up within her so she pushed it down, and rotated her knee, sending another impact on an animated dead to her right. It crashed against the one to its right and they fell away. Sarah leapt back and kicked the fallen one in the head while it was down.
Another one was close and she elbowed it hard in the side of its neck just before it had a chance to sink in its teeth. This time her power had done it and her arm went straight through the bone of the neck and the body fell to the ground.
More dead were approaching, thickly, coming all at once. Sarah quickly moved back. As she did she saw the bodies she had kicked down were rising; even the one with no head. She choked back her reactions. She knew Daniel was going to have to try and burn them. She retreated and looked around for him.
‘Sarah!’ Daniel shouted.
That was her cue.
She leapt behind him, taking in his imposing height and character as he swept his hands across the sea of wreathing bodies, white fire igniting in the air and hitting the dead as they pushed forwards. Sarah saw as the first body collapsed to the ground, vibrant flames making it crumble to ash.
One of the dead broke through from the side and she leapt up again, kicking it back before it could reach them, then she jumped behind Daniel as he scorched this one too. He returned his attention to the front as more dead advanced; no minds of their own to give them the sense to turn and leave.
She watched as fire left Daniel’s hands. She was amazed, in awe. He looked stunning, powerful and in control. His face was set, strong, yet droplets of sweat were starting to form on his brow.
Sarah crossed her fingers behind her back and prayed Daniel would be strong enough to kill every single one of the dead that were pushing forwards, that were trying to kill them.
More dead were burning and crumbling before Daniel. The scent of burning flesh made her cough, but she stood upright behind Daniel, ready to protect him should it be needed.
There were not many dead left, and Sarah began to feel more positive. At least this way she did not have to touch any more of them. She wrinkled her nose; she could smell death on her clothes from where they had touched her.
But what would happen when the dead stopped, when they were all destroyed by fire? Would someone else attack them? Would she and Daniel be strong enough then?
Sarah scanned the horizon and looked across the moor. It was hard to see anything, the bright fire and smoke making it tough to see far in the darkness.
The final body collapsed and turned to ash, and Sarah stepped forward so she was by Daniel’s side. She took his hand, expecting it to be hot, yet it was cool. She stood with her back to the bunker and looked out into the night as the flames faded and her vision cleared.
She was alert, as was Daniel by her side, and they searched the night together, ready for the next attack.
Wind whipped her face as she watched and waited. Nothing happened. Nobody approached.
She let herself look to Daniel. He met her eyes and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, then led her into the bunker. She pushed the door closed behind them, plunging them into darkness.
Chapter 4
The sorcerer stood back and continued to watch as the male vampire destroyed the last of the dead.
He scowled at what he had witnessed; the vampire could wield magic.
The two vampires stood side by side and stared out at the horizon. The male was tall with dark hair and clothes - he looked sleek and powerful. The woman was blond and feminine. She did not look strong, yet he knew looks could be deceiving. Her eyes were darting about the landscape; she was alert for danger. She had barely fought so her power would not be depleted.
The man was looking around the moor with his jaw clenched and a challenge apparent on his face. He looked ready for another fight.
The sorcerer thought back to when he had first spotted these vampires. It had only been yesterday. He had been watching the stone circle; the site where he had conducted the first ritual which would bring back Nathaniel. He had been flying in to check on the site regularly, as a precaution, as he did not want anything, or anyone, to get in the way of the final ritual – the one which was the most important – the one which would resurrect the old vampire.
He had watched as the female vampire had spotted the stone circle, and the two vampires had gone down into the valley to investigate. The male had gotten down onto his knees and inspected the ground, finding traces of blood that still remained from the ritual just over two weeks before. They had inspected the ground and followed the small traces of blood, and probably a trail of footprints and drag marks; that had led them to the bodies that he had discarded under a slab of granite.
The vampires definitely knew something was going on, and they seemed to be very interested in the outcome. Now that they had survived the attack of the dead, surely their curiosity would be strengthened. In a way, he supposed, he had set a trap for himself in his attempt at setting one for them. They would investigate further. They very well might try and stop him conducting his next ritual, for even if they did not care about him and whether or not he found immortality, or about people dying, they would now want revenge for what he had put them through.
The sorcerer watched as the man and woman exchanged a glance, then turned and retreated into the protective embrace of the bunker.
He shivered, and used a small blast of magic to bring him warmth.
He still had no idea how strong the vampires were; he could not risk fighting them. He needed to develop another plan; he needed to stop them getting in his way.
Chapter 5
‘Wait a sec,’ Daniel said, and she heard him fumbling through objects in the hut.
She felt a spark of power and the small, cluttered, rectangular stone room was lit by a flickering warm light. From behind it Daniel smiled slyly.
‘We did it,’ he said.
‘You did it,’ Sarah laughed, ‘I barely helped.’
‘But you did help, and you were perfect,’ Daniel said while moving closer.
As he reached her she stayed still as he held the candle out to one side and stood so close that electricity rumbled over her skin.
‘Do you think we’re still in danger?’ she asked him.
‘Yes,’ he whispered and he kissed her.
His mouth was firm against hers, sexy, and she melted into him, returning his kiss.
She flung her arms around his back and kissed him harder, tears rolli
ng down her cheeks from relief and horror and every other emotion that she had been suppressing during her fear and their flight.
‘Daniel – we can’t do this – what if someone is outside?’ Sarah whispered.
In reply Daniel kissed her again, and she gave into him – how could she not? He was entirely irresistible, and no-one was bashing down the door.
One of Daniel’s hands traveled over her shoulder and down her back so it was resting on her bum, then he was clutching her and pulling her against him. She sensed his desperation, the adrenaline of the night still running in their veins, and she felt him harden against her.
She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his hips. The candle swayed then fell, extinguishing on its way to the floor, and his other hand was on her bum, pulling her tightly against his erection. She pushed into him with her hips, rubbing against him, while he pushed through her jeans, making her feel hot and frustrated. His hands came lower and rubbed her from below as he pushed against her, and she moaned; she could not help herself. Then she was slammed against cold stone, Daniel forcefully pushing her back, dust and small stones pattering down.
She pushed her tongue against his and moaned again as he continued to rub against her while kissing her roughly, passionately. Then she exploded, ripples of pleasure and pain travelling through her pelvis. She yelled out then his mouth was on hers again and he was kissing her deeply, still hard against her and filled with desire. His hand went around to the front of her jeans and she let her legs go as he ripped the buttons open and pulled them down, then he was pushing into her, filling her, pounding deeply inside her. She was gasping in pleasure, satisfied yet hot, her pleasure building once more. She heard his breathing quicken and breathed in his heavenly scent, masking the smells of death that were behind them. His sexy, irresistible pheromones turned her to mush as he moved, getting deeper and deeper inside her, massaging her, shaking inside her and she was blown away as she came again, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks as he brushed them away with his firm jaw and lips, holding her tightly in his arms.
