by Dima Zales
“Well, I ain’t much of a psychiatrist or anything,” he paused and chuckled, “but I’ll do my best.” I took pride in the fact that my vocabulary and speech varied from his—I had Desmond to thank for that one. Before he decided to leave Janet and me, he was an English teacher and actually made an effort to dedicate some of his time to helping me expand my vocabulary.
I described the dream exactly as it had happened, without naming names. Paul just stared at me intently as each word escaped my mouth. “Do you have any idea what it means?”
“Not exactly, no,” he answered.
“Someone told me that your–our last name,” I corrected myself, “means ‘raven’. Is there any meaning behind that?”
His eyes scrutinized me carefully. “Who told you that?”
“That's not important.”
“It better not be who I think it is,” he replied coldly, narrowing his eyes. “But, there might be some meaning to it. Our bloodline has been around for a long, long time, and every Waldron ancestor has been involved in vampire slaying. History claims that some of them have been able to turn themselves into ravens, but it's probably just all stories and tall tales.”
“Do you believe it really is just all made up?”
“Of course. I know that might sound weird coming from someone who kills the undead, but really—transforming into birds? Can you even imagine?” He shook his head, laughing lightly. “That's ridiculous.”
“I guess you’re right.” I looked down. “There was another thing that was bothering me.”
“Is it about Janet?” He frowned. I guessed he must have seen the news, too.
“No. But, I am worried about her, too. I think Mark... might have had something to do with it.”
His eyes grew suspicious. “What do you mean?”
“I might have found out that he is…he is one of them. A vampire, I mean,” I whispered, worrying what Salem might think—was I betraying him by telling Paul this?
“If he is...” He gritted his teeth as he spoke, “he'll regret having laid a hand on her.”
“Calm down, Paul. I don’t know that he did anything. It may have just been a bear attack like the news said.”
“Either way. Have you talked to your mom?”
I told him about the conversations I had shared with Janet and about how skeptical I was of her story.
“Sounds pretty fishy to me. Sounds like I might need to be makin’ a trip to Denver.”
I gulped. “Back to that other question...” I wanted to sway him away from that conversation altogether before he did anything irrational. “What can you tell me about my mother...my real mother?”
Paul's face displayed an expression of anguish, and I knew I wasn't going to like the story. “Her name was Destiny,” he said, smiling faintly as he spoke her name. “We met in high school, fell in love, and got married when I was 24, she was 22. I hadn't told her my secret, I was afraid she would freak out. Of course, once I did tell her, she did freak out. She was very reluctant to believe who I was—what I was—but I insisted, time after time, that I wasn't crazy, and that vampires do exist. I thought she’d end up leaving me before she came ‘round.
“Eventually, she had her proof, though. I took her hunting with me. She was terrified at first, but thrilled all the same. About a year later, you were born. She adored you, Alex...” He sighed, looking at me briefly. “You look so much like her.”
“I do?” I whispered, wondering exactly what my mother looked like.
“Yes, so much so it is hard to believe you are not her. You definitely have her eyes; the shape of your face is the same, your hair.” He laughed lightly before his voice turned grave. “During my next hunting trip, she insisted she went along again. I tried to convince her to stay home with you, but she insisted you would be safe with a baby-sitter. She hadn’t been able to go along with me in a long time due to the pregnancy and recovering and all. Well, she eventually convinced me, and I regret that I let her go more and more every day.
It was late in January; we were scouting through the woods–a common feeding ground–when one approached us. He was stronger than I had been prepared for...I told Destiny to hide, but it was no use. I knew he could smell her; I knew he could hear her...” He paused; I could see the grief in his eyes. “He took her from me...from us...I vowed that day that I would kill every last one of those bastards I could find until the day that I die.
“That was when I sent you away. I didn't want to; you have to understand that. You were the world to me, Alex. You were all I had left of her. But it was for your own good; you were safer that way.”
“I understand,” I said, watching a tear trickle down his cheek. I could feel the moisture welling up in my own eyes, but I forced it back. “Paul–Dad... there is one more thing I need to know.”
“Anything, Alex.” He reached over and gently touched my hand. I smiled warmly, feeling closer to him than I ever had.
“What happened to the vampire that took Mom?”
“He escaped,” he replied bitterly. “Of all the vampires I have fought in my lifetime, he was one of the few to escape. I might not be the greatest of hunters, but it is rare that I let one get away. He was old and powerful. I can still remember the way he looks, the sound of his voice, his name.” He shuddered.
“Dad...”
“Yes?
“What was his name?”
“Raziel,” he seethed, and I tried to cover up my sudden gasp at the sound of his name.
I leaned over and hugged him tightly, hoping he hadn't noticed my reaction. I wanted to hurry out of his house and find Salem to tell him what all I found out. “I am so sorry for everything you’ve been through. I am so sorry about Mom....”
He wrapped a bulky arm around me. “Don't worry about it, Alex.” I could feel the moisture of his tears soaking through the thin material of my shirt.
“Oh, crap!” I said, releasing Paul and nearly dumping my soda on the already-stained carpet.
“What's the matter?” He looked alarmed and curious.
“I told a friend of mine that he could throw a party at my house tonight.” I hung my head in shame. “How in the world did I get myself into this mess?!"
Paul laughed. “It’s part of being a teenager.”
“I’ve got to get home as soon as possible. Maybe I have time to talk to him and call the whole thing off.”
"If high school is anything like it was when I was there, the house is probably already full!" He laughed again, with a gleam of nostalgia in his eyes. I was grateful that his mood had improved, but it didn’t stop the dread that was welling up inside me.
“You're only making it worse,” I grumbled. “Thanks for answering my questions.”
“Anytime. Never hesitate to come over–and if the party gets out of hand, you know where to find me. I can come get you any time, and you can stay here.”
“I might just take you up on that offer.” I smiled and went to walk to the door.
“Oh, wait! Before you leave, I have something for you.” He stood from the lumpy couch and went down the hall. I heard a door open then close, and he returned with a cardboard box. “I meant to give you this on your birthday.”
“You didn't have to get me anything, Paul.”
“I'm your father, of course I did.” He smirked, pushing the box into my arms. “Go on, open it up.”
As I pried open the box, I began wondering what he could possibly have gotten me for my birthday. I nearly dropped the box when I finally got it open: a silver and black hand crossbow lay within the core of the box. I swallowed and looked up at Paul, expecting an explanation.
“Every hunter needs a good weapon.” He smiled, apparently thinking I would appreciate the gift.
I felt sick as I stared at the bow. “I don't know what to say.”
“You don't have to say anything, Alex. Let me show you how to use it,” he offered, reaching over to take the bow.
“No, it's okay. I think I can figure it ou
t,” I muttered, pulling it away. “I’ve got to go.”
“Sure, sure.” He smiled again. “Maybe you will be the one that finally puts an end to that Salem Young.”
It was difficult to hide my fury at his words. Salem was nothing but nice to me so far. “I have to go,” I said again, grabbing the box and running out to the car. I slammed the door behind me, almost wishing it would fall off its hinges. When I got into my car, I angrily shoved the crossbow under the passenger seat and began driving away.
10
I raced home, driving faster than I probably should have. It was midday now, which ought to give me plenty of time before the party started. When I unlocked the door and made it inside, I was relieved at all of the space around me. Paul's trailer would have made anyone claustrophobic! The scent of pizza from the previous night lingered in the air. I glanced at the living room briefly before climbing upstairs, half-expecting to find Salem, but there was no sign of him. I dialed Jason's number as soon as I got in my room, but he didn't answer so I decided I would wait and call again later. I sunk down on the edge of my bed, wondering just where Salem might have gone to and when I would see him again. As strange as it was to admit, I had grown fond of his company.
An annoying light kept bouncing around the otherwise dim room, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw it was a ribbon of lights floating around on the screen of my laptop. Just a screen saver, I thought to myself. I wiggled the mouse to get rid of the bothersome light, and decided I might as well play around with this new toy a little while I waited to get ahold of Jason. I opened the Internet browser and typed: ‘Denver, Colorado’ into the search box. So many things came up that I wasn't sure what to go to. Then I saw something that made my heart sink.
“Denver Zookeeper not the only one mauled by a bear? Reports have been looming around the city of Denver, and other nearby cities, of brutal attacks similar to the attack on Zookeeper Janet Hobbs.”
I clicked the link anxiously. It was a news article discussing not only the attack on Janet, but of three other people discovered in Denver with similar injuries, as well as a few in the surrounding cities.
“The only real explanation is one of the bears got loose, or there's a wild one gone mad!” says local Ms. Rachel Shetland.”
“I've never seen anything like this. It's almost like the animals have gone on a rampage,” says high school biology teacher and wildlife lover Leslie Woods.
“It's a coincidence. There are brutal murders and animal attacks going on all the time. There is no reason to think it's the same predator,” Zoologist Mark Prince ensures.
I paused and re-read the last quote again, mostly the name of the speaker. Surely this wasn't the same Mark I thought it was. How many other Marks were there likely to be out there? A lot...but what were the odds of it being another zoologist named Mark, in Denver? I left the news page and went back to the search engine. After scrolling down the page even further, I found something else that caught my eye.
“Colorado Slayings – Man, Bear or Mystery?”
Beneath the title, it read “Your place for paranormal news!”
I clicked the link curiously and was brought to a page with a black background and red text. There were links to the side relating to UFOs, crop circles, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, vampires, werewolves, witches, and all sorts of other supernatural things. I ignored them, for the time being, and spotted the article about the Denver ‘slayings’. As the page loaded, I noticed I had begun shaking a little and the hairs on my arms were standing. I inhaled deeply.
“Recently, a supposed bear attack occurred at the Denver Zoo. A Ms. Janet Hobbs was viciously attacked by one of the bears while feeding the animal. Her injuries were severe, ranging from gaping scratch marks across her face and mid-section, and two identical deep puncture wounds along her right wrist. What would cause this bear to attack this woman? Not to mention, these distinct markings on her wrist do not match the bite of a bear, but more closely resemble a snake bite.
Over the past few weeks, three other Denver citizens have been found attacked—with similar injuries, namely the wrist markings. Progressively, more and more incidents were spotted in nearing cities of brutal attacks, similar to the one on Janet Hobbs (Just the most recent in this string of ‘incidents’)–unfortunately, most of the other victims were not as lucky as Ms. Hobbs. Is there some sadistic murderer on the loose, attacking people in the exact same manner? Is it really the fault of animals, both wild and zoo-kept? Or is this something entirely different?
Tell me—did the word 'vampire' come to mind at all as you read this article? If so, you might be on the right track. If you are familiar with my other articles, you will know that I believe these Night Walkers are lurking around in our world, preying on our blood. These are definitely no mere animal attacks.
Keep your eyes open, and be wary! They could be anywhere. If you have any questions or comments, or sightings of a vampire, contact me!
-Amanda G.”
My eyes grew sore from reading the bright-red text against the black background, and my hands hadn't stopped shaking. Clearly I wasn't the only one skeptical about these ‘bear’ attacks. I closed the browser and sat for a moment, thinking over what I had just read. What would Salem think, would he agree or would he think I was over-reacting and digging too deeply into this? It was odd to think how if I had found this website just a week ago I would have laughed and considered it bogus…but not anymore.
I stepped down the stairs carefully, still a little rattled from what I had just read. The coolness of the refrigerator felt relaxing against my skin as I browsed through its core. I hadn't realized how empty it was getting—there was half a gallon of milk, some orange juice, and some leftover spaghetti from who knows when. I dumped the pasta and poured a glass of juice.
“Looks like I'll be going grocery shopping...” I muttered aloud to myself. I searched for the envelope of funds Janet had left me with and pocketed some of the money before hiding the envelope beneath the microwave. As I was leaving the house, the phone rang, and I hastily picked it up; Karen was on the other end.
“Oh, my god, Alex! I’m so glad I got a hold of you. I've been trying to call you all morning, and you never answered! I even made a trip over to your house hoping to find you, but no one answered. I have been so worried!” She rambled on to the point that it was hard to catch each word. “I saw the news about your mom! Why didn’t you tell me last night?! Are you all right? Is she okay? Do you need anything?”
Once I was positive she was done talking, I sighed and spoke into the receiver. “I'm as okay as I can be. She’s in the hospital and doing better, and I'm sorry I haven't gotten hold of you. I should have known you would be panicking when you heard about it; Mom was always close to you, too.” I smiled at the memories of how fond Janet had been of Karen, how she often treated her like another daughter. “I’ve just been so overwhelmed with Mom leaving and now this,” I said, unable to tell her the whole truth. “And I didn’t want to ruin the party you worked on for me. I’m sorry.”
“I'm just glad it was nothing worse, and that you're okay.”
“I’m fine, and I will let you know if I hear anything else about Mom. Thanks for calling,” I said awkwardly, surprised by my eagerness to get off the phone. There was so much on my mind; even a conversation with my best friend wasn't going to be enough to distract me. “I need to run to the store, and like I said—I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay, Alex; I understand. Just keep in touch, okay?”
“I will,” I responded and hung up.
After making a very quick grocery run, I dropped the food off at home. My attempt to get a hold of Jason failed once more. I decided to drive over to Salem's house to tell him about the site and see what he thought–assuming I could find the way there again. The twisting road was even more terrifying when I was alone, but I eased my way slowly along the asphalt. I met the familiar dirt path with a groan, not looking forward to the bumpy ride. Fortunately,
the turn to the left came into view before long, and I was relieved to find I had miraculously remembered just how to get there.
The magnificent Victorian appeared empty when I pulled up. I sat in the parked car for a few minutes, admiring the vast house. I hadn't noticed the wide windows on the top floor before; they looked almost like two large eyes staring down at me. I shivered. My gaze was soon distracted by the surrounding nature. A cobblestone path started at the back of the house, curving off into dense foliage. My curiosity got the best of me, and I exited the car. I hoped Salem wouldn't mind me trespassing around his house.
I followed the thin, winding path through the thick forest. There were berry-speckled shrubs here and there, and the sound of rushing water. It all looked very well taken care of. I glanced behind me, shocked that I could no longer see any evidence of the house or my car. It was amazing to be among nature for a change. A white bunny stood out from the surrounding green. I slowly approached it, wanting to get a closer look.
I jumped back and almost screamed when I saw a pale hand slowly, carefully reach through the shrubbery and grab the rabbit. It wriggled helplessly as it was pulled out of sight. The noises coming from behind the bush were unbearably disgusting—the high-pitched squeal of the poor bunny, the sickening slurping sound...I covered my ears. I tried to run, but my legs felt like jelly. Part of me knew what was going on, but my mind wouldn't let me admit it.
“S-Salem?” I whimpered with my eyes locked on the spot where the white rabbit had stood just seconds ago.
I heard the crunch of twigs and the thump of something hitting the ground. “Alexis...” His silky sweet voice met my ears, and I shuddered unexpectedly. “What are you doing out here?”
I couldn't see him; he was shrouded by the wilderness. “The house seemed empty, and I saw this path out here...and I thought maybe I would go exploring while I waited for you to get back from wherever you were...and there were no lights on…and…” My voice trailed off when he emerged from behind the bushes.
