Vampire World (VAMPIRE WORLD #1)

Part 40 Fireball Tournament

Chapter 39: Fireball Tournament

The night I'd been waiting for was finally here.

            Mr. FreeCut, Brett and I arrived at the sprawling fireball tournament parking lot. Bustling with cars of all types, it seemed like the whole of Vampire World was turning out for the occasion. I'd anticipated an incredible stadium rising above me, yet there was nothing - a sharp reminder that all the action would be taking place underground.

            I gazed around, my excitement growing as I saw crowds of vampires descending.

            “Looks like this is where we'll have to split up,” Mr. FreeCut said after arriving at an exceptionally wide and busy escalator. “Spectators enter on this one. Competitors go down on that one over there.”

            He pointed to a smaller escalator not too far away that was far less busy.

            I gave him one last hug before the games began. My attempt to win the tournament was no longer about me, money or prestige. It was about Mr. FreeCut. If I won, I’d be able to buy him a mansion. And the leftovers? Well, that could proudly go to me.

            Brett and I went down the players' escalator. As we dropped, our eyes adjusted to the dramatic darkness.

            The ride down felt like it was going to last forever. In some ways I was reminded of the descent into TriFang’s underground party. But this was so much better than being locked inside a car with Rob. I squeezed Brett’s hand, my mind flashing back to the awful things Rob had done to him. I hoped I’d get to play Rob and defeat his sour ass in front of the entire country.

            We finally arrived and set off down a narrow hallway with a low ceiling. Soon, cheers from thousands of vampire spectators could be heard. I knew we must be getting near, though I was yet to catch a glimpse of what I anticipated was going to be a spectacular playing field.

            Brett and I pulled out our vampire training cards and waited in a long line of players eager to begin pounding the ball. There was no official uniform. However, most of the contestants, including Brett and myself, wore comfortable scarlet tennis shoes, jeans and loose shirts. Some of the girls flaunted scantily tight clothing, I guess to show off their goods in front of the world.

            After a long wait we met a vampire referee dressed in black. He carefully scanned our cards to make sure we were official players. Once he was satisfied, he handed Brett a blinking 3-D emerald skull pin. I was given a red one.

            We were instructed to place the pins on our shirts to show which qualifying group we'd been placed in. I learned that the four qualifying champions then duked it out in the final showdown to win the ten thousand Carns.

            We came to a long, black tunnel.

            “This is it,” Brett said. “Let’s go.”

            We dashed through the tunnel and emerged into....

            The incredible view took my breath away. No matter what I might have been expecting, this surpassed it. The square-shaped, dungeon-like arena was absolutely massive, rising up perhaps fifty stories. Way, way above me, the blood-red ceiling was shrouded in a deep mist. Giant stalactite-like spikes hung down, while attached to a long chain was a colossal skull, probably the ugliest and at the same time coolest thing I’d ever seen in Vampire World. Illuminated scoreboards were attached to this.