After Dark

After Dark (30)

--chapter 30--

Cindy Hunter

As I was waiting for Tom to arrive, I started getting nervous.

What if Crystal or Brooke killed him? What if the plan failed and we had to start over? What if...?

The door of the warehouse opened. A cold gust of wind rushed in as Tom walked in with the body thrust onto his shoulder. We chose this location because it was remote, and old. If anything happened to it no-one would realize. It was also quite far from our children, who were back at the house.

He laid the body on the battered up chair and tied him onto it. His head flopped down, like he was unconcious. His tousled brown hair covered the part of the face we could actually see.

"You didn't have to knock him out cold you know." I told Tom.

He shrugged. "It was easier, he would have made way too much noise. Remember we're dealing with vampires here." He pointed to his right ear. "Super beings with super hearing."

And super strength. I added in my head. I was anxious. All this waiting for her to show up. Tom was safe, he was the supernatural being. And I was the fraile, easy killable human wife. In fact, I could be the one held for hostage.

Two taps were heard on the huge metal door.

"You may enter," Tom shouted in a formal voice.

This whole scene reminded me of an old crime/mystery movie I'd watched years ago. But then it was human versus human...

Crystal or Brooke walked in. I wasn't sure which one of them it was.

"My name is Crystal," She clarified. "I have come to answer all your questions. All you have to do is promise the safety of my friend."

"Sit." I motioned to the chair a few metres from the body.

Tom and I had this all figured out. I would ask the questions, and he would concentrate on keeping the body safe from her or any companions she might have brought. Crystal sat down carefully and crossed her legs.

"Ask away." She said.

"How do you change a human into a vampire?" I asked.

"I don't know." She answered. "I was not aware when I was being changed, all I can remember is the immense pain."

"Which you made my husband suffer from." I said getting angrier.

Crystal looked at Tom. "I'm truly sorry. I meant to kill you instead." She smirked.

The minute those words left her mouth, Tom's hand was at her neck. He growled.

"Tom, stop. If you kill her, we'll never get the answers." I said surprisingly calmly.

He let go and walked back next to the body. Crystal sat back down on her seat.

"Smart," Crystal said.

We were supposed to torture her, but (like most of the basics about vampires) we didn't know how to.

"Okay," I continued. "What are some of the changes experienced?"

"First of all, you'll gain the incurable desire for blood. The first few weeks it's just BLOOD BLOOD BLOOD. I heard that the need will calm down in the years. The other changes are: super strength, hearing and speed; losing the ability to eat human food and sleeping; changes in skin and eye colour. Plus, a few of us, maybe one in fifty, will get a special power. For example, reading minds." Crystal explained.

It seemed pretty routine to me. As in, maybe she rehearsed this before with someone else, and all this was part of the plan. Then before Tom and I know it, a whole group of vampires will rush in and kill us both! Then Julie and Timmy will hear that we died in a strange 'animal attack', and then they'll be forced to live with that hell of a woman that my husband calls his mother!!

Crystal chuckled. It was like she read my mind. Wait...

"You can read minds?" I asked nervously.

If she could, she knew all our plans!

Suddenly, we heard a low, but loud howl. I got freaked out. Tom too. Even Crystal. Wasn't this part of her master plan to get the boy back?

The howls grew closer to us. Tom saw me shivering and acted brave. He walked over to the door and creaked it open. Nothing. Just the darkness of the late night/early morning. Oh God, we better hurry up, the children will wake up in a matter of hours!

Tom's tense shoulders relaxed. Then Crystal tackled him from behind to throw him on the ground outside. He stood up quickly from the fall. He rushed to Crystal and tried to punch her but she caught his fists every single time.

The howl sounded again, but this time, it sounded further away. Next, a girl screamed in the distance.

Oh no, I thought. Julie.

*****