Why Vampires Sleep With The Lights On

What Do You Fear The Most?

I wanted to run then. I felt like taking off and never looking back. I'd met with Mr Gray once before in a magical painting, and even though I knew he wasn't actually there in person the thought still fucking terrified me.

The last time we met he promised if he ever saw me again he'd take my soul and sell it to The Devil in exchange for keeping him young and alive. Well, it seemed like now he'd got tired of waiting to bump into me.

Just my fucking luck...

At least it solved the mystery of who had tampered with Victoria's spell. Mr Gray had his very own wizard to call on - M. I had never found out who 'M' really was, but he had been able to find me in The Brown House when even The Council had no idea where we had been hiding.

Whoever 'M' was, he was certainly capable of hijacking the transportation spell to send us off course, I had no doubts about that, but I was alone. Victoria was still out for the count and Mr Gray was on his way to take my soul right now.

Yeah, I had absolutely no bloody idea how to get out of this... Damn it! If only Victoria was awake, at least then we might stand a chance of getting out in one piece.

I stopped my inner monologue as I suddenly heard footsteps coming back towards the sitting room from beyond the archway that led to the rest of the church. Ashley was coming back.

Shit! Maybe I'd made too much noise.

I quickly shut my eyes and rolled back over, hiding my face from view. As I lay listening I heard Ashley enter the room and walk around the sofa towards me.

Oh, crap... just keep calm...

Her footsteps stopped and I felt her standing right over me. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and prayed that she would leave again. After a few tense minutes, that's exactly what she did, her footsteps retreating back out of the room. After a moment I heard a door close in the distance and I let out a deep sigh of relief that I wasn't even aware that I was holding in.

That was too bloody close for comfort.

I immediately sat up and looked over at Victoria, who was still doing her best Sleeping Beauty impression. There was no way I could leave her behind, and not just because I was scared of what she would do to me if I did. I owed her. She had done so much for me already, I'd probably never be able to repay her for that.

What I really needed now was a plan. If Mr Gray wanted my soul, well, he was going to have to take me down to get hold of it, and I wasn't planning on going down easily.

I was going to give that bastard the fight of his life.

Jumping up from the sofa I removed my mud-stained trainers, I didn't want to make any unnecessary noise. I left them by the sofa and slowly stood up and listened.

Everything was so bloody quiet.

Too quiet.

I crept past the sofa Victoria was lying on and headed for the archway that led to the rest of the church. As I reached it I saw that it led into a long corridor lit by large candles set into the walls on either side. There was a door at the far end, the light dancing off the polished wood. That's where Ashley had gone.

Slowly I made my way up the corridor, as I got closer to the door at the end a sense of dread and unease fell over me.

Whatever was hiding behind that door, it certainly wasn't a bloody priest. I could hear the same laughter as I did before, clearly coming from the room beyond.

Then a loud knock came from the other side.

Oh, shit...

"I know you're out there Alec, I can smell you..." A deep and inhuman sounding voice called out "Why don't you come inside?"

I didn't answer. Fuck that. I started backing away up the corridor, trying to put as much distance as I could between me and that voice.

"Don't run away little pup!" the voice called out as I saw the handle on the door start to turn "I want to play!"

The door burst open then to reveal a short, ugly-looking creature with bright red eyes and a vicious smile still dressed in the priest robes, although they were far too big for it. Its long arms stretched so that its hands were touching the floor with long fingernails scratching along with it. The face of the thing looked almost human.

"Ashley?" I asked, for a moment too dumbstruck to move.

The creature grinned widely as it watched me "Of course it's me." it replied, the voice it used changing from a deep growl to the softer tones of Reverend Ashley "And now, Alec, we're going to have some fun... what do you fear the most?"

Stunned by the question I had several images flash quickly through my mind; Kian's note, Mr Gray, the S.P.E.C.T.R.E agents and Jonathan...

Suddenly the skin of the creature in front of me seemed to melt and bubble away. It became taller and its features became those of Jonathan. His short sandy hair and beard, his dazzling blue eyes...

"Hello, pup."

Just hearing his voice gave me flashbacks; Wesley dying at his hand, Kian tied up with a crucifix around his neck burning into his skin, Harry Jekyll being flung across the underground hideout.

"H-how?" I stuttered "You're not real."

"No?" He asked innocently "Then how come I can do this?"

He ripped one of the candles from the wall next to him and then threw it toward me. It hit my stomach with a force that I didn't think was possible and I dropped to my knees, the candle hit the floor and rolled away, but Jonathan made his way towards me.

"It's a shame The Master wants you for himself." Jonathan said kneeling down next to me and taking my head in his hands "But, we can play a little, no? We can have a lot of fun together, you and me! He won't mind..."

"Go fuck yourself." I replied, "Whatever the hell you are."

Jonathan sneered and gripped my head tighter. I felt his nails dig into my flesh as he lifted me up with him.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you." He said "Your fear is so fresh. So vibrant and tasty."

I saw drool start to run from either side of his mouth. Shit. This was bad. This was very fucking bad.

"I might have just a bite..."

All I could do was watch as Jonathan's face changed back to the weird, almost human face of Ashley. The creature's mouth seemed to elongate and fangs appeared from nowhere as I braced myself for the inevitable.

But then the creature was suddenly jerked away from me in a bright flash of green light and I fell hitting my head hard on the stone floor.