Re-Vamp

Chapter 20: Death

The thugs rushed the attack, unloading weapon after weapon on the seemingly defeated vampire. Arnaud crouched behind the corpse, shielding his head with his arms as his body was further shredded by the hail of bullets.

Suddenly, when the guns ran empty and he was barely conscious, Arnaud decided to drink the blood of his shield. The vampire let out a harrowing howl and stood up. His face was a twisted mask of exposed muscles and bones, while several of his limbs dangled at grotesque angles. But his eyes burned with a supernatural fury as the blood soon began to regenerate the missing parts.

He lunged at the terrified group like lightning, shattering and destroying everything in his path. Within seconds, all lay dead or grievously wounded on the floor. Arnaud staggered towards them and began devouring their blood avidly, the wounds closing and his strength renewing with every gulp.

Finally, the last of the underlings fell lifeless to the ground. The leader noticed and turned towards him with a confused, frowning expression. It was then that Arnaud decided to fully reveal himself, emerging from the shadows like a lethal specter.

His face was fully restored and he walked upright once more, as if he had never been injured.

"Who the hell are you?" the man yelled, trying with shaking hands to reload his empty gun, his eyes bulging with surprise and fear.

Arnaud fixed him with a gaze laden with mortal threat as he began advancing towards him.

The vampire gave a slight sinister smile before responding in a deep, grave voice:

"The night, death... hunter of evil men."

The man backpedaled cursing, his gun wavering as he aimed it at the vampire with trembling hands.

"I don't know what the fuck you are, freak, but I'm going to blow your head off!"

Before he could do anything, Arnaud lunged at him with a roar, moving so fast he was a blur. A second later, he had him pinned to the ground, an iron claw-like hand around his throat.

"Ugh...no! Let me go, you bastard!" the man gasped in a strangled voice as he struggled uselessly to break free.

Arnaud's eyes blazed with a supernatural glow, his entire being flooded with a frenzy of protectiveness for Arturo. The words echoing in his mind over and over:

"No, I don't want to! I want to go with you!"

With a renewed feral growl, Arnaud threw back the man's head and sank his fangs into his throat. He drank eagerly, savoring the delicious flow of blood and life between his lips.

The leader of the band emitted a strangled gurgle as his struggle gradually weakened. Finally, his entire body went limp in a sign of surrender.

♢♢♢♢

"Oh my God, Juanita! I can't believe those ruffians threatened you like that," Lola exclaimed with a frown as she served her friend a glass of water with tense hands.

Juana nodded with an afflicted expression, her eyes reddened from crying. Arturo was sitting on the couch hugging his knees, watching them in silence.

"It was horrible, Lolita. If it wasn't for Arnaud..." She paused and shook her head, tears threatening to spill again. "He risked his life for us. I can never repay him. Plus what I said to him..."

Lola frowned more at those words, taking a seat across from her.

"So... This 'man' you're talking about, tell me everything about him," she insisted gravely.

Before her friend could respond, Arturo jumped up from the couch, eyes wide.

"Look Miss Juana, look! The magic box has people inside it!" he exclaimed, pointing at the television.