The Monster Apocalypse

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

"Get away from her!" Brin screamed. Anaya even tried to duck out from under the vampire, but the creature was strong. He pulled her back up and scraped his fangs against her neck. A small trickle of blood ran down her right shoulder.

Mr. Barker held the gun up in front of his face and aimed it straight for the vampire's forehead. "Do as the girl says. Or I'll shoot."

But the vampire didn't bolt; instead, he stayed still and confident right there in front of the office, holding tightly onto Anaya like she was his own kind, not worried for his safety, but smiling, eerily.

"Don't be silly, you stupid man," the vampire said. "Bullets may kill those yellow monstrosities—but they don't kill us. Now hand over the girl!"

Nobody knew what the man was talking about. Finally, Ash said, "What girl?"

The vampire surveyed all the teenagers in the room, finally fixing his gaze on the pretty brunette. "Me?" asked Brin.

"Yes, you. Get over here."

"What do you want with me?"

"I'm not going to ask again."

Brin looked at Ash, confused, then turned her sights on Mr. Barker. While everyone her age appeared just as bewildered as she, Mr. Barker had a more understanding look on his face—like he knew exactly why this vampire had a fetish for Brin's blood and no one else's.

"Mr. Barker, what's going on?" Brin asked.

Her teacher sighed, stared angrily at the vampire, and nodded. Then he turned to Brin. "Go."

"Go? What do you mean, go?"

"Do as I ask, Brin, please."

"What's going on here? What aren't you telling me?" She raced up to Mr. Barker and slammed her fist hard against his chest. "Are you on their side? Are you one of them?"

"Of course not."

"Enough!" the vampire shouted, kicking Anaya down against the ground and leaping up and over toward Brin. He stopped a mere yard in front of her.

"Don't come any closer," she said.

"I'm sorry, young lady. But I plan to."

"What do you want me with me?"

"Oh, sweetheart," the vampire said, condescendingly. "Don't you remember what happened in Bodie? Don't you remember how your actions killed almost half our clan?"

Both he and Brin turned to the doors, to see half a dozen zombies collide against the windows, trying to break in. The police outside hadn't annihilated every single one of them, as Brin had hoped.

"It was self preservation," Brin said, in a low, terrified tone. "I didn't mean to hurt anybody—"

"And, most of all, don't you remember when you went directly against our master's orders and took his son away from him?"

Brin stared at the vampire like he might finally have some answers about her AWOL friend. "Paul," she said. "Where is he? What have you done with him?"

She rushed toward him, but Mr. Barker pulled her back. "Brin, don't provoke him," he said.

"Ah-ah-ah," the vampire said. "Do you want me to drink your blood right here in front of everyone? I really didn't want to do that to you, Brin."

She stared into his eyes for a few seconds. "I've seen you before. In Bodie."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. You were one of the vampires on the stage. You went up to Paul's dad, said a few words into the microphone. You were next to the guy who couldn't speak." Brin searched her mind. She had heard a lot of vampire names that night. "Your name was Jackson, right?"