Garlic Is For Vampires (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 7: The Dream

I was sitting in a forest full of snow. A silver light touched the snow I was sitting in front of, and it continued snowing around me. I felt the little wetness on my arms and cheeks. What was I doing here?

I stood up and turned to look around me. There were trees surrounding me-they were all coated in white. I glanced down at the white dress I was wearing. I noticed red smeared at the bottom, and only my knees as well. I looked at the place where I had been sitting. It was wet there as well. I groaned. Did I seriously start my period or something? In a dream while wearing white? I shivered and hoped it wasn't because I started my period. But I also didn't want it to be anything else.

The bottom of my dress as also torn, and now I stared at it, dumbfounded. What the hell was going on? This couldn't have all been me, right? I didn't have any blood on my hands-just my dress and my knees. Sure, it looked bad, but what could be any worse than getting a period stain?

What if this was a nightmare? Well, what I just said was everyone's nightmare (guys included. They don't get laid for one whole week.) My eyes widened and I suddenly began to shiver. I had to get home or wake up. It didn't matter. This just needed to stop.

I looked in front of me; there was a clear path blanketed in snow. I couldn't see much in the distance but I knew the path continued and was free of trees. They all seemed to be aligned evenly on either side of me. It was like my dream was influencing my inner OCD. I started to walk, not bothering to pay attention to the chill I felt as my bare feet sank into the snow. The least my brain could've done was create some boots to wear. The OCD would think of that.

I didn't know how much longer I walked before I felt something behind me. Something colder than the air here in this snowy forest. I turned my head and saw nothing behind me. Maybe I was being paranoid since there was blood on my dress? Or was there an actual danger somewhere? I hugged my arms and continued walking, keep my eyes on the snowy path in front of me.

This time I heard something different. A faint flapping, like the sound of papers being flapped as a fan. I paused, and the wind did too. The snow continued, and it covered the tracks I left behind in my path. I looked straight ahead. It was foggy from the snow, but I could see the moon in the dark sky. It was a full moon. I strained my hearing, and I heard the flapping again. This time closer.

I was exposed in the middle of this path. I had to hide from whatever it was-a big bird or a demon. I looked at the trees and suddenly ran into them, seeking the cover they offered. The wings continued flapping until they were suddenly so loud I couldn't hear my frantic heartbeat anymore. They were right above me. I crouched down in the snow, covered the red on my dress with snow, and looked up. That's when I saw it.

Something gliding effortlessly through the treetops. It was a dark bulky figure that seemed to levitate. Then I saw the big, black wings extending from its body. They were huge, and they moved down and then up again. They were in synch as they carried the master through the forest. It was passing over me and then it was heading farther up ahead. Phew.

I felt something hot fall onto my cheek. I flinched, startled, and wiped the wetness away. Probably a snowball. But instead I was looking down at red blood that glistened on my fingers. I felt another droplet fall into my hair, and I tilted my head back up again.

There was a body hanging from a high tree branch on the tree above me. I could barely make out the disfigured limbs, but I watched as a face looked down at me. I recognized the person. It was the man from the club-the one whose head had come off. He opened his mouth in a silent wail. His arms hung in the air and he moved them as if trying to reach for me. Snow fell into my eyes but I saw his body drop from the tree, and then his head came hurdling down to me.

I screamed and rolled out of the way just as the head landed in the snow, the body a few feet away, still spurting blood from the freshly severed neck stump. I was on my hands and butt, hurrying backwards. Then I heard the flapping again and turned my head. The thing was coming back towards me, faster and flying lower to the ground.

I gasped and scrambled to my feet, slipping twice before I found my footing. Then I started running away from it. My feet crunched twigs and rocks and I stepped on something hard. I paused to glance down, stopped, and scooped up the thick twig from the ground. I ran with it, only casting my eyes down to pick up a few minor details. It was long and strong, almost as strong as a baseball. I ran over a small bundle of rocks and smiled. Thank God I joined softball in high school.

The thing caught up to me, and I saw fangs extended from a wide open mouth-glowing red eyes piercing me in the chest. It was a hideous creature. Furry face, small, cut up ears that stuck out from odd angles from its head, and a nose that reminded me of a dog's. It extended darker, hairier arms, and I saw that the wings were attached to the arms.

I grabbed a rock from my pile beside me and threw it into the air. Then as it comes back down I swing my branch and hear the satisfying crack as the rock makes contact with my branch. I barely noticed it hit the thing's nose, but I hear it screech. Like a pig being slaughtered alive.

I gathered a few more rocks and moved around the clearing, tossing another rock into the air and swinging it again at the creature. It anticipated my moves and started flying around me in a circle. I spun and spun until I was ready to puke. I sucked in a sharp, cool breath and collapsed to the ground. The thing flapped its big wings above me and then it suddenly stopped. I heard soft feet land on the ground. Then heavy breathing, like a horse's. Then I opened my eyes and squealed in horror.

The creature was in front of me. I scrambled back, head still spinning and heart still pounding. It was going to kill me. I saw the blood on its wings, its mouth. I noticed the strange vines designed on the thin, translucent skin of the wings' webs. It was crouched down in front of me.

I stood up and just stared down at it. What did it want from me? My blood, my life? It already got that from the guy in the tree and probably plenty of more other people. Why didn't it just snack on somebody else?

This thing was a vampire. The blood, the fangs, and the wings which reminded me of overly large bat wings. Brendon didn't believe me, but this was the proof. Except this was a dream. Damn it!

The thing chuffed and bowed its head. What? Was it bowing to me? I frowned in confusion and took a step forward but then stopped. This was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.

"Vampire," I whispered. The creature's head slowly lifted, and it looked at me with those glowing red eyes. I didn't see the whites at all, it was all red. Then it stood up to its full height, spread its wings, and flew straight at me.

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Later, I woke up with blood on my neck and hands.

A/N: I'm back!

-Redbird