A Vampire Tale

Chapter 29

Taylor

"Taylor!" mom called out when she returned home. The slam of the door let me know that Dad is with her. I cried out and kicked the door twice before they opened the closet. They seemed to be surprised to find me sitting tied up in the closet. "What are you doing here? How did this happen?" Mom asked me as dad pulled off the tape fast.

"Brenda did this to me. She wants to trade herself into a vampire's custody in return for some protection. We need to hurry before they get killed!" I told them. Dad quickly untied me and allowed me to lead the way. I followed Brenda's scent into the forbidden woods until a stranger smell of blood took over. My sharp fangs slid out at the smell as I ran faster, leaving my parents behind. I didn't stop until I came across the source of the smell.

Jason was laying in a pool of blood, looking very pale. I kneeled down on one knee and checked his pulse. He really was dead.

"You can't die just yet, Jason! I need you to help me find her!" I shouted angrily. Jason is the only one who knows where she is. If Brenda is in trouble, it would take a long time to find the guy again. Samuel seems to have an interest in me for his plans. If he were to take Brenda away, he could force me into anything.

"Is that Jason?" Dad asked as he walked to the body.

I nodded, "it looks like they were ambushed. From the smell in the air, it could be Samuel."

We heard some ruffling near by until Ann-Marie was pushed forward. Mom had her by the arm and led her to us. "Maybe this vampire can tell us what happened," she said as she threw Ann-Marie to the ground.

"Let me go! I did nothing wrong! You can't treat me like this!" Ann-Marie looked at my parents with fear in her eyes. The same eyes she looks at me with when I'm angry.

"Yes, we can. We are the hunters, and you are the hunted," Dad told her. "Now tell us what you know. What happened to Jason before he died."

Ann-Marie stood up from the ground and took two small steps back. "I know that Jason isn't really dead. Sir Marcus has the girl and is planning to turn her into a weapon against you hunters," she said as she tried her best to stay calm.

"Jason was killed. He has no pulse. Are you trying to say he's been turned?" I asked her.

She nodded, "I could show you how very much "alive" he really is. He has already been bitten and his body is changing."

Damn it, she's right! Just now, I sensed the presence of another vampire. Jason's hand moved a bit before he sat upright, fear and confusion in his eyes. He took in the surrounding smells before I noticed his fangs. He took one look at my parents and leaped for them. I quickly grabbed him and pushed him to the ground. I held him down until he relaxed and looked up at me.

"Blood. I want blood," he said sounding like a small, begging child.

I shook my head no, "down boy. No blood for you until you listen to what we say." He pouted a bit before trying to push me off.

"I'm sorry, Taylor. Brenda is going to have to wait. We have to take care of Jason before we move any further," dad said.

I shook my head no. "I have to find her. Take Jason to headquarters; I'll continue to search here."

After experiencing a vampire kidnapping firsthand myself, I should know what she's going through. Samuel Marcus is not a man of his word. If he tries to bite her, he could end up destroying himself. The only problem is Samuel is no fool. He could torture her so much until she willingly lets him bite her.

"Taylor, try to relax. We'll find her, but we have to take care of Jason first. Brenda's a fighter; she should be okay." Mom grabbed Ann-Marie as Dad grabbed Jason.

As much as I wanted to run deeper into the woods, I followed my parents quietly as we walked towards the association. Hailey was waiting for us by the front door. The look on her face told me that something was wrong.

"Taylor. My father wants to speak to you," she said as I stepped closer to her. I nodded and walked inside. I made my way to the president's office and knocked three times before being allowed entry.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked as I took a seat.

Mr. Anderson nodded, not trying to hide his disappointment. "It appears you have ignored my order of approaching the target as a hunter. I'm sorry, Taylor, but I'm going to have to punish you."

I couldn't believe it. "She was being attacked by a vampire when I found her. I was only doing my job as a hunter to protect her."

He sighed, "I'm not happy about this either, Taylor. I've seen you grow up and I know you never break our rules. Unfortunately, I am a a man of my word. Until that girl is found and interrogated, you shall be imprisoned with the other creatures. You will live in a cell and have the same treatment as those creatures."

I nodded before standing up. Two hunters, Shawn and Trey, took me away. I followed them into our underground prison where Shawn immediately pushed me into a cell. Trey shot me a worried look before locking the door behind me. When they left, I sat down in the middle of the small cell, trying to ignore the cries of different creatures. Werewolves howled at each other. trolls punched the walls. Vampires scratched the walls, trying to break free. I covered my ears, hoping this would end soon.That they would eventually fall asleep or destroy each other.

The room was dark, leaving me clueless to what lies in the neighboring cells. Whatever. I can handle this with little difficulty. I'm worried about Brenda. What could they be doing to her? How is she going to protect herself if they find a way to remove her charm? I'm worried that she's going to be a different person when they find her. I mean, when I was little, I used to play childish games like tag or even hungry, hungry hippos. When I was found, I had lost the pleasure of childhood and decided to take revenge on the vampires. I just hope she's not like me when she's found...