Hidden Close (Jr. Year)

Chapter 32

Part 32 Of The First Draft

“Carlita hasn't even noticed Grace or my mom. Brad and his band have been playing for almost a half hour now with no interruption. Is this great or what?”

Perry let out a “hmmm” and conjectured my words with,

“Carlita may be playing the fool. She may have sent her followers after us. We have to hurry. Come on.”

We wandered through the abyss as if we were right at home. The crypt was massive and every path seemed to open up into a new corridor. We had became frustrated, and I fought the urge to turn back. The musty odor was enough to make anyone nauseous, and I wondered if Carlita could choose any better place to hide her soil in. Eventually, we came to a dead-end. Becky sighed, and put her back against the mildew-covered wall, asking,

“Now what?”

She leaned back, and slid her hand down the wall, knocking a loose brick aside. The wall rumbled and a passageway opened up, leading to a well-lit room where a silent man sat in a chair at a table. He was dressed in a dark cloak and behind his hood we could see a sinister smile. He got up from his chair, and we stepped into the room. We stood ready, and the man with a grisled face and a grey beard conceded,

“By the looks of you three, it doesn't appear as if I could stop you from doing what you are about to do. Let me escape and I will not attempt to impede your path.”

Becky, with her green facepaint smeared from her sweat, motioned to the door, giving the strange man some final regards,

“Thank you. Leave in peace.”

After he had left, Perry commented underneath his breath,

“We will see him again. It's strange that he'd be in here. It doesn't open from any other way it seems.”

I avoided my impossible thoughts and focused on the large coffin in the backroom. It could be none other than Carlita's. It was locked tight with bound chains and complicated locks. As we began to attempt to unlock the wooden vessel, I got a call in from my mother. I picked up, and the reception was horrible. I could make out these forboding and distinct words,

“Brad has been hurt....she’ll be there in thirty minutes....Brad will be okay....we are taking him home. Hurry, my daughter.....”

I hung up the phone, and told Perry,

“Hurry, baby. You are right. She's coming.”

Becky and Perry struggled with the locks and as they struggled, pounding at it and unraveling the chains, I watched the time slip by. After about twenty minutes they freed the coffin. Inside was her soil, about three inches deep. We gathered it up in the bags we had brought with us and then ran from the underground maze. When we emerged outside we only had two minutes before she would be here. Becky turned to us, and took the bags. She told us quickly, breathing heavy as she did,

“Buy me some time. Fight her and I'll go spread the soil.”

Becky ran away and shortly after, Carlita and another vampire appeared, the same man from before. His cloak had been removed, and he had his fangs out. His eyes burned a bright sanguine red and they were both ready to fight and kill us. Perry let out a cry, and dashed towards the grey-haired vampire, shouting out,

“I won't die here, old man.”

Carlita took strides towards me and closed the distance. She hissed, spitting blood out as she did,

“Any last words, Mindi, my pet?”

I smiled, and stared at Carlita in her low-cut black dress and stilleto boots. Her hair was done up, it having been tossed a few times. Her face was painted up perfectly, and I caught her offguard with a question,

“Are you ready to see heaven?”

I lunged forward, knocking her back. I laughed again, and then spat forth the other part of my discourse,

“You won’t see there, so don't bother praying. I got a warm place that I'll be burying you in, Carlita. We will live on, with or...”

Carlita slapped me hard, and I felt the sting of her blow. She cried out,

“Enough! Let's fight, you bimbo!”

I kicked her, nearly knocking her over.

“Takes one to know one.”

Carlita withdrew a dagger from her dress and tossed it, grazing my temple. I charged her, and brought her successfully to the ground. I bit her neck in a moment of desperation and drew her blood. I kept her down as she bled, her weakness showing. She struggled against me with great strength, and eventually bucked me off. When we had both regained our footing, Becky appeared, shouting,

“It has been done!”

Carlita fell to her knees, gagging. Perry walked away from his fallen foe, who was unconscious. His costume was dirty, stained with mud and blood. His face was covered with deep scratches, but he was still standing. He made it over to us, and called Grace after examining Carlita,

“Hurry, mother! Carlita is dying!”

We wrapped up Carlita, who was delirious. When Grace and the others arrived, they rushed to our side. After Carlita had been stabilized, Lana told me,

“Brad is okay. Carlita had attacked him. I can't believe we are saving her. She better never cause us trouble again.”

Our sympathy towards our enemy was our only innocence. What I have lost over these last few months was nothing compared to what I gained. I could have defeated Carlita. I chose not to, and someday I will remember what morality I had upheld. My soul will stay as long as I embrace it. Becky and Lana had both wanted to kill her, but I have shown Carlita compassion. Besides, I'm just a kid. I don't want to kill someone and have it on my conscience. My mother taught me better than that. I only hope that Becky and Lana’a anger towards Carlita was exactly just that, anger. We always say and think the dumbest things when our emotions are running on overdrive. Sometimes, you have to think with your mind. Senseless death and violence has only hurt humanity. What we have done for Carlita today I see as an investment. Besides, I want to hear her story.