The Lost Girls (Chris Cerulli Vampire Story)

Chapter 29

The quiet that fell over the house was unsettling. I surveyed the area around me; Haylee, the Frog sisters, and Laney were all sitting around the now blazing fire. Haylee was busy trying to steady an arrow against the string of the bow that used to be our grandfather's. As I watched her, I found myself wishing that my grandmother had kept more of his hunting weapons. It would have been more useful than some arrows and a bunch of mounted buck heads on the walls. 

While she was doing that, Ellen and Alana were putting on the finishing touches to the 'war paint' that was covering their faces. Chris and I exchange glances at the sight, but in the end, we both just shrugged it off. 

Ellen suddenly broke the silence announcing, "I think I should warn you all, when a vampire bites it, it's never a pretty sight. No two bloodsuckers go out the same way. Some yell and scream. Some go quietly. Some explode, some implode, but all will try to take you with them."

Ellen's warns abruptly halted when the sound of barking came from outside.

"Mimosa!" Haylee cried and jumped to her feet. "I left her outside!"

"Don't go out there!" Ellen commanded, but Haylee ignored her. "Stop her!"

"Haylee!" I shouted as I raced after her as she sprinted out the door.

The german shepherd had been tied to the gate at the edge of the yard and as I slid to the ground to help Haylee untie her dog, the wind suddenly picked up. Everyone else back in the house started screaming for us to hurry and that's when I heard it. That tinkling laughter, coming from overhead.  

"Ashlyn, they're coming!" Chris yelled as he pushed past Ellen and Alana, charging in our direction. 

I made the mistake to let my eyes slip towards the sky. Danielle and the rest of her gang were all flying over head and it looked like they were closing in fast. I finally gave up and tugged the collar over Mimosa's head. As soon as she was free she jetted inside and we were all hot on her heels. I glanced over my shoulder as we scrambled for the safety of my grandmother's house to see that they had gotten even closer. 

Haylee turned slightly to see what I was gaping at and let out a scream at the sight, which caused her to trip over her own feet. Before I could even reach for her, Chris hoisted her into his arms and carried her into the house. The second I made it through the entrance, Alana slammed the door shut behind me and Ellen was right behind her, barricading it with the coffee table.   

"Why was the dog outside?" I demanded to my sister.

"Grandma let her out right before she left and I was too caught up in the fact we're being hunted by vampires!" Haylee snapped back, but I could see from the way she was shaking as Chris put her down, that she didn't mean the anger behind it. 

I let out a sigh, "Take Laney upstairs."

Ellen and Alana swiftly ushered the young girl upstairs before I could protest the idea, but thankfully Chris followed after them. The sound of something like a shotgun going off burst from the fireplace, extinguishing the flames by sheer force. I was knocked onto my back from the blast, but a second later a familiar head of fiery red hair appeared overtop of me.

Dawn reached down to help me back to my feet and it took me a moment to process what she was saying to me. "Ashlyn, listen to me. You have to go get Chris, he's not safe. Danielle is coming for him."

I stumbled for a second, but as soon as I found my footing I took the stairs two at a time to get to the second floor to find Chris.

"I say we terminate them right now." I hear Ellen say from the other side of my bedroom door.

"Laney, run!" Chris shouted.

I slammed my body against my door, breaking it out of its frame. I didn't even have time to marvel at the fact I was just able to break the door down because as soon as Laney and Chris were chased into the bathroom, another familiar face slammed the door shut. Payton had been hiding and rushed out at the Frog sisters, smacking the stakes out of their hands. 

"You're mine!" She yells with a laugh as she points at them. "You killed Mackenzie!"

"Yeah, and you're next!" Ellen retorts even though she and Alana where heading back towards the bathroom.

"Nah, you're next." She seethes as she follows them inside.

A big part of me just wanted to let whatever happened, happen. They had just been trying to kill Chris after all. Alana turned her head towards the bathtub full of floating garlic and that only made Payton laugh more.

The sisters charged at Payton as she grabbed them by their shirt collars saying, "Garlic don't work girls!"

"Try holy water, death breath!" Ellen screeched as she cupped her hand into the water and splashed onto Payton's face.

Payton dropped them to clutch her now smoking face. I stood there in awe as I watched it eat holes in her face, like it was acid. All Ellen and Alana could seem to do was lay on the tile floor, gripping onto each other and shrieking. The moment Payton lowered her hands from her face and moved to attack them, a sound of growling and paws running against the wooden floor came thundering up behind me. I turned to see Mimosa charging towards Payton and jumped onto her, knocking the vampire into the bath. 

The water began boiling and smoking the second Payton hit the water. She howled out in pain as she sank deeper in. Mimosa simple got to her feet and strolled next to me, licking at her chops as she whined slightly. I risked reached down to pet her and I was relieved that her tail gave a small wag.

I turned my attention back to the now smoky bathroom as Ellen and Alana got to their knees and peered into the murky water. Payton launched back out of the tub, her exposed skin looking like melted candle wax. She let out another roar of agony before slipping back in, her hand still clinging to the side of the tub, showing off her claw-like fingernails.

The water now had a pinkish tint as it began to swirl around in the tub basin and to my horror a skeleton with fangs rose from the spinning current. The piping in the walls began to rumble and the sink started to tremble before it spurt out blood filled water. All around the house the sound of explosions and rushing water met my ears and I knew that the same thing was happening around the rest of the house. 

The disgusting liquid sprayed all over every surface in the room, including the sister's and me. They struggled to their feet as the toilet broke apart from the pressure and hurried towards me.

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" I shout over all the noise as I tug them both out of the room. 

I slammed the door shut to block off some of the sickening water before scrambling back out of the room. 

"Where are you going?" Alana called after me.

"To find Chris!"