When All Must End

Chapter 6

The second chime from the clock tower echoed in the night’s sky. By this time, a massive downpour covered the city, but this is not bother Paula as she still sat on the cobblestone alleyway waiting for her dead lover to resurrect from his sleep. It was just then that he began to stir and slowly his eyes opened, the jade eyes that Paula once fell in love with when she was still mortal had vanished and in their place a dark red.

“I was beginning to think I drank too much,” Paula stated once his eyes were completely open.

“I can’t breathe,” Basil pointed out once he realized his lungs weren’t working.

“It takes getting used to, but no, breathing is no longer a problem for you. And feel your heart,” she said, placing his hand where his still heart was.

“It’s not beating…”

“You are no longer on the side of the living, but among the living dead,” she announced and for some strange reason, it did not disturb Basil at the very least. “Come, we must find you fresh blood so you can gain your strength back.”

Lifting him from the ground, Basil kept hold of Paula for his legs were still wobbly. But when they were standing, he loosened his grip ever slightly. “Blood…?”

“Yes,” Paula replied, “if you do not feed than you will be vulnerable. Come, I’m sure there is some worthless creature nearby.”

“Paula, wait…,” Basil said, fighting to keep her near him. “I’m still disoriented by all of this.”

“That is precisely why we must find you food. Please, I did not change you just so I could lose you.”

“But there is one question I must ask you.”

“And that is…?”

“Come closer to me,” he demanded and without any hesitation, she did just that. Without any warning, Basil pulled her even closer so that their lips met. Shocked at first, Paula let go as she savoured the moment with him. What Paula was made unaware of was that, she has just fallen into a trap. In one quick move, Basil pushed Paula away and without given a chance to see what was happening he impaled her with a piece of wooden crate he had managed to grab as he was chasing Fane earlier.

“I’m sorry, love,” Basil apologized as he watched the blood seep out from the wound. Shocked from what had just happened; Paula looked up at Basil and only smiled before collapsing onto the ground. “I’ll be with you soon enough.”

Carrying Paula’s lifeless body as far as his legs could take him; Basil was able to fine a remote area before placing the young mouse onto the ground. From nearby, he managed to gather up enough sticks and useless paper so that he could throw it together in a large pile. Taking his lover once more, he gently placed her on top of the pile and lay down beside her. Pulling out a small box of matches from his pocket, he struck one against the box and as the fire burned brightly, he placed it on the pile. Before anything, Basil place a soft kiss on Paula’s cold cheek before taking the very same piece of wood he used to kill her and did the same to himself. Forever, they would be together, just as they wanted, but to be forever as a vampire was not what Basil wished for them.

Nobody knew what became of Basil and Paula after that cold October night. Search parties were formed all across London, but none were able to find them. So with painful hearts, they were finally claimed as dead on the 31st of October, the very night anyone ever saw them again. It was also them that the kidnapping and murders finally stopped. It was assumed then that Basil had fallen to not only protect his Paula in her final moments, but succeeded with great victory in defeating whoever was responsible for the horrid crimes. But never would anyone know the truth of what had really happened that all Hollow’s night.