* Trigger Warning - Mild gore *

The woman wailed as they set her restless body alight. A crazed look in her eyes shared her anguish. I heard her screams over the crackling fire as the deadly flames engulfed the woman's body. A smoky odour filled the night sky like a freshly lit bonfire on a November evening. This unfamiliar memory distorted as time grew, but the acrid smell still lingered on my clothes.

I jolted against my seatbelt, waking myself up from my disturbing dream.

Johnathan was driving with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. "Sorry. Pothole." He blew his last puff, stubbing it out and flicked it out the opened window. Rolling up the window, he grabbed a mint from the dashboard, popping it into his mouth. "Don't tell Amelia."

From the mention of her name, Amelia stirred in the passenger seat. "How long is left?"

"We're there," he said, turning off the soft mumble of voices on the radio.

A musty yellow sign came into view from the headlights of the car.

Welcome to Shadowbrook. You can run, but you can't hide.

As we crossed the border, a tingly sensation wrapped itself across my body, making me squirm in the backseat. Being in a confined space with weaponry and people who knew what they were dealing with didn't give comfort, but rather a fleeting illusion of security.

Amelia stiffened, holding the revolver in her hand. "I've let Ethan know we're coming." 

We passed the forest on the edge of the borders as the woods stretched for miles. Approaching the town square, grass decorated the patch in the centre with benches spaced along its perimeter. I noticed the old historic city hall, a hospital, a grocery shop and a graveyard.

Of course there is a graveyard.

Johnathan took the turn on the left, and the giant oak came into view. I knew Ethan's home was close by.

"Erika, listen to me carefully. Once I park the car, open the door and run straight for the house. Amelia will be right behind you." Johnathan's instructions were clear and precise.

Unbuckling my seatbelt, I shifted across the backseat and let my fingers hunt for the plastic handle in the dark. Once he parked the car, I hurried and slammed the door, running down the well-lit path with Fiona standing in the doorway.

Amelia's heavy breathing and the sound of the car locking gave me a sense of relief that Johnathan was right behind us, unscathed.

Fiona tugged me inside and grabbed Amelia across the threshold, with Johnathan following close behind. She slid the bolts across, one after the other, securing the door.

"Johnathan, you can sleep on the settee," Fiona said.

She turned towards me, wrapping the shawl across her bare shoulders. "We'll get your things from the car in the morning. You must rest. I'll show you to your room."

We walked upstairs and along the hallway, bringing back a deja vu moment when I had travelled through the portal.

"The bathroom is down the hall on the left." She led me further down the hall until we stopped outside the door on the far right. "This is your room, and Ethan's room is opposite. The bathroom is down the hall on the left." She led me further down the hall until we stopped outside the door on the far right. "This is your room, and Ethan's room is opposite. I know you must have a lot of unanswered questions about your father and Shadowbrook, and I'll answer any question you may have tomorrow, but first, you must rest."

She was right. I had many posing questions, and since Fiona was Dad's childhood friend, she was the perfect candidate to get the information I was looking for. "Thank you for letting me stay here on such short notice."

"Richard is a dear friend. We looked out for each other. I mean, you need to in a town like this." Fiona shivered, adjusting the shawl around her shoulders, hugging herself from the chilly air. "Goodnight, Erika."

"Goodnight." Twisting the knob, I didn't waste any time as I closed the door to my room and switched on the light. A pale pink throw was neatly folded on the blush bedsheets of the double bed. Time would only tell if I had made the right decision, being one step closer to finding my dad and getting to the bottom of why he didn't want this life for me.

The motionless night accentuated the creaks in the floorboards as feet padded to and fro from the bathroom. A series of noises kept me awake as I laid in bed in the unfamiliar setting, adding to the nightmare that I was far from home.

My phone display screen lit up, pulsating on my desk. In a dazed state, I slumped out of bed and took my phone off charge, forgetting I had it plugged in overnight. I had four missed calls from Cassie, one message from Mum and a dozen Facebook notifications. My finger hovered over the call button, but what could I say if she answered?

Is there a time zone difference?

Putting my phone on silent, I left it on the desk and sluggishly got back into bed.

"We meet again, Erika." Her unbodied voice stemmed from the far corner of the room, invaded by blackness.

Paranoia had set in. I squeezed my eyes shut, sliding back down under the covers.

This is all in my head. She isn't here.

Edwina whipped off the covers, startling me and left me quivering from the drop in temperature. Fiona wasn't wrong about the drastic changes to the climate.

I pulled myself further up the mattress, bringing my legs to my knees. "What do you want?"

A click of her fingers sent a ball of light into the air, emblazing the room. Inclining her head to one side, she smiled. "You only know a slither of the truth. I'm here to show you the rest."

Using my hand as a shield from the blinding light, the outline of her body crawled towards me. "Edwina, I think—" I broke out in a scream.

A strong force had its hold around my wrists and ankles, gliding me down the mattress. It pinned me down, offering myself at her mercy. The electric shock flowed from her fingertips as she pressed them against my temples, sending me into a spasm.

Images of the past flashed through my mind. It was like looking through a collection of polaroid pictures.

The darkness crept its way back in, absorbing into my bones until it reached my core. I jerked against the invisible constraints as they nipped at my skin.

My eyes strained to see through the murk of the misty clearing. The inky-black matter slithered across the stone, dragging Edwina's blood with it. As time progressed, the substance stretched to form a new shape. It was as big as a watermelon, crawling on all its sides as it devoured her blood.

A smouldering heat ignited through my core, replenishing the tenebrous mass within. I was back where they burned the woman at the stake. The stench of burnt flesh loitered in the air, constantly tugging at the weeping hole left in my chest.

His shoulders took on a predatory bow and twisted his mouth in defiance.

Edwina brought me back to the present and removed her fingertips, severing the connection. "That's what they do, Erika. They destroy you little by little until you have nothing left."

"Samuel killed your mother, didn't he? She was the woman burnt alive." It all made sense. The vampires killed everybody she loved as a form of punishment for disobedience.

She wants revenge, and I don't blame her.

"That's why you created something evil. You want to kill them."

Edwina inched closer, trailing the ends of her strands on my cheek. "Every. Single. One." She clasped my chin with one hand, pulling me towards her. "I will kill Samuel first, and you're going to help me."

A/N

Word Count: 1,298

Erika has finally arrived in Shadowbrook, and it isn't a dream this time.

Will Edwina persuade Erika to help her kill the vampires? Can Erika kill Ethan's grandfather, Samuel? Or will that affect their blossoming friendship?

Have a fangtastic day!

(㇏(•̀ᵥᵥ•́)ノ)