* Trigger Warning - Mild gore *

Ethan dropped his black backpack and slipped off his Adidas sneakers, one by one. Catching a glimpse of Samuel in the hallway mirror, he said, "Who did you annoy today?"

"What makes you think I'm annoying?" Samuel grunted. "It's not easy being me."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes and snigger, I wondered how Ethan and Samuel were alike, with one being incredibly self-centred.

Johnathan handed Ethan his bow and arrow. "You'll need this. We're going to Samuel's favourite place."

Ethan ruffled his hair, raising an eyebrow. "The nightclub?"

A pink hue spread across Johnathan's colourless cheeks, giving them warmth. "No. The graveyard." That created an awkward silence as Ethan secured his quiver over his shoulder, ditching his blazer and tie.

I tied my hair up with the odd strand intertwining between my clammy fingers. "Speaking of, where is Samuel?" He had vanished like a grounded teenager sneaking out past midnight.

"Beats me." Ethan headed towards the door and faltered, turning back. "You coming?"

Nodding, I picked up the duffel bag and looked for Samuel for the last time.

Oh, he better not be on his way to the graveyard. He has done enough damage.

"Put your seatbelt on, Erika," ordered Johnathan the moment I stepped into the light blue, compact SUV.

An empty cigarette packet lie on the dashboard with water bottles and screwed-up rubbish lining the backseats.

Does he live in his car?

Ethan sat in the passenger seat, positioning his bow and quiver in the tightly packed space. "Man, I wish you would date my sister already."

Johnathan glanced at him before turning on the ignition. "I'm old enough to be her father. Besides, we are colleagues, that's all."

He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Colleagues with benefits more like."

Is it true? Do Johnathan and Amelia have a thing between them, or is it strictly professional?

Johnathan said nothing while we cruised past the row of cottages, entering the town square. Baskets of Petunia hung from the lampposts, decorating the streets with a welcoming ambience. A dusty orange tinge extended across the horizon. The occasional pedestrian fleeted past shops, arriving home before sundown.

The atmosphere changed once we took a right turn, leading us into a parallel universe on the vampire side of town. There were fewer shops, but they had the essentials like a coffee shop, a town hall, and a gym.

When do vampires use the gym? Doesn't their diet consist of blood and nothing else?

"That there," Ethan twisted in his seat to face me, pointing to the tall building with the red-tinted windows, "is the nightclub for vampires. It's the place where they can let loose. Hence where the name, 'Suck 'Em Up' comes from."

Biting my lip, I looked away from Ethan's suggestive stare, squirming in my seat. Even though it was gloomy, I hoped he couldn't see my burning cheeks.

Johnathan cleared his throat, loosening the collar on his shirt. "Should you be telling her those things?"

Ethan shrugged. "Why not? She deserves to know."

I didn't want to know what went on behind those walls. Poor men and women were violated against their will, and tortured for their entertainment.

"Wait till Fiona finds out, and you'll be in trouble." Johnathan circled the cemetery in the town square, surrounded by a part of the forest.

Bile threatened to escape my oesophagus, leaving a fiery trail as tears brimmed my eyes. Clutching onto Johnathan's headrest, I blurted out, "Pullover. I'm going to puke."

Johnathan slowed the car, parking in front of the wrought iron gates. I swung open the door, spewing over the track.

"Ethan, cover the car," Johnathan said, coming to my aid. He handed me a tissue, careful not to stand directly in front of me. "Did Amelia give you your anti-sickness medication?"

Shaking my head between belches, I clenched my abdomen, gagging on the substance tickling my tonsils. I had a feeling it wasn't from the chemo. The image of my dad without his finger replayed over in my head. It was permanent, like a tattoo.

Ethan's talks about what goes on behind closed doors of the nightclub got me thinking.

Is my dad in pain? Are they making him suffer?

The vampires were careless, emotionless, and above all, selfish. This proved it. I understood why Edwina despised them now. A loved one got caught in the crossfire, but we're programmed on stand-by, unable to move until the end.

"Time to break up the party," Ethan whispered, circling the car from all directions. "We're like goldfish swimming in a shark tank."

Black silhouettes darted through the fog, orbiting around us. Teasing us with their snarls, they edged closer, targeting us individually.

Johnathan took no chances and grabbed his crossbow, shielding me. "Stay in the car."

Like hell I will.

"No. You need me. I can be an extra pair of eyes." I was useless if I stayed in the car.

He paused, puffing out his cheeks in thought. "Fine." Johnathan gestured towards his medical briefcase on the backseat. "Use the silver nitrate powder in case of an emergency."

Great. When will I be able to use proper machinery?

Johnathan hesitated before moving away, aiming his weapon. It was like watching a blind man shoot a rifle. We were in their territory, and the darkness was against us. The mist gathered in thick clumps, isolating us.

Can't believe I'm saying this, but we need Samuel.

Creeping closer through the mist, I kept my fingers in the bag of silver nitrate powder, pressing the grains against my fingertips.

Johnathan was yelling my name in the distance, clashing with their growls as the sounds travelled with the fog.

As the vapour dispersed, it created a clearing, and Ethan's bow came into view. He stood fixated in one spot, moving in a circle, and released an arrow, striking the vampire (not in the heart this time).

I opened my mouth to call him, but a familiar grunt came from behind, taunting me. Frozen in place with my fingertips covered in the substance lethal to vampires, I stiffened from the warmth of its breath on my neck. There was a probability that the vampire would be repulsed by the taste of my blood. I still didn't want to go through the motion of its fangs delving into my flesh.

A hard knot constricted within my throat as I turned around to face them.

One...

Trapped by the mist, I was thrust towards my predator.

Two...

"Don't be scared, little one." He flicked his tongue across his fangs in a seductive manner, displaying his need for my blood. "I promise I won't hurt you, but only if you don't scream." Narrowing his vermillion eyes, he pounced.

A chill ran down my arms as I struggled to maintain my composure. It was like time had slowed down, allowing my actions to catch up with my thoughts.

Three...

Taking my hand out of the bag, I tossed the powder, aiming for the vampire's face. As soon as the grains made contact, he yelped from the chemical reaction, frying his flesh. The smoke diffused into the air, joining the fog. It gave off a pungent, coppery smell like a putrid BBQ. Time quickened, and my mind was trying to catch up with what I had done.

He clawed at his contorted face. Vampire or not, I had gone out of my way to hurt somebody.

Self-defence. That's it.

Ethan had done the same thing, and there were dire consequences. Unlike Ethan, the only difference was I didn't have a vampire to vouch for me.

The vampire gasped as his fangs recoiled. Silver veins slithered past his torso and crawled along his arms; it was a sign that he was entering decomposition. He gazed down at his chest, fingers patting down his shirt before he collapsed forwards.

Alarmed, I jumped back, surprised to see Samuel standing with a bloody mass in the centre of his palm. He clenched the organ within his fingers, relishing in his most recent kill. "I haven't done that in a while."

A/N

Word Count: 1,350

Do you think Johnathan has feelings for Amelia, and does she feel the same way? Or are they just colleagues?

Why do you think Samuel saved Erika?

Have a fantastic day!

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