Working as a check out chick wasn’t always my career goal in life. When I was ten I wanted to become a doctor, when I was fifteen I wanted to be an archeologist and explore Egypt, hoping to find some long lost artifact which would send me on a crazy kind of adventure involving Mummies and a Brendan Fraser look alike. Now that I’m twenty-one, the excitement from finding out if a customer was paying with cash or card was all I needed and I was left wondering how I ever found Brendan Fraser attractive.  

“So got any big plans this weekend Lucy?” Every Friday my best friend Mandy would ask the same question and if I wasn’t with her, which was extremely rare, I’d get a text. We all had things we still clung to from our old lives and this happened to be one of hers. I don’t think she knew she was asking half the time, but not wanting to upset her or break the tradition I answered how I always did.

“Not sure yet, you?”

This was where we differed and she started to talk about all the things she had planned, even if half of them were impossible now like the rumor Adam might be having a party Saturday night. Adam died two years ago when the vampires had come to town and he wasn’t one of the ones who were ‘reborn’. Being away from the main cities, we didn’t have so much to worry about but the groups of them that occasionally passed through caused enough damage to make up for it. 

As Mandy got caught up in her daydream I continued serving our last few customers. All the stores closed at three pm during the winter. Late night shopping was unheard of now and while we were spared the terror that other places suffered through, vampires did still live amongst us. Since the laws of the treaty were treated more like suggestions, few pushed their luck and stayed out past sundown.

I went and got a few things I knew we needed at home and the shut down procedures commenced on the store. The thick metal doors and windows that slid down to protect the tiny supermarket could withstand a tornado, but it wasn’t the weather or vampires we had so much security for, it was the looters.

The economy was no worse now than it had been in the forties; a period of new growth was starting to emerge from the troubles of the war and if you believed the government, an era of peace and prosperity was commencing. Yet with so many business owners’ dead, grieving for their lost families or businesses destroyed, so many were unemployed and desperate.

Some tried selling their blood to the vampires, others wanted to be changed but the vampires had their own rules to follow and none of the dead were reborn these days now they had no reason to build their numbers. Finding my beat up old mini cooper it was the one part of my youth I clung to like Mandy did with her non-existent social life. 

“Have a safe night ladies. You know the number should you need help otherwise see you tomorrow” Owen the security guard had been our sports teacher at school and when the war started he joined the cause called Humanity and became a soldier. Now he worked days at Food Mart and his nights were spent as a member of Night Watch, a vigilante group that patrolled the streets after dark protecting the stupid. He would also give us self defense lessons on weekends should we ever have to deal with a vampire again and since he had lost his family, looking after us had turned into one of his main priority and by us I mean our schoolmates in general.

I missed the man he was, the one who would let the class leave early on Fridays and always had a smile on his face. He had always been fit but his body had bulked up now to the point where the hulk looked skinny in comparison. His hair that used to be pulled into a low ponytail had been shaved off and his carefree attitude was now dark and as hollow as his eyes 

“You too Mr. Stevenson” Calling a teacher by his first name, no matter how many years it had been was weird and Mandy waved goodbye as I pulled out of the car park. We only lived three blocks up from the shops. Some days I wished we could walk to work and enjoy the winter sun but we’d seen to much to think we could ever actually do it. For a time of peace where humans and vampires could again live together peacefully, it felt more like a war than ever before. We could see our garage when Mandy pointed out the body on the road and I didn’t pause to check if it was human or vampire; dead or alive. 

“I can’t believe you don’t even stop to check. What if he was still alive?” She asked, looking in the review mirror she only sighed as the figure stood up, his distorted face clear to us as he hissed and started to walk in the opposite direction.

 “They’re never still alive,” I answered bitterly, hating the fact I was as cynical as all the others. They say humanity is what keeps us from being like them, the vampires. That our human condition is what will save us all, but I’m not so sure anymore. As I turned off the car I caught a glimpse of my wrist, a painful reminder that no matter what they looked like, they were not like us and the scar started to ache like it always did when ever I gave it my attention. “Come on, let’s get inside 

Home was the one place we could be us.

Despite the problems that plagued the world, some things hadn’t changed. Technology was moving fast and the entertainment industry hadn’t slowed. Hollywood still produced heartthrobs, lands we could all dream about and did what it always had when things were bad; it gave us hope and a distraction. The vampires couldn’t come in uninvited and we were able to relax. Mandy turned on the TV and I headed to the kitchen to put away the groceries.

“If this has taught us anything is that there is no limit to the amount of supernatural and paranormal beings that are out there” Dr. Eric Stafford had earned himself a place in the government research center a couple of years ago in the search for a vampire cure. Generally we all presumed it was where they did ‘research’ on the vampires, getting us actual information on the worlds top predator but lately all he seemed to do was talk to any news channel that would listen on the fact vampires may be the least of our worries. He called it a supernatural revolution and if it turned out to be true, I wouldn’t be surprised. The guy had a point, if vamps were real, why not zombies or werewolves or boogey monsters that live under the bed 

“I can’t handle listening to him Lu” Mandy came in looking upset, finding the stash of chocolate in the bottom of the fridge she broke off a large piece.

“Some vampires are thousand of years old. They have existed as long as civilization and we’ve been fine until their revolution. If there are other ‘species’ I doubt they would change things any more than the vamps have” I headed back into the living room and changed the channel, finding Sponge Bob Square Pants, I knew that would cheer her up.

“You’re right” I held out the remote to her and again my scar ached as she stared at it. I needed to remember to cover it up better; the three quarter length shirt I had on did nothing to hide it. “Do you think it will ever fade?”

I hated talking about it, I hated having it and I hated the monster that gave it to me. Right now, I hated Mandy for bringing it up and covered it with my left hand, flinching at the touch and the heat that now radiated from it. “It’s been three years, I doubt it”

“Sorry” She mumbled, turning to the TV Patrick was being chased by the underwater version of a vampire. Cute. I wanted to apologize for snapping at her but right now I didn’t care and headed into the bathroom and prayed the water would wash all my stresses away. It didn’t work and even if it had by nine o’clock that night it wouldn’t have mattered. Mandy had just gone to bed and I sat on our shared laptop talking to my parents via Skype. The advances in our technology amazed me as although distorted, we could see and speak to each other freely. If the vampires never came out, would we be able to do these kind of things?

"Have you done something different with your hair? It looks more black than brown" Mum observed and I had to laugh, enjoying the simplicity of it all.

"No Mum, its just the lighting and the computer" She smiled and my Dad came to sit beside her, kissing her cheek as he did so. I took after her in a lot of ways look wise but our smaller stature, dark hair and eyes was where the similiarites ended. The rest was all my Dad.

Shouts outside got my attention and after saying a quick goodnight as not to worry them, I cut the lights and headed to the window. It was only a three-story apartment block and being on the third level we could see the street well. My phone lit up and our neighbor Maureen was watching too, knowing I’d be up she directed me on where to look as the voices echoed up from all around. ‘Post box’

As soon as she told me I saw them. Three vampires, crouched low were surrounding the man like the predators they were. He stood back in the shadows, and a second later a flare shot up into the sky sending our living room into an orange glow. The vampires all looked up, drawn to the light which showed their deformities to anyone watching when the black hummer squealed around the corner. This had been a set up, the three vampires didn’t stand a chance as from the other end of the street the car pulled up. The Humanity fighters got out, their axes held proudly at their side and as the fight for life started, I shut the curtains and went to bed. 

Hunting the hunters.

It made no sense. If we were so superior, so human, how could we act that way? Vampires caught going against the treaty like any humans too were to be reported to the Enforcers, a new name for the police, and dealt with like normal criminals. Low crime was always being reported in the news which acted like what was going on below never happened. If Humanity wasn’t around the corner, Night Watchers were and I think the Enforcers liked it that way. Hearing the sounds of the cars leaving the horns that sounded signaled their win which without any doubt they would be celebrating later.

The following morning I got Mandy up at six and we made the drive to Owens warehouse. I made sure we both trained regularly and after last night I needed the workout more than ever to get rid of the tension i had built up. Mandy hated these lessons and I hoped something was sinking into her pretty little head. The usual crowd had already gathered by the time we arrived and we found our place in the back row as Gerri, Owens sister had us doing aerobics for a warm up. As we stretched afterwards I did exactly what people did to me and started at the claw marks that had scarred her stomach. The crop top and leggings didn’t really hide it and she liked to show them off as someone would a tattoo. She had been lucky to survive the attack that Owen had lost his family in and as the months had turned to years, hers were a faded silver now but still there none the less. The sweatband around my wrist hid mine now, few people knew of my attack and I preferred to keep it that way. 

“You girls ready for the ring?” Despite everything, Gerri was still one of the most upbeat people I knew and we followed her to the boxing ring where the group before ours had just finished up.

 “Man I cant believe I missed it” The man beside us on the bench had to be in his thirties, his shirt was off and tied around his waist revealing a toned chest that had Mandy totally distracted.

“It was so easy though, they really thought Chris was just a stupid bloke out for a walk. They’re so simple, like children. Got my first kill in too” His friend fist bumped him as he bragged about killing vampires and I knew he had been talking about the killings outside our place. I’m not a vampire sympathizer but their deaths had been as senseless as if it was the other way around. No one seemed to think there was anything wrong with it, treating it more like a sport than a battle of life and death and that made me feel sick. But thats how things were now.

“Hey ladies” Taking my eyes away from the ring where Owen was talking to a couple of guys, Neanderthal one and two had moved right beside us. “You two don’t look the type to be here”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, we got that a lot and falling into their trap Mandy giggled. “Lucy wants us to be able to defend ourselves should we be attacked”

 “Ah that’s a smart idea” The shirtless wonders patronizing tone was grating me the wrong the way, “But you two look as though you couldn’t hurt a fly. Wouldn’t your boyfriends help protect you?”

“We don’t have boyfriends”, Mandy admitted, completely smitten with him. I wanted to punch her.

“We don’t need boyfriends,” I answered; turning away I looked back at Owen who was keeping a curious watch on us.

“I doubt that, I guess you haven’t met the right guy” He flirted, still trying for a response from me. I thought I had met the right guy and I learnt that lesson the hard way. I was young, stupid and naïve to the world we live in and that’s why I was here. If we ever met again, he really would be dead.

“And you’re the right guy?” I turned to look at him blinking innocently. He nodded; smirking and Mandy dropped her head into her hands shaking it as she did so. “Prove it to me then”

“Any time baby girl” He held his hands out as if that was invitation enough and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Here, now; in the ring. You beat me, you can show me what I’m missing out on” He looked over to his friend who only shrugged and picking up his gloves he followed me over. Owen helped me up having heard what was going and set us up, acting as referee.

“Be nice to him Lu,” He warned as we touched gloves and Owen gave the signal to fight. We circled each other a few times and I saw how he was favoring his left leg slightly. I stepped up to take a swing; ducking quickly as he went to block, his reflexes were pretty quick.

“Come on babe, show me what you’ve got,” He taunted.

“Are you sure you can handle it?” I flirted back, cracking my neck slightly I stepped forward and as he went to step back, kicked low, defending my head I was right about the sore leg and the groan that escaped him wasn’t just of surprise and with him distracted by that, I struck out clipping his nose. “Sorry, I thought we were fighting?”

Men were all the same. I was showing him up, I had managed to hurt him and his ego and now he was getting angry. “Oh I get your game” He muttered, springing forward I braced myself for the impact and as he knocked me down, rolled with him so I ended up on top, getting in a couple of hits before Owen broke us up by lifting me off him. Blood dripped from his nose and he wiped it away angrily. We continued to move circling each other and he got in a good hit, harder than necessary for a friendly game and I felt the sting on my cheek and started to get annoyed with the smirk on his face, he still thought he was going with this.

Again I tricked him, going in for a hit but instead my heel found his knee and we were wrestling on the mat in no time. By the time Owen pulled me off him for the third time, he was beat. 

“Winner!” Owen held my hand up proudly and I bowed to the audience graciously before taking off my gloves and helping him up.

“Maybe some other time” I winked at him, ignoring the swelling I could feel coming up in my cheek and he nodded before limping back to his friend.

“Well done Lucy, just remember not to get taken down. You might not always be able to get back up,” Owen warned and I left him to go to Mandy who was still drooling over limpy. His name was Michael and as they went to leave, we were still invited to their place for a small gathering that night. I couldn’t not go; Mandy was thrilled to actually have Saturday night plans and to be honest so was I. Most of our friends had moved away or had been killed in the war so to spend time with some people our age was exciting.

That was until we got there. 

Michael picked us up in one of the Night Watcher vans; taking us to the other side of town his house was more like a mansion. I had never been to anything like it and once inside the music was pumping and the drinks were flowing. We had been there for a couple of hours and it was nice to be able to relax and act our age with others but then the DJ went quiet as the guy who had been at the ring with Michael got up on the microphone. 

“Guys and Gals, tonight’s entertainment is ready should you wish to make your way downstairs” The music started back up and curiously we followed the crowd to the basement. But it wasn’t just a basement. Cages were set up at the back of one wall and the carefully renovated room resembled Owens training center. The ring in the center was surrounded by a cage, which would make it hard for the fighters to get in or out, and my blood ran cold when I realized that was the plan.

“Tonight we have our resident champion in da house! Give it up for Stevie the Vampire Slayer” Everyone clapped and cheered as Mandy took my hand, not needing to say anything as I wondered what kind of hell we walked into. Stevie was a big guy, like Owen he was built like a monster and his black hair had been shaved to barely a centimeter long. He entered the ring flexing his muscles, yelling to the crowd who managed to scream even louder. “And tonight’s contender, chosen from the streets of this here city, vampire number two three three” Boo’s were now the chosen response as from one of the back cages the sickly looking form of thirty something year old man was thrown in. His body was already covered in cuts; his pale skin was nearly translucent, a sign he had been starved and he hadn’t changed his face tto show his inner monster yet, instead he cowered in the corner of the pit as if that would save him.

“This is madness,” Mandy muttered for my ears only and I nodded, pushing through the crowd I lead her to the stairs and called Owen, he would be the only one to get us out here. With the music now off, all we heard was the crowd below our feet cheering for their champion.