Kindle Edition
Amazon
Bloodlines - The Quest
Category:
Horror
Publisher: Beau to Beau Publishing
ISBN-10: 1495245756
Type: Fiction
Pages: 222
Copyright: 2012
ISBN-13: 9781495245756
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Volter, a renegade European vampire arrives in a small Ohio town bent on destroying a colony of mutant vampires (neither fully vampire nor fully human), which he believes to be an inferior disgrace to the true vampire race.
Volter, a renegade European vampire arrives in a small Ohio town bent on destroying a colony of mutant vampires (neither fully vampire nor fully human), which he believes to be an inferior disgrace to the true vampire race. The mutants have kept their identity unknown, as they are no threat to the human population. It is Volter’s goal is to turn the blame for his ensuing bloody rampage upon the mutants themselves, hoping they will be destroyed by the citizens once their identity is revealed. However, a local amateur detective and his friends become involved in the fight to eradicate Volter and save the reputation of the mutants who are solid community members. But Volter is a formidable force not easily defeated.
Excerpt
Volter had dined well on the darling children. He would be fine now for the next few days. His encounter with Jude had been unfortunate, but the conclusion was necessary and inevitable. But now he felt the need for a little recreation. Let’s see…. What was there to do in this Ohio place? He wondered if there might be some hangings he could attend. They were always amusing. Then there might be some bull fighting – but no, that was much further south in Mexico. Too bad. And it wasn’t like he subscribed to the local newspaper, delivered to his door, where he could check out the local entertainment section.
How he longed for the good old days. Drawing and quartering. Rape and pillage. Beheadings. Now those were fun things. And what ever happened to the rack? – such a nifty little device. All the simple pleasures dispatched in this bloodless era. Today there are only a few dictators left in little pocket countries where one could count on a stimulating evening of fulsome entertainment in the torture chambers. Now it was all pale and petty. If the Powers That Be didn’t have any further use for you, they simply defunded your nursing home, and you shriveled up and blew away like the head of a dry dandelion. Oh such boredom. But there must be something out there….
He guessed there was going to be nothing else to do this evening but troll the streets of this backwater berg. He sighed. He was certainly looking forward to his task being over so he could go home. Back to his own kind. Back to the sweet delicacies of his country milkmaids, and his robust country farm lads – fine dining with very little fuss.
V found himself strolling a suburban section of Brampton. He began his evening by wandering into a theme mall, but found it a hideous mockery of a small alpine village. There were fake, cozy little shops selling plastic and silk potted plants – a pharmacy where the sales folk dressed in lederhosen or gingham frocks – and worst of all, a holiday food shop offering plastic looking cheeses and sausages in a can. He quickly fled the commercial area, and soon found himself walking down a residential street. It was dark, with only a few streetlights, and the warm glow of home life shining from neat little houses.
He next came upon a playground that was attached to a middle school. On the playground fence was a series of posters. He stopped and examined one of the posters with some surprise. There were drawings of ghosts, bats, zombies, and most exciting of all, a vampire. It read:
HALLOWEEN HOP AND POT LUCK
Come celebrate Halloween in July! Who says Halloween can only be in October?
You need to feel the tingles – dance with singles – SUPPORT OUR TEAM!
All proceeds go to the Baxter Booster Club
This Friday – Baxter Middle School gym - 8 ‘til ?
COME ONE! COME ALL! Best costumes get in free!
Now this looked interesting. V worked his way cautiously over to the gymnasium entrance. There were sheaves of corn, plastic jack-o-lanterns, a scarecrow, and pin up skeletons and ghosts. But what was a HOP anyway? V was becoming excited. Perhaps it was some kind of wonderful satanic ritual – Horror On Parade. He hastened his steps and soon arrived at the entrance table where Mona Whitcomb was selling tickets.
“Ohhhh, look at you,” she smiled. “Why that’s the best costume of the evening so far. My, my – and that make-up! Why, you must be a professional. I bet you are,” she teased. “You go right on in. No charge for you this evening, young man. You just steal the show. Go ahead, go in.” V ventured cautiously into the gymnasium. There were orange and black streamers twisting across the ceiling with black and orange balloons bouncing across the floor as party goers danced and walked to the refreshment tables. This was not at all what V was expecting – or hoping for? There were legions of eight to ten year old Spidermen, cowboys, princesses, ghosts, goblins and ridiculous vampires with fake fangs running around like mechanical toys screaming in shrill ear-piercing wails. And most disappointing, there was no sign that any of them were soon to be sacrificed. V turned to leave, but bumped right into a forty-year-old Little Bo Peep.
“I saw you come in. You naughty boy – and you haven’t even tried one little taste of our scrumptious pot luck.”
“No.”
“I’m Mrs. Young. I guess I shall always be forever young.” She waited for the joke to sink in. This had elicited raucous laughter numerous times before. But, unfortunately, not this time. “Just a little joke. But you can call me Lavinia.” She stood back and gave V a once over. “Look at you. Now, don’t you just look the part.”
“They let me in for free.”
“Well, I can certainly see why. Yes.”
Lavinia looked around. “Did you bring any children with you?”
“No, I’m not hungry tonight.”
Lavinia shook her head, not quite understanding. Then she realized he must have thought she said “Did you bring any chicken with you?”
“I really must go now,” V said, trying to edge his way to the exit, but was stopped by Mrs. Doris Sheehan with a paper plate heaped with food from the pot luck table.
“And just where do you think you’re going, young man? Why you’re as skinny as a rake. Need to get some meat on those bones.” She forced the plate into V’s hands. Lavinia came up.
“Doris, we’ve got to find a nice young dance partner for this charming gentleman. Now, don’t you go away.” Lavinia scooted off to scout the wall flowers in the folding chairs by the bleachers.
V surreptitiously dumped the plate of food into the nearest trashcan while Doris’ back was turned. Lavinia came over with Angelica Carter, a thirty-three-year-old teacher of remedial reading.
“Angelica this is…. Oh dear, I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” she said, addressing V.
“Volter.”
“Yes, Mr. Volter, this is Ms. Carter. She’s a teacher here at Baxter. She’s a lovely dancer. If you like….”
“I don’t dance.” V was beginning to panic. He desperately wanted to get out of there. He tried heading once again for the exit, but was immediately corralled by Thelma Bingaman and Carol Finster – mother and daughter Can Can dancers. V’s fangs were beginning to vibrate – a dangerous sign.
“Now we won’t take no for an answer. You come right over here with us. I’m Thelma and this is my daughter Carol. She’s married to Magnus Finster. He runs the First National. We’ve just got to get you something yummy from the pot luck. Look, I made this macaroni salad, and Carol made these Swedish meatballs. Carol, get him a plate. And Mary Koogel made this coleslaw. And here, try some of Mildred Folstad’s pickelini, she cans it herself each summer from her own garden.” Volter’s plate was heaping full now.
“Excuse me, men’s room.” V was about to commit a scandalous act if he didn’t get out of there right away. Already a nascent hiss was about to escape. But he managed to break free of the mother daughter duo, and he fled out a side entrance.
This had been a disastrous evening and a grave mistake on his part to think he might co-mingle with the common herd. But he had to release this terrible tension which had built up at the Hop. And even though he was not hungry, he had to bite something. He cruised down the street, but aside from the mall, or the Hop, or the glare of the fast food joints there were not a single, solitary soul out and about.
Finally stumbling through a backyard, he came upon a rabbit snacking in a vegetable garden. He snatched it up, sank his fangs into its neck, and tossed it aside after a disgusting episode of petty debauchery.
|
