The Dead Game (19 page)

Chapter 28

“I
wholeheartedly agree with you, gentlemen,” announced Reece as he appeared with Leanne and Diane, closely flanking him on either side. They were wearing long black robes with hoods covering their faces. A glowing light shone on them, softly illuminating the room with its strange green color.

Mike became frightened; they reminded him of the robed creatures who’d attacked Louise in the gazebo. “Who are you?” he demanded as he backed away….He was losing track of all the players in this deadly game.

“We are the elders of the world’s vampire population,” clarified Diane as the three of them stepped forward, removing their hoods to reveal their familiar faces. When she noticed the terrified look on Mike’s face she tactfully added, “The leaders of the good vampires.” She gave him a bright smile that lit up her whole face, until he could even feel its warmth radiating out toward him. Now he remembered the three major vampires, who’d been fooled by Wolf one too many times. So far, he hadn’t been too impressed with them.

“Are there many vampires in the world?” asked Mike curiously. He wondered how many of these creatures roamed the earth at night.

“Not too many any longer,” responded Leanne. “We’ve been diligently trying to preserve our species by merging with humans. That way, humans can live enriched lives while we blend into society more effectively.”

“How many elders are there?” probed David.

“We were four; but now that Wolf is gone, we are only three,” replied Reece.

“What about Hayden?” Mike continued to throw questions at the elders. He had so many questions in his mind that he didn’t know which to ask first.

“Hayden has always been a loner, never joining a group. Maybe now that he’s chosen a side, he’ll be more willing to work with us,” suggested Todd.

“How many vampires are left in the world?” asked Mike, who was totally enthralled by the whole idea of vampires. In his mind he envisioned colonies of vampires: working together during the day to fit into society while concealing their secret powers, then at night traveling the world to seek out new adventures.

“There are a few hundred vampires left in the world—spread across many countries,” replied Todd.

“You have powers so—are you really a vampire?” Linda confronted Todd. She hoped that he wasn’t like Wolf or even Hayden. The first had been a vicious vampire, while the second relished in flaunting his power a little too much. Todd didn’t appear to be like either of them but, in actuality, she really didn’t know him at all.

She was closely monitoring the expression on his face, but as usual his face showed no hint of emotion. He was watching her, as if waiting for a response; however, she was the one who had asked a question.

“He’s not a vampire. Todd, Sam, Shirley, Hank, Minnie, Frank, Judy, Gregg, and Ryan are the only human vampires in the world. They are the natural offspring of a vampire and a human,” Reece stepped forward, facing Linda with his kind brown eyes.

“Does that make you a human or a vampire?” Linda questioned Todd again. She wanted to hear the truth from his own lips, not some practiced propaganda spouted by Reece and the elders.

“He is definitely human. His children will be human. By mating with a human, a human vampire gives his mate and his offspring a healthier and a much longer life span. A human vampire has limited powers—such as heightened senses and greater strength,” continued Reece, not giving Todd the chance to respond to the question on his own. Linda was becoming irritated that Todd wasn’t being allowed to explain for himself.

“Can a human vampire shape-shift or change reality?” inquired Linda. She wanted to know how much power he really had.

“No. Only vampires can shift shapes and reality. They can move at lightning speed and even fly, which, as you have already witnessed, they usually do in the form of shadows or bats. Those were the shadows that have been sighted in town. Human vampires can live in the light while vampires have to avoid direct sunlight. Vampires must be protected by a special green-tinted glass—which filters out the harmful rays—if they desire to be out with humans during the day,” responded Sam.

“So that explains the weird green glass on all the buildings in town and on the houses up the hill,” pointed out Shana.

“You commanded the front door at End House to open on its own, but I thought that human vampires don’t have any special powers?” Linda confronted Todd directly, forcing him to answer the question that had been plaguing her for a while.

“I’m a human vampire—not a vampire. I have limited powers of suggestion, which I use only in desperate situations,” clarified Todd, standing strong against Linda’s attack on his past behavior.

“Could you use this power on a human to control his or her behavior? Could you hypnotize someone or put them in a trance—like what happened to Louise?” Linda persisted, not happy with Todd’s explanation.

“Only vampires are able to use hypnosis that way. They have very strong powers, where they can place unsuspecting people into deep trances against their will. Louise had to have been hypnotized by a vampire. My powers, on the other hand, are very limited. I can break through certain illusions, such as the tunnel and front door at End House. I can only suggest thoughts or actions, but the affected person still retains his free will to make his own choices. Of course I would never use my power to make someone do what they wouldn’t want to do willingly; and of course, I would never ever use it on you,” Todd insisted.

Shana hastily interrupted, “Why do Gregg, Judy, and Ryan call you boss?”

“I’m the appointed leader of the human vampires: they come to me for advice and help.”

“Do you drink blood?” David dramatically posed the question.

Mike got annoyed with him again. He couldn’t believe that David was staring into Todd’s eyes and asking him if he drank blood like a vampire. “Why are you asking that? Do you want to be on their bad side?” 
Linda now has competition for the “no brains” title.

Reece benevolently smiled at Mike and David. “We don’t have bad sides. Vampires are good; not like the old fables of bloodthirsty creatures who’d feed on people for sustenance and fun. We never drink human blood, but only supplement our food with animal blood for the extra protein that we require.”

“But Wolf and his gang fed on humans, creating fear and chaos,” interjected Mike. Everything wasn’t always wrapped up with a pretty ribbon; there was much more going on beneath the happy vampire story than what the elders were presenting to them.

“They are extreme aberrations from the norm. Wolf’s splinter group enjoys blood-letting too much. All vampires must drink blood, but only The Dead feed on humans. Vampires are now peaceful and drink only animal blood,” calmly clarified Reece.

He continued, “Wolf and his followers have gained extreme strength over the years. Once they began to drink human blood their powers increased dramatically, and over time they’ve intensified even further. We must search them out and annihilate them before there is any more bloodshed. We’ll check out any patterns of excessive violence around the world, thereby effectively cornering the rest of their group. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of this and you’ll be able to finally live in peace.” After his speech, Reece disappeared, along with the other elders.

Sure
, Mike thought, 
the three of them are going to save the world
. So far their track record hadn’t been too good. One of their own had been the leader of The Dead, and they hadn’t even suspected him. Vampires were supposed to have superhuman powers, such as hypnosis and reading people’s minds. Something was definitely off with these supposed leaders of the world’s vampire population. And he was determined to find out the true story.

Chapter 29

“T
his has been just a sick game for Wolf; he used us like mere pawns on a chess board,” fumed Linda, angrily pacing back and forth in front of the alligator tank. She couldn’t believe that this was really happening to them. They had all settled in Oasis to find peace and freedom, but instead they’d found a madman and a coven of vampires. She didn’t even know if vampires traveled in covens, or if that was just witches.

Glancing over at Todd, she couldn’t understand how she’d fallen for someone with so many dark secrets. These weren’t your everyday secrets—like cheating on a test or on a spouse; this was a different breed of secret altogether that included vampires and flying bats.

Todd sadly watched as fear and loathing crossed over Linda’s pretty face. Was it loathing for him, or for the evil vampires? Originally he’d planned on gaining her trust before revealing to her his sordid past. Instead, she’d found out in the worst possible way: when her life was being threatened by vampires.

She would never want to be with him now—now that she knew he was a human vampire. She didn’t trust his powers—she’d even suspected him of hypnotizing Louise. A relationship had to be built upon a sturdy foundation and not based on suspicions. They had no future together: he as a human vampire and she as a human. He would never get to hold her in his arms again.

Dejectedly, he turned to walk out of the house.

The others silently followed Todd out of Wolf’s house of horrors. Thoughtfully gazing back at the house one last time, Linda lagged behind, sadly reflecting on the total waste. The beautiful house was built on a lush mountainside, proudly overlooking a beach with sparkling white sand and clear blue skies. But who would want to live in this house after all the gruesome deaths?

She feared that there wasn’t a perfect paradise to be found anywhere in the world. Good and evil existed everywhere, violently vying against each other every day. The Dead had attempted to shift reality, but in the end they had to subsequently contend with the good forces in the world. This time good was victorious; however, Linda knew that this wouldn’t always be the outcome. Life didn’t always provide happy endings. She stopped in mid thought, suddenly realizing what she’d been thinking. She has always been such an optimist, but now she’d become as cynical and pessimistic as Shana, fearing that Todd wouldn’t be able to protect her from all the evil in the world.

Her greatest fear was of never fitting into Todd’s world of supernatural beings. But then he turned to her, giving her a warm look full of hope and yearning, and she finally knew deep down in her heart that he would always be there protect her. And it was okay that he was a human vampire. Finally coming to terms with his powers, she was at last able to visualize a future with him. Once they dealt with The Dead, they would able to work through their differences. Spotting her contented smile, Todd hurried back to her, placing her hand securely in his as they walked outside into the bright sunshine.

Shana and Sam followed behind them. Shana wasn’t as wistful as Linda about life and events, but was instead furious with Sam. She firmly believed that he should have included her in his group of conspirators. Her friends would have been much safer if they’d been fully informed in advance of all the dangers that they would be facing at End House.

“Shana, why are you angry with me again?” Sam asked.

“You almost got us all killed! If we’d been warned beforehand about The Dead, Tom and Edward might still be with us right now!”

Sam appeared bewildered. “How could we have told you about The Dead? At the time, we didn’t even know who they were?”

“We should have been informed about the vampires living in our town.”

“Would you have believed me if I had told you that I was a human vampire, or would you have thought that I was crazy?”

“I don’t know…I just don’t know about anything anymore…”sighed Shana.

“I want you to know that I’ll always be there for you…I’m sorry for hurting you,” apologized Sam.

Sam led Shana to his car. He opened her door and then slipped into the driver’s seat. Mike and David scrambled into the back. Sam turned to face them, “Where have Judy, Gregg, and Ryan disappeared again? And where do they go when they can’t be found? Maybe they’re with my long-lost deputy! They could be hiding out together at the Oasis Hotel!” Without waiting for a reply, he pulled his car alongside Todd’s car. After a few moments of heated conversation, Todd sped off with Linda toward town.

As Sam drove down the hill, he explained their new predicament. “We still have many lingering doubts about Judy, Ryan, and Gregg. They disappeared both times there was trouble: first at End House and then at Wolf’s house. They didn’t even bother to attend Diane’s party, which is mandatory for all human vampires. And today, they just calmly watched through the window as Todd desperately fought for his life, without stepping in to help.”

“So, it’s not over—just when I thought that life was going back to normal,” lamented David.

“I’m driving over to the hotel to check for them while Todd and Linda search through their rooms,” Sam explained.

“I don’t think that we should separate. If they’re truly part of The Dead, then they’re much stronger than all of us put together,” warned Shana.

“Okay, we’ll follow their car to the apartment. See, I can be agreeable,” teased Sam.

They pulled up behind Todd’s car, which was already parked in front of his apartment. They watched as Todd ran out, clutching a master key. So Todd must really be the owner of the apartment complex, realized Shana.

The four of them followed Todd and Linda into Ryan’s apartment. It was empty of any furnishings or belongings. The window shades were tightly closed, prohibiting any light from filtering through. There wasn’t even a bed in the apartment, noted Shana, just pitch-black, empty rooms.

“Do vampires own any furniture? Do they even sleep in beds?” marveled Shana, curiously gazing around the unfurnished apartment.

“We’re human vampires. We need furniture and beds—just like you do. We also require food, since we don’t drink blood,” explained Sam, searching through the empty refrigerator and the bare kitchen cabinets.

They next checked Judy’s apartment, which also appeared to be unoccupied. The walls and floors were painted black. Black blinds covered the windows securely, blocking any sunlight from seeping into the rooms. Shana was amazed that a woman could have no possessions at all. The closets were empty; the woman had no clothes or shoes. Even the bathroom walls were painted a dull black color. The bathroom counter was bare of any lotions, creams, or even a toothbrush. She opened the mirrored cabinet above the sink and found it empty. 
What a weird lady
, mused Shana.

“At least Ryan’s apartment had white walls, not these depressing black walls,” Shana pointed out.

“Let’s get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps,” whined David.

They dashed across the walkway to reach Gregg’s apartment. Inside, they found his rooms to be vacant and closed up tight. “I had thought that human vampires were able to live in the light?” asked Linda.

“That’s right; there’s no reason for all this darkness if they’re human,” agreed Sam.

“Maybe they’re not human anymore, but have joined The Dead,” suggested Shana.

“Could they have switched groups so easily?” queried Linda. “How could they have become vampires if they were already human vampires?”

“It can easily happen. If a vampire bit them, fully draining the blood out of their bodies and replacing it with his own vampire blood, then they would become vampires themselves. Afterward, if they chose to live on human blood instead of animal blood, then they could turn vicious and deadly like The Dead,” clarified Todd. “I suppose we should now search for them at the hotel. I don’t want to consider the awful possibility of having to fight Judy, Gregg, and Ryan to the death.”

They raced back to their cars and drove quickly to the Oasis Hotel. The lights were on, the fans were turning, but no one was around. 
This is very strange
, thought Shana. The hotel was usually bustling with activity: guests checking in and out, people arriving to eat in the restaurant or grab drinks at the bar.

They checked out the bar and found half-empty drinks standing on the tables—as if the guests had rushed out in a great hurry. Beyond the glass doors, the pool deck appeared deserted. There was no movement anywhere outside, except for the swaying palm trees in the rapidly growing wind.

The wind moaned angrily, savagely flinging lounge chairs across the patio. It felt like End House all over again, panicked Shana, rubbing her hands up and down her bare arms, frantically trying to remove the goose bumps and chills that were streaming through her body.

“Let’s get out of here!” Todd yelled over the sound of the wind shattering the glass doors to the patio. “We don’t need to check out the rooms. This place is empty: I can feel it in my bones. I think I know where they’re hiding out. Let’s go to End House—where the whole Dead Game began.”

“Why End House? Are they vampires? What Dead Game?” Shana shouted, but Todd was already out the front door, purposefully striding to his car.