The Protectors
An Unwanted Encounter
For the next week, I read everything there was to know about vampires in the book. I tried to avoid staying out late and also being confronted by Mike about my odd behavior. I succeeded in both, until one night when I was walking home from somewhere. I tried to keep from running. I was out the latest I had been since the encounter with the vampire. All I wanted to do was get home. Unfortunately, I was stopped by Mike.
He grabbed my arm before I could get away. “Billie, we need to talk,” he said, looking me in the eyes.
With some effort, I tore my gaze away, focusing it on my shoes instead. I couldn’t tell him, not yet. Actually, I’d prefer to not ever tell him, I didn’t want him to get involved.
“Billie Joe…” Mike said sternly, tightning his grip on me when he sensed me trying to get away.
“Look, I can’t tell you,” I said, the words coming out sounding angry, although I hadn’t intended them to. “Stop worrying about me.” I could feel him losen his grip.
“Fine…” He let go of me completely and started to walk away.
I knew it still wasn’t the end of it, and next time he wouldn’t give up nearly so easily. I sighed. Next time there would be no avoiding telling him the truth.
Just as he was out of sight I felt my stomach drop to my feet. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I stiffened. I closed my eyes tightly, turning around slowly. Cautiously I opened them.
“Well if it isn’t Billie Joe Armstrong,” a guy who looked to be a few years older than me spat. “I bet you can guess what happens next…”
My heart thudded loudly and I was shaking all over. He wasn’t alone, and I saw an evil glint in his red eyes. There was no way I was getting out of this. Then a thought occurred to me.
“You guys can’t kill me, I’m a Protector,” I barely got out.
The guy who had first spoke smirked. “So, the other Protectors don’t know it yet. Besides, we aren’t going to kill you.” He grinned, his fangs making it all the more creepy.
I instinctively took a step back. Big mistake. I collided right into another vampire that had already moved behind me. I was surrounded. The vampire grabbed my arms and pulled them behind me. I felt ready to puke, I was so scared. A thought flashed in my mind. All that reading and now I was helpless. What a load of good that did me.
Before I could dwell on the fact too long, the first vampire punched me in the stomach. I gasped in pain. It hurt more than anything I had ever felt before. The rest happened so fast and I was in too much pain to remember clearly. Just when I thought I would die, I heard someone come running.
“Billie!”
“Mike…” I mumbled, hardly coherently. I wanted to tell him to go away. This was what I feared would happen if he got involved. I didn’t want him to die…but I wasn’t exactly in a condition to tell him that.
I heard the sound of a punch being landed right behind me. I fell as my arms were freed. All I could do was gasp in pain as I lay there. It didn’t last long, though. I felt someone reach down and grab me, dragging me along. I heard a gasp of pain and fell again as I was dropped. I heard more blows and grunts of pain. Once again I was grabbed and pulled along again, this time a bit quicker. We picked up speed and I heard curses being shouted behind us. Then I passed out.
He grabbed my arm before I could get away. “Billie, we need to talk,” he said, looking me in the eyes.
With some effort, I tore my gaze away, focusing it on my shoes instead. I couldn’t tell him, not yet. Actually, I’d prefer to not ever tell him, I didn’t want him to get involved.
“Billie Joe…” Mike said sternly, tightning his grip on me when he sensed me trying to get away.
“Look, I can’t tell you,” I said, the words coming out sounding angry, although I hadn’t intended them to. “Stop worrying about me.” I could feel him losen his grip.
“Fine…” He let go of me completely and started to walk away.
I knew it still wasn’t the end of it, and next time he wouldn’t give up nearly so easily. I sighed. Next time there would be no avoiding telling him the truth.
Just as he was out of sight I felt my stomach drop to my feet. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I stiffened. I closed my eyes tightly, turning around slowly. Cautiously I opened them.
“Well if it isn’t Billie Joe Armstrong,” a guy who looked to be a few years older than me spat. “I bet you can guess what happens next…”
My heart thudded loudly and I was shaking all over. He wasn’t alone, and I saw an evil glint in his red eyes. There was no way I was getting out of this. Then a thought occurred to me.
“You guys can’t kill me, I’m a Protector,” I barely got out.
The guy who had first spoke smirked. “So, the other Protectors don’t know it yet. Besides, we aren’t going to kill you.” He grinned, his fangs making it all the more creepy.
I instinctively took a step back. Big mistake. I collided right into another vampire that had already moved behind me. I was surrounded. The vampire grabbed my arms and pulled them behind me. I felt ready to puke, I was so scared. A thought flashed in my mind. All that reading and now I was helpless. What a load of good that did me.
Before I could dwell on the fact too long, the first vampire punched me in the stomach. I gasped in pain. It hurt more than anything I had ever felt before. The rest happened so fast and I was in too much pain to remember clearly. Just when I thought I would die, I heard someone come running.
“Billie!”
“Mike…” I mumbled, hardly coherently. I wanted to tell him to go away. This was what I feared would happen if he got involved. I didn’t want him to die…but I wasn’t exactly in a condition to tell him that.
I heard the sound of a punch being landed right behind me. I fell as my arms were freed. All I could do was gasp in pain as I lay there. It didn’t last long, though. I felt someone reach down and grab me, dragging me along. I heard a gasp of pain and fell again as I was dropped. I heard more blows and grunts of pain. Once again I was grabbed and pulled along again, this time a bit quicker. We picked up speed and I heard curses being shouted behind us. Then I passed out.