How Dark Is the Night?

Everyone was now over at me and Pete’s house. He remembered to bring plenty of weapons. I had to fill everyone in on Kat and welcome her to the others.

“Ok, what do I do when I get called? I’m a little scared. I mean I don’t want to be taken away or anything.” Chrissy said.

“Relax. I won’t let anything hurt or happen to you. It’s a promise.” I said.

“It’s a good thing that I kept all this stuff.” Patrick said handing out weapons to everyone.

“Yes and it looks like you are back in business and that Kat and I will be over a lot now to train.” I said patting Patrick on the back.

“Amanda I need to talk to you alone a second.” Sam said pulling me aside.

“Sure. Walk out here on the patio outside with me.” I said opening the sliding doors.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as we stood outside.

“I’m scared. What will happen? What is it like when a vampire calls for you exactly, Amanda? Will I be powerless? Will I fight you guys?” Sam asked me.

“Oh, Sam.” I said giving her a hug. When Mike called for me, my head hurt and all I could hear was his voice. I couldn’t move for a second. I started to bolt. But I did try to yell at the guys for help. Pete grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. Then he made me focus on him. If this vampire calls you, just try to think of Patrick. But you will not be alone. We will be here to protect you. We just need to lure them out of hiding.” I said.

“Ok. I will try. I just need to focus on Patrick.” She said looking through the door and smiling at him laughing at a joke Joe told.

“Come on. We should go now.” I said heading back in the house.

“Everyone ready?” Pete asked.

“Yes!” We all said.

“Let’s kick some vampire ass!” Kat said walking out the front door.

“Gee, she reminds me of you when you started out.” Pete said closing the door as we left.

“Pete!” I said playfully elbowing him.

We took two cars and headed downtown to our normal vampire hangouts we used to fight at. Sam and Chrissy got out of the car first and looked around. I got out and looked around at our surroundings.

“Kat, stay close and don’t go chasing off after vampires. It leads to traps usually.” I said.

“Alright.” She said with stake in hand.

Just then Chrissy’s vampire was calling for her and quickly found her ambushing us with his friends. “Kat, stay with Chrissy. Don’t let that dude near her!” I yelled fighting off two vampires.

I admit it was rough fighting without my abilities but I was getting used to it now. It made me want to fight harder. I took the first vampire down no problem. But the second grabbed me from behind and slammed me onto the street.

“Amanda!” I heard Pete say running over to me. He started fighting off my vampire and I heard Kat yell.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Kat said standing in front of Chrissy.

“Move it little girl.” The vampire that bit Chrissy said to Kat.

“No!” She said fighting him.

Andy came in from behind though and did the honors of staking the vampire that had attacked Chrissy the other night. “That will teach you to mess with my girl!” Andy said.

“Are you alright?” Kat asked Chrissy.

“I…I think so.” She said in a daze.

“Chrissy? Baby, it’s me. You are safe now.” Andy said grabbing Chrissy and catching her. She fainted.

Pete was getting banged up and I tripped the vampire with Bev running over and staking the vampire. Hey that’s was friends are for. We are all a team.

“Everyone all right?” I asked as I saw Joe kill the last vampire.

“I think so.” Bev said looking around.

“Well round one is over and Chrissy is safe.” Pete said running over to help Andy put Chrissy in the car. Then Andy got in and locked the doors.

“Ok, we are down two people. We need to be careful.” I said on the lookout for Sam’s vampire on the loose.

“Thank you, Kat. You did well from what I saw but we need to work on your flipping skills.” I said.

“Look out!” Pete said knocking me down on the ground.

We were ambushed again by more vampires, but this time they were here for Sam. Kat stood over by Sam trying to get her to snap out of her trance. Patrick was getting held down by a vampire and everyone else was having trouble as well.

“I think we are rusty.” Joe joked as he was fighting off two vampires.

Patrick took control of the vampire that was holding him on the ground and staked him. Then he saw Sam and went after the vampire that had her under his control. He had jumped up onto his back.

I got up off the ground and fought off two vampires that were attacking me as Pete killed the one that tried to get me a few seconds ago. I looked over at the one Patrick was trying to fight and went after him as Patrick was knocked onto the ground. I wanted some answers.

“Who are you?” I said slamming him down to the ground and climbing on top of him.

“He’s mine, Amanda!” Patrick said running over. “He hurt Sam.” He said.

“That’s fine but I want answers first.” I said punching the vampire in the face.

“Ooh we have a feisty one here don’t we? Or should I say slayer?” He said toying with me.

“How do you know I am a slayer?” I asked. “You better talk or my friend Patrick is going to pummel you harder than I want to right now.” I said to the vampire and holding him down with Patrick beside me ready to stake him.

“We were sent to give you a warning. You killed Dracula and you think you are big and bad now?” The vampire said with a smirk showing his fangs.

“You were sent on my wedding night? Why? Who sent you?” I asked.

“Because you are a wanted girl and slayers must die.” He laughed.

“I’ve had enough of you.” I said nodding to Patrick who gladly dusted the vampire that bit Sam.

“Why must vampires be so cryptic?” I asked Patrick.

“I don’t know.” He said running over to Sam.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“Yes, I am now.” She said grabbing him and giving him a kiss that would make his toes curl up. “You are my hero. Can I go home now?” She asked.

“Sure.” He said getting into the car.

“I think we are going to go with them too.” Joe said walking with Bev to car.
That left me, Pete, Kat, Erelin, and Brendon left standing in the street. I just walked over to our car and leaned against it. Kat followed.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing.” I said.

“That’s not true and you know it.” Erelin said leaning on the car to my right.

“That vampire said they wanted to warn me. That’s why Sam and Chrissy were bitten. It was a warning to stay away from something. And he called me the slayer. Didn’t he get the memo that I’m not anymore?” I asked.

“Amanda, you are the slayer. You may not have the abilities but it is in your heart. It is who you are and why I fell in love with you, remember? I love you because of your good heart. You want to protect people. It’s your instinct to.” Pete said standing in front of me and wrapping his arms around me.

I buried my head on his chest to hear his heart. I defeated Dracula and lost my slaying abilities but I gained Pete back. If I had to choose slayer abilities or to hear Pete’s heart or him breathing again I would choose Pete.

“Well what do you guys want to do now?” Brendon asked kissing Erelin on the forehead.

“Patrol?” I asked.

“Sure, why not. I don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow.” Erelin said.

We all went patrolling like old times together. I had this uneasy feeling like we were being watched. I remembered this feeling from when I was a slayer but this was different. I didn’t know if this was a good or bad person plus it couldn’t be a slayer power or I wouldn’t be as beaten up as I am now as well.

Then all of a sudden Kat saw two vampires down the street we were on and took off after them after I warned her not to do that. “Kat, no!” I said turning to Pete who nodded for me to follow. Man, slayers are fast. It was hard for me to keep up.

“Kat, this could be a trap!” I yelled to her and turning around to see Erelin, Brendon, and Pete get ambushed. I had a choice to keep going after Kat or to turn and run back towards everyone. My heart told me to run back towards my friends.

I ran back only to see that we were surrounded by a group of fifteen vampires. We were definitely outnumbered. I fought hard just as everyone else but Brendon and I were grabbed from behind and held back.

I was trying to fight loose and break away but I couldn’t. I heard Erelin scream as a vampire bit her knocking her out. Brendon yelled something and tried to break free as well. I looked over at Pete who was being held by three vampires. He was pretty beaten up on.

The leader of that group walked over to me. “So you are the famous slayer that killed Dracula. You took away our leader’s friend. You aren’t that tough if you couldn’t defeat us tonight. You have your lovely slayer in training to blame for this. She led us straight to you by coming here.” He said.

“What do you want? If you want me, take me. Leave my friends alone.” I said.

“No.” He said. “These two will do nicely.” The vampire said pointing to Pete and Erelin.

“If you hurt her I will come after you myself!” Brendon said.

“I’m counting on it.” He snickered.

“No! You want me. I killed Dracula. Why not take me to your boss?” I asked not afraid.

“Because where Dracula failed we will succeed.” The vampire said.

“Oh, yeah, how is that?” I asked trying to break loose still.

“By breaking you down.” He said clapping his hands.

I turned to see them pick up Erelin and push Pete to go with them. Brendon and I were still being held by the vampires that were left to hold us. “No!” I screamed.

“Erelin, wake up and fight, honey!” Brendon yelled.

Then I saw Pete turn his head back to look at me. He mouthed, “I love you.” Then they knocked him out and were gone just like that. These vampires were fast. They were faster than Dracula’s. The vampires let go of us and as Brendon and I tried to fight them off the vanished quickly too.

I looked at Brendon and fell into the street. Brendon had caught me. He was just as upset as I was. We were powerless to do anything. We tried and failed. We both knew each other’s pain.

“Shh. We will find them. I promise Amanda.” Brendon said holding me. “They are strong. Pete won’t let them harm Erelin and that makes me feel better.” He said trying to calm me.
“Why not take me? I was the one that killed Dracula. I should be the one taken.” I said crying and holding onto Brendon. “I can’t lose them and I can’t lose Pete. Not again.” I said.

“Come on. We have to find Kat.” He said helping me up.

As we walked to the car, Kat came up all smiles. “Hey, I killed those two vampires.” She said. “Where are Pete and Erelin?”

“They were taken.” Brendon said as calmly as he could without attacking her.

“You! I told you not to go after them it was a trap!” I said turning away from Brendon and knocking Kat to the ground.

“It’s your fault if something happens to them! Yours!” I said screaming at her.

“Amanda, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” Kat said getting up.

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear you speak another word.” I said almost fainting.

“Amanda let’s go home. We need to call everyone. As much as I want to we can’t go looking for them right now because we have no clue as to where they are. We need to regroup.” Brendon said.

“I can’t breathe.” I said almost hyperventilating.

“I promise we will find them.” Brendon said hugging me.