Chapter 4 - Outside Pt. 2

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Warning:

Might contain Sucky Writing. I was sleepy last night, but I wanted to finish this!

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Abandoned Cottage

18:15 pm

After a 5 hour drive…

Charlotte and Kat arrived at the, supposedly, 50 year old bungalow dubbed ‘The Abandoned Cottage’. Doesn’t make sense why anyone would call a bungalow a cottage, but we’ll leave it at that. The flora growing in the front lawn and out of various windows, suggested the exact age, but the walls did not.

‘After being vacant for all these years… If not falling apart, I’d at least expect the plaster to show signs of tearing. It all looks practically new. What have these vamps been doing? Secretly restoring the place in between their human-desserts? Make a new recruiting base?’ Kat said, trying to determine Charlotte’s mood. Being dragged out of bed could make a person cranky and she hasn’t said a word on the drive over.

The pile of empty paint buckets on the other side of the gate confirmed her suspicion. There had been recent activity regarding the house. Come to think of it, even the front gate had been oiled. No spine-chilling ‘criiiiiiiiiii’ noise. What have they been planning for this lot?

‘Maybe this is a Vamp Bed and Breakfast. Us being the breakfast part’, Charlotte said throwing a wicked grin in Kat’s direction.

She took a deep breath of the subtle summer breeze. ‘Hmm, I love the smell of Dead Vampire in the afternoon’. Kat let out a chuckle as she located the stairs. Glad to see that, while tired, Charlotte still knew how to crack a funny. ‘I’ll check upstairs; Looks like there might be a chamber there’.

‘Yeah, there’s a door down here too… Hunting season is now officially open’ Charlotte replied, pulling out her knife and wooden stake. ‘Okay, Alice! As the red Queen would say – Off with their heads!’ She whispered and entered the door.

Outside there was a presence the hunters failed to acknowledge, while theirs didn’t go unnoticed. Someone was watching them from afar. Screams could already be heard coming from the bottom-floor. Each screamed followed by a strange thud. There was also the faint sound of counting… Six. Seven. Eight… The brown-haired hunter could still be seen ascending the stairs to the small chamber located above. No sooner than 2 minutes, the same sounds as below. Screaming and thudding… and counting.

The stranger stood there, watching… He hid in a large bush when the brown-haired hunter returned after 10 minutes. Running down the stairs to probably assist the Blond in the other chamber, where screams could still be heard.

When those subsided, the stranger took his cue to leave.

Charlotte’s breathing was labored when she came out. The fatigue of last night finally catching up with her. ‘That’ll teach ‘em to mess with Charlotte ‘The Ripper’ Gibson’. She let out a gust of air. ‘Okay, now I really need some rest. I could collapse any minute now…’

‘The Ripper?’ Kat said groaning, caressing her sore neck.

‘Nah, I just thought it would sound good. Changed my mind! How many did you get?’ Charlotte turned to face Kat.

’7 upstairs, 4 down. You?’.

’13’ The same devlish grin on Charlotte’s face when she heard Kat curse. ‘Come on…Let’s get out of here – My bed is still call…’ she stopped midsentence.

‘Charlotte?’ Kat groaned again, this time rubbing her arms.

‘… then again let’s not go home!’ A flash of Lillian’s face changed her mind. If they went home now, who knows? They might get another job. ‘Let’s hit the spa instead. Unwind a little. I know I could use it!’

‘Yeah, that’d be nice! But…uh, what about the blood? Can’t walk in there looking like that’ Kat pointed at Charlotte’s outfit and hair; a look that, pretty much, matched her own.

‘I saw a river on the way, we’ll wash it out first’ she yelled over her shoulder, already walking to the car, ‘Hurry up, it’ll be dark soon. Don’t wanna be here when that happens’

Kat started for the car caressing her back. ‘Ugh, that son of a bitch didn’t have to kick me in the back. All I did was cut off his girlfriend’s head. There was no need to get nasty...’

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22:30 pm

Club Beatzz

The club was packing that night; if you can call 10 people that. It may be RiverBlossom Hills’ most popular nightclub, but tonight it shamed that name. Most people were drinking the night away if not flirting with anything that walked. A lone woman made a fool of herself on the dance-floor. Apparently it was to catch the DJ’s attention, ‘cause as soon as he took a break she was all over him.

Marina sat at the bar – straightening her hair for the umpteenth time. If this was the ‘loosen-up, live life’ kind of enjoyment she was meant to have, she’d trade it in for a good book right about now. She’d signaled the bartender to remove the blue, freaky looking drink called ‘oceanic’ that someone left there, but gave up on it as soon as she started. His attention had been all but on cleaning the bar right now. It had been capture by a terrible and cunning vixen called…

Lubinnia Wick! He had been swooning over her the minute they walked through the door. He even gave them free drinks. Not that he had anything to do with it. Rumor has it that the owner, usually on slow nights, orders the barman to give free drinks. Lucky them!

As Binny and the Barty kept playing some form of ‘Spirit Fingers’, some drunk, who had been slowly enclosing the distance between him and Marina all night, finally found himself next to her.

‘Hullo purrity laidee! Canna buy ‘ou a durrink?’, he said barely standing straight.

‘Why? Because it’s free? No thanks!’ Marina answered just as he grabbed the bar for support.

‘Sumthingg ellse purrheps?’, he seductively lifted his eyebrows. Or tried to… one was going, the other one hung sluggishly over his eye. Marina winced.

Oh great. The night just couldn’t get any better. Being bored to your wits, to then have Drunkin’ Romeo ask you for what HE assumes would be a great time. Yuk! I’ve gotta get him off my back before I start throwing punches in his direction, which the owner might not appreciate.

‘Sure handsome!’ Marina said in a low sexy whisper, ‘Why don’t you go ahead and wait for me upstairs. I’ll just finish my drink and be right there’

The man’s eyes grew huge in his already bulbous head. He made something that looked like a wink and started for the stairs. He turned around one last time and waved at her sluggishly. She waved back and blew him a kiss. After that he didn’t know how fast he had to climb the stairs.

‘Ugh!’, Marina shrugged, sliding off the bar stool.

Lubbinia looked up when Marina walked towards her. Boy Wonder took the interruption as a quick opportunity to heed a group order of ‘Oceanics’ and save his job at the same time. It seemed to be the drink of the evening.

‘I think I’ll go home’ Marina said watching Boy Wonder pour the blue drinks.

‘Really not your thing, huh!’ Binny said a bit apologetic. ‘I have to admit, this IS the worst night I've seen in this club. It’s never been this bad before and I’m honestly not enjoying myself either so… I’ll come with okay’.

The words came out almost nonstop. Binny may not be having the best time right now, but Marina knew her better than she thought. Half of her wanted to go, but the other half, the Sexy Bartender half, wanted to stay.

‘No, stay! We both know you want to… besides, Boy Wonder over there is pretty hot… and he keeps stealing glances when you’re not looking’ Marina whispered with another look at the bar.

‘His name is Byron and he is yummy, isn’t he? Yeah… But right now, my friend needs me and I’m not leaving her alone!’ Binny said giving Marina a little push with her shoulder.

‘Really? You have a friend here and didn’t tell me? Not even an introduction?’ Marina jested.

‘Yeah, yeah, keep it up. You’re really funny. Let’s go… and don’t worry about Byron. He has my number. If he was eyeing me like you said he was, I have a feeling he’ll be giving me a ring pretty soon’

Giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls they headed for the exit. Binny threw Byron one last pretty seductive look and a brightly lit smile before disappearing out the door.

They arrived at the ranch a little over 15 minutes later, to be met with their 3-blocks-over-neighbor. He looked quite stirred, uneasy. He walked over immediately after the truck stopped.

‘Oh, I’m so glad I caught you. I was worried when I saw the empty driveway. I couldn’t think of anyone else’ he panted, a bit out of breath.

‘Kenny, what is it? What’s wrong?’ Binny said getting out of the truck. Hearing the commotion in his voice Marina quickly got out on the other side. He wasn’t ignoring Binny, but he bolted around to where Marina was.

‘I hope I’m not troubling you with this, but I didn’t know what else to do? There are no facilities anywhere near our ranches… and then I remembered you assisting your father when he was in the army, so I thought maybe you could help’

‘Slow down, Kenny. Help with what?’ Marina said walking with him towards his truck.

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