Doc’s Halloween 2011

A little bit of a heads up on this one. It contains a bit of graphic zombie killing violence. This story started out after I watched Deadliest Warrior Vampires vs. Zombies and decided I wanted to write my own version of vampires fighting zombies. Naturally I decided to write a story about Kat, one of my oldest and best and most favoritest characters ever. She’s a vampire of course. Some of you may remember the “interview” I did with her and Doc a while back. Then I decided I wanted to write a Doc story for this Halloween to keep up with last year’s story. Finally I figured why the hell not kill two birds with one stone (two zombies with one axe?) and write one with both of them in it. Doc’s world does not preclude Kat and Kat’s world doesn’t preclude Doc so it worked out okay.

So here you go!

~~~

A Halloween Tail 2011 – Zombies vs Vampire and Dog

 

“Mom, are you sure this isn’t a Halloween hoax?”

I glanced at my adopted daughter Jin and smiled. “It probably is a hoax, but Cade wanted us to check it out.”

“He has no respect for the piles of homework crowding my desk.” Jin pushed her long blonde hair out of her face with her left hand then readjusted her grip on her pistol. I watched her move cautiously, but confidently, down the corridor and pride threatened to burst my heart. She was turning into an amazing young woman. Her parents would have been proud.

“Besides, it’s a great excuse to go to The Stanley during Halloween.” My own pistols were still holstered. I shadowed Jin down the narrow hotel hallway. We weren’t too worried about staying quiet so we chatted as we walked.

“Haven’t you had enough ghosts to last several lifetimes?” Jin smiled, though she didn’t turn and look at me. Smart kid. She was going to make an excellent hunter.

We lived in Charleston, South Carolina, and it was full of ghosts. Many of them were harmless. Some of them weren’t. We were currently in Colorado at the famous Stanley Hotel because Cade, the head of the Hunter’s Guild, had received disturbing reports of deaths at the hotel. I had arrived expecting to find a police barricade, but the town of Estes Park, and the hotel had been sleepy and quiet. Almost too quiet.

The main lobby of The Stanley was deserted, which seemed odd. We’d chosen a plush hallway at random and started investigating.

“Jin, I’m not sensing people in the rooms.” I inhaled deeply. “And I can smell fear, and blood.”

Her shoulders tensed and she paused, listening. “Vampire?”

“I don’t sense one. It’s possible though.”

I rested my hand on the butt of one of my guns, considering drawing it. I was fast though, and could probably get the jump on anything but another vampire. In these close quarters I probably wouldn’t use a gun on a vampire anyway.

Jin paused at the corner of the hallway and listened. I wrinkled my nose at a cloyingly sweet smell and almost pushed past her. I was letting her take point since I knew I couldn’t protect her forever, but it was hard to let Jin go into potential danger first. I hesitated and she slipped around the corner and gagged. I darted forward and shoved her behind me, staring at a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Blackened blood and some lighter red smears splattered the once elegant walls. A small table lay on its side and a blood-covered hand clutched the lamp that had once sat on the table. A light flickered, went out for a few moments, then came back on, illuminating the hallway far too well. The man holding the lamp had obviously bashed in the head of a woman lying next to him. Her skull had leaked its fluids into the plush carpet and multiple open wounds on her body added to the gore.

From the angle the man lay, I couldn’t see if he had any wounds, but he wasn’t breathing. The terrible, sweet rotting stench came from them. I didn’t understand, they hadn’t been dead long enough for decay to set in. Some of the blood was still wet.

“Oh God,” Jin whispered, and wretched again.

I pushed her backward, trying to shelter my daughter from the sight of the horrible murder. She went willingly enough until we were back around the corner. Then she stopped and shoved against my back, a strangled gasp of fear escaping her throat. I spun around and stared. Two older men shuffled down the corridor. The smell of rot rolled down the hallway ahead of them, making me want to gag.

“What’s going on?” I raised my voice trying to get their attention.

They didn’t answer, though their shuffling gate quickened. I drew my gun.

“Hello?”

“Mom, we should leave.”

One man’s leg dragged behind him oddly, giving him a lurching gate. It seemed like his ankle was broken. His eyes were focused on Jin and his mouth worked as if he were chewing. Puss dripped from sores on his pasty arms. A low groan escaped his lips and he reached with his hands. He was missing a finger. The other man walked more normally, though he still moved slowly. His mouth also worked. Black gore leaked out of pale, torn skin. He also stared at my daughter intently. Neither looked at me, though I was the one who had spoken.

I glanced down the gore filled hallway and stared. The man who had killed the woman was gone.

“Come on!” I tugged on her arm and pulled her away from the shambling men.

“I don’t think it’s a hoax,” she whispered.

I didn’t answer, concentrating on getting her to safety. She barely spared a glance at the woman on the ground as we ran past her body though we both looked over our shoulders. The two men still lurched after us.

I wasn’t used to being afraid, but I felt the icy tread of fear tangle its way through my limbs. I turned another corner and stopped in my tracks. Jin ran into my back and squeaked in terror.

“This isn’t happening.” Her voice was high and thin.

I didn’t have time for a head count, but about fifteen of the pasty, damaged, rotting humans were shuffling down the narrow hallway toward us and ruining my escape plan. The murderer was at the front of the group, dragging the lamp by its cord. It looked like it had tangled around his wrist. Blood stained his shirt from a gaping wound – a bite? – on his neck.

Jin gasped again; her fear intoxicating to the part of me that was constantly hungry. I shoved that part of me away with the ease of long practice. Jin had faced down rogue werewolves and vampires without flinching, so her fear surprised me.

“Jin, Honey, it’ll be okay. Let’s go back the other way.”

We turned. The two men were almost on top of us.

One of them groaned and reached for Jin. I didn’t even think, just put a bullet in his brain. He fell to the ground and the stench of rot doubled. I shot the other man and pulled Jin away from them, running as fast as she could manage. I glanced down the hallway we had come in but it was blocked with more bodies, forcing us further into the hotel.

There weren’t any windows in this stretch or I would have jumped out one. We came to a set of stairs and I yanked Jin up them, almost hard enough to dislocate her shoulder. She whimpered in pain, but didn’t protest the abuse.

I stopped when we reached the top of the stairs. The smell of rot was less overwhelming on this floor and I let go of Jin’s arm. She was going to have bruises, but it could have been worse.

“Well, that was strange.” I stared back down the stairs. The sounds of shuffling bodies and the occasional groan drifted up from the first floor.

“Mom, that wasn’t just strange. Those are zombies.”

“Zombies don’t exist.” I pushed my long red curly hair out of my eyes and wished I had tied it back. I didn’t think any blood had splattered in it, which was always gross, but it was unruly at the best of times, and now was not the best time to be dealing with hair. If I hadn’t thought this was a hoax, I would have tied it back before we came in.

She stared at me for a minute then pointed back down the stairs. “If zombies don’t exist, then you just shot two old guys in the head!”

I shrugged. “They were going to hurt you. Jin, I’ve been around a long time. I’ve never seen a zombie. They don’t exist.”

“Mom, most people think vampires don’t exist!”

“Right.” I wasn’t going to argue with her. She was right, most people didn’t believe in vampires either, and just because I hadn’t seen a zombie in my four hundred plus years didn’t mean there was no such thing. It just made it really unlikely. The weird shuffling and groaning got louder. “Hell, they’re coming up the stairs. Come on, let’s find somewhere to hide. Preferably a place with a fire escape.”

*          *            *

I whined, flattening my ears against my head and staring at the door, my hackles rising. Something smelled horrible.

“What’s wrong Doc?”

I glanced at Kevin, my human, and then back at the door. I didn’t understand how he couldn’t smell the rotting, dead smell. It wasn’t like the wonderfully smelly scent of a dead squirrel, or the dusty smell of a dead-thing. It burned my nose and made me want to hide. I crept forward and scratched the door, then scooted backward.

“Is it a vampire?”

I shook my head. I’d learned that motion from him and our friend Jake, the wolf-human.

Kevin sighed and glanced around our room. I whined again, and stifled a growl. I was supposed to be really quiet. The hotel we were in didn’t allow dogs. I was pretending to be a service dog. I even had a little outfit to wear. I hated it, but not as much as the bat costume from last year.

My human took a stake out of his suitcase and opened the door. The scent of rot flooded into the room and I couldn’t stop my low growl as I followed him out into the hallway.

“Which way Doc?”

I turned my head one way then the other. It was hard, but I forced myself to go to the source of the rot. I was a vampire-hunting dog. Surely I could handle this.

We stopped when we turned the corner. A human looked up from a body on the floor. Blood splattered her face and flesh hung from her mouth.

I barked in alarm.

The human she was crouched over didn’t move. I thought she was eating him. I didn’t understand.

I could smell Kevin’s fear. I flattened myself to the ground and growled, warning the strange human to stay away. The smell of rot came from her. She lurched to her feet and started coming our way, not paying any attention to me. I didn’t like the way she stared at my human.

“Come on Doc!” Kevin’s voice sounded strange, like he was in pain. I turned and ran back down the hallway, keeping myself between him and the strange woman.

More rotting people blocked our path to the stairs and we had to run back into our room.

“Doc, don’t make a sound,” Kevin whispered. “We have to hide.”

I pushed myself against his leg and he knelt down and hugged me.

“It’ll be okay boy. Just stay quiet.”

*          *            *

We ran down several hallways. Evidence of zombie activity was sporadic but not infrequent. More than anything, I was looking for signs of life. Real, living, breathing, heart beating life. We could, if necessary, jump out a window and I’d be able to cushion Jin’s fall enough for her to survive, but it would hurt, and I didn’t want to give the zombies any ideas, if that was even possible. Whatever had unleashed the plague on The Stanley needed to remain confined if it hadn’t already spread.

I had my sense wide open, which helped us avoid a few more zombies. Now that I knew what we were looking for, it wasn’t hard to sense them even though they weren’t human anymore. I thought about killing them as we ran, but I wanted to save the bullets for our escape. Jin and I had a fair number between us, but if the entire hotel was full of zombies, we were going to run out fast. If it came down to it, I’d give her my ammo and wade in with claws. I didn’t think I’d have much of a problem against the shambling dead, but then again, I’d never fought them before.

We were almost to the far side of the second floor when I caught a hint of life. After the endless corridors of shattered doors and blood soaked carpet, not to mention bits of bodies lying about, I’d begun to think there was no one left alive. Cade had called me yesterday about the case, and though he’d called me right away, it had taken a day or so for word to reach him. The zombies had been plaguing The Stanley for at least three days. Anyone surviving that long had to be lucky, or smart.

I gestured for Jin to slow down. We’d quickly discovered that zombies had great hearing, and any sound attracted their attention. They seemed thinner on this floor, but there were still enough to cause us problems.

I hesitated outside of one of the few intact doors left on this floor. I glanced both directions then leaned against the cool wood with my ear, listening.

Something growled and I heard a hushed “Quiet Doc.”

I wanted to reassure the people, person? Inside that we weren’t going to hurt them, but that might alert the zombies. I gestured for Jin to stay back then, hoping the occupants didn’t have a gun, turned the handle sharply to break the lock and shoved the door open, ripping the deadbolt and chain out of the door frame. I felt a little bad about breaking the door, but we could barricade it later if necessary.

*          *            *

“Quiet Doc.”

I tried not to growl but there was now a vampire outside our door. I was tired and hungry, and I was more than ready to kill something. I quietly moved so that I could attack whatever entered.

The doorknob turned sharply then the door jerked inward. I launched myself at the dead-thing, hackles raised.

“Doc!”

“Mom!”

It caught me and shoved me away, but not hard enough to hurt me. I crouched, trying to grab its eyes, but the dead-thing wasn’t paying attention to me. It focused on Kevin instead.

“Jin, get in here, shut that door.” It spoke in a loud whisper.

Strangely it didn’t try to attack us.

“Who are you?” Kevin held the stake in his hand again, but he made no move to attack the vampire. He sounded as tired as I felt. I didn’t even smell fear from him.

The vampire held its hands out to the side. “We’re friends. We’re here to help.”

I sniffed. The dead-thing was female and she had a human with her.

“Have any food?”

“Jin, anything?”

“I have a granola bar.” The younger human dug in a pocket and pulled out something. I recognized it as food that Kevin sometimes carried and I whined; hunger overriding my fear of the vampire.

“Please forgive my dog. We’ve been trapped here for a few days. You surprised us.”

“No worries.” The dead-thing glanced at me and she smiled. She seemed friendly and knelt, holding out her hand.

I wasn’t brave enough to go close to her, but I did avoid trying to trap her eyes. I didn’t think I had the energy to fight her anyway.

The younger woman handed Kevin the food. He hastily unwrapped the package and came over to me. “Good thing it doesn’t have raisins in it.” He scratched my ears and fed the bar to me. I took it carefully from his hands and ate every last crumb, even licking his hand clean.

“We’ll, we’re grateful for the food, but you broke the door. How will we keep the zombies out now?” Kevin scratched my ears a few more times then stood wearily.

I went over to the bowl he kept full of water for me and drank. Even the small amount of food made me feel better. Then I sat by his feet, staring at the vampire.

“I don’t think your dog likes me.”

“He usually likes people a lot, but it’s been a strange few days. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

The vampire smiled then glanced around the room. “I think we can put that dresser in front of the door if we need to.”

Kevin glanced at the huge dresser he had tried to move when we first got trapped. “It’s pretty heavy.”

The vampire shrugged. “We’ll manage.”

Dead-things were strong. I thought she could move it.

“I’m sorry, where are my manners? I’m Kevin, and this is Doc.”

“I’m Kat. This is my daughter Jin.”

They all briefly shook hands.

“Do you have any weapons?” The vampire asked.

“Just this.” Kevin held up the stake.

Normally I didn’t care much about what humans talked about, but I’d never seen Kevin talk with a dead-thing before and I was curious how she’d react to the stake.

She and Jin traded a glance and I could smell surprise from the human.

“Not going to be very effective against more than one zombie,” Jin said.

I whined, wanting to tell her it wasn’t for zombies. Kevin scratched my ears again.

“I didn’t bring it for zombies.”

“Well, we need to get the two of you out of here. Can you use a gun?”

“Yes. You should go without us though. We’ll just slow you down. We’ve been trapped here for a few days and we didn’t have much food to start with.” Kevin sounded sad again. I sat up and rested my head on his knee.

“Okay. Food first. Jin, stay here. I’ll see what I can find. I don’t think there is much chance that anyone else is alive. We’ll move that dresser first then I’ll slip out.”

I scooted out of the way when the vampire and Jin went over to the dresser.

“I couldn’t move it alone. I don’t know much help I’ll be now.”

“I’ll handle it. Jin balance that side. This is long and will be awkward.”

We watched as the dead-thing and Jin moved the dresser over by the door.

“Okay, now I feel weak.”

The vampire laughed quietly. “I’m stronger than I look. Here are my guns and all the ammo I have. There’s one in the chamber but the safety is on. Don’t go shooting anyone who isn’t already a zombie please.” She set two guns down on the table.

“Wait, you’ll need these.” Kevin protested but the vampire ignored him.

“Jin, do your best to shove this closed, but make sure I can get in when I come back. Oh, and call Cade and tell him that next time he can do his own damn hunting.”

“Be careful Mom.” They hugged then the vampire slipped out the door.

Kevin and Jin tried to push the dresser and managed to get it to slide a little.

“She wasn’t joking when she said she was stronger than she looked. She’s crazy not taking a gun.” Kevin was still whispering.

Jin shrugged and glanced around the room before walking over to the window. Now that the vampire was gone I was more interested in her. I walked up and sniffed her hand. She scratched my ears while she looked outside.

“What are you guys doing here?”

“Hunting. You? How’d you get a dog in?” Jin stepped away from the window.

“We’re on vacation. I disguised Doc as a service dog.”

She smiled and pet me more. “What’s with the stake?”

“Never know when you’re going to need a good stake.” Kevin sat on the bed.

Jin flicked her arm then held something out on her palm. It flashed sliver in the light from the lamp. “Vampires perhaps?”

Kevin frowned then glanced at Doc and the table where the vampire had left her guns.

“Wait a minute. Doc attacked your mom, but not you.”

Jin shrugged and made the thing in her palm disappear.

“She left, confidently without guns. What is she?”

Jin smelled uncomfortable. “Good at what she does, and on our side.”

“She’s a vampire isn’t she?”

Jin’s smell changed to surprise. “Does your dog normally attack vampires?”

“Doc hunts vampires with me.”

She knelt down and took my head in my hands, looking into my eyes. “He’s special.”

I dropped my mouth in a grin and licked her hand. She smiled and scratched my head.

“Yes. He is.”

“Well, Doc. Please don’t attack my mom. She’s one of the good guys. We hunt vampires too. Though it looks like we’re going to be hunting zombies for a short time. Do you have any idea what happened?”

The rotting smell got stronger and I whined a quiet warning.

“No, but we should be quiet. They have good hearing.”

Jin nodded and they fell silent. She turned and pointed her gun at the door, leaning her arm on a chair. I heard footsteps shuffle past, but nothing tried to get in.

When I smelled food, I almost didn’t believe my nose. I thumped my tail once then trotted over to the door. I was so hungry that I didn’t care if it was a vampire that brought food. I just wanted to eat.

“Maybe mom is back,” Jin whispered.

“Is she really your mom?”

“I’m adopted, but she raised me since I was three. Long story.”

Kevin picked up a gun too.

“It’s me,” the vampire whispered from the other side of the door.

“Cover me.” Jin whispered. She managed to slide the dresser and the vampire slipped into the room with bags in her hands. I almost didn’t notice the blood that covered her arms, nor did I care about what she was. She had food!

*          *            *

“Looks like your dog likes me now.” I went over to the sink while Kevin and his dog devoured the food I’d managed to find. There was plenty of prepackaged stuff in the kitchen. The trick was getting there and back. Fortunately my claws were more than a match for the zombies. I’d expected questions, not the almost terrified look that Kevin gave me now and again around his food.

Jin looked nervous too, but I couldn’t blame her. I scrubbed the blood off my arms and wished for a clean shirt, but I had a feeling I’d be messy again before we got out of here. There wasn’t anyone else left alive in the hotel. I wondered if I’d get in trouble if I burned it down on top of all the zombies. I wasn’t real interested in hunting them all down myself once I got the humans and the dog out of the hotel. I’d scoped out an escape route too.

“Surprising, but apparently food really does win hearts.” Kevin sounded bitter.

I frowned at him, then shot a questioning glance at Jin. I was using one of my vampire abilities to dampen sound around me, but I still wanted to keep our noise to a minimum.

“Apparently Doc hunts vampires.”

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. I glanced at the Border Collie then back at Kevin. Kevin was staring at me with barely concealed hate in his eyes.

“Don’t hurt him.”

I frowned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I imagine Jin told you we hunt vampires too?”

He didn’t respond.

I glanced at my daughter again. She shrugged and mouthed sorry.

Great.

Doc finished as much of the food as he could eat and then walked slowly over to me. There was a keen intelligence in his eyes I’d never seen in a dog before. I knew Border Collies were smart, but this was something special. I offered him the back of my hand. After a few moments he crept forward and sniffed me.

“Don’t lick me,” I whispered. “Don’t know what zombie gore would do to you.”

He dropped his mouth open in a grin, just as if he had understood, then went over to Kevin. I could feel the human’s eyes on me the whole time. I didn’t wonder why he hated vampires so much; I just wondered how he, a normal human, had gotten into the hunting business and survived. I suspected it had a lot to do with his dog.

“Jin, did you call Cade?”

“He didn’t answer.”

I swore and pulled out my phone. Both of our phones were on silent, without vibrate. That would be an easy way to get killed. I punched buttons until I found Cade’s number and hit send.

He picked up after I called him a few more times. “Jesus Cade,” I said by way of a greeting.

“Sorry, meeting. What’s going on?”

“Zombies. Lots of them.” I could hear people talking in the background. Sounded like a hunter meeting. Perfect.

“Um, you’re joking right?”

“I wish. I found two survivors. I don’t fancy hunting them all down. Think we can get away with burning the place?”

“You did go to The Stanley right?”

“Yes.”

“And you want to burn it?”

“Well, you want to send a team to take care of the zombies?”

“You’re really serious?”

“I swear Cade. The Stanley is full of the fucking shambling horde. It’s really gross actually.” I heard my voice rise and I clenched my jaw to keep from swearing at him more.

“Shh,” Kevin whispered.

“I’m blocking some of the sound,” I whispered back.

He shut up and glared at me more.

“I’ll make some phone calls, but you’re going to want to be gone when my people show up.”

“Okay. Give us an hour to get out of here.”

I could almost see him nod. “It’ll take them at least that long to get there.”

“Great. Bye.”

“Be careful Kat.”

I hung up the phone without answering.

“Obviously we need to get out of here.” I retrieved and holstered one of my guns. I pushed the other one toward Kevin. “I’ll lead, I think I found a way out. Kevin, Dog, you guys will be in the middle and Jin will be last.”

“He’s name’s Doc.”

I ignored the hostile tone in Kevin’s voice and nodded.

“We’ll have to move fast and stay as quiet as possible. I’ll do what I can to muffle sound, but it’s not as easy for a moving group.”

“Sure.”

I glared at Kevin. “Under no circumstances are you to shoot me in the back.”

He looked surprised then glanced at the gun in his hand as if just realizing it was there. He took a deep breath and nodded. “You have my word. I do want to get out of here alive.”

I smiled. “Good. Don’t shoot me in the front either.”

He blinked, as if not getting the joke, then a true smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I won’t shoot you.”

“Cade is going to send people to clean this up. Hopefully we’ll be long gone by the time they show up.”

“Who’s Cade?”

“A friend, and a hunter with a lot of contacts.”

“Cool.”

Kevin was starting to relax, or the food was hitting his system and making him feel better.

“Okay, let’s go.” I concentrated for a moment, sprouted vicious claws, then dragged the dresser out of the way, all the while trying to ignore Kevin’s horrified stare.

*          *            *

Now that I was full and felt better, I wanted a nap. I could tell by the way the humans and the vampire were talking that it wasn’t going to happen. We were going to try and escape.

Kevin and I had tried a few times, but we’d always been caught. I hoped the dead-thing would keep helping us. If she could bring us food then maybe she could keep us safe too. I still didn’t like vampires, but I was willing to make an exception. At least for now.

She moved the dresser and we followed her out into the hallway. I wrinkled my nose at the smell but followed when she started jogging.

I didn’t smell the first rotting humans that attacked us because everything smelled like rotting human. The dead-thing was fast, hitting them hard. They fell to the ground and we ran around them. I couldn’t help stepping in the rotting blood and it made my feet itch, but I kept running. I didn’t know how long we ran, but the zombies got worse and worse, especially after Jin fired her gun a few times. I thought we were going to get blocked in, but the vampire kept pushing forward and we finally managed to get away from them for a short time.

*          *            *

Zombies split like rotting fruit under my claws. It was seriously gross feeling. I’d fought many different creatures with just my claws and it always felt like I was hitting warm, solid meat. The zombies oozed and splattered when I struck them and their flesh was colder than mine was. Combined with the smell, it was enough to make me want to wretch and I hadn’t felt that particular reflex in centuries. I did my best to turn my sense of smell off.

“This is really disgusting.” I complained as I attacked another small horde of zombies in front of us.

“You’re the one that gave up your guns.” Jin fired another shot.

“I’d be out of bullets by now anyway.” I was surprised she could hear anything at all after the gunfire echoing through the narrow hallways.

I clamped my mouth shut and slashed my hand through the face of the last zombie in the group. Nasty goo splattered my face. “Why don’t you trade places with me?” I said after gagging disgustedly.

Jin laughed. “I hope you’re joking.”

“What would you do if I wasn’t here?”

Jin sobered. “I’m guessing crawling through the ductwork isn’t an option?”

I snorted and ran down the corridor. “Sorry, this isn’t actually a horror movie. Besides it always goes badly in the ductwork. Think. What would you do?”

Jin fell silent as we ran, pondering my question.

“You’re not at all like the other vampires I’ve met,” Kevin said into the silence.

“Yeah, that’s why I hunt vampires instead of acting like an arrogant, entitled asshole all the time.”

Jin laughed. “Who’s not arrogant?”

“Show your elders some respect,” I said in a mock serious tone. I was glad she had finally calmed down. Fear made people act without thinking and I didn’t want her to make a mistake that would get her killed. I waved my hand and gestured for everyone to slow down and be quiet. “Speaking of arrogant,” I whispered. “Stay back here. I’m going to handle this next group on my own.” The hallway opened out into a small lobby and it was currently filling with zombies. I let my inner, hungry vampire take more control. I was going to need the extra edge to dance through that big of a horde. Unfortunately they were between us and the best way out. They hadn’t been here when I’d scoped the place out earlier. I ran forward, feet blurring across the carpet.

The zombies didn’t even notice me until they started to die. I spun, twirled, lashed out with claws and feet and quickly decimated the horde, but more kept coming.

*          *            *

“How many zombies are in this place?” My human asked while he peeked around the corner into the room the vampire was in.

Jin looked over his shoulder. “Shit. That’s like… the entire hotel.”

“Can she handle them?”

“God I hope so. I’ve seen her take on an entire pack of werewolves, but she had a little help that time. Zombies are easier to kill, but sheer numbers are going to take a toll on her.

I pressed my nose against Kevin’s hand and looked. The vampire whirled around and zombies fell to the ground but more came out of doors and pressed around her, trying to tear her with their hands. I whined, surprised I was worried about a dead-thing.

“Mom!” Jin yelled as the vampire tripped. The horde closed in on top of her.

I winced when the gun fired right over my head.

*          *            *

There were too many. We were going to have to find a different way out. I slashed the face of what had once been a young blonde woman, spilling her brains and nasty black blood onto the floor. I tried not to think about what I was doing though fear for my daughter twisted my guts. Jin was blonde and could easily have been the mindless thing in front of me if she got bit or scratched. I turned to head back to Jin when my foot slid on an intestine. Something grabbed my ankle and I fell, hitting the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of me if I had still been human.

I hesitated, momentarily stunned. A rotting hand descend toward my face and fetid breath tickled against my arm as another zombie tried to get in a bite. I jerked away, still on my back, trying not to think about the nasty shit I was laying in.

I heard Jin yell above the incoherent groans of the horde then the roar of her gun momentarily deafened me.

The zombie trying for my face slumped to the ground and I rocked on my back and flipped to my feet. I took a second to get my balance then jumped, managing to clear most of the horde in one leap. I ran back to the hallway where the humans waited in and gestured for them to go. They were running back down the hallway when I caught up to them.

“So, killing them all, not so much. I could have gotten through them if it was just me, but the entire hotel must be packed into that other hallway now.”

“Great, so what’s plan B?” Kevin twisted to look at me when I didn’t answer right away. “You do have a plan B right?”

“Sure. I’m just not sure what it is yet. We’ll just have to find another way out. Let’s try an elevator shaft.”

“What was it you said about the ductwork never working out?” Jin didn’t sound nearly as light hearted now that she’d seen me nearly taken out by a bunch of rotting, brainless dead humans.

“Well, most of the time the vampires are the bad guys, so maybe changing up the rules will work in our favor.”

She laughed and I saw Kevin shake his head. The dog just kept running, sniffing the air as we went.

He barked a quick warning and Jin halted just as a single zombie shambled around the corner.

“At least these things are slow,” I said when Jin put a bullet in his head.

*          *            *

“I’m empty!” Jin shouted.

The vampire spun around, attacking the rotting humans that trying to get at us from behind. She handed Jin another gun and then we were running again. Kevin fired too, though not as often.

“I wish I had an axe,” my human yelled.

“Watch for a fire axe on the wall!” The vampire sliced into another zombie.

Finally we were clear of that group. My ears rang from the noise of the guns. At one point I thought I heard shattering glass, then Kevin had a sharp stick in his hands. The rotting humans came again. One got to close to Kevin and I jumped on its back, pushing it away. I didn’t bite it. Every instinct told me not to get anything in my mouth. Kevin hit it with the stick once I was clear and then we ran again.

Finally we stopped in front of the doors that opened and took people up or down. They felt strange when you rode in them, like the floor was moving. The vampire forced the metal doors open and glanced down into a dark hole. I’d never seen that before and I sniffed. The air was stale but didn’t reek of rotting humans like the rest of the hotel did.

“Okay, we’re going to go down here. Kevin, do you think you can climb down? There is a service ladder.”

“Yes, what about Doc?”

“I’ll carry him. You go first. Jin you cover us since I’ll have my hands full with Doc.”

“Sure.” She turned and watched while Kevin lowered himself into the hole.

I whined and sniffed his face when he was eye-level with me.

“Doc, it’s okay. Let Kat hold you and she’ll take you down the ladder.”

I looked up at the vampire. Her hands were normal again instead of claws, but she was covered in smelly rot. I didn’t want that on my fur, but I’d do what Kevin told me too. I nodded and Kevin disappeared into the hole.

“Hey Doc. I’m not going to hurt you, but you have to let me carry you, okay?”

I whined, flattening my ears against my skull, not happy about it. She watched me patiently until I finally nodded and walked up to her.

“You sure are something else, Doc. Okay, just be as still as you can.”

I let her pick me up and though it was uncomfortable she managed to carry me into the dark hole. I held as still as I could and her grip never wavered. Finally we were on the ground and she put me down. I shook, trying to get the nasty stuff off my body.

“Sorry buddy. Guess I am pretty gross right now.”

I grinned at the vampire.

Jin finally joined us and the vampire listened at the door.

“I don’t hear anything. You guys ready?”

Kevin and Jin nodded and I looked at the door expectantly. She wrenched it open and after a quick moment to get our bearings, she started to run.

“I’d go out a window, but I don’t want the horde to follow us out. If it comes down to it, we’ll have to, but I’d rather keep this contained.”

“I agree,” Kevin said.

“So, Jin,” the vampire said more quietly. “How would you get out without me?”

“Make a rope out of bed sheets and go out a window? Or find a fire escape.”

“Weapons?”

“Chair leg, or an axe after I ran out of bullets.”

“What would you avoid?”

She laughed. “Big open spaces.”

“Good.”

“So why didn’t we find a fire escape?” Kevin asked.

“I looked, never saw one.”

“Oh.”

“And the bed sheet rope didn’t occur to me, though I’m not sure if that would have been any easier than what we just did. I’m also not sure that would actually work.”

“Gottcha.”

The humans and the vampire fell silent after that. I sniffed the air but the smell of rot wasn’t as bad here. We only encountered one more group of zombies, and the vampire dispatched them quickly.

I panted hard and felt exhausted by the time the dead-thing finally opened a door to the outside. We burst out the door then she slammed it behind us. She slid Kevin’s stick through the handle then we backed away.

“Ew, that’s gross.” She held her hands away from her body oddly.

“Thank you,” my human said. “You okay Doc?”

I grinned at him.

“You’re welcome. Let’s find a hose.”

I followed, alert for danger. The smell of rot clung to us, but the air was fresh and brought only the scents of the nighttime.

We walked away to a different building and Jin found a hose. They let me drink first and then they hosed off my paws. It felt good to get clean even if the water was cold. The humans and the vampire hosed off too. It took her a while before she didn’t look like she’d just rolled in rotting humans.

“We need to get out of here. If you want to stay and meet Cade’s friends, please do. They may be able to help you out. If you want to leave, feel free. Please don’t mention me to them.”

My human stared at the vampire and I couldn’t quite read his scent. It was a confused jumble of fear and happiness that didn’t make much sense. Finally he nodded. “I swear I’ll never tell anyone what you are, because you saved us.”

The vampire held out her hand and Kevin shook it.

“Take care of that dog. He’s pretty special.”

I sniffed the vampire’s offered hand then grinned at her.

“I will. Jin, you take care of yourself.”

“You too.” She scratched my ears, then she and the vampire jogged across the parking lot.

I thumped my tail, happy to be away from the rotting humans and happy that Kevin was with me and safe. Now maybe we could go find some other vampires and hunt them. That always made Kevin happy. First I wanted a nap in my lazy chair. And Nelli. I wanted to see Nelli run.

Kevin led the way to our car and opened the door for me. I jumped in and settled in the back seat. Kevin started the car.

“Doc, next Halloween, we’re staying home.”

 

 

This website and its content is copyright of Julie Campbell-© Julie Campbell, all rights reserved.