Created (Book 1 of the Created) (2 page)

           
We waited as the monster drank the
blood of the second goat.

    
      
I
looked at the Senator, who shook as he held the gun, finger on the trigger.

    
      
“Take
the shot.” Multiple voices echoed as we all awaited his next move.

     
     
I
closed my eyes hearing the report of the rifle then the celebratory cheers as
each man congratulated the Senator on a job well done.

 
   
      
The guide leader interrupted the
celebration. “Gentlemen, the silver nitrate in the GV4's blood will wear off in
about an hour so we need to hurry if we are going to finish our kill.”

  
        
I
sat numbed as each man was handed a wooden stake and a machete. I didn't
understand.

           
Knowlton shouted as he gleefully
raced through the back door of the blind. “First one to the body gets to count
the kill!”

           
The rest of Hunting Group 2 followed
except for me and the Senator. Hatcher looked relived and sick at the same
time. Under his breath, I thought I heard him mutter a small prayer. An
uncomfortable silence suddenly filled the air, making the fifteen by twenty tin
and wooden box seem smaller and constrictive.

     
     
“Ethan,
why don't you enjoy yourself with the rest of the guys?” He questioned, as he discarded
his rifle, slowly picked up his own stake and machete.

    
 
     
“No disrespect Senator, but I think I will
stay and watch from here.” On the color monitor, I saw the men sprinting toward
the fallen GV4.

“Suit yourself.” He said as he
started to walk through the blind's door.

   
       
“Senator,”
Still disturbed by the humanoid's death I called out, “What does the v stand
for in GV4?”

    
      
He
stopped, turned toward me and with no expression muttered “Vampire.”

 
   
      
My heart leapt to my throat as the word
quietly passed through my lips.
“Vampire.”

    
      
I
jumped up at the sound of a scream.

    
      
The
monitor displayed seven men running toward and standing around another of our
group that I recognized as Knowlton. He lay motionless in the thinly worn grass
near a couple of pine trees. Most of my view was obscured by the men huddled
around, but I could barely make out a series of jagged, bloody cuts along his
neck. The lead guide began barking commands that I could not fully make out,
but realized was an attempt to get us to run. Confused and scared, the rest of
the group began fleeing back toward the blind, scattering. Leaving behind
Fowler on the ground, the collective never looked back as a guide continued to
urge them on as he opened fire with his semi-automatic handgun. As they neared,
I realized the goal was not the blind, but the Armored Personnel Carrier.

    
      
I
broke into a run myself when a single male vampire, then a second and a third
dropped down from the limbs of the pines, descending upon the unconscious man
lying on the ground.

    
      
Breaking
away from the shelter of the blind, I ran toward the Armored Personnel Carrier
with all the effort my body could manage, only to be forced back by the
frightening appearance of a large hulking male vampire with soulless red eyes
standing between me and the security of the vehicle.
 

    
      
I
was lucky.

           
The vampire became distracted when
Fowler inadvertently ran into him. The vampire shucked the smaller human away
with a grunt as he swatted the stumbling Fowler to the ground. Before Fowler
could react, the vampire jerked him from the ground, snapping his back in one
forceful action.

           
Alive, but unable to move, Fowler
tried to scream as the vampire feasted upon him, ripping open his throat. Blood
erupted from the wound in ragged, deep red bursts covering the feasting
vampire. I could tell the creature loved the blood bath as it tore a chunk of
meat from the man. The three inch long fangs that protruded from the top and
lower part of the vampire's mouth dripped with blood, but so did much of the
creature's face and chest.

  
        
Scared
at the sight of my fellow hunter being ravaged by the vampire, I ran. In my
attempt to flee, I saw two of the more muscular guides being ripped apart by
three male vampires, who slashed and tore at the fallen men with the five inch
long razor sharp nails that lined the tips of each finger.
  

   
       
Many
of the survivors fought to stay alive. I started running away from the horror,
but at every turn, horror followed me. In my haste, I noticed there was a small
group trapped near the APC as a cluster of GV4s encircled their meal. The group
of hunters had left their rifles in the blind while moving in to officially kill
the first vampire with machetes and stakes. Dumb move since now they were
unable to defend themselves, and I was I unable to help as I had bypassed the
weapons in my own pursuit of self-preservation. I grimaced at the carnage, but
kept running.

 
         
We
had used goats to attract the vampires, but the vampires had used another
vampire to attract us. It was a nonissue. They were going to be dead in a
moment, including Senator Hatcher.

    
      
I
remembered enough from what Mr. Smith had said to know that the vampires were
limited to specific territories because of safety protocols. If I could run far
enough into another section of the Farm, then maybe I could hide until help
arrived.

           
Leaving the carnage behind, I ran
into the darkness of the canopy created by the towering pines. Stretching out
before me was forest as far as I could see. I wasn't sure if the eerie silence
I was hearing as I ran was my way of forgetting about my group or something
sinister had taken the sounds of the night. I didn't care.

           
My feet ached and my legs felt as
heavy as lead but I pushed deeper into the forest. I had neglected psychical
fitness while I was D.C. and my body was feeling the effects. My lungs burned
and a terribly debilitating stitch was forming in my side, yet I ran.

           
I had gone as far as I could go when
I stopped to vomit. Fighting the urge, I squatted near a fallen tree to rest. I
tried not to focus on the loss of the hunting party, which was filling my every
thought as I lowered myself to the ground.

           
With my back to the fallen tree, I
surveyed my surroundings. The formerly moonlit sky was not entirely blocked
from view. Small slender beams were broken by the branches above sending
scattered fragments to frame out the shadows.

           
I had no idea how far the Camp was
or how far I had ran. The distance had seemed to be miles though I wasn't sure.

           
A plan of action was needed and
waiting until morning seemed to be the best option. I still wasn't sold on the
idea of staying the rest of the night in the woods so I reached into my pocket
to get my cellphone. The cellphone was missing. Franticly, I checked all of my
pockets until I remembered during the first inspection of our equipment and
supplies at the staging area, the phone had been taken away by a man dressed in
black army fatigues at the direction of Mr. Smith.

     
     
Smith
had motioned to a group of men who had searched all of us before we left. “The
base can't have anyone taking images or uploading anything. Your mobile devices
will be returned to you after the Hunt.”

     
     
“Shit.”
I muttered as the thought resonated.

    
      
 
We had left the staging area at eleven, drove
for about thirty minutes, waited around an hour for the vampire then the world
had gone to Hell. My best guess the time was somewhere after two in the
morning. There was almost five hours before the sun would be up.

           
Running did not seem logical. I was
outnumbered, plus the vampires were bigger and faster. I might survive one
encounter with divine intervention, but with multiple attacks I would be
doomed.

 
         
The
large tree against my back gave me an idea. Spinning around, I began to dig in
the soft black dirt underneath the log. Forced to use my hands, I was surprised
how quickly the excavation proceeded. Soon, a small opening began to form until
there was sufficient room to conceal myself. Grabbing nearby broken limbs and
vegetation, I slid into my makeshift cave pulling the items into the opening to
help hide my location.

 
          
Feeling
only slightly more secure than when I was sitting in the open, I tried to rest.
The soft of the moss on the back of a large rock I was using as a pillow, and
the coziness of my newly constructed cave, did little to ease my concerns of
dying or stop me from thinking about the men I had left behind to die. My mind
wound not stop racing. The thoughts plagued me.
All the
mistakes.

           
The
sleep did not creep up on me but instead hit me swiftly and hard. I was not
given time to fight back as I fell quickly into a nightmare about sitting nude
among my schoolmates in a crowded Advanced Placement United States history
class.

           
I opened my eyes to a world still at
night. I had no idea that I had been asleep except for a minimally refreshed
feeling. How long, I didn't know.

           
Gently, I parted my makeshift door
to see if I could determine how much longer I must remain hidden. I was
startled by a sound. In the distance, I could hear the soft destruction of
items under foot.
 

           
Just as gently, I closed the
opening. Terrified, I dared not to move. My heart thrummed against my chest. Heavy
footsteps neared. By the distinct lopping sound each was making, I realized
there were at least three.

     
     
I
had no way to defend myself against one - now there was three.
 

           
Pushing far back into my den, I
prayed they wouldn't find me, but I was certain my fate would be the same as my
mentor, Senator Hatcher, and his friends.

 
          
The
uneven footfalls stopped. I knew the vampires were close from the stench of rot
and decay emitted from each of their bodies. The smell was horrible. I wanted
to gag badly, but I knew it would spell my death if I did.

     
     
A
large snort was issued by one of the vampires then another; the sounds of heavy
sniffing permeated the air. All of a sudden, a vampire leapt onto the old log
with a resounding thud causing the semi hollow structure to bend and shift.

     
     
I
felt my dwelling shudder and tilt, pinning my right ankle between the wood and
a partially hidden large rock. The ankle throbbed and swelled but I tried to
sequester my scream of pain. Trapped, I heard the vampire playfully dig its
claws into the frail bark, peeling away a thin layer.

     
     
They
were not guessing; the creatures knew where I was hiding, and I was surrounded
with no promise of escape.

     
     
I
pondered how they knew then I realized my stupidity. Of course, they could
smell me.

     
     
The
vampire on the log continued to toy with me by cutting into the flesh of the
dead tree removing bits and chunks. I could hear the scratching and knew it was
only a matter of time before he was clear of the tree and my den revealed

     
     
A
throaty deep growl arose from the left side of the tree only to be answered
with a monstrous roar from my tormentor. The growl became an apologetic whimper
in response.

    
      
Undeterred,
the vampire continued its methodical progress on the tree.

     
     
I
tried to work my foot free stealthily at first, but what was the use of hiding
it when they already knew where I was located.

    
      
Eventually,
I was able to dislodge my ankle from the confinement. If I was going to die, I
was going to die like a man. Maybe just maybe, I thought, I might be able to
take one out with me as I went down.