The Dead Game (21 page)

Chapter 33

O
nce again the basement resembled a plain basement: with pipes, a boiler, and cobwebs completely covering all of the surfaces. Linda couldn’t figure out how the vampires had been able to distort reality so well that the cobwebs had returned to their same exact locations without appearing at all disturbed.

She didn’t even mind that the stairs were wet and slippery—just as long as she was able to use them to leave this horrible place once and for all. She energetically bounded up the stairs, eager to leave the dreadful house forever.

Outside the bright sunshine hit them in their faces. Linda found the light refreshing—much better than the darkness that she’d been living in for the past few weeks. Checking on the others, she noticed Sam and Shana walking hand in hand, happily laughing. She was pleased to see that her best friend had finally found happiness.

But when she caught sight of David wrapping his arm snugly around Louise, she was certain that her eyes were deceiving her. She would never have figured them to be a couple, but somehow they seemed perfect together: David with his rumpled clothes and Louise with her designer outfits. Opposites do attract. However, Mike didn’t appear too happy; he was busy scowling at both of them.

She asked Todd the question that had been on her mind since their return to End House. “How did you figure out that Shirley and her group were at End House today?”

Looking sad, Todd began to explain, “For some time I’ve suspected End House to be the center for all the evil in town. Many people have disappeared from this house over time: never to be seen or heard from again. The last family disappeared only five years ago.

“Wolf had originally built End House to be his own private domain, where he could freely torture and kill people without any witnesses. Some even say that he trapped vampires in the walls and in the house’s foundation to terrorize the unsuspecting victims. His sophisticated computer system closely monitored the upstairs rooms, tracking the desperate paths of his human victims before they disappeared forever from this world. While he falsely pretended to be the leader of the world’s vampire population, he carried out in secret his own reign of terror at End House.

“By implementing a complicated system and at the same time using illusions and shape-shifting, he had us all confused. Sam and I couldn’t figure out if humans or demons were controlling End House. We had heard of The Dead and their evil games; this had led us to initially believe that the house was vampire-driven. We have always suspected that the final showdown between vampires would occur at End House—the beginning of it all.”

“Do you believe that Tom and Edward could still be alive somewhere in End House?” asked Linda.

“They might be stuck in another dimension that we as humans can’t see. I will have the elders look further into this; there still might be a way to locate them.”

Linda nodded her ahead in agreement. “I know that they have to be here somewhere; we’ll have to keep looking for them.”

Todd smiled at her as he continued, “Wolf even successfully fooled Leanne, Reece, and Diane. I hadn’t suspected him at all; that is until we found the pictures at End House with wolves in their backgrounds and the engraved wolf on the ceiling of the library. Then you confirmed my hypothesis by finding proof to Wolf’s link to End House: his position on the board of the company owning the house. Hayden, however, had suspected him all along; he’d only pretended to be his faithful servant to keep a watchful eye on him. Hayden has always been the stronger vampire; he’s been around for centuries.

“Unfortunately, Wolf’s reign of terror at End House had not completely satisfied his need for evil and destruction. His insatiable lust finally led him to form his own subversive group of vampires. The Dead brought fear and death wherever they traveled in the world. They easily lured unsuspecting humans to their lewd sex parties and games; the perfect beauty of vampires made them irresistible to mere mortals. The more human blood they’d spilled and the more fear they’d aroused in humans, the stronger they became. Wolf was the one who planned the deadly party at End House. His plan had been to exterminate all humans and human vampires of Oasis that night, thereby establishing this town as his base of operations. From this base, he planned to launch a worldwide attack on all the vampires who’d refused to join his evil group, leaving only his malevolent group of vampires to rule the world.”

Shana interrupted, “Where did the human vampires in town fit into all this?”

Todd patiently explained further, “Hank, Shirley, Minnie, and Frank joined The Dead some years back. They obediently followed Wolf until they became weary of his tiresome games. At some point, they decided to bring the whole operation to a quick conclusion by beginning their own murder spree in town. That is when tourists began disappearing. I believe their last victim was the private investigator—who’d been posing as a photographer—and was later found dead on the beach. After Hayden vanquished Wolf, they attempted to hide their own activities by framing Gregg, Judy, and Ryan. They set up their apartments to resemble vampires’ lairs, tightly sealing them against the sunlight. Tonight, they planned on killing the rest of the town; but luckily for us, they failed.”

Shana curiously asked Todd, “Do you mean that Minnie, Frank, Hank, and Shirley were true vampires? They looked and acted like everyone else in town. When did they turn into vampires?”

“Vampires don’t appear different on the outside from humans: what’s inside is what really matters. Humans and vampires could be good or bad—just like we’ve seen here. Each person has to choose his or her own path.

“As for the answer to your second question,” continued Todd, “they must have been vampires for a number of years already. I’ve always suspected them of some kind of duplicity, but I’ve never been able to pinpoint exactly what they’d been involved in.”

Linda commented sadly, “When I originally questioned Minnie and Frank about the End House party, Minnie quietly tried to warn me that things weren’t always what they seemed. Maybe she was feeling guilty and was trying to warn me. I feel so bad that I didn’t listen to her. It must have been Frank who attempted to drown me; the swimmer had his size and shape. He looked angry every time I visited their store. Maybe Minnie didn’t even know the full extent of the evil lurking inside of him.”

“It was Frank who tried to drown you. Minnie might have gotten herself involved in something that she couldn’t get out of,” agreed Todd.

“We’ll never know,” she responded sorrowfully.

“Maybe Minnie never transformed into an evil vampire like the others. She didn’t participate in the bonfire of Sam and Todd,” Shana suggested.

“Then she died a hero, who was valiantly trying to warn me. I’m going to remember her like that,” exclaimed Linda.

“Anything is possible. It’s very noble of you to believe in the good of people. That’s what makes you so special,” whispered Todd as he softly kissed her on the head.

Sam spoke up. “At least we got rid of Carl. He was a bad seed from the beginning.”

Todd agreed. “He was bad as a human; imagine how bad he would have been as a vampire.”

Mike was still confused about the whole vampire situation in town. He confronted Todd. “What about the shadows that were spotted at the time of Diane’s exclusive parties, and each time there was a full moon? Who or what were they? How…?”

Todd interrupted, “At the time of Diane’s parties, members of The Dead roamed the town at night to spy on the visiting vampires and our secret meetings. They were desperate to ferret out information that would help them destroy the peaceful vampires around the world. But we were very careful and they never gained access to the private events. As for the shadows recently stalking all of you, they had to have been the turned human vampires from town who were attempting to terrify you. It was part of their grand plan of bringing murder and mayhem to town.”

Louise asked, “How did I end up on the beach after Shirley and her gang had tried to hang me?”

“You can thank Gregg, Ryan, and Judy. After they resuscitated you at the gazebo, they left you safely on the beach. They also saved David by pushing him down the flight of stairs leading from End House to the beach, so that he would be out of reach of the flying creatures. They were very busy that night, coming to everyone’s rescue. In addition, they led your group to the door in the basement that allowed you to escape from the wild animals.”

Louise ran over to the human vampires, “I owe you guys my life. I am forever in your debt.”

Gregg quietly answered, “It was our pleasure; it was just part of our job description.”

Mike sighed, “There are just too many players in this game; it’s much too hard to keep track of everyone.”

“Let’s not think about vampires anymore. Instead, let’s have a barbeque for dinner on the beach tonight—like we had at the beginning of this horrible game!” Shana announced.

“That’s a great idea! We’ll see everyone tonight at 6:00 at the beach,” agreed David. “And Todd, don’t forget to bring the wine.”

“Too bad we can’t join you, we have to work this evening at the hotel,” Judy responded, turning to leave with Ryan and Gregg following close behind her.

David waved goodbye to them. “You’ll join us next time.”

Mike was upset. To this group, a party seemed to be a cure-all for whatever ails you—even vampires, he thought derisively. David looked happy again, wagging his long bushy tail with his new lion girlfriend batting her long eyelashes at him. And still, all was not resolved.

Everyone returned to their cars and rode back to town, weary but happy that all the evil in town had been finally stamped out of their lives for good. They had no idea that they’d all conveniently forgotten about the one person who still remained to ruin their perfectly laid plans.

Chapter 34

R
eclining on a beach chair in the sand, with a newspaper lying open on his lap, Todd was carefully observing everyone. Mike and David were busy grilling the meat while Shana, Louise, and Linda were setting the table. They were happily joking around with each other. But he still had a very uneasy feeling deep inside. Their enemies had been successfully taken care of and everyone was safe and here with him; however, he felt like one piece of the puzzle was still missing.

During the meal, Todd remained lost in thought. He couldn’t figure out how Wolf had always been one step ahead of him. His informants had always been already dead when he arrived to meet them. In addition, Diane kept security very tight at the secret meetings at her house, meticulously employing different private security companies each time, but dark, lurking shadows were spotted at these events. Someone had to be leaking inside information to the followers of The Dead. He had told Linda and the others that their parties had never been infiltrated but unfortunately, they had been. In his defense, he had lied only because he didn’t want them to live in fear any longer of their own shadows.

He noticed Linda quietly watching him with a concerned expression on her face. As he attempted to join in on the cheerful conversation, his attention kept wandering back to the unanswered questions still lingering in his mind. How had Shirley and her group controlled the Father’s actions when they’d been just newly turned vampires and therefore, not yet strong enough to possess such extensive powers of their own? Maybe someone else had pulled the Father’s strings…and everyone else’s strings in town. He would have to just wait and see: eventually this person would have to reveal his or her identity.

The weather had started out calm and balmy, but as evening drew near, a strong wind approached the shore, aggressively kicking sand and rocks in their faces. As they were attempting to clean up before everything got blown into the increasingly angry waves of the ocean, they were hit with winds that were insistently becoming more violent. Abandoning the rest of their belongings, they were forced to seek shelter inland. As they approached the apartment complex, loose pieces of roofs and trees flew over their heads.

Linda screamed over the sound of the gusting winds, “How could this storm have become so brutal so fast to have blown off roofs already?”

“It looks like we’re being attacked by a supernatural force again,” Todd shouted back.

“I thought we’ve gotten rid of the bad element in town,” protested David.

“No. I believe there’s one more person involved that I shouldn’t have overlooked from the beginning,” replied Todd in an exhausted tone of voice.

“Who’s that?” Shana queried.

“Since I’m not absolutely sure, let’s just wait and see if I’m right. The safest place for us to be right now is at the town hall: It is the town’s shelter and is also the oldest and sturdiest structure in town. We should be safe there.”

They raced through town, carefully dodging broken windows and fallen trees. Garbage cans were being lifted in the wind, strewing garbage through the deserted streets. The wind was taking on a strange circular path through town. The sky turned very dark—almost black. Lightning was streaking through the sky, followed by loud rumbles of thunder. As they ran down Main Street, lightning lit up the streets that were being harshly pummeled by the swirling gusts.

They found the town hall standing tall and strong against the wind and all its violent elements. They charged up the staircase and ran through the front double doors that were already standing wide open. Todd hoped that they weren’t entering another trap, unhappily remembering Wolf’s doors that had been also waiting open for them. This time, Father John was in the doorway.

“Hello, Father! Is anyone else here?” he yelled.

“No, just me,” shouted back the Father.

Shana asked, “Father, why are you here and not at the church?”

“The church has lost its roof and its beautiful bell tower. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t witnessed it with my own eyes. The church has stood strong and solid for over two hundred years and has never been damaged by any storm. And we’ve had plenty of storms much more vicious than this one.”

“We’re now facing a new danger that can destroy everything in its path,” announced Todd. He was hoping that his guess was wrong: that they weren’t about to meet an indestructible force head-on.

“What could be worse than what we’ve already faced?” asked David. 
Need you ask silly lion? There is always something worse,
Mike gleefully thought, rubbing his imaginary hands together in anticipation.

“Me!” shouted Natalie smugly as she floated before them in the large hall.

She appeared almost transparent, hovering ominously above the floor. 
What kind of creature are we now facing?
Mike wondered.

Refusing to show his fear, he sarcastically commented, “Maybe this is just an apparition created by wizardry or a vampire’s great imagination.”

Natalie didn’t dignify his remark with an answer, but instead, pointed her finger at him and released a stream of lightning that blew a huge hole next to him—right through the floor. Jumping back in amazement, Mike decided that it was time for him to be quiet.

“What are you?” asked Linda.

“I am a vampire’s worst enemy; I am the La Santa Muerte or the Skeleton Saint! I am the Saint of Death!” She began transforming before their eyes—her skin peeling away from her body to reveal its skeleton beneath. She was standing before them in a long black nun’s robe with a scythe in her left hand, a crown tilted precariously on her bony head, and her deep eye sockets burning a deep red.

“I am the black Saint of Death, which brings revenge and destruction for its followers. My sisters are much weaker Skeleton Saints: the Red Saint promises love for her people, the White Saint provides protection, while the Gold Saint rewards her worshipers with money and financial support. My followers are seekers of vengeance and I provide all forms of revenge for them. I am the most powerful of all saints!”

“You have followers?” asked Shana.

“Our followers pray to us for help. They throw feasts in our names. We provide for those who sacrifice to us. I have a large following in a nearby town. I am a true god to them!”

Shana asked, “What is sacrificed?”

“Stupid human! What do you think is brought to me? Human sacrifices, of course.”

“I had thought that the La Santa Muerte was a belief held only in Mexico. We are pretty far from Mexico,” wondered Todd out loud.

“Our beliefs have spread throughout the world. We’ve been around for centuries, originating from the Spanish La Parta, or the female Grim Reaper. Our main purpose is death and destruction.”

“Why are you the vampire’s worst enemy?” mumbled Mike.

“Vampires have always assumed that they were the sole rulers of the world—that no one could possibly defy them or ever replace them. In Mexico, true believers have brought us back with their sacrifices and prayer. We haven’t been seen since the La Parta or Grim Reaper had disappeared many years ago to never show her face again.”

“How did you suddenly become a saint?” Mike believed that important pieces to this puzzle were definitely missing.

“I’ve always possessed dark powers, passed down to me from my mother and her mother before her. My mother worshipped the black arts. Before her death, she gave me her books on magic that explained about spells and potions, and mostly about great power. She had warned me that I had to rule with an iron hand—that only fear would bring full allegiance from my followers.

“One day, I came from work to find my house trashed. Someone had been desperately searching for something. My papers were strewn around the rooms. My grimoire, which was my mother’s sacred book of spells, was missing. I then realized that I had been finally discovered. The Dead weren’t happy with their new competition; they didn’t want any interference with their deadly games. Originally, I’d kept below the radar. We’ve always practiced in secret—in people’s homes and in well-hidden temples.

“Soon after, Wolf approached me and ordered me to leave town. I told him that I refused to leave my home and my people. He took me by surprise. I was attacked, tied up, and left in the gazebo. A girl was being strung up from one of the rafters. This was not the way my reign was supposed to have played out: I was supposed to be worshipped and treated like a god and not trussed up like a turkey!

“With the girl hanging from a noose and the vampires dancing in a circle around us, I desperately tried to escape my ropes, but I was tightly tied and gagged. Then the human vampires ran in to save the day. The girl was resuscitated and I was untied and set free.”

“They should have destroyed you that day!” ranted Shana.

Ignoring the caustic comment, Natalie continued with her story, “A vampire slayer’s spell had backfired, thereby giving me my sainthood. I am now stronger than any vampire or any other creature on earth. I cannot be killed like a vampire—I am invincible! A vampire can be burned to ashes to be completely annihilated, but I can live forever!”

“What happened to the wooden stake in the heart that is supposed to kill vampires? And…” murmured David.

“Not only are you a useless human, but also a stupid one. Stakes only immobilize vampires, while fire destroys them forever,” glared Natalie, boldly interrupting the human. Mike agreed with her that some humans have no reason on earth for existing.

“Are there others like you?” asked Mike, fearfully hoping that there weren’t more of these creatures running around: multiplying.

“I am the only one.”

“Had you been one of The Dead before the spell?” asked Shana.

“Yes. I had been one of The Dead, posing as Todd’s assistant,” Natalie began to explain.

“That was how you knew in advance about all my plans and meetings,” Todd continued for her.

“Yes. You had been fooled for so long. Your nature is too trusting for you to ever be a good vampire.”

Todd watched as Natalie puffed up her body, attempting to appear larger than her mere petite frame allowed her to be. He was disgusted with her for fooling him; but more importantly, he was disgusted with himself for not seeing through her clever ruse of posing as his faithful assistant. He hissed, “It had to be someone who’d been aware of all my plans in advance—to be always one step ahead of me. You were the only one who had prior knowledge of all my meetings and social engagements; the one who constantly pried into my personal life; the one who leaked privileged information about our secret gatherings. You sicken and repulse me.”

He glared at her with hatred burning brightly in his eyes. Natalie stared back with a bold look of victory and satisfaction.

“Let me understand this: You were one of The Dead and then a spell made you a saint?” asked Shana.

“I cast a vanquishing spell on her,” explained Father John.

“How?” asked David.

“With a spell that had been passed down from my ancestors,” further explained the priest.

“Why would your ancestors have a vanquishing spell?” asked Todd, suddenly suspicious.

“I come from a long family line of vampire slayers. I’ve remained in this godforsaken town only to fight the relentless stream of demons. I’ve killed countless numbers of them over the years, but there are always more of them coming to town. I had decided to try the vanquishing spell in my ancestor’s spell book, but regrettably, I messed up and ended up with this deformation of nature,” explained the Father, pointing his finger at Natalie.

“That’s enough already! I’ve listened to enough of this silly drivel! I will now rid this town of all you do-gooders!” cried out Natalie, transforming once again into the robed skeleton. She was holding a huge fire ball in both hands. Shimmering in the heat of the flames, she lifted the ball above her head. She laughed deliriously at the power she commanded over the mere mortals.

Throwing the ball of fire toward them, Natalie cackled in glee as the fire spread through the room. In the flames appeared faces of people, young and old, chanting in unison the name of the saint, La Santa Muerte, over and over. The chanting grew louder as the flames intensified and spread further into the room, closer toward the group huddled together at the back wall.

Bright flashes of lightning lit up the room’s floor to ceiling windows. The lightning bolts that hit close to the building emitted eerie sizzling sounds. Debris flew through the air; trees and pieces of buildings flew by the rain-splattered windows. The whole building rumbled and shook. 
Oh no
, Mike realized, 
lightning hit the building!
He watched as the ceiling began to crumble and bricks fell from the walls onto the ground.

A strange sound hummed from the outside, becoming louder and louder. Mike could hear distinct flapping noises. Then the tall windows around the room abruptly shattered. Swarms of flying creatures crashed through the glass. They were circling above them. They were big, black, and furry. 
Oh,
 
God!
Mike shivered. 
They were bats! No, something was off about them. They were much too big to be bats!

As the creatures swooped down toward them, Mike realized that they had human faces. Human faces on big furry bodies. It was as if the gates of hell had opened up and released the worst creatures into their world. They continued to fly down at them, over and over again, with their sharp claws extended, grabbing at them.

“Run! I’ll vanquish her again!” yelled the Father.

Mike grimaced. 
We are all doomed if we have to rely on the Father and his unreliable spells.

Todd took Linda’s hand and pulled her behind him to the closed door at the back of the room. She looked over her shoulder, yelling for everyone to follow them. They all began to follow, except for David, who proudly proclaimed, “I cannot leave the priest behind.”

Tugging on his arm Louise begged, “We must leave! He’s trying to save everyone! Let him be a hero! This way some of us could make it out alive!”