The Sturniolos' Assistant

Chapter 15: Supportive

As I'm walking back to the villas, trying to come up with a plan, I can't think past my anger. I'm mad that we were lured here by vampires, I'm mad that the boys didn't believe me, I'm mad that Matt didn't stick up for me, I'm mad that Jack only told me a fraction of what's going on, and I'm mad we can't call for help. Before I know it, I'm running back to the maintenance building on the golf course, there's no time to get a golf cart. When I get there, out of breath, I step inside.

    "Jack!" I yell and step over all the wood he was unloading the other day.

    "What?" he yells from the second floor. I look up and he's sharpening a wooden stake with a knife. 

    "Vampires?" I ask. "Are you serious?" 

    "Yes, I'm serious." Jack walks down the stairs.

"Vampires," I say again. I believe that it's real but saying it out loud seems like it isn't real.

"Bloodsuckers. Demons. Creatures of the Night. Whatever you wanna call 'em."

    "Is everyone here a vampire?" I should've believed him earlier, why would he lie about supernatural beings?

    "Vampires come and go here. I don't know which guests are vampires this time around. I like to keep my distance." He sits down at a table and continues sharpening the stake. 

    I think I know who's a vampire this time around, Cassie, James, Ray, and Louis. I'm 99% sure, but how do I know if they're vampires for sure before I do something crazy like stake them? Just the thought of them being vampires and hanging out with Nick, Matt, and Chris has me on edge. Are they going to kill them? Have they killed anyone since we've been here? Can they be killed by a wooden stake? Can we make it off of this island alive? Wait, hold on.

    "If you know there are vampires here, why don't you leave? Or call the authorities? Why do people still come to this island?" I storm up to him and catch him off guard by my tone, but I don't care. If he's not stopping people from coming to this island, then he's part of the problem.

    "Don't you think I've tried? Once I figured it out, I tried to escape but they caught me, and I made this brilliant deal with them that I'd be the maintenance guy if they let me live as a human. So, I'm trapped here."

    I take deep breaths as I look around at all the stuff in this maintenance building. It's not a normal one like the one at my last job. There's a kitchen, dining area, and more rooms on the second floor. Jack's been living here and I'm afraid to ask him how long he's been trapped here. I sat down next to him.

    "What should I do?"

    "Get your friends and get outta here." He wipes the wood dust from the stake with his tank top. I run my hand through my hair. If only it were that simple. Jack sighs.

    "Your friends drank the blood, didn't they?" He frowns, showing his disapproval, but I look away. It's not their fault they drank the punch. They were being deceived. 

    "Here." Jack hands me the stake he was working on. "Drive this through their hearts."

    "What? Are you crazy? I'm not going to kill them." I stand up and throw the stake to the ground. "Is there any way I can get them back to normal?"

    "You have to kill the head vampire. Once you kill the head vampire, all half-vampires will become human again."

    "Head vampire?" I ask, like it's some messed-up club.

    "Yeah, do you have any idea who it could be?"

    "I think so. Can you help me? Have you ever killed a vampire before?"

    "Yes, and it's not something I wanna do again." He stands and grabs another piece of wood. I follow him and look into his eyes.

    "Please, I need your help. I don't know what the hell I'm doing." I blink away tears. He doesn't answer me, but I know he's going to say no. I just don't know why. "If you're not going to help me, then why did you try to warn me about the vampires? And why me? You're clearly not warning anyone else who comes here."

    From far away, Jack looks intimidating with his large muscles, untamed beard, and scar, but up close, he looks different. The way the light is hitting his eyes through his long eyelashes make him look younger and afraid. Like someone who has been trapped here for who knows how long all alone. He sighs and takes a step back.

    "Take some stakes and my cart, I've got another one. They're most vulnerable when they're sleeping during the day. Hit 'em in the heart." He holds out the keys to his cart. I know he's scared, but he has the chance to help me kill some vampires and potentially escape his prison. I feel the anger creep back into my chest. I snatch the keys from his hands.

    "You hide out here while everyone else is either getting turned into a vampire or killed out there and you could try to stop it, but you don't. You're a coward."

Jack clenches his jaw, trying not to let his emotions through. I don't think he's upset about what I said, he's upset because he knows that I'm right. I feel bad for calling someone I just met a coward, but he's letting people die and I want him to take responsibility.

"I have people I care about, and I will stop at nothing to protect them. I don't know if I'll be able to save them by myself but I'm still going to try. So, if I die, knowing you could've helped me... I hope you can live with that." I storm out of the building. He clearly cared enough to warn me, but not enough to fight vampires with me.

I get in the cart and wait to see if he follows me, but he doesn't. I drive away, leaving Jack safe in his shelter... alone.