The Chase

The Chase Ch. 2

 Ginger's P.O.V

My hands were shaking uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe I just did that. That brave façade I put on was just that, a façade. In reality, I was scared senseless. I couldn’t look at that thing, let alone plunge the needle into the beast’s still heart. I watched as it closed its eyes involuntarily.

“Take him away and get Sadie back home. She’s blacking out, fast,” I ordered.

Luke and Donovan handled the bloodthirsty monster while Emma hauled Sadie up. She was partially awake but not completely coherent. The once still night air was now heavy with tension and anticipation. I looked around, my mind on high alert. If that one was lurking around then there was bound to be others not far from here.

We walked the seemingly deserted streets, the vamp in tow, and Sadie fighting to stay awake. She’d already lost a lot of blood and at this rate the other bloodsuckers would be able to smell her from a mile away. The scent was like a drug to them, it was enticing and addicting, and it made it a lot harder to stop hunting once they began. The smell of fresh blood would cause a riot. I pressed a napkin to Sadie’s neck but it seemed the blood wouldn’t clot. She’d bleed to death.

Our safe house was just on the horizon. Although sunrise was a few hours away, we weren’t safe, not yet. My eyes scanned the road ahead. No sign of them. It was driving me insane. If they were going to attack why not just do it? They enjoy the chase, that’s why. They enjoy smelling the adrenaline pulse through us, the sweat trickle on our brows, the fear crash through our hearts. It sickened me. Burnt out streets lights buzzed in the silence of the night. The fast shuffle of our feet against the pavement and our shallow breathing were the only miniscule sounds that would most likely give us away. The air was filled with shrieks as we scrambled through alleyways trying to get back to the house. I constantly searched over my shoulder for any indication that we were being followed. My pulse pounded in my ears and seemed to bounce off the brick walls we kept close to. Things were beginning to get crazy again. The frenzies always began close to sunrise. Fights for blood only caused more bloodshed. There wasn’t a shred of sanity left in this world.

“Tie him up in the basement while we take care of Sadie,” I said to the guys.

We had reached the house and shut the door quietly behind us. The abandoned bag Sadie was once carrying dropped from my shoulder. She did well considering she went out during the most dangerous time. I took the food she salvaged and stuck it in the fridge.

 “Emma?” I called.

“Yeah?”

“Is she still bleeding?”

“Let me check,” she replied. There was a long pause before she said anything again. “A little.”

I grabbed a few medical supplies from the crumbling cabinets. This house was fairly decrepit but it kept us safe and alive. Electricity worked fine here apart from the random blackouts. We had hot water and the security system we established worked perfectly although it attracts a lot of unwanted attention when tripped. I handed off the supplies to Emma, not wanting to see the blood. I understand this was no time to be squeamish but I couldn’t help it. Guns and spray bottles filled with fake holy water didn’t make a child an adult.

“She won’t turn into one of them…will she?” asked Emma.

“I’m not sure. My great-grandmother told me this urban legend before she died but I wasn’t sure what significance it held. She says in Italy, if a child was bitten by a vampire that their hair was cut and a lock was thrown into the fire.”

“I don’t think Sadie would want us to cut her hair.”

“My great-grandma also said that a linen bag with a pinch of salt in it was hung around the child’s neck. It’s supposed to prevent them from turning into a vampire.”

“How do you know if it’s too late?”

“I don’t know,” I said ruefully.

 I should’ve paid more attention when my grandma was telling those crazy stories. My mother told me it was just ancient folklore and that grandma was trying to scare me. I shouldn’t have believed her. I stared down at Sadie’s pale body.

“She’ll be fine,” I said, more to myself rather than to Emma.

I clomped down the stairs, the sound of my combat boots echoing through the basement. Donovan and Luke were finishing up when I arrived. I glared at the unconscious creature slumping in its chair. He’d be awake in a few hours. Until then, I’d run a few harmless tests. Note the sarcasm when I say harmless.