The Red Guard: Vampire Hunters of Vatican City

Chapter One - Lost

Chloe would admit that if you were going to get lost, Rome was the perfect place for it to happen. There were few places with such beautiful art spread throughout the city, but she couldn't admire it anymore. Instead, her eyes scanned the throngs of people for her boyfriend. The narrow roads had her totally confused.  She'd left her wallet and phone on her bed, which hadn't been such a big deal until she'd been separated from Derek in a crowd. Now she couldn't find him and was hopelessly lost in these winding streets.  If she could find her way back to the Colosseum, she'd have some chance of un-losing herself.

As she noticed the sun starting to  get lower on the horizon, her heart skipped a beat and sweat started to form on her brow. Chloe knew that everything looked different in the dark and she wasn't sure she'd be able to find her way. Taking slower breaths, she forced her mind to focus and calm her panic. She looked around for any landmark she'd  seen earlier. There was a beautifully carved fountain to her left and another gorgeous building with incredible detail to her right. Nothing was ringing a bell in her mind. Nothing really looked familiar. Chloe cursed her forgetfulness as she tried to quell her racing brain. If only she'd remembered her phone, then she could call Derek and they could somehow find each other.

As the sun went down there were fewer and fewer pedestrians about. She thought it rather odd, since it was such a vibrant city. When she thought of it, though, she and her boyfriend hadn't stayed out exploring after dark.

She started to wonder about her boyfriend. Was he looking for her as frantically as she was looking for him? Or would he be back at the hotel expecting her return any moment? She huffed to herself. It would be like him to assume she could figure it out. Usually he was right, and she hoped he was this time as well.

Her stomach growled as she walked aimlessly down a new alley way. She looked around, trying not to appear desperate, for something that she recognized.  A clearing appeared before her and she sagged with relief as the Colosseum rose up in the distance. Chloe kicked it into high gear and started walking quickly towards the structure. She knew her hotel was not far past it.

After about twenty minutes, she made it back to the hotel. Chloe smiled at the guy behind the counter as she walked by the guest services desk. He smiled back at her as she ran up the stairs. As she made her way up, she briefly assessed her feelings. Which was going to win out when she saw Derek? Being mad that he hadn't been out looking for her? Or being so relieved to find him again that his apparent lack of regard for her didn't matter so much?

Chloe jammed the key in the lock of her door and turned it, eager to be back in the safety of her room. She opened the door and found the room empty. The window was open and nice cool breeze was blowing into the room. But there was no sign of Derek. Oh my god, she thought. He's still looking for me! She couldn't believe it. It was really, actually, quite unlike him. He wouldn't even wait for her at the mall if she took too long. He'd just go and wait for her in the car without a word of notice. She frowned.

Remembering her phone, she walked quickly to the bed. She dialled his number, but it went straight to his voice mail. His battery is probably dead, she thought. She wasn't sure what to do. Irritation had consumed her when she'd wandered the streets, thinking that he had not been out searching for her. Meanwhile, here she was in their hotel room safe and sound. And he wasn't. Chloe thought about going out to look for him, but figured she was more than likely to get lost again.

 Finally, she decided to watch some TV until he got back. If I've learned anything about Derek over the years, it's that he always makes his way home, she thought, and he will this time, too.

She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face and brushed her hair. She thought about putting her pyjamas on, but she didn't want him to think she hadn't been worried at all when he finally did get back. So, she just took her pants off and got under the covers on the bed. Calm down, Chloe, she thought, he's fine. He'll be home soon. The TV clicked as her fingers pressed the power button and voices hurried on in Italian that she didn't understand. Slowly, with thoughts of Derek circling through her mind, she drifted off to sleep.