The Prophecy
Death

The walls around me were echoingwith the music that played in the club. People danced to the beat of whateverthe DJ played on the sound system. I couldn’t hear what song was playing; all Icould hear was the beat. It sounded like a heart beat. When the music stopped,would one of us be dead? The people kept dancing, unaware of what was about totake place in the next room -– the room I was standing in. Their lives would bethe same after they left. They would probably leave with the same people theycame with and tomorrow they would start over again.

But in this room, only one of uswould leave alive.

Daniel and I stood there motionless,only a few feet apart. This was my nightmare; I had dreaded it my entireimmortal life. I was facing the man who had waited centuries to kill me. Buthere I was, bringing what seemed like a hallucination into a reality.

Daniel was disciplined. He hadyears of training and centuries of killing behind him. He couldn’t help butshow his emotions: excitement and anticipation. I could feel his blood flowingin his veins like a rapid river. Adrenaline was pumping throughout his body,making his hands shake as he prepared himself for our fight. His eyes wereblack, his body was tense and he thirsted for my blood.

It was hard to think that only afew months ago I was living a normal life – a mortal life with bills to pay,errands to run and PTA meetings to attend. The only thing I had to fight forback then was to make it through the grocery store before the lines got toolong. Day after day I woke up to the same routine; some would even call itboring. But I was happy knowing that every day was going to be the same. Now,the things I have already done and the things I was about to do were things Iwatched in movies or read about in books. I was living an immortal life now,fighting just to stay alive.

I didn’t have a plan of attack,just the anger in my blood to prove I was still there. I knew he would knowwhat I was thinking; my thoughts would show him how I would strike. I had tothink differently. I had to think like a killer. I had to start thinking likeDaniel. I read about him in the book that Ismenia created for me. I studied itand from it, I learned how Daniel fights.

I always imagined Alex and Ifighting this battle together, standing side by side and maybe dying besideeach other. But I was meant to face this man alone. As isolated as I was, thisis how it had to be. I couldn’t help but hope that Alex and the others wouldreplace their way to freedom. I could only pray that they would be able to breakout of their cells and run as far away as they could. I didn’t want them herewith me. I was sure I was going to die this night and I wanted them to be free.I wanted them to start a new life. I wanted them to be at peace and live theireternity happily. Maybe replaceing a companion and building a home far away fromthis. I was certain that I would lose this fight and I wouldn’t be able toshare that happy life with Alex.

Daniel let out a fearsome growltelling me that he was ready to fight. We ran toward each other with our handsout, snarls coming from our mouths. We both jumped into the air, hitting eachother, our impact tossing us to separate sides of the room. I felt a scratchacross my face, from my eye down to my jaw, but it instantly healed.

He stood up slowly. “You do realizeyou can’t defeat me,” he hissed. “All the power in the world – that you thinkyou might possess – will not make me fall.”

I rose to my feet. “Are you scared,Daniel?” I paused and cracked my neck. “That a girl might be better than awashed up has-been vampire like you?”

He ran over to me and grabbed myneck. “Get this through your thick head… Nobody is more powerful than me!”

“Scared?” I whispered through mythroat.

He pulled me up, lifting me off ofthe ground. I reached over and grasped his hand trying to peel it off of me,with no luck. He was stronger than I was; there was no doubt about that. I justhad to try harder to prove I could be just as scary.

“Do you honestly think a prettylittle girl like you could make me scared?” There was anger in his every word.

“Then why are your handstrembling?”

He threw me across the room. I feltmyself flying backwards through the air. I slid down and landed on my butt. Myback started to feel like it was on fire and my arm was hanging out of itssocket. The pain only lasted a moment but I knew I had to hurry up before ithealed the way it was. I grabbed my shoulder and pushed the bone back into itsjoint. I screamed.

“Is that the best you got!?” I saidthrough my moment of pain.

He walked over to me, kickingdebris out of his way. I started to panic. I wasn’t sure what he would do next.I scrambled onto my hands and knees trying to pick myself up.

“Not even close.” He yelled.

How was I going to get out of this?How was I going to match his strength and hurt him? What did I need to do? Heleaped to my side and stood there for only a second. Then he kicked me in mystomach. I heard bones crushing and felt the cracking of my ribs, but before Icould fully feel the pain I felt it heal.

Suddenly the room was still. Themusic stopped beating off the walls and I could hear the screams of the humans,and the sound of their running feet against the ground. Something was happeningin the club but I was too weak to sense what it was.

Daniel stopped and listenedcontently. He rolled his eyes before closing them tight. “It sounds like yourprecious Alex and his friends broke free. But not for long. I have men inhiding that they don’t even know about.”

I felt happiness and amusementspread throughout my body and I couldn’t help but laugh. They were free and hecouldn’t toy with them any longer or use them against me. They would have achance to run from this place, alive, and there was nothing Daniel could doabout it. If they could get free – from the cells that Daniel probably spentendless years of construction on – they could certainly overpower Daniel’sother men.

“I wouldn’t be too eager tocelebrate. My men will stop them and enjoy killing them,” he said with a hintof sarcasm.

“Good luck with that,” I saidthrough my laughs.

I didn’t care what he had to say. Iknew that Alex and the others were immense fighters and together they wouldtriumph over Daniel’s army. They would walk away safe and sound. Daniel wouldnever try and replace them once I was dead. He wanted my blood, he wanted to hearme scream in pain and he dreamt of my death. I knew when he was finished withme he would turn his sights onto Lilith and forget about Alex and the others.

I couldn’t let him go after Lilith.I wanted my daughter and the one who made her the way she was. I wouldn’t letDaniel take that away from me. There were no reasons left for me to prolongthis fight any longer than I already had. My only reasons to listen to his lieswere fighting their way out of the club right now.

I suddenly felt a surge of braverypulsating inside of me. There was no more time to act scared; there was no moretime to train for a fight that I probably would lose. Now was the time when oneof us would reach our end. I stumbled to my feet. I felt a little woozy atfirst, but once I caught my balance the cloud in my mind cleared. Daniel stoodin front of me, examining my every move, waiting for me to strike him.

He brought his head down to my eyelevel and smiled. “You ready for round two?” he hissed.

I was tired of his voice, socynical and evil. It reminded me of Gerviase who had been so sure of himself itmade me sick. I needed to shut him up. “We’ve only been through one round?” Isaid, exhausted. But I managed to sound sarcastic.

He spread his lips to smile but Iextended my fist and punched him in his throat, tossing his body across thehall. He let out a loud cough and I heard a bone break. But as quickly as Iheard it, I saw his body tense and I knew it had healed.

I ran to his side before he couldstand and knelt down to grab him by the neck. I lifted him up so he couldstand. I wanted him to look at me, to see the hate in my eyes. He tried tospeak, but only gurgles came out.

“Are you done yet?” I said mocking him.

“Not even close,” he saidagain.

I backed up a couple of steps andkicked him in the chest. His body broke through the wall and he landed in theclub on the vacant dance floor. The club was empty of all the dancers that Ihad to fight my way through a few hours before. Only a few dead vampiresremained lying limp on the floor. My assumptions about Alex and his strengthwere right: he was able to defeat Daniel’s men.

The candles that still burned inthe chandeliers overhead cast the only light. The mirrored wall behind the barwas destroyed, leaving shards of glass along the floor. Daniel’s chair – hisglorious throne – was broken in two and each half lay quiet on opposite sidesof the room. And the curtain that once displayed the club’s name was torn downoff the wall. Blood was everywhere and torn limbs were what was mostly left ofDaniel’s men.

Daniel raised himself up smiling,as if all this fighting and all my anger gave him some sick pleasure. It wasthat taunting that insulted me. It fueled my rage deeper. This was all a gameto him; my life and my sanity were his game pieces and the club’s dance floorwas his game board.

I didn’t want to hold back. In mymind all I could see was red.I couldtaste his flesh in my mouth and feel his blood dripping down my throat. Iwanted it now more than ever. I wanted to taste him; I wanted to drink hisdeath.

I started to breathe heavily and heknew my attack was coming. We started to run towards each other, but when Ilooked into his eyes something happened. I lost my bravery; maybe I wasn’tready. Maybe it was the look in his eyes that threw me off. He threw his fistinto my face, crashing my head into the ground. The tile beneath me cracked andindented. I felt myself drifting into unconsciousness. My surroundings weredimmed to black and then I couldn’t see anything. I didn’t know if my eyes wereopen or closed. I could only here voices around me.

In the distance I heard Alex’sfamiliar voice, but my awareness of it wafted in and out. He had come back forme! Why did he want to risk his own life? He told me he couldn’t fight Daniel.Why would he take this chance? I heard loud crashing coming from all around me.I heard Daniel laughing and Alex screaming and I couldn’t do anything about it.I was paralyzed. I wanted to get up and help but my body wouldn’t move with mythoughts. Was Alex losing his fight?

PleaseGod help him, make him turn back, help him walk out the door and leave all thisbehind him.

Images started blinking though myminds darkness. I saw my wedding day and then the birth of my daughter. I sawSierra’s face, the way I knew her to be. I saw the two of us lying on the bedreading and laughing together. I saw when Alex and I talked for the first time.I saw him pull me through the orchard and take me to safety. I felt all theemotions I had that rainy night when he spoke of my mother and her death. I sawhim holding me in bed at the monastery, caressing my arm. I felt his passion inmy cold heart and I remembered how I never wanted to leave the safety of histender embrace after hearing him say ‘I love you.’

The images started to blink faster,like a strobe light. Alex’s eyes flashed before me: those captivating,beautiful blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle when he looked at me. I sawhis picturesque face, his warm smile and the way his hair would trickle downover his cheek. Alex’s smile, Alex’s arms, Alex’s love…

I couldn’t let it end this way! Hecouldn’t fight my battle for me; I couldn’t let his life end for me. He hadrisked so much for me throughout my whole life when I didn’t even know he wasthere fighting for my survival.

The blackness started to fade awayand I could move again. I opened my eyes and screamed. I scrambled to my feet.I turned around and saw Daniel holding Alex by the throat; his legs danglingoff the ground.

“Daniel, NO!” He stopped. “Thisfight is not with him! Stop fighting everyone else and fight me!” I yelled,almost begging.

He turned and looked at me. Hismouth was open revealing his fangs, ready to bite Alex. Alex’s eyes were weakand rolled up into the back of his head and his own blood was dripping from thesides of his mouth.

Daniel looked at Alex and saw I wasright. “This is your lucky day,” he told him. He dropped Alex who rolled into aball, helplessly falling to the floor. I wondered where my other protectors were.Would they come too?

Daniel started to run toward me,his rage pulsing with every step he took. But this time I was ready for him, I jumped and twisted my body around his, landingbehind him, making him stop and turn around.I crouched down and hissed.

“NO!” He yelled.

We ran for each other, but beforehe could grab me, I slid through the space between his feet. I quickly stood upand put my back against his. I grabbed his neck and flipped him over myshoulder slamming him against the ground. My rage intensified and I felt theacid stream into my fangs. I knew this would be my chance, my only chance.Daniel was confused and tired but he tried to resist it.

I clenched my fingers around histhroat, piercing his skin. “You’ll never win; remember you’re up against the Devil,”he managed to mutter.

I knelt down close to his ear. “Ialready have,” I whispered. I leaned closer and bit his neck, tightening myjaw. I felt my acid drain into his body. He started to scream with pain. Itasted his blood, it was cold and bitter but strangely enough it totallysatisfied me.

I drank as much blood as I could. Istood up and took a step back and looked at him. His veins started to showthrough his now pale skin. They were turning yellow green and his body lookeddrained. He looked dead.

But I wanted to make sure he wasdead. How does one make sure somebody who is already dead is now gone forever?I looked around and spotted the leg from his chair. I smiled and thought thiswould be symbolic: killed by the throne that he loved so much. I walked overand reached out for it, my hand shaking with fear as I grabbed it. I knelt downbeside Daniel’s body. His eyes were closed. I lifted the chair leg up over myhead and jammed it into his heart with all of my might. His body didn’t move,it didn’t even twitch. He was dead. I wiped the blood from the corners of mymouth.

I fell to my knees and closed myeyes. This journey was over. I sat there for a moment and relaxed my body. Itook a moment to look around the room and let out a sigh of relief. Finally. Imight be able to sleep tonight knowing he was longer after me. No other vampirewould have to fear Daniel.

My attention was drawn to Alex wholay motionless on the ground. I ran to his side and touched his face – he wasstill alive. “Alex? Can you hear me? It’s over.”

He opened his eyes and I saw thatbeauty I’d been waiting for. He smiled. “I knew you’d win.”

I smiled. “You did, did you?”

I grabbed his shoulders and helpedhim up. “I think this belongs to you.” He pulled out my book from under hisshirt. “We need to get out of here.”

You could hear the sirens frommiles away. I let him hold the book. “I’ll meet you outside,” I said, turning to look at Daniel’s body. Alex walkedout slowly, looking over his shoulder at me only once.

When he was gone, I walked up toDaniel and stood over his body. I thought all my hatred would be gone when hedied, but every second I felt more and more anger. I thought things would bedifferent, but things felt the same. I knew there was one more creature outthere: not fully a vampire and not fully human. No, Daniel couldn’t hunt mydreams, but Lilith could. She needed to be stopped.

I looked at his shirt pocket andsaw a pack of Camel cigarettes. I studied his hand, with his silver crestedring still on his pale finger. I knelt down, slid the ring off and examined it.The crest symbolized where he came from, depicting his father’s crown and theslithering snakes of evil. I gently placedit on my own finger. His heritage was now mine. No vampire would fear his crestany more because it would be worn by his killer. It would now be the symbolthat there is freedom and that somebody is there to fight for it.

I grabbed his cigarettes and openedthe pack: a Zippo lighter was inside. I took a cigarette out and lit it. Whocares how dangerous it is for my kind. I just defeated the undefeatable. I tookmy very first drag and blew out a white cloud of smoke. I held the Zippo in myhand; the fire still burned. I looked at the flame and then looked at Daniel. Iwas remembering what Jessup had said about fire. I threw the Zippo towardsDaniel’s body. He lit up instantly and the firespread quickly to the destruction around him.

I couldn’t help but smile from earto ear as the flames increased. This is what he had intended for me: that hewould be standing beside my burningbody. But here he was, in my place. I turned and walked out, taking anotherdrag of my cigarette.