Dracula's Descendant

The night was chilly. The frigid breeze howled through the wide-open window on the fifth floor of a drowsy apartment building in Bailey County. Scott Anderson was sound asleep on his black leather couch, exhausted from a long day. He was so drained that he didn't even have the energy to walk to his bed and collapsed on the couch instead.

The moon had been out for quite some time, leaving only the street lights to guide the weary travelers home. Something about this county in Texas didn’t feel right that night. It was as if something was prowling the dark alleyways in search of some helpless prey.

“I need help! Help me, please!”

A desperate cry followed by full fisted knocks on the wooden door of Scott stir up with a start. It was very dark inside Scott’s apartment that for a moment he really thought he was dreaming.

“Oh no…”

There was no doubt now. It was the terrified cry of a young lady, who sounded like she was nearly out of breath.

“Who’s there?” Scott grabbed his cell phone and quickly switched on the flashlight and jumped out of the couch. He was still in uniform, except for his hat that looks like that of a cowboy. “Is anyone there?” he asked one more time but there was no response.

Hastily, he slipped into his shoes without relenting. On reaching his door, he slowly held the metal doorknob, he fell an icy chill run through his fingers and seep into his body. With his cell phone in his hand, he twisted the lock inside his palm and carefully opened the creaking door. It was really dark outside and the darkness was so blinding that even in the bright of his phone flashlight, half of the hallway was visible.

“What in the hell happened to the lights?” he mumbled with his eyes fixed on the dead bulbs.

Cautiously he looked around and then he glanced the time on his wrist watch. It was past 2 AM. No wonder none of the neighbors cared to open their door. Scott was so desperate to see the end of what’s happening. He couldn’t shirk off his duty. Scott works at the Sheriff’s department as a Deputy and unlike most of his squad mates; he took his oaths to seriously. His passion and desire has been to save lives and protect the citizens from any danger.

Although he would have liked to dismiss the incident before him and go back to bed believing it’s all a bad dream but his heart wouldn’t listen to his inner thoughts. He gently locked the door from the outside and set off to search for the young lady whose cries he thought he had heard.

He boldly followed the long dark hallway to the elevator and pressed its steely button. The power had been out for some days now and the elevator was as dead as the dead bulbs in the hallway. He decided to take the stairs.

Scott narrowed his eyes on the path ahead and focused his gaze as he slowly made his way down the wooden staircase which creaked under his shoes. But he never bothered of the old apartment building that desperately needs repairs.

As he reached the foot of the stairs, he was surprised when he saw the front door wide open. He was filled with mixed feelings as well when he saw no one around.

Not quite long as he was gazing around, he heard a very horrific loud cry and immediately he rushed outside the building, towards where the cry was coming from.

“This is the Sheriff’s Department!” Scott shouted as he quickly reached out to his side pistol without hesitation. With the pistol held firmly between his sweaty fingers he felt bold enough to enter the dark part of the alleys.

During his years in the police academy, he had read reports of chain snatchers and robbers mugging people in the alleys during the dark hour of the night. As the case may be, he was puzzled why the young lady ran back outside after knocking on his door. Could she have been dragged outside by the robber or what? If that be the case, then, there won’t be only one robber down here. However, no robber can follow a victim inside the building and drag her outside. This seems like a ganged work of multiple robbers.

“This is Deputy Anderson, requesting for back up. Suspected gang violence,” he spoke into the talkie after some initial hesitation. “I repeat, this is Deputy Anderson, requesting for back up. Suspected gang violence,” he added. He was not sure if there would be any response because he has been warmed by the Sheriff not to call for backup without confirming the situation.

There was gunshots fired. The sound of 3 gunshots fired in rapid succession rang out with a deafening noise. Scott instinctively ducked behind a dumpster taking cover. “Multiple gunshots fired. I repeat, multiple gunshots fired. Requesting for immediate backup at Lane 7!”

A bloodcurdling scream escaped from the shadowy alley before he could get a response from his department. His heat race inside him as beads of cold sweat streamed down his smooth cheeks. At this time he knew he can’t wait for backup anymore that he really need to act quickly.

He steeled his failing nerves and breathed out a puff cold air and sprang back to his feet. He then pointed his gun and cell phone forward. He yelled in a loud voice, “The Sheriff’s Department has you surrounded. Drop your weapons and come out with your goddamn hands above your head!”

There was no backup neither was there anyone in sight but he really need to act up with a bluff. At every step he felt the stifling darkness around him thickening. The street lights were all out. His teeth chattered as an unnatural coldness cut through his uniform and brushed against his body.

As he was about speaking, “Come out with your…” his words were pushed back into his drying throat as the light from his phone flashed on the mutilated corpse of a young lady wrapped in a red clothes. At this time, it was really clear from the lady’s stitched attire that she was most probably a tramp.

Blood was oozing out from her neck like a bite but from the look of things he was unable to really say what it was. In her right hand was a shotgun still smoking from the gunshots which were fired a few moments ago. He made sure that no one was around and then he crouched down to examine the lady’s bite mark on her neck. He put his finger on the lady’s neck but there was no pulse.

Scott was about to check the wounds when he caught a glimpse of a shadow that swiftly jumped on top the wall. Scott without hesitation flicked around and fired his gun. To his greater horror, all the shots he fired had no effect on the shadow. The shadow turned into a muscular man with fangs and claws and lunged at him from the wall.

Before Scott could react, he had already dug its claws into Scott’s heart. Scott’s eyes gleamed with horror as the dark night closed in on him forever and his limbs went limp.

“Dispatch unit on the way Deputy Scott! Backup is heading to Lane 7 right away. What’s the situation on ground? I repeat, what’s the situation on ground?”

The radio on Scott’s shoulder kept making announcements but it was already late. Scott’s disemboweled corpse now lay beside the female victim.