#4 - I'm Going To Disney World

By Adam Koeth

This issue is recommended for Mature Readers only!

I hate Disney World.

It makes me ill... the screaming children, the dishevelled parents, the smiling, waving mascots, the cutesy rides. I feel my stomach heave as I climb out of my hiding place.

Night has fallen in Orlando. It wasn't too difficult finding a place to hide out during the day. You just have to know where to look. The repair shop seemed like as good a place as any... and nobody had found me. There were still security guards to worry about, but it's a big park. I should be able to do what I have to do before the guards even realize someone else is in the park with them.

As I crawl out, I can almost see the vampire's beady, red eyes looking out at me from the darkness. I know they're here... I don't know how many there are, but I know they're around. Leeches are something else that make me ill... leeches and Disney World.

Something... someone... produces a short cough in the darkness.

"Hello again."

The little girl's sweet voice hits my ears as I get to my feet. It should be a sound of innocence, naivete. But there's something sinister, evil about it. I've been waiting for this for almost a week now, chasing her all the way from Atlanta to Orlando, Florida. She giggles again, not knowing how much I want to rip her limb from limb, and continues.

"I'll bet you want to know how I got to that boy during the daytime. Don't you, Blade? You're a very curious person, Blade... and you know what they say about curiosity and the cat..."

"How many?" I ask before I even realize the words were escaping my lips. Now she knows where I am... have to move quickly before she gets to me through the dark. I CAN see in the dark, thanks to that bastard Frost biting my mother as I was being born... but I can't see as well as they can. The blessing and the curse of being a half-breed.

She giggles. It's like a thousand fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. "I don't know, Blade... I can't count that high!" The girl's giggles grow into uncontrollable laughter... apparently she liked her little joke. "But you'll find out soon. They're all around you, waiting for my signal. Waiting to suck the blood from your veins, waiting to totally make you one of us."

Instinctively, I reach to my back and take the sword from it's sheath. I still don't know who's sword this is, and I don't know how powerful it is. The vampire in the sewers... Jean-Paul... seemed particularly excited to see it, but it's mine now.

Something shuffles behind me. Quickly, I bring my body around, swinging the sword, and decapitate another child vampire. It's body momentarily bursts into flames, then crumbles into a little pile of dust. Apparently they didn't wait for her signal.

"Oops," the girl says, giggling. "Guess they're a little anxious. I haven't let them feed in a few days, Blade. We've been waiting JUST especially for you!"

Thanks a lot, kid.

They swarm out of the darkness at me, all claws and fangs. There has to be at least twenty of them... maybe more. I know they're children, and it's not really they're fault... but they have to be put down.

They're still vampires.

Silently cursing the little girl, I take apart her little army of kids before they can do too much damage. If it weren't so damn dark, I could probably do better. No. No excuses. Just kill them, no excuses.

Suddenly, I'm overwhelmed by the feeling that I'm being watched. Again. It happened on that street, before I entered the sewers and fought Jean-Paul. I know it's not the girl, or her minions... I would have felt this sooner. Whoever it is, they're certainly not helping me. Must be another vampire. But why don't they attack?

"Blaaaade," sings the little girl. I can hear her skipping towards me, but I can't see her yet. I feel a warmth on my arm, and realize that one of the vampires managed to slice me up a little. Without warning, the little girl is in front of me, grinning. "Boo."

What a comedian.

I swing my booted foot out at her, trying to catch her with the steel toes, but she ducks out of the way. She tries to trip me up, but I regain my balance and lash out at her with the sword. It catches her across the cheek, and I relish the scream that escapes her lips. It sounds... nice.

"You... you..." she mutters. She's angry now... very angry.

Good.

The girl leaps onto my chest, her fangs right at neck level. Taking a few involuntary steps backward, I meet up with and trip over a car from Splash Mountain waiting to be repaired. As I tumble to the ground, the girl still on top of me, I push her away with my free hand. She flies through the air but manages to land nimbly on her feet a few yards away.

She rushes at me again, but this time I'm ready for her. Jumping to my feet, I thrust the sword forward, plunging it into her chest. Somehow, she manages to move forward a few inches, sneering, but eventually loses all of her energy and stops.

"Son of a..." the little girl manages to say before she, like many of her minions before her, crumbles into a small mound of ash. The smell is rather unpleasant... more unpleasant than when I offed her offspring. She must have been very old indeed.

Once again, the feeling of being watched pervades my senses. Whirling around, trying to find the source of the persistent distraction, I peer into every corner of the room. Among the darkness, one of the shadows seems to move momentarily, but when I rush over there is nothing there.

This is really pissing me off.

New York City

Soft music played in the background as a man, his hair black and long, his skin pale yet curiously dark, played a game of chess against himself. It's a game of skill, meticulous planning, and a little luck. He leaned back in the chair, mulled over the next move, and watched the flames dance in the fireplace.

The door to the room opened as another man, dressed up in a well-tailored suit and tie, entered. He crossed the room, knelt down on one knee in front of the chess player, and waited patiently.

"What is it, servant?"

"Lord Ra-Tet," began the kneeling man, his eyes still lowered. "Our spies have spotted the hunter, Blade, in Florida. It has been reported that two nests of two different clans have been destroyed by his hands."

Ra-Tet turned away from the chess board and looked at his servant, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Two different clans lost nests? Which ones?"

"The Dwellers, under Jean-Paul Nevau," said the servant. "The other clan is still unkown. We should know soon though, my lord."

"See that you find out hastily, pet," said Ra-Tet. "Lest you join them in oblivion's embrace." The Egyptian vampire reached down, gently caressed the man's face with one hand, then plunged two of his fingers into the servant's eye. "Your scream is delicious, pet. Now go!"

The servant, his eyeball burst and bleeding, stumbled to his feet and weaved his way out the door. It slammed shut behind him, but Ra-Tet could still hear the man's quiet whimpers of pain.

"So the great Blade attacks my enemies for me," said the Egyptian, turning his attention back to the chess game before him.

"Excellent. Most excellent."

Elizabeth Van Helsing watched as Blade crossed the amusement park's empty parking lot. She watched as the hunter got onto his motorcycle, turned it on, and manuevered his way toward the exit.

"At least he didn't blow anything up this time," Elizabeth thought to herself, watching Blade speed toward the park's gates. Suddenly, he stopped the bike and turned it around. "What... ?" she muttered, curious as to what he was doing.

Blade sat on his bike, looking around the parking lot, but for what?

"He knows I'm here..." thought Elizabeth, trying to hide herself more. If he saw her now, the society's experiment would be over... and Whistler would not be happy.

"Damn!"

Astride his motorcycle, Blade frowned. Elizabeth watched from her vantage point as the hunter turned his motorclycle around, revved the engine, and raced out of the park's gates.

"On the road again..." said Elizabeth to herself, sighing. She crossed the parking lot, hopped over the park's perimeter fence, and headed toward her car. "This had better be over soon, Whistler," she thought. "I'm getting sick of following him..."

Feedback