Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Revenge of the Vampire Teeny-bopper: Finale

I'm sorry I didn't finish this in a timely manner. Being completely broke does tend to affect one's schedule.

So, at long last, the riveting, spectacular, jaw-dropping, romantic, (Insert 12 obnoxious adjectives), finale of the Revenge of the Vampire Teeny-Bopper!

Finale:
To faint, or not to faint? But that wasn’t the only question. How did they get to... wherever they were? Why was she standing in a coffin? And where did Jason go?

Mandy tried to ask, but her mind was too boggled, and everything came out in a jumble.

“It’s alright.” Eddy said, rushing to her side. “I’m here. It’s fine.”

He helped her out of the coffin, and hugged her tight against him. Mandy was too scared to care how awkward it was. She buried her face into his shoulder and tried very hard not to cry.

“They’re real. They’re real!” She squeaked.

“I did tell you.” He said. It was a calm, gentle voice. Not the usual I-told-you-so tone that she generally expected from him. She felt a little better, but it didn’t change the fact that her whole perception of the world had just been run through a paper shredder.

An eerie moan echoed through the dark room. Mandy clutched Eddy’s arm a little tighter, and he pointed the flashlight in the direction of the sound. They saw nothing.

Then again, in the far corner, a groan and a horrible creaking sound.

“Let’s get out.” She whispered, but Eddy seemed not to hear her. She tugged on his arm. “Come on. I think there are some stairs.”

“Right.” Eddy replied, but he sounded distracted. The light still pointed into the corner.

Mandy couldn’t see anything without the flashlight. She tripped over several more large wooden objects before giving up and returning to Eddy’s side.

“Please, come on.” She begged.

“Okay.” Eddy grunted.

Before he could turn to follow her, there was a loud pounding followed by a crash. A lid exploded off of one of the boxes in the corner. Mandy could see a pale, blood covered hand. It rose slowly from the box, followed by a thin figure, dressed all in black.

The creature groaned again, and turned to face them.

“Jason!” Mandy screamed, and grabbed Eddy’s arm. She towed him as fast as she could through the piles of crates and old junk. But Eddy was unconcerned. Either that, or he was entranced by the creature.

She stopped and slapped Eddy across the face. “Don’t let him trick you. We have to get out. Come on!”

Jason stumbled out of his coffin in a very un-vampire-like manner.

“Mandy?” He asked, sounding confused.

“Keep away, you... you... undead thing!” She cringed, and wished that she had thought of something a little better.

“Mandy, get away from him! NOW!” Jason shouted.

“I won’t listen to you! Your vampire charms won’t work on me!” She said far too loudly, and began again to tow Eddy along toward the stairs.

“No, Mandy! Please, don’t!” Jason called out. He tried to rush toward her, but he slammed his shins hard and doubled over with a groan.

Mandy paused. Everything she had ever heard about vampires said that they were graceful and strong. At the moment, Jason didn’t fit that description in any way. She looked at him a bit closer and noticed that he, too, had a black eye, and several bruises.

“What’s going on?” she asked as calmly as she was able.

“Why don’t you ask him.” Jason said grimly. Despite her resolution to ignore Jason, Mandy couldn’t help but turn to Eddy.

“Eddy? What is it? Come on, we need to go.”

Eddy didn’t move. He just glared at Jason with hatred.

“Ask him why we’re down here.” Jason continued. “Your best friend. He knows.”

Finally Eddy spoke. “You monster. You demon. Seducing the girl I love with your charming ways. What other choice did I have?”

“I’m the monster? At least I don’t try to frighten girls into liking me!”

Eddy glared, and Jason stumbled a little closer.

“What do you mean, Jason? Eddy?”

“He did all this. Set it all up to try to make you like him instead of me.”

“No! You’re a vampire. You’d say anything. I can’t listen to you.”

Jason looked hurt. “I did lie to you a little. About all that weird stuff in my hallway. But not about this. Please, Mandy.”

“No! Come on, Eddy. We’re going.”

“Eddy! Tell her! Tell her now!” Jason ordered. The tone of his voice and the sincerity with which he begged were so convincing. Mandy had to concentrate hard to keep herself from believing him.

“Mandy, it’s alright. No one is going to hurt you.” Eddy said to her, again in the soft voice that she had never heard him use until that afternoon.

“But if he’s a vampire...” she said in a weak voice.

“No one will hurt you.” He repeated.

Eddy and Jason were glaring at each other. Neither moved. Both were breathing hard. Both had bruises. They had obviously been fighting in the dark, before Mandy had found herself inside the coffin.

Eddy had blood streaked down his face, and Jason had some on his clenched fist. That, at least, made sense to her. But something else didn’t. The bruises. Could vampires bruise? Could they bleed? Could they run out of breath?

“Tell me the truth. Now.” She demanded. Eddy didn’t look away, but Jason lowered his eyes and slumped a little.

“Mandy, vampires are real. And there is one in this room. But it isn’t me.” Jason’s voice was almost a whisper. “He’s the monster. He set all of this up.”

She looked at Eddy, who had the decency to look ashamed.

“I suppose it was bound to come out sooner or later.” He mumbled.

“It’s TRUE?!” She shrieked.

“I’m a vampire. But I’m not a monster!” he insisted. “I was trying to protect you from him. He’s the bad one.”

“Excuse me!” Jason started, but Mandy stopped him.

“Explain yourself this instant, Edward Devereaux!”

“Vampires aren’t undead or anything. They’re just creatures. Humans are one kind of creature. Vampires are another. With modern technology and everything, we get along fine, now. No one gets hurt. But back in the olden days, we got hunted. We got tortured and killed, just for being different.”

“Being different meaning ‘drinking innocent people’s blood’, I think.” Jason interrupted.

“Shut it.” Mandy ordered. “Keep talking, Eddy.”

“Our people had to live somehow. It’s the circle of life. No one complains when lions eat a gazelle.”

“The gazelles aren’t too happy about it.” Jason said, but stopped again when Mandy gave him her death glare.

“Anyway, that doesn’t matter anymore. With all the modern conveniences, we can live together.”

“How old are you, Eddy?”

“Seventeen.”

“How long have you been seventeen?”

“Six and a half months. I’m younger than you are by three days. I told you, we aren’t undead. We’re just like everyone else. Living, growing, dying. We don’t hurt anyone. But some people can’t seem to let that go.” Eddy growled at Jason.

“What does that mean?”

“You know how, a long time ago, if the dad was a carpenter, the sons would all be carpenters too? Or if the dad was a shoe maker, the sons would all learn shoe making? Certain families chose the profession of vampire hunter, and passed it down from father to son. And there are some of those hunters in the world that still kill us. That still think we’re a threat to the humans. His family was one of those groups.”

“Is that true?” Mandy demanded of Jason.

“Yes.” He answered sheepishly. “That’s why we have all that weird stuff in our house. It’s anti-vampire equipment. But I swear, we don’t use it. My gramps was the last one who actually hunted a vampire, and that was over 50 years ago. We’re getting rid of it after he’s gone.”

“Oh, and you just happened to show up here and hit on my best friend by coincidence.” Eddy spat.

“Yes, actually. I didn’t even know you were a vamp. Not until I walked into your house and got all dizzy. I don’t hunt, but I can’t help the genetics.”

“Whatever.” Eddy grumbled bitterly.

Something told Mandy that it was all the truth. As crazy as it sounded, it was definitely real.

“I never wanted to kill anyone. I don’t want to go into the family business. My dad didn’t either. He’s a dentist.” Jason insisted.

Before she knew what was happening, Mandy was kissing him. He was shocked, at first, but definitely the good kind of shock. When they broke apart, she stammered,
“I don’t know what made me do that.”

“Trust me, I don’t mind.” Jason replied with a ridiculous grin.

“I do.” Eddy complained.

Mandy marched over to him and slugged him in the face.

“What a left hook.” Jason muttered. “Remind me not to ever get on your bad side.”

“Hey Jason, don’t ever kidnap me, stick me in a coffin in a dank basement, and pretend that I’m about to become undead just so you can get close to me.”

“Duly noted.”

Eddy groaned. “Why?”

She helped him up off the floor. “I can’t be with someone who gets so jealous that lives get put in danger.”

“I didn’t mean it to be like that.” He protested.

“Oh, come on. How else was this going to end? Did you even think it through?”

“Not very well, apparently.”

“Eddy, you’re still my best friend. And I forgive you for all of this. But never. Ever. EVER. Do that again. Got it?”

“Duly noted.” He smiled a little, but it looked like it hurt.

“You’ll find the perfect girl for you.” She smiled. “Now, lets get some ice on that eye.”

“Butterbeer anyone?” Jason asked, as they marched up the stairs.

The End

1 comment:

Jennifer said...

how long have you been seventeen?

..six and a half months.