Lighthouse Horror Podcast - I'm a VAMPIRE. I'm Trying To Stop The End Of The World | Scary Stories

Episode Date: September 16, 2023

We're not all evil.   Story from Head of Spectre Make sure to check out more of their work at u/HeadOfSpectre                           Original Post: The Divergence of Yuvuz : r/TheCrypticCompendium                                     Original YouTube link: I'm a VAMPIRE. I'm Trying To Stop The End Of The World             For more stories like this one, check out my YouTube channel: Lighthouse Horror | YouTube  Patreon: Lighthouse Horror | Patreon Merch: lighthousehorror.com  Music: Lucas King - YouTube Myuu - YouTube  Incompetech Darren Curtis Music - YouTube Thank you for listening to this scary story! If you enjoyed this new creepypasta story, please check out some of my other horror stories. We'll be uploading new episodes every day, featuring ghost stories, haunted encounters, mysteries, true stories, creepypasta, and anything supernatural and paranormal. Don't miss out on the thrill and suspense that await you in each episode!

For hundreds of years, there's been rumors of vampires living among us, but what would you do if you actually met one? If you ever meet Robert Marsh, well, consider yourself lucky, because while he is still a vampire, there are much more evil things out there. Here's the story. Laura was a lovely young thing. She was bright-eyed, intelligent, and destined for a lifetime of success. I wish I could have spent more time with her, but... Romance is something that has never worked out for me. There could never be any future between us. She had her whole life ahead of her, and ambitions to pursue, while I was staring down the barrel

of eternity, knowing that there was nothing ahead of me. My life was lived solely in the moment, with no thought wasted on either the past, or the empty potential of the future. Yet despite our innate, incompatibility. I didn't decline her advances that evening, and for that I feel an immeasurable guilt. Perhaps I could have simply taken what I needed in a quiet corner and left her to recover. But she was young and wild. She wanted to take me for a ride, and I felt inclined to let her do so. We went bar hopping that night, trying all sorts of liquors and cocktails. I held mine far better than she held hers, and I made a point to keep an eye on her to ensure that she didn't take things too far. Before the clock struck midnight, I implored her to slow down and switch to water.

She'd sobered up a little bit by the time she invited me back to her place around three hours later. Naturally, I declined at first, not wanting to take advantage. We were both still quite drunk, but with her lips on mine and her arms around me, she impressed upon me. She impressed upon me. that she was very much interested in me. So I gave in and spent the night with her. And what a night it was. In our afterglow, I held her close. She drifted off into a deep sleep in my arms. I could feel the blood coursing through her veins, and I gently brushed the dark hair off her shoulder before sinking my teeth into her soft, unbroken skin. Young blood is always so much more satisfying. I drank as much as I could without harming her, and while she lay asleep

beside me, I cared for her and wrapped her wound before I slipped out for the morning. When she awoke, she would likely attribute her new injury to some accident she'd had while drinking. We would almost certainly never see each other again, and if we did, I doubt she'd remembered much about me through the haze of drunken memories from that wonderful night. Vampirism has not been something I've particularly enjoyed. I suppose that besides immortality, there is the benefit of having seen the stranger aspects of the world. I've been acquainted with mermaids, fay, and supernatural entities both good and evil.

I've seen parts of the world that no mortal eye would be able. was ever meant to see, and I know secrets that mankind is not meant to know. And I did all of this long before my current employers hired me to protect the unsuspecting world from the more dreadful things that lurk in its dark corners. Yet my days and nights repeat themselves, as I march drably onwards towards some unknown oblivion, my many names lost to history over and over again. Right now, my name is Robert Marsh, although in 20 years my name will be something else. I am a vampire, albeit unwillingly so, and despite the parasitic nature of my ceaseless existence, I do try and contribute to the

betterment of the world around me. And it was my efforts to contribute that led to the phone buzzing as I left Laura's house that morning. I answered it as soon as I saw who was calling. A call from Detective Rick Davis is something that I know better than to ignore, even if I'd known where that call would soon lead me. I still would have answered. There's no denying destiny. The hotel room was a mess. But that was hardly a surprise. surprise. Davis had waited for me by the door. He was the only other living person inside. I imagined he'd sent his associates out before I'd arrived. Best that I not mingle with them too much. Davis didn't need to say a word at first. The dead girl on the hotel bed said enough.

Staring at her, I was able to piece together enough of the story to tell me just who she was. Her fishnet stockings and leather miniskirt told me she'd been a prostitute, and the injection marks on her arms told me she'd had a history with drugs. In the end, I doubted it was drugs that had killed her, though. Judging by the look on her face, the disembowlment had probably been the cause. Her stomach had been cut open vertically. Her entrails were spayed out on the bed, soaking the sheets in her blood. Despite the mess, I could tell that there were things missing, namely her kidneys and uterus.

Davis stood behind me, letting me take in the details of the crime scene. He was silent for a few moments before at last he spoke up. Third one this week, he sent. Always some doped-up hooker in a cheap hotel just like this. Room was registered to a Jeffrey Buck, Considering that the last one was John Deere, well, I got a feeling that the name won't get us anywhere. So why call me then? I asked, as I looked back at Davis.

If you're worried about other girls, you've got the wrong vampire. Call Eastgate. This seems more Hartman's territory than mine. I can't imagine that either myself nor my organization would be much help here anyways. Those wounds are clean. Surgical. This isn't exactly supernatural. Maybe not the method, but I'm a little more concerned about the motive.

With the first girl, it was her heart and liver. Last one we found had her skull very meticulously cut open. They were after her brain and they wanted it intact, he said. Huh. Maybe a cannibal, I asked. Or perhaps an Oregon harvest. Somehow, I don't think our Vic was walking around with much in the way of prime real estate, as far as the black market is concerned.

David said. Kelly Pollard. She had a record. It's exactly what you'd expect. Possession, prostitution, assault. Even without that. You can tell she wasn't exactly the... picture of health before all this. I might buy that it was a cannibal if we didn't find

her kidneys in the dumpster out back. Just so happens that we found the liver of the first Vic thrown away too. My brow furrowed. David stared at me intently. You think it's a cult, I asked. Well, right now we're missing a heart, a brain, and now a uterus. Right now our best case scenario is that he's eaten them. I want to know what our worst is." I studied the corpse again. Whoever had done this had clearly been straight to business. There hadn't been much of a struggle. They'd been strong enough to pin Kelly down and gut her alive. While she didn't seem to be the strongest woman alive, I doubted that would have been an easy feat for just one person. And a group suggested.

something more than just a simple cannibal as well. I'm not exactly the expert on occult rituals, detective, I said. There's an endless list of things you can summon with human organs, especially the three that were taken. Let's say this was a cult, whatever they're up to can't be good. I think I can safely say that whatever they could let out, it's not exactly something we'd want unleashed. I'm talking about a class four, maybe even a class five entity.

Class five? Davis asked. His eyebrow raised. English, Marsh. Apocalyptic at worst, I said. Anything class four and over generally has the potential to end society as we know it. Class five is a guaranteed existential threat. They're almost always physical gods, although as for exactly what they could try and summon.

I'm not really sure, I said, would this help at all? He asked. He reached into his jacket, taking out a manila envelope. He offered it to me, and I snatched it out of his hand. I opened the envelope and took a look at the pictures inside. They were from another hotel room, with another dead girl. Judging by the damage to her chest, I assumed it was the first victim. However, in this picture, it was clear that something had been painted on the ceiling, a strange

circle with a twisted symbol inside of it. It wasn't a symbol I recognized. That was on the first crime scene, Davis said as I studied the picture. We saw something similar a few blocks away from the second murder. I leaf through the pictures to see what he meant about the second symbol. You find anything near here? I asked. Not yet, but I think we will, he replied. No bells, I take it? No, but I have an associate I can run this by.

A fe. They're generally better versed in these things. All right, do it. I'll let you know what we dig up, Davis said. His phone buzzed and he looked down at it before letting out a satisfied huff. One of the boys got access to the camera in the lobby. You feel like joining me for a look? Matter of fact, I would, I replied. I looked away from the body on the bed. Lead the way, detective.

Davis shewed some of his other officers out of the hotel security room as we entered. I caught a few of them giving me curious glances that, I didn't return. One of the hotel's employees had queued up the video by the time we'd arrived. Davis gestured for him to leave when we were both inside, and the employee did so quietly. As soon as we were alone, the detective played the video. I could see various figures moving around the lobby, but only one of them was familiar. Kelly Pollard was waiting in the lobby, Very much alive. The timestamp suggested that this had taken place around 8 p.m. the night before. Davis glanced at me to confirm that I saw her too. My attention remained fixated on Pollard.

Jeffrey Buck, I said. You didn't happen to get a description of him, did you? Sure. Short brown hair, brown eyes. Caucasian. Sound familiar? I laughed here. humorlessly. That description would have fit either of us, and God only knew how many people on the screen had that look. Then I saw someone approach Pollard. My eyes narrowed as I watched them. They sure as hell weren't Jeffrey Buck, but I still recognized them. Davis looked over at me again as he saw my eyes narrow. What is it? he asked. I watched as the new woman on the screen spoke to Pollard.

Unlike Pollard's fairly trashy attire, the newcomer wore a lovely evening dress. I couldn't tell the color on the black and white recording. Something dark. I watched as she took Pollard's hand and coaxed her towards the elevator, no doubt leading her up to the room where she'd meet her fate. Are there cameras in the upstairs halls? I asked. None, Davis said.

Looks like a bit of an oversight if you ask me, although this place isn't exactly reputable. What did you see? Davis asked. That woman who came up to Pollard, you recognized her. Yeah, I recognized her. I replied. I've dealt with her before. Really?

So what is she? Where wolf? Another siren, maybe. Human. I replied. But not the sort who I'd imagine would be getting involved in something like this. I'm going to need about 48 hours, detective. Can you give me that? Forty-eight hours? It's asking a lot, Marsh. What are you going to do? My investigation.

I'll send you whatever intel I get on that symbol and anything I can get from the girl. All I ask is that you leave her to me. If she's involved, she's not the one in charge, but maybe she can tell me who is. Davis didn't look satisfied with my request. But after a few moments, he sighed, Oh, fine, do what you got to do, he said. But after 48 hours, I'm going after that girl. If I don't have anything in 48 hours.

I'll give her to you myself, I replied. Davis and I traded a nod before I left the hotel and stepped out into the morning sun. Many people believe that sunlight kills vampires. It does not, but our bodies are more attuned to the night. The daylight is almost blinding to us, and it dulls our senses. I returned home to my cozy little apartment after I left the host. hotel, and after a little bit of digging to make sure I still had the address, I turned in for a short rest. It'd be better to contact her in the evening anyways.

My rest was not an idle one, though. The photograph of the occult markings that Davis had found were emailed to a colleague of mine, a siren by the name of Jody West. Most sirens are decent enough people. They're hemivores, much like vampires, although they're primarily amphibious and have a closer relation to mermaids. Unlike mermaids, however, they aren't complete monsters. Jody and I had a decent enough relationship, and the girl knew more about Faye and the occult than most. It wasn't less than an hour after I'd emailed Jody that I got a phone call in response.

Mar, she there? I recognized Jody's voice immediately. Physically, yes. Mentally, who knows. I replied, you got something I take it? I do. You said that the local PD found these at a couple of crime scenes, right? I'm guessing there were missing organs as well.

Well, well, how'd you know? I asked. So, what terrible thing is someone trying to bring into the world this time? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. This is some high-level shit, though, and I mean high-level. We're probably looking at an attempt to summon a class five. My brow furrowed. I'd been afraid of that.

I'm guessing you don't know which? There haven't been many documented attempts to summon any class five entities in the past 50 years. People generally know to steer clear of them. If I had a bit more info, maybe I might be able to get you something. What organs were missing from the victims? Brain, heart, and uterus so far, I replied. And Jody seemed to think for a moment. Huh.

Well, that might indicate some sort of rebirth entity. I'll look through some of my sources, see what comes up. Please tell me you've got more leads than this, though. I've got one that looks promising. I replied. I'll follow up on it shortly. Well, don't drag your feet and be careful. Anyone trying to summon a class five is either desperate or crazy.

Both are things you don't want to mess with. Stay safe, okay? You too, I replied. Class five. Shit. I rubbed my temples inside as I recalled. the face of the woman I'd seen on the screen. Della rose.

What the hell did you get yourself and do? I hadn't spoken to Della in the five years since I'd left her. Five years wasn't much for me, but for her. I imagine it must have felt like a lifetime. There was no malice in what I'd done. I'd loved her. But as I said before, romance is something that has never worked out for me. There's not much of a future to be had between.

myself and a mortal. I can't sire children in the traditional way, and most of my friends are either immortal like me, or have lifespans far beyond any normal humans. I don't think she cared, though. Perhaps I was selfish, abandoning her, so I wouldn't need to watch her grow old and die. I'm sure she thought I was. Whatever the case, even if we didn't regard the passage of time in the same way. Returning to her apartment after all those years was difficult. I'd done my recon before I made my move. I checked to ensure she had the same address,

and I'd waited until she'd returned home from work. From my car, I'd watched her walk into the apartment building before I followed her in. Yet, as I knocked on the door, I felt an unfamiliar creeping anticipation as I waited for her to answer, as well as an irrational fear that she might not. answer at all. Hearing the click of the lock and the sound of the doorknob turning, strangely did nothing to ease my discomfort, nor did the familiar sight of her long ginger hair that so perfectly framed her lovely freckled face. Her piercing green eyes fixated on me, the recognition in them clear,

and she did not open the door all the way from me. There was a tension in her that I immediately recognized, though if it was from discomfort at seeing me again, or something else was hard to say. What do you want, Robert? She asked. Her tone was unwelcoming. All the same, I was offered a weak smile. Nice to see you, too, Della. I replied.

Mind if I come in? I do, actually. She said. You didn't answer my question. My smile faded. I'm here on business. I'm afraid. Did you ever meet Kelly Pollard? The recognition in her eyes was impossible to deny. Kelly, she said softly. She hesitated for a moment before sighing. Yeah, I saw her just the other night.

Why? Someone killed her last night, I said. Footage from the hotel puts you at the scene. Della shifted her weight uneasily. She chose her work. words very carefully and kept a very close eye on me. I met up with her, strictly business. When I left, she was still in the hotel room and she was alive, she said. Strictly business, I repeated. She didn't elaborate. The implication was clear, but I didn't buy it.

Della liked a great many things, but cheap prostitutes weren't one of them. Why do you care? She asked, I thought your people only looked into the supernatural, ghosts, monsters, Faye and all that. So you do know something? I interrupted. She tensed up, glaring at me. I didn't kill her, she said.

And I don't know who did. Last time I checked, you weren't technically a cop, so why don't you get the hell out of here and leave me alone? She tried to close the door, but I stuck my arm. arm through to stop her. The pain of having the door slammed on my arm didn't really phase me. Della, I'm here to help you. If you didn't kill her, then I need to know who did. She pushed my arm out of the door, and as she moved, I caught a glimpse of something in the apartment behind her. On a table, I saw some sort of sculpture. At a glance, it looked like two bulls, but I could

see only their top halves. They looked joined. together. I don't know, she snapped. Now, leave me alone, Robert. You made it very clear that we're done and I'd like it to stay that way. With that, the door slammed in my face. I raised my hand to knock again, but stopped myself. She wouldn't answer.

I'd gotten everything I could out of her. I sighed and turned away. The image of that sculpture stuck in my head, though, and as I returned to my, and as I returned to my car, I took out my phone to dial Jody's number. Huh. So it was two bowls joined as one, right? Jody asked. Just the top halves, but yes, I replied, as I drove back to my place. That sounds familiar. Give me a sec, okay? Right, okay. It matches the common depiction of the god Yavus. Can't say there's a lot of

info available on him. First reference to him was on some 6,000-year-old Minoan pottery found on the island of Crete. Some people think it was an early version of the myth about the Minotaur, although when you look at actual ancient Minotorian poetry, there's a few early references to Yavus as a malignant deity. Minotorian poetry? I asked. As in poetry by I... Minotors, yes. Why do you sound surprised?

You've never met a minotaur? I have not, I admitted. They're more or less extinct nowadays, but back in the day, some people hunted them for glory. It's a real shame. They were delicious. Anyways, back on topic, I found a few other scattered references throughout a few other cultures that I think might allude to Yavus and none of them sound good. There's a vague summoning ritual that involves creating an icon of flesh, which would permit

it to come forth and usher in something called the divergence amongst its faithful. Just what that is, the text don't say, but considering the things required for the golem, I'm guessing that's what we're dealing with. So what else would they need for the icon? asked. Well, they've got the heart, uterus, and one of the brains. They'll need one more brain, a host body, and two severed bull heads, the heads they can probably get without causing much of a fuss, but the second brain and the body.

We're looking at two more victims. I said quietly and swore under my breath. I imagine that Della's new friend would move up the timeframe of their plans once they realized I was digging around. That couldn't be allowed to happen. Thanks, Jody. I'll pass along the relevant news to my friend and the local PD. We'll find whoever's running the show here and we'll shut it down. Good luck. I'll do a bit more dig-in, see if I can find anything useful, but no promises. Watch your back, Marsh. I always do. I called Davis as soon as she'd hung up. No need to hide my findings.

The man deserved to know what he was up against. My friend got back to me on those symbols. I said when Davis answered, it's definitely a cult. Whoever's responsible is going to kill two more times and soon you're going to need to move fast if you want to stop them. They'll likely use the final Vic to complete their ritual and the results won't be good. It's always good news with you, isn't it? He murmured. I don't suppose you got any idea who's behind this.

Not exactly, no, I replied. But I'll keep an eye on my lead. She wasn't exactly forthcoming with information, but I got a feeling she'll lead me to a bigger fish. I'm just going home to pick up some supplies. I'll keep you posted over the next 36 hours. All right. Well, stay safe, Marsh.

I'll talk to you soon. With that, Davis hung up as well, and I was nearing my own little apartment. I didn't intend to be home for long. My plan was to get some of my equipment, swap vehicles, and have myself a good old-fashioned stakeout. Not the most exciting way to spend my time, but it had gotten me results in the past. I parked my car in the underground garage before taking the elevator up to my apartment. As I unlocked the door and stepped inside, I could immediately send it.

I wasn't alone. I've mentioned already that vampires are more attuned to the night. We see better in the dark, and my waiting assailants didn't seem to realize that. An ordinary person might not have seen them lurking in the shadows of my hallway, nor would they have picked up the scent of their sweat, or have heard their hearts beating. I sighed wearily as I looked into the darkness at the masked figures waiting for me. Predictably, they wore crimson robes and bull masks, all but confirming that they were the moronic servants of some malevolent entity, that they'd somehow convinced themselves wasn't all that bad.

Hello there, I said. And I saw them tense as they realized that I saw them hiding in the shadows, and I calmly took off my coat before rolling up my sleeves and loosening my tie. I turned on the dim lights of my apartment. I counted about five men surrounding me. Good effort, I said plainly. Now, if you don't mind, let's do this like civilized people, please. Who'd like to begin? There was an uneasy silence in the air before I got a volunteer. One man drew a hatchet and ran for me, screaming bloody murder all the while. I think I could have taken him down 500 years ago when I was still mortal, but vampirism had given me a bit more of an inch, as he tried to swing the axe

at my neck. I simply ripped it from his hands and struck him across the face with the blunt end of it. I didn't kill him, God no, but I at least left him with one hell of a concussion. With first blood shed. The other four came for me at once. Axes drawn. There's only one single human who has ever successfully overpowered me. And while none of these people were on her level, they were still moderately strong. Their real strength came in numbers. They swung violently and wildly, and it was difficult for me to evade them. I managed to drop the first one who came for me by sidestepping him and slamming his head into my wall. The effort left me open to another assailant who buried his axe into my shoulder and spilled the precious blood I drank from Laura earlier.

I spun around, catching him by the throat and smashed his body against one of the other men. The last of them also tried to come at me from behind, but this time I was ready. I caught his axe before it could touch my flesh and ruin my shirt further. Then I kicked out at him, knocking him on his ass and keeping his ass. axe. One of the men on the floor kicked my legs out from beneath me, and I hit the ground hard. One of the men immediately climbed on top of me and raised his axe to split my skull. I had no choice but to drive the one I'd stolen into his throat. That was one man down. I could see one of his friends getting up, so I tossed the body at them before leaping to my feet.

I reached back to my shoulder, wherein axe was dug in deep. With a grumny. of pain, I tore it free, just as another one of the assailants slammed against me and sent me staggering into my living room. In the dim light of my apartment, the light from my window provided the most illumination. The assailant came for me again, swinging his axe, and uninstinct I grabbed him and tossed him aside. I hadn't intended to throw him out my window, but he went through the glass all the same and plummeted to his death below. Two men down. Three to go. All three of my assailants had their axes at the ready, and with my own stolen weapon in hand, I waited for them to come to me. They didn't disappoint. Two of them came for me at once, simultaneously swinging their weapons in a desperate attempt to kill me. I leapt back a step. One of my attackers had left himself open, and I buried my axe in his ribs. The second man tried to swing at my head, and I caught his axe and tore my own from his soon-to-be dead associate.

I had a clean swing at his throat, and if I'd had just one more second, I would have buried the blade in his neck. Their final associate was smart enough to take advantage of my distraction, though. He threw himself into the man I was grappling with, and pushed us both towards my open window. As I reached the edge, I lost my footing. Before I knew it, both myself and the other man were falling. We hit the ground below hard. My body was strong enough to survive the fall,

although the impact was still enough to make my world go black. I couldn't have been out more than a few minutes. My entire body ached. I was sure I'd broken a few bones, but as a consequence of my vampirism, they wouldn't stay broken for long. Above me, I could see my broken. apartment window. No mortal could have survived that fall, and the man I'd fallen with

had fared as well as expected. He was quite dead, but his blood was still fresh. I had time to sink my teeth into his throat. A drink would help me recover. And freshly dead blood, well, it was better than nothing at all. Once I'd had my fill, I picked myself up and shambled the safety. As far as I could tell, no one was on their way to confirm my death, but I didn't want to linger for long. No doubt the police would arrive soon, and being in the vicinity of four dead bodies would be an unfortunate setback that I could not afford. The sky was dark. I needed to find Della, and I needed to do it fast. By the time I'd made it back to her apartment. I was too late. I found a post in an air.

alley across the street from where she lived, where I could rest without being seen. And then I watched and waited. I'd hoped I'd catch her leaving. Instead, I caught her returning. It wasn't more than an hour after I'd gotten there that I saw a red sedan dropping her off out front. Della's hair looked more disheveled than normal. Even across the street, I could smell the blood on her. There had been another victim. I was sure of it. She paused. as she stepped out of the sedan and looked back towards the driver's seat. Through the noise, I could hear a deep voice speaking to her. Be ready. The divergence comes tomorrow night. The voice said. The Wanderlust Hotel, Room 130. Be prepared.

Of course, Joshua, Della said. I awaited eagerly. With that, the sedan drove off and she scurried off into her apartment. I watched her quietly before slumping against the wall of the alley. The Wanderlust Hotel, that was where the final ritual would take place. No doubt this Joshua and his little cult thought I was dead. That was good. They wouldn't be expecting me to be waiting at the hotel, and I'd have a full day to heal from my injuries. Perfect.

It didn't take me long to find the Wonderlust Hotel, which was quite respectable by cheap hotel standards. As I waited, I had time to wash the drying blood off me and tend to my healing wounds as well. My cell phone had been damaged in the fall out the window. I needed to call Davis from a payphone to give him my update. Sure enough, there had been another murder on the other side of town, a second victim had their brain removed, just as Jody had predicted.

Please tell me you're on top of this, Marsh. Davis said. I am, I replied. I imagine you've heard about what happened in my apartment by now. Our Colth friends tried to kill me last night, and I must admit, they put on an admirable effort. So I saw. He said.

I did you a favor and called your people, their handle in the cleanup. I'm laying low at the Wanderlust Hotel. I think this is where they'll strike next. Tonight. Make sure you've got men nearby on standby, but keep them hidden. I'm going to try and handle this myself first. You sure about that? Positive. I'd very much like to meet the man who tried to kill me last night. His associates made a mess of my home and ruined a really nice shirt. I'd like compensation. Davis tried to hide his laughter. Yeah, all right, Count Priscilla. Me and my man will be on standby.

Let's hope you're right about the hotel. I knew I would be. The Wanderlost Hotel had a lovely little Italian restaurant. Even better still was the fact that their restaurant gave me a discreet place where I could watch the parking lot for anyone interesting. The red sedan arrived as the sun began to set. saw four men get out. Only one of them was of any interest. He was tall, bulky, and dressed in a black suit with a fedora covering his head. My instincts told me that this was Joshua.

The shape of his body implied an inhumanity to him, that might have alluded some, but didn't allude me. Just what he was, I couldn't say, but I could make an educated guess. Not long after, an An SUV dropped off a woman in the parking lot. She was young, mid-20s perhaps, and already looked as if she'd lived a hard life. The baby blue dress she wore that hugged her body and showed off her legs, as well as the way she looked around anxiously as she stopped to smoke before she entered the lobby, told me that she was the soon-to-be victim. Now the only missing piece was Della, and she didn't keep me waiting long.

He arrived as the girl was still smoking, and I saw them stopping to talk before going into the lobby together. The way that they stood so close to each other told me that the girl thought that Della was her client. It was time to go. I'd paid my bill beforehand, and I left quietly, following them into the lobby, into room 130. They were already inside by the time I made it to the hallway, and as I approached the door,

I could already hear the faint sounds of a struggle. Time was short. I broke into a sprint to close the distance. The door was locked, but that didn't pose much of an issue for me. With one powerful kick, I threw it open and was greeted by a sight that sent a chill down my spine like nothing had in a very long time. The prostitute was held down on the bed by three stony-faced cultists, each wearing a ceremonial bull head. Della stood over her, an ornate dagger that looked like a horn in her hand,

and near the back of the room stood Joshua. Without his hat, I could see exactly what he was. Though his brutish face was human enough, the filed-down horns protruding from his skull confirmed to me that he was at least part minotaur. At his feet sat an unassuming cooler that stank of human flesh. As soon as I broke in, they all stopped what they were doing and looked at me, except for the prostitute. She kept on screaming. You will not stop the divergence, you crude, simple-minded thing. Under the gardens of Yevus, we shall surpass the herd and grow beyond them. And what exactly will you do with that power?

I asked, my eyes shifted over to Della. Is killing innocent people worth whatever Yavus has promised you? Innocent. Joshua said. His teeth gritted in rage. In what context is humanity innocent? You, I smell the rotten stink of dead blood in you, vampire. You especially, should.

know the suffering humanity has induced on us. Hunted, hated, and labeled as monsters. At least your kind warrant such a label. But mine did not. Hunted as trophies. Our numbers pushed until only a few of us remained. I aim to restore the glory of the Minotaur, and with my faithful we shall make the hunters the hunted.

You'll get yourself and your friends here killed, I said, assuming you don't outright end the world by summoning Yevus. I'm giving you a chance, Joshua. Don't do this. Don't throw away your humanity. Behind Joshua, I saw Della's eyes soften. Her grip on the dagger loosened. Humanity.

Joshua scoffed. And what would your kind have to offer me? I know what you are, Vampire. The International Fay Relations Bureau. He said the name with such contempt. Cowards trying to stave off extinction through politics, doomed to inevitable failure. There is no cooperation with humanity. There is no alliance to be had.

There is no shared future. There is only hunter and prey. I choose to be a hunter, and you. You are nothing but pray. Kill the girl, my faithful, and I will kill this parasite properly. As he spoke, Joshua shrugged off his suit jacket. His mind was made up. He was looking for a fight, and yet before he could move.

Della spoke. Joshua, wait, what if he's got a point? He paused and glared at her. I mean, we don't exactly know for sure what'll happen when we complete the ritual. We've been rushing things already. I mean, maybe we should. Stop? Joshua asked.

When we'll on the cusp of the divergence? Look, you said it yourself. Yavus hasn't been contacted since ancient times. We don't know if. Before she could say another word, Joshua was on top of her. His meaty fist closed around her throat. He tore the horned knife from her grasp. Weak.

So close to divergence. And only now do you reveal your cowardice. We will achieve. Divinity, girl, and if you are not strong enough to do what must be done, then you shall die with the rest. Before I could stop him, Joshua drove the knife into her heart. He cast Della's body aside in the instant before I lunged for him. From the corner of my eye, I saw his cultist scatter.

I couldn't tell if they'd sided with Della or if they were too afraid to step in. As they ran, the prostitute threw herself off the bed and scrambled for the open door. She was gone before anyone could stop her. No, Joshua cried. His eyes fixed on me, burning with rage as he tried to drive the dagger into my throat, but I caught him by the wrist. For a moment, I saw a flash of panic in his eyes. Before I went for his throat, my teeth pierced his flesh.

as his blood filled my mouth. Joshua tried to scream and push me off. And yes, in terms of raw strength, he was much more powerful than I was. But I was the one with my teeth and his neck. And when he threw me off, I took a nice chunk of flesh with me. Blood spilled down Joshua's front as he grabbed at his fresh wound. Even his massive hand wasn't enough to stay. stop the bleeding. I licked my lips. His blood was savory, rich, and delicious. And even without that, I would have come for him again anyways. Joshua slashed at me with a dagger. I ripped it out of his hands and tossed it aside before biting into his throat again. His struggles were weaker this time, and it wasn't long before they ceased completely. Jody was right. Minotors were delicious.

With Joshua dead, I stepped back from his corpse panting heavily. Beside me, I could hear wheezing, rasping breaths, and they grounded me. Della, she lay in a crumpled heap, in a growing pool of her own blood a few feet away. Her eyes were on me, wide and afraid. She was staring down deaf, and I knew she wouldn't last much longer. She opened her mouth to speak, and I thought I could just barely hear her say one word. My name. Robert. I knelt down by her side, and I gently took her hand. Our eyes met, and I knew that I couldn't watch her die. Not like this.

She was flawed and foolish, yes, but I could forgive that. What I was about to do was almost certainly a mistake, but in that moment I didn't care. It was a mistake I'd gladly make. Davis and his men caught the cultists as they tried to flee the hotel, along with a prostitute. I'm told that despite a significant amount of trauma, the girl will be okay. My employers were kind enough to pay for the repairs to my apartment, and in the time since, my life is mostly returned to normal. Mostly. Fledgling vampires can be a bit of a handful. There's so much to teach, but Della is adjusting well. I'm not sure if she's forgiven me for the five years.

it's been since I left her behind. But I've got an eternity to make up for it now. And for the first time, I find myself looking forward to that eternity. Romance is something that has never worked out for me before. But right now, I feel inclined to try again.