1 The stranger under the oak tree

Valerie Shepherd was driving through a lonely road surrounded by trees on both sides. The crescent moon was shining high up in the clear night sky. An hour ago it was raining. The road was moist and it gave that earthly smell which comes after rain. It was a long drive which could take hours. Valerie didn't want to feel alone, so she turned on the radio.

"Eleven people were found dead till now," a woman in the radio said. "Why the cops haven't found the killer? It's been over a month."

"They are trying," another woman in the radio said. "But the cops haven't got any clue. They have no leads."

"They should try harder. This serial killer must be stopped."

"They are trying their best. We have interviewed them today. They said the killer is a cannibal."

"Cannibal?"

"Yeah, first he hurts the victim with his weapon. When the victim is weak enough, he kills them by biting their necks and drinking their blood."

"What??"

"Yes, all the bodies cops found were drained of blood in the same way and had bite marks in necks."

"Oh god! That is so gross."

"Yeah. Nearby people think it is a vampire."

She chuckled. "What?"

"Yeah, I know it's weird, but that's what they believe. Some even claimed that they have seen him. They described it as a male wearing a grey color funnel neck coat."

"That's great. They can help the cops to identify him."

"No, they haven't seen his entire face as the killer always keeps his face covered with a black bandana."

"Oh."

"The cops made a sketch, but still it was not enough to find the killer. They didn't find any man wearing a grey funnel neck coat with a black bandana, but still they are looking and asking around."

"I hope they find him soon. People are now scared to travel at night."

"They should be. He is dangerous. No one should drive alone at night, at least not until the killer is caught."

Valerie changed the channel and some rock music started playing. "Yeah, that's better," she said.

She kept driving. After a minute she saw a man waiting outside a cemetery under an oak tree. He was wearing a blue raincoat holding a suitcase. As Valerie got closer, he extended his hand asking for a lift. Valerie stopped the car near him and rolled down the window. "Need a lift?" she asked.

"Yeah," the man said.

She smiled. "Get in."

The man opened the car's door and sat on the front seat beside her.

"Where are you headed?" Valerie asked.

"To the next town?" the man replied.

"Okay, I will drop you at the train station. I am going there. You can take the morning train, it will take you to your destination."

"Thanks." He smiled. "I really appreciate it."

She smiled back. "You are welcome."

The man took off his raincoat and put it at the back seat. Under his raincoat, he was wearing a grey color funnel neck coat. As soon as Valerie saw the man's funnel neck coat her face drained of color. The man looked at Valerie and saw her getting stressed. She was grabbing the steering wheel tight and was trying to look straight at the road.

"Are you okay?" the man asked.

"Yeah….yeah, I am fine," Valerie said.

"You seem stressed."

"I am okay. It's just...."

"What?"

She shook her head and gulped. "Nothing."

"No, tell me."

She paused for a moment and then spoke, "A couple of minutes ago I heard about a serial killer on the radio. They said he wears a grey funnel neck coat."

He chuckled. "Oh, you think I am the killer."

"No....I..."

"It's okay." He interrupted her and flashed a wide grin. "I understand. You are scared, but I can assure you I am not a killer. This is a common grey funnel neck coat you can find on any garment store. My mom gifted it to me on Christmas."

"Oh." She felt a sense of relief and smiled. "That's a relief to hear."

"Good to know." He smiled back. "I am Gavin Dunn."

"Valerie Shepherd."

"Valerie, that's a nice name."

"Thank you."

"So, where are you headed?"

"I am going to my grandma's house. It's her 80th birthday."

"That's great."

"What about you?"

"I have to meet a friend, he is sick."

"Sick? What happened?"

"He has Alzheimer."

"Oh, I am sorry."

He nodded. "It's been getting worse, you know. He doesn't even remember his family, can't even chew his food properly." He sighed. "Such a terrifying disease."

"Yeah, I know. One of my friend's grandpa had it. It became so bad that he couldn't even move his lips to talk."

"God, it's so hard to see him like that. I don't get it, what did he do to deserve this? He was such an intelligent guy. I thought he was going to be the next Einstein, you know, and now all that smartness is going to be a waste."

"What does the doctors say?"

"They are doing whatever they can, but.....as months passed by, we didn't see any improvement." He sighed. "Sometimes I even wonder what that would feel like. You know, when you know that you are going to die. The clock is ticking, and as every minute pass by, death is closing in on you."

"That's....really terrifying."

"Yeah, it is." He looked at her curiously. "Do you think about it?"

She pressed her lips and shrugged. "Sometimes, but I don't worry about it. I guess its going to come to all of us someday. We can't avoid it, the only way is to accept it and be in peace."

"How can we be in peace when you know that you are going to die?"

"Well, death is inevitable. No matter what we do, it's going to hit us one day. For some it comes sooner, for some it comes late, but it is going to come. There is no escape."

He took a deep breath and looked outside through the car's window. "I wish there was an escape."

She chuckled. "We all wish that, but that's not possible. No one has conquered death."

"What if there is a way?"

"What?"

He turned his eyes at Valerie again. "Yeah, think about it. You have watched movies, right? We have seen many stories where there are immortal beings."

"Such as?"

"Such as vampires, gods, witches, sorcerers."

She chuckled. "That is fiction, Gavin. That's not real."

"What if it is real and we don't know about it."

"There are a lot of things we don't know about. If there would have been immortal creatures roaming the earth, we would have heard about them."

"What if I tell you that we have heard about them, even saw them, but we ignore it as lies."

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Did you see one in the real world?"

"Not with my own eyes, but I have seen photos."

"Photos?"

"Yeah, wait." He opened his briefcase on his lap. There was a sharp knife in it, a gun, a small rope, some candles and some documents with photos. "Don't worry. The knife and the gun is for my protection," he said. "I carry it everywhere I go. You know, you can't trust people easily these days, and with a serial killer on the loose, it's dangerous anyway."

"I understand," Valerie said.

He took out some photos and showed it to her. "Look, these photos are all over the internet. I have collected it over the years."

She quickly took a glance at the photos as she was driving. "There are many photos like this on the internet, most of them are fake."

"I know there are fakes which are photoshopped, but there are real ones too."

"How do you know which one is real?"

"I know. I can detect it, trust me. I have a lot of experience in this."

"Let's say what you say is true, then what? What are you going to do? Even if there are immortal beings roaming the earth, how will you find them? Just photos won't help."

"I know." He took his photos back in his briefcase. "I am going to summon them."

A line etched between her eyebrows. "What?"

"Yes, I have researched this for years. I am doing a ritual which can help me summon them."

"A ritual?"

"Yes. It's real, Valerie. I am doing it every night and tonight is the last step. Stop the car near the next cemetery, I will show you."

"But...I...…I have to go to my Grandma's birthday."

"I won't take much of your time. It will be just a couple of minutes."

"But....."

"Come on, don't you want to see if this works or not? This will blow your mind. We will be able to talk to an immortal being."

Valerie paused for a moment to think and then replied, "Okay, but I can't stay for long."

"Just ten minutes," Gavin said.

"Okay, only ten minutes."

She kept driving and when they came across the next cemetery she parked the car near the gate. The whole cemetery was surrounded by oak and maple trees. Some bats were flying over it and wolves were howling at a far distance.

Gavin opened the car's door and took out his briefcase. "Ah, this will be exciting," he said, rubbing his hands in excitement.

They walked inside the cemetery. The board at the gate said it was built in the 18th century. It was filled with many graves, some of them were of the soldiers who died in the World War 2. The ground was wet and muddy. Valerie slowly took her steps so that her shoes doesn't get stuck in the mud. Gavin placed his briefcase on the ground and opened it. He took out the candles and lighted it one by one placing it on the ground forming a circle.

"What's next?" Valerie asked.

Gavin stepped inside the circle and extended his hand. "Come inside the circle," he said.

She stepped inside the circle and stood beside him. "Now what?"

"Now the last step." He took out the gun from his briefcase and aimed it at Valerie.

"Gavin, what the hell are you doing?" she asked.

"I am sorry, I need to kill you. This is the last step."

Her eyes widened and her lips trembled in horror. "What???"

"You were right at the beginning, Valerie. I am that serial killer you heard about in the radio."

"No, no, please." She took a step back raising her hands. "Don't do this."

"I am sorry, I have to. I have worked really hard for this, killed so many people."

"For what? To summon an immortal being?"

"Yes. I want to meet one. I really do."

"But why?" She raised her voice. "Why are you so obsessed about it?"

"So that I can ask them to make me immortal."

"What?"

"Yes, I know it seems weird, but it's possible."

"It's not possible, Gavin. You are living in a fantasy world. You can't summon an immortal being by killing people, because there isn't one."

"There is." He shouted, grabbing his gun tight. "I know there is. In different parts of the world people have claimed to see them. I know people don't believe in these things, but it is real."

"Did you see one of them for real, not in the photos or videos, in real?"

He shook his head slightly. "No, but I will. After finishing this ritual one of them will show up."

"What if that doesn't happen? What if no one shows up?"

"They will show up. I know it."

She gulped. "Look, think about this. Your obsession has made you a killer. You can still get away from this. Let me go, I won't tell anyone about you."

He chuckled. "No, you are not going anywhere. I am doing this tonight no matter what."

"Please, Gavin. You are not thinking straight. If it would have worked, anyone would have done it and become immortal."

"Not everyone knows about it."

"Then how are you sure this will work."

"I just know." He shouted. "Stop trying to distract me. I am doing this." He gulped. "I am sorry, I wish there was another way to summon them."

"No, Gavin, wait......…"

He fired his gun. The bullet went through Valerie's head making a hole and she fell down in front of him.

Gavin smiled and looked at the clear night sky. "Finally," he said and widened his hands. "I summon the dark forces. Show yourself. I have sacrificed twelve lives for you."

Nothing happened.

"I summon the dark forces," he said again. "Show yourself. I have sacrificed twelve lives for you."

Nothing happened again, everything stayed the same. No one showed up and Valerie was dead beneath him.

"Come on, please." He shouted. "I worked really hard for this. Show yourself. I summon you."

Just then the hole in Valerie's brain started to heal on its own and she stood up.

Gavin's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell?"

"You still didn't listen, huh?" Valerie said. "I tried, I really tried, but you were so blind in your beliefs."

"Dark forces, is it you?" Gavin asked.

"No, you idiot. It's me, Valerie."

"But....how? I just killed you."

She grinned. "You can't kill me. I was just taking a nap."

"What??? How??? That's.....that's not possible."

"It is possible." She took a step forward and gazed into his eyes. "Because I am not human, I am a vampire." Her eyes turned red and her fangs elongated. Her fangs were so sharp that it could tear up anything apart.

Gavin should be terrified by seeing her vampire face, but he laughed instead. "I knew it. I knew it," he said.

"Yes, you were right," she said. "We exist, but this isn't a way to summon us. No immortal beings can be summoned like this."

"But you are here."

"Yes, but not because of your ritual."

"Then?"

"I have shifted to this town. Every night I go for hunt and today I found you."

He smiled. "A killer found a killer."

"Yes." She smirked. "What a coincidence."

Gavin kneeled down and folded his hands. "Please, make me like you. You know how obsessed I am about this."

"Why? What's in it for me?"

"I can help you."

She chuckled. "Help me? You can't help me. You are just a weak human who want to be like me. I must say you tried really hard, you know killing those people like us, that requires courage."

"I can do it again," he said. "I can bring you a lot of humans. You won't have to hunt again. I will work for you. I will be your slave."

She clenched her jaw. "I don't need a slave. I like to hunt."

"Then I will do something else for you."

"Like?"

"Like protecting you, helping you kill your enemies."

"No, I don't need protection. I can protect myself."

"What about your enemies? I am sure they will try to kill you. I can help."

"All of my enemies are dead." She grabbed his neck and made him stand up. "There is nothing you could offer me. I just want to feed and you look delicious."

She smacked her lips and brought her fangs close to his neck to bite. Just then she felt an immense pain in her chest and she gasped. She looked down and saw Gavin stabbing her with a wooden stake in her chest.

"I won't die that easy," Gavin said in a heavy voice. "What do you think I am stupid? I have researched about immortal beings for years and that includes vampires. I know your weaknesses." He put his mouth close to her ear and whispered. "I came prepared."

"Aargghh!" Valerie stepped back gasping and groaning.

"I wish you would have listened to me," Gavin said. "We could have been friends. We could have ruled this world together."

You bastard." She took out the stake from her chest and her wound healed on its own. "You missed my heart."

Terror overtook Gavin's face, but still he didn't give up. He quickly took out his necklace with the cross beneath his coat and showed it to her. She screamed and looked away hiding her face behind her hands.

"As I said I came prepared," Gavin said, flashing a wide grin. "Make me a vampire or else I am going to kill you."

"NO!" She ran away with her vampire speed and went inside the forest at the end of the cemetery. She was so fast that Gavin didn't even see her clearly.

"It's not over, Valerie." Gavin shouted. "I will find you. I will not rest until you turn me into a vampire."

He ran into the forest to find her. Valerie was scared. For the first time in years she was terrified. For a long time she has never come across a human who could scare her, only vampire hunters knew how to attack her kind. She was sure she had killed all of them a decade ago.

She stopped near an oak tree and hid behind it.

"Come on, Valerie. We can make this work," Gavin said, walking through the forest. "You make me a vampire and we become friends. We both win."

She didn't reply and kept herself hidden. What should I do? Should I attack him from behind and take him by surprise? She thought. No, that's too risky. What if he drinks holy water? He have researched about vampires, he must know that holy waters are poison for vampires.

"You can't hide here forever, Valerie," Gavin said. "The sun will be up after five hours. What will you do then? If you don't find a roof over your head, you will burn and turn into ashes."

Oh god. He is right. Valerie thought. I have to think of something. I can't hide in the forest forever and I can't run away. He knows what I really am. If I leave him alive he will expose me to people. I have to kill him before the sun rises, but how?

"What's the big deal, huh?" Gavin said. "You just have to turn me, that's all and we can be both happy."

"First take that cross away," Valerie said.

"Okay, okay." He hid the cross inside his fist.

Valerie showed up. She was standing ten feet away from him. "I can't turn you even if I wanted to," she said.

"That's bullshit," Gavin said. "I know you can turn a human. All the vampires can make a human like them."

"They can, but I am not allowed."

His forehead creased. "What?"

"Yes, the vampire council doesn't allow us to turn humans."

"The vampire council? They exist?"

"Yes. They have rules you have to follow."

"No." He shook his head. "You are lying."

"I am not. That's a rule."

"If that's a rule, how are you made?"

"I was turned by one of the elders."

"Elders?"

"Yes, the elders are the head of the vampire council. Only they have the right to turn a human. Normal vampires like us don't have that privilege."

"Take me to an elder then."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"They are the ones who can meet us, we can't arrange a meeting."

"You have to or else I am going to show the cross again." He showed her his fist in which the cross was hidden.

"No, wait," Valerie said, raising her hands. "I....I can't. You don't understand. I don't have the authority."

"Then take me to someone who can make it happen."

"I....I....I don't...."

"I don't want to hear it, Valerie." Gavin raised his voice. "I want to hear a solution."

"Okay, okay. I know a shaman who might contact an elder."

He smiled. "Good, take me to him."

"First take the cross back in your pocket."

"No." He wore the cross on his neck and kept it beneath his coat. "It will stay with me. Don't worry, I won't put it out of my coat unless you cause me any trouble."

They walked out of the cemetery and went to Valerie's car.

"Where does that shaman live?" Gavin asked.

"Five miles away," Valerie said.

"Good, take me there."

They got inside the car and Valerie started the engine.

"Don't try to trick me, okay," Gavin said. "If I find out you are lying, then I will take out my cross again."

"I am not lying," Valerie said.

"Okay." He closed the car's door and they drove away.

After a couple of minutes, they stopped near a wooden house situated at the side of the road. There was no other house for miles. Both the sides of the road was covered in forest.

"He lives here," Valerie said, looking outside through the car's window.

"Let's go," Gavin said, getting out of the car.

They both walked up to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered, they kept knocking for a couple of seconds. Valerie even called him by his name but still no answer.

"He must be sleeping," Valerie said.

"Then wake him up," Gavin said.

"Okay, but then we would have to go inside. He doesn't like when people break into his house. The last time when it happened, he smashed their skulls."

"I don't care. Go inside and wake him up or else I am taking out the cross."

"Okay, okay, I will go." She slowly opened the door and stepped inside. It was dark, but still she could see as she was a vampire. There was nothing on the living room apart from a couch at the end. She walked into the room and disappeared while Gavin stayed outside. He waited for her to return but she didn't show up.

"Valerie," Gavin called her, but she didn't reply. "Don't tempt me, Valerie. I told you, if you try anything I will take out the cross. Trust me, I will do it."

She didn't reply.

"Okay then." He took out the cross. "I am coming inside." He went inside the house keeping the cross in front of him.

Valerie was hiding behind a wall. As she was a vampire she had super hearing. She could hear his footsteps very clearly and she knew in which area of the house he was stepping into.

"You are making a mistake, Valerie," Gavin said. "You can't kill me, not until I have the cross." He took out his cell phone and turned on its flashlight. "Why you are being so stubborn, huh? Why can't you just make it easier?"

She stayed silent and kept herself hidden behind the wall. Gavin was searching him in the room, when he reached the middle of the living room, Valerie pressed the switch beside her. The floor was made of wood, it opened like a door and Gavin fell down.

"Nooo!!!!" Gavin fell down in the basement beneath the room and made a thudding sound. "Aahh!" He groaned. Valerie pressed the switch again and the wooden floor door closed. "No, wait." Gavin stood up and jumped but he was unable to reach the roof, it closed already.

Valerie walked out of her hiding and moved to the middle of the living room. "I got you," she said, smirking.

"No, it isn't over." Gavin shouted. "You can't do anything to me. I still have the cross."

"I don't care. From there you can't show me the cross and you are trapped, that's a win for me."

"I will get out. I will find a way."

She grinned. "Good luck." She walked up to the door to leave.

Gavin heard her footsteps and shouted, "No, no, wait, wait. "Please, don't leave me here."

She stopped and turned around. "I have to, Gavin. You didn't leave me any choice."

"I....I did it for a reason. Why don't you understand?"

"I understand. You are desperate to become immortal, but I can't turn you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to. What will I get by turning you into a vampire? Nothing. You will crave blood and start killing people. That will draw too much attention. I moved to this town to hunt in peace. If I turn you, you will mess it all up."

"I won't, okay. I won't start killing people one after another. I will be like you, you know, keep a low profile."

"No, you won't. All the new vampires get crazy for blood when they are turned, that's the time when their hunger is at peak. I can't take the risk. Finally I found a town I like. I want to stay here."

"No, please. I will be different. I will control my hunger."

"You can't. That's not how it works." She took out her cell phone and checked the time. "You have already wasted three hours. I need to go and hunt before sunrise. It's been a week since I tasted blood. If you wouldn't have showed up I would have got one victim already." She walked out of the house and locked the door.

"No, wait," Gavin shouted. "Valerie, please, don't do this."

She didn't listen and left. Gavin heard her starting the car and drove away.

"Shit!" Gavin kicked the wall in anger. "I am so stupid. I should have known." He picked up his cell phone which fell on the floor when he fell. Luckily, it was still in good condition, just got a scratch on the screen. The flashlight was already turned on, he started looking around trying to find a way out. There was only a tiny window with iron grills which was letting some air in. He roamed around and suddenly saw some skeletons lying around at the corner.

His eyes widened in horror. "What the hell?" He crouched and took a good look at it. It smelled like rotten eggs. "I guess she brings her victims here after draining them of blood," he said. "God, I can't stay here. I have to think of something. Come on, come on." He rubbed his chin. "Think, Gavin, think. You can't die here. There must be something that can help me escape."

He kept looking and thinking, but didn't find anything that would help. There were only skeletons, some baskets and bowls and a gallon with water. There was a ladder, but it was no use as the doors were closed. He got tired and sat down resting his back on the wall.

After an hour Valerie arrived. She brought a dead body of a girl with her. She used to keep the bodies in the basement, but as now there was Gavin she kept the body on the living room and sat on the couch.

"Killed somebody?" Gavin asked.

"Yeah, a girl," Valerie said. "She was waiting in the forest for her boyfriend. They were planning to escape the town together." She chuckled. "Too bad, I got her before her boyfriend arrived and sucked her dry." She took a deep breath. "Ah, it feels so good to have blood in my mouth after a week. I should have waited for that boyfriend too."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because of you. I was worried you might escape. So I had to come and check."

"I tried, but there is nothing that helped."

She chuckled. "I know."

"So, was everything you said were lies, you know the thing about the elders?"

"Not really." She clasped her fingers and pressed her lips. "There are elders, they make the rules, but they don't forbid us turning humans."

"Then take me to one of them. You don't have to worry about staying in the town anymore. I will get turned by them and live somewhere else."

"No, we are passed that now. I can't trust you. You tried to kill me."

"I....I didn't. I just tried to scare you so that you do what I say."

"Whatever. I won't turn you. For years, no one managed to scare me, and you, you weak human. What do you think you are?"

"I didn't want to. I tried to talk first, but you didn't listen."

"Why should I listen? You are a serial killer who killed so many people to contact an immortal being. God knows what you will do if you become a vampire."

"I will stay like the way I am. Nothing will change."

"No, everything will change. You don't know how it feels like to be a vampire. Blood becomes the most important thing of your life. We become addicted to it, so addicted that we don't even realize how many people we kill in the process."

"If it's so addicted, then how are you handling it? You killed only one human tonight."

"It took me years to learn to control my hunger. It's not easy."

"I will learn too. You can teach me."

"No, I won't. No one can learn it within days. Every new vampire ends up killing a lot of humans until they learn self-control. That's how it is."

"Then what should I do? There must be some way."

"There is no way."

"So what? You are going to keep me here until I starve to death."

She shrugged. "That's the plan."

"No." He raised his voice. "I can't die like this. I...I don't deserve this."

She laughed. "You definitely deserve this. You are a killer."

"So are you."

"Well, I kill for survival. You killed for your stupid ritual, which didn't even work."

"That doesn't make us different. We both are evil."

"I guess we are, but I am going to live forever and you will die in that basement in a few days."

"No, please. I beg you. I will do anything you ask. If you don't want to turn me into a vampire, that's fine. I will find another one, please just let me live. Let me go."

"No, I can't. You have your cross. If I let you go, you will try to hurt me with it again."

"I won't. I will throw it away."

"What?"

"Yes, there is a tiny window here with some metal bars. I will throw my cross outside, you can go outside and see it."

She pressed her lips and gulped. "I can't see it. It hurts."

"You can. I am sure glancing it for a second won't kill you."

She paused for a moment and then spoke, "What makes you think I will let you go after you get rid of the cross? I can just eat you."

"I know, but I can be useful to you," he said. "I am willing to make a deal in return for my life."

"What deal?"

"I will be your blood bag."

She chuckled. "What?"

"Yes, you can influence human minds, right? I know, I read about it somewhere. You can make humans do whatever you want. That's what you were planning to do with me. That's why you gave me a lift. You first wanted to know about me." He smiled. "You always like knowing your victims first so that you can make a connection with them. That's why you didn't control my mind at first, you were planning to do it later, but before that, I made you stop at the cemetery and all this happened."

"Yeah, that's true," she said. "But I couldn't control your mind with that cross touching your body."

"I know, that's why I am making the deal as now I will throw the cross away, you can easily control my mind and make me your slave. You can drink from me every day. I will even help you get new victims."

"That's a nice offer, but.....then you will have no control over your mind. Are you sure that's what you want? You will be like a puppet to me."

"It's better than being dead. Maybe one day you will pity me and turn me into a vampire." He gulped. "I am counting on it."

She paused for a moment to think and then smiled. "Okay. I will do it. But first throw away the cross through the window."

"Okay." He took out the cross from his neck and threw it away through the tiny window's metal bars. "I did it," he said. "Go outside and check it."

She went outside and checked it. He really did it. The cross was outside near the window. It hurt her to watch it, but somehow she managed to kick it away from there and it fell a few feet away near a tree.

"Now free me," Gavin said.

Valerie went inside the house and walked towards the switch which could open the basement's door.

"If you try anything else then I will close it again," Valerie said. "So think before you try something."

"I won't try again," Gavin said. "I just want to get out of this."

She pressed the switch and the basement's door opened. Gavin was standing at the middle. Valerie walked near the basement's door and looked at him. "Take off your clothes," she said.

His forehead creased. "What?"

"Yes, take off your clothes. I need to be sure that you don't have any other weapons hiding inside."

"But it's cold."

"Do I look like I care? Take off your clothes, or else you are not getting out."

He sighed. "Okay, okay." He took off his clothes, and was standing in his underwear.

"Take that off too," she said.

"What???"

"Yes, I need to be absolutely sure."

"Come on, I can't hide anything under my underwear."

"I have seen some people do it. Don't want to take any risk."

He sighed. "Okay, okay." He took off his underwear and now he was completely naked. "Satisfied now?"

"Turn around."

He turned around and there was no weapons or stakes hiding there.

"Good." She jumped down into the basement. As soon as she jumped into the basement, Gavin sprinted towards her and spat on her face. "Aaahhhhhhhh!!!!" She screamed. She felt like her face was burning.

"Holy water," Gavin said, giving a smirk. "Another vampire weakness. I had a small bottle inside my jacket, drank it before you opened the doors. I guess there were still some on my tongue."

"You piece of shit!!!" She was hurting and felt weak. Gavin saw it as an opportunity and he ran towards the corner. A few minutes ago he hid a stake there which was hidden inside his jacket before. As it was in the corner, Valerie didn't see it from her side from the floor. He quickly picked it up and stabber her in the chest. "No," Valerie said in a heavy voice and grabbed the stake trying to stop it reaching her heart.

"You should have listened to me," Gavin said, trying to push the stake inside her heart.

"NOOOO!!" Valerie's face wound healed, and she used her strength to push him back. Gavin fell on the floor. She was still hurt as the stake was inside her chest. She grabbed it and took it out but still the pain wasn't gone. The pointed piece of the stake was broken, it stayed inside her chest. She only managed to pull out the other part. "Damn it." She groaned and climbed the ladder and got out of the basement. As the piece of wood was inside her body, she was feeling weak and fell on the ground floor. Gavin picked up the broken stake and followed her to the ground floor.

"It's not over," Gavin said. He was going to stab her with the stake again, but before he could, she snapped his neck and he died falling on the floor.

Valerie was struggling as she still had the piece of wood stuck inside her chest. It was near her heart, just a bit of pressure could kill her if it reaches her heart. She somehow stood up carefully grunting in pain, and got outside the house. It was raining heavily. There was a car passing by the road.

"Help! Help!" She shouted and the car stopped near the road.

Thank god, someone is here to help me, she thought. She smiled and walked towards the car, but before she could reach the car she slipped as the ground was wet due to the rain and she fell down. The fall was so hard that it accidently made the piece of wood inside her chest penetrate her heart. She groaned and gasped as her heart stopped beating and her whole face turned pale. The guy who was at the car came running towards her to help, but it was too late, she was gone.

"Hey, hey, wake up," the guy said. He checked her pulse, but didn't find any. "Oh god!" He took out his cellphone and called 911.

After a couple of minutes the cops arrived with paramedics and sealed the whole area. They took out Gavin's, Valerie's and Valerie's victim's body in their vehicle.

"It's the serial killer," a cop said to another cop. "We finally found him."

"Are you sure?" the other cop asked.

"Yeah, he had the same funnel neck coat. We found it in the basement. I guess he raped the girls first and was planning to kill them. He managed to kill one, but failed to kill the one we found outside. She ran away and accidently killed herself."

"Poor girl. Thank god, we found the son of a bitch. Now this town can be safe again."