After waiting for a while without Agnes coming to open the door, Evan got worried and kicked open the door. Perhaps it would just have been easier for him to call her phone but kicking the door open seemed like a better option.
Once inside Agnes’ house, Evan instantly knew that something was wrong. Some of her furniture was scattered and there was a little blood on the floor.
Agnes herself was nowhere to be found.
Evan looked around the house to no avail.
After searching around for her with any success, Evan noticed that the back door had been broken through.
Evan out two and two together : there were no marks on the door and it seemed like whoever was responsible had merely kicked the door and made a hole in it . It meant that the person was not human since humans couldn’t break doors without using a weapon. The hole on the door was too even to be caused by a weapon.
It couldn’t be werewolves either since their claw marks would show on the door and probably other surfaces.
It could only be a vampire – they had enough strength to do such. But which vampire had Agnes come in contact with recently?
“Kenneth and Lucy!” Evan yelled, realizing that they were almost completely strangers and he could not need so sure about their motives.
Kenneth carried Agnes’ limp body out of the car while Lucy closed the car doors.
“You remember the directions right?” Lucy asked again.
“Yes, it should not be too far from here.” Kenneth replied.
They were standing in front of a line of trees behind which the woods loomed tall and gloomy.
Lucy wondered how Kenneth would be able to find the place.
Kenneth started off, swiftly winding through the trees with Lucy following closely behind.
Soon they got to a clearing in the heart of the woods.
“Finally!” Nella said, coming out from behind a tree which she had been standing behind.
All her materials were spread out on a red cloth on a large rock.
“Next time, you’ll be the one to kidnap the vampire.” Kenneth sneered, placing Agnes’ body on the floor.
“Let’s finish this quickly.” Nella said.
She walked over to Agnes who was beginning to stir and started chanting .
Lucy backed away from her – it was not a good idea to get too close to a chanting witch.
A ring of fire came out of nowhere and surrounded Lucy , Nella and Agnes who was now awake.
“Does she have to be there?” Kenneth yelled at Nella. He was standing outside the ring and was worried that the fire would burn Lucy.
“Yes she does!” Nella shouted back, “stop distracting me!”
“Lucy!” Agnes called, tears brimming in her eyes.
Lucy looked at Agnes with pity.
“I’m sorry.” Lucy said and turned her back to avoid looking at Agnes.
Nella continued her chanting and Agnes screamed, a sharp pain in her head.
“Lucy, please!!” Agnes shouted, trying to reach out to Lucy.
Lucy closed her ears and still stood with her back facing Agnes.
“Kenneth,” Nella called, “I forgot my spell book!”
“Is it at your place?” Kenneth asked.
“Yes it is, ” Nella answered anxiously, “I need you to get it for me – hurry!”
Kenneth took one last look at Lucy and left.
He wound past the trees and was soon outside the woods.
He chose not to use a car and so he took to climbing roofs when he was sure he would not be spotted and running through alleys till he got to Nella’s house.
Once he got there, he realized that he didn’t have the keys to Nella’s house. Since he was in a hurry, Kenneth kicked open the door – oddly it was not locked– and walked inside.
The first thing he saw was Nella’s bleeding body crumpled on the floor.
Nella’s chanting had reached fever pitch and the fire had grown stronger . Agnes did not have the strength to shout anymore and so she just lay on the ground, awaiting her fate.
“Lucy.” Nella called.
Lucy turned around to behold Father John standing in Nella’s place.
Her eyes grew wide with horror.
“You… you’re dead!” She said , terrified.
“Yes, Father John is dead,” the priest said, smiling evily, “the doctors have broken the news about Father John’s death to the parishioners of Saint Louis. But I am not just Father John.”
“The wizard.” Lucy said quietly, realization sinking in.
“Smart girl,” The wizard smiled, “but you can call me Lehi.”
Lehi raised his hand and Lucy was lifted up in the air and thrown to the ground beside Agnes.
She tried to move but she found that she was pinned to the ground.
“I have been looking for you for 200 years now,” Lehi said, walking towards the two vampires on the ground, “so I guess my reward is two vampire souls.
One for dinner (he pointed at Agnes) and one for Upir (he pointed at Lucy).
“Nella!” Kenneth cried and rushed over to her.
He turned her over and saw that she had been daggered in the chest but not her heart.
Kenneth took out the daggers carefully and then went to get some water for her. By the time he got back, Nella had regained consciousness and was trying to get to her feet.
Kenneth rushed over to her.
“What happened Nella?” He asked.
“I’m so sorry Kenneth,” she said, “he made me do it. He said he would murder everyone I loved if I didn’t co – operate with him.”
“Nella what are you talking about?” Kenneth asked, becoming anxious.
“The wizard came in your form,” Nella said, “he came here and made me tell you where we were going to do the ritual so he could go there and wait for you. And then he daggered me .”
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Kenneth yelled.
“I tried to!” she said, close to tears, “but he was here watching me”
Kenneth stood up and
ran towards the door, Nella grabbed a book lying on her desk and followed him.
Lehi stood in the center of the ring of fire with Agnes and Lucy lying at his feet.
He raised his hands and started chanting again.
A coffin appeared close to him and he opened it.
Lucy and Agnes struggled to move but it was pointless.
As the chanting continued, both Agnes and Lucy began to feel very weak. They soon became completely weak.
Lehi brought out a sword and started making incantations on it.
“Let this blade separate body and soul!” He shouted, “let it destroy the soul and preserve the body!” He gave a little cut on her arm using the sword.
Lucy screamed, the cut felt like fire.
Lehi smiled and then continued his spells, preparing to destroy Lucy’s soul.
As Nella and Kenneth ran down to the woods, Nella noticed that someone was following them. Before she could tell Kenneth, a hand pulled her and hit her hard against a wall .
Kenneth turned back to see Evan standing in front of him with a murderous look in his eyes.
“Where is Agnes?” He asked menancingly.
“I’ll explain later,” Kenneth said, trying to walk away, “for now we have to get somewhere – fast!”
Evan blocked his path.
“What did you do to her?” He asked again.
Nella came from behind Evan and slammed his head against a wall.
Evan got up almost immediately and held Nella by the neck.
Kenneth pulled Evan away from Nella and held him by the shoulders, shaking him violently.
“If we stay a moment longer something bad could happen to both Lucy and Agnes!” Kenneth shouted.
Evan pushed him off .
“I don’t believe you!” He shouted.
“I’m not asking you to, ” came Kenneth’s reply, “I”m asking you NOT to delay me!”
Evan tried to lunge at Kenneth but a sharp pain in his head brought him down to his knees.
Nella was standing behind him, twisting her hand in the air.
“If you continue this you’ll lose Agnes and probably your life too,” she said, “so you either come with us or leave us alone!”
“I’ll come with you!” Evan shouted, holding his head in pain .
Nella stopped the torture and the three vampires, without so much as a word spoken amongst them, ran into the woods.
They arrived at the place where the ritual was being performed.
Lehi saw them and then chanted a spell which made them unable to come close to the ring of fire.
Kenneth yelled Lucy’s name : Evan yelled Agnes’ name but it was no use, there was nothing they could do.
Lucy tried to make eye contact with Kenneth, and as her eyes met his, the wizard plunged the sword in her heart.
Lucy screamed out in pain as she lost consciousness and a dark smoke like thing floated out of the coffin and entered Lucy’s body.
Kenneth ran wild, he tried to claw at the barrier but it was no use.
Evan was quite calm until Lucy’s body which went limp for a while opened her eyes and walked over to Agnes.
She dug her hand into Agnes chest and pulled out her heart. She then sucked the blood out of it.
That was when Evan started his useless screaming and clawing.
The wizard had a satisfied smile on his face, then he asked Lucy:
” Who are you?”
Lucy turned to face him, her eyes were now completely black orbs.
“I am Upir.” She said, Agnes’ blood dripping from the side of her mouth.