Kenneth was outside the house. It was late afternoon.
Kenneth fingered his magical ring. He could not risk losing it in daylight. He would burn to death.
“And this is no time to die.” Kenneth mused to himself.
He spotted a young a man, he was tall and broad chested. Kenneth thought he would make a good drink.
The young man walked into a grocery store.
Kenneth followed carefully as the young man went past the shelves, obviously taking his time. Kenneth was not discouraged though, he had chosen his target and he would make sure that he got him.
The young man, after taking up to half an hour walked out of the store holding his purchases in bags. Kenneth followed him past a busy street and almost into his house.
Kenneth walked round the house and peeped it the sitting room.
The young man looked like he had friends over because about six people, most of them by their looks were probably in their late teens or early twenties were in the house. The young man had probably gone to pick up a few refreshments for his friends. It was all bad hosting really, going out to get the snacks after your guests had arrived.
Anyways, Kenneth watched them as they tore open packets and unscrewed bottles.
He was targeting the young man primarily, but he certainly did not mind feeding on all of them.
Kenneth walked to the front door and pressed the doorbell.
“Coming!” A male voice which Kenneth recognized as his target’s called from inside the house.
The young man opened the door and eyed Kenneth suspiciously.
“Who are you?” He asked.
Kenneth put on a serious face.
“There’s something outside here man,” He started, “someone’s following me. I have no idea why but someone’s following me. If I could just stay in your house for five minutes, please just so they won’t be able to trace me.”
The young man eyed Kenneth suspiciously.
“Yeah, well call the cops man,” He said, closing the door slowly.
Kenneth held the door and begged desperately.
“Please… I need your help,” be begged, “I’ve never been so scared in my entire life. Just five minutes and I’m out … please.”
Kenneth begged desperately, so that young man began to think that his story might be true after all
“Alright come in,” the young man said.
“Thanks a lot.” Kenneth replied, stepping into the house.
“Hii,” a blonde lady greeted and smiled warmly at Kenneth.
Kenneth smiled back.
“I have a few friends over so if you …” the young man started.
Kenneth did not let him finish his statement. He dragged him roughly to himself and made to bite his neck. His friends, alarmed stood up. One of them began shooting at Kenneth.
Kenneth rushed to the man shooting him and dug his fangs in his neck, draining him dry.
The others started screaming, Kenneth ran to the blonde and drained her next. He was doing all this with his unnatural speed so it was hard for his victims to really know what was going on, talk less of actually defending themselves.
As Kenneth was busy draining the last person in the room (apart from his initial target), he noticed something odd – there was someone else in there with him.
Kenneth looked up slowly, as he saw what was sharing his meal with him, he lost his grip on the lady he was draining. Her body fell down with a thud and Kenneth’s mouth dropped.
Bending over the body of the young man Kenneth had been stalking was a creature as tall as a grown man, maybe a foot taller. It was hairy and looked like a werewolf, but it had long fangs that almost reached it’s jaw and had blood red eyes.
The creature held the young man’s body with it’s long claws and bit into his chest with it’s fangs.
If it was a werewolf, Kenneth thought, then it definitely wasn’t feeding like one and if it was a vampire, it certainly didn’t look like one.
The creature looked up at Kenneth, it’s red eyes so bright they seemed to glow. It stood on it’s hind legs and walked towards Kenneth, sniffing the air around him.
“What in the devil…”Kenneth managed to whisper.
The creature shrugged, it’s appearance changed and it turned to a young lady with dark hair and piercing red eyes.
“You might as well leave the devil out of this.” She said, half smiling.
“You… you can talk?” Kenneth stammered, bewildered.
“Of course I can talk!”, The lady said, slightly offended, “what do you take me for – a dog?”
“What are you?” Kenneth asked, still shocked.
The lady walked around the room, observing the bodies.
“You’re a fast one,” she said, “you must he an old vampire.”
“What are you?” Kenneth asked again, courage seeping into him.
“A cordon,” she replied.
“From the abyss?” Kenneth asked again.
“Yes,” the lady replied, “you vampires are so similar to us cordons.”
Us?! Kenneth yelled in his head, there was definitely more where this came from.
“What exactly are you cordons?” Kenneth asked, facing the cordon.
“Take us as a mixture of a vampire and a werewolf.” The lady replied.
“Like a hybrid,” Kenneth asked.
“A hellish version of a hybrid.” The lady said, smiling mischievously, “a definitely hellish version – and more powerful one.”
“What do you want?” Kenneth asked.
“To feed you idiot,” the lady said, irritated, “why else would I have followed you here?”
“You … you followed me?” Kenneth asked, he had not noticed anyone following him.
“Yes, but all I could get was that pitiful drink over there.” She said pointing at the young man, “and I can’t feed on vampires, unfortunately.”
Kenneth sighed in relief.
“He’s not dead,” Kenneth said, “I can hear his heart.”
“So can I,” the lady replied, “he’s turning.”
“You made him a vampire?!” Kenneth yelled.
“Not a vampire,” came the lady’s reply, “a cordon. I want to start my bloodline, no cordon has ever tried to turn humans.”
“And you want to be the first?” Kenneth asked again.
“Well obviously.” The lady said again.
The young man began to convulse. His body twitched and his bones cracked noisily.
“What have you done?” Kenneth whispered, “he’s going to be one hell of a vampire!”
“That’s the point!” The lady said, smiling, “and he’s going to be a cordon, not a pitiful vampire.”
“You know I can hear you right?” Kenneth asked.
“That’s the point.” The lady said again, not losing her smile.
Kenneth looked around him.
“I just wish that whatever is going on, whatever movie or crazy novel I’m in ends soon because I’m losing my mind.” He said and slumped on a chair.
“You better keep your mind,” The lady replied, “you’ll need it in this wild world of yours.”
“Wild?!” Kenneth shouted, “are we the ones tearing veils and turning people into abominable beasts?! Are we the ones feeding on people’s intelligence?! Everything that comes from that God forsaken abyss brings nothing but problems!”
The lady was taken aback for a while. She quickly recovered and then walked to Kenneth.
“Woah, you sound pissed off.” She said softly.
“Because I am pissed off.” Kenneth replied.
“Hey don’t think about it too much,” the lady continued, “those of us from the abyssal realm –we’re just trying to have a good time. Most of us have never really been here before so we’re just experimenting, sort of.”
“With human lives?” Kenneth asked.
“Says the vampire that just drained five people dry.” The lady shot back.
“Good point.” Kenneth said, nodding.
They both stood in silence for a while.
“Anyways my name is Adie’ola,” the lady said.
“That’s a weird name.” Kenneth replied.
“It’s abyssal language moron,” Ola shot back, “it means ‘she kills in a heartbeat’ so you better watch it.”
“I’ll bear that in mind.” Kenneth said calmly.
“So what’s your name?” Ola asked Kenneth.
“Kenneth” he replied.
They shook hands over a dead body lying on the ground.
“Nice to meet you O.. Ola,” Kenneth smiled weakly.
Ola was just about to say something when the young man stood up.
Kenneth gaped at him, taking in the young man’s transformation…