Dustin: A Vampire's Story Part 1

The parking lot of Toys R Us was quiet. Dustin sat there, a photo on his lap, waiting for the sun to rise hoping it would kill him. It was a cold night, but Dustin felt a heat he wished wasn‘t around. The scent of burning flesh lingered in his mind as he closed his eyes. The Toys R Us behind him still burning from his rampage for blood.

“I killed her,” was all he could mutter when he had become calm. He didn’t ask for this curse, for the need of sucking an innocent's soul. Yet because of this curse he had killed the one person he cared for. She had tried to run, but his lust for her soul was to powerful for him to fight. It overcame him and became his only mission in life. He was a monster feared by the one person who loved him.

He looked back at the photo, to see his five-year-old daughter’s smiling face. His eyes tearing up the instant he saw her face. She deserved much better. She had her whole life ahead of her.

He placed the photo into his back pocket and reached for his pistol. Time to move on, he thought. He wiped his eyes and ran across the parking lot just as the fire trucks and police came. He ducked under a bush while watching the firefighters struggle to put the fire out.

He watched for only a couple moments before leaving and entering the busy streets. He had been gone from reality for so long he almost forgot where he lived. “Taxi!” He yelled. A yellow cab came and stopped by him as Dustin put his gun in his back of his pants hiding it from the taxi driver. He opened the back door and sat, thinking of where to go.

“Where to, sir?” The taxi driver asked.

Dustin looked once more at the burning building. He was raised to never regret his actions but now he could feel guilt growing in the pit of his stomach. He pulled the photo from his pocket turning it to the back side and glanced at the address he was supposed to meet his leader at. He was going to get questions about why they had him kill his daughter. He handed the photo to the driver who instantly looked at Dustin as though he knew exactly who he was and nodded.

Dustin nodded back at the driver and relaxed knowing he wouldn’t have to get violent. He licked his mouth still feeling a little blood left over. He rolled down the window and spit it out.

“So how long have you been alive?”

The question startled and confused Dustin. “What do you mean?” Dustin asked. The driver stopped at a red light turned around and smiled big enough to show two fangs that Dustin had not noticed before. The driver turned back to the road just as the light turned green.

“So,” The driver started again, “I ask again how long have you been alive?”

“Twenty-seven years.”

The driver stopped in the middle of an intersection and turned to Dustin. Before Dustin could ask what he was doing the driver was out of the cab and in the back beating him. He barely had enough time to pull his gun out. The driver looked at the gun and stopped.

“Are you a hunter?”

“Yes,” Dustin said, “but you're not my victim.”

The horns of traffic came instantly as the driver closed the door and got back into the driver’s seat. Dustin quickly put the pieces together. The driver thought he was going to die.

“Are all the younger vampires hunters?” Dustin asked.

“Most are unless they have direct blood to Vayne,” The driver said using the name of the leader of their city vampires. “I’m sorry I hit you. Your wounds should heal before we get to the building.”

Dustin still held his gun as they continued driving. Dustin watched as they went from the city to a barren wasteland that only the vampires were known to enter. Deep within was Vayne’s house. This was where Dustin was giving the assignments of who was to be hunted next. The last time he came here he was told to kill his daughter.

This was only his third trip to the house. Dustin wasn’t sure whether or not being the youngest vampire was a good thing. He still had the memories of being human. He could still remember what it was like to feel the sun on his face, but that wasn’t the memory that hurt him the most. Every time he closed his eyes he would see his daughter’s face. Her scream would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Dustin looked out the window to see the labor being done by many of the older non-violent vampires. He felt pity for they had to work 24 hours to produce on a land that everyone knew wouldn’t give vegetation.

“Vayne is a cruel man.” Dustin said.

“Don’t say that to his face.”

The driver pulled up and stopped in the middle of the field. Dustin looked at the meter to realize it had never been running. Dustin took the hint as he quickly got out of the vehicle.