Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight
The dart flew from Viv's shoulder as she ripped it out with a growl. She blinked quickly, fighting against the drug that should have knocked her out. Something strange was happening in her body the drug wasn't working right.

"Impossible!" Lord Erebus hissed. "She should be unconscious!"

Viv stood up shakily. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her vision sharpened until she could see every detail in the dim tunnel the shocked faces of the vampires, the hope in Damien's eyes, the dust particles floating in the beam of light from above.

"Get the others out," Viv told Sarah. "Damien and I will hold them off."

"But—" Sarah began.

"Go!" Viv shouted. "Get help!"

Sarah hesitated, then nodded and lead the rescued prisoners toward the exit.

Lord Erebus growled. "Stop them!"

Two vampire guards rushed forward, but Damien stepped in their way, wielding the broken piece of wood he'd used earlier.

"Viv, run!" he yelled, jabbing at the nearest vampire.

But Viv didn't run. Instead, she felt a rush of power unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Her muscles tightened, and suddenly she was moving faster than she thought possible.

She flung herself at one of the vampires, tackling it to the ground with surprising force. The thing hissed, showing razor sharp fangs. Viv grabbed its wrists and pinned them down, shocked at her own power.

"Damien!" she called. "I think I'm changing!"

Damien was battling with another vampire. "Good or bad changing?" he grunted, barely dodging a swipe of sharp claws.

"I don't know yet!" Viv rolled away as the vampire beneath her tried to bite. "But I'm stronger!"

Lord Erebus watched with sparkling eyes. "The Blood of the Dawn awakens," he said. "Perfect."

He turned to Principal Morgan. "Bring her to me. Kill the boy."

Morgan nodded and moved toward Damien, who was being pushed back by two vampires.

"Damien, look out!" Viv cried.

She tried to reach him, but two more guards blocked her way. One grabbed her arm, but Viv twisted with fresh agility and broke free. She kicked hard, sending the vampire flying back into the wall with a thud.

The second guard paused, surprised by her strength.

"What's happening to me?" Viv whispered, looking at her hands. They seemed normal, but she could feel power coursing through her blood like electricity.

The vampire guard lunged at her. Without thinking, Viv caught its arm and flipped it over her shoulder, something she'd never been able to do before.

Across the tube, Damien was in trouble. Morgan had him cornered, and the two vampire guards were closing in.

"Hold on!" Viv shouted. She ran toward them, moving so fast the world seemed to blur around her.

She reached Damien just as Morgan was about to grab him. Viv pushed Morgan hard, sending him stumbling back.

"Back to back!" Damien called, placing himself against her. "Like in video games!"

Viv nodded, understanding the plan. They stood back to back, looking outward at the circle of vampires surrounding them.

"Any other new powers I should know about?" Damien asked over his shoulder.

"I don't think so," Viv answered. "Just stronger and faster."

"That'll do," Damien said, holding his wooden stake tighter.

The vampires attacked all at once. Viv kicked one in the chest while ducking under another's swing. Damien jabbed his stick at anything that came close, keeping them at bay.

Working together, they moved like they'd practiced this a hundred times. When a vampire got too close to Damien, Viv would reach around and pull it away. When one tried to grab Viv from behind, Damien would jab at it with his stake.

Lord Erebus watched from a distance, his red eyes narrowed. "Enough!" he finally yelled. "This is taking too long!"

He stepped forward, and the other vampires backed away. Even in the dim light, Viv could tell he was different older, more strong, more dangerous.

"You fight well for a half blood," he said to Viv. "But playtime is over."

He moved so fast he was just a blur. Suddenly he was right in front of Viv, his cold hand around her throat.

But something unexpected happened when he touched her. Where his skin met hers, tiny sparks appeared, like little blue lightning bolts.

Lord Erebus jerked his hand away, looking at his burning palm in shock. "The blood is stronger than I thought," he mumbled.

Viv felt a rush of hope. Her blood hurt him!

Without pausing, she bit her own wrist. Blood welled up from the small cut.

"No!" Lord Erebus backed away. "Restrain her!"

The vampire guards paused, eyeing her blood nervously.

Viv flicked her wrist, sending drops of blood toward the nearest vampires. Where the blood touched them, their skin smoked and burned. They howled in pain and retreated.

"Damien, my blood hurts them!" Viv said excitedly.

Damien looked at her bleeding wrist with wide eyes. "That's both gross and awesome!"

Lord Erebus growled at his guards. "Cowards! She's just a girl!"

He pointed at Morgan. "You! Prove your loyalty!"

Morgan stepped forward nervously. "Yes, Master."

"Bring me the girl. Now."

Morgan approached slowly, eyeing Viv's wounded wrist. "Listen, Viv," he said in a low voice. "You can't win this. Lord Erebus is too powerful. But if you come willingly, he might spare your friend."

"Don't listen to him, Viv!" Damien warned.

Viv looked around. They were still surrounded, and even with her new strength, she wasn't sure they could fight their way out. And what about Sarah and the others? Had they made it to safety?

As if reading her thoughts, Lord Erebus smiled coldly. "Your other friend won't get far. I have followers all over the city."

Viv's heart sank. They needed help, but who would believe them?

Just then, one of the vampire guards near the doorway cried out in surprise. Sunlight suddenly filled the tunnel as something above was moved away.

The vampires hissed and backed into the darkness, their skin smoking where the light touched them.

"Now!" a familiar voice yelled from above. Sarah's face showed in the opening. "Viv! Damien! Climb up!"

Damien nudged Viv. "You first!"

Viv shook her head. "Together or not at all."

Lord Erebus roared with anger as more sunshine poured in. "Stop them!"

One brave vampire guard rushed forward despite the patches of sunshine. Viv kicked it back, but another took its place.

"Go!" Damien pushed Viv toward the exit, but three vampires blocked their way.

Viv looked at her still bleeding wrist and made a quick choice. She swung her arm in an arc, spraying blood across all three vampires.

They screamed as the blood burned their skin like acid. They fell back, clearing the way to the exit.

"Run!" Viv grabbed Damien's hand, and they sprinted toward the patch of sunshine.

Damien reached the spot first and helped Viv up. Hands from above – Sarah and some of the rescued prisoners – grabbed Viv's arms and pulled her out into the blinding sun.

"Damien, come on!" Viv reached back down into the hole.

Damien jumped, catching her hands. She pulled with her new strength, easily lifting him up.

Just as Damien's feet cleared the hole, something grabbed his ankle. A pale hand, smoking in the sunlight, held on tightly.

One of the vampire guards had been brave enough to reach into the deadly sunshine. Its skin burned, but it wouldn't let go.

"Help!" Damien cried as he was pulled back down.

Viv held on tight, but the vampire was strong. She felt Damien slipping from her grasp.

Suddenly, Sarah was beside her with a big rock. She smashed it down on the smoking hand. The vampire howled and let go.

They pulled Damien to safety and scrambled away from the hole. They were in the city park, not far from where they had first entered the caves.

"Quick, cover it up!" Viv pointed to the heavy metal cover that had been moved aside.

Together, they dragged the cover back over the hole, sealing the vampires beneath.

"We did it," Sarah said, breathing hard. "We got everyone out."

The rescued prisoners huddled nearby, blinking in the sunshine they hadn't seen in days or weeks.

"Are you okay?" Viv asked Damien, who was rubbing his ankle where the vampire had grabbed him.

"Yeah, just a bruise," he said. "But Viv, your wrist—"

Viv looked down. The bite she'd made had already healed, leaving only a faint mark. "Whoa."

"And what was that back there?" Sarah asked. "You were moving so fast, fighting like... like..."

"Like I'm part vampire," Viv finished quietly.

Damien frowned. "What does this mean, Viv? Are you going to start drinking blood and burning in sunlight?"

Viv held her hand up to the sun. Her skin didn't burn. "I don't think so. I'm something different."

"What do we do now?" Sarah asked. "The police won't believe us about vampires."

"We need to warn people," Viv said. "Lord Erebus won't give up. He still wants my blood for his ritual."

One of the saved women approached them. "I heard them talking. The ritual must happen tonight, during the dark of the moon."

"Then we have until sunset to come up with a plan," Damien said.

As they walked the saved people toward the street to find help, Viv suddenly stopped.

"Wait," she said, a cold feeling spreading through her chest. "Where's Morgan? I didn't see him in the tunnel at the end."

Damien looked around nervously. "Maybe he couldn't stand the sunlight?"

"No, he's not a full vampire yet," Viv said. "He could still walk in daylight."

Just then, her phone buzzed with a text message. The number was unknown, but the message made her blood freeze.

I know where you live. I know where your parents work. I know where your little sister goes to school. Bring yourself to the old clock tower at sunset, or they all die. Come alone. M

Viv showed the message to Damien and Sarah.

"You can't go!" Sarah said instantly.

"It's a trap," Damien agreed.

Viv looked at the time. Four hours until sunset. Four hours to figure out how to save her family without giving herself over to Lord Erebus.

"I have to do something," she said, her voice shaking. "But what?"