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Serina

A good monster hunt always started with a stale beer, saucy wings, and fries from a random dive bar in the middle of nowhere. Dad always said it loosened the tension before going on a hunt that you weren’t sure you’d come back from.

It had become a tradition, and I couldn’t deny that it was something that always brought a smile to my face.

I wasn’t sure if it was the wings or the anticipation of the kill that I knew I would get that did it for me, but I assumed the latter. The wings were like an appetizer for what I was truly wanting.

The kill.

“This is yall’s third trip here this month. Are you guys moving into town? I haven’t seen you around here,” Tammy, our waitress, said with a southern twang as she eyed my father with her fuck me eyes, sliding us our beers on the table.

I grinned in his direction over the rim of my glass as I took a drink, and he shook his head ruefully as he shifted his gaze to Tammy.

“No, we’re just here on some more business. It’s been busy lately,” Dad replied as he grabbed his beer to take a long swig.

“What kinda business?” Tammy said, fluttering her long lashes.

He eyed her. “It’s top secret, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.”

“Good, I’d love to see more of you.” Her statement lingered with a want for more as her eyes swooped down his body real quick before coming back up to his face, and he gave her a side smile.

I shifted my gaze to around the dive bar, giving the woman her moment . Or what she thought was her moment.

The weathered and worn rustic aesthetic blended with a cozy, laid-back atmosphere. Mismatched tables and chairs filled the open floor plan, giving the impression that each piece was carefully chosen over time. It reminded me of Mickey’s, but Mickey’s had more character and was more put together.

Stools with cracked leather seats lined the bar. The bartender, seasoned and friendly, moved effortlessly behind the counter, engaging in casual banter with patrons until he saw Tammy.

“Tammy! Quit’cher flirtin’ and get back to work!” the man called from behind the bar, and Tammy rolled her eyes but left my dad with a glittery smile before turning back to go to work.

I had to admit my old man was a good-looking guy: 6’3, had a dad bod but was muscle-riddled underneath it all, he was covered in tattoos, and he had groomed salt and pepper stubble that only added a sharper edge to his bright blue eyes. He had messy slicked-back black hair with a few grays there too, but there was always a thick unruly piece that fell over his brow. What more could any woman ask for?

I watched him run a thumb over his ring finger, the thick gold band still gleaming there. I hadn’t seen my dad look at another woman even remotely close to the way he looked at my mom. Regardless of his returning smiles and gestures, I could see the sadness still lingering in his eyes from when we lost her.

My dad huffed as he went for some fries in the large basket sitting between us. “What?” he said over the food in his mouth as I eyed him.

“Soooo, you and Tammy, huh?” I jested, and he rolled his eyes.

He sighed. “You and I both know there was only one woman for me, baby.”

“Oh, come on, I think you could have some fun. We don’t get to have fun very often. And I know Mom wouldn’t want you sulking forever; she hated that,” I reminded him, and he grunted as he went for another small bundle of fries and I did the same.

“You’re right, but like you said, we don’t have fun very often. We don’t have time; as soon as we’re done eating, we will be heading out to that nest Sam was telling us about. Then we will be taking the next week off for your birthday.”

“I’m sure you could go out one night while we’re off next week.”

He looked at me with a sadness in his eyes that let me know he still wasn’t ready. I just wanted him to be happy, but I wouldn’t push anymore tonight.

“Here you go,” Tammy drawled as she slid both of us our basket of wings. My dad ordered the spicy ones.

“You’re going to regret that later,” I said, nodding toward the food, changing the subject.

“Your old man can handle it.” Dad waggled his brow, causing me to chuckle as I went for my own wings.

We chatted about our game plan for the night while we finished our wings and beer. I had a feeling it was going to be a long night. For some reason, there had been an uprising in changelings, and their bloodlust was causing problems.

Normally, Vampires didn’t change people; rather, they would get their blood from a hookup at a blood bank or feed on a human, but they wouldn’t kill them, they would just compel the person to forget and move on their merry way. It had always been the rules for their kind to live peacefully among us, and we hadn’t had any problems until recently.

Unfortunately for them, you break the rules and hunters come for you. That’s where we step in.

More and more people had started going missing here in this area, and my dad and I were determined to figure out why. Taking out their breeding houses, or nests as we called them, was the closest we could get to stopping them until we could figure out the reason they were changing so many people.

Most of the time, we killed them for murdering innocents, but in the past few months, they’ve been changing them too.

Other hunters had noticed an uprising in vampires as well; we had been hearing about their hunts through the grapevine. It was a shitshow, but on the bright side, at least we were close to our yearly vacation spot.

I tried to tell dad that with all the vampire attacks here recently we could always plan to go another time, but he insisted he would never miss my birthday vacation, no matter what monsters were causing a ruckus.

Our family cabin was only a five-hour drive from Lufkin, which was why Dad decided to take this hunt since he knew it was close.

Dad finished his beer, and I followed suit before he tossed cash down on the table and we both scooted ourselves out from the booth to head to the door. Tammy tried to rush over but got called back by her boss.

My dad and I couldn’t stop our chuckle as he opened the door, the little bells chiming at the top as we took our leave.

We walked over to the trunk of his classic, sleek black Impala and he opened it, revealing all of our weapons stashed in the trunk. He handed me my shotgun, and I tossed it over my shoulder and onto my back with its strap before checking that my pistol was still fastened to my hip.

He placed a sash-like leather strap of wooden stakes over his chest before handing me my own, and I situated mine in the same position.

“You ready, sweetheart?”

“Always,” I said, and he gave me a nod as he moved around his car to hop in the driver’s seat while I swung my leg over my motorcycle parked right next to his car.

I always pulled out first while he followed behind me.

Rock, paper, scissors…

My hand made a rock while my dad’s made paper.

“Damn, that’s my third win this month,” he said with a shake of his head. “Best two out of three?” He lifted his hand again, but I pushed it away.

“No, you won, fair and square. I’ll take the front; enjoy the advantage, old man,” I replied, grabbing for my shotgun and making sure my wooden buckshots were ready to go.

It wouldn’t kill the vampires unless the small wooden projectiles went through a heart, which was unlikely, but it would slow them down enough so that I could kill them. I slung the shotgun on my back and threw my jacket on to cover up all my weapons. It looked a little bulky but nothing too out of the ordinary.

My dad cupped my cheek with one of his callused hands and placed a small kiss atop my head.

“Be careful, sweetheart,” he whispered, and I smiled at him.

“I know,” I responded, fighting the urge to give him an eyeroll.

He normally wasn’t so emotional, but our last hunt didn’t go as planned, and I had gotten hurt in the process. Well, more so, I threw out the plan and had to improvise, and things ended in disaster. Ever since then, he’s been a little more mushy on me.

“Move in on my signal,” I said.

“Wait, what's the signal this time?” he asked with a cocked brow.

“You’ll know,” I said as I started walking toward the woods.

We parked our vehicles on the side of the road closest to the home the vampires were partying in, their own little breeding house, just on the other side of the trees.

Faint music flowed through the tree line. They wouldn’t be expecting us, and something about that sent a shiver of excitement up my spine.

I glanced at my dad one last time before we both ran into the assembly of trees. He was headed for the back of the house while I went toward the front door.

I took a deep breath, admiring the rickety front porch and porch swing. The brown and tan floral design on the swing’s cushions reminded me of a grandma’s couch from the 70s. And I wondered if there were any humans being held by compulsion to allow the vampires inside.

It was something we saw often. It was smart because it would keep any vampires you didn’t want inside out of the house since the human could be compelled not to let them in. I took one last breath and steadied my heartbeat before tentatively knocking on the door.

The door opened moments later, allowing blaring music to echo out. A pale man with dirty blond hair was still smiling over at someone else inside the house.

Two, four, six, seven… Seven Vampires from what I could see, and I hadn’t even stepped over the threshold yet. I had five shots in my shotgun before I would need to reload, so I’d have to make every shot count.

Or maybe I could just take this one down first and then his little girlfriend without my gun at all. I also had my pistol with wooden bullets, too. He finally shifted his gaze to me.

“Hey, could I use your bathroom? My car broke down just up the road, and this was the first house I came across,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself, making myself seem small—weak.

Boy, how looks could be deceiving…

“Lucky you,” the man replied, grinning at some of his friends over his shoulders again before nodding for me to come through the front door. “I’m glad you found someone,” he added as I walked past him. “The bathroom is the second door on the right,”

“Thanks,” I said as I made my way down the hall on swift feet.

I didn’t feel anyone following me, so I quickly went into the bathroom and shut the door. I turned, taking in everything; the room was small, but luckily it had a large frosted glass window.

Always look for an escape route, just in case.

I knew it wouldn’t be long before one of them came in here, which was why I didn’t bother with locking the door. I stood in front of the round mirror on the wall, gripping the sides of the pedestal sink.

I kept my heart steady even though I didn’t think they would be able to hear it with how loud the music was in here. Which was an advantage for me.

I wondered how many I could take out before I gave my dad the signal. They all looked like changelings, cocky new vampires. They reminded me of teenage boys in high school playing the my dick is bigger game with their arrogance.

Becoming a vampire always seemed to make them egotistical with their new abilities, a sort of god complex so to speak.

Normally, we would do our best to help them live life by the rules, but these guys were past saving. I could tell they were willing to eat me the moment I walked through the door.

I couldn’t deny that I absolutely reveled in killing them. I loved it when they underestimated me. The look of surprise on their features when I shoved that stake through their hearts. A woman—not just any woman, a human woman… someone they viewed as small, weak, powerless, taking that very power from them.

Mmm, I could practically taste the satisfaction it gave me to rip it away from them.

I barely heard the footsteps coming down the hall, and when the door opened, I was washing my hands at the sink. It was a man, not the one that answered the door. He had dark hair, brown eyes that matched his skin, and a five o'clock shadow. He closed the door behind him.

“Oh, hi, I’m almost done,” I said, unfazed, acting as if I was an innocent human in the midst of their trap. He smiled at me.

“You will stay quiet as I kill you,” he commanded, looking directly into my eyes, his pupils flaring. Compulsion.

Cute trick.

“Okay.” I stared blankly at him, making him believe his little hoax had worked.

Then suddenly his eyes went black, the veins around them pulsing with hunger. Fangs shot out from his canines. He went to grab me, and I didn’t make a sound. I remained silent as I gripped his shoulder and shoved a stake through his heart.

His small gasp was the only sound he made as his dark, beady eyes shifted back to brown, confusion and pain twisting his facial features.

“I’m Serina Velika,” I whispered, and his eyes looked haunted by the mention of my family name. The sight of it sent butterflies through my stomach.

His mouth gaped as if he was trying to say something, but I twisted the stake a little, and all that came out was a whimper. I grinned.

“You really should be careful about who you let inside your house,” I murmured before he released his last breath, and I shoved his body into the clawfoot bathtub with a thud.

I closed the lilac mosaic fabric shower curtain that seemed just as dated as the furniture on the patio, making it seem as if he was never here.

Footsteps were coming down the hall again seconds later. I quickly lowered to my knees in front of the toilet and made a retching sound, bringing one of my hands to my stomach under my jacket, looking like I was holding myself, but I was actually holding another stake.

The door swung open.

“What the hell? Where’s Edmund?” the man exclaimed, and I lifted my head out of the toilet.

“I’m sorry it’s taking so long, I’m really sick.” I spat in the toilet with a grimace, flushing quickly to make it seem more believable. “Who’s Edmund?” I questioned, seeming confused but kind.

“Edmund was supposed to… ugh, never mind.” He closed the door and walked the few steps over to me before crouching on the floor beside me.

“You are going to remain quiet as I kill you,” he ordered, his eyes staring deeply into mine. I almost laughed.

Your little friend thought the same thing, but I’ll let you believe whatever you want.

I nodded, agreeing with his statement. He stood, offering me his hand. I took it and stood, my other hand still under my jacket holding myself.

Just as his eyes and teeth revealed the monster lurking under his skin and he was about to lunge for me, I shot my hand forward, shoving my stake through his chest.

But he was faster. He realized what I was doing and moved back from me with a hiss of pain. I had heard the crack of his breastbone, but it wasn’t enough. I had to send the stake all the way through to kill him.

Before he had time to retaliate, I rushed him, shoving him up against the door with a smack against the wood for more leverage. My heart hammered against my ribs, my blood hot under my skin.

I shoved the stake the rest of the way through as he thrashed against my hold, getting a few good hits in against my face.

I felt the fresh sting on my cheek and knew if the loud noise of me slamming him against the door didn’t alert the others, the hammering of my heart and smell of my blood would.

He suddenly went still, his eyes unseeing, before I grabbed him and used my body’s momentum to throw him behind the shower curtain on top of his friend. His foot hung out of the tub, but it was the best I could do before the door swung open again.

There was no compulsion this time, no hiding the beasts within.

Two guys barreled through the door into the small bathroom heading straight for me with fangs and teeth bared.

I yanked my shotgun free and blasted a shot directly into them.

POW!

That was the signal…

My father knew I wouldn’t give myself away until it was necessary.

They both fell to the floor groaning and hissing in pain. I quickly tossed my shotgun over my shoulder as I staked both of them, not getting to enjoy their deaths as much now since I didn’t have the element of surprise anymore.

BOOM!

The sound of the back door being kicked down rang through the house, causing shuffled footsteps to echo all around me.

Bang, bang, bang …

The sounds of guns, the crunch of bones and flesh, echoed through the house as I made my way out of the bathroom in a killing haze.

The three vampires that were left laid on the floor dead, two staked, one with wooden bullet holes in his chest leaking his almost black blood all over the floor.

My father stood there, heaving breaths that seemed more so out of concern than from exhaustion when he looked over at me.

“Serina…” he said, moving over to me, running a hand over the gash on my cheek with worry.

“I’m okay, Dad, I’ve had worse. And I got four this time to your three; you’re getting slow, old man. Looks like drinks are on you,” I beamed, and he rolled his eyes and was about to reply before a sound came from upstairs.

We both stilled and shifted on our feet toward the stairs. My dad took the lead, and I watched his six as we climbed the steps. At the top, you could go in either direction, and there were three rooms. Two on one side and one on the other. I assumed two of them were bedrooms and one was a bathroom for upstairs.

I nodded to the right, where the one closed door was, and my father went the other direction. Within seconds we had made it to our assigned doors, and we both kicked them in at the same time.

Nothing…

I made my way around the banister to the side my dad was on, and we both stood in front of the last door. I nodded to him, and he counted down without a sound.

Three… two… one.

He kicked the door down. My pistol was up and ready, but when we entered, we were met with a sad sight.

Two people, a man and woman, both lay on the bed. I assumed this was their house and that they were married based on the rings on their fingers. Both seemed to be starting to stir, but they weren’t human anymore. They were transitioning.

Their skin had already begun to tighten, looking younger, and those dark veins shifted under their eyes like some type of infection you’d see spreading in a zombie movie. With time, they would learn how to control it.

We didn’t understand why the vampires were changing people instead of just feeding on them and moving on.

Most monsters had learned over the years to live amicably in our world despite their instincts. But the ones who couldn’t control themselves would meet the wrath of a hunter for their misdeeds. It was just the way the world worked, but over the last six months or so, things had changed.

There had been a shift, and the creatures seemed to be crossing the line more than before. More so vampires, but others seemed to have started to follow their example.

Like sheep being led to slaughter, except none of these monsters were fluffy, soft, and cuddly. They had sharp claws, gnashing teeth, and some even had scales, horns, or other frightening features from your worst nightmares.

For now, vampires were our top priority. We’d deal with the stragglers afterwards.

I looked over to my dad, who let out a whispered curse under his breath before stepping to the side of the bed where the man lay while I shifted over to the side of the woman.

Movement caught my eye to the right. There was a closet door cracked, and I gripped one of my stakes and stood. Glancing at my dad, he gave me a nod to check it out. I moved on swift feet and opened the door quickly.

A child squealed within. A little girl who couldn’t have been older than eight or nine. She would now stay that age forever. Her red-black eyes gave her away.

Fuck. These were the deaths that weren’t satisfying…

These were the what if deaths…

What if we had been here sooner?

What if we could have saved them from this fate?

What if… what if… what if…

“It’s okay.” I put my stake back into its holder. “I won’t hurt you,”

“W-why are you covered in blood?” the girl asked, eyeing me timidly, her voice trembling.

“We took care of the bad guys. The ones who did this to you and—”

“My parents,” she said, finishing my sentence.

A gasping breath came from behind me. The man and woman had come to. My dad still stood next to the bed.

“Who are you!? What do you want?!” the man snarled, pulling his wife closer to him and looking around the room for his daughter I presumed.

My father soothed, “Easy, slow down. We didn’t do this to you, and we killed the guys who did.”

“Are you going to kill us?” the wife cried.

“No, we’re not going to kill you. At least, not yet. Listen, I'm going to cut the bullshit and get straight to the point. Hi, I’m John Velika, and this is my daughter Serina. We’re what you call hunters. We hunt monsters. Any monster you’ve known to be imaginary are very real.

“You all are now Vampires. I don’t know why they changed you, but now you get a choice. You’re innocent until you prove otherwise. You can live out the rest of your immortality peacefully, or you can be a menace to society. The choice is yours.” My dad pulled out a card and handed it to the man. “Here. His name is Briggs; he’ll help you transition into your new lifestyle and stay on track.

“There’s a blood bank down the road off Highway 16. Only travel in the dark, as the sun will kill you. When you go, ask for Barbra. She can give you enough blood to hold you off for a little while.”

“And if we don’t stay on track?” the man asked, his brows furrowed.

“Then you’ll be seeing us again.” My dad looked between him and his daughter. It was as if I could see the very understanding between two men who had a family to take care of. “Have a good day—”

The man cut in, “David. My name is David. And this is my wife Sarah, and my daughter Emma…”

“It would have been better to meet you under different circumstances, but it’s still lovely meeting you. Good luck,” my dad said as he walked toward the door and I followed.

My dad draped his arm around my shoulder as we made it to the top of the stairs.

“Thank you,” Sarah called from the bedroom.

We both looked over the railing and could see them all sitting on the bed together watching us go. My dad and I paused.

“For giving us a chance,” she finished.

“Everyone deserves a chance. Now, we never want to see you again.” My dad gave them a smile, and then we walked back to our vehicles with a sad silence lingering between us.