Human vs. Phantom

Chapter-1 Episode-1 Feeding the pure.

Chapter-1 

Episode-1

Feeding the pure.

I was turning through the radio stations in my car when I heard my favorite song ‘live like you're dying’ started playing on a radio station. I stopped tuning and closed my eyes resting my head on the headrest, I started enjoying the smooth flow of the song.

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“Said I was in my early 40’s           

With a lot of life before me 

When a moment came that stopped me on a dime         

I spent most of the next days, lookin' at the x-rays 

Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time     

Asked him when it sank in   

That this might really be the real  end

How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news      

Man what ya do…..”

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I was sitting in my newly bathed, shiny blue, Chevrolet Camaro, my baby, resting my head on the headrest. While the music blasting to its fullest, making my heart thump against my chest playing like a strong rhythm just like the spirit of the song. The music in the song had a slow and sweet melody which somehow relaxed my hot boiling nerves. I started tuning the lyrics in my hoarse voice, and I can tell you it wasn’t sweet or flowy like the song is, but hell... No one is listening and yeah, I enjoyed doing so when I'm alone. But obviously, I do it only when I'm alone, I don't want to be laughed at by others.

It was one of my tops on the pile of my favorite songs and having it playing on the radio on such a demanding day, is what I'll call happiness in disguise. The melody ahh..., it reminded me of the sweet old days, seems so far-fetched when things were simpler than it is now. Living in complete bliss and love, all is now bygones. When the things in the dark remained in the dark and away from my life. Ah! Good times, I sighed remembering the sweet days. The music was still playing but now my mind was drifted to back in time. Thinking about the days as a kid, what I used to be, how naive I was.

Back from the trance, that I went into, I again focused on the song. I have some cassettes stacked in the glove compartment in the car. They are full of my favorite songs, rock, metal, hard metal, country, hip-hop, jazz classical. But when the radio plays such songs, listening never does any hurt. It's rare nowadays. The hard metal song is not one that one always needs to pump up after all. Listening to country music after a long tough, tiring day of work is the best joy for me. It has a weird essence in it, which calms me the best.

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I have been working on a k********g s***h disappearance case recently in Hudson, New York. I am not a cop, or any agent, or anyone who'll be concerned about a k********g under normal circumstances. But in this case, the circumstance ain't normal. 

I arrived in this town yesterday after I found out about the five girls who have been kidnapped here this past week. All of them disappeared suspiciously under weird circumstances, and weird means seriously weird, like a candy-colored tree weird, the reason that grabbed my attention. The police have no explanations whatsoever about these disappearances. They are all quite baffled about this whole situation. 

Just how I like it, this case reeked of my kind of case. And since it had my attention, here comes my role to find the unexplained, name the nameless, the case calls for a hunter and thus I am with all my furs and feathers, guns and leathers to do what I’m good at. To do what I do, save people. One against all.

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“Hello, Jimmy! I need your help in a case.” I dialed my baby brother's number, shutting the radio down which was playing in the car. We haven't talked for quite some time now. It was because of me, he called me many times but I couldn't answer his calls. Every time he called, I was either out hunting or running some errand. I was thankful that he picked up my call. I know he must have been worried.

“This is the first thing you say after disappearing god knows where in hell that too for a whole damn week. You know what I feel when you do that, you're the only one I've left. I called you like a million times but you never bother to answer, you couldn't even reply to all the voicemails I've send you and this is what you called me now for, my help. Get lost I'm busy.” His howl pierced through my ears.

“okay sorry and I’m fine, alive to say the least. Now your help...., I'm in kind of a hurry?” I said knowing he can never say no to me.

“later Reeve, I am in a hurry too, I'm getting late for my class. And I'm getting late because of you right now. So, now you have to wait till I'm not busy. Or just make me your partner and I’ll help you whenever you need” He replied in a hurried and proud tone.

“you know why I don't want you in this business. So, let me handle it until I can. And about the case I'm working on, this is crucial dude. People are in danger, innocent people, girls are disappearing from the town and no one is found guilty yet. God knows if they are still alive or not. Your class is more important than those innocents, you wanna say? I know you're better than that. So please Stop nagging and go to the library and find anything you can about Dracula and Vampires.” I said in a hard tone to tell him how urgent this is.

“Come on dude, when will you stop making me ditch my classes with these things. You always use this emotion card to get me to do all you want. You always say how urgent your work is and my classes are just a waste of time. You either don’t call me at all or ask for help whenever you call.” He said furiously.

“huh... Works every freakin time. So just do it and go back to study, think of it as a quest. Don’t waste any more time.” I replied.

“what do you want to know about Dracula?” He asked coldly.

“anything and everything you can and as fast as possible. Anything no matter how small or insignificant it seems to you. Do it quick I need it for this case.” I explained.

“where are you? And the case Is it about vamps again? I thought they were all dead.” He blurted out.

“I'm still working on the theory about the possible culprit. So, stop being a question mark. I'm in Hudson, working on some missing women cases, I'll tell you in details later. So, chop-chop.” I answered.

“and how can you tell this is your kind of case just because some woman disappeared. I mean this could be something else too. Humans are worse, you know. God knows this could be some cathouse thing. It happened before.” He said implying.

“The disappearances are all weird. And you know me I can smell such monsters from a mile, I know this is my kind of case. The supernatural kind. More people can get hurt if I don't find who is doing all this. Now do what I asked you for and hurry. Call me once you’re done with the research. I have some people to save. Adios, booger,” I said as I disconnected the call. I can exactly tell how he would've rolled his eyes.

After the call, I took off the cop shop in Hudson. Turning the engine off I got out of the car.

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New York,

“Hey man, you carry on, I got something urgent to deal with. Family you know,” I said to my friend Jason. He is with me in the religious education class.

“Yeah sure man, see you after class”, he said as he went inside the lecture hall. And for me, I went to the library in hopes to find something that could help Reeve not get his ass kicked. 

Walking in the library, I went to the right place I knew I’ll get what I want. I picked three books from the gothic aisle. The books are mythical creature’s bible, having its base from the nineteenth century. I took the books and settled in a table at the farthest corner so no one will disturb me.

“Vampires and Dracula are alike they both feed on human blood. But Dracula is more handsome and charismatic with a veneer of aristocratic charm. Which makes them an excellent predator. They are at the top of their food chain. They are much stronger than vampires. They attract humans with their charm and soon the prey will fall in the trap like a fly in a venues’ fly trap without the predator to do much to hunt them.

Dracula is known to be the strongest of all vampires, he has the physical strength that is equivalent to that of 20 men. He is also able to climb vertical surfaces, using only his bare hands.

Vampires are immortal creatures. They are able to live an infinitely long life-span without aging. Dracula was born in the 15th century and was over five-hundred years old. In order to sustain their young look, however, they must feed on human blood.

Vampires are immune to common diseases or ailments. He is immune to conventional means of attack; a sailor tries to stab him in the back with a knife, but the blade goes through his body as though it is air.

Dracula possesses inhuman agility.

Dracula possesses heightened senses; this allowed him to hear a conversation going on at miles' distance. Dracula also possesses a reflective eyeshine; allowing him to see more clearly at night.

Dracula was able to levitate from the ground.

Dracula was able to manipulate the dreams of those that he fed on. This allowed him to project anything he wanted into their mind. They can use this ability to track their prey that they are living a happy life while in reality, they are on a supernatural acid trip to a slow and horrible death.

Dracula, to some extent, was able to shapeshift. This allowed him to take the form of anyone.

Dracula was able to heal any form of injury by taking blood. He could also rejuvenate himself by drinking human blood. Dracula could also acquire the knowledge and talents of their prey by drinking the blood of their prey.”

The book explained much about Dracula and its history. They were evolved in the sixteenth century, as the book said. As a result of the greed of humans to live a deathless eternal life. But the cost of this life goes through a nasty, bloody path. The book answered many questions. How they evolve and survived for five centuries? How they stayed in the shadows to survive from extinction. But if the case Reeve is working on, if it is actually related to Dracula and vampires, I must find a way to kill them. If they still do exist like how the book said, it also must be true that once all the Dracula were on the brink of extinction when many of them started dying suddenly one after the other. So it means there must actually be a way to kill them. Now I just have to look for it.

I again started turning through the old book's pages to find something that can put an end to their existence once and for all. After many hours and the demise of many brain cells, I actually found something that could probably help.

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A week earlier,

Colorado,

“Hii, Reeve. I’m calling to tell you that my graduation is in a month. And like always you must be busy somewhere and so you couldn't answer the phone. I figured that so I won’t disturb you and make it short. Make sure to return my call as soon as you get my voicemail and of course when you’re free. You have to come to my graduation ceremony this time, no excuses. You’ve missed all the ones before. Call me.” I was playing the voicemails on my phone sitting in a diner. Most of the voice mails were from Jimmy but I couldn't call him back because if I did, I know I won't be able to hide it from him anymore. And I am still not ready for the truth.

“your order?” The waitress came to my table and asked me in a sexy warm tone. She was holding a tray in her hand. And god she was pretty. She looked gorgeous in that red uniform.

“a double cheeseburger with bacon and heavy on the onions,” I ordered.

“right away”, she said again in her charming voice and paced to the kitchen in her sexy walk which looked sexier in the red short skirt. Her ass was swaying perfectly from left to right as she strides away. I wanted to give a try on her, maybe something good will come out of today.

As she walked away to bring me food, I got up from my table to grab a newspaper from the shelf beside the counter. I decided to read some news while I am waiting. I settled back at my table to read the newspaper. The headline on the paper caught my eyes. It was about the Suspicious disappearance of girls, the cops are puzzled, two girls in their early twenties from Hudson, New York has been disappeared from the places which are supposed to be the safe haven for the girls. One of the girls disappeared from her house. She vanished from the house which was locked from the inside, which raises many questions. No signs of struggle were found in the house either. The other disappeared from inside her car with the engine still running, on a red light. Her handbag, wallet, and phone were found in the car. No signs of struggle there either.

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Epilogue-

"Thanks, hii I'm Reeve", Reeve said to the waitress as she brought him his double cheeseburger.

"Emily," she introduced too with her lips curled upwards.

"Tell me this one Emily, why is this place so hot? it's boiling over. is it because some hot is here." Reeve said raising his eyebrows. 

"uh-huh, I think hotness is way up here because of some customers too," she replied winking which made Reeve chuckle.

"one more thing is there a place nearby like a motel where we... uhh... I mean I can sleep?" Reeve said flirtingly.

 "My shift is about to end. if you want I can show you the way"