Hannah was lost. The mist had whirled around her and pulled her in all directions. She tried to use the moss on the trees to guide her way home but it kept changing as if the forest sat upon a carousel. Her nose pulsed a dull ache and the warm air sapped at her energy.

“Seems you caught the vampire's gaze, dear.”

Hannah turned around on the spot. She could not find where the voice came from. “Who said that?”

“A voyeur so to speak.”

She pressed her back to the tree and heaved, doing her best to hold back tears. “Are you to help me?”

“I have no reason to intervene.”

“Then why do you speak to me?”

“I get lonely.”

“I can see why.” Hannah slid down the tree to sit down. “If you mock people who need help, perhaps it’s better that you’re alone!”

“I couldn’t help you if I wanted.”

“Perhaps you could tell me the way back to the village.” Hannah looked around again, trying to find who was speaking.

“I doubt you’d want to return there.”

“It’s better than being out here.”

“You will be hunted and he will have his prey. Once a vampire has someone in its gaze, only their blood can satisfy the hunger. Oh and how they love to play with their food.”

“Vampires. A man once spoke of those many years ago.” Hannah looked behind the tree. Wary of her pursuer.

“Yes, and your village hanged him.”

Hannah stumbled around the tree and continued walking, hoping to create more distance between her and David. “I don’t believe in such creatures, it’s a myth.”

“A vampire is a cursed creature. It’s born from within a man, from his greed and ambition. A vampire must suck the life of others to live. That perfectly describes your Captain.”

“Who are you?” She cried. Hannah trudged on through the dense thicket. She looked up in the trees and called again: “Well?”

The forest was still once more and Hannah was alone with her hunter.

***

Elizabeth caught the leaping Jim in mid-air and threw him into Hannah’s bedroom. “You were truly a mistake!” She drew her claws and slashed the rabid vampire. “Look at you!” she slashed again, forcing him to try and crawl away. “One feed and you’re lost!”

Jim scrambled up and jumped on the bed. “You held me back for too long.”

Elizabeth knelt elegantly and lifted the flintlock that fell from Jim’s belt. “You are not made for this curse, Jim. You’re a good man at heart.” she pointed the gun at him.

Jimethy narrowed his blackened eyes. “We—”

Before he could finish his thought, Elizabeth pulled the trigger. 0

Jim howled and fell back out of the window.

Villagers poured into the house led by George. “What on earth has happened here!”

Elizabeth came back through into the dining room to meet the transfixed gathering. The gruesome servings on the dining room table harken to the dark days of the past. She tossed the smoking pistol on the table and cleared her throat. “Everyone return to your homes. Do not allow anyone to enter. Scatter grain about your doors.”

George scoffed, “Madness, what happened here?”

“I shall not lie. Jimethy has been stricken with a dark curse as has Captain Potter. They are vampiric.”

“Two people are murdered! Why are you dredging up the fears Alius sewed?”

“They are not lies.” Elizabeth sighed. “Gather any arms you have.” She closed her eyes. “It will soon begin.”

George ran his hand through the thick mat of hair atop his head. “Where is Terry?”

Elizabeth tossed George the flintlock. “Do you know how to use this?”

George caught it and then inspected it slowly. “I do.”

“We must hold until midnight tomorrow.”

“Hold what?”

“Everything. Get the village indoors.” Elizabeth's eyes flashed hypnotically. “Now George.”

George bowed his head quickly and pushed out the stunned villagers behind him.

Elizabeth dashed into Hannah’s bedroom and looked out the window. A trail of blood led through the garden. She closed her eyes and summoned a deep red mist to blind her vampiric kin.

The woods beckoned her in. She could sense the disturbance amongst the solace of the dying forest. Then came the taunting voice of Alius.

“Elizabeth, I see your plan.”

“What do you make of it?” She said, trudging through the woods in search of David’s prey.

“Naive. David will feed and you will lose control of him.”

Elizabeth stopped. “I only need to guide him.”

“Guide him into the walls?”

“Yes.”

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“How will you do that? By midnight tomorrow, you will wake up right back in that dungeon. Waiting for that fool to stumble upon you.”

“I can only try.”

Alius laughed. “I do enjoy the show.”

“You’re a sad, bitter ghost, Alius.”

“Don’t forget insane.”

Elizabeth disengaged with Alius and focused on her quarry. She had to save Hannah from David’s grasp and keep his true nature at bay until she could lead him back to the walls. She became the mist itself and weaved herself through the forest floor. She could sense David, Hannah and Jimethy.

Hannah had given up. She was sitting against a felled tree slipping in and out of consciousness. Her legs had given way and the dimming of her senses offered much-needed relief from the pain. She could hear the dark laughter of her hunter, soon it would be over.

Her eyes drifted closed but were quickly reignited by a new voice, a kind one.

“Hannah.”

She blinked to clear away the haze. The mist around her had reddened.

“Hannah.”

Hannah thought about responding as perhaps it may be another trick. She wondered why he hadn’t killed her already.

“Hannah.”

“What?” She croaked.

“Follow my voice, I shall help you.”

Hannah tried to stand but could not. Her legs trembled and she slumped once more. With tears in her eyes, she rolled onto her side and curled up. “I cannot.”

Elizabeth could navigate the woods with ease. She knew where Hannah lay and made her way in that direction, shifting in and out of her misty form.

Jim dived at Elizabeth from a tree, but she was all too aware of his presence and paltry attempt at an ambush.

Elizabeth glided to one side and slashed with her claws down his side. Jim roiled in agony as his insides spilt over the muddy ground. She offered him no quarter before beheading him and tossing his chattering head high into a tree. “You are released of duty.”

Jim’s body spasmed and tried to right itself, but the loss of innards and catastrophic damage left him as nothing more than a wriggling worm in the soil.

Elizabeth felt David’s presence. He moved not with the mist but like a bird through the trees, fliting and warping in and out of reality. It made her dizzy trying to keep up with his movements.

Hannah managed to get to her feet and was wandering. Her bare feet stung with the cuts and scrapes sustained. “Help…” her voice was picked up by the wind and carried through the mist.

“To me!” Elizabeth’s voice echoed.

Hannah moved toward the kind voice.

From behind a tree stepped the monstrous David. His eyes were blackened and his face was like a snarling wolf primed to defend her cubs. “I enjoyed watching you flee.”

Hannah backed up slowly with her hands raised. “Please. I don’t know what you want from me.”

“I think you do.” David snarled and made to charge, but was knocked over by a gust of powerful wind.

Elizabeth materialised and stepped between them. “David, you must resist this curse. If you feed, you will be lost and I cannot save us.”

“Save us?” David laughed. “Save yourself, Elizabeth. You were a traitor to your ex-husband and now a traitor to me.”

Elizabeth glanced back at the fearful Hannah and nodded softly. “Indeed, and I indulged Alius’ mental torture of you. I had to break your mind and reveal the truth of your evil. But I resurrected you instead of leaving you to the earth. Tell me, is that the action of a traitor?”

David pondered a moment. “Why would you bring me back?”

“I have tried to guide you and Alius out of this village, out of purgatory. Each time I lead you astray. For that I am sorry. This time, if you hold on perhaps we can save ourselves.”

He shook his head and bared his powerful fangs. “Your curse differs from mine.”

Elizabeth nodded as she continued to weave a mist around Hannah, guiding her back to the village with the echoes of her mind as she spoke with David. “It manifests through our sins, David. I am a liar. I hide the truth. I move as smoke.”

David’s nose twitched. “Sins. Thump your bible more like your husband.”

Elizabeth continued, “You are violent and ambitious. Fast and vicious.”

“What of Alius?”

“He is bitter and unforgiving. Apathetic.” Elizabeth’s mist enveloped them both with a swirl.

David looked around and growled, “Jezebel!” he launched at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth dissipated upon contact and reappeared behind him. Though she had evaded direct contact, David’s power and speed had opened a wound above her hip. She held it and winced. “Resist, David.”

“I don’t have time for your lies!” He dashed through the reddened mist.

Elizabeth clawed at him with biting winds and turned him around to slow his chase. David was gaining on Hannah and she had no choice but to reappear and use her physical body to block him.

David crashed into her and sent her through the air into a tree.

“Aah!” Elizabeth’s wail resonated through the entire village.

“Why do you try to stop me, Elizabeth?” David growled as he looked down at Elizabeth's broken body. Her back twisted and her mouth filled with blood. “Look what you made me do.”

Elizabeth’s eyes fluttered. She would heal from this but it would take weeks. There would be no way for her to regenerate in time to stop David from having his way. She tried to speak but only a splutter of crimson escaped her lips.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth.” David continued towards the fleeing Hannah.

Hannah stumbled as he used every ounce of her remaining strength to escape the forest. The village came into sight. The protective mists that shielded her had faded. She had heard a great cry from the woods but hadn’t stopped to find out what it could be.

Her house was there, not twenty paces away now. She considered returning to her home but couldn’t bear what she might find. Instead, she weaved between the houses and onto the village's main causeway. “Help!” She cried.

From around the corner, a man came and scooped her up in his arms. She screamed, kicked and bit. “Help!”

“Ah!” The man cried and released her. “Hannah!”

She tripped over once released and landed on her knees.

“Hannah, it’s me, George.”

Hannah blinked and scrambled away from him. “Help me.”

“I’m here to help, come with me, quickly now.” George reached out to help her up. A wretched, bestial cry spiralled from the woods and put a shudder in their hearts. “Quickly, Hannah. Take my hand.”

She looked at it, hesitating before grabbing it and allowing him to heave her up. “With me now.”

Hannah followed George through the village, past the main square where the large willow stood. The village was barren of life. Usually, there would be people working and chatting.

“We shall hide in my father's old home,” George said, pulling her along faster than she could keep up. Hannah almost fell but remained upright after a stumble. “Quickly now, Hannah.”

“Where is everyone?”

“Inside.” George and Hannah were breathing heavily. He led her to an old cottage with an unkept garden beside it. “In here.” George opened the door and ushered her in. “Something grave is happening, Hannah.”

She nodded and looked around the dusty house. “This is old man Graveson’s house.”

George looked back at Hannah from the window and nodded. “Yep, my father.”

“I didn’t know he was your father.”

“Not many people did.”

“You’re George Ashworth.”

He nodded. “He never wanted me, so I wanted nothing from him.” George pushed a chair in front of the door and sat on it.

Hannah rubbed her arm and sat down. “I am scared, George.”

“We all are. I believe we are dealing with–”

“Vampires.” Hannah nodded.

George frowned, “You have seen them?”

“I was run out of my house and into the woods. Elizabeth saved me.”

“Is Elizabeth well?”

“I do not know.” Hannah glanced at his flintlock. “You carry a gun now?”

“I have been tasked to ensure everyone remains indoors by Elizabeth.”

Hannah nodded and rubbed her face.

“I will need to go back out soon.”

“No, you shouldn’t, it’s too dangerous.”

George nodded, “I will keep you safe, don’t worry.”