If I Die Tonight

The wanderer sat at a weathered bench under the haunting moonlight; Its eerie glow couldn’t penetrate the alley’s narrow depths. Tensions mounted between the mayor and the half-elf over the Gardenia’s predicament. Once things blew over, he wondered what he’d do; He still couldn’t imagine living out a peaceful life. Part of him wouldn’t allow it. His amber eyes fixated on the cloudy overpass. Listening to silence, he realized how jarring it was in her absence, odd since he was used to being by himself.

“She’s certainly something else,” he uttered.

“Talking to yourself?” Kenneth startled the wanderer.

The old guard walked alongside Rita’s secretary with a slung shotgun. Brandon looked upon the decrepit scenery, shivering from the cold. The wanderer couldn’t have expected any less than the mayor would send one of her own, but they wouldn’t have anticipated him being in her stead. He said nothing after acknowledging him, pacing around on the ready.

“Brandon, was it?” Alejandro asked. “Surprised to see you here.”

“As ordered by the mayor,” he sighed.

“Well, welcome to the wild side.”

“I can handle this alone,” the wanderer suggested, having noticed Kenneth’s trembling fingers. “I’ve dealt with vampires in the past.”

“Nah… Staring into the eyes of that thing was like staring into the eyes of the devil.”

Though the vampire’s appearance remained muddled, its glowing eyes weren’t something the veteran would forget. Its ferocity made fights with subhumans look easy, but the wanderer found it peculiar the vampire didn’t kill him. Something seemed nefarious about it.

“If it were any stronger, you’d be dead,” the wanderer said. “The vampire you encountered the other night may have been a lesser vampire.”

“A lesser vampire?” Brandon winced.

“Lesser vampires are made through bites of other vampires, usually other lesser vampires and on rare occasions, greater vampires.”

“That means they were people?”

“It doesn’t matter what they are,” the old guard interrupted, drawing their baffled looks.

“Alright, lead the way,” the wanderer gestured. “We should begin where it landed.”

“What? We should search the building.”

“No need. It won’t come back when it encountered a threat. Lesser vampires aren’t dumb. Also, they function as a bit of a hive mind. Where you find one, you find more. And once vampires mark their territory, they’ll spread fast.”

“Damn thing nearly tore my throat out!”

Alejandro withheld comment, seeing the old guard’s nerves come undone. Fighting forces of nature were beyond the threshold of regular humans, which is where someone like the wanderer came in. Kenneth guided them under collective silence, Brandon remaining ever vigilant. Creaking floorboards, scurrying small animals, and every little detail heightened his senses. They arrived at the northeastern side of the city, just a few blocks away from the hospital.

The red stains on the cracked pavement shone under cast moonlight. His eyes trailed the curdled flesh toward the dark entrance. The few blocks east ended against a rocky hillside, giving the wanderer better insight of where the lesser vampire came from; Sightings were isolated in this area. Brandon shuffled about, glimpsing the broken windows.

“So, we’re really looking for a vampire?” he asked in disbelief.

“It’s not too late to fall back.” the wanderer suggested. “Once you approach a vampire, you’d better be ready to fight.”

“Aw, hell…” the old guard muttered. “So, if we’re going to chase after this—"

Alejandro pointed toward the green hills, partly hidden by the buildings. Kenneth still couldn’t understand why the wanderer would skim over the entire area. The behavioral patterns of vampires were equally as elusive, even after the wanderer’s poignant explanation. Kenneth looked over, biding his tongue.

“I’m gonna have to disagree with you there,” he said.

“Eh? How so?” the wanderer winced.

“We’re just going to look past this entire area? What if there’s more?”

“You didn’t hear anything I said? Vampiric colonization takes weeks, but if it’s one or two—"

“Look, we’ll just scout the area.”

“You do what you want, but you’re wasting time. I’m just laying out the facts.”

“And what makes you think that?”

Alejandro didn’t bother to answer as he summoned a bright green orb. They watched the wanderer disappear into the building. Brandon saw the old guard pace away with his shotgun readied. Remnants of broken boards and desks aligned along the elementary school walls. The air thickened with dangerous particles, prompting him to cover his nose and mouth while descending the small flight of stairs.

He rushed through the clustered gymnasium, where worn hospital beds lined the interior. Emergency crates were scattered, entertaining the thought of what transpired during the Collapse. He coughed profusely as he stumbled toward the double doors. He slammed the door open, immediately collapsing onto the sidewalk. He took off his face covering, seeing blood on the thick cloth.

T-that couldn’t be from the exposure.

His trembling gaze averted, trying to ease himself. It was a reminder of what he tried putting off, but death waited for no one. His rational mind accepted this. He was nothing more than a vessel to an idea, although he knew the witty half-elf would object to his lack of self-preservation. His time with her made him forget about the dire straits he was in. His smile struggled to surface.

What the hell am I doing?

The silent environment felt uneasy as he continued on; It wasn’t the feeling of being watched, but of desolate loneliness. Crumbling infrastructure and dangerous indoor conditions were good dwellings for nefarious creatures that posed a threat to the average human. This part of the city reminded him of the outliers in their miserable conditions.

The stars dotting the sky contrasted the enveloping darkness, guiding him through while feeling tired. He wondered what kind of cosmic catastrophe hid within its beautiful facade. Should one look at his direction, they’d only see another dim light amongst many.

Life. What’s the point?

He reached the city’s edge, seeing a stream leading south toward the Elven shrine. Enne’s residence was barely visible over the rocky slope. He noticed the intricate layout of how the perimeter aligned, wondering what the late patriarch had in mind when restructuring the city. His eyes followed the stream, listening to the gentle splashes along the riverbed’s slope. The freshwater breeze soothed him while he began to buckle.

He coughed uncontrollably before vomiting. As he gripped the tree’s bark, his vision blurred upon seeing his blood-mixed vomit on the ground. Dread began filling his hardened heart with a million thoughts bombarding him.

“W—Why now?” he panicked.

Rustling amongst the bushes upstream redirected his attention as he followed it through the clustered tree line. The chase led a few miles northeast, reaching a destroyed bridge. The ruined structure hovered above the deep, flowing river with pieces of it peaking over water. He turned to the buildings behind him, wondering if the creature went in the other direction.

However, his answer was soon addressed when he looked over his shoulder to a heavy metallic sound. The illuminating moonlight revealed the lesser vampire hunched over on the twisted beam. Its sunken orange eyes gazed back, snarling as it sized up its prey. The wanderer’s sudden movement sent a jolt of pain throughout his body.

“Come on, I’m right here!” he provoked with a grunt.

He summoned a small green orb; A grin emerged from his stony face as the vampire shrieked. The creature slammed into a transparent green shield he created. It bounced off, falling onto its back as it let out a blood-curdling howl as it struggled to stand with a melted, fleshy stump. The shield’s glow revealed the healing gunshot wound on its waist as it got onto its feet. The vampire kept its distance, baring its fangs with a rumbling growl.

“Found you! This is the end of—”

The creature ran away while he spoke.

“I—Should’ve just killed it!”

He pursued the vampire, tracking its sounds. The wanderer’s head pounded as he stumbled toward the wall. His head pounded while coughing profusely. He gripped his fingers into the wall’s ridges as his body shivered. Alejandro struggled to stay afoot as he tried to take a step forward.

Not now!

A shotgun blast echoed throughout the desolate ruins; The wanderer chased after the subsequent gunfire, tripping over his feet when he came to the corner. The vampire evaded the guardsmen’s line of sight under the cover of darkness. Kenneth glanced over, seeing the wanderer stagger toward them. The limited lighting revealed spatters of blood trailing Alejandro. He ran over to help him as he struggled to stay afoot. Alejandro summoned another green orb, revealing his bloodied lips.

“Hey, you all right?” Kenneth asked, suppressing his worry.

“The vampire,” the wanderer wheezed. “This bubble could kill it if it gets close enough.”

“What’s that?”

“Think of it like concentrated sunlight.”

“Uh?”

“C’mon! It’s do or die!”

The vampire traversed through the crawl spaces of the ruined buildings. Alejandro’s hearing heightened as the nocturnal creature sped up. Brandon’s grip trembled, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. It leaped from the roof behind them with a long swipe from its serrated talons. The old guard swung around with his shotgun aimed at the creature.

The roaring shot ripped off its shoulder before it skid against the uneven pavement. It recovered immediately, glimpsing the wanderer as he ran toward it. Alejandro pivoted toward the mortally wounded creature with a burst of mana, enveloping his body as it tried to scurry away.

“Fuck that!” he yelled.

His green orb turned into a sword as he closed the gap. With a quick swipe, he cut the beast in half. Its bloodied torso slid across with trailing entrails while its lower half took a few steps before collapsing. Alejandro collapsed onto the ground, his sword fading into the air. His aching body left him immobilized as he tried to push himself up.

“Whoa,” Brandon gasped.

The wanderer’s eyes revealed his repressed pain, coughing more blood into his sleeve when he got on his knees. The cover of night hid the moist bloodstains, but the old guard saw the wet blots on his cuffs after wiping his face. Kenneth took a deep breath.

“Al, we’ve gotta get you back,” he suggested.

“No,” he argued. “I can pinpoint where that vampire came from!”

“We can come back in the morning, but right now we—”

Alejandro wobbled when he attempted to move defiantly against his orders. The old guard caught him as he fell forward. He could hear his hoarse breathing, gurgling blood before spitting it out.

“We gotta get you to the hospital,” the old guard said.

That’s not going to save me, Alejandro thought.

“Brandon, give me a hand,” Kenneth requested.

“We need to collapse the entrance,” the wanderer insisted, glimpsing the old guard. “Who knows if we have another chance, It’s better to contain it now than later.”

“Dammit!”

They walked through the ruins in its immersive silence. Alejandro pointed out directions with a nod as his voice gradually weakened. They stopped periodically every few blocks before reaching the bridge. The bridge offered little means of safe passage, especially in the wanderer’s state. The old guard crossed first before turning to the others. Brandon carefully helped the wanderer as they hugged along the twisted guardrail. Watching as they cleared the narrow path, Kenneth pulled the wanderer in by his shoulder before he lost his footing.

“Gotcha!”

“Thanks.”

The wanderer leaned against the railing while watching the old guard help Brandon. His heartbeat, uncertain when he heard the rumbling in the distance. They hurried through the thin forest without encountering vampires. A glimmer of moonlight shone through the thinning treetops as they followed the trail to the suspected entrance. Alejandro noticed a large bird soar by the moon, reminiscent of what he saw on the plains that day. It disappeared beyond the rocky cliff side while the lightning-infused clouds approach from the east. A faint rumble followed as the skies lit up/

“A thunderbird?” Alejandro wondered.

“A what?” Brandon asked.

“Nothing. I must be—Seeing things.”

“We better make this quick,” The old guard suggested. “A storm is brewing.”

They reached the edge of a clearing, a small, abandoned mining site. The flora-adorned trailers were sparse with some sunken excavating equipment scattered. The hues of red and browns contrasted the greenery around the wooded area. The shaft on the cliff side had a broken-down warning sign still hanging from a hinge. The wanderer could only see darkness within its wide entrance. Kenneth looked at Alejandro for ideas as the rain sprinkled.

“So, what now?” Kenneth asked.

“We blow the entrance,” he responded. “Maybe they have explosives on site.”

“You’d think they’d still work after all these years?”

“If it hasn’t been ruined by weather, then yes. There might be something worth finding in these trailers. I can keep watch.”

The seasoned guard obliged with a nod before leading Brandon toward the trailers. The wanderer wondered how long he could hold out for as he watched helplessly. His eyes grew heavy after leaning against the sunken bulldozer, barely staying awake as he shuddered in pain. His amber eyes adjusted to the night, although slowly blurring. Breathing became shallow; everything seemed slower as thunder shook the earth. Gunfire overlapped the impending storm, gusts growing ferocious.

No, no, fuck, he thought, watching them emerge empty-handed.

They took aim at a vampire taking cover around the trailers; He heard the vampiric shrieks from the tunnel. Brandon fell backward in a panic when he fired off a round. Kenneth aimed his shotgun at the nocturnal beast, covering him as he stood up. Alejandro knew the time was ripe as he felt his energy dwindle. He raised a hand toward the sky, allowing mana to course through from the electric current. The soothing sensation quickly became a dull pain spreading throughout his body.

“Can’t back down now,” he said.

He summoned another green orb, concentrating on his energy; It grew from the size of an orange to the size of a large car tire. The energy spun while absorbing mana from the dreary environment. Alejandro winced upon observing the brilliant, ghastly glow; His consciousness began to slip.

That’s it. I can finally make myself useful.

He flung the sizeable orb toward the base of the entrance with the little strength he had. It flashed multiple times before releasing a blinding aura. The vampire attacking Brandon and Kenneth disintegrated into the light. The mine collapsed, caving the tunnel for several acres in. They watched the spectacle while bright light faded, revealing the wanderer as he lowered his hand. They came to his aid as he fell onto his knees.

His heavy eyes hid behind a smile, vomiting blood as he mumbled. Their words couldn’t reach him as his hearing drowned out. His eyes closed, feeling familiar warmth. Within moments, he heard her soothing voice call from the abyss.

“Allie.”



Adding the vampiric subplot was interesting.
We get a bit of an understanding of how they operate...
And where everyone has disagreed on how to handle matters.
Personally, it tied in perfectly with the theme presented in "Open Borders."
But I'll leave it at that!
Thanks for reading! Leave a like and comment!