Chapter 2

Gazing at him, I couldn't find the

words, I didn't know what to say... The reason why can't I remember my name, or any about my life, my family, my friends, where I live. I couldn't remember anything at all. What else can't I remember, how to tie a shoelace? No, I know how to do that, I just don't remember who taught me. It's like hit the reset button on my life and it started when woke in a casket,

"I don't remember anything... I can't remember, I-"

"It's ok... It's ok," He rose to his feet,

"Maybe it's because you were locked in a casket... Lack of oxygen can cause short term memory loss, and who knows long how you have been in there,"

Looking around, I noticed something, and it has become another swirling question., How long have I been in there? The dirt Maurice had dug up, had strands of grass, will root growing deep in the chunks of dirt that laid around, Why did it have grass if I was buried recently? But Maurice must have not realized it, and I glad he didn't because I am sure he would be confused just as I am.

"I have an uncle, he is cop, maybe he can help you find your way back home, figure out who you are and I- I can follow you down to the station if you like, I mean- you look like you could use a friend right now," he chuckled lightly, shoving the eyewear back up his nose,

And he was right, I could use a friend right now, I can't even remember if I had any.

"Earlier..." I managed to stand up, channeling all the energy I had in my body to my legs,

"You said something about the cleansing, what were you talking about?" I glanced back, taking one last look at my temporary grave, even with 90% of my memory gone, my 10% of common sense was telling me that something was off.

"Oh, yes of course you are curious, you can't remember a thing and I will be happy to fill you in," Maurice walked ahead as I scurried behind him, gazing around at the unending land of graves,

"Growing up, my grandfather would tell me stories, about how people started to go missing in a bulk 50 years ago, the police had no leads, and when no one was coming forward with information, one after the other the cases became cold, and the public became outraged, started a fucking world war, end of the fucking world," he chuckled with a snort, looking back at me who was fighting to keep up, I was growing weaker and weaker with every step I took,

"Why? Why were they fighting?" I swallowed hard, "Instead of trying to figure out where these missing people are?"

"Thing is, one of those missing persons did come back, Rudolph Murray, and he had quite a lot to say,"

"Ok, that's good right, wasn't that the breakthrough the cops need? To finally nab the person or persons behind it?"

"Not entirely... He didn't just come back, he was dead,"

"What- what do mean... he was dead?"

"Talking, moving around, yes... But he didn't have any heartbeat or did he ever get hungry, well at least for food,"

"Maurice, you are not making any sense, I don't understand, was this guy dead or not-"

"He was a vampire."

"A vampire?"

"Yes, God I wish you would remember already, It would be easier for you to gather what I am saying, but no worries, you will remember."

"A vampire?"

"Yes, it was the headline in many online and printed articles, Rudolph became a voluntary research guinea pig, and my grandfather says he don’t know what happened but things went south pretty quickly, and more vampires start showing up scarier ones. They began to attack the force, random people... All over the world, and just when we... Well the police, military, the government thought they have the problem under control, human, their loved and people they knew started to turn into them... But it gets worse, the wolves joined-"

"Wolves?"

"Yes, werewolves, it was a massacre... A blood bath,"

I have figured that much out, no wonder the cemetery has thousands if not a million graves, it was genocide and I couldn't remember,

"After years of an ongoing war, governments armed their countries, forming an organization they only refer to as W.I.K.D, personally, after hearing the stories, I called them wicked, because that's what they are, The main goal was to try and find a cure, to help the humans who have been bitten, but after a while, they started killing them on sight, they no longer wanted to help. After winning the fight, W.I.K.D took over, world domination, calling the merciless killings, the cleansing, explaining to the remains of the human race that it was necessary until they can maintain the virus," he groaned as he told me this,

"And you don't agree?"

"Bullshit, they weren't working on a cure then or now because... There is no cure... This is just the clash of nature, vampires and werewolf has always been around, even now,"

My heart pounded when said this.

"There- are still a vampire and werewolves... Even after the cleansing?"

"I- I don't know, my uncle was giving me a ride one day and It came in. He had no other choice but to carry me with me to the crime scene.

"And what did you see? "

"A man... His throat was completely bitten out, my uncle is saying it's a bear, but it was one of them, I know it,"

"Sounds like something straight of a comic book,"

"Maybe... Once you remember, it won't be as amusing, terrible if you lost someone," he slowed down, and I finally caught up to him, at the point, my head was spinning, and I was dizzy,

"Hey," he held on to my shoulders as I staggered sideways,

"You look pale, you want to sit down for a minute... I mean I can always call my uncle to come to us..."

I saw Maurice's lips moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying, there was banging in my head as if someone was using my brain as a drum, blinking a few times my eyes traveled from Maurice's fixed grip on my shoulder, up to his neck. It was in my head, that banging... It was Maurice's veins, I stared at it, twitching under his skin, the blood that rushes through was compelling, luring me in... to... Bite him. Leaping on him, he fell to the ground, I was on top of him sinking my teeth into his neck, he didn't scream... Or maybe he couldn't, I had him pinned to the ground, sucking blood from his body. Repeatedly, he gave me a few blows, thumps that have should break a rib, but I didn't feel it, I only knew he was trying to fight back because I saw his hand moving, which stopped after a while.

The more I devour his flesh, the stronger I got, I no longer felt weak. Seeing different faces flash in my head I pulled away, landing on my backside, it was a woman, she was smiling with four kids seated around a dinner table and a... Dog,

Is this... Is this Maurice's family? The one he was telling me about,

Oh my God, I crept backward, away from the body, I killed him, I touched my lips, tasting the blood on the tip of my tongue, I clicked my tongue, who knew blood would be so sweet, like thick maple syrup but with spice, it was like eating sex, it was that good. I- I am one of them, I am one of those... things, Maurice told me about. All he wanted to do was help, and he did help. He saved my life and this is how I repay him, but I didn't want to kill him, I didn't... It's just that I- I was so hungry and after drinking his blood, I felt so... Powerful. Maybe I was the one responsible for the attacks, Maurice said it himself, that after the cleansing, there wasn't any sighting of the critters, but little did he know, that I wasn't just some girl that was buried alive, I was the enemy. Maybe whoever buried me here knew my secret, maybe they were trying to protect everyone if only I could remember.

My ears twitched as the breaking of twigs grew louder, someone was coming. Springing to my feet, I began running through the headstones maze, stones piercing my naked feet, as I tried to my find a way out. Crashing into a wired fence, I glanced over my shoulders, panting in fear as I listened to the pacing footsteps, I didn't anyone emerging from the darkness, and the way I was encircled by the chasing steps, I couldn't tell the direction it was coming from. Looking up at the lofty fence, my head was churning with ideas, and my body was willing to follow. If only I could get a head start, taking a big leap at the fence would allow me to climb over it quickly. Stepping back, I leaped towards the fence but jumped over it instead, landing on the other side firm on my feet like a cat,

"How did I- " I looked back the fence, confused, how was I able to jump over it with such ease, was it an element of being what I am... Who I am? Looking around, there were mostly trees, there was literally nothing else around, only the cemetery, but why was it isolated from the rest of the city, unless... It wasn't always a cemetery, I guess with so many killed during the cleansings, whoever in control, decided to lay them to rest. I am going to find out. I am going to find out who I am and I am going to remember, I thought, jogging to the city lights.