Chapter 3

Little before I entered the town, I came up to a large yard with a tiny house in the middle. The lights on the inside and outside were off, and I could hear the steady heartbeats of its occupants. There were four persons inside, Two adults, whose heartbeats were louder, and the others pounded softer, one was beating faintly but rapidly, children, a teenager, and a baby if I am not mistaken. But I was not interested in the family, I just needed their hanging clothes. The ones I have on are soaked with... blood and I- I scared of what they might do me if they find out what I am. Slipping the blouse I have on over my head, I stooped to the low pipe, rinsing it clean before wiping my body and face free of blood splatters. Unhooking a T-shirt from the line, I pulled over my head, and down my torso, straightening it out as I go. Unbuttoning my leather pants, my cheeks warmed up when I saw that I was in lace underwear, I was wondering if I dress in this, or they did... The ones who buried me.

Slipping into boys' shorts, I washed my feet under the running water, gathered the clothes I had on, throwing them in a nearby dumpster I saw. The city was emptied, I expected it to be crawling with people but how could it when they were afraid. The only thing disturbing the streets was the two circulating drones, roaming the night skies with searchlights, what are they looking for. Bracing my back against the wall, I looked around the corner, I needed help, yes, but I have a gut feeling that I don't want it from those guys, considering the stories Maurice told me about W.I.K.D. Veering paths to leave, my face and a gun muzzle were a few meters away and standing behind it what aggravated young man, wearing a type of armor, the word 'Police' etched in the center.

"Who are you? What are you doing outside your home during the curfew hours?" His voice was bold, but I couldn't hear his breathing, even though I saw the cold steams, and I couldn't hear his heartbeat either,

I hoisted both of my arms in surrender,

"I- I-" I stuttered, I didn't want to tell him, I didn't know where I lived, or my name, he will want to take me to station for sure,

"I am got lost that's all... I will be on my way now,"

"That's not what I asked," he removed something from his waist,

With a small click, the device flashed a vertical green light, scanning me,

"Unidentified subject," a robotic voice kept repeating,

"Hey, guys," he whispered into his watch "Don't know what's wrong with my reader, found a civilian and it's not bringing up her information,"

"Damn thing probably needs a reboot, bring her to the station," I heard another respond,

"Copy that detective," he tapped his wrist, "Let's go," he nudged his head, still pointing the gun at me,

Moving slowly, I kept my hands raised,

"Walk," he grunt

Walking ahead, I kept glancing over my shoulders, the young cop kept the gun pointed at me, and I didn't blame him, after everything that has happened tonight, I don’t know what else I can do. The ongoing buildings on both sides were old, I could see the dirt stains due to poor maintenance, but still, they stand strong enduring pressure from the years before and years to come.

"My man Billy, what do you have here," my gaze landed on a group of men, police.

"Found her back there." The young cop spoke, "Won't say her name and this fucking thing won't give me any details. Binns says I should bring her down to the station,"

"What's your name?" an older man emerged from the group,

"I don't know,"

"What's your fucking name!" He heaved his gun, placing the mouth of it between my eyes, surprisingly I wasn't scared,

"Deputy, I-"

"Shut the fuck up," he glared over his shoulder,

"I think she is fucking with us, she isn't an essential worker so why did she breach the curfew? What if she is the one that killed that guy the other day,"

"Maybe," Billy placed his hand on top of the gun, lowering it,

"But it's not our job, we aren't authorized to process her."

"Right," he retreated his weapon to his side,

"Let's go," young Billy spoke, gesturing towards a car,

"Hey, a girl without a name," the deputy called out,

"If you happen to be one of those things..." He glides his finger under his throat,

"I will be honored, kill you... But, if you're not," he formed a cellphone with his fingers,

"Call me," he chuckled lowly with the rest of the crew.

"Don't mind him," Billy spoke again, as we continued to walk towards the car,

"Deputy Clarke is a jerk, don't know how he became a deputy in the first place," he opened the car door for me, closing it behind me as I slid across the seat.

Blocking us off was a mesh, running from behind the driver's seat to the passenger's side, which flashes blue when officer Billy powered up the car with his fingerprint,

"Don't touch the mesh or try to escape, the mesh and the door handles are electrified, the defense barriers will drop when the car comes to a stop," he announced before driving off.

The ride to the station was quiet, of course, we aren't friends and Billy here is just doing his job, who I am concerned for is Clarke, he did say he is going to kill me if I am one of those things, and I am one of those things, just one without a name. Coming to a stop, the car parked in front of the police station, an old two-story building that's is currently refurbishing,

"Let's go," Billy opened the car door,

Marching towards the entrance, I felt a single raindrop in the top of my head as I pushed the door open, gaining stares from the whole department,

"Ya'll never seen a woman before, get back to work... Now!" A much older man yelled on top of his lungs, he was even older than Clarke. An ebony man with a thick beard, and as he approached us, his piercing eyes landed on me, even while he pulled out a chair from behind a desk,

"Thanks, Bill, I will take it from here," he stared behind me, before shifting his gaze to me,

"Sit," he nudged his chin towards the chair across from his,

Saying nothing, I swallowed hard while sitting down slowly. The rain was pouring now, and I could smell the erosion of the soil as it changes from hard dirt to sticky mud,

"Beautiful isn't... The sound of the rain. I am Detective Binns, by the way. What's your name?"

"I don't know, I- I just woke up in the streets, and I don't know my name, where I live, family... Nothing,"

"It's ok. You will be alright I am sure your family is worried about you,"

"I- I don't know if I have a family,"

"I am sure you do. At least you have one," He took up a device, similar to the one Billy has,

"This is reader, I am going to scan you with it, ok?"

"Ok," I nodded my head.

Powering it on, he stared down at it as the green light scanned me, narrowing his eyebrows, then slowly shifting his gaze to me again,

"Seems like you are not in our system,"

"What- What does that mean?"

"It means I have to take your fingerprint, submit it to W.I.K.D, and hopefully we can figure what to do from there."

"Ok,"

Was I nervous? Yes, not only for my life but for theirs, what if I get that craving again, that urge to rip open their throats and drink their blood?

Taking my hand, he pressed my thumb against a notepad, tapping rapidly on the screen before setting it down.

"Do you- " I spoke, "Do you have a family?"

My question must have taken him by surprise, he blinked a few times, looking over his shoulders then shifting his gaze to me,

"Umm-" he looked away,

"Actually, I did. My wife, Amelia."

"What happened to her?"

"She got infected, turned into one of those things, and I was forced to put her down. And... I- it was after, the autopsy reported revealed that she was three weeks pregnant,"

"I am so sorry," I whispered, biting my inner cheeks, I might can't remember but I imagine having to take the life of the person you love,

"But other from that," He cheerfully added,

"I have a nephew who is too kind, too stupid and I don't even know how he survived the apocalypse... But he did. And- I am going to pick up as soon as I ID you, he is an essential worker, a graveyard caretaker..."

The smile shrunk from my face, he was talking about Maurice, he was the uncle he kept boasting about, and I- I killed him, I kill the man's only family he had left. Clasping my hand over my chest I began to breathe heavy, my airways felt as if they were about to close up,

"Hey, you ok? You don't look so-"

I passed out.

Bolting upright, I looked around the room I was in. I still couldn't remember anything, but I remember passing out in front of the detective,

"Good," a man dress in a hospital scrub came in,

"You're awake. What you had was a panic attack, your heart rate seems normal, your eyes-" He kept flipping through a notebook,

"-seems perfectly fine. The only I need now is a blood sample, which I couldn't take until you're awake. Oh, and I am Doctor Stewart by the way," he paused staring at me, waiting for a response,

"I don't know my name,"

"Oh, yeah, right, sorry." He walked over to a table where a tray was, humming a soft tune with his back turned to me,

Hearing fast driving my eyes danced around the room as I listened to the slamming car doors and hurrying steps, I could hear beyond these walls, and that's both great and terrifying,

"What the hell is this?" Detective Binns questioned,

"I am agent McCarthy, high-level security from W.I.K.D. I advised you to step aside detective,"

"Step aside?" He chuckled, "You barge into my station and telling me to step aside!"

"The young woman that you requested information about, where is she?"

Shit, that's me, I continued to eavesdrop,

"Not until you tell me what going on?"

"In here... You will find everything you need to know... Now, where is she?"

"This can't be right, the young woman that came in earlier doesn't look close to 30 let alone 70," I heard turning pages,

"And according to this file, it says she disappeared at age 24... Fifty years ago, Before the— quick, call the doctor, tell him to keep her there as long as he can, secure the area, she doesn't know what she is or who, let's use that to our advantage, none lethal force only, we need her alive."

"As for my men," McCarthy announced, "By all means, stop her... Even if that means putting a bullet in the bitch's head."

I disappeared fifty years ago, which makes me one of the victims that went missing, but they won't treat me as such, they will do any possible to take me down, but I rather take them down first,

"Hello," Doctor Stewart tap his earpiece,

"Oh, I see," he muttered, listening to the instructions given to him to sustain me, I could hear the detective's panting as he ran on the other line,

"Ok, will do, sir."

I watched as he slipped a scalpel up his sleeve.

"Time to take that sample," he chuckled nervously, wiggling the needle as he approached me. Watching as he let down the blade in his palm, I caught his hand right on time, he was going to slit my throat, Twisting his wrist, he cried out in pain as the sounds of his breaking bones filled the room. Fondling with the tiny knife between my fingers, I ran out the hallway, uncertain about which way I should run,

"There she is!" a group of armed men, emerged from the left end,

Running to the opposite end, gunshots screeched behind me, crashing through a door that led to a staircase. Stabbing the sensor repeatedly so the door stayed shut, I flashed the officers a middle finger, but my troubles were far from over. The next set of men were pacing at the bottom of the stairs, coming to get me. Ups the steps and through the door, it led me to the rooftop, shit.

"There is nowhere to run, demon,"

I turned around, recognizing the voice, it was that deputy, alongside four men pointing their guns at me,

"Told you I would kill you if you were one of them,"

"Deputy, what are doing... Detective says he needs her alive-"

I flinched as a gunshot went off, he shot one of his men in the head,

"Opps," he chuckled, "Anyone else has something to say? No? Good, because we are going to kill this bitch,"

I don't know what got into me, killer instincts maybe, but instead of running away, I run towards them, dodging every bullet. How is this possible? I don't know, it's like the world stop and I was the only thing moving in it. Gripping the blade tighter in my hand, I stood in the middle as their bodies fell around me like dead flies, I slit their throats. Standing behind, I blocked Clarke's attack, shoving the muzzle of the gun to the skies the loud rings of gunshots filled the air, raining empty shells down on us,

"What- what are you?" He groaned trying to escape from my grip, my fingernails extending into talons sinking deep into his skin,

"You are certainly not a vampire... Or a werewolf... I feel his Adam apple glide against my palm.

Staring down at a puddle, I saw my reflection. Natural ginger hair, with cold, glowing blue eyes, sharp fangs at the corners of my mouth, fixed over my bottom lip, even a closed mouth, What am I? Hearing descending footsteps, I dragged him to the edge,

"Don't shoot! Please... Don't shoot," Deputy Clarke, begged as I hid my body behind his, but these weren't his guys, and he knows they don't value his life. It was W.I.K.D, an organization I barely know anything about, but I know they are the enemy.

"What the fuck are you?" I recognized McCarthy's voice, he is from W.I.K.D. I couldn't put a face to the voice, because of the headgear he wore, but I remember it from earlier. I was surrounded by W.I.K.D agents, all dressed in heavy-duty uniforms... More like machinery suits. And while they all their guns pointed at me, McCarthy had my attention, or maybe it's those three aligned marks on the visible skin down his neckline,

"I say we kill them both," one of the agents spoke,

"He isn't one of us anyway-"

"Wait!" Detective Binns pushed through them, holding up a light brown colored file,

"Let me help you. Your name is- Celestine... Celestine Baker."

Celestine Baker, such a pretty name for a ghoul as myself, could I trust the police, No. Could I trust the detective, Maybe, it's W.I.K.D I didn't trust, but whatever it is, they have in that file, I need it. Putting my lips against Clarke's ears, I smiled, remembering what he told me,

"Opps," I whispered,

"What- No... No-"

I sank my fangs into his neck, watching as his lifeless body fell at my feet, He did say he was going to kill me, unfortunately, I killed him first, Maurice, the others... now it's my turn to die,

"No! don't shoot... don't shoot!" Binns kept shouting,

But W.I.K.D enforcement began to shoot, I winced in pain, staggering backward as gunshots penetrate through my body, sending me over the edge of the roof.