Billy Bromeir was a loner at my school. He’d lurch down the hallways staring at the floor as he walked. I never saw him talk to anyone except when a teacher made him answer a question.
He was thin but not skinny. He had straight dark brown hair that went down just over his ears. He usually wore Black jeans and black t shirts with obscure bands on them like ‘Clan of Xymox’ or ‘Alien Sex Fiend’. One time I saw him with a Rod Ferrell shirt on. Rod was the leader of a group of teen murderers who called themselves ‘The Vampire Clan.’
I was a senior when it started and Billy was a junior. Our school Belmonte High had lost a well liked teacher to some freak who had drained her blood through two puncture holes in her neck. She had given Billy a hard time in class the semester before and I just knew that kid was getting even in his own special way.
There was a second killing in town done the same way. This one was within walking distance of Billy’s house. It had to be him. It just had to.
I didn’t know how to prove it but I knew there must be a way. So I decided to stakeout the kids house on Fourth Street, and follow the creep wherever he went.
The first week of this was no dice after no dice. It was boring and grueling. I was losing sleep by watching his house late into the night. My parents were getting pissed at me being gone all the time. My friends were over it as well as my girlfriend, all of whom I’d brought along several times to keep me company.
“Just let the cops handle it man,” they all said, but I knew it would take 24/7 coverage to catch this little slimeball. Someone had to do it and when I caught him I’d be a hero and his next victim would still be alive. And better than that, Billy would be on a one way trip to the electric chair.
Then it happened one night. I saw a dark figure walking out from Billy’s backyard. It came out from between his house and his neighbor’s house and began walking down the sidewalk. It was a dark night but when he got near the streetlight I could see him. He wore a long black cape, carried a wizard’s staff like something out of The Lord of the Rings, and had a black top hat on! What a freak!
I got out of the car through the open window so as not to make any noise. I followed him on foot with my trusty night vision scope and special digital night-ready camera. He entered the woods behind the playground by the elementary school. That area led to a public park. There were a few unofficial bike trails back there and that’s about it.
There was one thing of note in the woods however. There was a huge boulder as high as a house that had been partly blasted away with dynamite back in the 50’s to make room for the parking lot. From there, however, if you were on top, you could see out over an entire neighborhood to the south. I was willing to bet that’s where he was headed so he could pick out his next victim.
Turned out I was right. He went up on top of the boulder like all the kids do from the backside. I went around the front of it quietly. From where I was I could get a glimpse of him from below and follow him so as to catch him in the act.
He sat there staring out over the town. I pulled out my night vision scope and was able to get a good clear close up of his face. He had a set of Halloween fake vampire fangs in his mouth! This dude was out of it! I couldn’t wait to get some video footage of this nut!
I was getting the camera ready when I heard a fluttering sound. It was like bird wings flapping. I looked up and there was a huge hammerhead bat coming at me! The damned thing grabbed me by my jacket with its claws and flew me up to the top of the rock. It set me down in front of Billy who didn’t seem surprised at all.
Then the Bat landed next to me and morphed right in front of my eyes into a humanoid creature with a bald head, pointed ears, and fangs. Billy immediately knelt down in front of it.
I was shocked, stunned, and overwhelmed with terror. This was not part of my world view. Everything changed for me in that moment. There was now no denying that supernatural creatures existed. I found myself in mortal danger and a deep rooted, disturbing fear the likes of which I had never experienced before welled up in me from the depths of my gut and spread throughout my body like a wave until I fell to my knees trembling in absolute horror.
“Master,” he said, “should I kill him?” The creature shook its head ‘no’ and then bit me on my neck. I could feel my blood draining out through the puncture wounds as it fed.
That was many moons ago. Now Billy and I work together identifying fresh meat that fits our masters discerning palate. I don’t see much of my family or friends anymore and after graduation I quickly moved in to my new home on Fourth Street. X