SWNOVELS Chapter CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
STEPHEN, LUKE, AND NOAH had found the entrance to another vampire museum. This one was in a patch of forest in Wyoming’s Shoshone National Forest. They had hoped that the genuine Hithroma dagger was located within. Whoever plunges the blade into Dracula’s chest would supposedly usurp Dracula’s power and become the new Master. Following a map purchased for five thousand dollars, they had been warned that the entrance was a trap. Circling the area, they had been unable to discover the door.
Stephen was having nightmares of being pursued by Dracula, but he told no one. They were awful dreams of pain and torture, so vivid that he could still taste the blood when his eyes opened. He desperately hoped that when he killed him, the incubuses would vanish. He had heard tales of the Master seeking people in their dreams, and now he was living it.
Stephen stopped to get his bearings and to stare at the map. He was a large black man built like a football player, with brown eyes and gleaming teeth. “I know we’re close; I can feel it.”
“You said that an hour ago.”
Luke looked at Stephen and was unimpressed, having hypnotic blue eyes and short brown hair. He cracked his knuckles out of habit. “Why don’t we just give it up? We were lucky to have survived that encounter with Dracula. A mouse would have as much luck attacking a cat. Stephen, I have a bad feeling about this. We’re all gonna end up being bones. Give it up, man, vampire, or whatever you are. We may as well cut all our heads off right now. I don’t want to be bones.”
Stephen looked at Luke and blinked several times. He started to sing, and his voice was quite beautiful. “I don’t want to be bones; I don’t want to be bones. I like to bite, I like to fight, and I like to traipse around at night. Oh, I don’t want to be bones.”
It was uncharacteristic of him, and the others stared at him as if to say What the hell?
Noah’s blue eyes glanced at Stephen and then at Luke. “What if all the daggers are phony? Then we die for nothing.”
Stephen looked up from the map. “You want to live forever?”
“Yes, please.”
“Noah, look at the map. That tree on the map is this one. When you get close, you can tell it’s not a real tree. This is supposed to be the entrance, but how do we get in there?”
Luke shook his head. “See, that’s not the problem. The problem is that we know it’s a trap. Like one of those stupid movies where they know there’s a serial killer in the attic. But they go up there anyway. Maybe we’ll like being killed. Same scenario. We know it’s a trap, but we’re gonna go there anyway?”
“If Hithroma is in there, then there would be a trap, wouldn’t there? We’ll figure it out?” Stephen nodded and smiled.
Luke again cracked his knuckles. “You know what I think. I believe our only chance of surviving is if we don’t find a way in there. I’d run away if Steven wouldn’t chase me down and kill me.”
“Luke,” said Stephen. “Climb the damn tree and see if there’s a way in from the top.”
Luke decided not to argue, so he went up the tree. In less than a minute, he returned. “There’s nothing up there that I can see.”
Steven didn’t trust him, so he went into his mind to check and discovered that he was telling the truth. He went around the monster of a tree, but it seemed solid, impossible to penetrate. But this time, when he reached a particular part of the tree, he felt a gust of cold wind originating from the base of the tree. When he kicked at it, his foot disappeared into it, then he got on his hands and knees, and his head vanished. “This is the way in boys.”
Neither Luke nor Noah looked happy. They simultaneously thought of the kill room in the other museum, and they realized that whatever was down there may, in fact, be worst, especially if the dagger was really in there. When Steven stood up, Luke stuck his head in to look, but it was so dark that he couldn’t see anything. He was about to right himself when Steven kicked him in the rear and sent him flying down into the darkness.
“Steven, after you.”
“Nice try, but you’re going in next. Wait a minute; I want to see what Luke says about his new surroundings.” Steven stuck his head in and hollered down. “Luke, can you hear me?”
“I hkar podk hargavid!”
Both Steven and Noah looked puzzled. They couldn’t understand a single word he was saying; it was all gobbledygook. Of course, it was an enchantment. The choices were going down into that dark hole or not going. But Steven hadn’t come this far to give up. He wasn’t as brave or confident as he pretended; he knew it could be the end of all of them, but the possible reward was too good to give up. He couldn’t go through the rest of his life not knowing if he could be the new Dracula. Not knowing would haunt him as well as any ghost.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Steven, come on. We can’t understand what he’s saying, but he doesn’t sound happy. That doesn’t sound like a happy voice.”
“Is he screaming in agony?”
“No, but he doesn’t sound happy!”
“Noah, are you going to get in there, or do I have to throw you down?”
“All right, all right. But I’m gonna be saying I told you so.” Noah went into the darkness feet first. Steven didn’t hesitate, and down he went. He landed in a relatively small square room. Noah and Luke both looked annoyed. Skeletons and old swords were scattered everywhere, with a single vampire lying on the floor in the corner. The old skinny fellow appeared to be sleeping.
Noah gave Steven a nasty look. “What the hell did I tell you? We’re trapped in here?”
Steven looked over at the slide leading out. “Why can’t we just go back up the slide?”
“Go ahead, try it!” Luke was more than a little angry.
Stephen looked a little like a cartoon, with his legs going so fast that they were a blur. It was like attempting to climb ice. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the effort was futile. He stared at the sleeping vampire.
“What do you want to bet that all these other bones were vampires trapped down here.” Luke was so mad that he felt like attacking Steven.
Steven rubbed his chin in contemplation. “When we don’t eat, we go dormant. Don’t we?”
Noah shook his head. “That’s not true, and I know from experience. I was buried for a year, and I didn’t go dormant. I tried to sleep a lot because I was bored. Vampires don’t need blood to live; they need it to thrive.”
The old vampire suddenly opened his eyes. He was on them so fast they didn’t have time to react. He killed them all and savored their blood.