Jo's Journal

Chapter One: Vampires Stole My Sister

I’m so tired. When Danny and Jimmy told me about Karol, I was worried. When the cops blew us off, I was mad. But, when I saw that... that THING that took her, I was – I don’t know. I was afraid. I was amazed. I was curious.

I know that violence can have after effects. I think I would have said yes to any man that came my way last night. Now, I am just – I don’t know. Alert? Wary? I feel very alive and feel like the world just got bigger, and I got bigger and smaller at the same time.

No matter what – I ain’t ignoring this. I will be ready.

-

I woke up and read my own notes. They really don't make no kind of sense and since the world is crazy, I think my notes gotta make sense. So, I will start over. Vampires are real, and one took Karol. I don't know if I should tell Uncle Joe. I don't know if he would believe me. I don't know anything. I think I will just keep it quiet and see.

I didn't really believe it neither, at first. I mean, vampires? But, a sicko slipping a cute girl a rufie? Oh, that is believable. From there, you get two possibilities. Either he rapes her for a while and moves on in the sure knowledge that nothing will happen to him or he rapes her and kills her. Either way, I couldn't let that happen. The very thought makes so mad that I had to do something, no matter how crazy.

So, when they said vampires, I was willing to roll with it. Vampires or human monsters, we were going to do something. But, Lady D's man, Luther, he believed in Vampires, so we took his post-mortum advice and got ready to deal with the vampire. We went to the hardware store and I bought a machete for Danny. We also got some bug spray and lighters. I just hope they don't blow up in our hands. I also grabbed all my guns, then we hit the club.

I am still kinda surprised, but we found a trail. We were following along real well, too, until Danny decided to think with his dick instead of his head. The fucking show-off leaps the building to show that he could, and landed RIGHT ON THE TRACKS! Men can be so stupid! Fine. We lost the trail, but we had a kind of heading and there was really only one place he could have gone and it went right through one of those rare pockets of civilization in Detroit, so we started asking questions.

Lady D and Oz got distracted by nostalgic bling, but I found a kid who told me about Super Whitey. Since Jimmy and Danny (and the trailed we followed until SOMEONE ruined it) said he did parkour, it sounded like our perp. Perp. I am saying perp. This is crazy, but what else can I say? Bad Guy? A little over the top. Asshole? Too general. Target? A little too real.

We found his building and the entrance was a few stories up. Danny showed off and the rest of us climbed. Lady D stayed in the car, waiting to push SEND on a 911 call and Oz came along to keep us maniacs from killing a pathetic bum. Expect, he was a vampire. And he saw me coming. I need to work on that. But, he really was a vampire, not some extreme goth rapist. I mean, I shot him, and I might as well used BBs for all the good it did. The flaming bug spray? That worked. I am still not sure how it all went down - it was so fast. But, Danny got hit bad and I shot a can and it blew up and then he mummified or rotted or something. I mean, he went from fresh corpse to cold case just like that.

We grabbed Karol and there were two other girls and Oz fainted and we carried him out and put them in the car and the rest of us walked a bit and took a cab because we didn't want to be there when the cops that Lady D called arrived.

And, he was a real vampire. And I don't know what that means.

But, I am NOT a victim. Never again. And I sure as hell ain't food. So, this bloody juice box is gonna figure this out. I will find out what is out there and learn how to kill them. I can do this. I learned how to kill men, it should be easier to kill monsters. I won't have to worry if I am mistaken, cuz they're monsters. And I am not food.

Chapter II: From Victim to Vampire: Magdalena

We went down to Lady D's for dinner and a basement. Danny still looks like hell and me and Uncle Joe told him he has got to learn to shoot. He went on about how they would have to catch him and it was so stupid. You can't outrun a bullet. And, I don't think he could outrun a vampire, neither.

I give him a lift and I slip some money to Robert cuz Lady D won't take it and we have dinner. Lady D didn't want to talk about vamps and I don't blame her. I didn't either. Except I did. It's like something so gross you stare at it while wishing you had never seen it. But, we finally went downstairs and the door was a helluva door. I mean, it looks like wood but is metal and I think our range is less secure than those room.

Someone had been there. There was tools missing and books and a map and Robert knew something. He told Lady D he hadn't but he had and she believe him until he fessed up and then she was mad. I would be, that's sure. And I was. Oh, that room made me mad.

There's a picture that Lady D found on the desk. It had Luther and a college guy and a woman in it with this man-bear thing. And it had Jimmy's dad and mine.

Dad wasn't a hunter, he was a Hunter. And I just don't believe in that much coincidence.

Luther and Dad and Jimmy's dad died within 6 months of a each other. No way. And Robert knew. And his wife knew. And she died of it. Like 6 vampires killed her. And Lady D looked like she wanted to kill Robert.

Robert made weapons and he said he hadn't really known anything, just made them. And he didn't do the ammo. The weird ammo. Rock salt. Mistletoe. Mistletoe ammo. And Uncle Joe came home a year before Dad died. And them bullets look like our work. And I think Uncle Joe was in on it, so I grab one and Danny tags along with a cross-bow he wants to play with and we go and Uncle Joe says it's his work but he don't know nothing.

I think he is telling the truth. I know I want to believe him. But, Lady D believed Robert and he was lying to her. He told me he didn't want to know nothing, and I can't decide if he is covering his ass or he knows and doesn't want to admit it.

I left so mad and upset I didn't know what do to so I made Danny teach me a little parkour until I wasn't so mad. We worked a little on his cross-bow but that boy is just a natural. He starts by hitting the bulls-eye so I took my gun and shot a few places and he was able to match my hits with his shots.

I'd hate him if he wasn't so sweet. I worked my ass off to be a solid shot and he just picks up a cross-bow and goes all Olympian.

-

Oh, shit. I just got a text and I forgot. I forgot what Jimmy told us yesterday. Magdelena's body got snatched. And what if she is a vampire? We gotta check it out. Cuz she might be a vampire, and it might mean that Sadie and Karol are gonna turn and what would we do then?

-

So, I go over to Lady D's place and she acts like it is a social call and makes with the sandwiches. I guess that's how she copes. Maybe I should teach her to shoot, too. She asked me about Danny and went on about how good an athlete he is. I told her that he will be a good shot someday. I just didn't say that day was today. I know it's irrational, but pisses me off how easy he makes it look. But, since Magdelena's body is gone, I wish he had been there.

I called Clara and asked about her body, and she told me that it got swiped and the assistant is dead and it looks like his throat was cut or torn out. And it pisses me off. We saved her, but it was too late. And now we have to go hunt this sweet girl down and I just hope she is a monster now because if she is a confused baby monster I don't know how I will kill her.

I just couldn't sit there like Lady D and read some books so I go to the hospital and waste my time there. That place is stupid big. I got lost and walked around in circles for a while. Then, I finally got smart and found the morgue. There are almost no cameras in that hospital. None. But, I found the staff exit near the morgue and I figure she went that way, so I text Jimmy and he says that a witness saw her in the 'hood near by.

We meet up and start pounding the pavement and spreading some green. I found a homeless guy whose shoes got snatched and it might be Magdelena cause she was seen barefoot in scrubs. After that, I wasted my time and money learning jack. Shit, I really wanted to find her before dark, but it don't look good. Lady D and the rest come and she give us some more cash and we were doing okay until Oz tries to talk street and I have to convince the guy not to beat the crap out of him. I swear, how stupid can you be?

Meanwhile, Lady D is going on about Danny and what a sweet guy he is and how good an athlete. What set that off? I guess she just scared and tryin' to make it okay with chatter. She really is a sweet lady, even if she is real sad, too. But, she got a shitty deal with her man dyin' and then we find out about vampires and her Becca and I don't really blame her for getting crazy.

And Becca, that still hurts. We were tight, ya know? Me, and Becca, and Rebecca used to be better than sisters. Becca was so smart and driven but taking on vampires alone ain't smart. I guess she figured she had her man but I wish she came to me. But, I wasn't me yet, neither. I was still a mess after that night and she likely thought I couldn't handle it. But, she knew. She knew about Dad and didn't tell me. And, I am still mad. I had a right to know, and she goes off and dies and I am mad at her over it.

I don't have time for this shit.

And it's getting dark and we have a whole lot of nothing. Well, I finished my coffee and better get moving again. This vampire isn't going to come find me, after all, and I need to find her before she kills again.

Chapter Two, Part Two: Vampire Triumvirate

Well, I guess I know why Lady D was goin’ on about Danny being sweet. See, when we tracked down Magdalena, we found her in a Catholic church and tried to talk to her. She was really confused, didn’t really know what she was doing and what it all meant.

That woulda been plenty bad, but three older vamps crashed the party. One looked like a kid, maybe 14 – Miles. Another was a chick called Shauna. I don’t remember the other’s name – he died fast.

They saw us, see, and knew we were hunting for M. So, we tracked her and they tracked us. When we talked to them, I thought they were offering to vamp us out and I said, ‘No.’ Looking back, though, they was gonna kill us all, just wanted to have some fun with us first.

So, the chick and the nameless guy come in and change and Oz doesn’t pass out (good) and runs off (bad) with Lady D (no surprise). The third guy stays out and I am thinking that he cannot come in. So, one of them makes a grab for Danny but that boy can move when he wants to. So, Jimmy shoots him and it does no good. I shoot him some more and the silver smoked a little. I was hoping for combustion but I will settle for not healing over. Then, Danny pulls that cross-bow and wham! The vamp and the quarrel go up in smoke, though we get the head back later. Yuck.

So, Miles-the-Door-Vampire tells his girlfriend to get out there and they will torch the place. She jets and we all inside need a plan. I can’t see Lady D and Oz but I be lookin’ around for trouble and I find it in the second story window. I think the burning jibe was a threat to get us outside where Miles can get us, ‘cause it takes TIME to smoke a building like this one and I don’t think they come prepared.

So, I shoot at Peeping Shauna and she drops out of sight again. Theres a lot of noise outside and I find out later that Lady D, hearin’ about burnin’ buildings falls for that shit and ran outside. Miles goes meep and tries to kill her. I guess she can move, too, cause he don’t lay a tooth on her, but he slices Oz real good when he runs out to rescue her.

Then, that bitch Shauna runs in and – look, it is – I can’t explain. I knew it was bad news, but her touch; it was the best drug ever. It’s like an orgasm while going down on dark chocolate. I couldn’t think, didn’t wanna think. Even when she BIT the HELL out of my NECK it didn’t matter too much. But, it mattered enough and I come to and she is using me as a human shield while taking a snack! That is fucked up.

I try to get away but she be strong and I kinda loose it. ‘Cause that is fucked up, ya know, to take away my will and – I don’t wanna talk about that. She’s dead and I’m alive and fuck her and her kind.

Anyway, this is all about Danny, really. So, I am slow dancing with Sucky Shauna and he finally gets his crossbow reloaded and shouts, “Let go of my Jo!” And shoots her right over my shoulder in the face. I could smell and lemme tell you, burning vampire is nasty. She don’t let go and Jimmy tries to do that same with my shotgun that I done dropped when – when I dropped it. Well, maybe true love or true crush or whatever got power ‘cause Jimmy shoots me instead. Asshole. I know he meant well but, really?! Still, I woulda told him to shoot anyway cuz we was dead if they don’t kill them and better I die than us all die. But I ain’t gonna tell him that!

So, Jimmy shoots me and then Oz comes back with that stupid sabre and cuts half her face off. Well, she finally lets go and I think I am in shock because all I can think is that I need to call 911 and can’t remember how to do it. Then, Lady D runs back in from wherever with a candle jar and dumps holy water on that bitch and, foom! She goes up in flames and Oz cuts off her head. Miles runs inside and now I know why he stayed out.

When I was a kid, I read these old Kool-Aid comics. There was the Kool-Aid Man, a buncha kids, and a brother named Scorch. When he walked, his footprints burned the ground. Miles went Scorch and runs in like a crazy super-villain. Jimmy takes a shot at him and we lucky he don’t kill us all. Man needs more practice and I am to tell him so! I get my head in gear and pull out my Glock. I hit (thank you very much, Jimmy) but it ain’t silver and don’t do jack. He streaks over to Oz and – I think Oz almost died. A little lower and it would have got his gut. A little higher and it woulda hit an artery.

Jimmy finally gets his ass in gear and shoots that fucker and he goes up like a roman candle. I grab Oz’s sabre and hack at him until his head falls off. It took a long time. When I look up, Lady D has the church’s First Aid Kit and is working on Oz while Jimmy tries to patch up Danny. Lady D come over and they get him stable and I call Uncle Joe and tell him we headed to the hospital. Lady D gets on the horn and starts wailing about gangs and violence and a buncha bullshit. When we arrive, the only thing missing is a red carpet.

Danny and Oz and me went in to surgery. I got a private room for a few days and Danny and Oz hung out in the ICU. We all got guards. Seriously, I had a uniform outside my door day and night while I was there and had to get permission to see Danny and Oz. I guess Uncle Joe told the cops that we was comin’ and set it up.

It is real helpful to have friends on the force and don’t let no one tell you different.

The cops wanted to know what happened and I talked vague. You can get away with that when you're on the good drugs. They sent me a sketch artist and I gave the best descriptions I could. It is real useful to know that the bodies take care of themselves. There is no better lie than the truth, after all. Mama come by and she upset. I couldn't tell her what happened, not really. I don't like keepin' it from her but she don't wanna know. If she knew about Daddy she woulda said somethin' when I got bit like that.

And I was mad at Becca cuz she didn't tell me but I can't tell no one. How do you explain that the boogie man is real?

I been spending my spare time over at St. Florian's. I need me all the help I can get. If holy water worked for Lady D then maybe a little rootwork be good for me.

I be practicing practical shooting. Screw competition style, I need to be ready. I been working on getting my gun out and ready quicker. I am real lucky to have Uncle Joe to teach me.

I been having some nightmares. And the worst don’t feel like nightmares till you wake up. I dream of that touch, the ecstasy of it. I ain’t never tried X but I bet it don’t compare. I hate those dreams. What kinda sick fuck dreams about being eaten by a vampire?