Darkness Falls

Author's note:

This story is the culmination of three separate story lines that I have created. In order to fully understand the story, it is highly suggested that you read the others before you read this one as some things will be lost on new viewers. This story is canon to the rest of my story lines, and will also affect the individual story lines moving forward. There will be violence, death and gore, so if you are squeamish, this story might not be for you. There is sex eventually, but it is not the main focus of the story. If you're looking for a quick wank, this isn't it.

All Characters are eighteen and over.

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"Never surrender

Reach for the stars

Marching on forever

Through our darkest days

The brighter the flame

The deeper the shadows"

- Mercenary, Through Our Darkest Days

CHAPTER ONE - COLTON - ACT ONE

I awoke, dazed and confused in an unfamiliar white room. I heard the steady beeping of a heart beat monitor, and looked over at the source. I was tied to the machine, in a hospital gown. There was an IV in my left arm, and a saline bag steadily dripping into the tube.

I had a splitting headache, and held my temples to try and ease the pain. I also had an inexplicable fiery feeling in my throat. I groaned in pain, and held my right hand up to my throat to quell the feeling. Unfortunately, nothing worked for either.

A hand suddenly wrapped around mine. "You're finally awake! You've been in a coma for a month! Are you okay?" A familiar voice asked.

I turned my head to see Heather standing next to me. I looked around, to try and spot Annabelle as well as my mother, but neither one of them were around. I closed my eyes, and attempted to summon Annabelle. When I opened them, Annabelle stood to my right, with a somber expression on her face.

I looked back at Heather. "Where am I? What happened to me? Where is my mother?" I asked.

Heather suddenly had a pained expression on her face. "You're in the Salem hospital. You and your mother were involved in a terrible crash on the highway. Your mother- your mother did not survive. I don't know all the details, so I can't give you all the answers. Colton, I am so sorry for what happened." She told me in a solemn tone.

I was devastated, and in denial. I shook my head. "There's no way she is gone! I want to see her now!" I exclaimed. I sat up in bed, and ripped the IV out of my arm.

Heather attempted to stop me. "Colton, you need to take it easy, you were just involved in a car crash! I'm sorry about your mother but you're not going to accomplish anything by hurting yourself!" She told me, placing her hand on my shoulder trying to keep me in place.

I reluctantly sat back down, still agitated. Beginning to see reality, tears started running down my face.

Heather held my face against her chest and comforted me. "I'm here for you, and I'm not going to leave you." She told me soothingly.

I pulled away after a couple of minutes, completely numb from the devastation of losing my mother. I looked up at Heather. "Can I have a couple of minutes of privacy, please?" I asked.

Heather nodded, and left the room.

I turned my attention to Annabelle. I reached out for her and hugged her in a tight embrace. Something felt different though. The magnetic pull I used to feel for Annabelle was gone. I still loved her, but it almost seemed as though I had been awakened from some sort of trance that I didn't know I was in.

After a minute, I looked up at Annabelle. "What happened to me? Do you know anything else?" I asked.

Annabelle nodded. "I've heard some things. The nurse that has been tending to you has said before that you briefly died, and that you only recovered after they did a blood transfusion. She said that after the transfusion, you healed completely within hours." Annabelle informed me.

I shook my head. "None of this makes any sense. What else do you know?" I asked.

Annabelle looked nervous, like she didn't want to answer. "When they drew your blood after the transfusion, your blood was completely black. The nurse has been attempting to find out what was wrong with you. So far she hasn't found anything." Annabelle responded.

I sighed in disappointment. "What the hell would they be looking for? As far as I know I'm completely normal apart from having you anchored to me." I asked.

Annabelle shook her head. "I don't know either. It is strange to me as well." She replied.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a beautiful blonde nurse stepped in, appearing surprised that I was awake. "I didn't expect you to be awake!" The nurse commented, and looked nervous. She closed the door behind her, and locked it. She then approached me, and studied me. She took off a ring on her index finger, and grabbed my arm. She placed the ring against my skin, appearing frustrated.

I noticed the tag on her shirt said Sarah. "Can I ask what you're doing, Sarah?" I asked. She was making me nervous. All of a sudden, an inexplicable fiery sensation appeared in my throat. I instinctively held my hand against my throat, but it did nothing to stop it.

Sarah looked like she was trying to form the right words. "I'm trying to figure out exactly what the hell you are. I watched you completely heal from fatal injuries in a couple of hours, and your blood is pitch black. Whatever you are, it is not human." Sarah told me.

My head was spinning and my throat was on fire. I shook my head. "I have no clue what I am, or what you are talking about. As far as I know, I am human." I replied.

Sarah appeared frustrated. "Well, I don't believe you. Lucky for you, it would be in both of our interests if this stays between us. You may not want to tell me, but someone else out there knows. I put your blood sample in my locker to hide it, and my locker was broken into, and the only thing that was stolen was the blood vial." Sarah told me.

I shook my head. "Why would that concern me? I have nothing to hide and the only one bothering me is you by accusing me of being something other than human." I told her defensively.

"You don't have to hide anything from me, I am only trying to help you." Sarah replied, growing more nervous.

I couldn't take any more. I stood up, and hopped off the bed. "You want to know what I am? Fine, but you're not going to believe it because you can't see it. No one else will believe you either. I am an anchor, a conduit for a ghost. That doesn't explain why I'm alive right now, or why I healed so fast. I don't have answers, just the same as you. Annabelle, show her." I told her, and pointed at a pen on the table, then held my hand out with my palm upwards.

Sarah sighed. "Great, so you're crazy on top of-" Sarah started to argue, but was cut off mid sentence by the pen levitating in the air, floating towards my hand as Annabelle picked it up and placed it in my hand.

Sarah was speechless, and her mouth hung open wide. She looked at me with terrified eyes. "What the hell was that?" She asked.

I sighed. "Were you not paying attention to what I said?" I asked sarcastically.

Sarah said nothing for a while, and stared at me. "There is something else going on. I don't quite know what it is, but I know someone who might. As of recently, my mind has been opened to possibilities that I could never have imagined. I don't know your situation, but if you are what I suspect you are, you are in danger." Sarah told me.

I was horribly confused by her ramblings- she seemed more insane than I was. "What do you think I am, and what did you think I was to start? You were obviously testing me for something." I asked.

Sarah looked like she didn't want to respond at all. The very question seemed to terrify her. "At first, I suspected you were a werewolf. I personally know one, and know that their weakness is silver. You do not react to silver, so I know you aren't one. However, now I suspect you are something worse. You may not know, or you may be lying to me but I suspect you are a vampire. Presumably a half vampire, because you do not turn to ash in sunlight." Sarah informed me.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "You are wrong. There's no way I am-" I started to argue, but was cut off by my own revelation. I remembered back to when I visited my mother after anchoring Annabelle to me. I had noticed a severe burning pain when I entered her house, but it went away after she told me to come in. The same thing happened at Heather's house. Coincidentally, I also had been strangely fixated on her blood when she cut herself.

I shook my head. "That is impossible. There is no way I'm a vampire. I met a vampire named Maggie a while back, to help me with Annabelle. There's no way she turned me or anything like that. I think I would know if I was one." I replied. I was in denial, and didn't want to consider the possibility.

Sarah's eyes grew wide with surprise. "You know Maggie?" She asked in surprise.

I squinted my eyes and stared at her. There was no way we were talking about the same vampire. "Yeah, redheaded vampire. Psycho bitch, tried to kill Annabelle. Well, tried to make her cease to exist. She's a ghost, they can't exactly die." I replied. The thought of her alone pissed me off.

Sarah pursed her lips. "She didn't exactly leave the best first impression with us either. She tried to kill my boyfriend. She thought he was the werewolf behind the recent killings. She wasn't so bad once we explained what was going on." She explained.

I sighed in frustration. "Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"I've told you- because I suspect you're a half vampire." Sarah responded.

I said nothing and stared back for a while. I knew she was right. "Let's say I am a vampire, why do you care so much? Shouldn't you be afraid of me? Shouldn't you be the one telling the police about me?" I countered.

Sarah shook her head. "If I told the police they'd kill you, study you, dissect you or torture you. Not to mention every person you've ever come into contact with would be in danger. The reason I care so much is because there are humans actively trying to kill vampires and werewolves, and expose them to the world. Your life is in danger, as is my boyfriend and every supernatural creature. If the ghost you love is real, she is also in danger because of you. Neither one of you will be safe unless we stop the humans." Sarah replied.

I sighed in contempt. "I'm not worried about people trying to kill us. Do you know what I'm worried about? Funeral plans for my mother. I refuse to help Maggie, especially after that shit she pulled with us, and turning me into what I am, or at least what you claim I am. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get out of this god-forsaken place and bury my mother." I told her, and motioned for her to leave.

Sarah looked mad as well as frustrated. She softened her gaze, sighed, and nodded. "I'll get your discharge papers." She told me, but didn't head for the door at first. Instead, she went to the table and wrote down something, and returned to me. "If you run into any trouble or change your mind, please call. We need your help, and you will need ours." She told me, handing me the note.

I had half a mind to rip it up, but I rolled my eyes and took it.

Sarah was about to leave the room, but hesitated. She walked back over to me. "I am truly sorry about what happened to you and your mother. I can't even begin to understand what you're going through right now, or what difficulties you will now have to face. If you run into any trouble at all, do not hesitate to call." Sarah said, then turned and walked out.

I groaned in anger, and punched the bed. Only now was the gravity of my situation starting to hit me. Still in my gown, I slumped into a chair beside the bed. I put my hands over my eyes and proceeded to let my emotions out. My mother was dead, and I would never get to say goodbye to her. I was also some sort of abomination, created by an undead blood sucking witch. I could feel the craving for blood, and didn't know how or why Maggie had done this to me.

I felt like I was trapped in a never ending nightmare. I remembered the words that Maggie had told me. She had said that the universe required balance, and that by saving a ghost or becoming immortal the universe would require a sacrifice. In my heart I knew that I was the reason my mother had died. The universe had chosen her to take Annabelle's place.

I felt a warm hand cup mine.

"Love, do not ever think that way. Don't beat yourself up for something you had no control over. It wasn't your fault." Annabelle told me, then kissed my forehead.

I took a deep breath, wiped my eyes and nodded. When I lifted my head, Heather was standing on the other side of the bed, unsure of what to do with a stack of clothes in hand.

I snapped out of it, clearing my throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were standing there." I told her.

Heather slowly walked over to me and sat down beside me. She looked down at the stack of clothes, and wiped away a tear of her own. "You don't have to apologize to me. You have nothing to be sorry for." Heather told me, then took my hand.

My heart skipped a beat when she did so. I looked into her eyes, and for the first time I didn't feel indifference when looking at her. Instead, I felt electricity when touching her skin. Her jet black hair shone in the moonlight, and her hazel eyes sparkled.

I tore my eyes away from her and looked at the pile of clothes in her hands. "Are these for me?" I asked.

Heather nodded. "I hope you don't mind. I had to go to your house and get some for you. I couldn't exactly ask you what your size was because you were in a coma." Heather responded.

I nodded. "Thank you." I told her.

Heather nodded, then handed them to me. "You're welcome." She responded.

I realized I was still holding her hand. I let go, nervous as I could feel Annabelle's eyes on me. "How long have you been here?" I asked her.

Heather yawned. "I've been here for about five hours now." She replied.

I was dumbfounded that she would be here for that long. "Why would you do that? Aren't you concerned about work?" I asked.

Heather chuckled and shook her head. "No. My boss was very understanding, and let me take the time off indefinitely until you woke up. I explained to him what happened to you and he said to take as much time off as I needed." She responded.

I shook my head. It didn't make any sense that she would go to these lengths for me. "Why would you go through all of that trouble though?" I asked.

Heather unexpectedly grabbed my hand and squeezed affectionately. "Because I care about you. I wasn't just going to leave you, especially after what happened." Heather replied.

I nodded. "Thank you." I told her. I sighed uneasily, for several reasons. Number one, because Heather clearly had feelings for me that weren't just going to go away. Number two, for some reason I was starting to develop feelings for her despite being told pretty clearly by Maggie that I was cursed to only love Annabelle for the rest of eternity.

I knew that Annabelle heard my thoughts as soon as I thought them. I closed my eyes in shame. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what's happening." I whispered, trying to make it to where only Annabelle heard me. Luckily she was the only one who heard it.

Heather stood up. "Don't be sorry, none of this was your fault. I'm going to let you get dressed. I'll be waiting outside the room." She told me, then walked out.

I exhaled loudly, and expected Annabelle to be angry. After all, I was thinking about Heather in ways that I shouldn't, and knew that she could read my mind. I expected her to yell at me, or say anything. Instead, she was silent, with an unreadable expression on her face.

"We should get out of here. I'll dematerialize so you can get dressed in privacy." Annabelle told me, then disappeared.

I wanted to talk about what happened, but it was clear that Annabelle didn't want to. Instead, I got dressed and met Heather at the lobby.

Sarah was in the lobby, talking to Heather.

My heart skipped a beat, and I started to panic. When I approached them, Sarah turned her gaze to me.

Sarah handed me my release papers. "Here are your papers. I have put a doctor's note saying that you should be supervised for at least a couple of days. I also haven't shared any information with your girlfriend because of doctor-patient confidentiality." Sarah told me, giving extra emphasis to the 'haven't shared information' part.

I nodded, cringing from her calling Heather my girlfriend. "Thank you." I replied.

"You're welcome. And please remember, if you have any questions or concerns to call." Sarah said, then walked back towards the nurse's station.

Heather beckoned for me to follow her.

I complied, and followed her to the parking lot. She led me to a black Chevy Silverado. I paused to look at the truck, seeing it was fairly nice.

Heather pressed the door unlock button on the remote, unlocking both doors.

I eargery climbed in, and buckled myself in.

Heather did the same, and hopped in the driver's seat. "The doctor said you should be monitored for the next couple of days, but I would understand if you want me to drop you off at home. I know you're going through a lot and might want privacy." Heather told me.

I almost agreed with her to take me home, but Annabelle stopped me by whispering thoughts in my head.

"Take her offer. It's best to do what the doctor said, even if you don't want to." Annabelle whispered in my mind.

I nodded. " Yeah, I better listen to what the doctor wants." I replied to both of them.

Heather looked pleased that I agreed. "Alright, let's go to my place, unless you need to go home for anything." She told me.

I shook my head. "I have everything I need with me right here." I replied.

Heather nodded. "Great, let's go." She told me. She started the engine up, and we headed to her house.

CHAPTER TWO - BLAKE

I could hear the racing heartbeat of my prey. They were busy skulking about, trying to find prey of their own. Or at least, I suspected they were. I never pounced on my prey until I caught them in the action. It was quite easy to track my targets from the rooftops as I silently leapt from rooftop to rooftop. My prey was painfully obvious at what he was doing, he reeked with adrenaline as he prepared himself for an unspeakable act.

Ahead of him was a beautiful brunette, unaware of the monster that was stalking her. She was clearly intoxicated, and was stumbling about. It was well past time for any taxi cab to be out, and she was well past reasoning. After I dealt with my prey, I was going to make sure she arrived safely at whatever destination she was headed towards.

My prey started to pick up the pace, looking around to see no one else in sight- or so he thought. He produced a knife out of his pocket and walked briskly towards the woman. The heavy rain masked the sounds of his footsteps. I could hear his heartbeat pick up the pace as he psyched himself up to attack the woman.

I had seen enough to make my judgement on the pitiful vermin in front of me. The beast inside growled triumphantly, as I leapt silently down onto the pavement behind him. I then ran towards him, gaining speed far quicker than he ever could. With one graceful bound, I lunged and wrapped my hands around his mouth and tore the knife out of his hand. He thrashed against me, but it was no use. His fate was sealed.

I dragged him into an alley between stores, and held him against a brick wall.

He looked at me with terrified eyes. He knew he was going to die.

I never killed a person without looking them in the eyes, and I never killed anyone who didn't deserve it. "You will harm innocent people no longer." I told him coldly. With one twitch of my hand I snapped his neck, paralyzing him. I preferred my food still alive but non-resistant. After letting him fall to the ground, I removed my jacket and shirt, and placed them in my backpack and set it beside a dumpster in the alley.