Darkness Falls

Blake chuckled. "I remember. You were bullied. I was too scrawny to help you too. Looks like we have the last laugh." He replied.

I shook my head. "Do we? We're monsters. I shouldn't be alive right now and by all accounts you shouldn't be either." I argued.

Blake sighed. "Yes, we are monsters. But, aren't there plenty of humans that are monsters as well? It's not what we are that defines us, what defines us is the choices we make. I'm not the most innocent person. I have blood on my hands that I'll never be able to wash off. Maybe they deserved it, maybe they didn't. These people I hurt, they were going to hurt others or worse anyways. If killing them makes me a monster, then so be it." He responded.

I was shocked that he would be so upfront about his violence. "What did they do to deserve it?" I asked.

Blake shrugged his shoulders. "I don't always kill, I use discretion. All of the people I killed were going to severely harm a human. I can't tell you how many rapes, murders, robberies and abductions I've prevented or stopped. I don't kill or even harm, unless I am completely sure of the assailant's motives beforehand." He replied.

Blake turned to look at me. "Did the people you killed deserve it?" He asked.

I nodded. "They were going to kill us. I had no choice." I responded.

Blake smirked. "And what would you do if you saw the same thing was about to happen to a complete stranger, and you had the power to prevent it? Would you stop it, or would you let the injustice take place?" He asked.

I didn't have to answer. Luckily, we had pulled into the Walmart parking lot.

Blake parked the car, then looked at the water bottle in the center console. "Take that with you, and be on the lookout. We most likely won't run into any Coalition, but be ready for a fight, or be ready to run. Study your surroundings like a hawk." He told me.

I nodded, and placed it in my jacket pocket. I studied my surroundings. "No one looks suspicious." I commented.

Blake was busy studying the surroundings as well. "I think you're right. If someone so much as looks at you wrong, you need to decide whether to take flight or fight. Always check behind you periodically to see if you're being followed." He told me, then stepped out of the car.

I did the same, feeling my nerves grow. There was most likely not any Coalition here, but due to past experiences I wasn't exactly the most optimistic. As we headed into the store, I tried to calm myself. I didn't want to make myself look suspicious.

Blake pulled out the phone, and looked at it. "I have the list, but holy shit it's a lot. I think it's better if we split up. If you go grab the food and water, I'll focus on everything else. There's a lot of people, grab a bit of everything." Blake told me.

I nodded, grabbed a basket and headed into the store.

Blake grabbed my arm and stopped me. "Watch your surroundings like a hawk. Meet me in front of the registers when you're done." He told me, then released me.

I took a deep breath and continued on the straight path meanwhile Blake diverted right to get other things. I started in the very back of the store, and went to the drinks. I picked out the cheapest pack with the most volume of water I could find, and also got a few different kinds of soda for people. Then, I went to the butter, eggs and milk aisle which happened to be right beside the drinks.

I picked up a couple of dozens of eggs, a huge tub of butter and three jugs of milk. There was no telling how long we would be hidden for at Maggie's house, so the more we picked up the better. After that, I went to the meat and cheese aisle. I studied my surroundings, memorizing the people who were surrounding me so that I could see if anybody was following me. One person who was looking in my direction turned their head when my gaze fell upon them. I thought it was strange, and made sure that I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

I turned into the ramen aisle, and picked out a bunch of different kinds. It was cheap, and just needed water. Afterwards, I walked to the bread aisle, and picked out several kinds. I was almost done with groceries, so I picked up the pace. I picked up some junk food, as well as miscellaneous vegetables in case anybody wanted them. Overall, I was satisfied with the variety. There was certainly more than enough to last a couple weeks between the six of us. I studied my surroundings again to make sure that I wasn't being followed.

My heart skipped a beat as I noticed the same guy peeking around the corner, spying on me.

Annabelle appeared right in front of me. "Don't worry about him, I'll keep an eye on him. I'll let you know if he tries to make a move.

I nodded, but didn't say anything. I didn't want anybody else in the aisle to think I was crazy. I thought of a few more things to grab, so I did so. I went to the beans and rice aisle, and grabbed several kinds of chili, rice and spices. Finally, I went to the condiments aisle and picked up several toppings.

Annabelle appeared in front of me. "He's still following you. I think we may be in trouble." She informed me.

I tensed up, ready for a fight. "Let's get out of here." I whispered.

Annabelle nodded. "Let's find Blake and stay with him." She told me.

She didn't have to tell me twice. I knew exactly what part of the store he would be in. I headed to the healthcare section, which was so the way across the store. I cut through the clothing aisles, but ran into a complete block from people with their carts in the middle of the aisle. I turned around to try and cut back around, but the guy that had been following me was walking towards me at a fast pace.

I tensed up, getting ready for a fight. I had seen what these people were capable of, and I wasn't taking chances.

The man looked confused when he saw my posture. He walked slowly towards me until we were five feet apart.

I tried to put an intimidating look on my face. "What the hell do you want? Why have you been following me?" I demanded.

The man's eyes grew wide as he held up his hands in submission. "I don't want anything, man! I was just going to tell you that I recognized you from the news. I saw what happened to you and your mother. I just wanted to say I was sorry for what happened." He told me.

I breathed a sigh of relief, changing my posture into a more relaxed one. "I'm sorry, what? I was on the news?" I asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah, it was pretty bad. My sister died in a car accident. That's why I wanted to say something, because I know what you're going through." He replied.

I was just relieved he wasn't trying to kill me. "Thank you, it means a lot. Unfortunately, I am in a hurry so I need to get going." I told him.

The man nodded again, clearing a way for me. "You're welcome." He told me.

I shook the man's hand as I left the clothing section. I wasn't in the best of moods, now that I was reminded of my mother's passing. I shook the feeling off, because I didn't want to be distracted. There would be plenty of time to mourn after we were free of this nightmare. As I was headed to the healthcare aisles, I saw Blake headed in my direction.

Blake had a shopping cart full of items as well. "Did you get everything we needed?" He asked.

I nodded. Suddenly, I noticed that Blake had also bought a couple of PS4 systems and some games. "Umm, is the gaming stuff really necessary?" I asked.

Blake nodded. "Sex will only get us so far. Do you really want to be cooped up in a house with nothing to do?" He asked.

He had a point. I sighed and shook my head. "No, I don't. Good thinking. Now, let's get the hell out of here!" I told him.

CHAPTER ELEVEN - TAYLOR - ACT THREE

"Shit!" I exclaimed as I cut myself with a paper cut. That was about the dumbest thing I could possibly do, because I was getting ready to go over to a house full of vampires. I ran to my bathroom, and put super glue over it to seal the wound, then I washed my hands. I screamed as the glue touched my skin, because of how bad it burned. The soap definitely didn't help, either.

Even now, my conscience tried to fight against me. I had finally obtained the information I needed- a meeting for the Human Coalition was finally taking place. There was still a part of me that wanted to expose the monsters, but the other half of me had discovered just how human they could be. Sometimes even more so than regular humans.

I pushed the feeling aside, and folded up the paper, and put it in my purse. I also grabbed the pistol that Maggie had given me for protection, and placed it in my purse as well. I was already suspicious of the Coalition, and assumed they were already aware of my betrayal. I still had access to the chatroom, but it had been void of any real activity for two weeks, ever since the attack on Heather's house.

Their families had reported them missing, but they had yet to make any leads on the investigation. They never would, because Maggie destroyed all the evidence. Maggie also abandoned the assailants' vehicle in the mountains, and torched it to destroy any trace of the Coalition members. Still, the community wanted answers and there would be none.

Every single option up until this point had been exhausted. The Coalition knew how to hide their tracks extremely well, and had successfully avoided leaking any private information like names or addresses. Even their IP addresses were untraceable because of virtual private networks. As a result, we had been unable to locate any homes to invade and gather information from.

After months of planning, the Human Coalition was finally ready to move and we received the break we needed. There was an anonymous message posted in the chatroom, saying a date, time and location. They said to bring all the guests, because the surprise party was happening. All of this was a coded message, implying that they had found the journalists, and that they were going to expose the supernatural creatures at the meeting.

I headed out of my house, and opened my car door, getting in as quickly as I could. My heart was pounding, as I didn't know how Maggie or the others would take it. Hopefully they were prepared to act. The meeting was in two nights' time.

Unfortunately it was sunny out, which meant that Maggie was probably sleeping. She wouldn't be happy that I woke her up, and she wouldn't be happy with the news. Hopefully Michael could pacify her. Maggie certainly was the most explosive out of the bunch. She had been changing for the better as of late, so I had high hopes.

I was truly thankful for the second chance that Maggie and Michael had given me, even though I still felt I didn't deserve it. I had been brainwashed into thinking that vampires and werewolves were evil emotionless killers, when in reality the ones I've encountered seem to value human life more than humans do. I had feelings for Michael at first, but I have all but suppressed them. I don't even deserve his friendship, let alone anything else. He really loved Maggie, and I was happy to remain his friend.

As I approached her driveway, my heart pounded ever more. I clutched the steering wheel so hard that it physically hurt my fingers. This was the moment we had been both waiting for and dreading, and regardless of whether we succeeded or failed, the time had come. I stepped out of my car, and walked to the house.

Before I even got to the front door, Michael opened it with a concerned expression. "What's going on? Maggie said your heart rate is extremely fast." He asked with confusion.

I looked him in the eyes, with terrified eyes of my own. "It's time." I replied.

The color drained from Michael's face as I walked past him and into the house.

Michael shut the door, and followed me.

All of a sudden, Maggie appeared in front of me with a gust of wind. "What the hell did you say?" She asked.

I stared back. "I didn't stutter and you know you heard me." I replied, taking a seat on the couch.

I looked around the room, confused. "Where are the others?" I asked.

Maggie gestured to the back of the house. "They're in their rooms. Being in a house full of other people can make you antisocial, trust me." Maggie responded in a half serious tone.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't care, I need them out here now." I told her firmly.

Michael nodded, and headed for the bedrooms but Maggie stopped him. "Maybe it's best if you just knocked on Heather and Colton's door? Just a heads up." Maggie told him in a nervous voice.

Michael's eyes widened, and nodded. He then continued on his way to the bedrooms.

Maggie peered directly into my soul. "Is this a trap?" She asked, compelling me.

I shook my head unwillingly. "I don't know. I just got the message less than twenty minutes ago." I responded robotically.

Maggie nodded, and sighed.

Blake and Sarah were the first to come out of their room, looking confused as to why they were being summoned. That look didn't change once they spotted me. Heather and Colton arrived a few minutes later, and Heather had visibly messed up hair.

Maggie gathered them in the living room, and sat down as well. "What did you find out?" She asked.

I pulled the paper out of my purse. "Everything." I replied.

Maggie folded her arms across her chest. "Well, spit it out!" She demanded.

I took a deep breath. "About twenty minutes ago I checked the chat room for any updates. There hasn't really been any updates, besides bogus sightings for werewolves and vampires. Unless there's more of you that I don't know about, this is all there is. That all changed when I checked the message board twenty minutes ago. There was a post that talked about a surprise party for guests. I don't need to tell you what that means. They have found the journalists that they were searching for. Now, they plan on meeting, and giving the evidence to them." I told them in a grim tone.

Every single person was silent, waiting for me to continue.

I looked at each person before continuing. "They plan on meeting in a warehouse on Southwest Second Street, at nine o'clock at night in two days' time. I guess they wanted secrecy and no witnesses. I am afraid that this is the moment we have been both simultaneously waiting for and dreading. We need to formulate a plan to take them out." I told them, looking directly at Maggie.

Maggie shook her head and stood up. "If by taking them out, you're referring to killing them then that is a last resort option. We can't just kill potentially dozens of humans. There would be questions, and families that want answers. We need to get in there, and stop it. Is the warehouse abandoned?" Maggie asked.

I nodded. "Yes it is, why do you ask?" I replied.

Maggie looked relieved. "Because if it's abandoned, owned by a business or a public building, I don't need to be invited in to enter. Neither do Colton or Michael. We should try to gain access tonight to see if we can find the hard drives where the evidence is stored. " She informed me.

I shook my head. "I can almost guarantee it won't be there until the time comes to make the transfer. They will want to keep it as secure as possible in order to prevent its discovery. Not only that, but they will most likely be checking every single person who enters the building for signs of being infected with vampirism and lycanthropy." I told them.

Blake raised his hand. "Uh, why don't we just break in to rig the place as well as provide us a tactical advantage for when we infiltrate it?" He asked.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "You know, for a mutt you sure have some good ideas. What were you thinking?" She asked.

Blake rolled his eyes. "I say we rig the place with makeshift propane bombs, as well as plant a bag of weapons. We should go in there tonight, and plant them." He responded.

Maggie nodded in approval. "That sounds like a plan." She told Blake. All of a sudden, she had a far away look in her eyes.

Michael looked at her with a worried look. "Maggie, what's wrong?" He asked.

Maggie looked at him with troubled eyes. "Michael, I know what I promised you, and we'll definitely try to spare the humans if possible. I want you to be prepared mentally for the alternative if there are no other options." Maggie told him softly.

Michael was silent with an expression somewhere between anger and confusion.

Maggie sighed. "What I would like to do is compel all of them to forget everything, but it's been established by now that it is possible for compulsion to be broken. I'm trying to think of other options to resolve this somewhat peacefully, but I don't know if there are any." Maggie said in a grim tone.

Michael crossed his arms. "What do you mean you don't think there are peaceful options?" He asked in a confrontational tone.

Maggie sighed. "Unfortunately, I only see two options. These people have tried to kill us, and have almost succeeded. They will not show us the same mercy we are willing to show them, and they will not all turn like Taylor did. One of the options is extremely risky, and one is easy but will get blood on our handsl." Maggie said, standing near the fireplace in front of everyone.

Maggie looked at each one of us before continuing. "We can either compel them to forget everything and hope that none of them ever gets the compulsion broken, or they will have to be eliminated. If we get backed into a corner, I am afraid that they will have to die, and the evidence will have to be destroyed along with the humans. We will try to avoid the violent option if possible, but in the event that there is no other option I am going to give everybody the chance to back out before we do this. Is anybody having second thoughts?" She asked.

Colton was the first to act, and stood up. "I will fight." He said aloud.

Blake and Sarah were the next to stand. "I want revenge for Mallory's betrayal." He announced.

Heather rose to her feet, and took Colton's hand.

I was already standing, so I just nodded. "I'm with you." I said aloud.

All eyes were now on Michael, who still looked angry. He sighed and stood up, but gave a disappointed look to Maggie. "Looks like we don't have a choice." He told her, then walked away.

Maggie looked sad for a brief moment before regaining her composure. "Alright. Now that we have all of that settled, let's get to finishing the plan. Taylor, do you know of any additional things we need to know before we iron out a plan?" She asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "Yes, there is. I've been to two separate meetings. Everyone wears masks to avoid recognition in case a vampire manages to compel them for information. I believe that all the evidence they have gathered will be there, so that they can make the trade. They will also have checks to ensure that everybody entering the place is human. So far the only test that works, at least as far as I know is silver for werewolves. The vampire test is much more crude, you will receive a small cut to see if you heal from it." I told her.

Maggie looked agitated. "Well shit, that excludes pretty much everyone here except for you, Heather and Sarah. Looks like the undead need to find an alternative way to get in. We should look for one tonight, so that we are prepared for the following night. Is there anything else we need to know?" She asked.

I nodded, nervous to answer her question. "Unfortunately there is. I don't know for certain, but Heather, Sarah and I could be compromised. If that vial of Colton's blood was stolen out of your locker then that means someone knew what it was, what Colton has become and is most likely involved in the Coalition. Whoever stole the vial was probably the one who sent the Coalition after you guys. I could possibly be compromised because of the lack of warning leading up to the attack." I explained.

Sarah had a panicked look on her face, but Blake held her hand tight.