14 comments/ 94906 views/ 11 favorites Bath of Blood By: Totzman Illustrations by Ivy. * * * Bath of Blood "Hey, I brought you your check," Dylan said, placing his payment on Riley's desk. The desk was covered with so many papers Dylan hoped his check wouldn't get lost in the clutter. Normally Riley didn't accept checks from clients but she made an exception for Dylan. The truth was, she thought he was kind of cute. "Thanks," Riley said. "So how'd it go?" "She gave me a list of business associates of her brother's," Dylan said. "Did she?" Riley said in surprise. "Let me see. I can make a copy, see what I can dig up on them, too." Dylan handed Riley the list. Riley quickly scurried over to the copy machine, and slapped the paper onto the surface. Dylan loved that Riley just exuded energy all the time. It made him feel comfortable hiring her to be his P.I. It seemed she would always go the extra mile to get him what he needed. The copy machine spat out three copies of Catherine's list. Riley grabbed them and handed the original back to Dylan. "Why is it that a copy machine can make three printouts in less time than it takes a printer to make one?" Riley vented. "I think you should consider getting a printer that wasn't made before the Bush administration," Dylan chuckled. "Har har," Riley said. She was barefoot as she usually was around the office, though Dylan noticed her high heels were parked right by the door, since she wore those everywhere else she went. Riley always dressed nicely, which Dylan found surprising since she would be the first one to climb through an open sewer grate to rescue a trapped kitten if the situation called for it. "So what did Jaclyn say when you got back?" Riley asked. "She went with me, actually," Dylan said. "Really?" Riley asked. "Yeah, I think she was scared of me confronting this lady alone," Dylan said. "Is she still going on about the vampire thing?" Riley asked. Dylan shook his head. "No, she hasn't mentioned it at all today," Dylan said. "Thank God too, I was worried she'd mention it to Catherine and make us look like a couple loons." "Speaking of that," Riley said. She handed Dylan a newspaper clipping. "Local Woman Found Dead," the headline read. The article described a young woman's body found in a drainage ditch several cites away. She was found naked with numerous cuts on her chest and neck and most of her blood drained and missing. "Lukas," Dylan said out loud. "I don't think so," Riley said. "Not his M.O. No sexual assault. In fact, the girl was a virgin." "Well, maybe Lukas wised up and stopped leaving his DNA behind." "Or it's a copycat," Riley said. "Just letting you know, not saying this is related." Riley went to her filing cabinet and opened the bottom drawer. Her round bubble butt showed nicely through her black pencil skirt as she bent over. "So, any plans for Halloween?" Riley asked. "Well, Jaclyn's trying to talk me into going to a Halloween party tomorrow," Dylan said. "Ooh, that sounds like fun," Riley said, tucking away a folder and shutting the drawer. "You gonna go?" Dylan shrugged. "I don't think so." "Why not?" Riley asked. "Ah, you know. It's not a fun time of year for me," Dylan said. Riley looked at Dylan, and sighed sadly. Few things depressed her more than a young person who had grown up too fast. "You shouldn't let this hang over you for the rest of your life, Dylan," Riley said, stepping towards him. "This revenge quest is going to ruin you if you let it." Dylan sighed. "I know, but-" "No, Dylan, you need to start enjoying your life," Riley said. "Get out of the house, get a girlfriend, do something other than obsess over finding your mom's killer- THAT- will be more helpful to you in finding peace." Dylan looked into Riley's bright blue eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him close. "Will you do that Dylan? Please?" "Yeah," Dylan said. "Good," Riley smiled. She planted a kiss on his cheek. "I'll look into those names you gave me but I WANT you to do something fun, okay?" "I will, I will," Dylan said. "Glad to hear it. Now get out of here. I got a badminton game in twenty and I need to get changed." She gave him a pat on the butt and hurried over to her closet. "I'll see you around," Dylan said. "You too, honey," Riley said, taking a polo shirt and a pair of shorts out of the closet. With that, Dylan walked out of Riley's office, and for the first time in a long time, he smiled. * * * * * 2. The Lost Key "All right, here I come!" The bedroom door opened, and Jaclyn exited. She wore a sexy angel costume; Dylan noted, to his dismay, that "sexy" in this context meant "half-naked." The costume consisted of a shimmering white bra, a shiny glitter-covered halo suspended above her head by a thin wire attached to a headband, a zigzag-trimmed white miniskirt, and white high heels. "What do you think?" Jaclyn asked, twirling around in a circle. As she did, her skirt blew upwards, giving her brother a brief glimpse of her lacy white panties. Dylan crossed his arms. "Don't you think it's a little too revealing?" Dylan asked contemptuously. "Sure, Dad," Jaclyn said, rolling her eyes. "All the girls at this party are going to be wearing sexy costumes." "Doesn't mean you have to," Dylan said. "What am I supposed to do, be the only girl there dressed as a frumpy witch? Your sister is going to this party dressed as a sexy angel. Deal with it." Dylan could see he wasn't winning this argument. He knew he didn't have any real authority over his sister, even if he was her legal guardian until her recent eighteenth birthday. "So where's your costume?" Jaclyn asked. Dylan chuckled. "I'm not wearing a costume." "Oh come on, you HAVE to wear a costume, it's a Halloween party!" Jaclyn said. "Come on, let's look around, we can throw something together for you!" Now it was Dylan's turn to roll his eyes. As if going to the party wasn't enough, now he was being talked into wearing a costume. Succumbing to defeat, Dylan retreated to his bedroom to search for Halloween attire. His closet didn't look promising. Most of his clothes were just- clothes, nothing that could be made into something that could possibly incite screams of terror, unless you counted Dylan's horrendous fashion sense. He found an old suit jacket with several holes in it. He thought for a bit about what he could potentially do with it, and couldn't think of anything that adequately amused him. He decided to check the hall closet, hoping the items his parents had put away there might spark some inspiration. It wasn't until he noticed the stacks of toilet paper on the top shelf when Dylan got an idea. He retreated into the bathroom, grabbed a roll of toilet paper, and wrapped it around his body, covering his arms, legs, torso, and finally his face. He left just a small slit for him to see, and laughed when he saw his reflection in the mirror. "All right Jaclyn, come check this out!" Dylan opened the bathroom door, outstretched his arms, and staggered towards Jaclyn, doing his best Boris Karloff expression. "Urrrrrggggghhhhhh!" Dylan growled. Jaclyn burst out laughing. "That is HILARIOUS!" Jaclyn shouted. "I knew you could think of something good! Looks good on you too. How did you find one in your size?" Dylan wrapped his arms around Jaclyn and squeezed her. Jaclyn giggled. "I think it still needs work, though," Jaclyn said. "You know, some of Mom's old jewelry is up in the attic. I bet some of it would go great with your costume. Let's take a look." Dylan followed Jaclyn down the hall. She grabbed a hanging cord, which lowered a ladder that led up into the attic. Jaclyn climbed up the ladder and beckoned Dylan to follow. As he did, Dylan found he could see straight up Jaclyn's skirt with a plain view of her skimpy thong. He shook his head, irritated at his once innocent sister's sexy attire, and continued up into the attic. Jaclyn pulled a string which flicked on a hanging light bulb, illuminating the musty old attic. They found themselves surrounded by boxes. Most of them were Gabby's possessions, which their father had stored away here after her death. "Let's see, one of these has her jewelery. I think it was a red box," Jaclyn said. Dylan treaded through the attic, looking for something that looked promising. He opened one box, only to find old photo albums inside. "Look, Mom's wedding dress," Jaclyn said. She examined the shimmering white gown before sadly putting it back in the box. As she did, she felt something slide off and onto the attic floorboards. Curious, Jaclyn picked up the strange object. It was a key. It looked like pure brass, with the image of a skull engraved on the handle, with deep crimson jewels embedded in the eye sockets. It had a thin but sturdy chain wound through the end, long enough for it to serve as a necklace. "Dylan, look at this!" Jaclyn said. Dylan hobbled over towards Jaclyn and examined the old key. "I remember that!" Dylan said. "Mom showed it to me a long time ago. It's supposed to be a skeleton key. You know, it can open any lock. She wore it on her wedding day, for her Something Old. It belonged to Great Aunt Clara." Jaclyn held the key closely, running her fingers over the smooth finish. "This would be perfect," Jaclyn said, and put the key around Dylan's neck. Dylan looked down at himself. "Could work," Dylan said. "Let's see if there's anything else up here," Jaclyn said. The siblings prowled the attic, opening various boxes. Finally, it was Dylan who discovered the red box they sought. "Found it," Dylan said. Jaclyn hobbled towards him. In retrospect, wearing her high heels into the attic might not have been the best idea. The box contained several bits of assorted jewelry, as well as an old fancy wooden jewelry box. Jaclyn removed the jewelry box and attempted to open it. "It's locked," Jaclyn said. "See if there's a key anywhere in there." "Got a key right here," Dylan laughed, holding up the skeleton key. "Hmm, try it," Jaclyn said. Dylan inserted the skeleton key into the lock, and twisted it. To his surprise, the lock opened. "Damn," Dylan said in amazement. "Maybe it really is a skeleton key." Jaclyn opened the jewelry box, and found a collection of much fancier jewelry inside. Diamond earrings, a pearl necklace, and gold bracelets were inside. There was also a cross necklace as well as a fancy gold crucifix. "I didn't know Mom had one of these," Jaclyn said, holding up the crucifix. "Looks nice." "Yeah, Mom had to turn away from Catholicism. Dad was her second marriage after all." Jaclyn sorted through the other jewelry in the box. "Here, you can put one of those bracelets on each wrist, like this," Jaclyn said. She put the gold bracelets on Dylan's hands, and he held his arms up to admire his new bling. "I got mad swag for a 3,000 year old dead guy, huh?" Dylan asked. Jaclyn laughed. "All right, lets put this stuff away. It's almost time to go," Jaclyn said. "Actually, I think we should take some of this downstairs. Don't you think it'd be a shame to leave heirlooms like these locked away?" "You're right," Jaclyn agreed. Dylan carried the jewelry box out of the attic and Jaclyn followed. He placed the box on the hallway buffet table, wondering if it looked good there as a decorative piece. After raising the attic ladder, Jaclyn wiped the dust from her skirt and thighs. "Looks like we got kinda dirty up there. It fits your costume pretty good though." Dylan had to agree. With his costume complete, he and Jaclyn got into his car and headed out to the party. * * * * * Dylan had to park in the street since the driveway in front of Scott Hanley's house was full. They could hear loud music booming from inside, and a few party-goers lounged on the front porch smoking a joint. As they stepped up onto the front porch, Dylan turned to Jaclyn. "Should we just go in?" Dylan asked. "Uh, yeah..." Jaclyn said condescendingly. It was obvious Dylan didn't go to many parties. Jaclyn opened the door and the siblings stepped inside. The house was packed with college-aged students in Halloween costumes. Dylan could see Jaclyn wasn't kidding about girls wearing sexy costumes. It appeared every girl in the house was wearing a scantily-clad version of something. He looked around the room to see a naughty nurse, a busty girl in a french maid costume with her breasts nearly ready to pop out of her corset, a Hooters waitress, and even a girl dressed as Eve, wearing nothing but a plastic snake around her body. "Jaclyn! Lookin' hot babe!" a young man in black and white clown makeup said, walking up to Jaclyn. "Hi Scott!" Jaclyn said, giving the scary clown a hug. "You look good! So who's Imhotep here?" Scott asked. "Oh this is my brother, Dylan. Dylan, this is Scott." Scott and Dylan nodded at one another. Dylan only needed to see the lipstick smear on Scott's neck before he decided he disliked him. He made a mental note to keep his eye on Scott that evening, particularly if he went near Jaclyn. "Well hey, let me get you guys some beers," Scott said. He walked over to a table, poured two beers into plastic cups, and handed one each to Dylan and Jaclyn. Dylan took a sip of his beer and whispered to Jaclyn. "I'm keeping it light tonight. Somebody has to drive your drunk ass home." Jaclyn giggled and gulped her beer down. Dylan made his way through the crowd and checked out the party. Several girls were dancing in the living room in a sexually suggestive manner. A young couple seated on the couch was aggressively seeing which one of them could insert their tongue farther into the other's mouth. In the kitchen, a bushy-haired husky guy had several young ladies in a game of strip poker. By the looks of it, he'd been doing well, as two of the three girls were already stripped down to their panties. Dylan took a seat at the kitchen counter while Jaclyn made her was out to the dance floor. He took a sip of his beer while watching his sister wiggle her butt for all of the guys who were ogling her. "Hey Charmin! Nice costume!" Dylan turned to see two young women dressed in sexy schoolgirl uniforms take a seat on either side of him at the counter. "Thanks," Dylan said, sheepishly. He tried not to stare, but it was difficult not to notice both of the schoolgirls had the top few buttons on their blouses unbuttoned enough to reveal a very significant amount of cleavage. The girl on Dylan's left was a redhead, with fetching green eyes. The other was brunette with beautiful brown eyes. "So how do you know Scott?" the redhead asked. "My sister has a class with him; she brought me here," Dylan said. "Who's your sister?" the brunette asked. Dylan turned toward Jaclyn. "She's the angel grinding her ass against Scott's groin out there in the living room," Dylan said. The girls turned to see Jaclyn on the dance floor doing just that. They laughed. Dylan made small talk with the scantily clad schoolgirls for several minutes, discovering that the redhead was named Rose and the brunette Violet, and they were sophomores at the same college Jaclyn had just enrolled. Dylan explained how he worked full time in an auto shop to support Jaclyn's education as he was her primary guardian. "That's so nice of you!" Rose said, putting her hand on Dylan's. He smiled. "Ladies!" the bushy haired husky guy said, approaching Rose and Violet. "Who's up for a game of strip poker?" "Sure," Violet said. "Dylan, want to play?" Dylan shook his head. "No thanks. I need these wraps to hold my insides together," Dylan said. Violet laughed. Dylan glanced at the card table to see the three young ladies in the previous game all looked to be quite naked. The three blushing beauties quickly picked through a pile of discarded clothes on the floor and covered themselves once again. Jaclyn came into the kitchen, bobbing her head to the beat of the hip hop song blasting from the speaker system, as Scott poured her another drink. "Jackie! Strip poker?" the husky guy asked. Dylan leaped to his feet, "No, this one doesn't have enough clothing to make the ante as it is," Dylan said, stepping between Jaclyn and the husky guy. "Sorry Brett, my big brother doesn't want to see the angel lose her wings!" Jaclyn laughed, letting out a hiccup as she did. "Or her panties!" a party-goer shouted. The other guests laughed. "Well, maybe later," Brett said. He turned to an attractive blonde in a Playboy bunny costume. "Janet? You game?" Janet nodded, shyly. She sat her furry-tailed rump at the kitchen table across from Rose and Violet, and Brett began dealing out the cards. "You know, you don't have to keep yourself from having any fun here," Jaclyn said. Dylan shook his head. "This party is a little different from what I was expecting." "What were you expecting? Bobbing for apples and pin the tail on the black cat? This is a college party, you're 21. Act like it!" Dylan looked down at his empty beer cup. "Guess I'll have one more drink," Dylan said. "Great. Let's do a shot together," Jaclyn said. She grabbed two plastic cups, and poured a shot's worth of Jim Beam into each one. "I know we're missing Mom a lot, especially at this time of year, so let's have a toast to her." She handed one of the cups to Dylan. "To Mom. May she rest in peace," Jaclyn said. "And to Dad. May he get well soon," Dylan said. Jaclyn nodded in agreement They tapped their glasses together and downed their shots. "Your halo is crooked," Dylan said. He adjusted Jaclyn's halo so it hovered over her head more evenly. "How can you even see? Your bandages are covering your eyes," Jaclyn said. She pulled the toilet paper from Dylan's face to uncover his eyes. They both chuckled. Five years ago their mother would have been the one to handle such matters. They'd come a long way since then. "Well, I'm going to go dance some more," Jaclyn said. "Keep your clothes on," Dylan quipped. Jaclyn shot him a snarky stare and made her way onto the dance floor once again. He headed back to the kitchen, to see how the strip poker game was progressing. Brett was on a winning streak. He'd only lost his shirt, but Rose, Violet and Janet were on the fast track to Nudesville. With a few lucky hands and some impressive bluffs, not only were the outer clothes coming off, but soon the bras were coming unclasped as well. Janet was the first to bare all. Per the rules, Brett insisted Janet sit at the table in the nude for the remainder of the game as he worked to win Rose and Violet's undergarments off. Rose came next, to the delight of many of the viewers who were eager to get a peek at Rose's crimson pubic hair. The blushing Rose sat with her legs crossed and her arms across her chest while she waited for the game to conclude. In the end, it was a lucky pair of sevens that got Violet's panties on the floor, and Brett's arms in the air for a victory cheer. "Who's next?" Brett shouted. "Come on ladies, show me what you got!" To Dylan's surprise quite a few of the female spectators volunteered to join the next game. Dylan shot a glance back at the living room, to make sure Jaclyn was not about to play. She was seated on the couch next to Scott, too close to Scott in his opinion. He had his hand on her leg and was gently rubbing her thigh. Before Dylan could respond, Violet grabbed him by his wrap and pulled him away. "Come on Mummy boy, let's see what you're packing," Violet said. She pulled Dylan into a bedroom and pushed him onto the bed. The bedroom was dark, and Dylan realized that the toilet paper across his face had worked its way back around his eyes. Pulling the toilet paper from his view, he saw exactly what he suspected was happening. A naked girl seductively climbing onto the bed with him. Bath of Blood "So are you really a Pharaoh?" Violet asked, rubbing her hands across Dylan's body. "Yeah," Dylan said. "Then let me see your staff," Violet said. She slipped her fingers between the wrap around his groin, unzipped his pants, and pulled his semi-erect penis out. "Mmmm," she moaned. Violet pressed her lips against Dylan's and slowly tugged on his penis with her index finger and thumb. Dylan pressed his hands to Violet's breasts and gently squeezed them. They were pleasantly firm. Dylan found they were enjoyable to squeeze as he ran his thumbs around her nipples. Violet slipped her tongue into Dylan's mouth, and he responded with his own into hers. The more they kissed and fondled one another, the harder Dylan's penis felt within her grasp. Violet pulled away from Dylan and smiled. "Just relax, baby," Violet whispered. Dylan obeyed. He felt Violet take his penis into her mouth and gently suck it. Dylan sighed. She kept a firm grip on the base, and let her lips run up and down the shaft, and used her tongue to caress the head. She slipped her hand all the way into his pants and played with his balls as well. Dylan closed his eyes. He could hear cheering from the party guests out in the kitchen, and he privately pretended the cheers were for him. Softly and slowly, Violet caressed his penis with long and loving licks. "Ooh, that's good," Dylan moaned. Violet giggled and continued. She sucked him faster and harder, and as she did, Dylan felt his heart race. His breathing quickened, and he felt his dick throb inside her mouth. As his body writhed about on the bed, Dylan heard the bedroom door open, but he was in too much ecstasy to even open his eyes. Nor did Violet stop sucking him, either. There was a moment of silence before the bedroom door closed again. Violet moaned, and the vibrating of her lips brought Dylan over the edge. He shot a load of semen into the back of her throat, and a second load pooled onto the surface of her tongue. Violet squeezed her lips around his penis head until his balls were drained dry. Dylan sat upright and Violet removed his member from her mouth. She swallowed the cum and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Thanks," Dylan said. Violet glanced at him knowingly. Dylan zipped up his pants. Deciding it was about time to return to the party, Dylan naively wondered if his sister might be looking for him. Jaclyn was not, in fact looking for him. Jaclyn was instead seated at the kitchen table across from Brett with five playing cards in her hands. Dylan pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered around the table to find that incredibly, Jaclyn was still fully dressed, or at least dressed in everything she'd been wearing when she arrived. Two other girls seated at the table were nude, and Brett was down to his boxers and not looking pleased. Bath of Blood The bed was empty. Dylan paused. The sheet was pulled back; the bed looked recently occupied. He could have sworn he'd seen someone in the bed just moments before. "I was wondering when you'd find me." Dylan spun around. The old man stood by the window. He had the familiar dark eyes that looked like endless pits of darkness, the narrow brows, the twisted grin. Lukas Balko. Dylan aimed his revolver at him. "Hello, Dylan," Lukas said. Dylan's hand trembled at the mention of his name. He wondered how Lukas could have known it. Perhaps his parents had mentioned it years earlier, passing him on the street. Or maybe he read it in the paper, after murdering Dylan's mother. "You son of a bitch," Dylan said. Lukas grinned. His teeth were gnarled and yellow. "A son of a bitch," Lukas said, "does not even begin to describe me. But you won't kill me." Dylan clenched his jaw. He felt tears emerging from the corners of his eyes. He narrowed his gaze on the decrepit old man in front of him, and felt his blood boil. "The hell I won't. My mother is dead. My father is in a mental hospital!" Lukas cocked his head. "A mental hospital? Which one?" "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT???" Dylan screamed. "HOW COULD YOU KILL AN INNOCENT WOMAN??" Lukas chuckled. "She showed up on my doorstep, completely nude," Lukas said, shrugging. "And it had been- so long- since I'd fed. So long." Lukas licked his lips. Dylan shook his head, forcing a laugh. "Of course. You think you're a vampire, don't you?" "I'm a lot of things, Dylan," Lukas said wryly. "And now you're about to be dead." "Dylan, put the gun down," Lukas said, stepping towards him. "You're not going to kill me." "I am," Dylan said. "I'm sending you straight to hell." "I've already been there." Lukas laughed. Dylan squeezed the trigger, and fired a bullet into Lukas' neck. Lukas' eyes went wide with shock, and Dylan fired again. He shot two bullet's into Lukas' chest, and the frail, 98-year-old man collapsed to the floor. Screams came from throughout the nursing home. Dylan heard the water shut off in the neighboring room, and he heard the scampering of feet across the floor. "Call 911! Someone's shooting! Call the police!" a neighboring resident shouted. Dylan calmly placed the revolver on the bed and turned to face the door. It would only be a matter of time before the police arrived, and when they did, Dylan was ready to surrender to them. He placed his hands on his head and waited. "I did it, Mom," Dylan said. "It's over." Dylan felt something grab his side. Before he knew it, he was in the air, looking down at the grinning face of Lukas Balko. Blood continued to drip from Lukas' bullet wounds, and his eyes glowed red. Dylan's jaw dropped. "Like I said, you can't kill me, Dylan," Lukas said. It seemed impossible, but Lukas was holding Dylan in the air with one arm. His hand gripped Dylan's rib cage like a vice. Dylan grabbed Lukas' hand, and found he was too weak to pull Lukas' hand free, nor could he breathe. Dylan could not even even gasp for air; he opened his mouth only to find silence come out. Lukas thrusted Dylan across the room, sending him flying through the curtain and crashing against the wall. Dylan fell to the floor and clutched his ribs painfully. More screams erupted from neighboring rooms. Dylan could hear someone from down the hall approaching in a hurry. Lukas walked towards him with a speed that seemed otherworldly. Gasping for air, Dylan rolled onto his back and stared up into Lukas' glowing eyes. The door opened, and the nurse from the front desk stood in the door frame. "What the hell's going on here?" the nurse demanded. Lukas grabbed the nurse's neck and squeezed his nails into her throat. Her blood trickled across his fingers and onto the front of her uniform. The nurse gagged, and gasped for air while flailing her arms desperately. Lukas released his grip and she fell to the floor. Her body twitched once and she went still. Lukas turned back to Dylan, who was now squirming away on his belly. "What a shame. I liked her," Lukas said. He licked the blood from his fingers and his eyes rolled back in pleasure. "Mmm. Five years. I really ought to feed again." He looked down at Dylan. "You fucking freak," Dylan gasped. He scrambled towards the restroom as Lukas came ever closer to him. Dylan felt a bony hand grab his ankle and pull him backwards. "Get back over here," Lukas said. "Come on. Your mother put up more of a fight than this." Lukas grabbed Dylan's jacket and pulled him up so the two were face-to-face. "Don't you talk about my mother," Dylan snapped. "Oh, but she was wonderful. Such a tight little asshole. And those breasts! Such a sweet little lay. I wish I could kill her again." Dylan tried to fight himself free, he tried with all his might, but Lukas was like a statue. His arms would not budge. "But you know what?" Lukas began. "I did the next best thing. You see, your mother is in Hell now. And every day, she relives the moment I killed her, again and again. Would you like to hear her voice?" Dylan froze, as Lukas placed his hand upon his forehead. Dylan cringed upon feeling Lukas' cold, blood stained fingers against his face and eyelids. And then he heard her voice. Let me out! Please, don't let me die here! Gabby's voice echoed inside Dylan's head. Please, I have a family! Dylan could not contain himself. He burst into tears hearing his mother's torment within his own mind. "And that's what awaits you, Dylan," Lukas said. "I'm sending you to that very same place. First you. And then your sister." "You mother fucker!" Dylan screamed. Lukas burst into laughter. He sprouted a pair of fangs, and pulled Dylan's head to the side. Dylan thrashed and struggled, but found he was powerless against Lukas's strength. Lukas leaned in to take a bite, when a spark shot from Dylan's necklace. It was as if he'd touched a hot burner. Immediately Lukas released his grip on Dylan and jumped backwards several feet. "What are you doing with that?" Lukas hissed. Dylan looked up at Lukas, confused. And then Dylan looked at himself. The cross necklace. It had come out of his shirt when Lukas had thrown him across the room. Now it hung innocuously outside his shirt like a protective shield. "What, this?" Dylan asked, holding up the cross for Lukas to see. Lukas flinched, and covered his eyes with his forearm. "You don't like this? Is that right?" "Coward!" Lukas barked. He backed away, his eyes wide in outrage. "Throw that away! I'll fuck your mother's corpse!" Dylan pulled himself to his feet, and Lukas leaped out the window, shattering it as his nimble body crashed through. Dylan staggered towards the window, and saw Lukas had vanished into the night. Dylan clutched his side painfully, and noted that the cross had singed his shirt. The cross still felt unnaturally warm against his chest. He could hear the cries of the elderly residents, and the sound of sirens in the distance. Quickly, Dylan grabbed his revolver and picked up the empty casings. He could not go to jail now. Not while Lukas Balko walked the earth. Dylan hopped out the broken window and quickly sneaked back to his car. * * * * * "You did WHAT?" Jaclyn exclaimed. "I found him, Jackie," Dylan said. He held a zip lock bag full of ice against his side, groaning every time he took a breath. He hadn't slept a wink the whole night. Jaclyn had come to around ten in the morning and found her brother nursing his injury on the living room couch. Dylan relayed the events of the night before as best he could remember. Jaclyn listened intently, not saying a word, leaving Dylan wondering just how much of his story she even believed. When he finished, he simply stopped, and waited for Jaclyn to speak. To say anything. "You're telling me, Lukas Balko... is an actual vampire?" Jaclyn asked. Dylan hung his head. He didn't want to have this conversation again. "The guy threw me across the room with one arm and broke one of my ribs. I don't know what this guy's deal is but he's not human. Not like any human I know, anyway." "But your cross necklace scared him away?" Jaclyn asked. "Yeah," Dylan said. Jaclyn took a seat across from Dylan and rested her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her fists. "He's the closest thing to a real-life vampire, and you tried to take him out by yourself?" Jaclyn asked. Dylan shrugged, annoyed. "Look, the guy deserved to die for what he did. How was I supposed to know I'd get my ass handed to me by a 98-year-old man?" "Dylan, you have to stop this! You could have died! You could have been arrested! You could have left me alone!" Dylan looked up at the ceiling. He knew Jaclyn was right. But she was a grown woman now, and Dylan was not keen on letting Lukas Balko breathe a day longer than he had to. "So what are you going to do now?" Jaclyn asked. "I'll-" Dylan coughed, and cringed. "I'll see what else Riley can come up with." "No!" Jaclyn said. "You need to tell Riley you're done. She's leading you down a dark path Dylan, and if you keep taking help from her you're going to end up getting killed!" "I might get killed anyway," Dylan said. "Balko knows who I am. And he knows who you are. If we don't find him, he's going to find us." Jaclyn buried her face in her hands. "Stop looking for him, Dyl," Jaclyn said, on the verge of crying. "With any luck he'll forget about us, but stop looking for him. I can't lose you." She looked Dylan in the eye. He shook his head. "I'm sorry," Dylan said. "I can't." * * * * * "Maybe she's right," Riley said. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like the business, but, I don't want to see you get yourself killed." The TV in Riley's office showed the news. A report about a dead nurse and a missing patient at the Bellbrook Senior Care Center flashed on the screen. "You sure no one saw you there?" Riley asked. "Just the nurse who died. And Balko, of course," Dylan said. Riley sighed, and switched off the TV. "For what it's worth, I would have done the same," Riley said. "Thanks Riley," Dylan said. He pulled one of the hanging metal balls on Riley's desk, causing it to swing back and tap the others, only to send one swinging out and falling back again. He watched intently as the two outer balls alternated tapping the rest. "And when you do finally kill that bastard, I can put you in touch with a good lawyer," Riley said. "And don't you dare refuse. A boy like you is too pretty for prison." Riley giggled. Dylan smirked sheepishly. He tried not to stare as Riley lifted her skirt up to her hip and adjusted her stocking. "Alright, I'd better get going," he said. "I don't want to leave Jaclyn home by herself too long." Dylan stood up, and Riley did as well. She circled around her desk and wrapped her arms around him. "You take care, sweetie, 'kay?" Riley said. "I'll send you some stuff in the mail when my guy comes through. You'll find him, I promise." "I know," Dylan said. He hugged Riley tightly. "Hey you think maybe we could get dinner sometime? When you're done working my case, of course." Riley smiled. "I'd like that." "Great," Dylan said. He turned to the doorway, and tripped over the wastebasket, knocking it over. Embarrassed, he turned the wastebasket upright and moved back towards the door. Riley giggled as Dylan fumbled with the handle before pulling the door open. He shot one last glance at Riley. "Bye," Dylan said. "Bye," Riley replied. She returned to her seat and smiled as Dylan left the building. * * * * * 3. The Naked Victim Jaclyn stood at the entrance to the funeral home. Dylan stood to her right, her father to her left. They greeted each of the guests who entered, shaking their hands and accepting their words of sympathy. "I just want this day to be over," Jaclyn said. Dylan squeezed her arm assuringly. Jaclyn looked up to see Scott enter. She put on a smile and extended her hand. "Thanks for coming, Scott," Jaclyn said, shedding a tear. "Yeah, sorry about your mom," Scott said. "Can I get you anything to drink?" Jaclyn shook her head. "Not here," Jaclyn said. Scott nodded, and made his way into the viewing room to speak to a few of his friends. To Jaclyn's dismay, several of the guests arriving wore Halloween costumes. "Now why would they come here dressed like that?" Jaclyn snapped. "They shouldn't be having a Halloween party here!" Jaclyn turned to Dylan, but he was gone. "Dylan?" Jaclyn asked. "Where did he go?" Jaclyn looked around the funeral home, examining the crowd of people that had gathered, but she did not see Dylan anywhere. Immediately she started to panic. "Have you seen my brother?" Jaclyn asked one of the funeral guests. "He's right over there," the guest said, pointing towards the crowd. Jaclyn weaved her way through the mass of guests, unable to see him. "Where is he?" Jaclyn shouted. She found herself surrounded by people, none of whom she recognized. "He's right behind you, Jaclyn," another guest said. Jaclyn turned around, only to see Dylan lying in the coffin. "Dylan!" Jaclyn screamed. She rushed to the coffin, and burst into tears upon seeing his lifeless body. "What is he doing here? Where is the funeral director?" "I'm here." Jaclyn turned around to see Catherine Balko dressed in a dark suit. She stood by Dylan's coffin and nodded sympathetically. "What is Dylan doing here? He's at the wrong funeral!" Jaclyn shouted. "Well, he shouldn't have walked through the gate," Catherine said. "No!" Jaclyn screamed. "This isn't right! He shouldn't be there!" The other funeral guests looked at Jaclyn in dismay. Jaclyn looked again at Dylan's lifeless corpse, and gasped as his eyelids parted. Instead of eyes, his eye sockets contained pools of blood. The blood dripped down the side of his face like tears. Jaclyn screamed. "I'll have to take him away now," Catherine said, and closed the coffin lid. "No! Don't do that! Will somebody help him?" Jaclyn shouted. "Somebody do something!" The funeral guests ignored her. Jaclyn clenched her fists. "Somebody do SOMETHING!!" Jaclyn opened her eyes. Her pillow was drenched with sweat. She sat up in her bed, and felt her pulse racing. The early morning sun shined through the cracks between her shade and the window frame. Jaclyn turned to her nightstand. The near empty bottle of Gatorade, Advil bottle, and crucifix still rested there. Her clock radio read 7:13. "Dylan," Jaclyn whispered to herself. She stepped out of bed and crept down the hall. Taking a peek into Dylan's room, she saw his bed was empty. Quickly, Jaclyn continued down the hall. She knew it was just a dream, but she had to see Dylan right away. She had to be sure. Jaclyn stepped into the kitchen, and found Dylan seated at the table, eating a plate of toaster waffles. He was dressed in his gray button down work shirt and khakis. "Dylan," Jaclyn said again. "Hey," Dylan said. "I found my keys. Looks like I dropped them under the driver's seat." Dylan held up his previously missing keys. Jaclyn felt her pulse slow. "Oh, that's good," Jaclyn said. "How's your rib? "Still hurts. But Jake said I could work the phone few days." "Great," Jaclyn said, and smiled. She gave Dylan a kiss on his cheek.. "Well, have a great day at work." Dylan gave her a strange look. Not surprising, since Jaclyn didn't normally say things like that to him. Jaclyn didn't normally have visions of her brother's dead body either, but she decided not to share that with him. Reassured that Dylan was still alive for the time being, Jaclyn retreated to the bathroom, took off her clothes, and stepped into the shower. The warm water soothed her body and spirit. As she relaxed under the comforting warm spray, Jaclyn realized what she needed to do. And now was the perfect time to do it. Jaclyn waited until Dylan left for work before she got started. She rooted through the hall closet until she found her father's old duffel bag. It was a few years old, but it still looked strong and durable. Jaclyn got dressed, grabbed the empty duffel bag, and got behind the wheel of her car, a light blue Taurus that had also belonged to her father. Her first stop was the bank. "Can I help you?" the teller asked. "Can you tell me how much is in this account?" Jaclyn asked. She handed the teller a slip of paper with an account number on it, along with her driver's license. The teller looked up the information on her computer and replied. "$56,291.09," the teller said. It was the entirety of Gabby's life insurance money, combined with the inheritance she'd left for Jaclyn. "I'd like to make a withdrawal," Jaclyn said, tapping her fingers on the counter nervously. "How much?" the teller asked. Jaclyn took a breath. "All of it." The duffel bag didn't weigh as much as she thought. After stuffing her life savings inside, Jaclyn hoisted the bag over her shoulder and dumped in into the passenger seat of her car. She thought long and hard about what she was going to do, and saw no reason to change her mind. Jaclyn started the car and headed over to her next destination: Pierson's Inc. Riley's car was in the lot, so Jaclyn was fairly certain she'd be able to get an audience with the busy-bodied P.I. She only hoped Riley would consider what she had to say. Jaclyn grabbed the duffel bag and carried it into the building. The waiting room was empty, as Jaclyn expected. "Hello? Riley?" Jaclyn greeted. The building was completely silent. No fax machine humming, no TV playing, not even the sound of Riley's feet scurrying around in the next room. Jaclyn made her way towards Riley's office, and found the door slightly ajar. Jaclyn pushed the door open, and found the office ransacked. The desk was flipped on its side. The TV and computer monitor were face down on the floor; their screens shattered. Jaclyn stepped into the room, nearly tripping on the high heels left by the doorway. She stepped around the fashionable shoes, and over several papers scattered across the floor. "Riley? Are you here?" Jaclyn asked, more to fill the eerie silence than for the expectation of a response. And then she saw it. A leg, a woman's leg, with a deep cut in the thigh, lay on the floor peeking out from behind the overturned desk. Jaclyn looked behind the desk to find the leg belonged to Riley. She was naked, lying face down on the floor with her legs spread open. Her throat had been punctured twice, and numerous slashes were visible all over her body. "Oh my God, Riley!" Jaclyn screamed. She dropped the duffel bag and ran towards the lifeless body. Jaclyn rested her hand on Riley's shoulder, and the cold, clammy feel of her colorless skin send a chill down Jaclyn's spine. Riley's dry, unfocused eyes stared off into nothingness. Jaclyn looked around for a phone, and found Riley's office phone had been ripped out of the wall. Her body shaking, Jaclyn pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed 911. * * * * * Dylan arrived shortly after the police did. He squealed into the parking lot and had a sobbing Jaclyn in his arms before he'd even shut off his engine. "What the HELL happened?" Dylan demanded. "It was Balko. He raped her. And he killed her," Jaclyn said. Dylan squeezed her tightly and rocked her gently in his arms. "Were you alone when you found her?" Dylan asked. Jaclyn nodded. Dylan looked her in the eyes. Bath of Blood "What were you even doing here?" Dylan asked. Jaclyn broke her gaze and looked away. Dylan glanced in Jaclyn's car and noticed his father's duffel bag, with money sticking out. "I was- I was trying to buy her off, Dylan," Jaclyn said. "I thought maybe I could- convince her to stop helping you. I was trying to save your life!" "By giving her your life savings? God, you are so fucking stupid!" Dylan hugged Jaclyn again, and noticed two detectives approaching him. A tall, dark haired male and a shorter blonde female both showed their badges. "Are you Dylan Becket?" the male detective asked. "Yeah," Dylan said. "I'm Detective Pratt, this is Detective Harker. Can we ask you a few questions?" the male detective asked. Dylan released his grasp on his sister. "Of course. Whatever you need," Dylan said. * * * * * Dylan and Jaclyn sat in separate rooms for questioning. Detective Pratt asked Dylan several questions about his business with Riley Pierson. Dylan chose to leave out the details concerning the incident at the nursing home and focused instead on what he'd learned about Catherine Balko and her connection to her brother. In the next room, Detective Harker questioned Jaclyn about her gruesome find. Jaclyn did her best to hold her composure, but Harker was very sympathetic to her emotional state. After taking Jaclyn's statement, Harker asked Jaclyn to wait, so that Detective Pratt could ask her some follow up questions. Detective Pratt made Jaclyn jump when he entered. He looked down at Jaclyn, with a commanding, intimidating stare. Jaclyn shifted in her chair uncomfortably. "Miss Becket, I apologize for keeping you. I hope you have time for just a few more questions," Pratt said. "Of course," Jaclyn said. Pratt dropped a folder on the table in front of the trembling teenager and casually took a seat across from her. "Where were you on the night of October 28th?" the detective asked. Jaclyn felt her blood run cold. "Dylan and I went to a Halloween party that night," Jaclyn said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Where did this party take place?" "At my friend, Scott Hanley's house. He lives on the west side in Hayden Hills," Jaclyn said, swallowing. "I see," Pratt said. "And how long were you at this party?" "We got there around ten o'clock, I think. After one I'd gotten really-" Jaclyn paused, eying the detective, "-tired, so we decided to leave." "Did you go straight home after the party?" Pratt asked. "Yes." "Reason I ask," Detective Pratt began, "there was a shooting at the Bellbrook Senior Care Center in Greenridge that night. A nurse was found dead, and a patient missing. Our forensics team identified the DNA of the missing patient. It was Lukas Balko. The man who killed your mother." Jaclyn trembled. "There's more," Pratt said. "A surveillance camera from an ATM across the street noticed a car entering the parking lot of the nursing home shortly before the 911 call was made. The car was a gray Honda Civic, much like your brother's." Jaclyn did her very best to conceal her panic, just as her father had taught her when he was explaining to her how to bluff in poker when she was eleven. "A good liar," Jaclyn's father explained, "tells his opponent the truth and convinces him it's a lie." Jaclyn remembered that tactic most of all. That, and what he told her about spotting a liar. "Everyone has a tell," her father said, shuffling the deck as he did. "They won't look you in the eye. They'll touch their own face. They'll shrug with only one shoulder. There's always something. You have to watch for it." Months of playing poker with her father trained Jaclyn to be as effective at spotting a liar as lying herself. "Now, your brother told me, that after he drove you home from that party, he left again because he wanted to get gas," Pratt said, adjusting his tie. "He said he was only gone for ten minutes. Can you confirm this is true?" And there it was. The straightening of the tie. It was plain as day that the detective was feeding Jaclyn a tall tale. And she wasn't going to bite. "Dylan never left," Jaclyn said. "We were both home the rest of the night." Detective Pratt raised an eyebrow. "Really? You're telling me Dylan never left at all?" "Yes," Jaclyn said. "I don't know why he told you he did." Pratt smiled. "He didn't. Just checking." Jaclyn didn't react. She would not let Pratt see the relief she felt. "That's all the questions I have. Thank you for your time, Miss Becket." Dylan and Jaclyn were released shortly afterward, and they promptly returned home. The coroner who examined Riley's body placed her time of death at 10 p.m. the previous night, and he identified semen found her mouth, vagina, and anus as belonging to Lukas Balko. As with Dylan and Jaclyn's mother, the cause of Riley's death was deemed blood loss, in spite of the minimal blood found at the scene. Dylan spent the evening perusing family photo albums. Jaclyn walked into the living room to find Dylan seated on the couch, flipping through photos of Jaclyn and himself when they were children. He paused on a photo taken in the backyard, when they still had the play set his father had bought. The photo showed a grinning Jaclyn hanging upside down on the monkey bars while Dylan lounged in a red plastic kiddie pool nearby. Dylan smiled, seeing Jaclyn so happy. The next photo showed Dylan's seventh birthday. He would never forget that one. His parents had bought a pinata, just as they had for his fifth and sixth birthdays. In the photo, Dylan could see himself blindfolded, swinging at the hanging paper owl with a baseball bat. What the photo didn't show was what happened immediately after it was taken. Jaclyn, who was only three years old at the time, had wandered too close. Dylan swung the bat, missed the pinata, and instead cracked the bat across little Jaclyn's forehead. He remembered ripping off his blindfold to see Jaclyn screaming, with blood rushing down her face. He spent the rest of his birthday waiting in the emergency room. He was certain he'd be grounded, but his parents told him it wasn't his fault. They'd failed to watch her and keep her at a safe distance. It made no difference to Dylan. He put the blame squarely on his own shoulders. He'd been so bold; swinging the bat as hard as he could just to get at the candy he coveted so much, that he hadn't been paying any attention to the people around him. He never once considered that he might hurt someone close by if he wasn't more careful. Dylan looked up from the photo album to see Jaclyn standing in the door frame of the living room. "I'm sorry," Jaclyn said. Jaclyn's apology hit Dylan like a face slap. "Why would you be sorry?" Dylan asked. "I shouldn't have tried to stop you, I should have-" "Hey, hey," Dylan said, slamming the photo album closed. "You had every right to try to protect me. It wasn't fair of me to go hunting Balko when I have you to take care of. So I'm done. Alright?" "But-" "No, I'm done. As much as I'd like to kill that monster, it's not worth ruining your life over it. So I'm done." Dylan got up from the couch, and went upstairs. Jaclyn opened her mouth to say something, but found no words could come out. Jaclyn watched her brother disappear up the stairway, leaving her alone and speechless. As soon as he was gone, Jaclyn burst into tears. She rested her forehead on the wall, and let out a long sob. * * * * * Jaclyn woke in the middle of the night shivering. Somehow her top sheet and blanket ended up on the floor. She sat upright and gathered the discarded blanket and sheet from the bedroom floor and draped them both across her body. It had been getting gradually colder over the month of October, and Jaclyn was starting to feel she may need to start wearing more than a t-shirt and panties to bed. She checked her clock radio, but the time was obscured by the other items on her nightstand. She put the Gatorade and Advil up on her dresser and the crucifix in the top drawer. The time read 1:49. Just a few hours to sleep before it was time for school. Jaclyn wrapped her top blanket around herself tightly and tried to get back to sleep. * * * * * She woke up with a gasp. Another dream about her and Dylan. She didn't remember the details, but there was blood. Her entire body was covered with blood. Feeling herself shivering, Jaclyn realized that not only had her blanket and top sheet found their way to the floor again, so had her clothes. She lay on her mattress totally nude. "What the hell?" Jaclyn said to herself. She sat up in her bed. Her clock radio was blinking 12:00. Jaclyn searched the floor for her discarded clothes and covers, and noticed her clock began counting upwards. It stopped at the numbers 6:66. Jaclyn felt a wave of terror in her heart. She stared at the clock for a solid minute; the numbers unchanging. It was then that she spotted a shape in the darkness. A figure standing in the corner. Hello Jaclyn. She heard the words, not with her ears, but in her mind. "Who's there?" Jaclyn asked, timidly. I am the Darkness.