“I bet it’s connected to that werewolf video, Father,” Tim said. “Apparently, some monsters are real.”
“Are you suggesting these things are werewolves?” O’Reilly said.
“Yes, Father,” Abbie said, no longer able to hide her sarcasm. “Those completely hairless creatures are werewolves.”
Despite the horror of the situation, Tim laughed.
“Come now, holy man,” the lead creature hissed. “Your people have hunted us for centuries. You really don’t know what we are?”
“Everybody,” Abbie yelled, “grab a cross. They’re all over this place. Find the nearest one and pick it up!” Her mind raced with memories of old movies and books. Anything that might give her a hint about fighting these things. It wasn’t exactly a scientific approach, but it was all she had. “And if you see anything that might serve as a wooden stake, grab that too.”
Father O’Reilly wrapped his hands around the crucifix at the end of his rosary and fell to his knees.
“What are you doing?” Abbie said.
“Taking your advice,” O’Reilly answered.
“Get up,” Abbie ordered. “The crosses aren’t for praying, Father.”
O’Reilly looked at her with confused eyes.
“They’re vampires!” Abbie screamed. “I hope you’re just in shock, Father, because if you’re normally this stupid, I fear for our religion.”
The lead vampire laughed. “Save your fear for more tangible things, Sister. Like the fact that we’re about to kill you all.”
Abbie took a step forward, putting herself between the creatures and the humans. She snapped the rosary from her neck. Most of the beads fell to the floor. “You won’t be killing these people tonight.”
The vampire laughed. “Yesterday, you didn’t know we exist. What makes you so sure the old legends have any impact on us?”
“I’m not sure,” Abbie said. “I simply don’t see the downside to trying.”
Without another word, Abbie slammed the top of her crucifix against the vampire’s face. The creature screeched and fell back, a trail of smoke wafting up from its face.
“How did you do that?” someone asked. Abbie wasn’t sure who said it.
“I have no idea,” Abbie said as she looked at the bubbling vampire flesh attached to her tiny cross.
“Looks like I’m not the only person who’s been kissed by divinity,” Tim said.
“Okay,” Abbie said. “Crosses work. We can check that off the list.”
“You’ll die for that, bitch,” the vampire said as it climbed back to its feet. The shape of a cross was burned into the right side of his face. His two companions stood silently behind him. Abbie wasn’t sure if they were intimidated or just waiting for orders.
“You were going to kill me anyway,” Abbie said, “so it’s not really honest to say you’re going to kill me because I burned you with a cross.”
“True,” the vampire said. “Allow me to rephrase my statement. You’ll die painfully because of that.”
“That’s definitely more believable,” Abbie said.
“Back, you creature of the night!”
Abbie glanced back to see Father O’Reilly slowly walking toward the lead vampire. He held his own crucifix in a trembling hand.
“You got that from a movie,” the vampire said. “Please tell me you didn’t come up with that on your own.”
“I said, back!” O’Reilly pressed the cross against the vampire’s forehead.
Nothing happened.
The vampire flashed a toothy grin. “Looks like yours is defective, Father.”
O’Reilly looked at Abbie, shock and terror evident in his eyes. “I don’t underst—”
The vampire grabbed him by the shoulders, spun around, then shoved him toward the two creatures standing by the door. “Turn him,” it said. “Then we’ll kill the rest.” The door-vamps threw O’Reilly to the ground, then dropped to their knees and sank their teeth into each side of his throat.
O’Reilly’s screams echoed across the chapel.
*
Several seconds passed. O’Reilly eventually fell silent, but the other vampires remained crouched over his fallen body. The lead vampire paced back and forth in front of the group of humans, but he didn’t attack. Abbie wasn’t sure if he was concerned about the cross or if he was simply waiting for his friends.
Making sure to stay between the vampire and the humans, she stole a glance around the chapel, looking for anything that might help. She saw nothing.
“I’m so glad we found the church,” the vampire hissed. “The others can have the crowds outside. I’ve always had a taste for religious blood.”
Abbie’s heart sank. So there were more of them. This wasn’t just an assault on the church. It was an assault on the town. “Tim,” she said, still looking at the vampire.
“Yes?” Tim answered from somewhere behind her.
“There are two tables behind the podium.”
“I see them.”
“Knock them over,” Abbie said. “Break them up. See if you can break off the legs.”
“On it,” she heard Tim say.
The vampire smiled. “If you’re looking for makeshift stakes, you’re wasting your time. Stakes or no stakes, you won’t leave this church alive.”
“You’re probably right,” Abbie said, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to do everything I can to stop that from happening.”
The creature cocked an eyebrow. To Abbie, it felt strange to see this monstrous thing make such a human gesture. “I’m impressed. The people outside are screaming and running, but you and your friends are handling this remarkably well.”
“Oh, I think we both know I’m terrified,” Abbie said, “but I have responsibilities I can’t walk away from.” She extended her arm, pushing her cross a little closer to the creature. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you trying to inch your way closer.”
The vampire laughed and took a step back. “What responsibilities?”