Devil In Disguise

Braddock, Pennsylvania. Marla and her father’s daily routine was always the same, ordinary, people would say. Wake up, work, go home. Marla happened to love this routine. She also had friends in the mix of her schedule. She generally loved her life, but not as much as she loved her Dad.

“One caramel frappuccino for you!” Marla exclaimed as she handed the frappuccino to the customer.

    “Marla, how many times must I tell you to stop yelling!” Her father, Mr. Capu said.

    “I know Dad. I’m just happy.” He walked over and kissed her on the forehead.

    “I know darling, I know.” The next customer walked in, she had a very gray pants suit, as if he was on her way to a meeting. She had 2 bodyguards behind her. Her ruby encrusted sunglasses stared at me, I could feel her prosperity. 

    “Hey! Welcome to-” the woman put her hand up to Marla’s face, indicating her to stop talking. Marla looked down at her perfectly long and glossed fingers.

    “I’m not a fan of small talk, woman. Just get me an iced Ristretto, 10 shot, venti, with breve, 5 pump vanilla, 7 pump caramel, oh and not shaken. These give me energy for my daily activities.” She got out her phone and started typing.

    “I-um- ma’am. That is extremely specific, I’m not exactly sure if I can get you exactly what you asked for-” 

    “So you're refusing me service now, aren’t you?” She looked at her guards, “Shameful. Where’s the manager.”

    “Ma’am. I’m not refusing you serv-”

    “Just get me the manager!” She yelled.

    “Dad!” Marla yelled.

    “Hey hon, everything okay?” He said.

    “No sir, everything is not okay. This woman is refusing me service.” She said.

    “Ma’am I’m so sorry.” He glared at Marla, “Please tell me what you ordered and I’ll get it right up for you, on the house.” 

    “Okay. Iced Ristretto, 10 shot, venti, with breve, 5 pump vanilla, 7 pump caramel, not shaken. Plus hurry, I’m in quite a rush.” 

    “Of course, your name?” He asked.

    “Kimber. Kimber Stone.” 

    “Okay. Marla, a word with you in the kitchen.” He grabbed her arm and walked her into the kitchen, “I cannot believe you refused that lady service!” He exclaimed.

    “I-I-I didn’t! We just don’t have very much left, Dad! Our finances have been way down lately, and that lady she asked for so much!” 

“I don’t care. Never refuse service.” 

“I didn’t! I simply said ‘not sure if we can get what you asked for’ and like a rude, vile, and affluent woman, she just assumed I was refusing service!” 

“Next time something like this happens, you're being let go. No exceptions.” 

“Yes, Dad. I’m sorry.” He walked off, as she made the Ristretto. Once she was done with the Ristretto, she carried it out to the woman.

“Here you go, Ms. Stone.” 

“Thank you, ignorant server.”

“That’s it-” before she could punch Kimber in the face, a gang walked into the building. They looked, sketchy. Violent. Destitute. 

“Hello, Civilians!” Yelled the man in front, men and women stood behind.

“May we help you?” Marla asked nervously.

 “My name is, Xiom. These wonderfully kind and self-serving people behind me are my dearest friends and family, Azetca, Cartel, Vercetti, Seville, Laine, Ballas, Pecorino, Spatafore, and Erica.”

“Why with the large introductions, sir?” Kimber snarked.

“Because, you won’t be alive in 10 minutes, so might as well recognize your killer.” They all laughed.

“What are you talking about?” Marla said. Mr. Capu walked out and stood in front of Marla. They all smiled, morbidly. 

“Well look at the protective father, standing up for his daughter. I never had a father, my parents sold me to pirates in 1902.”

“1902? But it’s 2009 right now?” Mr. Capu said.

“Did I fail to mention… “ He grabbed a knife out of his pocket, “We are some of the oldest and bloodsucking beasts on earth. Turned on against the human kind and forced blood down our throats. So, might as well stick to the character’s we were given, the horrid name humans call us, vampires.” He threw the knife into Capu’s right carotid artery. Marla let out a blood-curdling scream. 

“Daddy! Daddy!” Marla held him in her arms. “Daddy, stay with me please!” She began to sob as Kimber’s bodyguards got their guns out swiftly, but before they could shoot 2 of the vampires lunged forward and ripped out their throats, one by one.

“Not again, my morning off.” Kimber ran behind the table and got with Marla, and her bleeding father, “Okay girl, we may not have gotten off on the best start, but we have to stick together now, we have to leave.” Kimber said.

“No, no, no! M-my dad he’s-” Kimber put her hand over Marla’s mouth. 

“Stop crying and get the hell up!” She pulled a derringer out of her coat.

“W-who are you?” Asked Marla.

“I’m a snotty, entitled, guardian angel.” She wiped Marla’s tears and helped her put her dad down. “Girl, take the derringer.”

“I’ve never used a g-gun before.” She said as she held it in her hands.

“Hopefully you won’t have to use it.” She took off her lavish fur coat and wiped Marla’s constant falling tears, she covered Capu’s face, tightened her heels, and got up, holding Marla’s arm.

“Well, well, well. You guys finally-”

“Hodit!” Kimber yelled and held her hand out. They all flew back out the glass window, like it was some kind of spell.

“What the-”

“Shut up! Get out the back door!” They ran right out. Marla grabbed her phone and pocket book as they ran. They pushed themselves through the door as Marla pulled the fire alarm. Kimber wrapped her arms around her.

“What the-” 

“Just hold on.” Kimber looked to her right to see the gang of vampires rushing down the alleyway. She finally yelled, “Nahoru!” they launched up into mid air, they were in the air for about 45 seconds before realizing there were about 2 miles up.

“Where exactly are we going!” Asked Marla as the wind blew in her face.

“See any planes!?”

“What?!” They finally landed on top of a plane.

“Držet!” They linked arms and stood on top of the plane, they were not getting launched away, in fact they were staying in place as their hair blew in their faces.

“Who are you!” Marla yelled.

“Technically, I’m a witch. But I’m also a werewolf. I was shunned from my coven the first time I turned into a werewolf. It was the night after I first killed someone. They call it a Polu-Rasa, which is Bosnian for ‘Half-Breed’. I was born of a bloodline called the Grismon, they were born both werewolf and witch. That’s how I got us up here and beat those vampires. Enough backstory for you?”

“Wow, thanks for the freaking life story! What does all this mean! What was that gang?!” Marla exclaimed.

“I know this all so much to take in, but we are targets now, I know we had a bad start and are under crazy circumstances now, but just know: They don’t want me as much as they want you. I was born to make sure humans aren’t targets. So I’ll stick with you and fight all of those vampires and make sure you don’t die. From now on, consider me a friend, not a foe.” Kimber smiled at her.

“Thank you, and okay, but why am I, a regular girl, a target in a war between you and these vampires?!” Marla shook her head in disbelief.

“Because they are afraid you will expose them for the bloodsuckers they are! They are not all bad though, some of them control the blood lust, the ones following you can’t!” 

“This is all so crazy!” Marla yelled.

“I know, you keep saying that!” 

“What about my dad! Is he going to be a vampire?!” Marla started crying again.

“No, there is a very specific way to turn into a vampire. I’m sorry he is gone. For real.” Marla began to cry again. Then, something terrible happened.

“A stick spell? Classic, Kimber Stone. Always coming in for the rescue.” Xiom and his crew appeared on the plane.

“How did you guys even find us?!” Marla yelled.

“Simple detection spell. You're not the only one with a witch on your side, Girl.” 

“I’m a Polu-Rasa. I am more powerful than all of you combined! Spuštění!” All the sudden, she must have casted a throw back spell because one by one they all flew backwards and off the plane.

“Are they dead?!” 

“No, that won’t kill them. Hold on very tight, don’t look down…” Kimber jumped while holding onto Marla.

“Oh my god!” Marla yelled as she fell off the plane and the wind blew in her face.

“Padák!” Kimber and Marla suddenly had parachutes on their backs.

“The words to cast spells are too weird!” 

“I know, they are Czech! It’s weird!” They were only yelling because of how loud the wind is in their ears. 

“We are getting closer to the ground!”

“I know!” They eventually landed, it was a smooth landing. 

“Hurry up, unhook yourself we need to catch the next bus to the airport and make our way out of the country before they come back.” Kimber quickly unhooked herself.

“Can’t you kill them? You’re a powerful were-witch, right?” 

“Polu-Rasa, and technically I can. I just don’t like to kill, it triggers my werewolf side and once I begin killing, it’s not easy to stop. I kill anything near me.” 

“Can’t you make an exception! You did say you protect humans.” Marla was getting very aggravated. She didn’t want to be on the run for the rest of her life. She wanted to go back to her hometown and run her Dad's cafe in his honor. She wanted to be with her friend’s and just have a slow life. Not a fugitive life.

“I’m sorry, Marla. I can’t.”

“I want to go home! I don’t want to be on the run with you, I want to be in the small town with my friends. You can come live there with me!” Marla grabbed Kimber’s arm and looked at her sadly.

“There is… one way.” Kimber started shaking her head, “You won’t like it.”

“I will do absolutely anything!” 

“I’d have to turn you…” Kimber said.

“Turn me?” 

“Transform you into a vampire.” Kimber dug through her bag and pulled out a book, “Here! In this grimoire there is a vampire spell, the only way for you to beat Xiom and his crew and be able to stay in your town, let me turn you and you can kill them all, for your father, avenge him!” 

“What! I don’t want to be a murderer! Drinking blood!” Marla yelled.

“You just have to learn to control your urges! It’s easy! As long as you don’t drink very much human blood and limit yourself to mostly animal blood, you should be fine.”

“I’d still have to drink from people, I don’t want to drink from people, Kimber!” Marla started pacing back and forth, anxiously.

“No, I could spell you a blood bag out of thin air, I could also get you some bunnies. Plus you’d have mind control, a form of compulsion. Also super speed, instant healing, rebirth, super hearing! You’ll be a cheat human!”

“This sounds like a weird kind of collusion?” 

“It’s not. Plus, when I turn you into a vampire, I’ll give you the power of thousands of vampires, hundreds of witches, and tens of thousands of werewolves! You’d be able to destroy an entire continent. Maybe, you might not even want to stay in your hometown.” Marla thought about it for a long time, surprisingly Xiom didn’t find them. She was weighing the pros and cons, the pros were power, free-will, control. The cons were blood lust, killing, urges. Then she finally made the decision.

“I’ll do it.”

“Really?!” Kimber exclaimed.

“Truly, what do we need for this spell?” 

“Your blood, vampire blood, and the blood of a witch. Which is convenient, since I’m a witch, and your, well you.” 

“Where are we going to get the vampire blood?” 

“Please. Upír” About one pint of vampire blood appeared in her hands.

“Wow, do you have like, a spiritual bowl?” Marla asked.

“Yes, fetch it out of my bag, will you?” Marla dug through her bag, she finally found a solid gold bowl. It looked priceless and ravishing.

“Wow, is this it?” 

“Yes. Be careful! It’s more expensive than it looks.” 

“Okay…” Marla and Kimber both sat down, Kimber poured the vampire blood into the bowl, she then grabbed a knife out of her pocket and cut her hand, she let her blood drip slowly into the bowl. It poured out like a waterfall.

“Let me heal myself really quick. Léčit” Her cut healed fairly quick.

“My turn?” Marla gulped.

“Yes. Give me your hand.” She sliced Marla’s hand, she let out a slight shriek, and the blood poured out.

“Heal me please…” Marla said as she covered her hand.

“Léčit.” Marla healed, “Now, I must chant, give me a moment. This will cause me some kind of pain. Do not help me, let me go through it”

“Um, okay?” 

“Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola. Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola. Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola. Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola.” Kimber’s eyes suddenly turned black, and she was thrown back onto the hard ground with the bowl on her stomach.

“Kimber!” She continued chanting, faster.

“Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky, kontrola! Odlidštění, krvežíznivost, tesáky-” She sat back up and her eyes returned to their natural yellow glow.

“Kimber?” Marla asked.

“Drink this.” She handed her the bowl.

“Kimber. What’s going on?”

“Marla, drink. Trust me.” Marla was hesitant, she grabbed the bowl and slowly drank it all, she gagged.

“I’m sorry, Marla. This will hurt.” All the sudden, Marla was holding her head in pain, the pain she was feeling was deep anguish and mental pain. 

“Kimber! Oh my god, ouch!” 

“Don’t worry it’ll be over soon…” All the sudden, Marla screeched in pain and her mouth widened, long fangs began growing on each side of her mouth, that went on for about ten minutes before her mouth closed and she collapsed over and laid in the grass.

    “Marla… Marla?” Her eyes slowly opened.

    “Did it work?”

    “Yes, you and I are now the most powerful beings in the world.” Marla and Kimber smiled. They were ready to fight.

    “So, how do we find Xiom?” Marla asked, “I want to kill him last, so that all of his dearest friends and family can die first, and he could watch them suffer, and he will suffer as well, for taking what I loved most from me.”

    “Easy tiger. One effortless detection spell, and we will have them.” Marla had a devilish grin on her face, as did Kimber. 

    “Let's take them down, for good.” Kimber did a detection spell, they found out that on that plane they hitched a ride on, they weirdly made it all the way to West Virginia, so that’s where Xiom and his troop were. They located them in Weston, West Virginia. 

    “How are we supposed to get there? We don’t even know where we are?” 

    “I guess snarkiness came with the vampire charm. We will do a spell to transport us over there. Take my hand.”

    “Right then…” as Marla grasped Kimbers hand, she stared at her wrist. All she could think about was blood.

    “Dopravy!” Marla snapped out of her blood trance. There stood Xiom and his gang.

    “Look who found us, the wonder twins! Or in this case, abomination and her side-kick.” Marla laughed and walked in front of Kimber, “Look at Mrs. Confidence boost.”

    “Oh, I’ve got way more than a confidence boost.” In a mere blink of an eye, she sped up to Xiom and ripped his heart out. He dropped down as Kimber smiled. 

    “Scatter!” One of the men yelled. They were all gone.

    “I guess they are done. I’m not in a chasing mood. You?”

    “Nope, plus they won’t come near you again since you killed Xiom. You're like the alpha of the vampires, which does not exist but, whatever. They all fear you.” Kimber responded, Marla smiled, ghoulishly.

    “Cool. Hey, Kimber?”

    “Yeah?”

    “I’m done with small town life.”

    “Truly?” Kimber asked.

    “Yes.”

    “Superb! Where to?” Asked Kimber.

    “Ever been to Vegas?”