“Shadows: Stories of a Hunter”, Part Four
Just a block north of Main Street, a black and red car sat quietly against the curb. A 1967 Pontiac, it looked slightly out of place in the budding metropolis.
A mysterious figure sat at the wheel, the upper portion of his body hidden by the dark. The dark face was gaunt and pale, the raven-black hair just added to dark appearance.
Nick Shadow appeared to be asleep, but perhaps at a sudden thought, his glowing yellow eyes flickered open and skimmed the intersection and street front ahead.
Nothing.
Nick relaxed a bit, he laid his head back and stared at the ceiling of the car.
His life sucked. Who cares what those loons from “Twilight” thought, being undead and almost immortal was not any fun. Nick was only twenty years old, and already he had seen more pain and suffering because of his “immortality” than most would see in two lifetimes.
Nick’s sharp ears picked up the sound of something hitting the ground softly outside the diver’s-side door. Knowing who it was before turning, Nick rolled down his window and greeted the newcomer.
“Justin, how goes the hunt?”
Justin Wulf, known to most people as the dark and terrifying Wildthing, leaned against the car’s open window. About 6’9”, Wildthing was clothed all in a dark-brown skintight material with black hands, boots, and tiger stripes on the biceps and thighs. His long sand-colored hair fell down his back and into his glowing yellow eyes. You could never see any of Justin’s features, it was as if a dark cloud hung over his face, leaving his eyes uncovered like some kind of black mask.
Justin’s voice was raspy and ominous, and although Nick had heard the same voice shout comments at rampaging vampires and werewolves that would put you on the floor in stitches, it still made him shiver.
“It’s dull. Mara is upgrading the Oracle System, so I don’t have any company. And it seems all the Demons in the city have taken the night off.”
Nick nodded and absently watched the flickering traffic light.
“Yep. Same here. Even Griffang is closed for the night. And Marly is busy with some big party at the Bar ‘n’ Grill, so I guess its just us Demon hunters left.”
Wildthing placed his hands on the car top and leaped, with a grace and power that was surprising for one his size, over the top of the car to land in front of the passenger’s door. He opened the door and, moving the crossbow from the seat, sat down. He set the crossbow so it rested against the dash with the business end pointed towards the carpet.
The two hunters sat a time watching the intersection. Neither spoke, neither really had to. They understood each other’s troubles, the pain they shared. Justin was dead to his family, and all he had left was Mara Jenkins and her little brother Kenny. Justin was stuck in the frightening form he was in now, trapped as a monster with a human heart.
Nick literally was dead to all the world. Bitten by a Vampire a few years back, his family, the police force he worked on, all considered him dead and gone. And his weird eyes and fangs immediately repulsed anyone who came across the reclusive living-dead, so he was effectively a loner by force.
Both the men were alone, both where abandoned by all except God and others of their kind. At least Justin had Mara; and that was more than Nick could say. Nick just had his car, and of course Griffang, his werewolf friend who owned a weapons shop in the bad side of town. Griffang was the closest thing to family Nick had, and Justin was the closest thing to a friend.
Wildthing looked over at Nick, “Hey, whanna go cruise on the highway?”
Nick started the GTO’s engine and pressed the gas down.
“Sure, it’s not like we have anything better to do.”
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
"Hunt Ended" A "Nick Shadow" Short Story
“Shadows: Stories of a Hunter”, Part Three
Nick hunched behind a brick wall in the Lesser Sector of the city. His black leather cloak camouflaged him into the deepening darkness, hiding him from mortal eyes. His eyes, however, saw the dark world he traveled in with crystal-clear clarity. In his hands rested a lethal-looking crossbow with a wooden spike set in the firing mechanism. A long knife rested in a sheath against his thigh, a quiver of wooden stakes lay across his back.
About two hundred meters behind where Nick was concealed was a group of people huddled around a garbage can fire. The group was seven strong, and all bore a strange resemblance to his neighbor. All seven had raven black hair and pale skin, and all of them were strangely thin and muscular.
Nick Shadow checked his crossbow again. Checked again the cord and trigger, made sure the loading mechanism was well oiled and pulled smoothly. Picking up a large-caliber handgun off the ground at his feet, he checked the cartridge and it’s payload of silver-lined bullets. Holstering the weapon, Nick scratched his raven-haired scalp and bit his lower lip with his long canine teeth. It was a bad habit he knew, but sometimes he just needed a reminder he could actually feel something. In his line of work he needed all the reminders he could get.
Nick stood up and walked casually towards the group of huddled figures. As he grew closer a few of the figures became agitated and started to talk hurriedly amongst themselves. By the time Nick reached the group, all seven had turned to face him and had adopted a decidedly hostile posture.
Nick had hooked his crossbow onto a small clasp on his knife sheath. He walked nonchalantly up and held his hands over the fire. He smiled charmingly at a woman dressed in black shirt and coat and torn jeans.
“Hi, name’s Nick Shadow. Maybe you have heard of me?”
If her reaction said anything, she had heard of him. Her eyes narrowed and a low growl emitted from her throat.
Nick nodded, “I thought so. I was wondering if I might be able to ask you about the murders of a family and another deadbeat across town. The MO of both the murders was the same, and very strange now you mention it. It seems they where injected twice in the neck, but we both know that’s not what happened, right? You and your buddies got a bit hungry and lose control?”
Nick knew a fraction of a second before the largest of the males made his move from behind his back. To this day he does not know whether it is a disturbance of the air against his neck, or a slight sound, or if it is just some sixth sense that gave him his split-second reflexes. He could never remember the cause, just the effect. And the effect was normally a corpse.
The fact that the thing he turned to face was a horrid, red-eyed, fanged monster instead of a human did not faze him. He calmly drew his crossbow and shot the creature in the heart. It stopped short and fell backwards, looking in shock at the wooden stake sticking out of its chest.
“Didn’t expect that, did’ja?”
Nick drew his knife and, taking a single long step forward, beheaded the thing with a clean, powerful stroke. As he turned to face the other six creatures, he drew another projectile from his collection and quickly reloaded his weapon.
He launched the next bolt into the chest of the girl he had first spoken too, but before he could decapitate her he was set upon by the others. He cut the head off the first to reach him, but then lost his knife in the heart of the second. The third Nick simply picked up and tossed on the fire.
That left three of the Undead for Nick to deal with. He reached down and, keeping his eyes on the three monsters, withdrew his knife from the other monster’s corpse and severed the corpse’s neck. Then he rose to his feet and took a step towards the creatures in front of him.
This was the real test; would the creatures cower before him on account of his killing their friends, or for the same reason would they fly into a rage and do their utmost to kill him? Nick had a feeling if they went for the second option, they’d be in for a small surprise.
Remembering another trick he had in his favor, Nick drew out a small stick and, cracking it sharply against his palm, threw it in the face of the creatures and screwed his eyes tight shut.
Even with his eyes closed the flash of the homemade grenade was enough to give him a headache. But when he turned to look, the three monsters were effectively blinded.
Retrieving his crossbow he went about the process of putting a stake through the heart of each creature and relieving it of its head.
When he reached the girl he had shot but not finished off, he found her still alive, if you could even call their existence living. She looked up at him with those strange smoldering eyes that you were repulsed by and drawn into at the same time. It looked up at him with rage tempered by confusion and pain.
“But, why? You are one of us…”
Nick showed her his teeth, his canines were long and sharp.
“Sorry Honey, I’m only half vampire. I only have one pair of fangs, not the normal two. So I don’t feel much pain for losing your kind to whatever Hell you were spawned from. You are evil, you murder, kill ruthlessly… I am only doing what I know to be right. Good night, Half-Sister.”
With that he severed her head from her body, finally killing the living corpse.
He lay the headless body down on the rough concrete, a strange sadness in his eyes. Although he knew these things were evil, he was still one of them. By killing them he was also killing off the creatures he could relate to most.
“Good night, Sister. Be at rest and haunt this world no longer.”
Nick stood up and, collecting the stakes from the corpses of the other vampires, took one last look at the havoc he just instigated. Yes, the cops would find them later on. Maybe even Officer Trask would investigate them. But they wouldn’t find any trace of him. They couldn’t, Nick Shadow was as dead to the cop’s criminal records as he was to the rest of the world. He just didn’t exist. Which was why he could carry on his crusade against the creatures of the night.
Nick reached behind the brick wall he had hid behind earlier, and picked up the manila folder that lay on the ground next to where he had crouched. Inside was all the information he had on the murders and the killers. All his notes, photos he had taken from the crime scenes, photocopies of some books on the supernatural he made at the local library. He didn’t need it; he would always remember every detail of this case, as he did with all the cases before. He just wanted to leave the evidence so the cops would see the connections and close the case. It would be a shame for them to be wasting taxpayer money on a case that had already been solved.
Nick dropped the folder on the body of one of the vampires where the cops could find it. Then he turned and disappeared into the shadows that were his namesake. He had heard about a strange wolf-creature stalking the park at night. It had already during the last week mauled one child and killed two other homeless people spending the night in the park.
Maybe Nick could sort it out. He had the silver bullets, just never a chance to use them. Wolf-men were new to him, but he was sure he could handle it. After all, the night was still young.
Nick hunched behind a brick wall in the Lesser Sector of the city. His black leather cloak camouflaged him into the deepening darkness, hiding him from mortal eyes. His eyes, however, saw the dark world he traveled in with crystal-clear clarity. In his hands rested a lethal-looking crossbow with a wooden spike set in the firing mechanism. A long knife rested in a sheath against his thigh, a quiver of wooden stakes lay across his back.
About two hundred meters behind where Nick was concealed was a group of people huddled around a garbage can fire. The group was seven strong, and all bore a strange resemblance to his neighbor. All seven had raven black hair and pale skin, and all of them were strangely thin and muscular.
Nick Shadow checked his crossbow again. Checked again the cord and trigger, made sure the loading mechanism was well oiled and pulled smoothly. Picking up a large-caliber handgun off the ground at his feet, he checked the cartridge and it’s payload of silver-lined bullets. Holstering the weapon, Nick scratched his raven-haired scalp and bit his lower lip with his long canine teeth. It was a bad habit he knew, but sometimes he just needed a reminder he could actually feel something. In his line of work he needed all the reminders he could get.
Nick stood up and walked casually towards the group of huddled figures. As he grew closer a few of the figures became agitated and started to talk hurriedly amongst themselves. By the time Nick reached the group, all seven had turned to face him and had adopted a decidedly hostile posture.
Nick had hooked his crossbow onto a small clasp on his knife sheath. He walked nonchalantly up and held his hands over the fire. He smiled charmingly at a woman dressed in black shirt and coat and torn jeans.
“Hi, name’s Nick Shadow. Maybe you have heard of me?”
If her reaction said anything, she had heard of him. Her eyes narrowed and a low growl emitted from her throat.
Nick nodded, “I thought so. I was wondering if I might be able to ask you about the murders of a family and another deadbeat across town. The MO of both the murders was the same, and very strange now you mention it. It seems they where injected twice in the neck, but we both know that’s not what happened, right? You and your buddies got a bit hungry and lose control?”
Nick knew a fraction of a second before the largest of the males made his move from behind his back. To this day he does not know whether it is a disturbance of the air against his neck, or a slight sound, or if it is just some sixth sense that gave him his split-second reflexes. He could never remember the cause, just the effect. And the effect was normally a corpse.
The fact that the thing he turned to face was a horrid, red-eyed, fanged monster instead of a human did not faze him. He calmly drew his crossbow and shot the creature in the heart. It stopped short and fell backwards, looking in shock at the wooden stake sticking out of its chest.
“Didn’t expect that, did’ja?”
Nick drew his knife and, taking a single long step forward, beheaded the thing with a clean, powerful stroke. As he turned to face the other six creatures, he drew another projectile from his collection and quickly reloaded his weapon.
He launched the next bolt into the chest of the girl he had first spoken too, but before he could decapitate her he was set upon by the others. He cut the head off the first to reach him, but then lost his knife in the heart of the second. The third Nick simply picked up and tossed on the fire.
That left three of the Undead for Nick to deal with. He reached down and, keeping his eyes on the three monsters, withdrew his knife from the other monster’s corpse and severed the corpse’s neck. Then he rose to his feet and took a step towards the creatures in front of him.
This was the real test; would the creatures cower before him on account of his killing their friends, or for the same reason would they fly into a rage and do their utmost to kill him? Nick had a feeling if they went for the second option, they’d be in for a small surprise.
Remembering another trick he had in his favor, Nick drew out a small stick and, cracking it sharply against his palm, threw it in the face of the creatures and screwed his eyes tight shut.
Even with his eyes closed the flash of the homemade grenade was enough to give him a headache. But when he turned to look, the three monsters were effectively blinded.
Retrieving his crossbow he went about the process of putting a stake through the heart of each creature and relieving it of its head.
When he reached the girl he had shot but not finished off, he found her still alive, if you could even call their existence living. She looked up at him with those strange smoldering eyes that you were repulsed by and drawn into at the same time. It looked up at him with rage tempered by confusion and pain.
“But, why? You are one of us…”
Nick showed her his teeth, his canines were long and sharp.
“Sorry Honey, I’m only half vampire. I only have one pair of fangs, not the normal two. So I don’t feel much pain for losing your kind to whatever Hell you were spawned from. You are evil, you murder, kill ruthlessly… I am only doing what I know to be right. Good night, Half-Sister.”
With that he severed her head from her body, finally killing the living corpse.
He lay the headless body down on the rough concrete, a strange sadness in his eyes. Although he knew these things were evil, he was still one of them. By killing them he was also killing off the creatures he could relate to most.
“Good night, Sister. Be at rest and haunt this world no longer.”
Nick stood up and, collecting the stakes from the corpses of the other vampires, took one last look at the havoc he just instigated. Yes, the cops would find them later on. Maybe even Officer Trask would investigate them. But they wouldn’t find any trace of him. They couldn’t, Nick Shadow was as dead to the cop’s criminal records as he was to the rest of the world. He just didn’t exist. Which was why he could carry on his crusade against the creatures of the night.
Nick reached behind the brick wall he had hid behind earlier, and picked up the manila folder that lay on the ground next to where he had crouched. Inside was all the information he had on the murders and the killers. All his notes, photos he had taken from the crime scenes, photocopies of some books on the supernatural he made at the local library. He didn’t need it; he would always remember every detail of this case, as he did with all the cases before. He just wanted to leave the evidence so the cops would see the connections and close the case. It would be a shame for them to be wasting taxpayer money on a case that had already been solved.
Nick dropped the folder on the body of one of the vampires where the cops could find it. Then he turned and disappeared into the shadows that were his namesake. He had heard about a strange wolf-creature stalking the park at night. It had already during the last week mauled one child and killed two other homeless people spending the night in the park.
Maybe Nick could sort it out. He had the silver bullets, just never a chance to use them. Wolf-men were new to him, but he was sure he could handle it. After all, the night was still young.
"A Question of the Past" A "Nick Shadow" Short Story
“Shadows: Stories of a Hunter”, Part Two
Griffang Shaw set the Japanese sword he was polishing and set it on a shelf behind the counter in his small shop. Absent-mindedly polishing the counter, his bright green eyes flicked around the room. Swords, knives, crossbows, spears, pikes, and numerous other ancient weapons filled the front of the shop. Near the back the shop the technology drastically switched to pistols and rifles of all sizes and eras. Along the very back wall were shelves stacked high with boxes of bullets. A stack of metal barrels to one side contained Griffang’s supply of gunpowder.
Griffang finished polishing the countertop and sat on the barstool to one side of the counter. The shop was barely 72 degrees, but Griffang shivered at the breeze drifting in from an open back window. Standing up and walking to the window, he looked down the street in both directions. One nice thing about living in the down sector of Atlantia, no one really bothered him.
Walking slowly back to his barstool, his eyes glowed for a second, and brown fur suddenly sprouted all over his body. He smiled slightly, revealing a row of sharp canine fangs. That was much better, much warmer. He could never get used to living without his fur.
Scratching his chin thoughtfully with the claw on his index finger, Griffang sat down on his stool and reached for his cloth and a long Egyptian-style knife under the counter. He spun the short blade a few times, admiring its weight and size. Griffang didn’t just sell weapons; he knew how to use every weapon in his shop.
A prickling of his hackles alerted him to a visitor even before the door to his shop opened. By the time the person had set a foot inside the shop, Griffang looked like a normal human. Given of course he was seven-foot-six and unusually hairy, but no fangs or claws or anything especially unusual.
“That’s a good blade.”
The voice was soft, but deadpan, as if there was no life behind the person who spoke. Griffang had only heard one person come into his shop who sounded like that. Reverting to his animal-like form again, Griffang looked up and showed his fangs in a feral grin.
“Nick Shadow!”
Nick, dressed in his typical black T-shirt, jacket, and worn jeans, smiled back with his own fanged smile.
“Hello, Griff. I need re-supplied with my usual order.”
Griffang nodded and headed towards a large barrel at the front of the store, next to the display of Japanese Sais. Pulling out two bundles of wooden stakes, he set them on the counter next to Nick.
“How are those bullets I sold you holding up?”
“I haven’t had the need to use them yet, but when I do, I shall tell you how it goes.”
Griffang nodded, and started rummaging through boxes under the wall of archery implements for a box of crossbow cords. He had a question he wanted to ask Nick, but he was hesitant to ask the Vampire hunter about his hidden past.
A week ago a cop, or at least Griffang had assumed it was a cop based on his constant questions, had entered his shop and asked him about a police officer that had gone missing.
Turned out, especially after a demon called “Legion” had been discovered possessing an officer in an attempt to murder the head one of Atlantia’s task forces, the Atlantia Police Department was looking into any officers who were missing or deceased as of forty years back.
Up until now, Griffin had followed Nick’s lead in ignoring Nick’s past. But with the probing of the officer and the weight of his own curiosity, Griffang felt driven to bring up the subject.
“Hey, ah… Nick, I was wondering… How are you paying for all this stuff?”
Nick looked up from the glass counter-front full of small knives. He looked slightly confused, as confused as a half-dead Vampire hunter could look.
“I thought you were giving me the stakes where free.”
Griffang nodded, “Yeah I am, but…” He gestured to Nick’s black Pontiac GTO parked outside.
“How do you pay for gas for that thing? I mean, your clothes... I know you don’t have to eat or sleep, which cuts on costs, but what about the rest of it?”
Nick nodded, his sharp smile flickering back across his face.
“I see. I trust you Griff, so I will tell you. You know that about 47 years ago I was attacked by a Vampire and turned into what I am now. Before I was changed I was an Atlantia Police Officer, and a good one at that.”
“That explains why the cops have been asking about officers that disappeared forty years ago. But you couldn’t have saved up that much just on a simple cop’s salary.”
Nick picked up the Egyptian-style sword and ran a careful eye over the blade.
“No, I didn’t, but I did have quite a bit saved up. The nice thing about being a Vampire hunter, and being completely off any of the official records, is that Vampires like to turn people who have power and resources. So every once in a while I find a rich Undead, and after I kill him I can take some, if not all, of his money and riches to fund my own endeavors.”
Griffang nodded, he understood that. What would a permanently dead Vampire need money for? And with Nick being dead to al intents and purposes, it would be almost impossible to track him down.
“I see.”
Nick looked curiously at Griffang. “There were officers looking for me?”
“Not really looking for you, looking for any officer who had disappeared or died as of 40 years ago.”
“Ah, because of the whole Legion affair, no doubt.”
“Yes, after Legion tried to kill Officer Wolvest, the whole Force has been on Supernatural Alert or something!”
“But they will look in all the wrong places. Officer Wolvest is aware of me and my intentions, and will point their investigations in the wrong direction until they get tired of the chase and give up.”
Griffang walked Nick to the door, carrying the bundles of stakes.
“I guess you’re right. Just be careful out there, OK?”
Nick and Griffang put the stakes and crossbow cords in the back seat of the GTO. They shook hands before Nick got into the car.
“Thanks Griff. I’ll most likely be back in a week or two for some more equipment.”
“Any time, Shadow. Watch your back, may your fangs stay sharp.”
“May your fur never fall out.”
Nick gunned the GTO’s engine and drove off down the street.
Griffang turned an entered his shop. Nick was one of the most interesting characters he had met. He would have to earn more about the mysterious Vampire hunter later on. Maybe he can ask him more when he comes back… Maybe…
Griffang Shaw set the Japanese sword he was polishing and set it on a shelf behind the counter in his small shop. Absent-mindedly polishing the counter, his bright green eyes flicked around the room. Swords, knives, crossbows, spears, pikes, and numerous other ancient weapons filled the front of the shop. Near the back the shop the technology drastically switched to pistols and rifles of all sizes and eras. Along the very back wall were shelves stacked high with boxes of bullets. A stack of metal barrels to one side contained Griffang’s supply of gunpowder.
Griffang finished polishing the countertop and sat on the barstool to one side of the counter. The shop was barely 72 degrees, but Griffang shivered at the breeze drifting in from an open back window. Standing up and walking to the window, he looked down the street in both directions. One nice thing about living in the down sector of Atlantia, no one really bothered him.
Walking slowly back to his barstool, his eyes glowed for a second, and brown fur suddenly sprouted all over his body. He smiled slightly, revealing a row of sharp canine fangs. That was much better, much warmer. He could never get used to living without his fur.
Scratching his chin thoughtfully with the claw on his index finger, Griffang sat down on his stool and reached for his cloth and a long Egyptian-style knife under the counter. He spun the short blade a few times, admiring its weight and size. Griffang didn’t just sell weapons; he knew how to use every weapon in his shop.
A prickling of his hackles alerted him to a visitor even before the door to his shop opened. By the time the person had set a foot inside the shop, Griffang looked like a normal human. Given of course he was seven-foot-six and unusually hairy, but no fangs or claws or anything especially unusual.
“That’s a good blade.”
The voice was soft, but deadpan, as if there was no life behind the person who spoke. Griffang had only heard one person come into his shop who sounded like that. Reverting to his animal-like form again, Griffang looked up and showed his fangs in a feral grin.
“Nick Shadow!”
Nick, dressed in his typical black T-shirt, jacket, and worn jeans, smiled back with his own fanged smile.
“Hello, Griff. I need re-supplied with my usual order.”
Griffang nodded and headed towards a large barrel at the front of the store, next to the display of Japanese Sais. Pulling out two bundles of wooden stakes, he set them on the counter next to Nick.
“How are those bullets I sold you holding up?”
“I haven’t had the need to use them yet, but when I do, I shall tell you how it goes.”
Griffang nodded, and started rummaging through boxes under the wall of archery implements for a box of crossbow cords. He had a question he wanted to ask Nick, but he was hesitant to ask the Vampire hunter about his hidden past.
A week ago a cop, or at least Griffang had assumed it was a cop based on his constant questions, had entered his shop and asked him about a police officer that had gone missing.
Turned out, especially after a demon called “Legion” had been discovered possessing an officer in an attempt to murder the head one of Atlantia’s task forces, the Atlantia Police Department was looking into any officers who were missing or deceased as of forty years back.
Up until now, Griffin had followed Nick’s lead in ignoring Nick’s past. But with the probing of the officer and the weight of his own curiosity, Griffang felt driven to bring up the subject.
“Hey, ah… Nick, I was wondering… How are you paying for all this stuff?”
Nick looked up from the glass counter-front full of small knives. He looked slightly confused, as confused as a half-dead Vampire hunter could look.
“I thought you were giving me the stakes where free.”
Griffang nodded, “Yeah I am, but…” He gestured to Nick’s black Pontiac GTO parked outside.
“How do you pay for gas for that thing? I mean, your clothes... I know you don’t have to eat or sleep, which cuts on costs, but what about the rest of it?”
Nick nodded, his sharp smile flickering back across his face.
“I see. I trust you Griff, so I will tell you. You know that about 47 years ago I was attacked by a Vampire and turned into what I am now. Before I was changed I was an Atlantia Police Officer, and a good one at that.”
“That explains why the cops have been asking about officers that disappeared forty years ago. But you couldn’t have saved up that much just on a simple cop’s salary.”
Nick picked up the Egyptian-style sword and ran a careful eye over the blade.
“No, I didn’t, but I did have quite a bit saved up. The nice thing about being a Vampire hunter, and being completely off any of the official records, is that Vampires like to turn people who have power and resources. So every once in a while I find a rich Undead, and after I kill him I can take some, if not all, of his money and riches to fund my own endeavors.”
Griffang nodded, he understood that. What would a permanently dead Vampire need money for? And with Nick being dead to al intents and purposes, it would be almost impossible to track him down.
“I see.”
Nick looked curiously at Griffang. “There were officers looking for me?”
“Not really looking for you, looking for any officer who had disappeared or died as of 40 years ago.”
“Ah, because of the whole Legion affair, no doubt.”
“Yes, after Legion tried to kill Officer Wolvest, the whole Force has been on Supernatural Alert or something!”
“But they will look in all the wrong places. Officer Wolvest is aware of me and my intentions, and will point their investigations in the wrong direction until they get tired of the chase and give up.”
Griffang walked Nick to the door, carrying the bundles of stakes.
“I guess you’re right. Just be careful out there, OK?”
Nick and Griffang put the stakes and crossbow cords in the back seat of the GTO. They shook hands before Nick got into the car.
“Thanks Griff. I’ll most likely be back in a week or two for some more equipment.”
“Any time, Shadow. Watch your back, may your fangs stay sharp.”
“May your fur never fall out.”
Nick gunned the GTO’s engine and drove off down the street.
Griffang turned an entered his shop. Nick was one of the most interesting characters he had met. He would have to earn more about the mysterious Vampire hunter later on. Maybe he can ask him more when he comes back… Maybe…
"Road Kill" A "Nick Shadow" Short Story
“Shadows: Stories of a Hunter”, Part One
Officer Max Carlson stepped out of his police car and approached the old Pontiac GTO parked on the side of the freeway. A veteran of the Atlantia Police force, Max liked his job. He loved helping out the innocent and helpless people of Atlantia, loved driving around in his sparkling white police car, loved the attention he got when he walked in a coffee shop while in uniform. This job was just one big benefits package.
The only problem with being a cop, and mainly being a cop in Atlantia, was all the paranormal activity they seemed to get around there. But, as long as you tread carefully and learned to shoot straight, you could survive.
Max admired the vehicle as he came up behind it. A 1967 model, it was black with a red stripe along the sides. It was well kept as well, the paint job wasn’t scratched a bit and there were no visible dents or nicks like on most cars its age. He was still admiring the classic car when he knocked on the driver’s side window. It rolled down and he was able to see who the occupant of the car was.
The car contained only the driver. He was a young man with a thin face, dark hair, and even darker eyes. He almost seemed to be ignoring the policeman; he just stared down the freeway in the direction of the city. Something about the man gave Officer Carlson the shivers, but he was a cop, and an Atlantia cop at that. A guy whose taste obviously leaned towards the dismal side of life couldn’t scare him off.
“Officer Carlson.”
It was more of a statement than a question. When the man spoke his white teeth glinted in the moonlight creeping through the car’s windshield. Max was struck by something strange about that, but he couldn’t place where his uneasiness came from.
“Um… Yes, have we met before?”
The stranger nodded slightly, not taking his eyes off the city lights in the distance.
“Yes, and no. Maybe I did know you… in another life.”
Great, Max thought, one of those crazy reincarnation people.
“Hey Buddy, in that other life did I get on you for parking on the side of a freeway too?”
“No, you did not arrest me, and you won’t arrest me now either.”
Max again felt uneasy, “Yeah? And why is that?”
The stranger turned to stare straight into Max Carlson’s eyes. His eyes where like two smoldering pieces of coal. He smiled, and his canine teeth were long and sharp.
“If you do wish to arrest me, you would put your very soul at risk. And a good Catholic man such as yourself wouldn’t do that, would he?”
Max took an involuntary step away from the car window. The eyes bored into his brain, stirring up disgust, dread, and above all, fear.
“Now you just run along and be a good little policeman. If you must know, a man was just murdered outside the “New Delicatessen” on 6th Street. If you want some details before you get there, he was killed by two pinpricks on the side of his neck and a high dose of a kind of painkiller you will not be able to identify. Now go along.”
Max stared at the stranger and placed his hand on his gun.
“How do I know you didn’t kill him before coming here?”
“If I did that, would I be telling you now?”
“Maybe to throw me off.”
The stranger sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.
“I’m invulnerable, Officer Carlson, not invincible. And definitely not stupid.”
Max was undecided; this guy terrified him, he didn’t know really why. There was something about the fangs and eyes that reminded him of a story he was told as a child. But no matter his concerns or uneasy feelings, he couldn’t really accuse the guy of anything except parking on the shoulder of the freeway.
“Um… You’ll be gone by morning, right? I’d hate to have to come back and arrest you.”
Laughing slightly, the stranger turned his glowing eyes back on the policeman.
“Yes, I promise to be gone by then. I have business in the city later tonight.”
“What kind of business?”
“There is a man here I must see about a series of killings in my own city.”
Max was surprised.
“You a cop?”
He laughed again, “More of a Private Investigator.”
“Ah, I see… Well, you have a good night then, and uh… thanks for the tip, Mr.…?”
“Oh, Shadow. My name is Nick Shadow.”
“Well then, enjoy the night Mr. Shadow.”
As the policeman walked back to his car, Nick Shadow looked again with an amused smile towards the city. The information he had given Max Carlson was true. What he hadn’t told the officer was that the cops would not be able to even come close to catching the murderer. That was why Nick Shadow had come to Atlantia, to kill a killer who technically couldn’t be killed. He was here to kill one of his own kind.
Nick was a half-breed. He was half human, half vampire. He couldn’t really remember how long he’d been a half-breed, but it really didn’t matter to his new profession. It also didn’t matter who he was before he became what he was. All that mattered was the hunt, and then the kill. And that was why he had come to Atlantia.
Officer Max Carlson stepped out of his police car and approached the old Pontiac GTO parked on the side of the freeway. A veteran of the Atlantia Police force, Max liked his job. He loved helping out the innocent and helpless people of Atlantia, loved driving around in his sparkling white police car, loved the attention he got when he walked in a coffee shop while in uniform. This job was just one big benefits package.
The only problem with being a cop, and mainly being a cop in Atlantia, was all the paranormal activity they seemed to get around there. But, as long as you tread carefully and learned to shoot straight, you could survive.
Max admired the vehicle as he came up behind it. A 1967 model, it was black with a red stripe along the sides. It was well kept as well, the paint job wasn’t scratched a bit and there were no visible dents or nicks like on most cars its age. He was still admiring the classic car when he knocked on the driver’s side window. It rolled down and he was able to see who the occupant of the car was.
The car contained only the driver. He was a young man with a thin face, dark hair, and even darker eyes. He almost seemed to be ignoring the policeman; he just stared down the freeway in the direction of the city. Something about the man gave Officer Carlson the shivers, but he was a cop, and an Atlantia cop at that. A guy whose taste obviously leaned towards the dismal side of life couldn’t scare him off.
“Officer Carlson.”
It was more of a statement than a question. When the man spoke his white teeth glinted in the moonlight creeping through the car’s windshield. Max was struck by something strange about that, but he couldn’t place where his uneasiness came from.
“Um… Yes, have we met before?”
The stranger nodded slightly, not taking his eyes off the city lights in the distance.
“Yes, and no. Maybe I did know you… in another life.”
Great, Max thought, one of those crazy reincarnation people.
“Hey Buddy, in that other life did I get on you for parking on the side of a freeway too?”
“No, you did not arrest me, and you won’t arrest me now either.”
Max again felt uneasy, “Yeah? And why is that?”
The stranger turned to stare straight into Max Carlson’s eyes. His eyes where like two smoldering pieces of coal. He smiled, and his canine teeth were long and sharp.
“If you do wish to arrest me, you would put your very soul at risk. And a good Catholic man such as yourself wouldn’t do that, would he?”
Max took an involuntary step away from the car window. The eyes bored into his brain, stirring up disgust, dread, and above all, fear.
“Now you just run along and be a good little policeman. If you must know, a man was just murdered outside the “New Delicatessen” on 6th Street. If you want some details before you get there, he was killed by two pinpricks on the side of his neck and a high dose of a kind of painkiller you will not be able to identify. Now go along.”
Max stared at the stranger and placed his hand on his gun.
“How do I know you didn’t kill him before coming here?”
“If I did that, would I be telling you now?”
“Maybe to throw me off.”
The stranger sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.
“I’m invulnerable, Officer Carlson, not invincible. And definitely not stupid.”
Max was undecided; this guy terrified him, he didn’t know really why. There was something about the fangs and eyes that reminded him of a story he was told as a child. But no matter his concerns or uneasy feelings, he couldn’t really accuse the guy of anything except parking on the shoulder of the freeway.
“Um… You’ll be gone by morning, right? I’d hate to have to come back and arrest you.”
Laughing slightly, the stranger turned his glowing eyes back on the policeman.
“Yes, I promise to be gone by then. I have business in the city later tonight.”
“What kind of business?”
“There is a man here I must see about a series of killings in my own city.”
Max was surprised.
“You a cop?”
He laughed again, “More of a Private Investigator.”
“Ah, I see… Well, you have a good night then, and uh… thanks for the tip, Mr.…?”
“Oh, Shadow. My name is Nick Shadow.”
“Well then, enjoy the night Mr. Shadow.”
As the policeman walked back to his car, Nick Shadow looked again with an amused smile towards the city. The information he had given Max Carlson was true. What he hadn’t told the officer was that the cops would not be able to even come close to catching the murderer. That was why Nick Shadow had come to Atlantia, to kill a killer who technically couldn’t be killed. He was here to kill one of his own kind.
Nick was a half-breed. He was half human, half vampire. He couldn’t really remember how long he’d been a half-breed, but it really didn’t matter to his new profession. It also didn’t matter who he was before he became what he was. All that mattered was the hunt, and then the kill. And that was why he had come to Atlantia.
Nick Shadow Bio
Name: Nick Shadow
Age: Unknown
Appearance: Black hair and shadowy black eyes. Normally dressed in worn jeans, black T-shirt, and black leather coat.
Occupation: Hunter of all things supernatural and dangerous.
Residence: His 1967 Pontiac GTO.
Tools of Trade: Crossbow that launches wooden stakes. Desert Eagle Magnum with silver-lined bullets. Blessed Great Sword. Large combat knife.
History: Once a cop in New York, Nick Malcolm was out on patrol when he came upon what he thought was some kind of burglar. He proceeded to track this burglar until his quarry turned on him and attacked him. What he didn’t know was the person he was following was really the vampire known as Proteous. Proteous bit Nick during their fight and left the battered officer for dead. It isn’t known whether Nick Malcolm actually died that night, or if he is just trapped in between life and death, but he became a half-vampire, half-human hybrid. After waking up from whatever death-coma he entered, Nick could not remember anything of his past life except for some vague details. One of the details he forgot being his last name, Nick took on the name of “Shadow”, for he walked between the Light and the Dark. Even in the limbo he now lives, his sense of duty prevails and he now acts as a kind of private eye for the supernatural.
Age: Unknown
Appearance: Black hair and shadowy black eyes. Normally dressed in worn jeans, black T-shirt, and black leather coat.
Occupation: Hunter of all things supernatural and dangerous.
Residence: His 1967 Pontiac GTO.
Tools of Trade: Crossbow that launches wooden stakes. Desert Eagle Magnum with silver-lined bullets. Blessed Great Sword. Large combat knife.
History: Once a cop in New York, Nick Malcolm was out on patrol when he came upon what he thought was some kind of burglar. He proceeded to track this burglar until his quarry turned on him and attacked him. What he didn’t know was the person he was following was really the vampire known as Proteous. Proteous bit Nick during their fight and left the battered officer for dead. It isn’t known whether Nick Malcolm actually died that night, or if he is just trapped in between life and death, but he became a half-vampire, half-human hybrid. After waking up from whatever death-coma he entered, Nick could not remember anything of his past life except for some vague details. One of the details he forgot being his last name, Nick took on the name of “Shadow”, for he walked between the Light and the Dark. Even in the limbo he now lives, his sense of duty prevails and he now acts as a kind of private eye for the supernatural.
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