ZONEVILLE PART II:The rage

SAVED BY THE ENEMY

We were in the car, already on our way to the Zet Zone.

I had to ask Jenny to drive for me because my hands were already shaking at the thought of Jeremy being in danger and Brook’s mind was somewhere else too. She was also really worried.

I didn’t know for sure if he went to the council or if he went to the Zet Zone but I wanted to make sure that he was away from danger.

So we went to the Zet Zone.

At this moment in time I would have preferred him to be on his way to the council instead.

“But what are we going to do if we go there?” Jenny interrupted my thoughts, she was concerned about us, and we all should be. We didn’t know what was going to happen there but we were on our way anyway.

Usually I would’ve run from these things, run from danger but lately I’m walking straight towards it, straight into the mouth of the wolf, or in this town of the vampire.

“I don’t know Jenny but I have to go” Jenny looked at me from the rearview mirror for a few seconds suddenly giving me again that glance that disturbed me –I’m gonna have to ask her what is all that about- she took a deep breath and then accelerated the car making a turn to the left that took us somewhere else.

“Where are we going?” said Brook realizing about the change of route

“To my gram’s” said Jenny not taking her eyes off the road.

Something felt strange about her.

Brook gave me a look a bit concerned too. What was up with Jenny? This was really scaring me.

After a few minutes we were in silence in the car, the only thing you could hear was the roar of the engine.

We finally arrived at Penelope’s house and Jenny got out of the car. 

Brook and I stood there not knowing what to do, but the weirdest thing was that Penelope was already out her door with a small bag in her hands. Brook and I shared another glance and then looked at them. 

Penelope gave the bag to Jenny without a word and Jenny came back to the car, gave the bag to Brook and drove off, this time towards the Zet Zone.

We were in silence in the car again; Brook and I kept sharing glances. It felt as if the person driving wasn’t Jenny but somebody else.

We were in tension for a while and then she told Brook to open the bag. Brook hesitated and then opened it. The bag was full of sharpened stakes.

“What’s this?” Said Brook but Jenny didn’t answer, she kept driving

“Jenny!” Brook called after her really anxious now.

“I don’t think that’s Jenny anymore Brook” I said “and those…are to kill vampires” which meant that we were heading to a vampire attack at the Zet Zone, on our own. 

Great, just great.

Brook’s eyes widened as that information registered in her brain. She took a deep breath and took one of the stakes to check it out.

“Do you know what to do with it?” she said to me

“I saw Leonard use it once”

“Is just through the hurt right? Like in the movies” I wished it was that easy, I remembered clearly my conversation with Christopher and Leonard about what was real and what was a myth in the vampire world. They could walk under the sun for a period of time, holy water, garlic and crosses didn’t work against them and a simple stake through the heart wouldn’t be enough to kill them unless you left it jammed in their hearts for a while. 

It surely wasn’t going to be easy to rip their heads off and we would have just a few minutes before the stake through heart stopped paralysing them. I didn’t know how to answer her question. I ended up saying “it’s much more complicated, it would be better if we didn’t get to fight with any” obviously, but here we were, going towards them.

It was darker already, we were almost there and Jenny or whoever she was at the moment was still in silence just looking ahead at the road.

We finally arrived at the Zet Zone and everything was quite. It looked as normal as always.

We got out the car but not before taking a few stakes with us. Brook and I hesitated a little at the door but Jenny walked straight in. I was preoccupied for her safety, why would she just walk in like that? I was sure by the second that she wasn’t Jenny anymore.

At the end we all got in and everything was normal. I couldn’t understand. Even Ben was here, with two boys I never saw before. We relaxed a little but Jenny’s eyes were still alert.

Ben saw us and walked towards us with his two friends. I didn’t like his friends they gave my strange vibes.

“Hey Gabrielle how you doing? I was gonna check on you tomorrow” he said with a soft smile

“I’m ok Ben thanks” I glanced at his friends that stood strangely behind him “hmm…have you seen Jeremy around?” I continued

“No sorry”

“Who are they?” Brook said breaking in; I think she also noticed how strange they were, but before Ben could answer Jenny took off through the back door.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ben asked

“Nothing” was the only thing that came through my mouth before Brook and I started running after her.

Once outside we couldn’t find her anywhere, where did she go? I thought.

“I swear she came out through that door” I said to Brook and then we suddenly heard screams coming from inside.

“Ben!” Brook said alarmed and stormed inside stake in hand. I followed after her.

Once in I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing; in the few seconds that we spent outside, the Zet Zone became a chaos.

People were running from side to side trying to get out, the walls were tinted in blood, and dead bodies lie on the floor.

Brook and I looked at each other with terror in our eyes. How did this place become like this in a few seconds?

And there they were, standing in the middle of the place surrounded by dead bodies. Blood dripping from their mouths and those red eyes…vampires

“We need to get out of here!” I said

“I can’t see Ben anywhere!” Brook replied. Ben was with this guys just a moment ago I knew something was wrong when I saw them. Where did they take him? Please don’t tell mi he’s dead.

Suddenly their eyes focussed on us, on me.

“Run!” I ordered Brook and we both got out from the back door again. We run as fast as we could but once out, there was nowhere else to go. 

Brook urged me to run towards the woods but I knew that wasn’t a good idea, there could be more hiding in the darkness. We were at a dead end.

They were getting closer with their eyes set on me, as I realised a bout that detail I asked Brook to leave me and run away. She shook her head in disapproval but I told her to go ask for help, I ordered her to run away as for now we were the only ones in this side of the Zet Zone. Nobody could know we were here and they wanted me so I thought of being the distraction. How brave I must’ve seem to her when in reality I was shitting myself.

Brook finally left while I run towards the opposite side making them follow me. They were getting closer and closer, my heart started beating fast and hard. That was the only thing I could hear, the beating of my scared heart.

As I walked backwards one of the vampires froze in place making the other turn towards him. 

I wondered how could that have happened and then suddenly Jenny came from behind him and with another stake in her hand, she run towards the one in front of me but with a simple movement of his hand he sent her flying against the wall.

“Jenny!” I cried out and as if it wasn’t enough the vampire she took out was waking up already. I was again alone against these two monsters, cornered. 

I didn’t have any more room to walk; if I did I would get into the darkness of the woods.

I was already hopeless, I was already thinking about meeting my mum and dad wherever they were. 

I was heartbroken thinking about leaving Jeremy alone in this place filled with vampires and as I closed my eyes resigning to die I heard that strong two rocks smashing noise again.

I’ve heard that noise two times in my life and as I remembered it, it was when two vampires crashed into each other. I quickly opened my eyes wondering if that was what I thought it was and fortunately it was.

Leonard appeared from nowhere ripping the head of the half awaken vampire off and throwing a stake into the other vampire’s heart making him paralyse too. Then almost flying he came towards me ripping his head off on his way.

He materialised in front of me. I couldn’t talk for a while I was still in shock

“Are you ok?” he asked me, his eyes full of concern and something else...

 I still couldn't talk. He took my hand “let’s go” he said but I shoved away from him. I could see frustration in his eyes but even though he saved me he was still a vampire and I couldn't trust him. I started walking away but I felt woozy almost falling forward on the floor. He took my shoulders and stabilized me. “Gabrielle we need to get out of here” he said looking towards the woods “leave me alone, I don’t need you” I said which was really stupid cause I couldn't even walk straight. “Do you think I care about what you want!” he said raising his voice “why are you screaming at me!” I said, my breath coming out fast, he sighed frustrated still looking towards the woods “this town is dangerous and I won’t take you off my sight so shut up and get into your car, NOW!”

“Jenny…”

“I know...go to the car” he repeated and I did.

As I walked towards the car I could see Brook leaning on one side of the back seat in the car. I run towards her worried as her eyes were closed, and beside her was laying Ben Sheridan. 

I guessed he found them and put them safely in the car, which I really appreciated but my worry didn’t end here, as I still didn’t know where Jeremy was.

I got into the car and seconds later he appeared in a blur with Jenny in his arms holding her as if she was just a feather. It surprised me the strength they had.

He put Jenny in the back seat with the others and got into the car. “Put your seat belt on” he ordered me.

I was annoyed that I had to obey his every word at the moment but I really had to do it and I would have done it quietly if my hands weren’t shaking, I couldn’t lock it. 

He then took the belt from my hands making our fingers touch –I shivered at that but not because of the coolness of his skin- and secured it for me. After that we stood in silence for a minute till he broke it “you know that what you just did was really stupid, right?” was he actually talking like that to me? “Did you actually think that the three of you would be able to take them down?” he raised one eyebrow “with those silly stakes?”

“I don’t need your sermon thank you very much” even though he saved me, I wasn’t going to allow him to tell me off. I knew why I did what I did; I had a reason to be there which made think about Jeremy again.

 “I still need to find Jeremy” I said in a really low like a whisper tone

“I know where he is” he said, “You do?” I replied wondering how in the world would he know, “he’s safe” he said. “Where is he?” “At the mausoleum” he said and drove off. So Jeremy wasn’t at the Zet, neither with the council but at the mausoleum?

Relieve run through me but then I wondered again how in the world did he know where Jeremy was? And I didn’t hold it in for long.

“How do you know where he is and what were you doing here?”

“Would you have preferred that I didn’t know where he was and that I didn’t come here?” he said with a cheeky smile. I stood in silence for a while, would I preferred that he didn't save me? I doubt it

"I though so" he said answering my unspoken question

“You are not answering my question” I said all humour out of my face, not the one I wanted to hear about. He looked at me and smiled again, what was he finding so funny. 

“Gabrielle…I can always know where you are… and about Jeremy, I followed him” he said as normal as if he was talking about sports.

“Why?” why would he do that?

“For the same reason you went out looking for him”

Still, why would he worry about Jeremy? I observed him from the corner of my eye for a while and I could see him glancing to the woods from time to time, which made me wonder if they were still around us.

“They are here, right?” I asked him but he kept looking ahead not answering my question. After a while he said “yes” I felt pressure on my chest again, I couldn’t breath and I closed my eyes.

The car went to a stop making me open my eyes again and I realised that a fell asleep and that we were at the mausoleum already. I quickly took my seatbelt off and run towards the entrance ignoring Leonard’s warning cried. 

The mausoleum was dark enough to frighten me but it didn’t take long for me to find him standing before mum’s picture.

He had tears dripping down his cheeks and I felt sad and relieved at the same time. He was still innocent, oblivious of the existence of vampires and once more I thought about what would be best for him. To know or not to know, what would keep him safe?

I run towards him “Jeremy!” he turned startled, he surely didn’t expect to see me here.

“Gabrielle! What are you doing here?” I quickly hugged him, I could sense the confusion from his body but eventually he responded embracing me too -I know I was showing my emotions more than I used to and that had him really confused- it didn’t take long cause I went back to the reason behind my sudden visit to the mausoleum.

“We need to go home” I said, he was about to open his mouth but I stopped him “now! Let’s go” I took his hand and dragged him all the way outside, he followed without a word.

As we walked towards the car he saw Leonard, and the girls with Ben laying behind.

“What’s going on?” he asked alarmed as the girls were still fainted. Leonard quickly got out of the car and answered to Jeremy’s question “there's been another attack” he said. Jeremy’s eyes widened and suddenly turned to look at me to then look back at Leonard “where?” he said “at the Zet Zone” I replied. I’m sure he was wondering why we were all together so I told him the truth “he saved us” well not the whole truth.

He turned towards me again with a dark look “what do you mean he saved you?” his frown creased “where you at the Zet Gabrielle?!” he said, his voice raising. He was angry and I was now shaking, I had never seen Jeremy so angry and it wasn’t pleasant.

“I was looking for you” I finally said.

“What?” he replied. I wanted to keep calm but I couldn’t “there's something out there and you left without a word!” my voice broke off “do you know how worried I was!?” I was forcing the tears back up at this point, he slowly came closer and put his arm around my shoulder, understanding in his eyes “I’m sorry” he whispered in my ear “I won’t do it again but what you did was reckless, did you think about the risk you were taking getting out of the house?” I surely did, but I didn’t care much. I wanted to find you silly!!! I thought to myself.

“Ok. Let’s go home” Jeremy finally said and he sat squishing at the back with Ben and the girls and afterwards thanked Leonard for saving us. 

We were in silence for a long time till we got to Ben’s house. He was still knocked out so Jeremy tried to carry him out the car; it wasn’t easy to do, as Ben was not small kid.

Leonard impatiently got out of the car and helped Jeremy carrying Ben, I could see it wasn’t hard for him at all but still he pretended Ben was heavy for him.

Minutes ticked and they weren’t back yet, I wondered if the police got to the Zet already if somebody contacted them to let them know about the chaos we left behind and then it got to me that sheriff Sheridan might be at home and Jeremy might meet him and he might tell him about the council right there, right now and that made me nervous to the point I made my hand bleed while I scratched it nervously with my nails.

Minutes were like hours to me as I waited in the car but fortunately enough eventually they came and Jeremy didn’t seem to know –yet- about what was happening *sigh* that just meant that Ben’s father wasn’t at home.

Leonard walked behind Jeremy at a normal pace and I could see him still glancing at out surroundings in alert from time to time.

Jeremy got in the back first trying to situate himself in the middle of the girls so they could rest their heads on his lap.

As soon as Leonard got in the car he stiffened, I looked at him wondering why he behaved like that and then he turned to me looking from my face to my hand. I forgot about that, blood was on the surface of my skin. 

A small portion but enough to drive him crazy I guessed. 

I looked at Jeremy from the rearview mirror to see if he noticed about Leonard’s sudden behaviour but he didn’t. I opened the window and put my hand out thinking that the fresh air would clean the smell of blood in the car but he groaned trying to transform it into a cough so Jeremy wouldn’t notice. It looked like the fresh air was making the smell overflow in the car, he’s hands were tightening in the wheel so I tucked my hand back inside, put in inside my pocket and closed the window. His breath was coming fast and I could see his tortured face “aren’t we moving?” said Jeremy finally breaking the silence and Leonard drove off. I still had my eyes on him to check if he was ok and eventually his breath became even.

Leonard’s eyes met my worried eyes for a second before his brows narrowed again and for the first time I wondered what he was thinking about.

The car was once more filled with silence till Jeremy broke the ice.

“Did you say you were attacked in the Zet?” I nodded but Leonard gave a worried glance that I couldn’t understand.

“Why were you looking for me there?” he continued and I realised why Leonard looked at me like that, he probably was listening to Jeremy’s thoughts. 

I gasped as I realised I didn’t have an excuse for being there or at least not a reason I could talk to him about. I wasn’t gonna tell him that my two friends that were now faint laying their heads on his lap had a vision of the Zet Zone being attacked by vampires and I went there thinking he could be in danger. I stood in silence not knowing what to say.

“Somebody told them they saw around when they were in town looking for you” 

That was a total lie but I guessed it was enough for Jeremy cause he then stood in silence again. I looked at him from time to time through the rearview mirror and I caught him once checking on Brook his brows narrowed again.

“What happened to this two?” he started asking and again Leonard answered, “they fainted for the shock, there was a massacre out there” Jeremy that was leaning back straightened himself in tension. “How many died?” “At least 10” Leonard replied.

Jeremy’s eyes drifted towards me with anger and worry “thank god nothing happened to you” he said, sighed and sat lining back on his seat to then straighten again in no second with alert eyes. 

Leonard groaned at this, I wasn’t sure about the reason, it couldn’t be my hand cause my blood was almost dry and I never took it out of my pocket since we left Ben’s house.

“Then you saw them!!” Jeremy said

“What?” I asked, I didn’t know what he meant by you saw them

“The animal or the attacker!” he said, my heart stopped beating for a few seconds to then restart again; I could also she Leonard’s eyes growing darker and uneasy.

“Did you see them?” he repeated and as always Leonard answered, “no, they were gone by the time we arrived” and like that Jeremy calmed down till we got home. I wondered if Jeremy had the slightness idea of who or what the attackers where as he earlier said the animal or the attacker, was he growing suspicious about the truth or what he always thought it was the truth?

We finally arrived home and each of them took a girl to bring her in, Jeremy left the car first with Brook in his arms. By the time Leonard took Jenny I wonder why didn’t he stop at their respective houses or at least ask us where should he be heading with them.

“How did you know they were staying at my house” I asked as we walked towards the house

“I know every little thing that happens in this town” he said and I glared at him not happy with his answer “didn’t you already know we can hear from afar or read minds?” he looked at me with a crooked smile then stopped into halt in front of my eyes –I didn’t even see it coming- lining forward towards me with another teasing smile, he was carrying Jenny but it didn’t seem to bother him as he walked closer towards me and I backed away “is simple” he said “I picked it up from Jeremy’s mind” and in a blur he run up the doorstep stopping there to enter the house at a normal pace.

I had to gently slap my cheeks to snap out of it, I wasn’t happy about him being close to me but I couldn’t deny that I was fascinated by him.

I’m sure he knew I asked Christopher to not to reappear in front of me never again and that wasn’t just for him it was for all of them. But here he was ignoring my plea, saving me and smiling at me as if nothing hasn’t change. As if we were still friends. I didn’t wanna be his friend, I didn’t want him here close to me but I couldn’t explain the eased I felt when I had him close. 

Underneath my cover, underneath this anger I felt for them, there was something tingling. A feeling I didn’t want to have.

I got into the house and as Jeremy came from the kitchen with two glasses of water for the girls I guessed. 

I quickly made a move. I didn’t allow Leonard to stay longer “you should go” I said “now” I reaffirmed making Jeremy to groan at me. “Is late and dangerous” I continued “he should go home” and Jeremy finally agreed.

Leonard smiled at that, certainly he knew I wasn’t worried about his safety. Jeremy thanked him one more time while I urged him to leave. 

I walked him to the door and before he got out he said, “I’ll be around” and he vanished from my door. I hoped nobody saw that.

I knew exactly what he meant by being around. He actually wasn’t going anywhere, he left that clear earlier. I won’t take you off my sight he said and I wasn’t sure if I should feel relived or angry.

But I felt once more, save.

Leonard was hovering around the neighbourhood, running from one side to another making sure the area was secure.

He couldn’t hide the smile on his face whenever he thought of Gabrielle. But something was bothering him too. It wasn’t just the fact that there were vampires around but the way Gabrielle looked so much like Gabriella. Even the names were the same for crying out loud just the last consonant changed.

She even still had the same kind of character but Gabrielle’s was spicier.

She was stubborn as hell and she would not rely on anyone.

Was it possible that they were the same person? But he killed Gabriella centuries ago, unfortunately he could still remember that pretty clear and each time it shot pain through his body even though they were not supposed to feel it.

He’s never seen something like that in all this centuries he’s been around. He’s seen people that looked alike, she even had twins leaving in his house but this was different. 

They even had the same smell. He could taste her blood in the air tonight in the car and it was the same, just as he remembered it.

The tree he was holding onto started shaking making him fall down. He didn’t hear Christopher’s thoughts as he was so exited thinking about Gabrielle.

They locked ayes for a long while till Christopher broke with the silence

 “Did you have fun?” he said, no humour in his face

“I surely did” Leonard replied and gave him one of his teasing smiles.

 “She’s not Gabriella Leonard!” Christopher said with a rage in his eyes that could shake the wildest of the animals.

“Will you stop saying that?” said Leonard still with that same teasing smile “what do you fear? If she so much loves you she’ll let you right back in her life” he continued “you are the one having in mind that she’s Gabriella cause you fear she’ll do the same. Leave you for me” Christopher was shaking with rage by now; his eyes were of a hunter, a killer.

“Do you think I’ll let you do that again?” he said,

“What are going to do, kill me?” Leonard replied

“I might” he sighed “but that won’t bring her back to me” Christopher suddenly calmed down, his breath becoming even, his wild eyes getting back to normal when faster than a thunder Leonard closed the long distance in between them throwing his body at Christopher making them both fly deep into the woods and crash into a tree. They started fighting each other but neither of them was a match for the other.

They both were equally fast and strong receiving and throwing punches at each other.

They suddenly stopped, each one on each corner breathing hard –even though they didn’t need to breath- looking at each other’s eyes trying to read each other’s thoughts trying to predict their next move but there was no use they wouldn’t be able to hurt each other.

They were about to attack each other again when they heard a noise coming from deeper into the woods and they turned towards it. They looked at each other one last time to then run almost fly towards the direction of that noise.

In a few seconds they were already were those noises came from but they suddenly stopped, they even stopped walking.

They smelt something, something that alarmed them. They started again walking slowly towards it and then they heard it. Their thoughts, they were vampires feeding probably from humans they took From the Zet Zone. Christopher and Leonard couldn’t be seen, they had to be very careful so they stood were they were and just listened. They stood quite for a while just listening and what they heard must have been bad because they faster than ever started running back….

TO BE CONTINUED……