A Slayer's Story
Part 3Okay, I admit it... yes, I watch "Buffy" and Yes, this was inspired by the show, but it's all it's own... this story is not completed but is currently over 88 pages long. It started one night when I couldn't sleep. I'll post more segments when I have time. Feedback can be sent to stories@iwuvjoey.com. Thank you.
They found Taylor about 15 miles up the road sitting off in the grass crying. Her car was nowhere in site.
"Taylor? Taylor? Sis, are you okay?" Kyle asked. He ran to her as soon as Peter stopped the car. She was crying so hard.
"Oh, Kyle. Why did he do it? Why?" she cried.
"Where's your car?" Kyle asked.
"He took it."
"Who took it?" Peter asked.
"Johnny did." she told them
"That's impossible, kiddo. Johnny's dead." Kyle told her.
"He's undead, Kyle. I swear it. I have not been imagining it. Look." she pulled her hair away from her face to reveal the bite mark that Johnny had left there. Peter ran back to his car.
"I'm a photographer. Besides, we need this to prove to ourselves that this is real." Peter said as he took pictures of Taylor's neck.
"I know you both don't believe me, I don't believe it either. I don't believe anything I've been through since we went up to the college last night. I wish it all were a dream, but for me it was not." Taylor said.
"C'mon, let's get you back home. Hopefully, mom won't open the letters that you left for everyone."
"What letters?" Taylor asked Kyle.
"The reason why I came after you is because I thought you were going to commit suicide." Kyle told her.
"Oh my god. It was all real. All of it." Taylor hunched back over. She felt nauseous.
"You okay."
"No. I'm not okay. I'm not okay." Taylor said. They all got into Peter's car. He dialed 911 for the police.
"Why did you call the police for?" Kyle asked.
"The car has to be reported stolen, so does all of Taylor's credit cards and her driver's license. She'll have to call her insurance company."
"Let's just get back to my car. Okay? We'll decide what to do when we get there." Kyle said. He sat in the back with his sister. She closed her eyes and rested her head on her brother's shoulder.
A few minutes later.
"Uh, Kyle, Taylor...look over there." Peter said as he pointed to where Taylor's car was before she took off in it.
"My car. He brought it back here. Don't get out of the car. He's still here. I can sense it." Taylor said. "Just drive us out of here, Pete. Now!" Taylor screamed. Peter turned the car around and sped out of there.
"Taylor. What's going on? I don't understand. Don't you want to be with me?" Taylor heard Johnny say to her telepathically. She grabbed her head.
"No more, Johnny. No more. Leave me alone." she cried.
"It's okay, Taylor, he's not going to take you away from us." Kyle told his sister. She reached for the car radio and turned it up so she could drown out Johnny's pleas for her to come back.
"What's going on?" Mrs. Clarke asked as the three of them walked into the house. "Kyle? Taylor? Where are your cars?" Taylor ran up to her room.
"Mine has two flats and Taylor didn't want to drive. Leave her alone, ma, okay. She's not ready to talk about anything just yet."
"Kyle, I'm going to go on home. I'll call you when I find something out." Peter said to Kyle.
"Thanks, Pete. See ya later."
"Kyle, honey, what's going on?"
"You won't believe us even if we told you, mom. It's hard for us to believe okay? Peter is going to develop a role of film that he took. Hopefully, that'll be the proof we need to convince you, dad, and the Bakers. I'm going to go check on Taylor." Kyle explained and went up to Taylor's room. She had emptied out a box of books on her bed and was throwing everything that Johnny ever gave her into the box.
"T...what are you doing?" he asked her.
"Getting rid of Johnny. Once and for all. Then I'm going to ask mom and dad if I can move to California to live with Grammy and Gramps. The sooner I get away from here and Johnny the better.
"T...I'm worried about you. You're not going anywhere without me, understand? If everything is true about Johnny being a vampire, then he'll always be after you until you belong to him again." Kyle said as she sat down on her bed.
"Kyle, you have no idea what happened yesterday evening or earlier this morning when I was home alone. It wasn't Johnny that talked me into driving the car to the cliffs. It was the guy that got Johnny. Tony knows all about what's happened to Johnny and he probably knows more than we do. I want a normal life again. I want to mourn Johnny's death, because he is dead. There's nothing we can do to help him now. I want to pretend that nothing happened to me, that I've just been depressed and everything is just a dream. Okay?" Taylor asked her brother, all the while, tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"You know I'll do everything I can to help you forget this ever happened and I'll drop it too, as soon as Peter returns with the pictures of your neck."
"My neck. Look, the marks are already gone." Taylor said as she turned to look in the mirror. She was right. The bite mark was gone. There was no trace of it, not even a bruise.
"Amazing. Absolutely amazing."
"We should call Jason. He'll believe us before our parents do." Taylor told her brother.
"Okay." Kyle went and grabbed the phone from the hallway and brought it into his sister's room. Taylor dialed the Bakers' number.
"Jason? It's Taylor? Are you there?" Taylor asked into the answering machine. Jason picked up the phone.
"Hi, what's going on?" he asked.
"Can you come over. We need to talk." she asked.
"I'll be over as soon as I can clear the news vans away from the driveway. Don't take off anywhere." he told her.
"Jason will be here soon. Here, help me with this box. I want you to take it out and burn it for me, please." Taylor asked.
"Are you sure you want me to burn it?" Kyle asked.
"Positive." Taylor replied. She opened her door for him. "Thanks."
Kyle didn't burn the box, he put it in the garage. When he returned to Taylor's room, he found her rearranging her room.
"Where did this burst of energy come from?" he asked as he helped her move her dresser.
"I'm tired of my room looking this way."
"I thought you wanted to go to Grammy's and Grampa's?"
"Until that happens, I have to live here and so I want to rearrange my room. Okay?" she asked.
"What's all this racket for?" Mrs. Clarke came up to Taylor's room.
"Just cleaning and rearranging my room mom. Need to keep busy. Ya know?" she asked.
"Well, just try to tone down the noise some. It's getting pretty loud." Mrs. Clarke left as quickly as she entered.
"You're scaring mom, Taylor...take a break." Kyle said.
"I'm scaring myself, let alone everyone else, Kyle."
"You're just putting off all the questions that I know you have. All the fears and doubts."
"Damn you, Kyle. Sometimes I wish you didn't know me so well."
An hour later, Peter arrived.
"These are really good pictures, guys. Take a look." Peter said and showed Taylor and Kyle the pictures.
"My god, Peter! These are good. Now, how are we going to use them to convince everyone about Johnny?" Kyle asked.
"Excuse me." Taylor ran into the bathroom and hurled. When she came back to her room, Jason was there.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Jason said to her.
"She has, we all have, so to speak." Kyle said, "Take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think they are." Kyle handed the pictures that Peter took earlier that morning and handed them to Jason.
"Looks like a neck with puncture marks. Like a movie or something." Jason said once he looked at all of the pictures.
"Those puncture marks were on Taylor this morning when Peter and I found her out near the pond earlier this morning. A vampire did this to her."
"Vampires are a myth." Jason cut in.
"That's what we all thought, but Taylor's seen this one. She knows this one. We all know this one, Jason. His body is missing from the morgue." Peter said.
"No way. Not Johnny. There's no such thing as vampires."
"Then explain why this has happened to Taylor?" Kyle asked,
"I can't." Jason told them.
"Taylor almost committed suicide this morning, Jason. When I got home from the college, she was very arguementative. When I went to talk to her later. I found several letters that she had written to everyone, including you. In my letter, she told me not to worry, she was going to be with Johnny, where she belonged. I'm sorry, Jason. But Taylor belongs here with us. Not dead."
"You're telling me that my brother is a vampire. Do you know how crazy it sounds?"
"We know Jason. But what other explanation is there? Taylor had the same doubts too." Kyle pleaded with Jason.
"I don't know, guys. I just don't..." Taylor interrupted Jason.
"Jason, I didn't want to believe it either but remember that phone call I made last night from your parents' hotel room? That was to Tony. He wanted me to meet him at the chapel on campus, or so I thought. It was Johnny that I met at the chapel, Jason. It was Johnny. He was so pale and so convincing..." Taylor broke off her conversation. She couldn't go on.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"I'm so sure. When Kyle and Peter found me on the side of the road, crying. I had no recollection of writing those letters and I have no recollections of how I got the marks."
"My god. What are we going to do?"
"We're going to mourn Johnny. Have the memorial services for him, Taylor's going to speak at each of them and we're going to go on with our lives. I'm going to drop out of college this semester and enroll in the community college so that we can all keep an eye on Taylor. We don't know if Johnny will come back, but the thing he is now is not the person we all knew and loved. Understand?" Peter said to everyone.
"This is all ridiculous." Jason stated.
"But it's true, Jason. Look at me. I've never lied to you. I'm really afraid about what's happened since Johnny's death and I need your support now, more than ever. I will always believe that Johnny loved me always. The Johnny I saw today and last night was not the same. He wasn't." Taylor looked Jason straight in the eye. "We're all telling you the truth Jason. I'm very serious here. This could be a dangerous situation." Taylor said.
"No one's going to believe us, T. No one." Jason said.
"For now, this is a secret between the four of us. You know, I was going to run away to my grandparents' and Kyle was going to let me go, but no matter where I go, I have a feeling that Johnny will be there too. Peter's right. I'm going to need the three of you to keep Johnny at bay. OK?" Taylor asked him
"Alright, Taylor. I'll be here for you. You have my word." Jason told her. "But if this gets out of hand, I will go public."
"Thank you." she hugged Jason.
"Alright. Now how are we going to keep him away from you?" Kyle asked.
"How are we going to keep all of this from Carrie?" Taylor asked.
"We need a strategy session. I'm hungry. Anyone else?" Peter asked.
"I can eat something." Taylor said.
"That's the best news I've had since yesterday." Peter replied. Everyone laughed.
"Let's go get some pizza?" Jason suggested.
"Where are you all headed?" Mrs. Clarke asked when the four of them came down the stairs.
"Out for pizza mom. We'll be back later."
"What about your statement to the press, Taylor? Your father told them you would have one for them this evening." her mother asked.
"I don't have one ready. Do I have to answer any questions?"
"Not if you don't want to and you'll have all of us behind you if things get hairy."
"Okay, where's daddy?" Taylor asked. She was going to do the statement.
"In the den. I'll get him." her mother said and went to find her husband.
"My daughter is ready to talk to everyone now. Please, let her finish and if she's up to it, she'll answer questions afterward." her father said to the news media.
"I had a dream that someday Johnny and I would be together forever. I still have that dream, only it'll take place in heaven and not on earth. The bullies that beat Johnny to death destroyed his life and mine. The media has seen to it that the loss is not forgotten and for that, I thank them all. I believe that justice will be done to the bullies and that their lives will all be destroyed forever. Thank you."
"Taylor? Rumor has it that Johnny's last words were meant for you. Is this true?" A reporter asked.
"Yes. He told a nurse to tell me that he was sorry and that he loved me very much. I got the message from his brother, Jason." Jason put his hand on her shoulder. Tears began flowing down her cheeks. "Johnny was withdrawing money to come home to me to talk. He had made some mistakes and broke up with me a little over a month ago, but he realized that he was wrong and wanted to make things right again. He just wanted to make everything okay again. I'm sorry. I can't continue this. Excuse me." Taylor ran into the house, the tears falling from her cheek. Peter went after her.
"Taylor...you okay?" he asked when he caught up with her in the den.
"Yeah, I just hate talking about everything to the media." she said as he held her.
"Someday this all will be over." Peter said and kissed her on the forehead.
"He's only been dead two days and even though we were no longer together, I feel so empty and alone. When I knew he was at school, I didn't feel so empty and alone. I knew that he was out there somewhere, ya know?" she continued to cry.
"It's gonna be alright. I swear it. One way or another, I swear it." Peter told her. Kyle and Jason came in.
"You did just fine, Taylor. Just fine." Kyle told his sister.
"I hope I do okay at the memorial at the high school."
"I'll be up there with you the whole time. We'll both do just fine."
"What time's the memorial?" she asked.
"We still have an hour before we have to be there."
"I'm going to go make a sandwich and then take a shower. You guys hungry?" Taylor asked. The guys followed her to the kitchen.
An hour and a half later...
"My brother was well liked and loved by everyone. I can't remember a time when he had a fight with another person in school. Anyway, Johnny wasn't perfect. He knew that and so did everyone. What happened to him was senseless and cruel. That's no way to die. Beaten and alone. I have a message to all the tough kids and the gang kids and the bullies. Beating someone up for a few dollars really isn't worth spending your life in jail. You all want to remember Johnny, remember the guy who helped the football team and the Boys Basketball team championship trophies back to Smithton High. That's how I'll remember my brother...Taylor." Jason said, fighting back tears.
"Wow...there are alot of familiar faces out there tonight. Many of you, Johnny was friends with. I want to start by saying thank you. Thank you to everyone who came to my house and to the Bakers' when the news hit the TV and radio stations. Knowing that you were all there to lend support to us has helped us all so much. Johnny's last words to anyone were `Tell Taylor I'm sorry and that I love her very much'. Now. Why did I just tell you all that? Because I'm sure you've all heard by now that he was having problems in college. That night, Johnny was withdrawing money to come home and see me so we could talk. About a month earlier we had broken up, his choice, and things went down hill for him. This is all written in a letter that he wanted me to have. Johnny was no angel, but he wanted to make things right again. My favorite memory of him was back when we first met. We had only been dating a month or so when my grandmother passed away. I don't know how he knew that something was wrong, but he skipped football practice and came over to my house and just held me for four hours and let me cry. That's when I knew he was special. I think that's when he won the rest of my family over too because after that, he was always over for Sunday dinner and in my family when you're invited for Sunday dinner, you're a member of the family." she paused while the auditorium laughed. Jason handed her a piece of paper, on it was written - Johnny's up in the rafters. "I remember him deciding to sign up for the Senior Class musical. No matter what, he was determined to get one of the lead parts. He got it...and the girl. But, that's all over now. My Johnny is gone forever and all that is left are the memories and all of you who loved him just as I did and still do, without reason. It was that easy to love him. I know many of you have talked with counselors to help get a hold of your grief and I'm glad you are. Remember that our parents, teachers, friends, and counselors are here to help us through this. And together we will get through this, one day at a time. For you teens out there, I have this message for you. If one of you is a grade higher and is going off to college, don't make promises you can't keep and don't break things off because of distance. If you truly care for one another you'll make your relationship work. Again, thank you all for coming. God bless you all." Taylor said and sat down next to Jason. The principal went up and went to the podium.
"How you doing?" Jason asked her.
"Not good. I think I'm going to be sick. I feel nauseous." Taylor said and got up and ran for the door. Carrie followed from the front row. Jason and Peter were right behind her.
"What happened?" Carrie asked Jason.
"She felt nauseous. Go in and check on her." Jason said. Kyle and Taylor's parents came down the hall.
"I think we should take her home." Mr. Clarke said to the kids.
"No, dad. We can take care of her. She's just upset. She'll be fine." Kyle stated.
"She needs a good night sleep, Kyle." Mrs. Clarke said.
"That will take some time." Taylor said coming out of the bathroom. "Well, so much for dinner."
Adam Simkins came walking down the hall.
"Oh, great, Carrie! What'd you do? Tell him I was dying?" Taylor asked jokingly.
"Taylor? You okay? I'm so sorry about Johnny." he stated. Taylor gave him a hug.
"Thanks, Adam and I'm fine...really." Taylor assured him.
"If you need anything, give me a call okay? I'm a great listener." Adam said and walked off.
"What did I tell you?" Carrie asked her.
"Knock it off Carrie." Taylor said and ran back into the bathroom.
"Kyle, I'm going to let the principal know that Taylor's going home. I want you to take her. Your mother and I will be at the Bakers'. Try to get her to rest." Mr. Baker said.
"Alright dad. I'll try." Kyle promised his father.
"Kyle, I'll be there in a little while. I want to make sure my parents are alright." Jason said and followed the Clarkes back into the auditorium.
"Carrie, go check on her. C'mon Kyle. Let's go get the car." Peter suggested.
"Taylor, how are you doing?" Carrie asked.
"Carrie, go away." Taylor said and quickly flushed the toilet. She didn't want Carrie to see that she was throwing up blood.
"You okay?" Carrie asked as she waited for Taylor at the mirror.
"I'm fine. What are the guys doing?" Taylor asked as she splashed water on her face and then searched through her purse for some gum.
Carrie walked over to the stall that Taylor was in and looked at it.
"You were throwing up blood, T. And don't deny it. I know. Remember? I'm the one with an eating disorder."
"I don't know what you are talking about. I'm fine." Taylor told her and proceeded to walk out of the bathroom, but was stopped by Johnny.
"We need to talk."
"Get away from me. I don't know what you are or who you think you are. Carrie, help me." Taylor said and shut the door and sat down. Carrie came over and locked it.
"Who was that?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Make sure the windows are locked." Ten minutest later, Kyle knocked on the door.
"T? Carrie? Are you in there?" he asked.
"Oh, Kyle! Thank God!" T said and opened up the doors and ran right into his arms.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Some guy tried to barge into the bathroom to talk to T." Carrie explained. "It was Johnny." Taylor whispered into his ear.
"It's okay now. C'mon, Peter and I are taking you home. Carrie? Do you need a ride?" he asked
"No, I brought my own car. Thanks though."
"C'mon, we're walking you to it." Taylor said and all three of them walked out of the high school.
"Okay, Taylor. What happened in there?" Kyle asked as soon as they were in the car with Peter.
"I went to leave through the door and Johnny was on the other side saying we needed to talk. I told him to stay away from me." Taylor explained calmly.
"What did Carrie think?"
"I don't know. I told her to make sure the windows were locked. I couldn't think in there." Taylor answered Kyle.
"That's alright, T. Don't even think about it anymore." Kyle told her. Peter turned onto Taylor and Kyle's road. There were cop cars all over the place.
"Turn on the CB, Peter. Find out what's going on." Kyle said.
"Oh my god, they're going into our house." Taylor said.
"Stop the car Pete." Kyle said. As soon as Peter stopped the car, Taylor got out and ran up to the house.
"You can't go in there, miss." an officer told her.
"That's my house. What's going on?" Taylor asked.
"A bomb threat."
"Here, here are the house keys. Please don't break down the door."
"Taylor? What did the officer say?"
"It's a bomb threat." Taylor said to Kyle and Peter.
"Peter, can I use your phone?" Kyle asked Peter. Peter handed him the phone. Kyle dialed the Bakers' house.
"Mr. Baker? It's Kyle. Are my parents there yet?"
"Yeah, Kyle. I'll get your father for you."
"Kyle? What's wrong?"
"Dad, there's been a bomb threat reported on our house."
"A what?"
"A bomb threat, dad. I think you should get over here." Kyle said.
"Where are you and Taylor?" Mr. Clarke asked.
"Across the street, in front of the Simmons' house."
"Excuse me, but which one of you live at this house?" an officer asked.
"My brother and I do. We have my father on the phone." Taylor told the officer.
"Kyle, let me talk to that officer." Mr. Clarke said over the phone.
"Officer, my father would like to speak with you." Kyle handed the officer the phone.
"Is daddy coming home?" Taylor asked. Carrie came running up to them.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"A bomb scare." Peter replied.
"Your house is plastered all over the news. My parents said that you could come over our house until the police say it's okay to go back into yours." Carrie explained. Taylor was staring at a shadow behind the trees lining their neighbors driveway.
"Taylor, what are you staring at?" Peter asked.
"Stay here. All of you. I'll be right back." Taylor told the three of them and walked over to the trees.
"Johnny?" she whispered into the darkness.
"I knew you'd come."
"Damn you. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"I want you with me always. I need you with me, T."
"No...I'm not coming with you. Johnny. I'm needed here. I'm wanted here. Did you call in the bomb scare on my house?"
"No, actually. I think it was one of the thugs who left me to die." he whispered. "Peter's coming this way. I'll see you tomorrow night. I love you." Taylor heard Johnny say before she heard Peter's footsteps.
"Find anything?" he asked. She turned around to face him.
"No, actually. I haven't." she lied.
"He was here, Taylor. I can feel it and I can see it in your eyes." Peter told her.
"Ssh. He'll hear you." she whispered.
"C'mon, let's get back to the others." Peter held out his hand, she took it without hesitation. Johnny saw them from a rooftop.
"I hope he takes care of you, T. I hope he will love you as much as I do." Johnny said as he watched them go to the car.
"What did daddy say?"
"The officers are going to let us inside to get some things for tonight and then we're to go to the Bakers. Do you have your car keys on you? The police want to check your car out as well." Kyle replied to Taylor. She immediately handed her brother the keys.
"Peter, are you coming over as well?" Taylor asked.
"Yeah. How else are you going to get there? Carrie, do you need a ride?" Peter asked.
"No, Andrew is down at the Benson's. I've got to pick him up and walk him home. Call me later, Taylor?" Carrie asked her best friend.
"I will. Be careful, okay?" Taylor hugged her best friend. The officer came back.
"Kyle, did you find the keys?" he asked.
"Yes, here you go." Kyle said.
"Okay, we haven't found anything in the house yet, but for your protection, I'm going to ask you and your sister to wear these vests, okay?" The officer handed Kyle and Taylor the vests.
"No problem. Here, Taylor. Put this on." Kyle handed the vest to Peter so that Peter could help Taylor.
"Okay, here are the rules. Throw what ever clothes you and your parents need in this bag. Anything else you want to take, the officers will have to take a look at before you pick up. Got it? Oh, and they will also check out the closets and dresser drawers before you open them. You've got a half hour." The officer told them.
"You ready, Taylor?"
"I'm petrified." Taylor stated.
"We'll be fine. Officer Lewis? We're ready." Kyle assured his sister and told the officer.
"Peter?"
"I'm not going anywhere. Stick close to your brother and you'll be fine. I'll see you in 30 minutes or less." Peter told her.
"T...let's go." Kyle held out his hand for his sister. Her hand was shaking. He squeezed it. "We'll be fine." he said.
Peter nervously watched as Taylor and Kyle went into the house. Jason called his phone.
"Peter? What's going on. The news camera is showing Kyle and Taylor going into the house." Jason asked.
"They're going in to retrieve some clothes for tomorrow. You mean to tell me that there's news cameras here?" Peter looked around
"Yeah. One is pointed right at you."
"Jason, I gotta go." Peter hung up to the phone and grabbed the camera away from the cameraman.
"Stay away from me. Stay awa from the Clarkes, and stay away from the Bakers." Peter said and took the tape out of the camera. "If you want this back, then take me to court. I can guarantee you that this tape won't survive the night." Peter said and stuck the tape down his shirt.
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