Nancy A Collins - 2010 - Population - 666 Read online

  “You ungrateful little bitch!” the vampire lord snarled into his captive’s ear. “So you’ve finally caught up with me. I give you the gift of eternal unlife, and how do you repay me? By chasing me from pillar to post for decades, as if I were vermin to be exterminated! You even bring a damned werewolf into my lair! As if slaying me will change what you are! There can be great pleasure in pain. At least I have found so.” A perverted smile crossed the vampire’s over-ripe lips as one of his hands moved to fondle Pallida’s breasts. “Perhaps you’ll enjoy it as well…”

  The vampire’s dirty-old-man chuckle suddenly turned into an agonized scream as his hand burst into flame. Varrick staggered backward, letting go of Pallida, as his right hand burned to charcoal and snapped off at the wrist. He stared in disbelief at the outline of a crucifix between Pallida’s breasts, glowing through her clothes like a vision from on high.

  “How is it possible?” Varrick gasped. “You’re one of us--!”

  She shook her head, a grim smile on her face. “But not of my choice.” Before Varrick could react, she snared him in her arms, pressing the vampire against her in a tight embrace. As he struggled to free himself, she whispered the words she had waited to say for seventy-five years: “This is for Daniel.”

  Varrick screamed as he caught fire. Pallida watched, her face unreadable, as the dying vampire staggered and then dropped to his knees, consumed by a purifying flame no water could quench nor blanket smother.

  She had waited more than a lifetime to deliver justice in the name of her dead husband. As she bowed her head in thanks, her thoughts went back to what happened in that lonely farmhouse in the middle of nowhere.

  ***

  Although the Dustbowl threatened to destroy their Kansas farm, she and her husband were happy and very much in love. Her name was not Pallida back then. That would come later. Life was a struggle, but she and her husband, Daniel, knew they could face it, as long as they were together.

  That night was like any other. They had just sat down to a humble dinner of beans and corn pone when the dust storm hit. As the wind howled about the eaves and tore at the shingles, they heard someone outside calling for help. Thinking it might be a neighbor caught in the storm, her husband opened the front door.

  What entered their home wasn’t a farmer seeking shelter from the suffocating dust, but a red-eyed fiend from the very pits of Hell. Within seconds Daniel was dead, his neck broken like a twig. Then the vampire she would, decades later, know as Varrick turned his deadly attention to her, burying his fangs into her throat.

  She woke up on the floor. The first thing she saw was her husband’s dead body, still sprawled beside her, partially buried in the drift of wind-driven topsoil that had been blown through the open door. Two realizations entered her mind at the same time: that the vampire was gone, and that she was dying.

  The thought of becoming a creature like the one who attacked her filled her with a horrible dread. Fearing for her immortal soul, she crawled across the room to where the silver crucifix her parents had given them as a wedding present hung upon the wall. As she dragged herself across the rough-hewn floor, she could feel the vampire’s evil seed starting to blossom as her life force ebbed. Soon it would spread throughout her, filling her with its darkness as it claimed her body for its own.

  She nearly swooned as she reached up to remove the cross from the wall, and for a second she feared she was truly lost. She caught sight of Daniel’s body, lying there like a toy broken by an angry child. As she cried out in despair, she felt her husband’s strong arm slip about her waist and shore up her wobbly legs, like he always did when they went ice skating on the winter pond.

  With the last breath in her body, she took the silver crucifix from the wall and pressed it to her chest. The evil change was already upon her, and the cross’s touch seared her flesh like a white-hot poker, but she refused to let go until it had driven out the darkness inside her, turning her hair as white as milk and transforming her into something not quite of one world, nor of the other, but forever in between..

  ***

  “Ms. Mors—where are you?”

  Pallida blinked, drawn from her reverie by the sound of Skinner’s voice echoing through the mineshaft.

  “I’m over here, Sheriff!” she shouted.

  A few seconds later Skinner emerged from one of the tunnels. His clothing was torn and dirty, but he was otherwise unharmed. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine”

  “What about Varrick?”

  She pointed to the smoldering remains at her foot that were all that was left of the creature that had destroyed her life, as well as those of countless others over the last century.

  “I thought I smelled something burning,” Skinner grunted.

  As the sheriff poked at the charred bits of bone with his boot, Pallida handed him Silas Samuels’ sample bag. “What kind of mine did you say this used to be?” she asked.

  “Copper,” Skinner replied. “But it’s been played out for years.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. If I’m not mistaken, that’s gold ore.”

  ***

  “Thank you for your help, Ms. Mors.” Skinner said. The sun had yet to rise and the mountain air was crisp enough that his words were accompanied by little puffs of steam.

  “Poor ol’ Silas,” Uncle Johnny said from the front porch of the general store. “He spent his entire life lookin’ for the mother lode.”

  Pallida stood beside Uncle Johnny’s truck, one hand resting on the door handle. Sis was seated behind the wheel, Tully huddled in the bed like a concrete Buddha, waiting for everyone to finish their good byes before driving her back to civilization.

  Pallida flashed a smile as she clasped Roy’s hand in her own. “You’re a good man, Roy Skinner, werewolf or not. I wish you good luck with your town and your family.”

  “You don’t have to leave, you know,” Skinner suggested. “You’re more than welcome to stay.”

  “Are you sure about that? You haven’t seen me on one of my bad days. There is something like Varrick in me, as well.”

  “You’re not telling any of us something we don’t already know,” Skinner said with a sad laugh. “There is something dark in each and every one of us here, human and supernatural alike. But we have all made the decision to not allow it to rule our lives. Sometimes we succeed, and sometimes we fail. But at least we try.

  “You and I are not so different, Pallida. We both fight to maintain our decency in the face of monstrosity. And, in the end, that is all any of us has got. Besides, now that you’ve finally gotten rid of the vampire you’ve been hunting since the New Deal, what else have you got to do to fill your time?”

  “That thought has crossed my mind,” she admitted.

  “You know, Limbo is going to have its hands full trying to figure out what to do with a brand spanking new gold mine,” Skinner pointed out.

  A thoughtful look crossed Pallida’s face. “You know, it would be interesting to see how this little cross-species city plan of yours works out. Sheriff Skinner…do you have a deputy?”

  “No. But I’m looking to hire one.”

  “Well. That’s something to think about, isn’t it?” Pallida smiled as she climbed in beside Sis.

  “Yes, it is,” Skinner agreed, touching the brim of his hat. “Y’all come back, y’here?”

  Sis threw the truck into gear and the pick-up jounced its way down the dirt road that passed for Limbo’s main street, headed in the direction of Santa Fe. Halfway down the road the vehicle came to an abrupt stop and the passenger side door swung open and the white-clad figure climbed back out.

  Roy grinned and turned his gaze up at the pre-dawn sky. Limbo had faced the first true threat to its existence, and it had survived the encounter. He was not so naive as to believe it would be the last. Maybe the next danger would wear a human face; maybe it would have no face at all. In any case, it would have to deal with him—and his new deputy—if it wanted to start trouble in his
town.

  He tossed his head back, sniffed the brisk morning air, and caught the scent of sausage links frying in the pan coming from his house. He grinned and dropped down onto all fours and loped back to his home, his wife and his children, tongue lolling in anticipation of breakfast.

  About The Author

  Nancy A. Collins has authored over 20 novels and novellas, numerous short stories, and worked on several comic books, including Vampirella and a two-year run on Swamp Thing. She is a recipient of the HWA’s Stoker Award and the British Fantasy Society Award, and has been nominated for the Eisner, John Campbell Memorial, World Fantasy & International Horror Guild Awards. Best known for her ground-breaking vampire character, Sonja Blue, which heralded the rise of the popular Urban Fantasy genre, her works include the best-selling Sunglasses After Dark, the Southern Gothic collection Knuckles And Tales, & the Vamps series for Young Adults. Her most recent novel is Magic and Loss, the third installment in the critically-acclaimed Golgotham urban fantasy series. She currently resides in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia with her Boston terrier.

  Other Ebooks From Hopedale Press

  Dancing Nitely by Nancy A. Collins

  Waking up at sundown, dressing all in black, and hanging out the clubs until dawn is just another night in the unlife for Mavrides, now that he and his fellow vampires have overthrown the yoke of human repression. But all undead were once alive, and old habits die hard, especially the sex drive. And if it's one thing the undead love more than blood, it's the night life.

  Easy’s Last Stand by Nancy A. Collins

  A serial killer called Butcher John invades the building that houses Easy’s Hot Talk, a phone sex business that advertizes in the back of porno mags. Butcher John is on a mission to kill sluts, and Easy is next on his list. But he soon discovers that the Hot Talkers are anything but easy.

  ***

  The Ice Wedding by Nancy A. Collins

  The Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna was famous for her cruel practical jokes and capricious nature towards those she considered beneath her. Neither peasant nor prince, was safe from her wrath. Prince Mikhail, the scion of a noble and powerful family, found himself forced to become her court jester on the day his wife died. Later, he was forced to marry her chambermaid in an elaborate mock wedding. When the Czarina offers the newlyweds their freedom if they agree to spend their wedding night in the cottage she has had built for them, they eagerly agree, even though it is made of solid ice. Award-winning author Nancy A. Collins crafts a chilling Gothic fairytale based on an amazing historical event.

  ***

  Judgment Night by Nancy A. Collins

  Four bored teens break into a house on Halloween in order to vandalize it, only to find the trick is on them. Can they survive night, or will they fall victim, one by one, to the blood lust of a depraved serial killer?

  ***

  Return To Hell House by Nancy A. Collins

  In 1927 infamous millioniare occultist Emeric Belasco disappeared from the face of the earth, leaving behind dozens of dead bodies in the rambling, isolated mansion known as Hell House—his victims former socialites who, under his control, succumbed to insanity, murder and cannibalism. In 1931 a team of parapsychologists entered Hell House to try and solve the riddle of Belasco's fate, only to meet with horror, madness and death. Now, nine years later, in 1940, another team—this one including 15-year-old Benjamin Franklin Fischer, the famed "Ghost Boy", said to be the most gifted physical medium in modern history—dares to investigate the most haunted house in the world, only to find Hell House eagerly awaiting its newest guests. This novella was written, with permission from Richard Matheson, as a prequel to his classic haunted house novel, Hell House (1971), and originally appeared in the tribute anthology He Is Legend (Gauntlet Press, 2009).

  Warning: Contains Graphic Sexual Content

  ***

  The Thing From Lover’s Lane by Nancy A. Collins

  It's the 1950s and Misty Valley is just another sleepy, All-American town, nestled along the Miskatonic River. Unlike sister cities Arkham and Dunwich, Misty Valley has managed to avoid the peculiar occurrences that have plagued the region since the days of the colonial witch trials. That is, until the night Carol Anne Fairweather and her boyfriend, Billy Mahan, parked too far down on Lover's Lane. On that old, foggy night Billy was attacked and knocked unconscious, while Carol Anne was brutally raped by someone--or something--that came out of the woods. Now, in order to clear his name, Billy must discover what really happened that horrible night. But can his mind withstand the awful truth he uncovers? Or will he end up as mad as Old Gooney, the crazed hermit who claims to keep watch against the dark forces that would make Misty Valley their own? Inspired by the work of H.P.Lovecraft, award-winning horror writer Nancy A. Collins adds another tale of terror to the never-ending Cthulhu Mythos. First published in 1995, The Thing From Lover's Lane was a finalist for the Horror Writers Association's prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best Novelette.

  ***

  OTHER EBOOKS BY NANCY A. COLLINS

  Open Road Media

  Sunglasses After Dark: One spring night in London, heiress Denise Thorne disappears while partying, never to be seen again. That very same night Sonja Blue, a tough-as-nails vampire/vampire-slayer, conceived in terror and blood, is born from the city’s gutters. Saved by modern medicine before she could die, she is a living vampire who still possesses a soul and is determined to fight for what remains of her humanity. In the years following her bizarre resurrection, Sonja Blue travels the globe, hunting down and disposing of those creatures that prey on the innocent while searching for the vampire Noble who created her. But when she investigates the sleazy televangelist named Catherine Wheele, Sonja finds herself up against a powerful inhuman adversary. But as dangerous as Catherine Wheele may be, Sonja’s greatest foe remains The Other, the vampiric personality with whom she is locked in a constant battle for control of their shared body. Can Sonja Blue overcome her inner demon in time to rescue an innocent man from Catherine Wheele’s unholy clutches?

  Angels On Fire: Struggling artist Lucy Bender is at the end of her rope. After being betrayed by both her boyfriend and a jealous rival in the cut throat art world, she finds herself standing on the roof of her New York apartment, contemplating suicide. Her luck is changed, however, when a misplaced angel named Joth plummets to earth, landing at her feet. Lucy’s first thought is to alert the media, in the form of a sleazy reality TV show. But her dreams of instant fame and fortune are cut short when she discovers she’s the only person who can see Joth for what it truly is. Making things even more difficult is the realization that the downed angel is attracting attention from servants of the Infernal Machine, lead by the daemon Meresin, who is eager to add Joth to his roster of imps and devils. Lucy is befriended by Ezrael, who was once like Joth and is now a wandering Muse. Ezrael warns her if Joth fails to find its way back to where it came from, it will automatically become a daemon, unless it chooses to become mortal. The only catch is that angels don’t have Free Will. Can Lucy save her fallen angel from falling further still? And is she willing to knock on Heaven’s door to do so?

  Tempter: New Orleans has long been famous for good food, good times, good music--and voodoo. When troubled musician Alex Rossiter relocates to the Big Easy, he soon finds his rock star mojo working again. Not only is his new band attracting notice, he’s also having affairs with two gorgeous women: the sexy voodoo queen Ti Alice; and beautiful businesswoman Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Calder. But when Rossiter stumbles across a long-lost book of ancient spells, he unwittingly invites the evil spirit known as Tempter into this dreams, and, soon, his waking hours as well. Tempter is eager to escape his other-dimensional prison so he can once more slake his perverted lusts on the flesh of the living, starting with Charlie. It’s up to Jerry Sloan—Rossiter’s boyhood friend and Charlie’s not-so-secret admirer—and the one-eyed hoodoo woman known as Mad Aggie to stop Tempter’s evil plans before he destroys not Charlie but the descendants
of the voodoo priestess who imprisoned him over a century ago. Together this unlikely duo must travel to the abandoned plantation deep in the Louisiana’s haunted bayou country, and face the dark secret that lies waiting for them, locked inside its rotting heart.

  Biting Dog Publications

  Absalom’s Wake: A Serial Adventure On The High Seas

  Young Jonah Padgett, fascinated by the romance of the open sea, signs on to the whaler Absalom, under the command of Captain Solomon. Upon rounding the Horn, the crew hears stories of a whale said to be as big as a mountain with skin as black as a bible, and in command of a harem of a hundred females. Captain Solomon wagers that his crew will be the one to make its fortune hunting down the elusive, so-called King Jim. But when the Absalom signs on the native called Koro as a harpooner, the ship is beleaguered by inexplicable disappearances and horrific death, which pits shipmate against shipmate for fear of their lives. While trying to clear Koro of suspicion, Jonah soon finds himself adrift in a fantastical world filled with dolphin-like merfolk and nightmarish were-sharks, endangered equally by inhuman creatures from the ocean’s depths and human fear and superstition, his very life at the mercy of something as old and mysterious as the sea itself.

  Some Velvet Morning: Once upon a time there was a Contessa who kept herself eternally beautiful by bathing in the blood of those she butchered. For years and years she traveled around the world, luring innocent and sinner alike to their doom in order to feed her monstrous vanity, with no one to stop her. Then, one day, the Contessa met a vampire hunter with mirrored-eyes and a dreadful silver switchblade, and lost her legs trying to escape. No longer able to hunt or kill on her own, she needed a partner to help her draw her bath of blood. She finally found the perfect companion in Phaedra, a young runaway with a troubled past, who she schooled in the arts of seduction and murder, until she became the world's deadliest female serial killer. Together they left a trail of death and destruction across the globe. But all fairy tales must have their end, and now that Sonja Blue knows where the Contessa is hiding, living happily ever after is not an option.