Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

As Boris rolled up to Downing Manor, what he saw shocked the daylights out of him. He wasn't sure if he indeed saw it, so he parked the car in its usual spot, getting out quickly and dashing to the large front gate. Both gatekeepers' bodies were on the ground, including Marx. Blood covered their necks entirely, suits stained red. Not only that, but the gate was wide open.
The otter ran inside, following a trail of scarlet through the courtyard, realizing it led around the side of the building, right into the cellar door he had left unlocked in his excitement to save Leah. He took out his phone, checking the time. There was still time left until midnight! What could be happening there?!
Not wanting to waste a second, he sprinted to the cellar, descending the steps and leaving the door unlocked, still. He raced through the box-filled basement, terror filling him as he ascended the stairs to the inside of the mansion.
Slamming through the door, which flung open and hit the wall, Boris looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Immediately, to his left, he saw that a long line of vermillion painted the wall on his left.
Panicking, Boris looked around for anything that had a reflection, finding a picture frame of his father and turning so it lined up with the old light on the wall. Finally seeing the dark version of himself within, he retrieved his dagger and rushed down the hall toward the large foyer in front of the mansion near the proper entrance.
Without warning, an animal attacked him from behind and knocked him to the floor, the blade sliding out of his hand. Whoever it was was strong, pulling his arms back and wrapping rope around his wrists as he struggled beneath their weight. They searched his pockets, and every single item was confiscated.
"Pick him up," a deep and sinister voice said from the shadows, and Boris was lifted onto his feet. "Take him to the dining room with the others."
Others?! Absalom! Help! Help me! Do something! Boris gasped as he was dragged forcefully across the extremely fancy carpet, under the chandelier with all the crystal-like glass hanging from it. As always when he needed him most, Absalom was absent.
The otter was dragged into the large dining room where multiple other animals were bound in chairs, wriggling for dear life. Tyler was the first to speak, coincidentally sitting in the same chair as when he recently had breakfast. "Boris! Motherfucker!"
Leah was across from him, doing her best to stay calm but still uncomfortable in the ropes.
Next to Tyler was the last animal that Boris wanted to see, extremely confused and scared about the events that were unfolding. His other sister, Molly, had previously been away from home and came back at the worst time. Filling the rest of the wood chairs were all caretakers and cooks, wondering what group was committing such an act against them. And finally, at the head of the table was Boris's father, Gerald, staring directly at his son as if he knew this was somehow his doing.
Only a particular animal was missing from the situation, which Boris noticed immediately.
Pierce.
The animal previously dragging Boris forcefully shoved him in the chair next to Leah, untying his hands and then tying them again behind the chair. As soon as he was bound, the lights cut off, and candles lit all around the room, sporadically. Animals appeared by each of them, darkened figures illuminated by the orange flame, and Boris could make out some of their features.
There were two dogs, a rabbit, a deer, and a cat. Their intimidating presence was felt through the entire space as if they had tentacles that reached out and tried to suck the Soul from each of them. And finally, one more animal walked through the door. This animal was a hyena, which made Boris's ears perk. "Nicholas?!" he called into the dark burning orange room, looking directly at the hyena shape.
The shadow shook their head. "The name is Ivan, leader of the Black Cross. Quit playing games before we even get started."
Gerald spoke next. "What do you want from us?! Money?!"
"No. We want a particular animal you're harboring. Men," he snapped. Within a moment, each of the other dark shadows in the room pulled out handguns, pointing them at the closest animal to them; Marcel, Tyler, a cook named Carlos, Molly, and finally, Gerald, which Ivan took the liberty of pointing a gun at himself.
"W-what animal?!" Molly called. "Everyone is here! The only one I don't know is the German Shepherd! Did you mean him?"
Ivan snapped again, and the dog closest to the tomboy otter whacked the back of her head with his gun.
Gerald moved in his seat with such force that the chair scraped the floor. "Don't touch her! Tell us who you are and what you want!"
Ivan walked forward, pressing the gun to the back of Gerald's cranium. "Don't tell me you don't know."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" the adult otter shouted.
"One!" Ivan called, holding up a hand.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, and blood splattered across the white tablecloth, every tied animal screaming as Carlos's head fell flat against the table, scarlet liquid pooling beneath it. The entire group's tension and panic rose tenfold. "Don't test me!" Ivan snarled, jamming the end of his gun harder into the back of Gerald's head.
Boris's eyes stayed wide as he looked around quickly. There didn't seem to be a clear way out of this conversation.
Tyler spoke, then. "Well, tell us what you're looking for, and don't just assume we know!"
"We know that you know due to you willingly harboring them here!" Ivan yelled. "Garrett, one isn't enough. Make it two and fetch us glasses for a drink."
The cat shape, Garrett, moved his gun to the next animal up the table from Carlos's corpse and fired, splattering his brains out and causing his body to fall in a similar position as the cook. Everyone screamed again and watched in horror as Garrett slowly exited the room into the kitchen after. The sound of glass clinking together and cabinets shutting could be heard from the other room.
Everyone was quiet as they waited, looking at each other and the two cadavers at the end of the table, everyone wondering if that could be them next. Boris, Leah, and Tyler all knew that the animal Ivan was looking for was Pierce, but they didn't speak up, trying to figure out a better way out of this. And even if they did, they didn't know where they had gone. Telling Ivan that information could get them all killed.
Garrett returned with a glass for each of the shadowy figures, walking around to the bloody corpses and filling each glass with the blood dripping off the table and soiling the floor below. Once he topped off all of the wine glasses, Garrett gave one to each Black Cross member.
"Vampires." The word escaped Boris's lips before he could even stop himself.
Ivan slowly sipped at his fresh blood from the glass, licking his lips. In the orange light from the candle flame, it looked a lot creepier than if he had seen it in the normal light. "That's right. We're an underground group of vampires, and you have what we're looking for. Pierce Tucker."
Tyler looked at Boris. "We don't know where they are!"
"Did you say they?" Ivan's ears perked. "So you do know them. Three!" He snapped. Another loud crack and the next animal was dead on the table, the corpses getting further down the line. "That's for lying."
Everyone stared at Tyler. "What do you know, son?" The well-dressed otter asked. "We should comply, so just tell them what you know . . . ."
The German shepherd gulped. "I-I mean . . . I do know them, b-b-but uh, I don't know where they are!"
Molly shook her head, lip quivering. "P-please don't hurt us . . . ."
Ivan took another sip of his blood wine, setting the glass down next to Gerald and groaning loudly. "I'm tired of this. Put them in the count down position."
All of the animals immediately set their empty and half-filled glasses down, coming forward and using their free hands to press Molly, Boris, Tyler, Leah, and Gerald's heads down against the wood table, not holding back on the weight. Now that their heads were facing the kitchen's direction, all of the animals at the end of the table couldn't see anyone behind them.
Ivan walked back and forth. "I know that these other animals at the table are your caretakers, which is why we organized you the way we did. Here's how this will work: I will countdown until one of you tells me where Pierce Tucker is. With each number, I'll shoot one animal dead, going up the line as I go. So unless you don't care about lowly servants, I suggest you fess up and give me what's rightfully mine."
"R-rightfully yours?" Boris asked, grunting against the strength of the dog who had his hand on his face.
"You're harboring a vampire, so one of you must know about Feeding Parties. Well, we held one, and Pierce was the drink of the night. Unfortunately, the damn Mortal Guard interrupted things and tried to save them. We used to be eight, you know. We had only begun drinking from Pierce when they stole our food.
"The Mortal Guard took them somewhere where they'd be safe, but we caught those fuckers on the way back and killed them both. So, we did end up getting to eat that night. We've been watching them from afar for a while to see how they'd change, but it seemed like they had forgotten anything ever happened. Once we saw that little otter boy try and take them out and then take them with him, we followed but couldn't get close enough until you left the door wide open for us. And now we want them back. And you will hand them over."
Gerald looked horrified, staring at Boris. "I-is that true?! What's going on? Vampires and attempted murder? This is a ridiculous act intended to scare a wealthy family! Are you some lower-class 'eat the rich' group?!"
"An act?!" Ivan hissed, walking into a shadow and then appearing out of another behind Gerald, putting long clawed fingers on his shoulder and leaning his head over his shoulder, where he showed two longer than usual fangs. "Don't make me rip into your throat, Downing."
"D-dad!" Molly called, head still being pressed to the table. Leah was remaining eerily silent.
Tyler huffed. "Maybe we should tell them where they are. I don't wanna die!"
Gerald tried to keep his head level. "I know my son isn't a murderer."
Ivan pointed at the bound canine. "The German shepherd is right. This will all be over if you hand the damn lemur over to us. But I'm losing my patience. Sadly, you've already lost three animals which means I can't start from a higher number. FIVE!" Everyone jumped as a gunshot rang out and then they felt a thump against the table.
Ivan moved over to Leah now. "You're very quiet. Perhaps you know something the rest don't. Why don't you tell me so we can be on our way?"
The female witch just kept her eyes forward, keeping as calm as physically possible. She said nothing.
"FOUR!" Ivan's muzzle wrinkled. He shouted as spittle flew out at Leah's head. Another bang and a dead animal.
Boris could hear his heartbeat with his ear pressed to the table, faster and faster. He couldn't see Leah behind him, so he just looked at his father, who was terrified and confused. The remaining caretakers and Molly were sobbing quietly.
"Fuck you! If you think you can just come in here and—" Gerald hissed, and Ivan cut him off by slamming his face into the table again and again until it was a bloody mess. Bam, bam, bam! More screaming from the hostages.
"I swear, I'll kill you right in front of your family if you say anything other than where Pierce Tucker is. Bang! THREE!"
"It's me!" Leah called, thrashing in her chair. Her voice sounded strange in her throat. "It's me, it's me, it's me! I'm Pierce!"
Ivan looked over. "What do you take me for?!"
"N-no, I mean it! I just look like this right now, but I really am Pierce! Stop killing these animals and take me with you! I'll go!"
Ivan crossed his arms. "Why didn't you admit this before?"
"Because I was following a plan, but . . . I can't wait anymore. I don't want anyone else to die. Take me with you!"
"Pierce!" Tyler called. "What are you doing?!"
"What plan?!" Boris shouted.
Ivan stared closely at Leah's form, head still smooshed against the surface of the wood. "Woodrow, untie this one and bring them with us."
Woodrow, the deer, untied them as quickly as possible, then stood them up, holding their shoulder. "Got them."
"Fucking finally," Ivan hissed. "That was ridiculous. Well, thanks for the delicious blood and—"
The door to the dining room swung open, and multiple female animals came in, causing the vampires to look up. Leah was in the midst of it all, and she looked right at the copy of her in the room. "Pierce, RUN!"
The fledgling vampire tore away from the grip of the deer and sped into the kitchen as the group of women chanted something. Leah looked at all of the bound animals. "SHUT YOUR EYES!!!" Everyone did so, and suddenly, there was a tremendous amount of hissing and a few more gunshots and thumping, then the sound of glass smashing and grass crunching wildly beneath running feet. It was silent after that.
"...I-Is it safe?! Are we safe?!" Gerald called after a few quiet moments.
"You can open your eyes," Leah announced.
Boris flicked his open and lifted his head, still tied to the chair. He looked around, seeing the massive pool of blood that had congregated on the table, staining the white cloth, and the new body of Marcel, dead right next to his sister Molly. All of the captives were still in a great panic, and the scene before them was extremely horrifying to behold.
Gerald looked across the table, at his daughter, in complete and utter shock and trying to form words out of the sheer putty his mind had become. "Leah . . ."
The young witch took a seat at the opposite end of the table, looking right back at the older otter. "Hey, dad."