The A to Z Challenge! V is for vampires

Of course given what my main characters are in the Night Children series, is it any wonder what I would use for the letter V? Vampires!

Sunlight, wooden stakes through the heart, fire and beheadings kill them. Religious items hurt the bad vampires (but only if you have faith). Silver weakens all mystical creatures. Garlic only gives vampire heartburn.

They can eat regular food in limited quantities but it makes them sick. Of course their main nourishment is blood. Animal blood works just as well as human blood. The thirst can drive them mad but as with any addiction, it can be mastered to a certain degree.

Your basic vampire has super strength on par with Spider-Man, can move fast (as fast as Wonder Woman), has amazing agility (like Black Panther) and enhanced senses (like Wolverine). Some are better at these abilities, taking the strength to Thing lever or the speed to Quicksilver level (no vampire could move as fast as Flash or are strong as Hulk), for instance. But those are few.

Some vampires have mastered other tricks. Some can fly, some can transform to various nocturnal animals, some can mesmerize others and some can communicate with animals. Some can even turn into mist, move things with their minds or have limited control of the elements. Not all vampires can do these things, in fact most can't.

All vampires are immortal. Children and youth vampires age 1 year ever 100 years until they physically reach 18. That goes for their minds too.

Now that you understand the rules of my world, here are some fun pics I've collected...

The A to Z Challenge! H is for Hawke

Like last week, we get a letter that gives us a bite from the story NIGHT CHILDREN: DARK BIRTH. H is for Hawke.

"Who is Hawke", you may ask? Hawke is the dreaded vampire hunter whom crossed paths with Annabelle and Roland in 1692 and again in 1714. He is one of two men whom successfully gives the vampire Annabelle daymares.

Chapter Nineteen: The Courage of Hawke

She didn’t want to face Hawke.  If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.  Unfortunately, Annabelle knew she wouldn’t be that lucky.

Within the week she was proven correct.  After a successful hunt, she and Roland sat on a log near the outer northern boundary and drank from two dead foxes.  Angry shouts drew their attention towards the barrier.

“After everything we’ve seen, I’m almost afraid to check anymore.”  She stopped at a large clump of bushes near the barrier’s edge and knelt down.

Roland joined her.  “Not me.”  He always worried her when he didn’t say much. 

Her breath caught at the sight of Hawke.  Defiantly standing within a clearing just outside the shimmering barrier he brandished long twin swords.  The weapons were made of thin metal and each had long black handles.  Annabelle saw a picture once when she worked at her father’s book binding business.  She thought they were called katana swords.

Hawke grinned with wicked insanity.

A male vampire stood beside Penelope.  Their backs faced Annabelle and Roland.  Behind Hawke towered a Sasquatch.  Surrounding him on both sides were four more vampire men she’d never seen before. 

Servo stood a ways off by a tree.  His face split into a yellow smile that didn’t reach his frightened eyes.  “We have you cornered, hunter.  The Master will reward us greatly for your death.”

Hawke laughed and Annabelle’s blood curled.  “Talk is cheap, ghoul.”

The four unnamed vampires charged and Hawke sprung to life.  He slashed wide with his swords; one vampire was cleaved in two from the right shoulder to the mid section.  He dissolved to ash before hitting the ground.  The other lost his head.

A third vampire bit Hawke’s arm but the vampire slayer slammed the flat of his sword against his attacker’s face.  He spun around and slashed off the vampire’s arm.  Another one punched Hawke five feet into the Sasquatch’s waiting arms.  Hawke dropped his swords as the towering creature squeezed him.

“Break him!” Servo commanded from the safety of the bushes.

“I will.”  The one who punched Hawke rushed forward. 

Hawke smiled and pulled out a strange silver blade from his long, dirty coat.  It reflected the ivory light of the moon.  Shorter than his twin swords, it had a thick tip that tapered down to its hilt.  A flick of a latch and two smaller blades sprung out from either side.  The weapon resembled a warped cross. 

Shock followed shock.  Hawke spun the weapon backwards and jabbed deeply into the howling Sasquatch, then pulled it from the creature’s gore.  The hulking beast fell back to touch its wound. 

His arms free, Hawke slashed upward, severing the charging vampire’s head at the neck. 

With his other arm free, Hawke whipped out three silver stars and flung them at Servo.  The creep screamed and ducked.

“Enough,” Penelope sneered as glowing sparks shot from her fingers and lit up the clearing.  Hawke dived, leaped and jumped out of the way.  Penelope kept sending blasts of magic at him but he didn’t stop.  He used his weapon to slice another vampire in two.

Hawke sneered. “You’ll all pay for polluting God’s earth.”

“Stop him!  Stop him!” Servo screamed while hoping up and down.

Hawke dodged various blows from the last unnamed vampire.  It was the one who lost an arm, but it didn’t slow him down.  Annabelle could almost swear Hawke was playing with him.  He ducked and cut, but only left minor wounds.  “After I kill the rest I think I’ll let you live, Guardante.”

“Why?”  A trace of hope flashed in Servo’s wild eyes.

“So I can use Hell-Slayer here to carve a message to your dark master.”  The hope melted into fear. 

Annabelle pulled on Roland’s arm, “Come.  Let’s leave before he sees us.”  Roland didn’t budge.  He watched Hawke’s moves with deep curiosity.

“Roland, please!”

“I want to see how he does it.”

“Does what?”

Hawke slashed off the last vampire’s head, rolled on the floor to miss a crippling grab from the Sasquatch.  He picked up one of the swords he’d dropped. 

“If we have to survive Dominic’s attack, I want to learn how.”

She hadn’t thought about it.  Hawke survived years fighting not only hordes of creatures, but Dominic himself.  He still scared her, but she started to notice something admirable about the hunter.  He stared certain death in the face and laughed.

Hawke drove his sword through the Sasquatch’s chest.  The monster gave an anguished howl, and then dropped to the ground, dead.  She felt sorry for the beast. 

She looked up in alarm as magic exploded across Hawke’s back.  His coat on fire, he writhed on the ground while strange red lightning crept over him.

“Witch!”  He threw a silver star her direction.  It came close enough to cut her cheek and break her concentration but the damage was done. 

Hawke rolled on the ground and let out a moan.  He stood up, placed Hell-Slayer in its sheath and picked up his other sword.  A large open hole in the back of his coat revealed deep, red scorch marks.  “I’ll be back.  Sure, I can’t heal like you filth.” For the first time she noticed fresh cuts that bled through his torn clothing.  “But I will return.  I’ll make sure you die like all those witches in Salem.  You’ll see.”

As a human, Hawke could enter the barrier any time he chose.  He wouldn’t be able to see it or even know it existed, but it didn’t matter.  He could return anytime.  The thought chilled her bones.

Annabelle’s heavy heart beats slowed once Hawke disappeared into the woods and Servo left with Penelope, but any of them could return at any time.  They had to take their training more seriously.  The threats were building.

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Who's Who in the Annabelle Universe? Christopher

CHRISTOPHER

No picture at this time. Hopefully that will change someday.

Physical characteristics:
Christopher is tall with long black hair. He wears elegant clothing but it's worn lose, as if he has lost the desire to keep up appearances.

Personality:
His countenance is one of regret, self loathing and a general resignation to his fate.  He keeps himself amused by talking with his victims before he kills them or manipulating anyone who interests him into spending time at his side, telling him stories about their past. He has a great deal of pent up frustration against Vanessa Kimball, Reginald Worthing and the Rakes. He has no love for his subjects, the Destitute.

Known History:
Christopher was of royal birth. His last name was lost in history and it's doubtful even he remembers it. At one point in his life he was a young nobleman. He'd run through the farms and towns of England with other young nobles, causing mischief and spoiling lives along with his best friend, Reginald Worthing. Once he met noblewoman Vanessa Kimball everything changed. She turned Christopher into a vampire along with the other noblemen and called them the Rakes. She did it so she wouldn't be alone.

For many years the Rakes ran through London and the surrounding countryside.  They'd make sport of killing and terrorized anyone they wanted. One night Christopher decided to feast in Whitechaple, one of the more poorer sections of London. He found a lady of ill repute and used her for a meal. Unfortunately he bit her three times, unaware of the Three Bite Rule. He left her for dead but she transformed and in turn fed on some of the homeless of London.  Instead of turning into regular vampires, the homeless vampires became shadowy creatures with no sustenance.

Once Lady Vanessa found out, she exiled Christopher to a warehouse where he would rule the many new vampires, now called the Destitute. It became his job to make sure these shadowy creatures didn't give away the existence of vampires in London. Christopher accepted his penance and ruled the Destitute with a bitter heart. He discovered soon after his exile that his former best friend, Reginald Worthing , told Vanessa about Christopher's mistake. The lady of the evening, known as Abigail, met Reginald, told him what happened and the two of them ran away for America to start new lives.

Christopher had a cat named Azmodel. It's actually a male vampire whom turned into a cat. Christopher mesmerized Azmodel into thinking he is a cat. Azmodel stayed with Christopher for many years until he decided to follow Annabelle Foresight.

Who's Who in the Annabelle Universe? The Palmer Orphans

THE PALMER ORPHANS

No picture at this time. Hopefully that will change someday.


Known History:
In London, when the vampire Rake known as Ryan turned teacher Molly O' Connell, she was upset. She rejected him so he captured five of her students and turned them into vampires in thier sleep. Molly gathered them and escaped Ryan's clutches. She found an abandoned building in the heart of London where they could hide. She named their home the Palmer Orphanage after a famous vampire hunter. It was her way of rejecting their new life. Despite her feelings, Molly continued to teach the children what little she knew.

The American vampires Annabelle Foresight and Thomas Dunston were running from vampire hunter Hawke. They stumbled upon the orphanage and Molly gave them shelter. Annabelle and Thomas soon moved in with the orphans and eventually everyone relocated to Germany's Black Forest where they joined up with the Mullo vampire gypsy tribe.

Who they are:
Mary (Age 16)
Eric (Age 14)
Selina and Samuel (Age 10)
Charlotte (Age 7)

SIR THOMAS PALMER

A knight who fought in the 2^ndcrusades. Roxanna turned him and forced him to serve and defend her. He eventually rebelled and dedicated his life to hunting down the few vampires she turned after the Exodus War. He became one of the finest warriors of the Holy Order of the Vampyr. He fought valiantly but lost faith. He fought for England against Scotland in 1314 AD in the Battle of Bannockburn. He fell in love with a Scottish cleaning woman and retired in the hills of Scotland.

His legend impressed many vampires who wanted to be good but nevertheless served the vampire lord Domi out of fear. Molly O Connell used his name for her orphanage.

 

Movie Review: Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania is everything I want in an animated funny satire film of the classic monsters. It's got a full cast of creatures with only the Phantom and Hyde absent. The intro uses the classic Universal horror type music and all the trappings are there.

Of course I'm going to love this film not just because of it's monster tributes but also for the wonderful story.

 

Dracula is a single dad trying to keep his daughter safe so he creates a resort for all the monsters to hide out at and achieve peace. He tells everyone that the humans are scary and evil and want to cut open their heads and put candy in them.

 

 

A human guy happens along, Drac tries to hide him and then disguise him but of course his daughter Mavis falls for the human anyway. Hilarity ensues.

As if all of this wasn't good enough for me to enjoy this film, in the beginning we get a wonderful segment with Dracula trying to raise his child.

Now you know my obsession with vampire children brought on by Annabelle. Not only is it sweet and entertaining for anyone, but it has Drac teaching her to fly as a bat. Yes, you heard that right. Just like I did back in 2004 when I began the first draft of Dark Birth. Of course they do things differently and it's very sweet, but it only serve4s to make me love this film all the more.

Mavis trying to sew her own cape in her bat form.

 

So I give this film a huge thumbs up. I didn't get to see it in theatres but I knew about it for awhile and it's so worth the wait. I consider it the modern Mad Monster Party. Check it out!

 

Who's Who in the Annabelle Universe? Apotamkin

APOTAMKIN

No picture at this time. Hopefully that will change someday.


Physical characteristics:
They stand two and a half feet tall and are covered with long, scraggly hair. They have two sharp, pointed fangs protruded up past their top lips.

What they are:
Small tribal vampires known to various Native American tribes including the Malisseet, Passamaquoddy and Mohegan people of the Northeast.  As a tribal species, they are quick to obey their "god" Hobomock whom others know as Domi, the Lord of the vampires.

They communicate with grunts that they repeat back and forth, signifying various actions. They like to carry off children in the middle of the night. They feed on humans so they are considered Dark Creatures. Legend has it that they have been stopped more than once by he Makiawisug, or Little People of the Woodlands. Some say the Makiawisug resemble pale children with red eyes and sharp fangs.