At first glance, Nora appeared no different than any other young female living in Manhattan, New York City. Only those who knew better understood why she was able to pass unnoticed among them. For instance, many assumed that she lived alone because she preferred it that way. Others believed that she had been abandoned by her family after becoming pregnant by some random man. And others simply mistook her for an exotic dancer working in a seedy strip joint located far below street level. However, these assumptions were all wrong. There was absolutely nothing glamorous or sleazy about Nora; she merely wanted to live life as unobtrusively as possible. Since the events that occurred shortly thereafter, there was hardly a day that went by when she did not wonder if the world really belonged to mankind or was owned solely by vampires and other supernatural creatures.
Her father, Albert, was born and raised in the village of Llanelli, South Wales, and had come to America seeking fame and fortune just ten years ago. Although he possessed little education, his skills as a carpenter were exceptional, and his reputation grew rapidly throughout the city. By the time of his death, he was known widely enough that people referred to him affectionately as Mr. Price, although his real name was never spoken aloud. It was also rumored that he had once served as a soldier in the British Army, but since his role in World War II ended decades prior, most of the stories surrounding his wartime service were false. What was true was that he had fought alongside General George S. Patton during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944; however, he returned to England immediately afterward to recuperate from injuries sustained at Bastogne. The details concerning exactly how he died remained shrouded in mystery until the night of October 27th—the last full moon of autumn.
That fateful evening, Nora woke abruptly from slumber to feel something cold touch her face. Upon looking up, she discovered that the glass pane next to her bed had shattered, allowing shards of ice-cold water to pour through the cracks into her room. Ignoring the chill, she rolled out of bed and stepped into her bathroom, which she rarely visited unless necessary. When she opened the medicine cabinet mirror, she gasped in shock at the image reflected back at her. Wearing only a thin cotton robe, she stood frozen in horror at her reflection: her hair hung limply about her shoulders; her cheeks were hollowed out with hunger, and her green eyes held no sparkle whatsoever. Her long black tresses now lay matted on top of her naked form where they draped loosely across her body, leaving her neck exposed and vulnerable. Most frighteningly, her teeth had elongated and lengthened into razor-sharp fangs that extended well past the tips of her gums. Shuddering uncontrollably, she closed the medicine cabinet and rushed to the bedroom windows to seal them shut.
Not knowing whether she should scream for help or hide forever in fear, Nora decided instead to flee upstairs and barricade herself behind locked doors. After securing both sets of locks, she picked up her cell phone and called Jack, desperate for assistance. She explained briefly what happened, adding that she feared that whoever broke into the apartment intended to kill her rather than steal anything. With a sense of urgency mounting inside him, he agreed to meet her at their hotel early the following morning. While waiting impatiently in bed, she considered calling the police for advice but decided against it. After all, she didn't know what sort of trouble might come knocking at her door tomorrow, and she had no desire to involve the authorities in her private matter.
Throughout the remainder of the night, Nora paced nervously in her room, worried that someone would break into the building again and that she would be forced to fight for her life. She also suffered from a cold but rejected the idea instantly. Not wanting anyone else involved, she made the decision to remain silent about the incident, even though she knew that it meant accepting certain risks.
She spent hours trying unsuccessfully to sleep, lying awake and listening to the wind whistling through the broken panes of glass above her head. Then finally, exhausted by the constant barrage of noise coming from the storm raging outside, she drifted off to rest. In spite of the danger posed by the intruder, she slept peacefully that night, unaware that she had already lost control of the situation.
In the morning, Nora rose early and prepared breakfast for Jack. As usual, he arrived late to avoid disturbing her peace of mind. But on this particular occasion, he failed to show up altogether. Instead, he sent word via text message that he couldn't make it, so she ate her meal alone without interruption. When she was done eating, she sat on the edge of the bed and began to read her favorite magazine. An hour later, she heard a knock at her front door. Peering through the peephole, she could see that it was Jack standing on the stoop. Without thinking, she unlocked and opened the door, expecting to find him holding a bouquet of flowers. To her great disappointment, he carried neither. Rather than speaking directly to her, he handed her a note written in bold block letters on thick cream paper. It contained only three words: 'Call.'
With trembling fingers, Nora tore open the envelope to discover that Jack had left her a telephone number underlined twice. Puzzled by his cryptic instructions, she placed the card aside momentarily to retrieve her mobile device from the nearby dresser. A moment later, she dialed the unfamiliar area code. Moments passed before the line rang, then another ring sounded in response. Finally, a male voice answered, demanding, "Who is calling?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "This is Nora."
After a brief pause, the man asked, "Is this Miss Price?"
Shaking her head vigorously, she affirmed, "No! This isn't Nora!"
A short silence ensued while the caller attempted to decipher the meaning of her reply. At length, he inquired, "Miss…what is your maiden name?"
Hoping to get him off the hook quickly, she blurted out, "Puget!"
As expected, she received no further response. The receiver fell silent, and Nora realized that she had somehow managed to annoy him. Pushing away from the wall and turning to leave, she noticed that the phone was still connected. She walked to the desk and picked up the handset, pressing it firmly against her ear and whispering, "Hello?"
There was no answer, and she tried several times before giving up. Turning to stare at her alarm clock, she noted that it was almost noon, which gave her ample time to prepare lunch for Jack if he showed up. Taking the opportunity to wash her dishes, she turned on the television and watched various news channels report the latest developments regarding the ongoing war between humans and vampires. Several minutes later, she glanced at the phone one final time before deciding to call Jack back.
When he answered, he seemed surprised to hear from her. "What do you want?"
Ignoring his curt tone, she responded gently, "Jack, I need your help."
Saying nothing, he waited patiently for her to continue.
Fidgeting uncomfortably beneath his gaze, she said, "Someone broke into my home yesterday…"
"…and killed my father."
Stunned by her revelation, he replied, "Oh God, Nora. I'm sorry. How are you doing?"
Nora felt numb as she thought about her father being murdered by a vampire. He always told us that we must learn to protect ourselves, but none of us ever imagined that such evil existed in the world. We've seen movies like Dracula or Nosferatu, but we never truly believed that our own reality would become so twisted and dark someday. Now that I understand that vampires exist, I realize that I have a duty to warn everyone I possibly can. If I don't act soon, hundreds of innocent lives will be taken."
"Listen carefully, please," Jack interrupted. "Your father was not slain by a vampire, nor has he been replaced with an impostor. Your father was murdered by a human. Someone deliberately drove a stake through his heart, causing him to bleed to death."
Leaning forward to place her elbows on the table, Nora stared blankly ahead for a few moments before asking, "Why? Why did they murder him?"
He paused briefly, considering his options. Eventually, he replied, "I suspect that he was killed because he refused to join a gang of organized criminals who prey upon humans in order to feed their insatiable thirst for blood. They may not be vampires themselves, but they're certainly feeding on the same thing."
Gazing at her curiously, he added, "You mentioned earlier that your father was a carpenter. Did he work somewhere close by?"
Trying desperately to think clearly, she replied, "Yes, he worked very near here in a small town named Brooklyn."
It took some convincing, but Jack eventually convinced Nora to accompany him to Brooklyn—not far from New York City proper—in hopes of learning more about the events leading to her father's untimely demise. Arriving first at the morgue, he confirmed her suspicions when she saw photographs depicting his corpse in its casket. Next, they stopped at the local police station to speak with Sergeant Jimmie Cooper, who informed them that the killer had likely escaped undetected after murdering two other men within days of killing Mr. Price. According to Cooper, there wasn't much evidence available due to the fact that the bodies were found in different locations and badly decomposed. Since the victims shared similar characteristics, the police suspected foul play, especially given the proximity of each crime scene.
Following directions provided by Cooper, Jack and Nora proceeded to Brooklyn Cemetery where they met Detective Frank Caputo who led them down a path toward the cemetery gates. There, they encountered several people walking around in groups wearing white shirts emblazoned with red crosses. Although most appeared friendly enough, they kept their distance until Jack identified himself as a friend of Caterina's. Once he established his identity, the crowd dispersed, revealing a pair of wooden stakes embedded in the ground just beyond the entrance gate. These symbols marked the gravesites of those unfortunate souls whose remains had yet to be claimed by family members or friends.
Walking deeper into the cemetery, Jack pointed out the names of various notable individuals.
Pointing to a stone nearby, Jack revealed, "That's hers."
To Nora's surprise, the tombstone bore the simple inscription: 'Beloved Wife, Mother & Friend'. She recalled how her mother used to tell stories about Lily, explaining that she married a wealthy man who promised her everything except happiness. Shortly thereafter, he abandoned his wife and children and moved to California, taking all of her money along with him. Unable to pay rent or buy groceries, she became homeless for many months until fate brought an elderly couple to her rescue. Soon afterward, she remarried a widower who loved and cared deeply for her; however, he died tragically during childbirth shortly afterward. Later, she met and fell in love with James Price, whom she described as the best husband any woman could hope for. Sadly, he succumbed suddenly to lung cancer five years ago, leaving behind a young son named Nicholas. Her story ended sadly with the loss of both parents and the birth of her daughter, Nora Rose.
At last, arriving at the grave of her deceased father, Nora gasped aloud at the sight of the freshly dug hole. Standing beside the pit, she looked over at Jack and said, "How horrible."
Seeing her expression, he nodded slowly in agreement before saying, "Very."
Forcing herself to take deep breaths as tears welled up inside her eyes, she continued staring at the fresh mound of dirt. After what seemed like forever, Nora finally spoke softly, "They didn't even give him a proper funeral service. Just tossed him in here like trash and buried him alive."
Pulling her attention from the gaping hole, Nora scanned the cemetery grounds for signs of anything unusual. Looking closely, she spotted a large oak tree growing right next to the spot where her father lay interred. Its branches reached high overhead, casting a shadow onto the surrounding land, suggesting that the roots might extend underground. Intrigued by this observation, she decided to follow them to determine whether they extended into the earth below. Following the root system through the grassy lawn, she came across something unexpected. Lying on the ground at the base of the trunk was an old-fashioned hand axe made of heavy iron forged from steel. Holding it gingerly between two fingers, she recognized it instantly. With a slight smile, she whispered, "My father owned one just like this."
Looking at the blade, she marveled at its beauty, noting that it possessed sharpened edges and a keen point. Shrugging, she remarked, "Maybe it belonged to someone else who also worked as a carpenter, but maybe it doesn't matter now that he's dead."
Taking hold of the handle, she pulled hard on the shaft and yanked the weapon free. As the edge sliced into her palm, she cried out in pain and dropped it to inspect the damage caused by the powerful blow. Blood oozed freely, dripping steadily onto the soft soil. Glancing at her wrist, she noted that half of the cut was gone, exposing the bone underneath. Wiping away the remaining blood with her forearm, Nora examined the wound again and considered removing her glove to better examine the injury. But instead, she simply wrapped her hand tightly with gauze bandages, tying off the ends with medical tape. Then, using a twig from nearby bushes, she fashioned a crude splint for her injured arm and secured it loosely to prevent further movement. When she finished, Nora smiled ruefully and said, "Well, I guess I'll have to use this for a while."
Turning back toward the direction of the cemetery gate, she began following the trail left by the murderer. A quick look around revealed that the area was deserted and devoid of any clues as to who committed the murders or why. While heading into the general vicinity of Brooklyn Cemetery, she stumbled across a series of broken gravestones scattered throughout the field. Some were missing entire sections of stone, while others had been toppled completely. One particular marker stood upright despite having fallen flat on its face, creating the impression that whoever had destroyed it hadn't bothered to remove it entirely. It struck her as odd since the monument was shaped like an angelic figure holding a cross above her head. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the statue had suffered significant damage—its wings were torn open, and the top part of its torso was bent backward. Scattered nearby were pieces of wood resembling stakes.
She followed the line of destruction created by these remnants, discovering numerous additional markers lying in disarray. Each was damaged in a manner similar to the original victim's grave site, indicating that they must belong to other victims. In addition, there was evidence that someone had recently attempted to dig up another plot of land, destroying whatever remained in their wake. At least three holes were visible in the ground, each measuring approximately ten feet wide and eight inches deep. Judging from the size of the stones and the amount of mud covering the area, it seemed apparent that the perpetrator had unearthed a coffin containing human remains. The discovery reminded her once again of the recent attack on her apartment building and the possibility that the perpetrators knew exactly what they intended to destroy before setting foot outside.
Continuing on her way, Nora walked past rows upon rows of ancient trees planted along the perimeter of the property. Most grew tall and strong, providing shade for anyone visiting the cemetery. However, some of the larger specimens were beginning to wither, losing leaves and dying prematurely as if starved for water. Given time, perhaps nature would reclaim the land and return it to its natural state. For now, though, she wondered what kind of creatures lurked among the shadows cast by the towering oaks.
As she neared the end of her investigation, Nora noticed a group of four teenagers approaching the main entrance to the cemetery. All wore black T-shirts bearing red crosses emblazoned across their chests. Two boys and two girls, held hands as they strolled side by side without fear or hesitation. To the casual observer, they appeared harmless; however, they were actually quite dangerous—vampires who fed on humans rather than drinking animal blood. Their presence suggested that the killer responsible for murdering her father frequented the premises, which explained how he managed to avoid detection. On occasion, he visited other areas such as Manhattan, Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit in search of new blood to consume. If so, then he probably traveled alone or with a small number of associates—the sort who preferred being unseen and unheard. Only rarely did he need to involve others, usually preferring to kill in silence lest word gets out about his activities. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be long before the authorities caught wind of his depraved habits. He would either be captured or killed soon thereafter, giving rise to endless speculation regarding the identity of his mysterious accomplices.
A sudden gust of wind swept by, causing Nora's hair to flutter wildly against her forehead. Turning slightly to shield her face from the driving rain, she paused briefly to catch her breath. Stretching her arms upward, she tried unsuccessfully to keep the moisture from penetrating her skin. Moments later, she heard faint whispers emanating from nearby foliage. Pushing aside the wet strands of her hair, she peered through the thick undergrowth to see who was lurking in the shadows.
"I've got you now!"
Her heart pounding furiously, Nora froze in place and listened intently. Faint cries echoed intermittently in response to the voice calling out to her. Finally, she recognized the tone as belonging to a child's laughter. And judging by its pitch and timbre, it sounded familiar…and not far ahead in proximity. Moving carefully forward, she edged nearer to the sound until finally spotting something moving within the dense woods. Peering into the darkness, she saw nothing more than a dark patch of vegetation swaying gently in the breeze. Before deciding to investigate further, Nora took careful note of her surroundings. Finding no indication of danger, she ventured farther into the forest until she discovered what appeared to be a pile of clothing beneath a cluster of pine boughs. Stepping close to observe the scene, she found herself looking straight into the eye sockets of a decapitated corpse. Bending down to get a better view, she confirmed that the severed head belonged to a male wearing a blue baseball cap. Seeing that the body was dressed only in boxer shorts, she concluded that he'd likely been murdered elsewhere and dragged here after death for reasons unknown. Although the head wasn't recognizable due to decomposition, Nora felt certain it belonged to one of her friends.
Following the path of disturbed dirt leading away from the mound, Nora headed northward in pursuit of the source of the disturbance. Along the way, she encountered several other piles of clothes, shoes, and personal items discarded carelessly in the midst of the brush. They were all associated with different victims whose identities she couldn't immediately identify.
Curious, she approached one particularly interesting find and crouched low to peer at the object hidden amidst the weeds. She recognized it instantly as a wooden stake carved with intricate patterns meant to resemble flowers and vines. Her eyes widened when she remembered that her father kept such weapons stored safely in his workshop. There was little doubt that this item belonged to him.
After making sure the area was clear, she retrieved the wooden spearhead from the ground and tucked it neatly away in the inner pocket of her jacket. Once satisfied, Nora moved on, continuing deeper into the woods. Soon, the sounds of laughter ceased abruptly, leaving behind only the crackling of dry leaves and the distant cry of a crow soaring above the treetops. Striding swiftly through the forest, Nora eventually came to a halt near a pond located on the outskirts of the cemetery grounds. Crouching down, she leaned her head against a sturdy tree and closed her eyes momentarily to rest. Slipping easily into unconsciousness, she dreamed of home sweet home: the warm embrace of family members she loved dearly. Then suddenly, the nightmare returned. This time, her father's headless body fell lifelessly to the floor. Clutching the makeshift splint, she stared blankly at the empty space where her father's neck used to reside. Frantically searching for answers, she searched desperately for a reason why he should die. No sooner had she begun asking questions than the world faded to white.