Chapter Six: Confrontation

These characters are not mine but the bad writing and poor storytelling are.

Oskar stood frozen in terror. His hand was still reaching for the cellar door but his mind was searching desperately for a means of escape. He glanced toward the front door which seemed as though it was on the other side of the world. The tall figure took a few steps in Oskar's direction and then halted. The lack of blood in Oskar's veins hindered the normal acuteness of his vision but when the figure drew closer he was able to get a clear view.

The figure was a man with an imposing stature and slender build. If Oskar didn't know better he would have guessed the man to be around his dad's age. He was wearing a dark grey business suit and had his long, chestnut colored hair pulled back away from his forehead and secured tightly in a ponytail. He stood with his hands behind his back, sneering at Oskar.

Oskar made a mad dash for the front door. When he got close he reached out for the door knob. A vise-like grasp took hold of him from behind and ended his attempt to flee. The man lifted Oskar off his feet with one hand, holding him by the back of his neck. Oskar kicked and struggled but to no avail. When he realized his efforts were futile he became still and submissive. The man pulled Oskar close and spoke to him in an arrogant tone.

"That's more like it child" a wicked chuckle followed his words.

"What terrible manners you have."

He swung Oskar backward and then brought him forward, slamming him face first into the front door. Oskar moaned in pain and was then flung across the room. He crashed into the plaster wall and fell dazed and hurting to the floor. Oskar tried to pick himself up but his movements were restrained by the aches that racked his limbs. Without an ample amount of blood his body was unable to recover from the injuries he sustained. He lifted his head and searched the room for the man but he was nowhere in sight. Oskar inhaled deeply and gritted his teeth to bear the pain as he made a concentrated effort to crawl towards the front door.

Oskar had pulled himself within a few feet of the door when he heard footsteps coming up behind him. A hand took hold of his ankle with a sturdy grip and began to drag him back across the floor. Oskar watched the front door again become something impossible to reach as it shrank from the distance that was growing between them. His trip across the dusty wooden floor came to an end in the middle of the large empty room near the forbidden door. He heard clinking sounds then felt a hard, coarse object clasp his ankle tightly. Next a thundering noise echoed through the empty house and Oskar felt strong vibrations in the floor with each eruption. He turned his head to look behind him and saw the man using a hammer to drive a large metal spike through the eye of a chain link into the age strengthened wood joist beneath the floor. With each impact of the hammer's head upon the spike Oskar blinked away all his aspiration for escape. The hammer's storm ceased when the spike was buried deep into the floor and Oskar was chained and shackled like a wild animal. He turned his head back toward the door and closed his eyes.

Oskar lay face down and flat on his stomach with his arms stretched out in front of him, still reaching for the door. The man brought one of the chairs over, placed it in front of him and sat down with a haughty posture. He raised his right hand and rubbed his chin inquisitively.

"You know child, I haven't seen one of our kind in well over a century."he said calmly.

The words got Oskar's attention and he lifted his head and rested his chin on the floor, looking at the vampire sitting before him.

"Tell me, where is the one who made you and from what land have you come?"

Oskar replied with silence. He would never rat out Eli no matter what this fiend inflicted upon him.

The man leaned in and spoke with feigned sympathy.

"You look hungry child. Pity, I dined early this evening and oh what a feast it was."

He ran his tongue around his lips and smacked as if he had just eaten a tasty morsel.

"I might be inclined to fetch a treat for you if you would only converse with me and satisfy my curiousity."

Oskar turned his head away.

"I see in your eyes that you understand my speech child.," he said with a more serious tone.

With an angry and frustarted snarl the man shot up from the chair. He took hold of the chair and threw it against a wall and as it broke into fragments and splinters Oskar flinched and tensed. Oskar kept his head turned away and closed his eyes, he drew his arms in close to his sides, as if he were hiding from the vampire's rage.

"It's taken me decades and countless identities to procure the deeds to this house and the surrounding lands that you have made your playground!" the man shouted.

He began to pace angrily beside Oskar.

"I have made this place my own private sanctuary and taken the necessary steps to ensure that it will not be disturbed for many generations."

He knelt beside Oskar and snatched his head up by his hair so that he could look Oskar in the eyes. Oskar grimaced, opened his eyes and looked into the infuriated stare of the vampire.

"I will not have my sanctuary infested with vile rodents such as yourself boy."his words rang with contempt.

He released his grip and Oskar's head returned to the floor. The man stood up and unleashed a furious roar that filled the house. He stamped to the front door, opened it and slammed it violently as he left the house. The reverberations from the impact rattled the windows in the room and caused Oskar's ears to ring.

When Oskar was satisfied after a long absence that the man was gone he peeled himself off the floor slowly and eased into a sitting position. He pulled his shackled ankle close to inspect the integrity of his leash. He pried and clawed at the shackle but the rusted iron was stronger than him. He scooted towards the recessed spike and grabbed the chain. Oskar yanked and jerked with all the force he could summon but after several failed attempts to remove the spike from the floor he gave in to despair. He slumped back to the floor and his thoughts turned to Eli. Would she be alright? Would he ever see her again? Tears rolled softly from the corners of his eyes. He was hungry, afraid, hurting and exhausted.

Oskar laid on the floor for what seemed like a lifetime. In his head he played out the remainder of the night over and over searching for a favorable outcome. He found none. Only thoughts of Eli alleviated his distress but even they were intruded upon by the sinister sneer of his captor which haunted his mind, reminding him that he may never see her again.

The front door burst open from a powerful kick and flew back against the wall. The sound of the collision startled Oskar who jumped up into a crouching pose. His guard was up and he was prepared for the worst, he thought. His defensive reflexes were immediately disarmed and his heart sank as he watched in sheer horror as the man stepped into the house carrying an all too familiar trunk.

Oskar watched intently as the man walked over to him and stopped. He raised the trunk high above his head with both arms and then let it fall freely to the floor. The trunk landed upright with a sickening thud a few feet from Oskar whose gaze had never left the trunk since it entered the house. Oskar's eyes went from the trunk to the vampire and burned with indignation. His lips quivered with anger as he growled and in a blind rage he lunged at the man. Oskar's momentum became his enemy when the chain tightened and the shackle dug into his flesh, bringing him back to the floor abruptly. He rolled in agony but quickly focused his attention on the trunk which was resting only inches from him.

The man stood with his arms folded across his chest as he cackled at Oskar's failed attack. He towered above the trunk and while he continued his twisted laughter he kicked it. The trunk rolled end over end, going past Oskar who followed it closely with worry sprawled across his face. It came to a stand still on its back with the lid facing Oskar. He watched anxiously as the lid fell open and revealed a relieving emptiness. Only the clothes that had softened Eli's sleep were inside. Oskar's wrath subsided and was replaced with a mixture of happiness and dread. He was happy that Eli had escaped but the uncertainty of his fate produced concerns far from small.

Oskar turned and looked at the man who was standing almost within reach but the chain was tight. It would not allow him get any closer. The man squatted down in front of Oskar and smiled.

"Foolish child. Did you not think I knew about the cave?"he said smugly.

"It has been my refuge many times. I told you...this is MY land."

He stood up and turned his back to Oskar.

"Using one of my trunks for your rest was clever. I'll give you that."

Oskar was so unnerved from the events of the night combined with the cocktail of pain and emotions that flowed rampantly through his mind and body that it took a moment for the words to sink in. He had said "for your rest." He was not aware of Eli. She was safe. Oskar put his face against the floor and let a vague smile reside on it briefly. Victory. The battle had not been in vain. His most prized possession would not be captured.

With his back still turned to Oskar the man walked over to a window and slowly pulled the thick drapes open.

"The morning sun is fast approaching child."

"I have no need or time for petulant rodents that can only spread disease."

"I will open the drapes on the windows in this room and leave you to the vengeance of our enemy."

Oskar looked up and past the man out into the view of the sky granted by the window. He spoke the truth. The safety of the night was already retreating from the assault of the coming sun. Dawn's light was coming. Oskar knew his time was coming with it

The man turned around to face Oskar, who now pleaded,"Please... I don't want to...

CRASH!!!

The window behind the man exploded and the drapes fell to the floor. Oskar watched the man's face contort in agony when a huge splintered tree limb burst through his chest. The blood forced out of his body by the projectile splattered across Oskar's face. The man bent forward and howled in pain. The limb had missed his heart but caused a fountain of blood to flow from the wound. Eli lept through the shattered window and onto the man's back. The force of her impact caused him to stumble forward into Oskar's reach. Oskar wasted no time. He latched on to the man's leg and bit deeply into his thigh while Eli tore into his neck. The man assailed Oskar's back with blows but the rapid loss of blood rendered his barrage useless. Oskar and Eli's deep gulps drained the tall vampire quickly and with no strength to resist he collapsed forward. Eli rolled off his back when they hit the floor.

Oskar scrambled quickly to the vampire's head and twisted it around until it was held in place only by shreds of flesh. He then put both of his hands together to form one fist , wailed loudly and pounded the twitching body of the vampire over and over. Tears streamed down his face.

"Oskar!" Eli yelled but he didn't hear.

"Oskar! It's over Oskar!"

Oskar was impervious to her pleas. His tears and blows continued to rain down upon the body. Eli ran at Oskar and tackled him, forcing him to the floor. He struggled to free himself from her embrace but couldn't.

"Oskar! It's ok!"

"It's alright! It's over!"

When Eli's voice finally penetrated Oskar's fury he became still. His breathing and pulse slowed. Eli loosened her hold and rose up to look at him. When their eyes met Oskar began to sob heavily. He put his arms around Eli and pulled her back down to him in a tight embrace. She hugged him tightly also. After a few moments Eli pulled herself away.

"Oskar, we have to get you free. Look."

She pointed to the floor near the broken window. It was littered with shards of glass and fallen drapes but what concerned Eli was the sunlight that was creeping across the floor toward Oskar.

Oskar quickly crawled as far away from the steady march of the sunlight as the chain would allow. He and Eli both pulled and yanked at the spike with the chain. The spike was stubborn and would not relinquish its hold. They both looked around franticly for something to use against it but found nothing.

The sunlight reached the mauled body of the vampire and in seconds the stench of seared flesh filled the room. Oskar and Eli watched the flames with fear and satisfaction as they consumed the large tyrant that had threatened to take away all that they held dear, each other. They continued their desperate struggle with the spike and finally it loosened. With a joint effort they pulled together with all they had and the spike creaked and moaned as it slid up and out of the joist.

Oskar grabbed the chain with one hand and Eli's hand with his other hand. Without looking back toward the sunlight they ran off to the safety of the cellar.