Vampires vs Aliens

Chapter One

As the sun began its cooling descent, Eva felt the humidity of the summer day finally begin to lift from her head; a pressure had built around it all day. Normally, the oppressive atmosphere signalled to her a storm was coming, but she couldn't see a cloud in the clear blue sky. She rubbed her temples to clear her mind and gently pushed herself back and forth on the swing in the park, allowing the breeze from her motion to wash away the stifling humidity.

Her friends sat crossed legged on the floor in front. They swung in and out of her view while they tapped away on their phones, texting, tik-tocking or twittering. She didn’t know which or cared much. The day grew late, and she would have to say goodbye to another summer’s day and head home for a late tea.

She closed her blue eyes, swung back and forth, and continued to enjoy the cooling breeze on her face while her dark bobbed hair floated away in the air. At home, she imagined her parents would be enjoying the peace and quiet now she'd reached those dreaded teenage years. She got on with them okay. For parents, they were good, and they had allowed her to go to the park by herself.

She spent most of the day with her friends, exchanging gossip about school friends and celebrities. They had teased her a little about her crush on Josh and encouraged her to do something about it this year.

She idly daydreamed about being his girlfriend, and her pulse raced faster. She pushed her legs harder back and forth on the swing, gaining extra height and speed with each movement.

No way, Gemma, her friend, shouted out.

What? Jean answered, looking up from her phone.

Check this out, she said and shoved her phone into her friend's lap.

A moment passed, and she guessed they had stumbled across some celebrity gossip. She waited for the news without any excitement–who's dating who, and who looks fat, that kind of trashy celebrity headline.

Jean gasped. No way. It’s been photo shopped. They are messing with you.

Yeah, what about all the others? It's tweeting everywhere. Follow the hashtag #aliens, Gemma answered, her voice quickening.

That wasn’t the sentence she expected to hear, and she leapt off the swing and staggered over.

On the phone, a multitude of photos and videos of huge shiny white rectangle ships forcing their way through the Earth’s atmosphere. She dropped to her knees by their side and drew in a sharp intake of breath while placing a hand against her chest.

They flicked through the pictures posted online. A huge spaceship had cast a shadow over the Whitehouse in America, and one over the Houses of Parliament in London.

London. That meant they weren't far away. Her immediate reaction was a hoax. Maybe it was a CGI stunt to advertise the latest Sci-fi blockbuster. However, that hope had evaporated when the BBC streamed live pictures from the Houses of Parliament as the massive white spaceship drowned out the sunlight. She rubbed her temples again, as the oppressive atmosphere squeezed her head further, and the tension in her body mounted.

The storm broke and thunder banged overhead. A shock wave squeezed her face first into the soft tarmac of the playground. Eva rolled over onto her back and looked up into the sky. The summer’s clear blue sky had darkened, as a huge white spaceship masked the warming glory of the Sun and an icy shiver shuddered through her spine.

She wriggled her phone free from her jean’s pocket and held it up. Her hands shook, making the image of the spacecraft wobble on the screen. She swallowed at her dry throat and tensed up to click a few photos, and then sent them to her social media accounts. Her friends did the same as the ship continued to descend, billowing plumes of smoke into the sky from which ash rained down.

Eva lay next to her friends, transfixed at the descending space ship. She couldn't think of anything to say. Aliens had arrived, and all she could think to do was take a photo.

The first of the ash floated within reach, and Eva raised her hand up to greet it, but it wafted through her fingers. The next piece of ash floated down onto her gaping mouth, and she wiped it away.

From the road behind, screaming and shouting, and then a smashing of metal and screeching of tyres. Soon sirens whirled, and the old air raid warning wailed out. A sound she had only ever heard in Second World War films, but she knew what it meant. Get somewhere safe.

The chaos made it real. This wasn't some fantastic special effects or 3D movie. This was real life. Aliens were coming, and no one knew what that really meant. She stared at her friends laying either side of her on the soft tarmac of the playground, hoping they had an answer, but they stared with eyes enlarged and mouths slacked.

I am going home, Eva said and jumped to her feet as more ash drifted down into her face.

She ran with her heart pounding and muscles on fire. Her two friends had likewise taken the hint and headed their separate ways back to what they would normally consider safety. She wanted to get home to tell her parents and feel protected. As she ran home, the ship dominated the sky, bringing its reality shattering bulk closer to the ground. Home and safety, mum and dad, was all she could think as she sprinted through the chaotic streets.

A blue Ford fiesta skidded across the road towards her, and she leapt out of the way as it collided with the lamppost. In front, a woman staggered out into the road and stared up at the ship. A car skidded across the road as it swerved to avoid hitting a man in the back as he ran home, only to smash the woman onto its bonnet. Other cars screeched to a halt and shunted into one another, as too distracted by the spaceship overhead or trying to avoid the collision.

She should have stopped, but the reactions of the people panicked her. Instead, she sprinted harder, pushing past people to get home as quickly as possible. Tears rolled down her face, but she wouldn't slow to brush them away.

Cars and pedestrians stopped in their tracks to watch. She weaved her way through the mass of people staring wide eyed to soak in the spaceships, like zombies caught in a trance. She continued along the street, through the alley and avoided a red post office van turning right as it hit a motorcyclist. Her heart jolted again and body jerked away from the accident.

She ran down the terrace street, fumbled with her keys to unlock the front door and then burst into the living room. Her parents were sitting on the sofa, glued to the TV set showing the alien spaceships. She jumped onto the sofa and into the safety of her parent's arms.

It will be okay, Eva, her father said as he looked down into her tear-filled eyes.

But she could tell from his frown he was as scared as her. The safety she craved from her parents wasn’t something they could offer. It occurred to her that no one could guarantee her safety. The planet lay at the mercy of these unknown spaceships, and the entities that had brought them here. She silently passed him the phone and brought up the pictures.

Here? he asked.

She just nodded, swallowed and pointed outside.

Chapter Two

He hated the summer, such long daylight hours and so little darkness. He heard of places that never got dark for months on end. Also, places that stayed dark for months on end. It sounded like an ideal location for a holiday. He could do with a change, anything to break free from the same day repeating in an endless circle of monotony.

Immortality sounded great as a headline, never ending life, never growing old. The truth was nothing ever seemed to change. There was no drive to survive when you couldn’t die. Even the ultimate death seemed out of reach, the vampire kingdom enjoying a peace previously unknown, but a boring, uneventful peace.

He looked over at his Queen, Heloise, and smiled. At least there were some benefits. Her beautiful jade eyes were closed and ringlet white blonde hair sprawled out over the red satin pillow. Her pale skin shone against the red satin sheets, which covered her legs and buttocks but allowed him to delight in the perfect shape of her upper body. He remembered when he hated her and hunted her, but now, after all this time, he loved her and desired her. If only they could run away together, leave behind their responsibilities, enjoy their powers and have adventures like when he was human.

He found it hard to remember his old human life. He had been the Vampire King for thirty years, almost as long as he had been a human, but he hadn’t aged a day since his rebirth as a vampire.

As King, his luxurious bedroom befitted his position. A four-poster bed with red satin sheets and black lace drapes. An antique study table, a chair in the far corner and a kissing chair at the end of the bed. The wallpaper was a white velvet pattern with metallic swirls, and the carpets a thick grey. Lights inset into the ceilings and walls, with dimmer switches, not that they needed any light. At the far end of the room, the en-suite white marble bathroom and to its side a walk-in wardrobe. Between the wardrobe and bathroom, a door adjoined to their private lounge.

He flicked on the large TV set in the corner across the room, facing the four-poster bed on which he sat. He liked to keep up with the news and weather before heading out at night. Always good to make sure there was nothing going on locally like they had discovered vampires existed and a baying crowd waited outside the palace gates. Alternatively, if there was an event nearby they could use to their advantage to get easy blood, like a party or gathering with lots of people intoxicated. Easy pickings for his vampires, and as long as they stuck to the rations, the human governments wouldn’t mind.

He poured a strong scotch while the TV found its signals and decoded the channels. He sunk it all down in one go, enjoying the temporary stinging on the back of his throat and passing numbness before his vampire body healed.

The TV burst to life broadcasting white spaceships burning through the atmosphere across the globe. Must be a TV drama. He pressed the info button, but he had the right program; it was the news. He flicked through channel after channel, quicker and quicker, only to be repeatedly confronted by the same images. He grabbed his iPad and searched the news, flicking through image after image. Again only to be greeted by the same pictures of huge white rectangle space ships hanging over every major city in the world, smoke rising into the atmosphere and ash pouring down. The news replaced every program, on every network, and showed the huge alien hanging presences.

One channel showed a spaceship waiting silently over the pyramids. Another channel showed Big Ben in London as a spaceship hovered over the clock tower. The army had poured in and sealed off the area. London Bridge had been shut down, and the Thames cleared to create a safety zone around the spaceship. TV helicopters were filming events while army copters flew around the perimeter and ferried soldiers to the front line.

The cameras switched to Paris, showing a ship hung over the top of the Eiffel Tower. Below the police tried to cordon off the area while the tourist cameras flashed at the spectacle.

At 'The Whitehouse', in America, the press lined up against the fence to film the giant spaceship dwarfing the presidential seat. Jets flew overhead, passed by and then back around the spaceship. Soldiers took up arms and aimed up at the alien craft. Rumours from the American press said that the President had been safely tucked away at an underground nuclear shelter.

He rubbed his shaven head and fidgeted about on the side of the bed. It was all too weird. He thought he'd seen everything since becoming a vampire.

What is going on? Heloise asked, stirring behind him.

Aliens! he said, unable to take his eyes off the TV.

Aliens don’t exist. Don’t be stupid. She half laughed.

You tell them that. If someone told me thirty years ago vampires existed, I would have laughed at them.

True, she said, and wrapped the red satin sheet around her and slid across to the edge of the bed to sit next to him. When did this happen? she asked after a couple of minutes of staring at the TV. Her hand slid down over his to interlock their fingers.

About an hour ago, I reckon from the other reports, he said.

What happens next?

How should I know? I guess we wait and see. There is no news from the government. No action yet from the military.

The pictures on the TV flickered until the screen went blank and silent. A written message appeared.

"We come in peace. Please present your Prime Minister to our space ship by Big Ben at Midnight."

He checked his iPad again, looking for news. A few minutes later, he found reports throughout the world that each country received its own personalised message to its nation’s leader.

A knock on the door jolted both of them away from the TV.

Who's there? he shouted.

Your Grace, Larous wishes an audience, the voice from the other side of the door said.

He recognised the guard’s voice on duty, Markus, the captain of the royal guard.

You best not keep him waiting, Damien. I can only assume it's related to the aliens, Heloise said.

Okay, I am coming. Wait there.

Damien stood up, grabbed a red velvet gown hanging on the end of the bedpost and wrapped it around himself before opening the door and stepping through. On the other side of the door, Larous tried to glimpse around him into the bedchamber. Damien pulled the door shut, blocking any sight of his Queen inside in order to protect her modesty.

The guards stood on either side of the door. Markus nodded. Your Grace.

Damien eyed his long-time rival, Larous, stood on the other side of the door. Larous was the poster boy for vampires with his mid-length blond hair, ice-blue eyes, chiselled features and standing at a lean six foot. Damien, in contrast, was a bit shorter, shaven black hair, the blue vampire eyes and more muscular.

You’ve seen the news? Larous asked.

Damien nodded.

Panic is setting in. They need guidance. A statement.

Okay, gather them up in the throne room. Send a message out to the surrounding embassies and summon the ambassadors here. This message needs to get out to everyone. The French will be in a panic, Damien said.

He stepped back through the door, cutting off any reply from Larous.

Good idea. At least it will keep them occupied for the next few hours. Else they will be rampaging through the streets fearful for their next feed, Heloise said, unravelling the satin sheet from her body.

Damien walked into the wardrobe, flicked on the lights to shine onto his rails of suits, shirts, and neatly laid out shoes on the floor.

Yes, keep them busy, but they must all be thinking the same thing, he answered as he dressed in a white shirt and dark suit.

War or peace?

And the rest, he replied, pulling on his trousers and slipping on his shoes.

Do they know about vampires and if they do, what will their reaction be to us? And if they don't, should we reveal ourselves? Heloise stated as she put on a flowing black dress that trailed behind her and put on high red stilettos that laced up around her calf muscles.

Who knows? I suspect only time will tell.

We can only prepare then, my love.

Yes, he answered and headed into the private lounge to watch the TV for any more news. The lounge had been furnished with comfortable red leather sofas, snooker table, and extensive books shelves containing everything from modern day fiction to the oldest vampire lore.

When he first became King, he spent many hours studying the history and laws of the vampire race. He wanted to understand his new life and its history. He and Heloise spent many of their nights together in the private lounge when not required for formal duties. They could talk in private and plan their strategies against their enemies.

Damien turned on the TV in the lounge, and Heloise rested into the big red sofa. The TV still carried the same message. Damien sighed, hoping for more news.

He opened up the drinks cabinet next to the main doors. She would want a drink. She always wanted a drink of blood. The cabinet was stocked with a fresh bottle. He cracked the seal open, poured out some blood and passed it over. She rolled it around her glass, watching the blood wave around, coating the insides of the glass. She took a sniff of the blood, then drank it down in one go and presented it back to him. Damien put the glass away before he filled his own glass and poured it down his throat.

The blood lingered on his tongue, and he rolled it around his mouth, savouring the taste. He had tried for many years not to enjoy it. He tried to remember his human self, but the time and lust had been his eventual undoing. The same undoing every new vampire suffered. He had to drink to survive, but now he drunk blood because he enjoyed it.

At least they wish to talk to us first, Heloise said, watching the silent message.

We come in peace. Please present your Prime Minister to our space ship by Big Ben at Midnight.

Talk to us or the humans? Offer help or present terms of the planet's surrender? he asked.

She nodded back, crossed her legs and flicked through the channels. The