Go to the police station

Dec 27th. It's bright outside but you felt like you're dead inside.

You arrived at the police station at around 9:30 a.m.. As you entered the station, you noticed that there were dozens officers on duty today. However, before you could do anything, you were immediately stopped by two police officers.

"Mr. Wilson, you're a suspect for Neil Brown's ****. You need to come with us." One of the officers, Peter, handcuffed you without hesitation and led you to the interrogation room.

"I understand. I'll cooperate, but may I speak with Sergeant Ashton?" You said calmly, "I have some urgent matters to discuss with her."

"Sergeant Ashton will be with you shortly. Please wait." Peter just left you in the room alone and went back to his work.

Melissa Ashton was at her late 20s when she was promoted to Sergeant of the Owl city police department early this year. She was on duty today and things were already looking bad. There was another animal attack case and some disturbing evidences have been collected near the victim from the scene. There were several reports of strange noises coming from a bar in the north of the city. And she just had an argument with her father yesterday. All these things were making her a little bit edgy recently.

When she was irritably scratching her short, silver-gray hair and was about to drink a sip of coffee to ease the tension, she heard that an unexpected "guest", James Wilson, just showed up at the front door of O.P.D.. What the hell, she wondered and went to the interrogation room.

Only minutes later Melissa entered the room.

"Alright, James." She threw the papers at the desk and stared at you, "Neil Brown was killed, his wife is missing and we found your cellphone and your wallet at the crime scene. What the fuck has happened!?"

"You're not going to believe me, but, uh..." You paused for a second before you took off the scarf and revealed the wounds on your neck, "All those deaths... It wasn't animals. It was vampires. Neil's wife, Olivia, was turned into one. She killed him and bit me."

"Vampires!? James, are you high on something?" Melissa sneered at you and punched the desk angrily.

"Look, I know you probably won't trust me." You didn't have anything solid enough to convince Melissa, but you didn't seemed to care. You sighed and continued, "All I'm asking is that-"

"James!" Melissa yelled at you, "You are one of the suspects for Neil's ****! We have your fingerprints on his corpse and on the bed! I can't help you if you don't cooperate! You'd better tell me the truth, right now."

"Please... I'm telling you the truth! Olivia might have turned everyone in Night Crawler's Bar last night, and... and..." You lacked the courage to continue and just sat helpless in the chair.

"Night Crawler's Bar?" Melissa frowned with a serious expression, "That can't be coincidence. Someone has reported that there were some strange noises coming from that bar. I should go check it myself. Jack! Peter!"

"Yes, Ma'am?" A rookie police officers under her command came in her officer. And the one that brought you here came after him.

"Jack, bring Ernest and we'll go to the bar that was reported to have strange noises, and see if there's anything." Melissa grabbed her things and gave the order as she walked to the door, "Peter, take Mr. Wilson to the detention room. I'll be back soon."

"Damn it, Melissa. Have you heard what I sad? Fine... but please, trust me." You knew Melissa and you knew that you couldn't stop her. There was nothing else you could do but tried to warn her again, "THEY are real."

She said nothing, just left the room. Peter and another big guy brought you to the detention rooms on the basement level. You sat wearily by the bed. I've done everything I could, you kept telling yourself, so that you might forgot the pain of losing someone you cared. Someone you loved. You lay down and just looked at the ceiling blankly.

You didn't know how long it has been, a few hours perhaps, until you heard footsteps in the hallway outside. A few seconds later, a figure appeared at the door. It's Melissa. you noticed that there were several small bloodstains on her uniform. You were shocked, but before you asked anything, she uncuffed you swiftly.

"What-"

"Shut up and follow me." Melissa grabbed your hand and dragged you out of the detention room.

"Sergeant, this is against the protocol." Peter, standing in front of the security room by the entrance, tried to stop you.

"Fuck the protocol, Peter." Melissa gently pushed Peter aside, and he didn't resist or insist.

She led you to the underground garage. Luckily, most of the officers were either having lunch at the canteen or patrolling outside, so you didn't attract any unwanted attention. She's taking a serious risk of getting me out, you couldn't believe what was going on. Something must've happened.

"Damn it, James..." Melissa pushed you in her private car, started the engine and immediately drove away, "Fuck..."

You noticed that her hands on the wheel were shaking.

"Melissa, what happened?" You asked carefully.

Hearing your words, she quivered. She slowly pulled over and took a deep breath before she spoke again.

Melissa and two rookie police officers under her command, Jack and Ernest, arrived at the Night Crawler's Bar at around 10 in a police car. The front door of the bar was opened but it was unusually quiet. She didn't like this one bit.

The three polices stepped inside the bar carefully. The tables and chairs were all in their places. No signs of fights, not anything or anyone. However, the smell in the air was strange. Stale, metallic, and a little bit sweet. She couldn't tell what that was and that made her very uncomfortable.

"Ma'am, should I go check upstairs?" Ernest asked.

"Just be careful." Melissa nodded, "Jack, you go check the back door. I'll go check the lounge."

And so they split up. Melissa cautiously pushed open the door to the lounge and noticed that someone was lying on the floor, facing down. From the look in the dim light, it was an old man. By instinct she walked up to him to check if he was alright.

"Hey, mister? Are you alright?" She flipped him around and, when she looked at his face, she was shocked, "Dad?"

"Mel?" The old man, Ian, muttered.

"What are you doing here? What happened?" It was at this moment that Melissa saw the blood on her dad's shirt. Before she could ask about that, Ian opened his red eyes and she was almost captivated by them instantly.

"I came here to drink after our argument..." Ian grabbed her arm and looked at her hungrily, "And I need to drink more!"

Vampires?

Melissa kicked his lower part with everything she got and successfully broke free. Ian painfully rolled on the ground, but he quickly recovered from the kick, stood up and hissed at his beloved daughter. Even in a dark room like this, Melissa could see the fangs in Ian's mouth clearly.

"Stay back!" Melissa pulled out her gun and aimed at her dad with shaking hands, "Don't come any closer! I don't want to shoot you, dad!"

Ian totally ignored her warning and kept walking towards her. Melissa gritted her teeth and shot his leg. Her dad's blood got on her uniform but he didn't even back down one bit.

"Sergeant!" Jack heard Melissa's scream and he quickly ran back inside.

When he found Melissa firing at the vampire, he pulled out his gun and was about to shoot. However, he was ambushed by Tracy, who has been hiding behind the door. She knocked the pistol off his hand and locked her mouth on his neck. Jack didn't put up much fight and collapsed in the girl's arms.

They are real. Words that once she thought to be ridiculous echoed in her mind. She turned around and ran back to main hall as quickly as possible.

"Ernest! We need to go, now!" She shouted, hoping to hear from the boy, "Ernest?"

She heard no words but a scream. Ian was walking out of the lounge, Jack was being fed on by the brown hair girl, while a few other people were stepping downstairs. They all shared the red eyes and sharp fangs. When she glanced at their eyes, Melissa felt like someone was trying to drill into her head as she was having a terrible headache and her vision was becoming blurry. She stumbled out of the bar and, while bathing in the sunlight, immediately she felt better.

All those vampires, her dad included, were staying in the shadows, laughing. The door was closed, and everything was quiet again. Just like nothing had happened.

"Jack... Ernest... I left them behind..." Melissa spoke in a shaking tone.

"It's not your fault..."

You tried to comfort her, but you didn't know how. You've lost Fran, too, and you knew no word could heal the pain.

Those monsters were only trapped there by the sunlight. Once the sun set and they were unleashed, the city would be doomed. But not even the police forces could fight against them, what could a normal person like you do?

"Let's get back to the church, on California Street." You said quietly, "The priest there, Brandon, knows how to deal with vampires. Maybe he could help you."

Melissa said nothing and just started the car. Several minutes later you went back to the church. Brandon greeted you as he always did, and he could tell from your expressions that you've experienced another failure. He was familiar with failures.

"James told me that you might be able to help us." Melissa went straight.

"And just as I told Mr. Wilson before, Sergeant, elite vampire hunters of the United States will be coming tonight." Brandon reassured her, "I suggest you leave the city before the situation gets worse."

"Tonight? It will be too late!" Melissa yelled at him, "Do you know how many people they can turn once they get out!?"

"It's too late already, Sergeant Ashton. Vampires are the most terrifying monsters I've fought in my life. Let me tell you something, if you don't know what I mean." Brandon looked at you for a while and continued, "I tracked down and killed a vampire last night. He was turned by that Olivia, just a few hours ago. He was more than 60 years old as a human, but once he turned, he became strong, fast and ferocious. Before I got to him, two good souls were already lost."

Melissa just quietly listened. She didn't say one word but you could feel her fury. She had lost someone she cared to the vampires, too, just like you. She knew what Brandon meant and every word he said just made her suffer again.

"That's only one vampire, and you're talking about dozens of them. You don't stand a chance." Brandon sighed.

"I'm not leaving all those innocent people behind. I can't." Melissa turned to you with a determined look on her face, "James, just get the hell out of the city with everyone you care. Good luck."