Debutante
Ghalia al Ghul, a debutante of a different sort.
Debutante
John was sitting on his front porch steps when two of Mackenson’s white vans pulled into the driveway. Several people began to get out, and Dr. Williamson quickly made his way to John. He sat on the porch steps beside the young man.
“Have you been inside at all or noticed anything unusual?”
“Haven’t been in there at all. To be honest, I’m a bit scared of what might be in there.”
“John, this will sound strange, but we think you may have something inhuman in your home. We believe it probably took up residence in your attic, and then moved down into the basement. May we go inside?”
“Certainly. Follow me,” said John, finally noticing that some of the Mackenson team looked more like soldiers than scholars. Additionally, with the exception of Dr. Williamson’s daughter and some other girl, all seemed to be wearing 9mm handguns. “And nothing sounds strange to me, doctor, after all the things I’ve seen overseas.”
John and the Mackenson team went into the house, immediately entering into the living room. The next room over was the combination kitchen and dining area. The door to the basement was in this room. As John half suspected it would be, the door was closed. Of course it would be closed, probably on purpose so that he would appear to be foolish. The team gathered outside the door.
Nicole Sutherland was a Mackenson student who was quickly becoming the Institute’s “go-to” camera operator. She stationed herself at the wall far away from the basement’s door. Morgan Burns of the Mackenson County Paranormal Investigation Group (MPIG) posted herself by Nicole, holster unsnapped, as did Jonah Oliver (also MPIG, as was Ms. Sutherland). At Dr. Wilson’s insistence, John also stood near Nicole. He’d retrieved his baseball bat from earlier in the day, and he clutched the weapon, holding it at the ready.
Doctor Wilson and (security operative) Emil Irving faced the basement door, directly. They both took a shooter’s stance, with Emil in a kneeling shooter’s stance. They were flanked by Dr. Williamson and Ghalia Williamson. When all seemed ready, Dr. Wilson spoke quietly, “Prepare to fire. And don’t destroy their house. Make sure you hit what you shoot at.” As one, the team pulled their pistols and chambered rounds.
At this, the door to the basement suddenly opened, and a well-placed (or unlucky, if you were the recipient) foot hit Emil Irving right in the chest, driving him halfway across the room and taking Dr. Wilson with him. The foot belonged to a male vampire, and the fiend had every intention of grabbing one of the team members, except for two things. First, there was sunlight in the room, way too much for a vampire. Second, Irving recovered quickly and put a round in the thing’s shoulder. It snorted in frustrated rage and backed up into the basement. It was attempting to close the door again when Ghalia’s outstretched arm stopped it, further enraging the bloodsucker.
Ghalia spoke to the Mackenson team, “Stay back!” She looked over her shoulder. “And secure this position.” She pushed the basement door open, stepped inside, and then allowed it to close behind her. She made her way down the stairs.
The basement was black, though Ghalia had no trouble seeing in the darkness. She removed her backpack and placed it against the wall. She turned, scanning the darkness for her opponent.
“Shouldn’t turn your back on an enemy,” the vampire spoke. “Especially in the darkness.”
“It must be that I have no fear,” Ghalia replied. “Or perhaps I can see in the dark.”
“Or perhaps you are a fool,” the thing spoke. “Or perhaps you are more?” The vampire’s tone was solemn, inquisitive.
Ghalia groaned and recited a hymn of her tribe:
“I can be the strongest of men or the most delicate woman.
Or I can be the monster you fear. I could shift into another shape,
and oh, how I would laugh, as your heart collapsed.
Yet all of my charms might captivate you,
in some way, fashion, or form.
So then I elect to appear to you, as in the day when I was born.”
“Foul beast! You carry with you the stench of the desert!” The vampire screamed and rushed toward the girl with outstretched arms.
Ghalia leaned forward, severely, impossibly far, as though she were about to fall or break her ankles. Then, the vampire was reaching for her. Before it could touch her, she leaned backward. She giggled like a little girl. She then stood up straight, but the thing that stood up was not Ghalia anymore. It was humanoid but it was not human. It was a monster.
The vampire quickly forgot about attacking Ghalia. He hissed and recoiled in disgust as the ghoul’s eight-inch claws struck at him. The nosferatu suddenly realized that it was fight or flight, and flight during the daylight was not possible. It had just enough time to prepare for Ghalia’s attack, but there was no way to prepare for the grinning death machine that was reaching out for him. Then the ghoul’s hyena-like mouth closed on the vampire’s neck, and there was one less vampire in the world.
Panting heavily, Ghalia returned to her human form. She was kneeling in the blood and earthly remains of the vampire. She muttered to herself, “Nasty.” She found her backpack and then dressed in the robe that her father had brought. She walked upstairs to the door and knocked softly.
“Father? It’s safe.” The door opened immediately.
“Are you okay, my girl?”
“Yes, father. And the vampire is gone. I want to go home.”
“Good work. Take her to her quarters and get this place cleaned up,” said Dr. Williamson.
