Chapter Twenty-Seven: Meet Up:

This final moment determined what Lauren would do with her fate. Fred made it up to the first desk and rang the bell.

“Dolly!” he shouted. “Get out here! We need you!” Fred rang the bell several more times.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!!” a woman’s voice yelled. “Hang on!” Lauren lifted her head to see a nurse walking out to the desk. She frowned and rubbed her eyes.

“What is it?” she asked. The nurse paused when she saw Fred with Lauren.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said. “Who did you bring this time?” The shop owner shoved the vampire forward.

“She needs more blood,” he said. Lauren looked at her through a blurred vision. The nurse waved her hand in front of her face.

“Damn,” she said. “How long has she been like this?”

“A couple of hours now,” Fred said. The nurse whistled.

“And she’s still alive?” she asked. “Hand her here.” Fred handed the vampire over to the nurse.

“Do a good job,” he said.

“You know I will,” the nurse said. She walked down the hall with Lauren over her shoulder. Fred took a seat in the waiting room.

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Two hunters landed on the roof. One took out his sword and held up the blade in the air. A breeze floated by as he closed his eyes. He let off a loud hum. The other hunter turned his head.

“Well?” he mouthed. His partner opened his eyes.

“She’s here,” he said. The other vampire stood up.

“Well, let’s go!” he said.

“Wait!” the first hunter said. The other vampire looked at him. The hunter turned his head.

“There are four humans inside,” he said. His partner snorted.

“Who cares?” he asked. “We kill them all!” The hunter jumped up and disappeared into thin air. The other hunter clicked his teeth.

“He’s always doing this,” he muttered to himself. He jumped up after his partner.

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Meanwhile, Linda and Eric snuck in through the back way. The wife pretended to be waiting for someone when she spotted her big opportunity. The scientist happened to turn her head when she saw the nurse carrying Lauren into one of the back rooms. At first, Linda blinked.

“What the…?” she asked herself. “Is that…?” When the door slammed shut, that’s when the realization hit her.

“I knew it!” she said. Linda turned her head when she heard another door open. Eric had just stepped out of the bathroom. He became nervous when he saw his wife grinning like a madwoman.

“What?” he asked. His wife ran over to him and grabbed her by the hands.

“I found her!” she whispered. “I found the test subject!” Eric gave her a confused look on his face.

“Where?” he asked. Linda pointed behind them at the closed door. She turned back to her husband.

“We have to go get her!” his wife said.

“But…” Eric said. Linda stopped listening as she ran with him down the hall. Her husband had to run to keep up with her. He sighed and dropped his shoulders.

Not again, Eric thought.

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Fred stood up with his head cocked. Something told him to go back there and check on things. The shop owner shrugged to himself. I guess a little look won’t hurt, he thought. Fred made his way to the back.

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In the emptiness, Rosaline smiled to herself.

“And so it begins!” she said.