Interview With A Slayer
By: S. Lee
Author‘s note: This story is original although I may
have combined a few ideas and concepts inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Interview With a Vampire. Thank you to the Academy for hosting these special stories.
Feedback is always welcome. You can contact me at s_lee_bard@hotmail.com
Enjoy and Happy Halloween!!!
The journalist sat nervously at a table at the Cafe du Monde, finishing
up a cup of cafe au lait, wondering where her late night interview was. She tried
to get more information from her editor, but he had none. "I’ve lost my mind
to be out here at midnight waiting for some woman claiming to have knowledge of
actual vampires."
Soon a woman in black, short of stature, with a commanding walk approached.
She wore a full-length leather jacket and high-heeled boots. She sat down with
the journalist and ordered a cup of coffee. The dark woman held out her hand to
the journalist. "Hello. My name is Jules. Thank you for coming. I apologize for
my tardiness. I was ....detained shall we say."
Unsure of the encounter, but determined to be a professional, Harley responded.
"It’s good to meet you. I’m Harley Walker. Could you tell me the reason
I’m here? My editor said something about there being real vampires and werewolves
and you knowing of them."
Jules nodded once. "Indeed I do."
"May I ask how you know these things?"
"I hunt them and I kill them."
Harley raised her hand, "Whoa, hold on a second here. You’re telling
me there are monsters and you kill them?"
"Correct."
"Lady, are you nuts or somethin’?"
Jules smirked. "You don’t believe me."
"I’m sorry, but your story is pretty incredible."
"Of course."
"Why did you want this interview?"
Jules lit her cigarette, inhaled, then answered, "I know people, Harley.
I’m aware that your magazine has been doing research on the vampire culture.
There is some concern about the recent occult findings. I hear the rumors. I know
people are worried about vampires and such. This city has such an imagination.
Real vampirism exists and is nothing to be trifled with. If people knew the truth
it might cause a panic. I chose you because I’ve read your exposé's.
I also know you have integrity. You’ve gone to jail to protect your sources."
"That’s true. So, you’ve said that you’ve actually killed
these so-called creatures of folklore."
Taking another drag off her cigarette, Jules nodded. "Yes. Come on patrol
with me and see for yourself."
Suddenly feeling nervous, Harley questioned. "You want me to come with you?"
"Yes. I don’t have all night to sit here. I’m on patrol. You don’t
believe me. What better way for you to see my world than to come with me?"
Never one to back down from a challenge, the reporter agreed. "Let’s
go."
Jules smiled. "Good. Now, you need to remember to do exactly as I say. If
you don’t, you could be hurt or worse."
Harley swallowed hard. "Ummm...yeah....sure....whatever. Can I ask you questions
as we walk?"
"Of course."
The two began their walk through the darkened streets of the French Quarter.
The reporter began her questioning. "So, let’s start from the beginning.
Tell me about being a slayer."
"I walk the sordid streets and the back alleys of this town. I’ve dedicated
my life to protect and serve the innocents. I’m a slayer like my ancestors
before me and the others like me. We’ve walked this world fighting evil.
There are all kinds of evil in this world that the innocents don’t even know
about; evil that creeps and crawls preying on the weak."
"They hide in the shadows, waiting for the chance to strike. That scratch
on your window? It could be a vampire watching you as you sleep. That rustling
noise in the bushes you heard when you were in a tangled rendezvous in the backseat
of your car? That was probably a werewolf waiting for the right moment to strike."
"I hunt them in the night. I’ve killed many in my years as a slayer.
There is one I cannot bear to kill. I’ve followed her all over the world.
My hunt for her has brought me to New Orleans. This city also happens to have
a high number of vampires, werewolves, and ghouls."
"Are you ever afraid?"
"Yes, of course. But, people are depending on me whether they know it or
not."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"I’ve trained for as long as I can remember. I’ve actually been
doing this for about twenty years, since I turned seventeen."
"You said that your family did this as well. Do you have brothers and sisters?
What about your parents?"
Jules nodded. "Yes. My family have been slayers for generations. We are
trained from young ages how to fight and to hunt."
"In what areas did you train?"
"We trained in various martial arts, swords, staffs, and blades."
"Good Lord! I played with my Barbies and read Nancy Drew. That must have
been an interesting way to grow up."
Jules chuckled. "Our parents were preparing us for our futures."
"What kind of schooling did you have?"
"We had private tutors. I’ve never actually been to a public school,
but I know five languages and although I lack a formal degree, I imagine I can
hold my own against the vast majority of academics."
The two women walked through the darkened streets near St. Louis Cathedral.
With her recorder still running, Harley inquired, "Were your parents slayers
as well?"
"My father was a slayer, my mother owned a magic shop."
Harley chuckled. "What? Like those big rings and the colored tissue paper?"
Jules laughed. "No. Not exactly. It’s more like ingredients for potions,
spells, charms."
"Ahh..okay. You have brothers and sisters?"
"Yes. I have two brothers and I had two sisters." Sadness came over the
dark slayer.
"Had?"
"Yes. My older sister was killed five years ago."
"I’m sorry. May I ask how she died?"
"She was killed by a vampire."
"So, you’re not immortal?"
"No. We can be killed. We’re just as human as you are. She was fighting
a vampire and he slit her throat."
"Oh my God! How horrible."
With a face of stone, Jules replied, "Yes, it was. I eventually killed the
monster a year later."
"That brings up a good question. If vampires are immortal, how do you kill
them?"
"There are a few ways. A wooden stake in the heart, beheading, and fire
will kill a vampire."
"What about sunlight and crosses and all that stuff?"
"Crosses no, sunlight yes. Artificial light, no."
As they were walking down an alley-way, Jules stopped, placing her arm out
against Harley’s chest. The journalist ceased breathing as fear rushed through
her veins. A frightening looking creature, dressed in black, bald with multiple
earrings approached the pair menacingly. His eyes shone red in the darkness, his
voice low and inhuman. "Well, well, well. It looks like the slayer has a little
friend with her tonight. More fun for me."
The monster lunged at Jules, who avoided his grasp easily. Jules shook her
head. "Boris, you know what’s going to happen here. You should have just
left well enough alone."
The vampire turned and made another attempt at the slayer who acted with
a kick to the stomach. While the vampire was bent over, Jules came down on him
with a large stake, impaling him. Instantly, the creature crumbled into dust that
blew away in the wind.
The reporter stood trembling with fright. Jules noticed the young woman’s
reaction and moved towards her, wrapping her arms around her. "Shhhh.. Hey, it’s
alright. It’s over. You‘re okay."
Harley cried onto the slayer’s shoulder. "I’ve never seen anyone
look like that before."
Still comforting the shaken reporter. "I know. They can make themselves
look normal or they can show their true forms."
"Weren’t you frightened at all?"
Jules pulled back and looked into the reporter’s eyes, wiping the tears
from her cheeks. "No. I knew him. He was all bark, no bite."
Harley chuckled, "Oh, that was bad."
"It made you laugh, didn’t it?"
Nodding, the reporter agreed. "Yeah, it did."
"So, you ready to continue? I need to make sure I get through Lafayette
cemetery tonight. There’ve been some reports of some trouble and strange
happenings."
"Okay. I’m ready. You seemed to handle that vampire pretty easily."
Jules shrugged. "Some are easier than others. I’ve been in some tough
fights where I’ve been banged up and bruised. I’ve even been in the
hospital a time or two. Quite frankly, I’ve also been doing this for twenty
years. I’m one of the best."
The women continued on their patrol. The reporter continued to ask questions.
"Let’s talk about these rumors going around regarding the recent occult symbols
and the strange deaths. Do you think it’s vampire related?"
"No, I don’t. The goats’ heads, debris, and worship symbols left
all over the place; that’s not the vampire style. The vampire depends on
discretion and being able to strike when it’s not expected. If there are
too many rumors and too many people looking over their shoulder or acting in a
vigilante manner, it’s not good for them. For instance, have you heard about
the Valmont plantation just outside of town?"
"I’m not sure. When are you talking about?"
"Over two hundred years ago, in 1791."
The reporter tried to recall but was unable. "I don’t know. There are
so many vampire and ghost stories floating around this town, it’s hard to
keep them all straight."
The slayer lit another cigarette and took a puff. "The plantation owner
was said to be a vampire. Apparently, his wife and child died in childbirth. He
was despondent with grief. Suddenly, animals started dying and he went mad and
killed a slave. In fear, the other slaves burned down the plantation and rumors
went around about vampires and demons. The angry village mob scenario is not a
myth. It happened. Vampires today are smarter, they have technology at their fingertips.
They can go online and meet unsuspecting people. They dispose of bodies very well
and there are many, many swamps in the area."
"Do you know what’s going on?"
"My guess is, it’s a bunch of wannabe’s. Maybe teenagers who read
books about this subject and have no idea what they’re doing. Real occultists
are discreet. They don’t have to show off their power and try to make others
fear them. They know they have it."
"So, you haven’t actually seen anything?"
"No, not yet."
"What about what we’re going to check out in the cemetery?"
"I suspect there may be something, not sure what it is yet. My sources tell
me there’s strange movements going on at night and only at night."
"What could it be? Is that unusual?"
"For this cemetery? No. Just stay close and keep your eyes open."
Harley nodded. "I will. Until then, tell me about this vampire you can’t
kill. Is he just so strong or elusive?"
Jules smiled. "It’s a she, actually. She is very strong and elusive.
I’ve chased her all over the world. Generations of my family have attempted
to kill her and have failed. She is three hundred years old. She is beautiful
and cunning and brilliant."
"So, why haven’t you killed her?"
Jules sighed. "Because she’s a rare breed; a compassionate vampire.
I hate to kill her, she’s too formidable of an opponent. We have a certain
amount of professional respect for one another. I don’t think anyone can
kill her other than myself. She’s too good."
"What’s her name?"
"Pasquale."
"French?" Harley asked.
"Yes, she was born in Paris then moved here. She’s been all over the
world, but New Orleans is her home."
"So, if this is your job, and you don’t seem to be getting paid, how
do you get by monetarily?"
Jules smiled. "Old money. My family is wealthy and I get a monthly stipend
from a trust fund. In addition, there is a secret society that governs the slayers.
They give us a salary so that we may devote our time to slaying and training."
"A secret society?" Harley inquired. "Tell me about it."
Jules raised her eyebrows. "I can’t. I’d have to kill you."
The reporters eyes grew wide. "Oh." With that, she let the subject drop.
The two walked through the old gates of Lafayette cemetery. Jules motioned
for Harley not to make a sound. The two stepped quietly between the old grave
markers. Jules’ senses were on their highest alert. She pulled her long sword
from it’s holster behind her back. The slayer observed and listened. She
spotted a large mausoleum in the corner of the cemetery. Harley’s heart pounded,
frightened of what lay ahead of them.
As they reached the doorway of the tombs, a large figure hurled itself at
Jules, knocking her on her back. As the monster made his was closer to her, the
slayer kicked her legs up and landed back on her feet. She cocked her head to
the side. "Oh, you wanna play?"
Harley ran behind a tombstone to hide.
The monstrous figure, large, with a demonic face and horns stood at least
a foot taller than the agile slayer. Jules’ eyes grew wide as she anticipated
the battle with this nemesis. She administered a spinning kick, hitting her opponent
in the face. It did little damage. Jules continued to advance, swinging her sword
to attack. The demon blocked nearly every move. A slice to his arm caused him
to roar in rage. With a mighty blow, he picked Jules up off the ground. She landed
with a thud against a mausoleum. Pain shot through her body as the monster laughed
maniacally. "I’ve got you now, slayer. I’ve been waiting a long time
for this. You killed my brother, now I’m going to kill you."
Suddenly a sleek figure appeared from the darkness. What appeared to Harley
to be another woman dressed in black seemed to come from nowhere. "Oh you’re
big and tough against one lone slayer. Let’s see what you do against two."
The mysterious woman lifted her hands and without even touching the monster,
threw him back twenty feet. She moved forward, stalking him, then lifted him above
her head with super-human strength. "Didn’t anyone teach you not to hit girls?"
With a grunt, she tossed him again. The evil creature moaned in pain. Jules once
again joined the fight, as Harley watched with rapt attention.
Jules stood over the demon as his eyes grew large with fear. He let out
a bloodcurdling cry as she ran the sword through his heart. And suddenly, as the
vampire earlier in the evening did, he disappeared in a cloud of dust. Bruised,
scraped, sore, and breathless, Jules looked to her rescuer.
"What in the hell did you do that for? I had him right where I wanted him."
The stranger argued. "Are you kidding? He was pounding you. You can’t
always handle these beasts alone. I’ve told you that a million times."
Jules pointed her finger in the dark woman’s chest. "I don’t need
you rescuing me. I can handle everything on my own."
The dark hero raised her hands in frustration, "I’ve never met a more
infuriating woman in my life!"
Just then Harley stepped out of her safe spot and stood beside Jules. Noticing
the frightened woman, the slayer halted her argument. In a softer voice, she questioned,
"Hey, are you alright?"
Harley nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I’ve never seen anything like that
in my life. This whole night has been full of surprises actually. Are you okay?"
Jules nodded. "Yeah, a little sore, but I’ll be fine." The slayer nodded
her head in the stranger’s direction. "Harley Walker, meet Pasquale."
Harley’s eyes immediately lit up. "She’s the vampire you told
me about?"
Pasquale, in her most charming voice cooed. "Been bragging about me? Yes,
I am Pasquale. I am charmed to make your acquaintance, madame." She bent to kiss
the back of the reporter’s hand. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must bid
you both adieu."
Jules turned to Harley. "We’ve had enough excitement for one night.
I’ll take you back to the cafe. If you’ll give me a moment, I need to
speak to Pasquale alone."
Harley agreed easily. "Of course." As she stepped back, she watched the
two interact in a tender and sensitive manner. She could only hear muted tones,
but could sense a change between the two. Soon, she was joined by the slayer.
"Well, I imagine you got quite an eyeful tonight. I bet this is one interview
you won’t soon forget."
Harley chuckled, "You can say that again."
Jules offered a small, painful laugh. The two walked back in silence. Jules
was worn out from the fight and Harley was still trying to absorb everything that
happened that evening. The two arrived at their starting place and said their
good-byes.
"So, what do you plan on doing with this story?"
Harley thought for a moment and smiled. "I don’t think the world is
quite ready for this stuff. I’ll think I’ll keep it under wraps for
a while. It’s best we let you do your job in peace."
Jules nodded. "Thank you. Anonymity is very important to me and my family.
I appreciate your discretion."
Harley added. "Thank you for tonight. I appreciate you taking the time to
tell me your story."
Jules took her hand and leaned in for a chaste kiss on the cheek. "You take
care and be safe."
Harley squeezed the slayer’s hand in return. "You too."
Both women walked back to the respective vehicles. Jules drove to her home
in the Garden District. The dawn hadn’t arrive. She walked into the darkened
house and laid her keys on the stand by the door. The slayer could hear her lover
moving through the house. "I’m home," she called.
Pasquale greeted her with a loving smile and tender embrace. "How are you
feeling, chere`."
Jules rotated her neck to loosen up tired muscles. "I need a hot bath."
The vampire placed a gentle kiss on her lover’s head. "I’ll run
it for you."
"Join me?" implored the slayer.
Pasquale smiled. "I’d love to."
As the couple walked toward their bathroom, Jules turned to her lover. "Thank
you for the help, tonight?"
Pasquale grinned. "Of course. Can’t let anything bad happen to my favorite
slayer now can I?" Both women chuckled at the remark. The vampire continued. "Did
you accomplish your goal with the reporter tonight?"
Jules nodded. "Yes, I did. So, for now, things remain in their perfect balance;
good versus evil. You can’t have one without the other."
Pasquale kissed her lover gently. "Like us then, no?"
Jules wrapped her arms around the vampire she loved. "Oui, mon chere`. Like
us."