The Godsend Backfire: The Beginning by Harold Straugh (best e reader for academics TXT) 📗

“In our village, if someone offers you a gift and you refuse, it’s insulting, but since you are new here, we will give you another chance,” Al Hubarb said, “We offer you a donkey, do you accept?”

“Yes” I said. He stuck out his hand and I took it, he led me away from the fire.

“I just want to talk to you. We all know you aren’t from here, but we are thankful.  Other villages, especially Gomorrah, are not so friendly.  We share a Hall in the middle of our two villages and we often meet there every fifth day. I will come with you if you want when you leave, and help you out there.  I can talk and get you granted safe passage,” Al Hubarb said.

“I thank you, that would be much appreciated,” I said at the time, even though I was worried about my brother’s chaos and this plan with Lilith.

He led me to a hut where there were three donkeys tied up outside.  He pointed to one on the far right, he was small, and I didn’t think I would be able to ride him.  He was gray in color with white spots here and there, he almost looked cow-like in appearance.  He looked at me and made the awful noises donkeys make.

“I haven’t named him yet, I think I will leave that at up to you,” Al Hubard said.

I looked at the donkey and he looked at me.  He made that awful noise again.  The noise was wretched to my ears.  I didn’t know what to name him, so I thought of the first thing that came my mind, “I think I shall call him, Wretch.”

“Odd name but he’s your donkey now.  I’m going to go lay down, too much excitement for one night. Are you coming?” he asked and pointed.

“No, as promised I will stand, make sure the rest of the village is safe.”

“Tomorrow, I’m going to the bazaar.  You can’t travel being so white, you must hide yourself.  Then if you are still here in three days, I will take you to the Hall.”

“That sounds interesting.” I said, looking at Wretch.

It was then he went into his hut and I walked over to the lake with Wretch.  I watched the full moon ripple off the water as I sat upon Wretch, much like a stool, with my legs off to one side.  I couldn’t ride him as suspected; my feet would drag.  I decided to wait until Al Hubarb took me to the Hall to leave.  I wanted to stick around a few days to see if Derium and Mylicious would come back, even though throughout the night, I heard screams here and there. I believed it to be trick to get me away from Sodom.

It was late in the night, early in the morning when I heard something and grunt and a groan, off in the distance. Wretch had fallen asleep, which left me standing. Now I don’t have the special eyes like Derium and Mylicious so seeing in the night wasn’t the greatest. I could only see as far as the moonlight let me see.  I could see the pale white skin, arms and head of whatever was coming towards me.  It was crawling on the bank, coming towards me. I got up, I sensed the evil coming from it.  It was one of Derium’s creations.

It got close enough, I could see it was female, it had no shirt on and her breasts were exposed.  She was missing her legs and seemed to be charred badly in spots.  She chomped her jaws and bared her fangs at me.  She hissed and swiped, and I tried to wake Wretch up, but he wasn’t moving.

“Wretch you blasted donkey! WAKE UP!” I yelled as I got up, the vampire was inching closer.  I prepared myself to kick them in the head when Wretch shot up out from his slumber, neighing and bucking in a circle.  He caught the vampire twice in the face with his hooves, stunning her.  Then, the sun appeared, and I witnessed for the first time the effects of the sun on a vampire.

She caught on fire from the inside, flames bursting out her eyes and mouth.  She reached out for me as her skin caught fire and the horrible smell of burnt flesh came to my nose.  Soon, she was pile of ash and the small tide from the lake came in and washed them away.  I looked back at Wretch and he was back asleep.

Then Al Hubarb and some other villagers came out to me, looking, “What was all the screaming about?” he asked.

“The vampires can’t take sunlight, if any were bitten that you buried dig them up now and expose them to the sun,” I said.

The villagers looked at each other and then at me, “You heard what he said,” Al Hubarb said.

There were ten graves that were made the night before.  The villagers started digging them and I stood there and watched.  I then felt something hit my foot and when I looked down there was crude shovel. It had a rough wooden handle, that was curved in various spots, a spear looking shovel blade that was tied to the handle with coarse twine.  I looked up and there was Wretch, looking at me, he had brought me the shovel.

“You are an odd little animal,” I said and picked up the shovel, taking the hint.  Using my strength and speed, I dug out two graves in what would be about thirty-minutes. When I reached the body in the first grave, I didn’t even have much of a chance to uncover it before it burst into flames.  The second body didn’t burst into flames, but I noticed a large claw mark on their chest and as a precaution,