Darren:

We've loaded the two vampires into the truck. They're not really vampires anymore, but they were. They're still unconscious. Their appearance has started to change, the teeth and the eyes are always first. Their hair will stay black for a while and it'll take time for their skin to darken, so I'm told anyway.

"We ready to go Darren?" John calls.

"Yep." I reply, looking up. He's walking towards me through the trees. He comes close and leans in.

"Don't dare question me again. I've told you before, I won't tell you again." He says. He's quiet but I can hear the rage. "You understand?"

I nod my head at him, saying nothing. We don't get on. Never have so far, probably never will. He takes too much pleasure in the job. I don't know why I was put in his group.

We're vampire hunters.

I walk around the truck to the driver's window. It's open already. Chuck is sitting there, arm dangling out. His arm is bulging, a dragon's tail tatooed the length of the forearm. The rest of the dragon covers his chest. His hair is cropped short and he wears a long, messy beard. He's not in uniform. He's never in uniform.

"They secured back there?" he says to me.

"Yep. They're all tied in." I say.

"Better hope so." he says, flashing me a smile. "They gonna go crazy soon enough." He laughs a humorless laugh and I walk away as he starts the engine.

"Let's go!" John calls through the clearing. "We've got to be back before morning."

The ultra-violet lights go out, the speakers are turned off and men quickly pack it all into another vehicle. A four-wheeled drive. John jumps into the passenger side of the four-wheeled drive and they set off through the trees. Two other cars, similar looking, come on over from the other side of the clearing and we set off. I settle into a walk behind the convoy with the others.

John's in charge. We're 15 soldiers of which I'm the newest and the youngest. The others around me are chatting, but I'm not paying attention. I can't get my mind off that family I let run. Why did I let them run? Three vampires, gone. If the team found out, they'd kill me.

This is my third hunt, and it's nothing like I thought it would be. I always wanted to join the corps, from when I was 9 or 10. To protect mankind from the predators, from the monsters. That's what we're taught. In schools, in life. The Hunting Corps is loved and admired for keeping people safe. It's also shrouded in secrecy. I signed up as soon as I could, at 16. Two years later and here I am, fully sworn in, fully trained and it's nothing like what they said it would be. I don't feel like a hero.

The job's a simple one. We hunt them, we shoot them, we bring them in. Nothing else. We don't see them again. Not us, not the soldiers.

A howling fills the night. I look up, the moon's out, I can see it above the trees, filtering it's blue light through. "Damn wolves!" a soldier on my right says. That's Jack, he's a year ahead of me, the closest I've got to a friend so far. He's the same height as me, but built bigger. Stronger. He's got a good head of thick, brown hair. His eyes are grey and his face is smooth. "I don't know why we can't take them out!" he says, to no one in particular.

"We don't touch the wolves." I say, repeating what was drilled into us as cadets. Their howling has filled the night on all sides. A few of the men are looking around nervously as we walk. Jack spits on the forest floor.

"Damn shame that." he says.

"We'll be out of the trees soon enough." I say. The wolves stick to the trees. They never leave. My mind wanders back to the vampire, the girl. I assume it's her family we've got. Why did I let them go? Those eyes, those yellow eyes. They weren't the eyes of an animal. I'm trying to remember when I first realised the vampires weren't animals like we were taught. I don't know, it crept up on me. Sealed when I went on my first hunt.

I remember that night. Not all that long ago. The anticipation of the hunt. I'd been dreaming of it, wishing for it all those years. I'd be a hero.

We'd come into the trees, not far mind. There was less of us that time, one set of 10, one car. John was in charge. The vampire, just one vampire, was near the edge. Waiting. He looked like he was waiting anyway, sitting on the forest floor, cross legged, eyes closed.

John gave the order and the lights were on him. The UV lights simulate the sun, weaken the vampires. It means we can hunt at night when they least expect it, when they have their guard down. He sat there cross legged and still. His long black hair was rippling in the cool breeze.

"Shoot him." John said to me. I remember raising my gun and taking aim. But my hands were shaking. He didn't look like I'd imagined a monster would look. We're supposed to turn the monsters into men. To save them from the hell they live in. I didn't see any hell in that creature.

My finger had hovered over the trigger.

"Pull the trigger, boy!" John had said.

I said nothing. I continued to look at the creature through my gun viewfinder. John pushed me aside. "God damn it man!" he'd said and walked to the creature. It hadn't moved, hadn't opened its eyes but it did as he approached. Red eyes gazed up at him. He hadn't paused and showed no fear. The suits we wear protect us from bites and scratches – which would be disasterous. Our helmets and goggles protect our heads – but John wasn't wearing his. His gun was hanging down.

"Hello human." the creature had said. That shocked me the most, it felt like a blow to the stomach. With just those words my whole training, education on the nature of these beings was cut down. It didn't sound like a monster.

John spat on him, it had to be a 'him' now, and lashed out with his steel capped boot. The creature rocked sideways. Its red eyes gleamed, contrasting against its white skin. I couldn't tell its age, the only sign of the years was the length of its hair, reaching half way down its back. It gazed up with those eyes, looking straight into John's face. "Don't speak to me Animal!" John said through gritted teeth, and he kicked out again. The creature had rocked backwards as the boot connected with the stomach. He gazed around the clearing, seven guns were pointed directly at him. The glow in its eyes had dulled a little. John grabbed its long hair and pulled its head back.

I think he must have known there was no chance in a fight. The head went backwards. He should have been a lot stronger than one man, but maybe the UV light was doing its job, weakening the creature.

"How about a haircut?" John asked, reaching down toward his boot and extracting a short hunting blade. He'd smiled, there was no humour in it. He'd let his gun hang on its strap. I'd looked at the other soldiers. Some were smiling, some were looking away, a little uncomforable. None of them lowered their gun from the creature.

John reached with his knife towards the vampire's hair. "No!" I shouted over. "What're you doing?"

John had looked at me, eyes glinting with malice, but the smile was still etched on his face. I stared back, defiant.

It was long enough. The creature had wrenched his head free and sprung up in a blur. John was on the ground then, the knife had fallen from his hand. The creature's fangs were bared, ready to bite down. John was struggling to move.

Bang. Multiple shots rang across the clearing. Six darts were protruding from the front and side of the vampire. He'd rolled off, writhing and screaming.

I pull myself back to the present. We're out of the forest now, not far from HQ. "Hey Jack." I say. "Are we doing a good thing?"

I'd asked before, last time, and I'd probably ask again.

"Hm?" he says, thinking. "What you talking about? 'course we're doing a good thing dammit! Keeping mankind safe!"

He'd said the same thing last time. I don't know if he believes it. That's what they teach us, that we're keeping mankind safe. It didn't feel like that when I shot the vampire on the last hunt. After what happened on the first trip he'd made sure it was me.

"Shoot it." he'd said. The vampire was surrounded and alone. Guns trained on it from all angles. Daylight simulation lights shining from both front and back. It had nowhere to go. This one didn't fight. He'd looked at me and smiled. His red eyes bore into mine and I felt like he was seeing inside my mind as the thoughts rolled around. He didn't look like a threat to mankind. He looked just like mankind.

"Come on boy! Shoot him." One of the other soldiers shouted at me. Boy was my name to most of them. The vampire's gaze never left mine. I'd pointed the gun, loaded with the darts. I didn't want to shoot him. I'd only ever practiced on targets and in simulations. Never the real thing. Hell, they didn't even show us the real thing in training. This was it, out in the field.

John turned his gun on me then, "Shoot the beast or I'll shoot you." He'd said. I looked at him, he was serious. I know the poison in the darts is for vampires, I know it doesn't react well with people. There's an antidote, but you need it fast. It's supposed to feel like torture.

I'd looked back at the vampire, he'd continued gazing at me. This is what I was trained for. We're protecting humanity after all. I took aim, looking through the viewfinder, I squeezed the trigger just a little, but not all the way. I could feel my heart beating faster, blood pounding in my ears. The vampire smiled slightly. I think he could hear it all. Despite the cold, beads of sweat had formed on my forehead.

"Now!" John had called out.

I closed my eyes, I pulled the trigger. The dart landed, penetrating the chest, through the black tunic the creature wore. The scream that came from it ripped through me as it thrashed on the ground. I almost fell to my knees. Then I lurched forward towards the creature, hoping I could do something to ease its anguish, the sound was tearing through me, the scream filled with pain. I'd felt a strong arm on my shoulder, holding me back.

"Leave it." Jack said, his voice low. "Let it finish."

Later as we were coming back in that day Jack told me I'd get used to it. "It'll get easier." he'd said.

I wasn't sure, but I said nothing. I wasn't sure I wanted it to get easier.

And today I let 3 vampires escape. That's treason, I think to myself as we arrive at HQ.

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