The Midnight Alley

​Creating a space in limbo wasn’t easy in a city like New Haven. There were many witnesses that could see the action taking place, but the vampire goons would take care of that. All it took was timing and the right warlock. The boss hired the warlock to create the road to limbo that only warlocks and vampires could enter, but in order to ensure that the warlock didn’t throw them into the void, there had to be a loose end to tie off.

​“That’s the last one boss,” one of the thugs told the ancient vampire. “Everyone on the street has become one of us and the rest of the guys are keeping civilians from entering.”

“Good, with any luck I might get a few extra patrons from all that work,” the boss nodded. “Now, warlock, are you ready?”

“Almost,” the woman replied as she carved runes onto the street. “Are you sure you want to go through with this? Limbo isn’t a pleasant place to be, there won’t be any magic protecting you.”

“Vampires have no magic,” the boss replied. “Limbo will be our Haven from those who do, not to mention our friends in white.”

The warlock nodded thoughtfully and continued her engraving. Once finished she stood up, her height was towering over the boss, which only annoyed him slightly. The warlock waved a hand over the runes and there appeared a darkness before them that could only be seen from the corner of their eyes. A darkness made manifest, but at the same time non-existent in their space. It was limbo, that much was sure, but was a slight difference. Deep within this darkness stood the building that the vampires would call home, only made visible by a neon door.

“There it is, boss,” the thug murmured. “She has hidden our club.”

“It certainly seems that way,” the boss muttered as the warlock concentrated. “Is it permanent?”

“Absolutely,” the warlock replied with a proud smile. “Only I and perhaps a warlock with similar abilities of the Void can close it. You and your people are safe now. If I was you, I would keep them far away from the Cafe.”

The boss grimaced to himself at that remark. As if that thought didn’t cross every vampires mind.

“It appears you have kept your side of the bargain, so let me keep mine.”

With a snap of his fingers the thugs hopped in front of the warlock and presented her with a duffle bag. She took it in hand and turned to the boss.

“I will leave you to your moving,” the warlock replied with a smile. 

Behind her a goon who hid from sight pointed his gun towards the warlocks head, trigger being pressured as she spoke. In an instant before the barrel of the gun sparked she had vanished into nothing, a shade of limbo opening and closing, swallowing her whole. The boss spat on the street and straightened his coat as a page fell from her head height with a small hole in it.

In that moment there seemed to be a hushed silence among the three, but it wasn’t something that the boss found unexpected. Itw wasn’t so easy to kill a warlock, especially one with those powers. One thug plucked the paper up and held it out to the boss who snatched it from the vampires hand.

“I will forgive this, but not again,” the note read. It was a warning to the boss, one that he didn’t like, but could accept.

“Should we send somebody after her?” one of the goons asked and the boss grit his teeth at the stupidity of his underlings.

“We will let her be,” the boss grunted. “I hate to put trust in a warlock, but they are a lot more trustworthy than us.”

With that the boss turned to the street leading to the void and entered limbo with sure steps. The two thugs followed a little more hesitantly, but soon caught up as they neared the neon door. Opening it, the boss was greeted by the spectacle of his club. There was a deep purple to everything, lights that seemed to shine bright, but never burn, giving the room a cool, blue tone. There were fine chairs, tables and a bar that was fully stocked with the best liquors in New Haven.

“Make a note; the imports need to be picked up at the harbour tomorrow,” the boss reminded his minions. “Look at it, boys. Have you ever seen a finer place in town?”

“It sure looks like home, boss.”

“That’s the intention. Vampires are dropping like flies in this city or becoming mindless ferals to be butchered by hunters and Saints, but here, here a vampire can live as they are; people. I feel a change in this city and it is not for the better. At least now I can rest easy with my own people, my own kind. There is a semblance peace for the cursed at last.”

“Very moving, boss,” a goon replied in monotone.

“Shut up. If I asked for an opinion on my monologue I wouldn’t ask you two.”

The thugs looked at each other and resumed their silence as the boss wandered through the club. It didn’t take long for his patience to grow short of the two mindless brutes.

“Why don’t you two get the rest of my circle here and help any vampire in need find their way here.”

The two bowed and left the club. The boss never grew tired of that pure loyalty. What the vampires needed was a leader and he was all too happy to take charge. There was no messiah for the abandoned and hated of this world, only a dark lord. With this club he planned to show the world there was a place for people like him. He was no demon, but he wasn’t a saint either. He will throw his punches and let the city know that vampires weren’t to be ‘exterminated’ like some common roach.