Part 427 – A Mark Caten (?) Shaped Chain-Linked Fence Maze

As soon as Ambrose and Barbara stepped inside, the lights flickered on and stayed on.

And there it was in all of its glorious wonder – The Mark Caten Shaped Chain-Linked Fence Maze.

Ambrose scoffed. “Look at that. It’s a chain-linked wall. Yep. Looks just like Caten.”

Barbara walked along the wall. “Hmm. One door. Annnnd a second door. Just like he said.” She flashed a bright grin at him. “Last one to the other side has to drink lukewarm water.”

She opened the gate on the far left and ran inside.

“Oh, you think you can beat me? Ha!” He opened the door on the right and ran inside.

A chain-linked wall separated them, forcing them to choose the only available gates.

In the next section, the dividing wall was gone. Barbara chose the right gate.

Ambrose followed her.

“Hey! That’s cheating.”

He grinned. “Only if I win.”

“Fair warning, Smith. You’re gonna be drinking lukewarm water.”

“Ha!” He ran ahead of her and chose left, left, left, right, left, left, right, left, and right into a dead end.

He glanced around trying to locate her.

She was already at the exit. “HEY, AMBROSE! I WIN! WOOOOO!” She waved her hands like she was shaking pom-poms.

He laughed.

“GET YOUR MOUTH READY FOR THAT CUP OF LUKEWARM WATER!”

“Come over here and fetch me and maybe I will.” His smile fell as a feral looking vampire slipped in through the back door and stopped behind Barbara.

“Barbara. Get in here. Now. Don’t ask. Just run.”

She started to run.

The vampire grabbed her and pushed her up against the fence. He unzipped her coat.

“NO!” Ambrose slammed his gate open  and tore his way through the fences. “DON’T YOU DARE BITE HER! SHE’S MINE!”

The other vampire raised his head and snarled at Ambrose.

“You bite her, I’ll pull you apart. I’ll make you SUFFER, YA SICK DINGO’S OFFSPRING!”

“Ambrose…”

The other vampire watched Ambrose’s approach for a minute before turning his attention back to Barbara. “Hungry.” He dragged his claw across her throat.

She gasped.

A thin red line spilled out.

“Pretty blood. Hungry.”

“No. Please no.”

Almost there.

Almost there.

“Barbara! Don’t let him bite you. Think about when that vampire bit your neck. Think about when I bit your wrist. Remember that pain. Don’t let him hurt you. Fight him. Do you hear me? Fight him!”

The other vampire lowered his open mouth towards her neck.

Barbara let out a shrill cry and fist-bonked him under his jaw. His teeth clonked together so hard Ambrose heard it.

Ambrose tore through the last barrier and tackled the other vampire to the ground. He pummeled him without mercy and without giving him a fair chance to defend himself. “I told you to leave her alone. I TOLD YOU!”

“Hungry.”

Ambrose grabbed his hair and whacked his head on the cement floor. “I don’t care.” He whacked his head extra hard.

The other vampire lost consciousness.

Ambrose sat back on his own feet and hyperventilated.

Barbara knelt beside him.

He hugged her. “Barbara. Barbara. I thought…I..”  He sobbed. “I…I…”

“It’s okay.” She hugged him back. “I’m okay.”