“What are these?” She hissed, thrusting the bag in my face.

I snatch at the contents. “Wooden bullets and silver stakes.”

“Don’t you mean silver bullets and wooden stakes?”

I’m loading my gun, peering out at the dark castle hall from behind the stairwell. “No.”

The girl I rescued holds a silver stake and looks baffled. “It’s definitely silver bullets and -“

Someone comes around the corner. I take aim as the girl stops talking.

BANG.

The creature drops down dead.

“I don’t understand.” Whispers the girl. “How did you even get wooden bullets?”

We’re advancing towards the exit, and I whisper back as I’m scouting for movements.

“It took a lot of adjustments. Kept breaking until I found the right fit. Why were the vampires and werewolves sacrificing you? Must be plenty of virgins around.”

I can feel her still holding onto my shirt, and her voice breaks slightly. “There were three of us. They kept us for weeks because I think we are descendants of hunters. I’m not too sure.”

“What happened to the others?”

“They - sacrificed them over three nights of the blood moon. I still remember the screams…”

Another corner, this time a werewolf sneers at us, easily eight feet tall.

The girl opens the bag and gives me a silver stake. It shines in the candlelight as I take aim.

There’s a terrible roar as the beast advances, hackles raised.

One good stab, then another and another.

She runs and hides as the wolf falls, bleeding heavily. The silver has weakened it, and it’s mostly human as it slumps to the floor.

There’s a scream behind me.

Covered in blood, I turn and see the girl being held by a vampire, long yellow nails at her throat.

“Such a strange hunter, mixing up your weapons. I shall let you leave if you return our sacrifice to us…”

“Please!” The girl gasps, cut off by those sharp nails getting closer to her skin.

More vampires materialise behind him, and I bite my lip and look behind me.

“Good.” The vampire smiles.

“Not for you.” I deadpan, Bringing up the gun and firing.

BANG.

He drops down to the ground, leaving the girl to run to my side, scrambling for cover.

The vampires are too shocked to do anything, but soon start to advance.

I level my weapon.

Can’t have a ball without a bloodbath.