Disclaimer: Gargoyles do not belong to me. They belong to Buena Vista. The Walker family and Camp Nightfall, however, are mine. This is another fanfic that isn’t very good, but it is a bit better than Clan Destine.
Chrissy sighed blissfully. It was Friday and she was home for the weekend. She had spent a good two-hour drive from New York University (where she is a freshman) to her family home in Vermont.
But, there would be time to think about school later. Her family was packing for a camping trip and she needed to get her gear into the car. Grabbing her pillow, sleeping bag, and a duffel bag, she went downstairs and outside to the car.
“Thanks Chrissy,” her father, Don Walker said as his daughter put her stuff into the trunk.
“No problem dad.” Chrissy climbed into the backseat with her younger sister, Melody (15) and her younger brother James (10). Her mother, Nicole sat in the front passenger seat of the family station wagon as Don got into the driver’s seat and shut the door.
“Well, everyone. We’re out of here until Sunday afternoon.” Don and his family buckled up and then Mr. Walker put the key in the ignition. The engine came on and he drove the car onto the road and toward the nearest camping grounds.
It was nearly dark when the Walker family finished setting up camp. It had been a memorable car ride. This is what transpired:
Nicole: How’s college, Chrissy?
Chrissy: Great, mom. I plan to major in law enforcement.
James (teasing): Any sign of gargoyles?
Melody (scolding): James! You know live gargoyles don’t exist.
Chrissy: I believe they do exist.
Melody: How would you know?
Chrissy: I saw the news report and I saw shapes pass over the moon.
James: That doesn’t prove anything.
Melody: Yeah.
Don: That’s enough, you two. Your sister has a right to believe what she wants. I’ve seen the news report, too and I believe gargoyles are real also.
Nicole: Besides, we’re here at the camp site, Camp Nightfall.
“Well, we’re set up, but we need wood, so I can cook dinner and have light,” Don said. “Dear, why don’t you and the kids gather some wood, huh?”
“Sure, honey. We’ll be back in no time.” Grabbing a couple flashlights, Nicole led her children into the woods, where she gave Chrissy the second flashlight.
“Chrissy, you and Melody go that way. Your brother and I will go this way.” Nicole pointed in tow different directions. “We’ll meet back here in about an hour.” The four of them split into the two designated teams and began their search.
Chrissy shined her flashlight on the ground, occasionally collecting dry sticks and twigs. Melody had stopped a few feet behind to collect some more sticks. She should have caught up by now. Turning around, she pointed her light at the spot where Melody was at but saw nothing. Melody was gone!
“Melody? Melody!” Chrissy cried, hoping her sister could hear her and answer. She saw some disturbed branches that she knew no forest creature could reach. Melody had passed this way. Following the obscured path, she pointed her flashlight this way and that, looking for some clue of her sister.
Movement to her right caught her eye. “Melody?” She could make out shadows near a tree. Moving her flashlight in that direction, she saw one of the shadows dash off into the woods. Judging by the height, it wasn’t her sister. A second shadow leaning against the tree, however, was her sister. Coming up to her sister and crouching down, she saw Melody was unconscious. She vigorously shook her sister, trying to wake her. “Melody, wake up. Please, wake up.”
“Chrissy?” Melody’s voice said weakly. She opened her eyes and saw her sister looking at her concerned. “What happened?”
“That’s what I want to know.”
“I was gathering that pile of wood we saw earlier when someone grabbed me and dragged me here. I think it was a homeless person who lives here.”
“Well, he’s gone now. Let’s finish collecting the wood.”
“Sure. But could you keep the flashlight trained on the ground? It hurts my eyes.”
“Okay.” Chrissy and Melody continued to collect wood until it was time to meet up with their mom and James. As they reached the meeting spot, Melody was lagging behind, which irritated Chrissy. She hated it when people slowed her down.
“Melody, hurry up.” Chrissy turned around, forgetting to keep her flashlight down as she focused it on Melody. Her sister dropped the wood as she threw an arm up to cover her eyes.
“Chrissy!” she exclaimed. Chrissy gasped and the collected wood tumbled to the ground. For years it was rumored that Camp Nightfall was home to a group of vampires. Chrissy never believed in vampires. Even after seeing the news report of gargoyles living in Manhattan. She believed in gargoyles, but not vampires. The entire Walker family likewise didn’t believe in vampires, but Chrissy was a believer now, because Melody had fangs! A flash of insight came to Chrissy: it wasn’t a homeless person that grabbed Melody, it had been a vampire!
“Melody! You’re…a vampire!?!”
“Yes, mortal. You’re next!”
“Chrissy.”
The college girl whirled around and saw her mother and brother behind her. Her flashlight was pointed down, but she could still see them. Their eyes glowed a menacing red as they flashed fanged smiles.
“You’re vampires, too!”
“Yes, we are,” Nicole said. “We were ambushed by the local group that lives here. We tried to escape, but fortunately we didn’t. Now, we’re a part of the most superior race on earth.”
“Join us, sis,” James added.
“No,” Chrissy begged, backing away from her family. “I don’t want to be a vampire.”
“Why not? Don’t you like our fangs?” James flashed his fangs at her.
Chrissy tried to calm down. Maybe if she flattered them slightly, them wouldn’t bite her. “Sure, I do. But not the price they come at.” Chrissy could now see the puncture holes on her mother’s neck.
“How come? Gargoyles have fangs too, you know.”
When James said that, Chrissy doubled over as a sharp pain hit her abdomen. This confused her. Why would a simple line cause her pain?
“Yeah,” Melody chimed in. “Gargoyles have fangs, too.”
Chrissy doubled over again. The sharp pain she felt before came back and worse this time. It felt like the pain was tearing her apart from the inside out. A howl of pain escaped her throat as she heard something ripping out of the back of her shirt.
From her bent over position, she could make out the silhouette of a pair of wings attached to her back. Gargoyle wings! She was changing into a gargoyle! But how? Chrissy saw her second and third fingers on both hands meld together and become claws as did the rest of her fingers.
“Get her! Bite her!” Nicole ordered.
James and Melody leaped at their sister. Something inside Chrissy snapped and she slashed at her attackers, sending them backwards. The redheaded girl felt a tail punch through the seat of her pants and the pain receded. She knew then that she was completely changed and could escape. Jumping onto a tree branch, she opened her new wings and successfully glided into the air, leaving her attackers howling and hissing at her from the ground, probably because their haven’t mastered all their vampire abilities.
Now that she was safe, her thoughts began to run through the events that just recently happened. Apparently, the rumor about vampires was real. But what about her transformation? Did her siblings cast some sort of spell on her? It sounded like it from the way they spoke. Did they plan to turn her into a gargoyle in order to turn her? They must have thought that if she asked them to change her back, they would agree in exchange for her becoming a vampire. Well, she knew she wasn’t going to go in that direction. Chrissy also knew that she had to save her dad from the vampire family as she called her former family now.
“Dad!” she cried as she landed at the campsite. “Dad, we need to leave. Now!”
Don looked up from the cooler he was digging around in. He gasped when he saw a gargoyle before him. “Who are you? Does a clan live here?” he asked, excitedly.
“Dad, it’s me. Chrissy.”
“Chrissy? But, how?” Don clasped his daughter’s claws in his hands.
“I think James and Melody cast a spell on me.”
Don laughed. “They don’t know magic, sweetheart.”
“They do now. They’re vampires. And so is mom.”
“Nonsense. Okay, I believe that a spell was cast on you, but vampires don’t exist.”
Chrissy shook her head as she grabbed a pink satchel off the picnic table and began to put fresh fruits and two bottles of water into it. She was going to save her dad even if he didn’t think he needed it. She snapped the satchel closed and draped it over her head and shoulder like a sash.
She turned around and saw her dad surrounded by the vampire family! She had to save him! Jumping onto the table, she glided upward and over the family. Gliding down, she grabbed her dad and lifted him up and into the sky.
“Do you believe me now, dad?”
Don looked at his daughter. “I do now.”
Chrissy gasped. Her dad’s eyes glowed red and he had fangs. He was a vampire too. Horrified she dropped him and began to soar upward to get to the treetops. A beam of red light flashed by her. She looked down. Her former family was firing eye beams at her, trying to stun her so they could make her one of them. Chrissy angled her wings, the wind carrying her above the trees and out of her enemies’ eyesight.
Now, she was above the trees with a slight wind blowing. From the south, if she remembered from watching the weather report before leaving home. The wind, however, was the farthest thing from her mind. Her major concern was staying safe and hidden from the vampires. If she remembered correctly, vampires and gargoyles sleep during the day. But, where could she go to be safe?
‘Wait a minute!’ she realized. ‘There are gargoyles in Manhattan. That’s where I’ll go. I just hope the vampire family doesn’t decide to go there in order to find me.’ Her decision made, Chrissy turned north and glided toward Manhattan.
It would have taken Chrissy two hours to drive to Manhattan, but it took her an hour and a half to reach the island. She made it. Being a gargoyle definitely had its advantages. Now, she had to find a gargoyle in order to be sure that she’ll be safe.
A burglar alarm sounded nearby, startling her in mid-flight. Curious about the break-in, she followed the sound of the alarm. She saw two men breaking into a jewelry store. Chrissy’s eyes glowed bright red. What they were doing was wrong, anyone could see that. She was about to go and stop them when she saw tow shadowy figures. Figures that had wings. Her heart hammered in her chest. They were gargoyles. Chrissy stayed on the rooftop that was right next to the jewelry store and watched.
Brooklyn and Broadway landed in the alley beside the jewelry store. The alarm they heard earlier was silent now. Obviously the wires had been cut.
“Broadway, you stand near the back in case our friends use the back door. I’ll take the front.”
Broadway grumbled slightly as he ambled toward the exit door. Whenever he and Brooklyn were together to stop a crime, Brooklyn always took the front. Lex told him that was the same way when he was with the clan’s second-in-command. ‘His rank must be inflating his ego,’ Broadway thought. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the back door being kicked down. He turned his attention to the open doorway.
Slowly, a man emerged from the building, a sack slung over his shoulder. A second man followed the first, another sack over his shoulder. Broadway blocked the criminals’ escape, his eyes glowing. The two men stopped short and gasped.
“It’s one of those gargoyle monsters!” the first one exclaimed. That was all he got to say before Broadway grabbed him by the shirt and hoisted him up into the air.
The second man found an opening to one side of the green gargoyle and slipped through it, only to run into a brick-red gargoyle.
“And where are you going?” the gargoyle growled as it lifted him upward. The criminal was not strong of heart and fainted away. Brooklyn put the human down as Broadway brought the other human and the sack of jewelry over to him. The white-haired gargoyle dug around a trash can until he found a steel cable and used it to tie up the two crooks. Then Broadway used a quarter Elisa gave them to call the police. Luckily, Matt answered and Broadway gave him all the information needed to find the criminals. As Broadway hung up, the two gargoyles heard a female scream. A female gargoyle scream.
“It came from up there.” Broadway pointed to the top of the building next to the jewelry store.
“Let’s see if we can help a fellow gargoyle.” Brooklyn began his ascent up the building. Broadway paused for a second before following.
Brooklyn reached the ledge and peered over the top. A female gargoyle with royal purple skin and red hair was being threatened by four humans. The humans didn’t see him because their backs were to him. The female was too frightened by the humans to notice him. Brooklyn leaped at the nearest human, which was an adult male.
Chrissy watched the two gargoyles take care of the jewelry thieves. She felt a thrill well up inside her. They helped protect the city, like a police force with wings.
“Thought you could get away from us, did you?” an evil voice said.
Chrissy whirled around. Behind her, was the vampire family. They had found her. Chrissy let out a scream as she pushed past them, but suddenly she found herself on the ground. James had tripped her. She quickly scrambled to her feet and faced the four of them. All of them glared at her with those menacing red eyes. The young gargress felt that this was it. Her life was over. Suddenly, a male gargoyle tackled Don. Don hit his head on the roof and passed out. This sudden attack gave Chrissy the chance to take out one of the others. Using her newfound tail, she whipped it across the ground and knocked James and Melody off their feet. They hit the roof and likewise passed out. That just left them with Nicole.
The lady vampire faced the two gargoyles, fangs bared. Brooklyn’s skin paled. This wasn’t an ordinary human. What was she? Nicole lunged for the gargoyles. Brooklyn planted a swift kick to her midsection. Chrissy followed with a hard punch that knocked the vampire out. With the fight over, Brooklyn turned to the new gargoyle. “Are you okay?”
The female looked at him with delight. “I knew there were gargoyles living here!”
“Huh?” Brooklyn gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”
“Brooklyn, who’s your friend?” Broadway asked as he approached his rookery brother.
“I don’t know.”
“My name’s Chrissy Walker, a freshman at New York University. I’m really from Vermont.”
“You were human, weren’t you?” Broadway asked.
“Yes.” At this point, the full impact of the whole night hit Chrissy and she began to shake with racking sobs.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Brooklyn held her comfortingly. “Listen, I’m Brooklyn and this is Broadway. Why were you being attacked?”
Chrissy explained to her new friends what happened at camp grounds in every detail that she knew. Brooklyn and Broadway listened in horrified wonder. When she finished, Brooklyn was the first to speak.
“Let’s head back home before these vampires wake up.”
“I agree, Brooklyn.”
“You better come with us, Chrissy. You’ll be safe with us.”
Chrissy nodded. He was right. She would be safer with her friends than her vampire enemies. She followed Brooklyn and Broadway into the sky and upward into the clouds.
“Brooklyn, where are we going?”
“To our home. It’s a castle atop the Eerie Building.”
The three gargoyles cleared the clouds and there was Castle Wyvern. Chrissy gasped. It was magnificent. Chrissy followed the others and landed in the courtyard.
“Wait here. I’ll tell Goliath.” Brooklyn went into the castle.
“Who’s Goliath?” Chrissy looked at Broadway.
“Our leader. Don’t let his size frighten you. He’s a fair gargoyle.”
“Broadway speaks the truth.” Chrissy turned to the courtyard doorway and saw a large gargoyle standing there. He must have been seven feet tall with light lavender skin and dark hair.
“Brooklyn has told me of your story. You are welcomed to stay with us. We’ll protect you from your enemies.”
“I would be honored to stay here.” Chrissy smiled inwardly. At last, she was safe. The vampire family would never find her now.
Previously on Gargoyles…
For years it was rumored that Camp Nightfall was home to a group of vampires. Chrissy never believed in vampires. She believed in gargoyles, but not vampires. The entire family didn’t believe. But Chrissy was a believer now, because Melody had fangs!
“My name’s Chrissy Walker, a freshman at New York University. I’m really from Vermont.”
“You were human, weren’t you?”
&&&&
“Brooklyn has told me of your story. You are welcomed to stay with us. We’ll protect you from your enemies.”
And now, the story…
Don groaned as he came to wakefulness. He sat up and saw the rest of his kind also come around. The gargoyle was no where to be found. He walked over to Nicole.
“Where’s the gargoyle?” he asked.
“She got away. Another gargoyle came to her aid. They could be anywhere.”
“We will wait for her to show again. She can’t hide forever. For now, we will sleep in the castle in Central Park. Don’t worry, Nicole. If anyone discovers us, we’ll make them join our group.” With that pronouncement, the vampires took to the air and headed for the castle.
&&&&
“Elisa, this is Chrissy Walker. She has quite a story to tell.”
Chrissy liked Elisa from the moment she saw her. An attractive woman in blue jeans, a black top, and a red jacket, Elisa was definitely a likeable person.
Elisa shook Chrissy’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Chrissy. I’m Elisa Maza, 23rd precient.”
“A police officer? That’s my major at NYU!”
“Really? And how did you become a gargoyle?”
Chrissy related her tale to Elisa, answering any questions Elisa or the gargoyles had in between. When she finished, Elisa asked one more question.
“Are you sure your family weren’t vampires earlier?”
“I don’t think so. Vampires are only awake at night, so there’s no way they were vampires before the trip.
“Speaking of sleep, it is almost dawn,” Goliath interrupted.
Chrissy followed the clan to the battlements and stood on a pedestal. As Chrissy fell into a stone sleep, the vampire family also fell asleep.
A Few Weeks Later
The vampire family watched for any sign of their prey. It has been weeks since they last saw Chrissy. Where was she? She had to be somewhere in the city. It was frustrating to the vampires that they had watched the sky so closely, yet they never saw her.
But, their watches were not completely useless. They managed to get some information about the other gargoyles they’ve seen. Like tonight, they had seen a tall lavender gargoyle talking to a young woman on a rooftop. After the gargoyle left, the human entered her apartment through a skylight. They knew of a human who was friends with the clan and she would be the perfect tool for getting Chrissy.
Don and Nicole decided to wait in the shadows of the rooftop the next night to ambush the human and gargoyle. As soon as they woke up, they headed for their trap. They waited. At about a quarter to midnight, the woman appeared on the roof and the gargoyle appeared a few minutes later.
“Hey, big guy,” Elisa greeted as Goliath touched down. “How’s Chrissy been doing?”
“Chrissy’s doing fine. She’s learning more about gargoyles every night. Last night, she helped stop an armed robbery.”
“She sounds like she’s really fitting in.”
A silence settled over the scene. The stillness was enough for Goliath to detect some heavy breathing. It sounded like it was coming from the shadows. “Do you hear that?” he asked.
“Hear what?”
“There is someone over there.” Goliath pointed to a dark patch on the roof. The two of them drew closer to investigate.
Suddenly, two humans launched themselves out of the darkness and at the two heroes. The male grabbed Goliath while the female went for Elisa. As Goliath fought the male, he heard Elisa cry out his name. He turned to see Elisa held securely by the female. The other attacker stopped fighting and stood beside his partner.
“Listen well Goliath. Either you bring Chrissy to us at Belvedere Castle by two a.m. or your human friend will be one of us.” Don bared his fangs, so that Goliath got the idea. Then he and Nicole flew off to the castle with their prey in tow. Goliath yelled out Elisa’s name as the vampires flew out of sight.
&&&&
Chrissy turned another page in the book she was reading. The book was on mythological creatures and she wanted to see if there was anything she needed to know about vampires. So far, she had read on the definition of a vampire, the characteristics and even a few known encounters with these living dead beings.
“Killing the Vampire Menace,” she murmured when she reached the next subheading. Intrigued, she continued to read. She learned that killing vampires are not easy. For one, you have to find their lair. That alone is the most difficult part. However, there were at least a few ways to kill the vampire.
“Drive a stake into the heart while it sleeps. Well, that won’t work. Dissolving the body in water? Eww.” Chrissy closed the book with shudder. She thought back to the stake method.
‘Well, if the clan discovers the lair, we can tell Elisa and maybe she can use the stake method.’
Suddenly, the library doors burst open and Goliath stormed in. Chrissy looked at the gargoyle leader with frightened eyes. The feeling passed when Goliath calmed down as he looked at the college girl.
“Chrissy, we need to go to Belvedere Castle in Central Park.”
“Why?”
“Your former parents have captured Elisa and said that either I bring you to them by two or Elisa…”
“They won’t get Elisa. I’ll go to them.”
“No! They’re not getting you or Elisa. We will rescue her. I’ll get the others. We’ll meet on the battlements. With that, Goliath left. Chrissy glanced at the book on the table.
“Maybe it’s not too late to consider the water method?” she considered out loud.
&&&&
Elisa struggled against her bonds. If she could just get her hands free, she could grab her gun and shoot her captors. True, they were already dead, but they would be unconscious. Wouldn’t they?
Don looked at the human. “Don’t waste your time. You’ll be fine. Although, it might be fine with your friends or with us, it doesn’t matter. My kind will win either way.”
“Goliath will never surrender a clan member to you.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then welcome to our clan, Elisa.”
“Don’t you touch her,” a baritone voice demanded. Turning around, Don saw Goliath along with seven other gargoyles, among them was Chrissy.
“I see you’ve agreed to surrender Chrissy to us. Very wise. As per the agreement, I release your human friend.” Don cut the ropes and Elisa was free. She went to the clan’s side. The other vampires assembled behind Don.
“Come Chrissy. Your destiny awaits you,” the head vampire taunted.
“I’m not coming.”
“You have to. It’s an exchange. Elisa for you. Now, step lively.”
“Never.”
With a roar, the vampires lunged at the clan. They stood their ground as their enemies lunged. The gargoyles fought the vampires, avoiding the fangs that would bring certain death.
A shrill scream pierced the battle scene. Everyone froze as Nicole held Angela pinning all her limbs. She grinned wickedly.
“Surrender Chrissy or Angela here will make an interesting meal.”
“If you want me, come and get me.” Chrissy dove out a window and started to glide away.
“Get her!” Nicole ordered, releasing Angela and charging after her former daughter. The others followed suite.
“We can’t let them get Chrissy,” Brooklyn exclaimed.
“We won’t . We will stop them,” Goliath declared. The gargoyles glided after the vampires.
Chrissy glanced behind her. They were right behind her. Perfect. Gliding upward, she used the drafts and currents to carry farther from her adversaries. The waterfall wasn’t too far now. Hopefully, they didn’t know that water can kill them. Or if they did, then hopefully they’ll be flying too fast to stop from plowing right into the water.
Chrissy slowed down enough for them to catch up before she took off again. The waterfall ahead drew closer and closer. And so did the vampires. Nicole was almost close enough to grab her ankles. With one last burst of strength, Chrissy headed for the waterfall and plunged through it. As she passed through the water, she heard the terrified screams of the vampires as the water dissolved them. Their screams sent a shiver down her spine.
After a few seconds, all she heard was rushing water. Peeking around the waterfall, she didn’t see anyone except the clan, who were gliding to the top of the waterfall. Coming out from behind the water, she followed them.
As soon as she had touched down, Brooklyn gave her a gentle slap on the back. “Way to go, Chrissy!”
“You got those vampires good,” Broadway added.
“Yeah, all three of them,” Lex cheered.
Lexington’s words sunk into Chrissy’s head. “Wait a minute. There were four of them, not three.”
“I only saw three. Two adults and one boy.”
“Then, where’s Melody?”
“Right here,” Melody’s voice said from above them. Everyone looked up at her for a moment before she dove at them, fangs bared, heading for Chrissy.
As Melody passed Goliath, he grabbed her feet, swung her around and threw her into the river below. Melody’s scream echoed into the night as the last of the vampire family died.
Chrissy sighed. “Thank you Goliath.”
“You’re a part of the clan. I couldn’t let her get you.”
Chrissy smiled. Part of the clan. It felt good to hear that. Her former human family was dead. But, in their place, she gained a new family. A family known as gargoyles.
