This is the first draft of the Adventures of Pete, and I decided to go look it over again as I was rewriting it. I’m working on the third draft of the story, and I am wondering if I’m losing the feel of the orginal. So, I’m putting this up, flaws and all, because it is closest to what I planned orginally. Tell me what you think. Comments might be worked into the third (or fourth) draft.

The Adventures of Pete in San Jose

Tom Thomas

Hi. My name is Pete. Last year, I was a grunge rocker living in Seattle. I was known around town for my band, Avenging Angel. However, things turned sour in Seattle, so I went to visit a friend of mine in San Jose. Now for those of you who don’t know much about it, San Jose is very close to Silicon Valley. Lots of computer companies. Also, there is the Winchester Ghost House, built by the widow of the inventor of the famous rifle. It’s a modern town with a gothic subculture. A slight change for me, but I can adapt.

Anyway, I got to my friend Bob’s house, and started looking around town. There was a nice resturant called The Flashback Cafe. It was a favorite hangout of the owner of a local computer company, a 13-year-old girl named Mouse. They had very good food. After several days of walking around exploring, I decided it was time to get a job. I found a band to join, called Wild Stallions. I had three other guys named Bill, Ted, and Jerry. We jammed once, and I never saw them again. One night as I was walking home, I saw something in the graveyard. I had no idea what it was at the time, but the next thing I remembered was running down the street screaming.

That night, I changed forever.

I was captured by people who called themselves Black Spiral Dancers. They told me to bring someone to them. I have forgotten who it was, but as I went back to Bob’s I was captured again. This time by a vampire. His name was Madson, and he was the leader of the Sabbat clan. he offered me the choice between vampire life and mortal death. I told him of the Black Spiral Dancers, but he told me not to worry about them. However, the woman the dancers wanted could be my "initiation" into the Sabbat. Needless to say, I was scared stiff.

But my night was not over yet. I encountered a demon. He offered me enormous powers, without the pain of vampirism. He reached behind him and pulled out my premier album, which would make me rich and famous. I could have anything. "Could I save the whales?" I asked. The demon laughed and said that I could save A whale with my powers, but everything else would have to be done by normal effort. He even promised that I would live out my normal lifetime. I turned him down.

Now I was a bit concerned by all that had happened to me that night, so once I got back to Bob’s, I got onto the internet and tried to find all the information about vampires and the occult I could find. Big Mistake! Let me explain. The internet is monitored by a group called the Technocracy, led by the Evil Bill Gates. They don’t like the occult, and figured that my search was something important. The next thing I knew, Bob answered the door, and was gunned down. The thing at the door was a hitmark, like something out of the Terminator movies. I scrambled out the window and ran to the Winchester Ghost House, near where the Sabbat haven was. I was welcomed by them, and figuring that there was protection in numbers, I joined the Sabbat.

The was vampires are made in movies is close to the real thing, but the Sabbat took it one step further. After my blood was drained from me, I was given a little of Madson’s blood. Then I was buried. My first test was to dig my way out. Yes it was scary. Sometimes I wonder about the wisdom of my actions on that night, but it was done. I made it out, and was welcomed into the Sabbat. We celebrated with a group feeding, everyone drinking from each other, connecting each of us. For vampires, blood contains memories. I got to know everyone that night, in ways I had never known anyone else before. It was thrilling, amazing. I’m afraid I can’t describe it further. After that, I rested. The sun was coming up.

My first night as a vampire, I hung out with a group of "young ones". Madson had made me more powerful than others, and started to groom me to become his second-in-command. But in the meantime, I mingled with the young ones in order to develop a reputation. We were having a lovely time when we came upon a church. We dared each other to go into the churchand do something, and finally I said that I would go in a take the crucifix off the altar. i went inside. What an ordeal! I managed to make it to a pew and sit down to rest when a young lady came and sat next to me. She gave me a very bad feeling, and I got up to leave. She moved to block my way, and I went around her. She touched me and firery pain ran through my body. I ran off, rejoining my group outside. They wondered what had happened, but then saw the woman. We all had the same feeling of unease, and left. Normally vampires heal quickly, but the marks left by her touch are still visible today.

I made my first kill that night. For us, hunting is an exhilarating experience. I heard my victim’s heartbeat, and fell into a sort of ecstasy with the thought that I would soon feed. But I was still close to humanity. After I drank, my head cleared, and I realized what I was and what I had done.

And then there was crisis.

Mouse, the owner of Kreigerware, a local software company, had been kidnapped by the Technocracy. In a once in a lifetime occurence, the Sabbat joined with it’s most hated rivals, another band of vampires called the Camarilla. Both sides agreed that the Technocracy had to be stopped. We agreed to a joint assult on the Technocracy headquarters in the Microsoft building. But first, we needed information about the inside. to do this (and not seem like we were snooping around), we decided to use sonar to "see" inside the basement. To scan the place without arousing suspicion, we decided to hold a concert in the plaza in front of the building. It was a great success. Pete and the Torries, an all-vampire band, opened for Spinal Tap. We got the sonic frequencies needed to map out the basement, and planned the attack. It was decided that I would provide the diversion, which I was happy about. Vampire or not, I did not relish facing a hitmark again.

The diversion proved to be a blimp with "Spinal Tap" printed on both sides. I was to fly it into town and around the Microsoft building. It was at this time I learned that vampires do not fly. I was given a bodyguard, a vampire named Charlie. As we flew into town, we drew lots of attention, including someone with a gun. This person shot at the blimp, and I managed to crash land in Microsoft Plaza. The police arrived and I "convinced" them that I worked for Spinal Tap. The police let me go, but I was picked up by some race car driver named Larry. I had no idea who he was, but I wanted to get out of there. I told him to go back along the blimp’s flight path in order to try and locate our gunman. We saw someone in purple tights waving a gun, and I figured we found our man. However, Larry was feeling homicidal. He decided to run down the gunman. I grabbed the wheel, and we crashed into a building, the second time that night. Larry was hurt badly, and I chased the gunman off. I told Charlie to watch the driver while I called for help. But young Charlie wanted blood, and drained him. I arrived back too late. "Should I let this person die?" I thought. Mistake or not, I took action. I brought Larry across, made him into a vampire.

As I write this, I notice how in those first weeks I began to lose my humanity. At first, the thought of killing was abhorrent. Then it became eaiser, and I condemned Larry, without permission, to the same dark existance I lead.

Madson was happy with the raid on Microsoft, all had gone as planned. However, he was very unhappy with the fact that I had made Larry a vampire. Making a vampire is a very seroius thing, like having a baby. He wondered if I was ready for the responsibility. Larry and I were put on probation for 100 years. If he messed up, he would be killed and I would be punished in some way. The next couple of nights were interesting. Larry would drive Charlie and I on our "excursions" into the city. Larry, being a famous race car driver, had money. The fun we had! You see, since I made Larry, I had lots of influence on his actions. But he was rebellious at times. I had to whammy (hypnotize) him to get him to leave a girl behind once. And then Charlie had to go and kil her. What a shame. Larry and Charlie didn’t get along well after that.

Madson was concerned about the Black Spiral Dancers, who I knew then as a werewolf clan. Yes dear reader, along with vampires, there are werewolves, angels and demons, and mages. Quite an interesting world right? Madson told us to go scout the Dancers hideout in the woods near the observatory. With Larry’s money and my whammy power, we obtained a Jeep and very illegal firearms. And we set off. Just outside the woods, we came upon a camper. I told him that I was with Park Security, and asked if he had seen anything unusual. His reply was negative. Just for laughs, I then said "You never saw us". His face went blank and he went back to sleep. I thought it was hilarious. We proceeded into the woods with the lights out. Larry had the ability to see in the dark. And suddenly, we were attacked.

The things that can kill a vampire include the sun, decapitation, stake through the heart, holy water, and fire. The Dancers had guns that shot burning phosphorous rounds. They burnt horribily. I drew my gun and fired back. "Get us out of here!" I yelled at Larry. As we turned around, I saw that some dancers were chasing us. I grabbed a grenade we had and pulled the pin, ready to throw, when I was shot. The grenade fell in the Jeep. Charlie, having already lost a hand, reached for the grenade and got it out just in time. Soon we were out of the woods and heading into town.

For our night’s work, we were commended for surviving the Dancers. Charlie got his hand regrown, and all three of us got a well deserved rest. The next night, we set out to do something very risky. We were to stop a group of Camarilla vampires from entering the city. You see, after the Microsoft affair, Madson had taken advantage of the weakness of the city’s Camarilla group. They were wiped out to a man. The Camarilla group in San Francisco heard of the trouble and was sending in help. For this job, I decided to use my nitroglycerin rounds. They explode on contact! Real good for vampires and automobiles. We took station just outside town and waited. Suddenly, they were there. I pulled my gun and started shooting.

I wasn’t a real good shot. In fact, the other night in the woods, I think I shot Charlie once. The Camarilla vampires were using phosphorous rounds, and once again I got shot. I shot once, blowing up a truck, and again, blowing up a vampire, and again, blowing off Charlie’s arm. Sorry Charlie! I think I shot Larry too, but we managed to stop the Camarilla invasion. Madson attached a new arm to Charlie, but for some reason Larry was upset with me. It had something to do with his freedom and that he never wanted to be a vampire in the first place.

He challenged me to a fight. I accepted. he started throwing punches, still thinking like a mortal. I closed and tried to bite him. Mistake! Larry was stronger than me. He used that strength and drank my blood. He was stopped before he could kill me. I was told later that Larry was staked to the ground and left outside for the sun. A horrible death. Charlie now wears Larry’s fangs on a chain. With Larry gone, I took what money of his I could and bought myself a car. Thinking back to my favorate show about vampires, I decided to buy a 1959 Cadillac, because of the trunk space. You figure out why.

And so, my un-life goes on, and I contemplate what my next diversion from the boredom of eternity will be.