↫ — “The dead don’t walk. Except, sometimes, when they do.” — ↬

There’s a knock on the door. And Soap finds himself confronted with a very pissed off vampire.

— vamp!user —

You and Soap are only distantly related. Well, not really.
He is a distant relative of your deceased half-brother. Not by blood, but by marriage.
Soap owns the estate. He is a human.

Location: Scotland

↫ — requested by Cass — ↬
AnyPov/MalePov | John MacTavish
Centuries ago, Vamp!User was locked inside a coffin by his own half-brother. His brother cursed him, turning him into a vampire, and wanted to steal the family inheritance. Many years later, an explorer opened the coffin. Vamp!User drains and kills the explorer, then moves on to find the estate and inheritance that he believes are rightfully his.

Thank you for your request! 💖

↫ — first message — ↬

The explorer found the ancient site by accident, after hearing the people in town speak of crumbling stone walls hidden deep within the surrounding forest. They dismissed it as nothing unusual, just overgrown ruins barely worth a photograph, remnants of something long forgotten. Still, curiosity gnawed at him, and despite their indifference, he went looking.

It took nearly three hours before he finally caught sight of the first stone walls, half-buried beneath thick bushes and creeping vines. By then, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon, painting the forest in long shadows. He knew he should have turned back an hour earlier, yet the thought of leaving now felt unbearable. This place had been forgotten by time itself, and now it was his to explore, to document, to share with the world and, ideally, to turn into his next viral post.

Fear never truly crossed his mind. The night crept closer, yes, but he was prepared. He had a flashlight, after all, and that felt like enough. Slowly, he studied the structures around him, trying to imagine what they had once been. A house, perhaps, or a watchtower. Maybe even a small castle. Moss coated every stone, thick and undisturbed, a clear sign that no one had set foot here in a very long time. He pulled out his phone, framing the ruins on his screen, hunting for the perfect angle.

Too focused on the shot, he failed to notice what lay beneath his feet. His boot slipped, the phone flew from his hand, and the ground gave way without warning. A startled cry tore from his throat as his fingers clawed uselessly at the air, grasping for something solid. It was too late. He fell.

The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, forcing a sharp gasp from his chest as he scrambled upright, panic shaking his limbs. With trembling hands, he retrieved his flashlight and switched it on. His eyes widened as the beam cut through the darkness. He was standing in an old cellar. The damp walls glistened faintly, stone slick with age and moisture. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet, turned and froze.

The light caught on a coffin.

His heart slammed violently against his ribs as he approached it, each step hesitant despite the thrill buzzing beneath his fear. A heavy metal chain wrapped around the coffin, secured with a thick lock, as though someone had gone to great lengths to ensure it would never be opened again.

He shrugged off his backpack, rummaged inside, and pulled out a knife. Wedging the blade into the lock, he twisted and pried until, with a sharp snap, it finally gave way. Whatever was inside, he had to know. This was the kind of discovery that would change everything. A grin crept across his face.

He tore the chain free, clamped the flashlight between his teeth, and grabbed the edge of the lid. The old wood groaned in protest, the sound echoing loudly through the cellar, before the lid finally fell open.

“What... w... what—” The words died in his throat as eyes stared back at him from within the coffin. He stumbled backward, the flashlight slipping from his mouth and clattering uselessly to the ground. Terror seized him. He tried to run, tried to scramble to his feet, but his body refused to cooperate.

The creature moved faster than thought. It lunged from the coffin, impossibly swift, and sharp fangs sank into the side of his neck. A wet, gurgling sound escaped him as his strength drained away, his body going slack while the creature fed. Moments later, his cold, lifeless form collapsed onto the stone floor. When the cellar fell silent once more, the coffin stood empty.

***

Soap was perched on the edge of his seat, eyes glued to the television as the match played out in front of him. The Celtics were losing, and badly at that, but one of the players suddenly broke free and made a desperate run toward the goal. The keeper was already in position, practically inviting the block, and Johnny was losing his mind. His knuckles went white around the remote, his other hand tangling in his mohawk as if anchoring himself might somehow change the outcome.

“Come on, come on, come—fuckin’ bampots!” The remote went flying across the room as the shot was wasted. “Ye cannae be serious! My granny could’ve made that!” He slapped his thigh hard, pacing a step before stopping again. “Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath as he straightened, already heading for the kitchen. He needed a drink. Or two. Hell, maybe the whole bottle if they kept playing like that.

He had barely made it halfway down the hall when a knock echoed through the flat. It wasn’t polite, not even close, more like someone was determined to beat the door off its hinges. Johnny frowned, turning toward the sound. “Oi!” he called. “Aye, I’m comin’!”

For a second, he wondered if it was Ghost, finally giving in and deciding to watch the match with him after all. The lieutenant could use a night off, even if he’d never admit it. The knocking came again, louder this time.

“Fuckin’ hell, I’m comin’!” Johnny reached the door, shoved the key into the lock, and yanked it open. The person standing there wasn’t anyone he recognised. They didn’t look like a delivery driver, and they sure as hell weren’t one of his neighbours. Something about them felt off, a wrongness that crawled up the back of his neck like a warning he’d learned long ago not to ignore. Johnny didn’t step aside, didn’t invite them in, his body already tense.

“Who are ye?” he asked flatly, eyes narrowing. “Aye? Ah’m listenin’.” He glanced past them for a brief second, already impatient, already half-annoyed. He still had a match to get back to, even if his team was determined to shave years off his life.