Such sorry filled his black heart as he contemplated his life, his death and his undeath. Who he was no longer matters, what he did, what he liked no longer were a part of his existence. His soul remained in tact, but his life was destroyed. He figured he had to be cursed, for death always seemed to follow him. As a boy his pets were killed, the animals on the farm were killed mysteriously, his parents, his siblings one by one they would be suddenly found dead. But how strange it was that he was spared. He grew up to marry a lovely young woman and had children with her. It was just when he thought his luck had turned did he find them murdered in their beds. It was then that the monster that had been trailing him for two and a half decades finally showed himself.
He remembered the horror as the moonlight behind the beast made it all the more dark and sinister. It didn't look human, but bore a resemblance; it was more bat-like, the eyes glowing red with hate and blood, the fangs lunging for his blood, the black polished claws ripping.
When he awoke, he was terribly surprised that he did, but more so that he seemed to retain his looks. Puzzled, he found himself in a cave of some sorts. Upon investigation he found others like him all laid out as if in line for burial. A noise spooked him and he hid behind the doorframe to see that terrible beast that attacked him examining the other bodies.
The terrible beast wore a tattered loincloth only and had brown leathery looking skin all over; not a hair on it's body. It's spine was pronounced as were it's joints and he could see the black veins that lain within the wings. The tail, speared on the end twitched as it examined the people, as were the claws on its hands and feet.
Silently, our hero looked around and saw a large splinter of wood, picked it up and snuck up for an attack. With the beast's back turned, the weapon wielding man plunged the sharpened end into the beast's back. The scream it produced awoke everyone in the cave. They looked at him, his hands still clutching at the wooden splinter. He stared back then they attacked him. Half a dozen tackled him and the other half went to help that monstrous beast. Why, he'll never know.
He watched, as he was held down, as the people wrenched the stake from the beast. The monster fell to his knees and held his chest, then fell to its side in a convulsing death.
The monster killer was thrown out of the cave, literally. With the force exerted on him and the slope they were on, he roughly fell down a forested mountain, which seemed to go on forever as he hit trees both alive and dead. Rocks at the cliff edge hit him mercilessly and he found himself weightless as he fell, the sky and the mountaintop leaving him behind.
Below him he watched as the rocky bottom approached. He screamed with fright and it hurt as he hit and broke everything. As a disgarded and broken man, he waited for his death, but death did not come. He laid there and rested, waiting for the vultures to come kill his helpless body, but they didn't.
He fell asleep before dawn and slept restlessly. Dusk was upon him when he awoke and found that he could move again. As he achily arose, he observed that the greenery of summer had faded to fall in what seemed to be a day's time!
It was then that he noticed that he was terribly hungry, but not for food, but for someone. No, oh no. I am one of them!, he thought with dred. His immediate thought was to await the dawn to be rid of himself peacefully, instead of a mob finishing him off, but then the urge to feed was too great to resist! NO! he mustn't!!
He sat down on the very rocks that he was bashed against and awaited the dawn with a rumbling stomach. He looked down at his hands and saw them more as weapons upon to kill his meal instead of tools used to make treasures.
Soon after, he found himself running through the fields chasing horses, with an incredible thirst for death. When he realized himself he stopped and begged forgiveness, leaving the beautiful creatures alone. Walking along the fence, a sensation caught his attention. He looked to the skies, his fangs touching the air, tracking life blood that as flying in the air; owls and bugs. He shut his horrid gift to the world and continued along, having no idea where he was.
Weary, he fell to the grassy floor, feeling its coolness life on his face. Give up, he told himself. Die you monster, he cursed. He made himself fall asleep and when he awoke again, he was in a bed and the snowing was falling outside. Disheartened, he cursed his miserable luck! "Why can't I DIE!!!?" he howled at the world.
It was then that a young woman walked in with a bowl of steaming soup. She spoke with a lovely accent, "I brought you some soup, sir. I hope you'll enjoy it,"
"No. No, I must protest. I have to leave,"
"Sir, you are but skin and bones. You shall surely die, if not out there, if help does not come to you,"
"Good."
A long silence as he surprised her with his talk. "Why should one as yourself wish so much to die?"
"Heh. You have no idea, do you. No idea of what I am. I am a hazard to you and all you know and love. That is why I must die, for the world's sake!" as he got up to leave, she pushed him back down with ease and held him there.
"Sir, you are not strong enough to even move!"
"Then kill me and be done with it!!" he demanded angrily.
"I shant do that either."
He groaned with frustration as he laid back on his pillow, the woman removed her hand to fetch a stool to sit upon. "Oh what had I ever done to deserve undeath?!!"
The woman said nothing as she spooned up some soup and blew on it to cool it.
"if you only knew what I was you'd put me to my wonderful death as I want!!"
"Here, have some soup,"
"NO!!" he said as he slapped the spoon from her grip. "I told you NO!! Kill me!! before I kill you!!"
"delirium has set upon you. If you do not eat something soon…"
"You mean someone, don't you?"
she was speechless, pondering his words. He looked at her, but then felt a strong urge to suck the blood from her, so he turned away quickly and stared at the ceiling. Sighing, he smelled her perfume of life. Wetting his lips made him crave her blood on them. It was his time to spare her life; he jumped up and fled from the house, the winter storms catching him and pushing him to ends unknown.
All winter he walked, falling to his knees with what felt like a burning fever. He walked until the mountains were well away from him and forested land found him. Deep in this new terrain, his thirst found deer and instincts made him hunt and chase a doe until he had her pinned to the ground. His claws poised for the kill, a snarl on his face. Then he heard the doe's cries and saw the fear in her eyes. He made himself let go and he sat against a tree and cried with remorse.
Drained, he fell asleep and awoke on a spring evening, the flowers taunting him with their sent of life. "No one has the right to take the life of another… I shall also leave you alone, little flowers," he got up and walked away from the swaying life forms.
The clatter of hooves, a whinny of a horse, the screaming of a man and a woman and the barks of wolves caught his attention and he dashed over to investigate. There were hungry wolves attacking the nearest source of food, much like what he wanted to do, but held back his animal instincts, that which these poor beasts could not handle.
The horse had kicked one of he poor old wolves hard and then took off running, crushing bones with its hooves and the wagon wheels. The pack and the people left the broken animal as their chase continued. Making sure no one was around, he carefully went up to the poor beast; it was still alive, but crippled and dying. It whimpered pathetically at him and moved a paw.
It was then that the starved vampire realized the difference in this wolf's state between life and death. It was a dreadful wave that panged at his heart, all the sadness and hurt the beast felt. But that half a year ago that the man killed the beast that made him like this hadn't given off that feeling. Why? Because it wasn't innocent like this beast.
"Do not worry. Don't be afraid." He said as he smoothed out the fur on the wolf's shoulder. "I will end your suffering, beautiful creature." Without really knowing what he was doing, he closed his eyes, leaned down close, and opened his mouth. With something like a yawn, he felt the energy of the dying wolf enter him and be revitalized, as if it was a well one. When he stopped and looked down, there was no wolf. He heard a faint noise and looked to see the white spirit of the wolf, free, running to catch up with his pack to rejoin in the hunt.
He was sad that it had to die, but glad that now if was free of pain and free of it's heavy physical body. He sat and pondered what he could possibly do with this power. He was still starved for blood, but he could go and relieve suffering of the dying. He would test it again.
There. In town there was that feeling of dred like the wolf gave off. He went to find the source and found a dying old man in an alley…
Ever since then, he'd been going from one deathbed to another, relieving spirits of their physical forms. But who would free him from his? He sighed as he sat on a rooftop and then felt the tug of another on the brink of death. Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, he found this latest victim of death and went into her window to free her, but as he entered he realized that this one was different than the rest! There was still much life in her. It was if she was just attacked! He approached closer and found two puncture wounds in her neck. Vampires!!
He whipped around to spy the beast, which immediately slapped him to the wall, knocking furniture around and shattering porcelain. As he was pinned up to his landing spot, our hero saw that this vampire was totally different than the one that made him!
"Who are you??!" he inquaried at the very human looking man.
"what are you doing here!?" the demon demanded. "This is MY kill!!"
"I am not here for your kill. I am here to free her."
"Free her??! What are you babbling about??!!"
"If you finish with her, then I will show you,"
"How about you DIE and I feed of YOUR lifeless heart!!?"
"What had I done to you to be threatened like so?"
"SHUT UP!!" the vampire poised to attack him when an old maid barged in, crucifix in hand. Our hero saw her face as she was shocked to see the two fighting. "Be gone demons before god himself comes to smite you!!" the woman approached and the attacker let go and fled out the open window. The victim immortal fell to the floor, weak and rather unnerved.
The old maid walked up, arm outstretched, crucifix in hand when she said, "And you…" when the candlelight hit his face, it shocked his sight and recoiled. "You must not be a successful hunter yourself, I see." She said.
"Kill me if you must, madam, but I saved this girl from certain demise,"
"Ach! A vampire that wishes to die cannot be a threat at all."
The young woman that he saved stirred, saw him and screamed. Surprised he stumbled towards the open window and fell out and hit the gardens below. He hoped he'd hit the fence to be impaled and thus end his suffering, but no such luck came his way.
He opened his eyes to see the room he was last in. he welled with anger that he could not perish when the young woman came in. "I see you're still with us."
"Unfortunately."
"Why do you so badly wish to die?"
"If you were a monster that was built to take precious life, wouldn't you?"
"I doubt so,"
"You're fooling yourself."
She sat at the bedside and reached out to his face. Quickly, he turned away onto his side so not to be touched. He felt her hand on his shoulder and he reached up to remove it.
"Look at me," she asked. He ignored her. "Look at me, you brute," she said with amusement in her voice. He looked over his shoulder and she guided him to lay on his back. He watched as she leaned close to him and kissed his lips. After a shocking second, he got up and pulled away. "Are you mad woman??!! What are you doing??!!"
"if you are this handsome now, you must be irresistible when you are well fed,"
"I wouldn't know."
"I would like to see,"
"No!! can't you see??!! I am a horrid monster! Even I know that!!"
"You are beautiful,"
"You are delirious. That vampire must have taken well more than his fill from you."
"I can see it in your eyes. What is your name?"
"It no longer matters who I was."
"Please? For at least to call you something?"
"You can call me a monster or whatever you wish."
"I want to know your name."
"I told you! No!"
the old maid came in then and he snatched the crucifix from around her neck, it burning his hand as he tried to stab himself with it. The two women struggled to get it away from him but finally pried it away from his weak, cold fingers. He fell to the floor as the younger of the two held him close to keep him from hurting himself.
They got him back into bed and the young woman stayed with him as the other left the room. alone, the woman started unfassening his shirt, but he snatched her hands. "No, don't"
"Don't make me tie you down, now,"
he let her hands go and let her do what she had planned when the maid walked in with a bowl. He, after having said, "No, I told others and I will tell you, I will not have any." was tied to the bed, as promised. The bowl was set upon the table and the young woman spooned some of the contents to feed him with. He shut his lips to the offering, rejecting it. Having no choice in the matter, the young woman said, "either way, you're going to be fed, so you might as well cooperate… by the way, my name is Elizabeth and I wish to learn your name,"
he remained silent as Elizabeth dipped her finger in the red soup and smeared it on his lips. But just as she did so, he turned away, smearing it to his cheek. Liz commented as she cleaned his cheek, "So it is true, you vampires are messy eaters, aren't you?"
"And my name is Rachael," the maid commented, a little late in introductions.
"Please drink this," Elizabeth pleaded. He ignored her, leaving the women disheartened.
"It's no use, deary. This one really wants to end it all," Rachael commented.
"I'll make him eat. You just see."
"This one?" he commented.
"Aye, quite a task it is healing hurting creatures like yourself," Rachael answered.
"You do this for a living?" he asked
"No," Elizabeth said. "this is our part-time life long obligation… my…my father was a vampire who sought help from my mother," she looked down, sadly and Rachael laid a hand on her shoulder.
"He didn't make it?"
"I don't know. After he was well again and after a passionate night he reluctantly left…"
"He said it was all the better for her mother if he left." Rachael added.
"So, please, if not for me, then for your own sake? Eat,"
"as tempting it is to aid you in your job, I must decline. If I remain but a moment longer the monster I am, I'll have to be forced to stop waiting to die."
"NO!!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she slapped him. "You will eat and you will get well!!" with that she spooned up some from the bowl and slipped the contents behind his lips forcefully. They waited as the liquid coated the inside of his lips and snuck through his teeth to his pallet. It was then that he knew what it was that she was feeding him. The liquid enticed him to rip his restraints free and he lunged for the bowl head first, mouth open wide, fangs bared. Then the funniest thing happened, in his excitement, he blindly bit the bowl and his fangs punctured right through it, holding it to his face. The woman laughed and he rolled his eyes. After composing themselves, the women worked in freeing his face from the grip of the bowl.
"My goodness!" he said as he as finally freed. "don't make them like they used to, do they?"
"its only wood," Elizabeth said as the they looked at the two holes in the side. "Now please, have some,"
"No."
Rachael added, "It's fresh!"
"I don't care. I'll die before I take a life."
"But you didn't do anything for this! We get this from the butcher!" Elizabeth consoled
"Please, vampire? People eat the meat and the scraps not eaten are donated to us for your kind," Rachael said.
"I…" he said thinking. "I suppose that's fair,"
Elizabeth answered, "It is, trust us."
"Now please, have some! This batch is still warm!" Rachael said encouragingly.
"N, no."
"alright!! That's it!! Rachael, hold him down!!"
Rachael obeyed, holding his arms down with her knees and holding his mouth open as Elizabeth dripped the bowl's contents in. after his meal was ingested Rachael got off and he rolled to his side to cough. "I think they excluded you two when it was said that women were the weaker sex…"
"You'll get another feeding in about three hours. We wouldn't want to shock your system," Elizabeth commented as the two women left the room.
he got up and went to the window, but his body stopped him from going too close. Looking to the frame, he saw that they guarded the window from the exiting or entering of vampires. Next he went to the door but stopped for the same reasons. They had him caged!!
However…he thought slyly and looked up to the ceiling, but the rafters too were guarded so exit through the roof was impassable. These two were smart. He would have gone through the floor, but apparently the rafters down there were guarded as well. Very well then; through the wall, but that too was well guarded. He sat on the bed, frustrated and felt rather angered that he was a prisoner there.
Those three hours passes like centuries before Elizabeth came in with another bowl for him. "How are you feeling?"
"Eh, somewhat better; less hungry,"
"Excellent! Now, have this. This will be your last feeding until tomorrow night."
"No---"
"I'll spoon feed you,"
he looked at her innocently as her face said that she meant it. She went to sit close next to him and spooned up some and held it for him to take. It was am awkward moment for him. He was very scared and offset by this woman's kindness and sincerity, reminding him of his deceased wife.
Elizabeth rubbed his back and smiled, holding the spoon closer to his mouth, hoping that he would take it himself this time. She cuddled closer and he felt himself give in. very reluctantly, he gave in and slightly opened his mouth enough for her to slip the blood in. every spoonful came easier for him to take less hesitantly.
Once the bowl was emptied of it's contents Elizabeth stood and said, "well, eventually you'll get well again. But with how terribly weak you are, this could take a long time."
"How long?"
"Month, maybe two. However did you get yourself in such bad shape?"
he looked at her and truthfully admitted, "I've never fed on blood previously."
"Never?!"
he shook his head. "I was made and then I destroyed my maker and was cast out from the group that was in the cave I awoke in and was bashed upon rocks at the bottom of a cliff. that was the summer. I awoke in the fall and fell unconscious after succumbing from weakness, finding myself in the dead of winter in a house with a woman who tried to feed me as you are doing. I ran away and in the spring I found that I can free souls of their dying bodies. That is how I have been living these past three years, never once taking blood."
"A woman? What was she like?"
"She had a country girl's accent as she lived in the mountains."
Elizabeth walked to the window and looked out to the outskirts of the city and whispered, "I wonder," after a moment longer she turned back to him, "Well, I'd better let you rest now. Good morning,"
Before she left the room he stopped her with his words, "Elizabeth,"
She turned to face him. "Yes?"
"…my name was Grant Valdaire."
"I'm very glad to meet you, Mr. Valdaire. Thank you for telling me your name,"
"Your welcome Elizabeth,"
without another word, she left and closed the door behind her and Grant went to sleep the day away.
The next evening Elizabeth greeted him as he opened his eyes. "Good evening, Grant," she said more cheerful than he'd recalled her previously.
"Good evening. Is something the matter?"
"Huh? Oh, no, nothing at all."
"Are you sure?"
her reaction to this verification seemed to waver. Grant added, "I can hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes that something's bothering you."
"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't." she said as she sat next to him.
"Care to talk about it?"
"It's…personal."
"How can I start my healing if my healer is hurting, herself?"
she looked at him with large compassionate eyes. "You types always have a way at working away at the mask," she paused a while then remembered to feed him, whom in return, willingly took what she gave. "Well…I was thinking about my parents and about what my father had said to my mother when they first met.
"After my father had convinced my mother that he wasn't going to harm her, that he needed help and a safe place to stay while he healed; hunters or something chasing him to exhaustion. My mother used to live in the mountains outside this city and time after time she would convince all sorts of people that my father had never been there, as he laid in the next room sleeping. As she helped him, my mother would ask him questions, which she promised not to tell to another soul."
"But she told you?"
"I am her daughter. She can trust me; after all I am the daughter of a vampire"
"I remember. Please, continue."
"well, my mother had asked how one can tell another is a vampire. My father responded that it was all in the eyes and the soul. He explained that if my mother looked at any normal mortal man that she would feel nothing about him, but with a vampire there would be a strong pull of attraction. However, the easy way of telling whether one has good intentions or bad is purely instinct; you just know."
"That makes a lot of sense."
"Yes it does. she then went on to edge closer to him and ask how does one know when the right one has come along for her. He softly answered, you just know."
"And so they conceived you."
"That's not the point. The point is…I…" she turned away and Grant had a feeling where this was going, but he wanted to know for certain, so let her compose herself, to get the courage to tell him herself.
It was apparent that right then wasn't the time; Elizabeth got up and left the room. she would tell him when she was ready. However Grant couldn't let her fall for him. His deceased wife did and it more than likely cost her and their children their lives. Grant would never put others in harms way because of him.
Later that night Rachael came to give Grant his midnight meal. He watched from the darkest corner of the room as she entered. A small noise and she whipped around to see his white glowing eyes in the dark. he hypnotized her to remove the icon that blocked his exit via the window. When it was done he thanked her and commanded her not to let Elizabeth come after him, then he exited, hoping never to return.
Just as he landed upon the roof on the other side of the street he heard the commotion from Elizabeth's house. Shouting lured him to the street and he walked over to the window. Elizabeth was saying, "I have to go after him! He has to be the one for me!! I have the feeling mother was talking about when she fell in love with my father!!"
"You cannot go after him, Elizabeth!"
"My mother went after my father when I was old enough to fend for myself! I will not make the mistake she made by letting him leave!! And you keeping me here; I bet he's long gone by now!! I'm going out for him!"
"You must not!!"
Grant understood then the other point that she was trying to make earlier that evening when she sat to talk with him. Slowly, he walked to the front door and was about to knock when it was wrenched open by an exiting Elizabeth.
They two looked at each other a long time before she was hugging him, grateful that he returned. "Grant I…"
"I know."
"I want to tell you..."
"You are telling me."
"You'd better come inside." She let him in and shut the door and locked it. "Don't ever do that ever again, Grant!!" Elizabeth reprimanded as he lifted the subconscious command in Rachael's mind.
"Why not?"
"Because…because… Because I don't want you to leave! Ever!!"
"I'm a free soul. Who are you to tell me what to do?"
"I'm…I'm…in love with you…"
"And the truth reveals itself."
"The only reason my mother isn't here currently is because she's searching the world for my father. She regrets ever allowing him to leave and now she wishes for his return."
"Do you now where your mother is?"
Elizabeth sadly answers, "No."
"but if it's your father that is in search of, then you're in luck, for you have a vampire that can track him."
"You can??!!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"It is quite a feat though. Do you have a picture of him or something that was his?"
"Well…it isn't much, but I hope it will help." Elizabeth said as she removed a gold coin from a box on the mantel. "Father left this and more like it for my mother to aid in my upbringing. Mother hated to use them because that's all that remains of him in this house."
Grant took the coin and immediately pictured the man whom gave it to them. He was a tall dark and handsome man with long black locks of hair, a thin mustache and a styled goti. He was dressed like an English pirate in reds and gold. His eyes were a hypnotizing light brown, almost red.
As Grant searched this instant information deeper, concentrating on reading the man's thoughts. He strained as he realized that the distance between him and the man in question was a great distance. There was danger! And immediate threat upon the old pirate. "Where are you?!" Grant said as much to himself as it was to the pirate.
Suddenly Grant's eyes sprang open with realization. "He's in America, Elizabeth!"
"He is??! Is he ok?! Is my mother there?!"
"he is in immediate danger, but yes, your mother is there. Don't worry, she is fine, but I must go save your father."
"Be careful, Grant."
"I shall endeavor to return with your family as soon as I'm able, Elizabeth." With that he exited and went on his mission as dust in the wind.
Grant landed near the pirate's position near dawn. "if anything, this will be a very close call…" he turned to find his target when a woman spotted him. She gasped and started running. Grant caught up with her easily, seeing the resemblance to Elizabeth. "Wait, wait, stop." Grant pleaded.
"What do you want??!!"
"Are you Elizabeth's mother?"
"What?" the woman said as she looked into his eyes, surprised. "Yes. Yes I am. But who…"
"She's helped me recover."
"But you still look too weak to.."
"It doesn't matter. Where is he?! I'm here to free him and take you both back with me!"
"Come with me." she said as she quickly led him to the bared window at ground level. "Dawn is soon. and so is his execution…"
"Then I am just in time."
"I thought no help would come. Bless you…"
"There's no time at all, madam. The sun will soon be up."
Upon reaching their destination Grant tore the bars out of the window. A voice within weakly said, "Who are you?! What are you doing?!"
"It's alright Pierre! Elizabeth sent him, he's here to help get you out!" to Grant she said, "Lower me down, there are items preventing him from freeing himself."
He did so and soon she was raised for Grant to pull her up. Pierre followed and as Grant measured himself against Elizabeth's father, he realized that he really was as massive in comparison as he thought; and Grant wasn't small either.
Pierre stated, "We need a safe dark place for the day. Do you know of one?"
The woman answered, "He just got here. He doesn't know. But I do have a place where we can loose trackers!"
"Very well, let's be off. You can follow." He told Grant as he picked up the woman. Together, the three of them fled the scene in search of a safe haven.
The sun's first rays of light hit just as they entered a building complex of intertwined rooms and homes. Momentarily blinded, with a burning feeling the two vampire men recovered after a moment before their woman companion led them to the sewers, across town and into a brick building with no exit as a window or door.
Pierre sighed as he laid against a wall to rest. "Ah, thank you, Mona."
"Sleep now, my darling. And you sir, whomever you are."
"We are grateful for your help sir."
"My name is Grant Valdaire and you are very welcome. I don't think Elizabeth would forgive me if I hadn't saved you."
"Heh, so you know our daughter. How is she?" Pierre asked.
"Worried about you two."
"I thought so. Just like her mother."
Mona interrupted, "Now you two, sleep. I'll be here when you awaken,"
That is exactly what they did. Grant, though still weak, slept very soundly and was awakened with Pierre's hand on his shoulder. "Mmm, yes?"
"Come laddy, tis the time to return home."
"What time is it? I feel as though the sun hasn't set yet."
"Aye, the sunrise has most likely weakened you. Come with us and need be, I will help you on our travel."
"Thank you." Grant was helped up and the three made their way to a safe place to surface and make the long journey home.
The trip was thankfully uneventful and upon reaching home, Elizabeth greeted her mother with open arms. Grant watched from the shadow of Pierre as he and his daughter met for the first time. It was a long moment of staring before Elizabeth slowly walked up to him and then rushed to hug him. The old pirate hugged back, smiling as he held his born daughter for the first time.
Grant turned to leave, probably forgotten in his mind, when Elizabeth said something and then all four were looking at Grant. He turned to see them. Elizabeth trotted up to grab his arm and pull him into the house. "Come on you brute! You are much as welcome here as family!"
"Yes, come join us Grant!" Pierre agreed as he ducked to enter the small house.
With just the two of them out there Grant admitted, "you might be ready, but I don't think I am. I still mourn the death of my family."
"And so now you have a new one Grant!"
"But I believe that it was my fault they died, for there was a demon following me since my birth, killing everything and everyone dear to me. that now includes you and your family."
"maybe for a mortal. And vampires are might testy creatures, but it' nothing that two strong male vampires can't handle!"
Grant paused before saying, "you are incorrigible."
They went indoors and finally after years they were where they all belonged; together.
The End