Vampire

Chapter 01: The Beginning

PRELUDE

I haven't been a vampire for very long, only a little over a century. It was something one never sees coming, one most never hope for, but it happens more often than people realized back then...or now.

THE EARLY YEARS

I was a very good girl, I did what my parents told me to do, and I was innocent and from a wealthy family, meant to marry whom my father thought best for me. Even though, I did know what sex was, my maids and the help did have rumps in the hay often enough that I had seen it. I would watch the help's hands play under the maid's skirt and sometimes I would try to do that late at night by myself but after I gave myself great pleasure, but then I would feel guilty and stop. Even when I went through puberty I tried to get the help's attentions, but they knew that more than their jobs were at stake if they were to get caught with me. So I became cool to men, I did not trust them; instead I trusted my mother and keeping my virtue intact for my husband.

Eventually my father chose me a husband; he was from another well off family who lived in Europe, although he and his servants were the only ones here in the States. Thus a grand party was set up to have us meet my future husband and to announce the upcoming wedding something that would happen mare days apart. Most of town's high society would attend, so a majestic dress was made for the occasion of blood red velvet, how fitting.

At the party I was to make my entrance after most of the people had already arrived, how excited I was when I was waiting to see him, I glimpsed him as his carriage pulled up late this afternoon but I was called from the window to have my hair set for the party. Finally they called for me and I gracefully walked down the stairs to meet my husband-to-be, my fate. The crowd cheered for us once my hand met his as he guided me through the congratulations and best wishes, but my heart ran cold, his eyes were piercing. James was tall and lean with flawless skin that was a tad too porcelain as if he was a child's doll and not a man of flesh. I found myself wanting to break from him and return to my room in a mad dash, but I willed myself forward. My father had my best intentions at heart and would want me to be happy with the choices that he has made for me, so I plastered a smile on my face and greeted my neighbors.

As the party progressed the liquor ran freely and the patrons did not know the amount they were consuming, thus made it easy for my imminent husband to sneak me off to a secluded room in which he wanted to know me better. Although the chill was still in my heart my curiosity outweighed it as well as my chaste upbringing, which never allowed me alone in the presence of a man. His eyes burned into my being, seeing my very soul, knowing I was pure, untouched. James, as was his name, spoke softly and eloquently as one did in Europe with proper education that I was sure his family bought for him.

"Do you feel affection for me, I know it was your father's choice but I do not want you to feel like you have to be with me?"

"I would be honored if you were to wed me sir."

"So you would like to live a long and prosperous life and remain beautiful and youthful?"

I automatically said, "Yes sir" although I was starting to question why he was asking.

I could see a longing burning in his eyes as they passed over me, one that I had seen in the helps' eyes when they passed my maids, it frightened me but also excited me. He asked one more question, one that I had expected really, "If we were to wed, would you leave you parents and return to Europe with me?"

It took me longer to reply but it was the same, "Yes, I would leave my parents."

His eyes burned with endless passion for me, as he thought he had found his perfect partner after so very many years of searching. He saw my virtue, my obedience, my love; he leaned forward, his hand rising to gently touch my cheek. I nuzzled it and a smile was brought to his lips, then he brought his hand down and across my jaw line, bringing it back to cup the back of my neck. With his other hand resting on my leg, I use my last defenses, "We should wait until after the wedding or it won't be right."

To this he calmly states, "I do not think the wedding is necessary, but I must make you mine first before anything else happens."

"Isn't that what a wedding means?" I ask, not quite sure where he is taking this if a wedding was not important to him, the chill back in my heart.

"I must make you perfect for me, although you are nearly there, you require one last thing to ensure that you will be perfect forever and it will join you to me, more than any false preaching of some old man." With this he brought his other hand from my leg to my neck bringing me forward into his kiss.

My first instinct was to pull away but his hands where like metal bars holding me still as his cold yet passion filled lips pressed into mine. He pressed and pushed open my mouth for his slimy tongue to invade my mouth, but I remanded still unable to stop what was happening to me, only able to watch and feel. The fervor rose in him and as quick as I thought NO! he snapped my head away and bit into my exposed flesh of my neck with teeth I did not know he possessed. The pain was incredible, I lost the ability to speak as the black dots plagued my vision, and my mouth remained open from the unwanted kiss. I felt his mouth over the wound sucking away my blood, my life; but then I felt him bring something to my mouth.

"Drink it up, NOW!" I sucked on it, and found it tasted coppery but it revived me with a fire coursing though my body, the blackness receded and I saw that it was his forearm at my mouth. He made me suck his blood, his life, his curse. I was to be his new lover, but not as a woman but as vampire, to match himself.

He laid me down on the couch we were sitting on, "Rest now my love, achieve your new found strength and then we will hunt. I will return to the party to assure the guests arrive home safely."

I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer once he had left the room, so I succumbed to sleep.

MY FIRST NIGHT

I awoke hours later, it was still dark out but I could see every piece of furniture in the room as if it was dusk not night. As I looked around I found that I could focus on an object and see every detail of it, the grain of the wood and the memory that was locked to it. But before I could investigate my new sight farther James was beside me, I visibly startled.

"I'm sorry love, you will get used to me moving too quickly for you to see, but I will try not to do it too much around you to begin with. How are you feeling love?"

"I'm feeling alright sir, but I can see differently now, better in the dark and much more detailed than before."

"Your abilities are developing, you will find as time goes on you will have better control over them and they will also grow and strengthen. Each one of us has their own powers although we all have incredible strength and immortality."

"You mean we can never die?"

"We cannot parish from old age or diseases, but if you were to get stabbed in the heart or caught in a fire you will cease living."

"What did you make me?!"

"If we were given a name it would be vampire but that does not mean that we are not human, we are above them, the next generation of them, superior. There is a lot of false attributes that generations past have placed on the name of vampire that is not quite true. We do not parish from the sun, although I would not recommend going outside while the sun is up your dark sensitive eyes will not be able to take that much light and it will pain you as your skin is now extremely sensitive to sunburn. I can tolerate some sun, but it comes with age but even still I do not go out until closer to dusk or just after dawn. Also we do not all fear the cross only those that think that god will no longer except them and they will go to hell, but that is their faith not vampires as a whole."

I stared long and hard at him and found that I was getting a version of the real man, like the object's memory. He was a lonely man, weakened from hopelessness, yearning for someone to understand him. My new abilities allowed me to get a sense of who the person really was, to truly see them for whom they are, and sense their feelings.

I fell into his arms and wept on his shoulder, "What does it mean for me? And why am I so very hungry?"

He gave a chuckle, "I know my love the first night is the hardest, but I am here to teach you the ways of our kind. As for what it means for you, you are bonded to me, as I am the one that made you stronger. I will allow you to stay here with your family for one year, but since you will never age you cannot ever see them after that. If you were to tell them about your new found strength they will likely not believe you or even turn on you, so it is best to only talk about it with me or my few friend that stop in from time to time. As a consequence of this new life we must get you some nourishment, come with me."

We left the room and the house; I was surprised how well I could see every object in the dark of the early morning. I followed him to a secluded spot at the back of our property where there was a young man passed out from drinking too much. I gave James a questioning look. Yet I could smell the liquor on him and even more illusory I thought I could smell his blood and I grew even hungrier.

"He was a serving boy for one of the guests but found that drinking was more enjoyable than serving. Now all you must do is pierce him and drink his blood."

My jaw dropped, "I have to drink his blood!"

"Yes we must drink blood to stay alive otherwise you will sicken and parish if it goes too long. Human blood is the most refreshing but you can feed on the blood of animals if it is necessary, but you will find it doesn't quench the thirst like human does. Also for your mind and heart you will find that it is better to drink from the wicked than the innocent, you will learn to love their blood over all else."

My senses were in overdrive, I could smell his blood just below the surface of his skin, my heart thundered, and my stomach felt like I hadn't eaten in a week. I gave in to my urges and dove forward my sharp teeth that I hadn't felt there before broke his skin and brought forth his blood, his life. I drank greedily and so deeply that I did not hear when his heart stopped beating, I had taken his life. Once I came off of his wound and felt his blood dripping from my lips, I felt myself sicken with guilt and horror of what I had just done.

"Yes you are so new at this; I have forgotten how hungry and desperate the young are. You will learn how to keep them alive to pump more blood into you, how to make it so that they are not afraid or hurt when you pierce them, but this will come quickly. Come now we will find you one more for tonight then we must retire as I am sure you are most tired from your changes."

I simply looked at the body of the boy, I could feel his blood coursing through me relieving some of my hunger yet I could still feel him. I looked at the wound I had made in his neck and couldn't believe that my teeth could do that, that I could do that. He had made me a monster. I ran my tongue over my new teeth and pierced it; I let out a cry of sudden pain.

"Yes, best to clean up that wound, since you have already injured your own tongue just let a bit of your blood hit his wound and it should close as he is still fresh. Our blood will heal minor things in humans but it heals us if we should get cuts or such. Well best to get going, they will find him in the morning and think it was the drinks that did him in."

I watched his neck become whole again and wondered what else this horrible blood was capable of. In spite of it all I followed him into the night to find my next victim, my next meal.

We went to the meager side of town to a tavern, I was told to wait outside as he went inside to find an evil man for me to drink from. Luckily James was quick about it and had a large man walking unsteadily next to him when they exited. I looked at the man, he was broad and well muscled, but I could see into him and found a memory of him killing a family for money and treasures to buy drinks with. I instantly found I did not pity him whatsoever, a death for deaths seemed very fair.

As he came nearer I smelled his blood coursing through his body and I looked to James to signal that I could rip his neck and feed upon his very life-source.

James said to the man, "Here is the beauty that I was telling you about, isn't see so fine?" He waited for the man to nod, "Don't you want her to kiss your neck? Wouldn't that feel divine for this gorgeous creature caresses your neck so gently nibbling?" He looked at me with the last words.

I took the hint that I was to keep the illusion and be as soft as I could. I went into the man's arms and kissed his neck until I found the beating blood just below the surface and carefully bit into his neck. He stiffened then weakened into my embrace, yet I could not detach from him as I consumed his blood and I lowed myself as he sank down. I sucked harder and found that I had killed him instead of getting more of his blood.

James laughed, "You are a natural killer, soft yet deadly, but we will work on how to extend their life to give you more blood this next evening. The sun is to rise and you must be so very tired. Furthermore your parents must not find you out of bed, they might notice a small difference in you but you are cleaver, I can see that, so I am sure you can steer their questions away. I will be back early next evening to take you out to dinner, until then my love." He lowered his head and kissed my lips softly, but I still felt my heart chilled, now even more so than before.

I silently made for my bedchamber and was surprised that I really made no sound, my feet like those of a fairy. I bumped into nothing as I saw each piece of furniture even more clearly in the early hours before sunrise, I could hear the help and maids rousing from their sleep getting ready for the day, and here I was just ending it. I shut all my curtains tightly and collapsed into my bed for a much needed rest.

MY FIRST DAY

At noon I was roused from my sleep as one of my maids brought in my lunch, and having found me to be callous about her waking me and then trying to open the window coverings, left with a huff putting it down to drinking too much the night before. I looked at the food that just yesterday would have made my mouth water now made me sick to look upon. I could no longer eat such food; now only blood was my nourishment.

I rose to look out the window and just pulling it back so that I line of light entered the room my eyes went to pins and burned with the light. I let curtain fall back with a screech and found that I could still see where the light burned into my eyes, but it started to go away quickly enough. I climbed into bed again as there was no reason to leave the room until it grew less bright outside.

After sleeping until late afternoon I got up and called for my maids to help dress me for supper that night as I was to see my betrothed once more. My parents made some quip about me staying in bed so late but I did not pay attention to what their mouths had said but rather I looked with my new eyes. First my father, I looked at him and found pride and happiness, flashes of memory went past my inner eye; Mother and him walking up to the newly finished house, me as an infant wrapped tightly in his arms, and finally me walking in with my betrothed at last nights party. I looked to my mother and found sadness; a young man kissing Mother before she married Father, a still born infant in her arms, a flash of my recoil at the touch on my betrothed. I looked away from them both, what they felt meant nothing to a monster like me, right?

I kept to the shadows and looked at the maids as they went about their work; I found hate, detest, tiredness, sadness, and hope. Yet finding them so close I could smell their blood pulsing in their body making my mouth water again, I quickly went away to find somewhere to be alone. Luckily James came soon after and asked the permission of my parents for us to dine at his house, to which my father allowed without missing a beat. Before I left my mother kissed my forehead and commented on how cold and white I was, but I quickly told her that I was fine and really wanted to get to know my betrothed better before the wedding.

As we climbed into his carriage I remembered my mother's comment and asked, "Why is it that I do look so pale and my mother said I felt cold but I really don't feel anything?"

"Your body doesn't make blood anymore that is why you must feed on it. Once you have hunted you will appear more human again, with more color in your cheeks and warmer flesh. Try to avoid being seen before you go out as you will need to almost every night when you are so young."

I nodded thinking over what he said, "So are we to hunt tonight?"

"Yes we will then I will return you home, I can wait one more night now that we have eternity together."

I smiled at the thought of fresh blood and being a virginal bride for my evening wedding tomorrow. We were headed again down to the meager side of town, but to a different tavern. James instructed me to enter with him but to find a dark table to sit at; he would bring us 'drinks'.

He found us a man, one who intended to kill us for the jewelry that we wore once we got outside. I figured this out from the pictures him mind sent forth, and I found that I did not feel any guilt that I was about to take his life instead. James talked to him but again gave me an opening to give the man a 'kiss' on the neck. Leaning in, I kissed gently then bit in and allowed the blood to rush into my mouth, I felt him tense then his strength drain into me. Strength flowed into me with every pump of his heart until I felt it stop; I just propped him up at the table and left with James at my side. Pride flowed from James and beamed off of me, I was so happy that tomorrow I was to become a wife. How stupid I was. We went to another and another tavern until I could not drink any more blood; he wanted to make sure I looked human and would not be hungry tomorrow night.

As the carriage came upon my house he helped me down and kissed my hand letting his teeth gently graze across the back of it, sending chills up my spine. We parted until tomorrow where I would become his bride and then wife, for eternity.

THE WEDDING

I woke up an hour after noon to the bustle of the house getting ready for the wedding taking place later that evening; my maids came in to help prepare me for the day. They had drawn a bath for me and after much protest from me shut all the curtains in the bathhouse. I looked into their minds and found that they thought I was just overly nervous due to the wedding or just being a spoiled brat, either way I felt better as they cleansed my hair. After I was towel dried they set out to turn me into the bride and only stopped once I was fully altered.

Just as soon as the sun set my father came to get me and to bring me down the aisle to my groom. The pathway seemed to take so long to walk down but the ceremony was much to short in my slightly panicked state, all too soon we sealed the wedding ceremony with the kiss. Again his lips seemed cool, but not as hard; he had fed before the wedding. As we walked past all the people I read his feeling again and found lust rising quickly to the top, I wasn't quite sure if I was looking forward to it or wishing that I could get away.

After the dinner and scores of dances, it was time for us to retire to his house and contaminate the marriage. With many farewells we left, my heart was hammering and my head was clouded as we made our way to his house. In the carriage he sensed that I was nervous and tried to calm me, but I could feel his overpowering lust over that of his caring. I was excited and terrified; I had longed for this for so long but something held me back too.