by Lea Davies
“Victoria,” he said, smiling, “we both know that you have the same terrible disease that took our grandparents, do we not?” she nodded. His smile grew wider, and her face crumbled; she couldn't work out why this would make him happy. He saw her distress and quickly worked to correct her assumption. “No, no Victoria,” he pleaded, “please don't think that your affliction pleases me; of course it doesn't. I’m smiling because I have a solution. I can cure you.”
Realizing what he was proposing, she pulled her hands from his. "No," she cried, “you can't mean...No, I won't do it” His world fell apart. “Victoria, please, you have to stay with me.” He begged. “Just think of a life without pain or illness.” He looked down at their father lying still on the floor and pointed. “Without him.” He added.
Her head swam with fever as she coughed more blood into her handkerchief. “Lay still and rest while I deal with him,” he said softly. Unable to argue with him, she nodded weakly and watched as her brother bent and picked Jacob up from the floor, threw him over his shoulder, and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
Scene Twenty-Six - Sacrifice
1819 AD
Matthew carried his father down to the large basement area beneath the house and unceremoniously threw him onto the dirt floor. Luckily, for now, he remained unconscious, but Matthew knew he was still alive because he could hear his cold heart still beating in his chest. “Not for much longer.” He thought angrily.
He lit several candles huddled in a bunch on a small round table, and a soft glow filled the pitch-black room. He crossed the floor and took a large rope hanging from a hook on the wall, and used it to restrain his father before he awoke. When he had finished, he prodded the remains of his father's nose, and he woke up screaming in agony. It made Matthew smile. In life, he had been a gentle soul, but his father had crossed a line when he struck Victoria and threw those vile accusations of incest at them earlier. Now, the days where Matthew had to be servile in his father's presence were well and truly behind him.
Jacob’s heavy-lidded eyes landed on Matthew. “What's the meaning of this boy?” He bellowed. He looked down as blood dripped from his nose and fell onto his chest and screamed with rage at his son's audacity. Matthew grinned. For the first time ever, he felt strong and assertive. “The meaning of this, dear father,” he said, “is that for the first time in your miserable life, you're going to do something that will be of great benefit to your children.”
Matthew couldn't, nor did he want to hide the huge grin of satisfaction he wore on his face. Jacob glared at his son and spat blood defiantly onto the floor. “Never.” He said firmly. Matthew walked closer to his angry father. “Tut, tut, tut, now see, that's where your wrong, Jacob,” he said smugly, “You're about to sacrifice your life to save that of your beautiful daughter." Jacob's eyebrows drew together in confusion, but outrage still covered his face. “What?” He snarled.
Mathew's attention was drawn to the corner of the room when he saw three Rats scurrying in the shadows. He smiled at the thought of them feasting on his father's injured face, but he couldn't allow that to happen because he needed him alive and whole for Victoria to feed on when she awoke.
Even to his own surprise, he was on them in a blur and quickly snatched them up. Guts flew from the anus of the first rat when he stamped on its back, and arms outstretched to either side of him, the two remaining rats squealed as he squeezed them to death with his bare hands. His eyes never left his fathers as he slowly opened his blood-stained fingers and dropped them to the floor. Jacob stammered the words of the Lord's prayer for protection as Matthew Chuckling wickedly, crossed the floor, and quietly left the room.
Scene Twenty-Seven - Inexperience
1819 AD
Matthew made up a makeshift bed of feather-filled pillows on the basement floor for Victoria to lie upon while she slept in death. He didn't know how this worked and worried whether he was doing things right. All he remembered was Isabella sinking her fangs into his throat in her carriage, and then encouraging him to feed from her wrist before waking up after who knows how long, alone in the cave where he had been reborn. He had fed upon a man who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and as it did every-time he ever thought about him, his eyes moistened at the memory of what he had done to that poor creature.
He looked over to his father, who warily stared back at him from the corner of the room. When Jacob saw Matthews tears, he mistook them to be regret for his actions towards him, and he cleared his throat to speak, but Matthew cut him off. “I'm not sad for you,” He said as he wiped his eyes. “You, father, are a monster, and you deserve everything that's coming your way.” Jacob spat blood-stained saliva onto the floor but said nothing.
Matthew scoffed as he turned to leave the room, and Jacob screamed after him. “You dare to call me a monster?” He said. “I wasn’t the one who killed those rats with my bare hands the way you did. You're going straight to hell, boy, you hear me? you're going straight to hell.” Matthew sneered as he looked back over his shoulder. “See you there, father,” he laughed. “save me a seat.”
With his new heightened sense of hearing, he heard Victoria's laboured breathing as he climbed the stairs, and panic-filled every fiber of his being. In the blink of an eye, he was standing at the foot of her bed, and again, he marveled at how quickly he had gotten there. He sat beside her and realized that her condition was worsening rapidly.
He held her in his arms. “Victoria, please, will you allow me to help you?” he begged. “You’re my twin, and we’re bound together. I can’t bear the thought of being in this world without you.” Slowly, she opened her eyes and focused on his handsome face. “Yes.” She whispered. He gently turned her head to the side and sought out the throbbing vein in her throat. “Don’t worry, dear sister,” he said, “this won’t hurt.” She nodded weakly, and he realized that he had to do it now, or it would be too late.
As he bit into her, the whites of her knuckles showed through her skin as she gripped onto his shoulders in unbelievable agony. Blood filled her throat, and she gurgled as she screamed and thrashed her legs on the bed. Worried that he had done something wrong, he almost stopped but knew he had to continue, or all would certainly be lost, but he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her, and tears fell from his eyes as he drank. It wasn't until he saw Isabella again, that he learned that he could have numbed her throat with his saliva and given her his fang serum to make it a euphoric experience.
Then, as Isabella had done for him, he bit into his own wrist and offered his blood to his sister. He was overcome with relief as she eagerly drank from him, and he stroked the back of her head as she fed. When she finished, he gently lowered her head back down onto the pillow and wiped the blood from her mouth. She opened her eyes and stared into nothing as one long last breath left her body. Matthew sobbed like a baby and held her up in his arms, rocking back and forth as he cried.
After a while, he stood and paced the floor. He didn’t know if he had been successful in his attempt to keep his sister with him or not, so all he could do was sit and wait. The pain was still evident on her face and, wanting her to look at peace, he left the room and came back holding a white nightgown that had belonged to his mother, and dressed her in it. He didn’t know how long it would take for her to wake up. It could be hours, days, or even weeks. His heart sunk as he realized that there was also a distinct possibility that she might never come back to him at all, but he choose to stay positive, and decided to take her downstairs to the makeshift bed he had made for her, and wait for as long as it took.
He gently lifted his sister and carried her body down to the basement where he held Jacob captive, and laid her down onto the makeshift bed.
“She looks dead,” Jacob said as he carried her into the room. “Is she?” “Yes,” Matthew whispered. A wicked smile crept over Jacob's ruined face. “Good riddance,” he said. “The world will be a better place with her gone. What happened? Did you kill her? Did you
do to her what you did to those rats?”
In a blur, Matthew's hands were wrapped around his father's throat, squeezing the life from him, and Jacobs eye's bulged with fear. Although the urge to kill him was overwhelming, Matthew knew that he would lose Victoria if he did, so he released his grip and watched as his father struggled to breathe through his partially crushed and bruised windpipe.
Hands balled into fists, Matthew stood over him and fought to regain control of his temper.
Spit flew from his mouth as he vented his rage. “Don't worry, you filthy pig.” He said vehemently. “I'm not going to kill you.” The fact that Matthew had emphasized the word “I'm” was not lost on Jacob, and he wondered what he meant, then he recalled Matthew's earlier comment about sacrificing his life to save his daughter. None of this made any sense. If she was already dead, then how could him sacrificing his life, save her? And why was she down here with him in this room?
He inclined his head in Victoria’s direction. “You had better let me go,” he said. “She’s dead, and so will you be when I get out of this.” He wrestled with the rope tied around his hands and feet but the knots held fast, and after a few moments, he gave up the struggle.
Matthew squatted down a few feet in front of him. “Do you know what I am father?” He asked menacingly. “The reason your mother is dead,” Jacob screamed. “And,” he added, “My biggest regret.” Even though Matthew had heard him say those words on numerous other occasions, they still hurt him deeply.
He pushed his emotions aside and leaned closer to his father's blood-stained face. “Hmm, Wrong.” He said. “Guess again.” Jacob's chin jutted out defiantly. “I'm not playing your silly games, boy,” he said, “you're going to pay for this when you meet your maker.” Matthew moved closer and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his father; he was going to enjoy this and leaned closer still. “I’m a vampire.” He said. “Don't be ridiculous.” Jacob scoffed but quickly found himself screaming in terror as his son hissed and exposed his fangs. Matthew felt a deep sense of satisfaction as a wet patch appeared on the front of his father's breeches.
He looked lovingly over at his twin sister sleeping peacefully in death, then turned and looked again at his father. “I told you that you would sacrifice your life to save your daughter, and if you’re wondering how you are going to accomplish such a thing, then let me enlighten you.” Jacob stared wide-eyed. “You, dear father, are here for her to feed on when she wakes up.” Jacob’s eyes filled with tears. “Try to think of it as a good thing,” Matthew continued, “at least your life won't have been a complete waste.”
After seeing the undeniable evidence with his own eyes, he knew that Matthew was what he said he was, and begged pitifully for his life. Still, Matthew ignored him until he realized that his father thought that he intended for him to become a vampire too. Matthew laughed. The audacity that his father would even dare to believe that Matthew would want him to remain on this earth was comical.
“Don't worry father,” he snarled, “although it would be justice to see you, a so-called man of God, walk the earth for the rest of eternity as what you would call an “abomination,” I fear that Victoria will kill you when she feeds.”
He was greatly rewarded when utter terror spread across Jacob's face. “You will be judged when you stand before God.” He whimpered. Matthew laughed cruelly as his father's rantings descended into gibberish. “You too will be judged, father.” he said, “you too.”
Scene Twenty-Eight - Questions
Ruth stood from where she sat on Matthew's car bonnet when she saw Callie exit the hospital from A&E, and eagerly waited for her to approach. She knew that it was vital that she not be seen by her aunt and uncle as her presence there would take a lot of explaining and put the hood from the light jacket she wore over her head. “How is she?” She asked anxiously. Callie closed her eyes and shook her head. “She looks terrible,” she said, “the doctor said she's stable and they expect her to make a full recovery, but Ruth, I have to tell you, whoever did this...” She trailed off as tears streamed down her face.
Ruth's mind spun as a mountain of questions filled her thoughts, and she went through the possibilities of who could be responsible and why they would do such a thing. “Do you think it could have been Jessica?” Callie asked nervously. Ruth chewed on her nails as she pondered. “No,” she said, “I don't think she would do that; I mean, as horrible and as nasty as she is, I don't think she would go that far.”
The car door opened, and Matthew stood with his elbow resting casually on the roof of the car. “Hi Cal,” he said, “how are you and your parents holding up?” She glanced sideways at Ruth. “We're O.K; I'm more worried about this one over here.” She thumbed jokingly towards her cousin, and Ruth shrugged. “Don't worry about me, Cal,” she reassured, “I'm strong now.” Callie lowered her voice and leaned in close. “Ruth, you were strong before you died,” she said, “how come you don't realize that?” They hugged each other tightly, then Ruth stepped back. “I have to find out who did this, though,” she said. “I know she wants nothing to do with me, but at the end of the day, she's still my mum, and I will always love her.” Her eyes grew moist, and she wiped them with the sleeve of her jacket. “I think she must have had a breakdown when my dad left because she hasn’t always been like this has she, Cal.” Callie shook her head sadly as she reached out and stroked Ruth’s arm. “Growing up, she was always a good mother to me.”
Matthew closed the door and walked around the car. “Agreed.” He said, handing her a tissue. “Whoever did this can't be allowed to get away with it, but we have to let the police do their thing; Hopefully, your mum will tell them who it was.” “I bet she doesn't,” Ruth inserted. “that's not how things are done around here; she'll be too scared of them coming back and finishing her off for good.”
She paused and looked at her cousin. “Callie, you said earlier that someone called the emergency services anonymously, do you think it could have been whoever attacked her?” Callie shook her head. “I honestly don't know,” she said, “Possibly.” “If it was,” Ruth continued. “then maybe they called for help because they didn't intend for the attack to go as far as it did.” Her eyes narrowed menacingly. “Maybe it was Jessica.” She said. “Maybe, because I had the audacity to stand up to her, she decided to get back at me by hurting my mother, and as I said, it just went too far.” The more she thought about it, the more sense it made.
Callie took a deep breath and excused herself. “Sorry Ruth,” she said, “I'm supposed to be getting us a coffee, so I should be going back inside before they come out looking to see where I am and spot the two of you; Don’t forget, you’re supposed to be on a flight back from holiday, remember?” Ruth nodded in agreement. “Yeah, makes sense, Cal. Will we see you back at Matt's later?” She asked. “Yes, of course,” Callie replied, “See you later.”
Scene Twenty- Nine - Assumptions
Ruth sat in the passenger seat next to Matthew as he turned the keys in the ignition, and the engine came to life. “How are you feeling, Ruth?” He asked as he pulled out onto the road. She turned and stared out the window at the passing traffic. “Honestly, what I'm feeling right at this moment is rage, but I have to be careful how I behave around Callie,” she said, “I think she's a little wary of me, and what I'm capable of doing after what I told her about when I fed.”
He tried to lighten the mood. “Ordinarily I'd tell you to take a deep breath and calm down but... “Despite her anger, she had to smile. “Let's go and see my friend Lizzie,” she said, “Her bakery has a small tea-room attached, and you know how people love to gossip in those places. She might have heard about what happened to my mum?” Matthew kept his eyes on the road. “Even if she did, how would she know that it was your mum who was attacked?” He asked. “It doesn't matter whether she knows that or not, Matt.” She explained. “If she heard that there had been an attack on a woman on the estate where my mum lives, we could go and speak to whoever told her about it and
ask them what they know. That's if anyone has told her anything.” She added. Matthew could see the logic behind her thinking. “Well, it's a long shot, but I think it’s worth a try,” he said, “where does she live?” Ruth pointed to a street as they approached. “Take the next left,” she said, “we're not too far away from the bakery, and her house is only a few streets away from there.”
As they turned the corner, Ruth gasped at the sight before her. Only the shell of Lizzie's shop remained. It had been cordoned off with incident tape, and the windows were boarded up, but you could clearly see that a fire had raged through the property. Matthew stopped the car, and they got out.
“Jessica did this,” she said through gritted teeth, “I know she did. When Lizzie stood up to her, she told her that she would pay for it.” She gestured towards what was left of Lizzie's shop. “This is it,” she said, “her payment.”