In Love With A Vampire

by M. J. Stevens

  Catan, please stop drinking my blood … Kalista mentally pleaded, using the last of her mental strength to deliver a message she hoped would drill into Catan’s mind and somehow make him stop.

  Kalista shot one last glance at the ferocious blood drinker, who had her bleeding arm clamped between his fangs. And what she saw made her gasp as the waves of shock reverberated through her, pounding her so strongly that she felt as though she could instantly black out at that moment.

  It wasn’t Catan would was drinking from her … it was none other than Lipton, whose wings by now have spread open like a huge umbrella as he fed on her.

  Catan had already changed into Lipton! Kalista didn’t even realize that it had happened … and why was Lipton feeding on her?

  “L-L-Lipton …” Kalista stammered in a weak whisper, hoping that Lipton could hear her. But Lipton continued feeding on her, oblivious to her words.

  Kalista was slammed with confusion. So Catan had been suppressed and now Lipton had manifested. But why was he drinking her blood … doing the same thing Catan had been doing?

  Lipton finally released her arm, wiping the stains of blood from his mouth with his arm, as he flicked a glance at Kalista, who was watching him in helpless drowsiness.

  There was no expression on his face at first … Lipton looked calm and composed, as if what he had done was just a normal thing. And suddenly, as if he realized what he had just done, a look of horror twisted his face as if he was in deep agony, and he hurried over and knelt close beside Kalista, coddling her head.

  “Oh, Kalista!” Lipton cried, racked with guilt and conviction. “I’m so sorry! When I manifested, your blood was still flowing in my mouth … and I couldn’t resist. Believe me … I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late. Your blood is just so ….” Lipton trailed off, his shoulder convulsing with the guilt which had terribly shaken him.

  But Kalista had no strength to respond anymore. She couldn’t blame Lipton for tasting her and wanting more of it. She knew for a fact that Urukan blood had a universal appeal, attracting vampires and other supernatural creatures for centuries. According to legend, Urukan blood had unimaginable powerful healing properties, and was able to heal even the most tragic of illnesses. It was also the most tastiest blood, luring blood seekers for centuries. She just didn’t know that Lipton was capable of sucking her blood, because she thought he was able to resist temptation. It appeared that Urukan blood was more powerful and enticing than she’d imagined.

  The last image she saw in blurry vision was the anguished look on Lipton’s face … before everything turned black like the darkness of the night.

  ***

  The sound of birds drifted into her ears like a sweet melody, awakening her from her sleep. It was so beautiful that she just wanted to remain in a slumber, oblivious to the cares of the world, and fly away with the melodious tune which soothed her spirits.

  But amidst the melody, she heard a voice. A voice she recognized instantly.

  She opened her eyes, and the loving sight of a man who had rescued her before came into her vision like an angel. He was smiling at her with such a beatific expression that Kalista felt her heart begin to flutter as a warm sensation danced through her body.

  “Lipton,” was the first word that came from Kalista’s mouth. She flicked a sideway glance, wondering where she was.

  She realized that she was lying on a human-sized nest, crafted out of wood, straw and cotton.

  “Hello, Kalista,” Lipton greeted warmly with his gleaming smile. “Good morning. You look much better after a long rest.” He helped Kalista get up, as she sat propped against leaf-crafted pillows stuffed with cotton.

  Kalista scanned her surroundings for a moment, and realized that she was actually atop a tree, shaded by a canopy of green and red leaves. The nest she had been lying on was fixed to the high tree branches, and there were narrow planks which wound around the tree like a pathway, enabling easy accessibility. She couldn’t believe that she was living up high in the tree. Would she stay here for a long time? Was this actually Lipton’s home?

  “I’m on top a tree!” Kalista gasped in disbelief, feeling a slight vertigo as she looked down. She mentally calculated that she was at least thirty feet above ground. Then, she glanced at Lipton with a twisted smile. “Do you actually live up here or something?”

  Lipton chuckled, and patted Kalista’s hand, sending a frisson across Kalista’s body. Kalista secretly liked it when Lipton did that, but she wasn't going to admit it out loud.

  “It’s only temporarily,” Lipton said, his eyes wandering the rustling leaves above him as the breeze sailed past. “I’m like a vagabond. I move from place to place because I don’t stay at a place for a very long time.”

  “Why not?” Kalista asked, holding onto Lipton’s hand firmly, trying to give him some comfort.

  Sadness glazed Lipton’s eyes. “It’s difficult for me. I change all the time, Kalista. I cannot control how the curse works. I change into Catan and vice versa in this endless loop, and I can’t never build a steady life for myself. I can never have a relationship with any woman because of this curse … because if I did, she’d never be safe. I can’t have a normal life … or a home which I can truly call my own. When I transform into Catan, the first thing he would do is to destroy my home. My last home was situated at the peak of a mountain northeast from here, and when Catan manifested, he set my home ablaze. And that is why … I can’t never have a home, a life … I’m just damned.”

  Lipton was so shaken up with a wave of mixed emotions that he actually trembled, and Kalista felt so bad for bringing the question up in the first place that she immediately wrapped Lipton in her embrace, caressing his back as she cooed comforting words in his ears.

  “I’m so sorry that I brought it up,” Kalista apologized, her heart feeling deeply for Lipton. She tried to keep Lipton longer in her embrace, but after a while, Lipton disentangled himself, and gazed at the sky with a distant look on his face.

  “You don’t have to apologize,” Lipton murmured, his voice sounding pained. “It’s not your fault that I have to live with this curse. So you don’t have to beat yourself up over this.”

  “And that is why we have to find a cure for this curse as soon as possible,” Kalista said with a sense of urgency in her voice. “We need to find the cure … you won’t have to go through this alone. I’ll be here with you by your side all the way.”

  Lipton turned to look at Kalista, the smile slowly returning to his face as he stretched his wings outward a little.

  “How can you treat me so nice?” Lipton asked, his eyes filled with the glaze of sadness, even though a smile was forced upon his lips. “What did I ever do to deserve your care and concern? No woman has ever shown me such care before. You’re the … first.”

  “Shh,” Kalista hushed Lipton up, putting one finger on his lips. “You don’t have to justify all of this. Just know that I’m always here for you.”

  Tears were threatening to burst out from the corner of Lipton’s eyes, but he tried hard to suppress them. He didn’t want to show Kalista how touched he felt by her concern. He thought that showing his emotional side would make him look like a weak man in Kalista’s eyes.

  “Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?” Kalista asked, caressing Lipton’s body gently, sending ripples of warmth and comfort through him.

  Lipton diverted his gaze from Kalista for a moment, and stared at the clear blue sky, where thin strips of cloud drifted past. He was trying to figure out whether he actually had feelings for Kalista … at all. He tried to dig deep, searching for any signs of love that he might have felt for Kalista … but he was so confused and shaken that he wasn’t sure if the feelings he had for Kalista were real, or were just made up so he wouldn’t feel bad for not reciprocating Kalista’s love. Kalista had been so kind to him, showering him with concern and care throughout his predicament, and she’d never given up on him … and even vowed to find the cure to his wretc
hed curse.

  In that flicker of a moment, the image of another woman flashed inside his mind. Immediately, he felt a strong feeling tug deep within him, making him feel both sad and happy at the same time. He loved her. Yes, he loved Jesse, but Jesse would never show the same feelings for him like Kalista did. Every time he thought of Jesse, his heart would mysteriously flutter against his will, sending him over the moon for no apparent reason. And even when he thought of her for a brief second, she was able to touch something deep in the core of his heart, drawing feelings he never knew he had … and he actually loved feeling that way. It made him feel as though this was what he’d wanted all along in his life, and he had finally gotten it … but not quite so. It was so close … but yet so far.

  “Lipton, are you OK?” Her sudden voice interrupted his train of thoughts, and the flickering images of Jesse in his head vanished in a flash. Lipton turned his gaze back at Kalista, whose eyes were filled with deep concern, as her forehead creased.

  “I’m OK,” Lipton said weakly, forcing a smile on his face. He decided to forget Jesse once and for all. He couldn’t continue to cling to that fantasy of being with Jesse anymore, and push Kalista aside like that. It racked him with guilt, and he shouldn’t be toying with the idea that Jesse and he would be together. After all, she was married. What kind of honorable man would go for a married woman and try to break her marriage apart? No, Lipton wouldn’t do such a thing. He was going to push Jesse far to the crevices of his mind, and pretended that she’d never existed. He had to completely shut her off from his mind. It was Kalista he had to think about. It was Kalista who had always been there for him … not Jesse.

  “No, you’re not OK,” Kalista snapped, studying Lipton’s face. “You’re bugged with some disturbing thoughts … I can see that. What are you thinking about? Care to share?”

  Lipton was about to respond, trying to tell Kalista that there was nothing to worry about … when there was a loud sickening scream piercing the air.

  Instinctively, Lipton sprang to his feet, and scanned his surroundings with his alert eyes.

  “What was that?” Kalista cried, getting up to her feet as well, edging closer to Lipton till their bodies touched. Fear and panic showed in her eyes as she looked down from the tree, wondering where that scream had come from. She smelled trouble in paradise. She sensed danger lurking somewhere below in the forest, and chills went down her spine when she thought that Catan might be the culprit. When she flicked a glance at Lipton, she realized that she was completely wrong. How could Catan be down there, back for revenge, when Lipton as standing just right next to her? They were both one and the same person, and if Lipton was still in his manifested form, there wasn’t even a possibility that Catan would be out there. All the fear bubbling within her had meddled with her thoughts, making her delusional at times.

  The screaming had stopped, but Lipton knew that the danger wasn’t over yet. He had to go down there and do some investigation.

  “You stay right here!” Lipton ordered adamantly. “I’m going to down there and get to the bottom of this.”

  “I want to come with you!” Kalista protested, pouting her lips.

  “Your life could be in danger if you go down there!” Lipton growled. “You’re much safer up here, and don’t make any sound so you will not attract unnecessary attention.”

  Kalista saw the grim look on Lipton’s face and kept quiet. She knew that there was no use arguing with Lipton, and she collapsed onto the floor of the nest with a sour look on her face.

  “Stay put right there,” Lipton repeated firmly, fearing for Kalista’s safety more than ever. “If anything happens to me, I want you to run as far you can, out of this forest. The exit of this forest is southeast.” Lipton gestured at the direction of the exit with his hand, and explained further on how to navigate through the forest. Once he had finished, he flapped his wings, ready to launch off.

  “Wait, Lipton,” Kalista said all of a sudden. She sprang up and immediately planted a kiss on Lipton’s lips. “You stay safe out there too, OK?”

  Lipton nodded, but he was trying not to let Kalista’s show of affection affect him and make him feel all emotional over again. He needed to brace himself for what was to come, and the last thing he needed were some mushy feelings to get in the way.

  And with that, he flew off from the nest, and sailed past the tree tops, his eyes scanning the grounds, looking for any signs of danger that were lurking below. He descended a little lower, swooshing past the canopies, going over and under them with graceful agility, as he tilted his head at every angle, scouring the grounds.

  He could see nothing suspicious, or anything out of the ordinary. He maneuvered through the obstacle of trees, occasionally descending a few feet lower so he could be closer to the ground, but not too close. He could see some wild boars roaming around, one or two bears camouflaged behind some shrubs, and other animals going about their lives in the forest. Everything seemed so perfectly fine … so where had the scream come from?

  He continued flying, not intending to give up until he found what he was looking for. The mundane sight of trees and shrubs greeted him as he zigzagged his way around the forest maze, as he kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious. He had been flying like this for the past fifteen minutes, and he thought that he wasn’t going to stumble upon anything out of the ordinary … until suddenly, without a warning, an unknown figure leapt down from a sturdy tree branch above him and pounced on him, making Lipton lose his balance and tipped to one side dangerously as the figure clung to him, trying to drag him down to the ground.

  Lipton lost control of his flight and he plummeted fast to the ground in a swirl, as the unknown assailant gripped him tight, clawing fiercely at him.

  Both Lipton and the assailant landed on the clusters of dead leaves on the floor with a loud sickening thud, the sound of bones crunching. Due to the landing impact, both of them rolled randomly across the floor, slicing through the scattered leaves and sending them funneling into the air.

  When Lipton finally stopped rolling, he immediately leapt back to his feet, flapping his wings to help him rise up with greater ease. Pain throbbed through his body, but he was able to tolerate it. He had suffered worse pain than this before, so it didn’t bother him much. What he wanted to do was to look into the eyes of his assailant, who was trying to get back to his feet.

  Who he saw made him gasp. He’d seen this man before. His familiar face suddenly brought the image of Jesse snaking back into his mind.

  This man, who had recovered from the fall and was now facing him, was Jesse’s husband. Lipton didn’t know his name … but he recognized his face from the photos he’d secretly studied when he was in Jesse’s house that night. Of course, Jesse didn’t know that Lipton had secretly sneaked into her house, and Lipton was never going to tell Jesse about that anyway. Out of burning curiosity to learn more about Jesse’s life since he was clearly infatuated with her for some reason, Lipton had lurked around inside Jesse’s house while she was sleeping, looking around at her things. And when he saw the happy couple photos of Jesse and this man on the walls and desks around the house, he felt aching pain within him, as if he longed to be that man in the pictures with Jesse.

  Returning from the thoughts of the past, Lipton studied the man carefully, trying to confirm that the man was actually Jesse’s husband. Lipton compared the features of the man and the ones he’d seen on the photos, and they were the exact perfect match … except that now this man had a sickening parlor to his skin tone, and his eyes had an amber-like glint. Instantly, Lipton realized what had happened to Jesse’s husband. He had been turned into a vampire … and he had that wild feral look in his eyes now. Lipton also guessed that the screaming which he’d heard earlier must have come from a human victim whom Jesse’s husband had bitten. Lipton wondered if the victim was still alive out there somewhere.

  “I know you,” Lipton finally said after a quick moment of contemplation. “You’re Jesse’s husba
nd. How did this happen to you? How did you become a vampire?”

  But Ken didn’t respond. He just stared at Lipton with an entranced look, human blood staining his cheeks. Lipton guessed that the blood must have come from the human Ken had fed earlier on.

  Ken took a few steps forward, looking like he was ready to launch another assault at Lipton.

  “I’m thirsty!” Ken bellowed. “I need to drink … I need to drink more blood.” Ken made a sickening howling sound as if to indicate the high level of thirst he was experiencing. It seemed as though the human blood he had feasted earlier on wasn’t enough. The more blood he drank, the more delirious and high he became.

  Lipton had to find a way to bring Ken back to his senses, or somewhere near there. Ken was clearly disoriented, overwhelmed by the lust for blood he was feeling at that moment. Lipton had to find a way to make Ken tap into his own humanity, to bring out the conscience that would make him realize what he was doing was crazy and wrong.

  Ken was engulfed with this wild supernatural energy that propelled him to seek blood, to drink more of it until he became fully intoxicated. Although Lipton wasn’t technically a human and his blood wasn’t as tasty as a a human blood, Lipton knew that Ken would come after his blood due to the overwhelming lust.

  “Listen to me,” Lipton demanded in a firm but gentle tone. “You have to take it slow … and think about what you’re doing is actually hurting a lot of people … especially the humans. I know that it’s natural for a newborn to be in such a hysterical state as you’re in now, but if you look deep down inside yourself … I know you’ll be able to control yourself and let your conscience guide you to do the right thing.”

  Ken growled again, as if Lipton’s words had no effect on him. Ken took a few more steps forward, closing the gap between Lipton and him.