In Love With A Vampire

by M. J. Stevens

  Kalista flicked a glance at the woman who was responsible for the recovery. It was Rellie, and she was quiet as a stone, her expression completely blank, as though she didn’t know what she was supposed to feel at that moment.

  “Did you just heal me?” Kalista asked in a grateful tone, watching as the wound on Rellie’s finger slowly closed up, completely healed. Kalista guessed that Rellie must have healed her with her dose of supernatural blood, but she’d never heard that vampire blood could actually heal a human when he or she consumed it. Suddenly, Kalista recalled that Rellie had spoken to her earlier when Kalista was in her semi-conscious state. So it was Rellie who had uttered those words … and it somehow pleased Kalista to know that Rellie could actually speak for the first time. At least she wasn’t mute like Rellie had thought. She could actually talk, but as Kalista gazed at Rellie, all Rellie could do was stand rooted to the ground, without a single word from her mouth. Why was Rellie so stone quiet all of a sudden? If she could talk, then why wouldn’t she want to talk to Kalista … at all?

  Out of the corner of her eye, Kalista saw a figure lying sprawled on the ground about ten feet away. It was the male vampire who had attacked her earlier, and Kalista saw that he was slowly healing, as he struggled to get back up, his arms flailing around.

  Realization dawned upon Kalista. Rellie had saved her again … twice. She must have been the one who’d fought off the male vampire when he was feeding on Kalista. Rellie must have pulverized him, keeping him incapacitated the time being. But the vampire would heal again, and Kalista had no doubt he would strike another attack on her, eager to feast on her Urukan blood.

  “Why can’t you talk to me?” Kalista asked, gazing intently at Rellie, who practically stood there like ice. Rely responded with silence, and began to tilt her head sideways again like she’d done, like someone who was struck with mental illness.

  A loud cough erupted, and Kalista realized that it came from the male vampire, who was almost up to his feet again, stretching his body around as if all his bones had fractured.

  “I need to get as far from him as possible,” Kalista said with a tremble in her voice.

  As if on cue, Rellie suddenly sprang toward Kalista and grabbed her shoulder, and whispered in a somber voice, “I’ll bring you out of here, far away from him.”

  Before Kalista could form the words on her mouth, Rellie had zoomed across the forest in split seconds, carrying Kalista in her arms. It was so fast that Kalista could feel the breeze pound against the face, as her surroundings whirled by in a blur.

  Eventually, Rellie halted at a spot near the stream, and Kalista’s head was throbbing with dizziness from the speedy travel. Kalista collapsed on her knees as the world spun around her, and she waited for several moments before the spinning completely stopped.

  Kalista tilted her head up to look at Rellie, who kept staring at Kalista with a distant look on her face, as if she still couldn’t quite figure out who Kalista was, but somehow knew her deep in the core of her heart. The confusion left her completely speechless.

  “Rellie …,” Kalista began in a soft voice, getting up and edging closer to Rellie. “You seem to know who I am … but at the same time … you seem not to.”

  Kalista took a few steps toward Rellie with a steady pace. Rellie trembled a little, as if she was cowering, as if she wasn’t sure whether to let Kalista come nearer to her.

  “You’ve saved me so many times, Rellie,” Kalista continued, trying to jog Rellie’s memory, trying to make Rellie recall who she was.

  Feeling bolder, Kalista placed a hand on Rellie’s shoulder, hoping that some physical contact would somehow make Rellie feel more at ease and probably help jog her memory.

  But instead of that, Rellie let out a fierce howl as if Kalista’s touch was diseased, and she slapped Kalista with such ferocity that Kalista stumbled and fell to the ground. Rellie continued howling in madness, as if something wild within her had been unleashed, and Rellie was flailing around hysterically.

  “I’m thirsty! I’m thirsty!” Rellie screamed in a chanting tone, whirling around with a body language racked with complete madness.

  Then, without another second of warning, she pounced on Kalista, her fangs sliding out instantly. She pressed her whole body against Kalista, preventing her from moving, and causing Kalista to be breathing erratically.

  “Stop it!” Kalista choked the words out, feeling as though the oxygen was draining from her lung. As the wild thirst consumed her, Rellie was about to sink her fangs into Kalista’s neck, when Kalista called her name and it made her stop. “Rellie, please, stop it! Rellie, this isn’t you!”

  Rellie’s fangs were now just a few inches away from puncturing Kalista’s flesh. But every time Kalista mentioned her name, Rellie seemed to restrain herself, as if a sudden memory suddenly slam into her mind, taking her down memory lane.

  That was when Lipton suddenly emerged, and rescued Kalista by knocking Rellie off Kalista’s body, and restrained Rellie from attacking further.

  When Kalista returned to the present from the thoughts, she watched as Lipton tried to pin a raging Rellie down on the ground, using all the strength he could muster.

  Waves of sympathy wrapped around her heart, and she didn’t like what she was seeing. Lipton was attacking Rellie as though she was the bad guy, but Kalista knew better than that. It was Rellie who had saved her a few times, and Rellie didn’t deserve to be pummeled that way by Lipton.

  “Lipton, stop it!” Kalista cried, rushing over to Lipton and trying to push him away from Rellie. “Stop hurting Rellie!”

  But Lipton wouldn’t budge, as he threw punches and slaps.

  “But she hurt you, didn’t she?” Lipton snapped back, struggling to restrain Rellie, who was thrashing around with sickening howls from her throat.

  “Yes … I mean no …,” Kalista stuttered, trying to remain calm. “She did try to hurt me, but it wasn’t her intention. She’s just confused about who she was. She did try to save me a few times. Just please stop hurting her. I can’t bear to see you do that.”

  “But if I let her go, she’ll attack you,” Lipton reasoned, grunting hard.

  “She won’t!” Kalista protested. “She could have drank my blood, but she didn’t. That’s because there’s still this human part inside of her, struggling to recognize who she is, and who I am. You just need to give her some time. I just know it!”

  Heaving a huge sigh, Lipton rolled over to one side, completely releasing Rellie from his clasp. Rellie sprang up quickly, and stood still for a brief second, swiveling her head from Lipton to Kalista. A look of recognition flashed across Rellie’s eyes again when she gazed at Kalista, but then it disappeared again. Howling one last time, Rellie gave a sweeping glance at the two of them before fleeing off and disappearing out of sight, deeper into the woods.

  “She’s escaped!” Lipton cried. “She’ll come back for you.”

  “No, she won’t,” Kalista replied, feeling like she was about to burst into tears. She’d endured so much today, and she didn’t think she could take on another surprise if it came. She’d been mentally and emotionally shattered, but her physical strength still remained, thanks to the blood of energy restoration which she’d consumed.

  “I don’t believe it … but isn’t that woman a famous reporter?” Lipton asked, wrapping Kalista around in a tight embrace, as Kalista sniffed in tears.

  “Yes, she is. But she’s also my friend. I’ve met her before. I thought that she was dead, killed by the crazy vampire. Killed by …” Kalista trailed off as she gazed into Lipton’s eyes, afraid to mention that name.

  “You mean killed by me, right?” Deep lines of sadness creased Lipton’s forehead.

  “No!” Kalista cried in protest, her eyes bloodshot with tears. “It isn’t you, OK? It’s Catan. He’s been responsible for many deaths, including my friend Rellie.”

  “Whoever Catan kills, I’m responsible too. We share the same body, remember?”

  “T
hat’s just not the same! Yes, you and Catan were cursed to share the same body, but your soul still remains. You are still who you are, and Catan cannot take away your soul as long as you don’t let him. So you don’t have to beat yourself up over this. If anyone is to be blamed for this, it is Catan.”

  Lipton sighed heavily. “I still feel guilty though. Every time Catan kills someone, I can actually feel it. I try to manifest when he does kill someone, but sometimes, Catan’s too overwhelmingly strong that it’s hard for me to manifest. Maybe if I have tried hard enough, Catan wouldn’t manifest that often, and less deaths would occur.”

  Immediately, Kalista planted a kiss on Lipton’s lips as if to shut him up, and it actually worked. Lipton didn’t say anything for quite some time as Kalista showered kisses on him.

  13. Borealis

  The last ribbons of the sun began to slowly fade, signaling the approach of night. Darkness would soon swallow the whole forest, and Kalista didn’t intend to stay in the forest for long.

  Once both Lipton and Kalista had cooled down, they sat down by the stream in silence, as they gazed into space. There was too much action going on today, and the two of them just wanted to be quiet, cuddled in each other’s warmth and embrace.

  Kalista rested her head on Lipton’s shoulder, as she tried to keep her mind clear from all the disturbing thoughts.

  Lipton finally spoke after a long moment of silence. “So you said that you have known Rellie before this?”

  Kalista lifted her head off Lipton’s shoulder, and gazed into his eyes. Her heart melted warmly at the sight of his face, and Kalista could stare into those eyes for eternity.

  “Yes, I did,” Kalista admitted.

  “But how did you know her?”

  Kalista cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. She began to fill Lipton in on her first Maze of Doom experience she’d previously encountered.

  “I didn’t know how I actually escaped from the Maze of Doom,” Kalista said, cringing at the memory of Catan and his torturous ways. “ But I did escape …”

  “Yes, you did escape,” Lipton said. “That’s because when I manifested, you were already unconscious in the maze. So I decided to whisk you out from the maze.”

  Kalista gasped. “So you’re the one who actually saved me? You got me out of the maze? Is there even an exit?”

  Lipton nodded, his mouth set in a grim line, as if thinking about the past had conjured up painful memories. “Yes, there is an exit. But you would never be able to get out without any help. That’s because in order to get out, you need to fly all the way to the Peak, where the exit is. The Peak is way up high, concealed by clouds, making it hard to see unless you’re up there. The Peak is this magical portal which is shaped like a round hole, and when you pass through that hole, you are free from the Maze of Doom, and you return to your own universe … your own world. From the looks of things and from what I know, the Maze of Doom is supernaturally created on a parallel universe. I suspect that it was created by Catan for some reason. He must have been quite powerful to be able to create this sheltered maze, concealed from the world. Maybe it’s because he’s a vampire who’s centuries old. You would never imagine how powerful a vampire can be when he’s grown to be centuries old, amassing all the supernatural energy he needs throughout generations and generations to become the most powerful vampire there ever is in this current generation.”

  Kalista listened intently, her eyes squinting as the sun began to set, its glare shimmering in her eyes. So it was Lipton who had gotten her out from the Maze of Doom. When she had awakened, she found herself lying bedridden on the hospital, where she was nursed back to health after being physically drained during her ordeal at the Maze of Doom. Lipton was the one who’d sent her to the hospital so she would get all the care she needed. Even though Kalista didn’t sustain any serious injuries, it was still thoughtful of Lipton to send her to a place where she would receive necessary healthcare.

  “Why did you send me to the hospital?” Kalista asked, her voice choking with emotion. “I wasn’t really hurt or anything … but I guess I was mentally and physically drained … or you can say traumatized …”

  “I couldn’t send you home because there would be no one who would take care of you while you’re still in your unconscious state,” Lipton explained. “And I couldn’t possibly be there for you twenty-four seven because you know that I could transform into Catan at any time … and that would put your life in danger if I decided to spend a longer time with you. By sending you to the hospital, at least I can be rest assured that you’ll be well taken care by the kind nurses. And anyway, I didn’t know who else to send you to. I don’t know know who your family or friends are …”

  Kalista grabbed Lipton’s hand and squeezed it tightly, her heart warming at Lipton’s kindness. “Thank you for being there for me,” she whispered, and pecked Lipton with a kiss on the cheek.

  Lipton responded with a quick silent kiss on her lips. And then he asked, “What does Rellie have to do with any of this? I’m confused as to her part in all of this.”

  The warmth on Kalista’s face dissipated, replaced by gloom, as if she preferred having an intimate moment with Lipton instead of bringing up the subject about Rellie again. It obviously destroyed her mood.

  Kalista took a deep breath, and answered, “I went to Rellie because I wanted her to write about my experience at the Maze of Doom, and let the whole world know about it because nobody would believe me. I hoped that I could somehow convince her to believe in my story, and she would write about it, so Catan’s dark secrets would be exposed.”

  Lipton digested this with a nod of his head. “Why didn’t you bring this matter to the police?”

  Agony flashes across Kalista’s eyes. “I couldn’t tell the police about any of this. Because Catan had put a curse on me, preventing me from telling anybody about him.”

  Lipton widened his eyes, puzzled. “Curse? You mean Catan has powers?”

  Kalista sighed. “I guess he does possess have some kind of supernatural power. He put a hex on me, and if my lips utter a single word about him to anyone, I’d be struck with excruciating mental pain, which almost feels like it would crack my skull at any moment. I tried to tell one of my neighbors about it, and the minute I did, I collapsed onto the ground with wild pain, and my neighbors immediately called the ambulance. But moments later, I recovered, and then I realized that Catan really meant business when he initially put the curse on me. So I couldn’t tell anyone about it. My neighbor prodded me about the Maze of Doom story, but I couldn’t tell her further because I knew of the consequence if I did. It was kind of torturing for me, withholding Catan’s dark secrets and living with this haunting nightmare.”

  “But you told Rellie every single thing about your experience in the Maze of Doom, right?”

  “Yes, I did,” Kalista replied with a nod.

  “Then you didn’t experience the pain at all? You told her everything? I thought you said you were cursed by Catan so you wouldn’t be able to reveal his secrets.”

  “Yes, I didn’t experience the pain at all when I told Rellie. That was because I figured a way around the curse. You know that I have Urukan blood in me, right? I may not have powers or anything … but when used in the right way, Urukan blood can be more powerful than you can ever imagine. Urukan blood has powerful supernatural healing properties which can cure almost every imaginable illness in the world. But of course, that is not to say that I’m not immune to any forms of sickness. I do catch a cold or flu like every normal human does. The power of Urukan blood can only be triggered when it is outside the body.”

  Lipton scratched his head, looking a bit puzzled. “Are you trying to say that Urukan blood is practically useless when it’s flowing inside your veins?”

  Kalista nodded with a wry smile. “My veins act as a vessel to carry my blood, harnessing its power from within. However, its healing properties do not work while it’s flowing inside my veins. If its magic were to cont
inuously work within my veins, I’d be immune to almost any illnesses or diseases that you can think of. I wouldn’t come down with a fever or cold every time my body immune system is compromised … but unfortunately … I do fall sick. But ironically, I do not have to take any medication to recover.” Kalista ended with a mysterious smile on her face, as if challenging Lipton to guess.

  Lipton was quiet for a moment, studying Kalista’s face. And then, he gasped, as if the realization dawned upon him. “You-you … actually drank your own blood?”

  Kalista patted Lipton on the shoulder. “Smart answer. Yes, I do. Like I said, the Urukan blood which flows within my veins does not automatically heal my illnesses or ailments. I have to draw blood from my veins … just a few drops … and drink them. It only takes a few moments for me to heal completely. The blood only works magically if it is drawn out of my body, and normally I’d just prick my finger and squeeze a few drops into a vial. I store a few vials of my own blood for safekeeping and when I need it when I’m sick, I’d just drink from it, and I’ll be good as new.”

  “That sounds really intriguing,” Lipton said when Kalista became quiet. “I’ve always heard about your blood … Urukan blood … which is not only the tastiest to vampires, but it’s supernaturally powerful as well.”

  “Yes,” Kalista said with a sigh. “Sadly, Urukan blood is deemed the tastiest blood to vampires, even tastier than human blood. That is why vampires have always hunted down those with Urukan blood, and as far as I know, I’m probably the only surviving person in this world who has Urukan blood in her veins. All the members of my kin have died … some of them were killed by vampires who lusted for their Urukan blood.” Kalista trembled when she finished, the fear showing in her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Lipton asked, draping his shoulder around Kalista, trying to keep her warm as the cold breeze started to whip at their faces.