The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  He forced himself to roll onto his back and watched her as she caressed the table and walked about it. The smile on her face filled with evil intent as she spoke, “Soon this table will restore me to being a full Wampyr. I will have all my abilities and heal like I used to. Nothing will stand in my way, except I am going to make one little change. You, Zachariah love the soul that is buried deep within this body. So if I want to walk in the sun I need to make certain you stay around a long time."

  Once she was done circling the table she came to where he lay and stood straddling him as she slowly and seductively removed the dress Melanie had put on for the Grand Opening. Then like one of those exotic dancers he had seen on a late night show on cable she stripped off the undergarments as well.

  Zachariah's heart ripped in his chest as he was forced to watch as Lilith revealed the body of the woman he loved. It was Melanie's body but he knew her soul was lost and he did not know if he had a chance to retrieve it. He had thought that the loss he had felt when Lilith had taken her life was excruciating but it was nothing compared to the torment that was shredding his soul now.

  At Lilith's death he had already known of her deceit and treachery and even then he had felt the pain. This time was far worse for Melanie was a complete innocent that truly loved him and she had sacrificed herself to save him. He was not worthy of that sacrifice. He had allowed Lilith to continue to exist when he should not have. He should have tried harder to find a way to destroy her even if it had meant his own death.

  What tormented him most was his arousal. He knew Lilith controlled Melanie's now naked body and yet he could not control his own body's desire.

  Slowly Lilith leaned down and ran her hand over his crotch, “Oh, I see, you are still a man at least."

  Then like lightning her hand was around his throat and she lifted him off the floor and threw him upon the table. He knew Lilith intended to rape him with her body and he wanted to fight it but this time when she had grasped his neck he had felt something pop. He tried to move his arm, and immediately wished he had not as a bolt of searing pain shot from his finger tip to his neck and into his brain. Okay, this is not good. One more time.

  He went to lift his knee and again the same thing, a searing streak of pain that cut into his neck and then pierced his brain.

  In both cases he had not managed to move and yet the pain was so intense he was still seeing flashes within his field of vision. Zachariah was certain Lilith had broken his neck and that if he actually did manage to move his head or neck he would be paralyzed.

  Slowly and sensuously she climbed up his body, brushing her breast along his thighs and then his chest. He was thankful he was dressed, but as soon as he had thought it she began ripping his shirt to shreds as she sat on top of him. He could feel her mind entering his, so he knew she was trying to make him stay perfectly still but it was not working. He knew he could move if it were not for the pain in his neck, yet he also knew it was a good idea to play along and let her think she had control.

  "From the day I was cursed I have never created another like me because I wanted to remain unique, the only one like me. However, now I think it would be sweet revenge to have the man that made eighteen months of my life pure hell as my slave. I pretended to grovel to your every need, cooking for you, cleaning for you but now you will be my slave and will do my bidding. She threw his belt to the corner of the room and undid his pants, her hand reaching inside to find his cock.

  "Oh, see, you are happy to see me after all."

  It was not her, she should know that. It was Melanie that he loved. Right now he hated his body for betraying Melanie and letting Lilith have her fun.

  She climbed off the table and pulled his pants and boxers off and threw them across the room. This time as she climbed along his body, her body rubbed seductively against his. There were no thoughts he could focus on to drive away his body's reactions and he wanted to scream, yet he also wanted Lilith to think she had control of his mind.

  She climbed past his cock and sat straddle his belly.

  "Before I fuck you, Zach, I am going to turn you.” She smiled down at him, “Yes, I wanted you to know that first."

  He wanted to push her away but he could not for his arms would not do his bidding. Then he felt her teeth sink into his neck and his mind began to drift.

  Papa, do not worry, I am not gone.

  Melanie? You communicated with me telepathically before but it was softly, this is so strong.

  Yes, Papa, but this is not normal telepathy. She would be able to read that.

  How?

  She does not know I am still here, while she is drinking she is seeing your life but she cannot see the thoughts that pass between us through the rings.

  The rings? You mean we are communicating through them now?

  Yes, Papa. I can see parts of her mind. She is scared.

  Lilith, scared? Why?

  The bond to my body is not complete. It takes time to take hold. There is something that can happen that can break it.

  Do you know what?

  No, Papa.

  Wait!

  What Papa?

  She moved up to my chest. She did not rape me before biting me. She was very adamant about you being pure and a virgin.

  So, if I am not a virgin she cannot stay?

  That could well be it.

  Then Papa, take me. Take my virginity.

  Precious, you did get your wish. You are eighteen, and by the rings we are married.

  No Papa, I am not eighteen yet, the clock it is 12:58; I still have 2 minutes before I am eighteen.

  Wait! There is something. She is waiting for something. I bet she has to have you a certain age past your birth time, if that is so she does not know your birth time here is one in the morning. She thinks it is midnight.

  That could help us, Papa!

  Yes, but there is only one problem. I think she broke my neck. I will have to wait until she has turned me and I have healed. I hope that that is not too late.

  I hope so too Papa. I do not like that you have to be a vampire. Will driving her out return you to being human.

  No, precious, but with your love I will not need to feed on blood and I can go in the sun, so in all ways I will be human.

  Then it will not be bad, will it Papa.

  No. Lilith was a monster even before she was cursed. I do not think I will become a monster because I am not one now.

  I think you are right.

  Lilith raised her head and bit into her wrist tearing into the veins then she placed her wrist to Zachariah's lips and said, “Drink!"

  He acted like he was going to refuse but she pushed her wrist harder against his lips and ordered, “Drink!"

  Zachariah drank, and he drank deeply. He could feel her blood entering him and before long he began to feel the pain in his neck receding. What little numbness had been in his fingers and toes went away. He continued to drink and scents grew stronger he could smell odors from the other room. His hearing became sharper; he could hear people talking as they passed in their cars on the other side of Juckett Park.

  Then he stopped drinking and opened his eyes and looked up into the fiery eyes of Lilith. As he did so his hands went to her hips and he stroked her sides.

  She said, “So how is my little slave."

  "I am fine, Lilith."

  Lilith turned her head and looked up at the clock. Then she looked back down to Zachariah and said, “Your Melanie is gone forever now, you old fool. I needed one hour past the moment of her birth and it is now ten past one. That is more than enough time.

  "Now since you were so disappointed that I was not a virgin when we married the first time, let me give you your Melanie's virginity as I rape my slave.” She reached down and grabbed his cock with her hand guiding it to her pussy and then with one thrust forced herself onto him.

  She screamed out as his cock pierced the hymen and then smiled down at him saying, “I had no idea that the pain she would feel would b
e so sweet. Too bad she is not here to feel it."

  She began to move up and down upon him and then suddenly she stopped. Her eyes got big and she looked down at Zachariah, “What is this? I can feel her?"

  His hands gripped her hips and pushed them down with a sudden thrust, holding her onto him. “Melanie was not born in this time zone Lilith. She did not turn eighteen until one AM here. So you still had fifty minutes to go before you were safe."

  Lilith's eyes grew wild and she said, “But you should still have been in my control you should have warned your Mistress."

  "You made a huge mistake Lilith. You placed me upon this table and this table is the center of my magic. You have no control over me here. I was never your slave!"

  Papa I am here, I can control the sex part. Her sexual drive was so strong I can manipulate it while she is fighting for control. Make love to me Papa. That is the focus, the more I can focus on that the stronger I can become and I can push her out of my body. Papa, make love to your Melanie.

  Lilith screamed as Zachariah's thrusts became more rapid and Melanie gained more control. The fire in her eyes began to fade, then it reignited as Lilith fought back, “No! Let me share! Let me stay!"

  "That is what you originally told me was your plan but you lied. There is no trusting you Lilith. We cannot let you stay. If we did the moment Melanie was ill or weak you would find a way to try to regain control. I will not have that. I love Melanie with all that I am and you will not have her.” With that Zachariah thrust again, hard and furious, both his love for Melanie as he could see her returning and his hatred for Lilith driving him on.

  The fire in Melanie's eyes faded to be replaced with the fire of passion as she fell forward and hung onto him. A red mist began to rise out of Melanie's pores and the screams of fury became moans as Melanie drove herself onto Papa and smiled. “Now I am truly yours Papa, since we are really here, let's finish making love and forget Lilith for she is no more."

  Zachariah looked up and watched as the mist turned to particles of gray dust and dropped to the ground then he looked at the woman he loved.

  Suddenly he saw Melanie's face turn to a pout as she looked down, “Papa?"

  "Melanie, precious, tomorrow we will go see what it takes to get married as fast as we can. Tonight we had no choice it was to drive Lilith out, but let us wait and make love on a night when we can have none of this nightmare in out minds."

  She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him, “Then for just the moment stay inside me, I had no idea it would be such a wonderful feeling.

  "Yet, Papa, I am glad you want to wait too."

  They lay for a few minutes together and then Zachariah picked her up and carried her upstairs to his bed and laid her down. He lay down beside her and snuggled up close. Though they were both naked he knew it was right.

  He had only slept for an hour before he awoke. Carefully so that he did not wake her he slid out of the bed. There was much on his mind and much he had to do. The room downstairs had particles of Lilith in it, and though they may be ashen he did not feel comfortable with them lying about. He needed to scrub the room down.

  He went back to the work room and as he was cleaning he began to wash the table and when water hit Melanie's virginal blood the table shown brightly and an image entered his mind and he drew the design. He already knew it would be either him or Melanie that would be the accidental volunteer for the commission of the final amount of the blood for the item he drew was a baby's rattle.

  Chapter Two

  The morning after the magic had turned Zachariah young again the Harbinger had visited the shop one more time. As the shadow had passed Melanie had felt his presence. For a moment she was terrified but this time it was good news. This was not the news of a commission.

  Together they had gone to the roof where they had found a large wooden chest wrapped in red cloth. Carefully they had carried it downstairs and when Zachariah had opened it Melanie was amazed that inside were all the legal documents he would need to prove he was Thomas Zachariah, born on October 31st in 1986. There was even a driver's license, a birth certificate, and a will from Jacob Zachariah, the name he had used before the magic had made him young.

  "Papa, but what will happen if they try to trace any of these things. Surely this hospital won't have records of you being born there."

  "Actually, not only will they have records, but if it is one of those hospitals that video taped the births, as some began to in the 80's, they will have a video record of me there all the way through until I was released.

  "There will even be school records at a local school,” he said as he pulled out aged report cards from the school he had supposedly attended. “The only problem is I have to do a lot of studying of this material just in case someone from that school ever comes by but as you see it was in Florida. So it is not likely I will run into anyone that will remember me."

  As soon as they were finished going through the chest they went arm in arm to the county clerk of Washington County to see what they needed to do to apply for a marriage certificate.

  As they walked out of the building they both looked at each other and without a word they knew that each was thinking the same thing. The blood test, that might pose a problem, but as they were hugging one another with their hearts heavy a cloud passed over their heads and as they looked up their fears were abetted.

  They took their time walking back to the shop. It was a bright and sunny day. The temperature was warm for November and a cool breeze caressed them. For the first time in over thirty-five centuries, Zachariah did not have to worry about what Lilith would do. He could enjoy being with someone that truly loved him.

  It had also been a long time since he had been young. Even though he had felt young within the shop, outside of it he suffered the frailties of his apparent age. For over sixty years he had suffered the pains of arthritis every time he had stepped out the doors of the shop. This was his first chance in over sixty years to enjoy a walk without the pain.

  As they neared the shop Melanie tried to pull him into Juckett Park so they could enjoy the beauty of the fountain before they covered it up for the winter. However, he noticed that there was someone waiting outside the door to the shop and he had never turned away a customer. He promised that after the store closed they would go visit the fountain.

  Together they walked toward the shop. Then Melanie grew quiet and began to try to slink behind him.

  "There you are,” Rebecca Morgan's voice penetrated him like daggers of ice seeking to claim the heart of their intended victim, Melanie. The smile that slowly crept across her face died before it reached her eyes. Zachariah felt a bitter chill gripping his soul as the hatred of this woman for the daughter she had adopted was far more apparent now than he had thought possible. When he had first met her he had thought it was only indifference towards the girl, but now he could see that Mrs. Morgan resented Melanie's very existence in her life.

  The look within her eyes was glacial ice as it froze upon Melanie and she continued her cold bitter speech, “The housekeeper has been after me to call the police about you missing but I told her you would be fine. I see I was right.” Then she turned to Zachariah and asked, “Is Mr. Zachariah about?"

  Zachariah turned and looked her in the eyes, “My uncle has taken ill. I am here to attend to the shop. You must be Mrs. Morgan. He informed me you would be coming by to take care of some business."

  "That is right.” As Zachariah held the door open for her she passed into the shop. She did not say another word to Melanie or even bother to ask how she was. Zachariah could feel his anger growing. He had cared for Melanie the first time she had visited, but the love he felt for her now was much stronger and the apathy this woman showed toward her was unforgivable.

  Mrs. Morgan walked to the counter and opened her purse. “I have brought a cashier's check payable to The Crimson Z for the $15,000. I hope that that is sufficient."

  Zachariah looked at her, as Melanie stood
behind him. He could feel the waves of pain coming off of Melanie as she tried not to cry. In response to Mrs. Morgan he replied, “That will be fine, my uncle has an account set up at the bank in Glens Falls."

  "Then we are all settled.” Her hand raised and she offered it in the same manner she had offered it before but something in him just would not let him accept it.

  He hated to lie, but this time he felt justified, “My faith prohibits me from touching the hand of a married woman. I am sorry."

  She nodded and then looked around him and said to Melanie, “I take it you will not be coming home. I will have Margaret bring your things here in March when everything has settled after the holidays and the children's birthdays. I will give her and her husband time to visit you once a month if they want to. Of course, you are welcome to come and get anything you need before then."

  Then she turned and left. Zachariah was fuming as he watched her leave. There had not been a single kind word. It had all been business. He turned and took Melanie in his arms and held her while she cried.

  * * * *

  It was nearly a month and a half before they got the certificate from the county and the earliest date they could get with the Justice of the Peace was February 1st, two months to the day from the events with Lilith.

  On the morning that Melanie and Zachariah were going to be married they were in the ritual room for Zachariah had wanted to do something special at the stone. He had them strip naked for the ritual he wanted to do but she asked him to pause before the ritual.

  "Papa, I have not seen you naked since the day we almost lost each other. I remember when I first saw you young again how amazed I was but it was so fouled with what Lilith was doing that I could not enjoy the moment and even over these two months each time I look at you I still see both my old Papa, and the new Papa in you.