Out of My Grave

by Stephanie O'Hanlon

  “Oh, Annalee, you look absolutely beautiful! You are going to steal the ball away from everyone!” Deirdre seemed so happy, so youthful. Her skin glowed with happiness.

  “Doctor Harding,” Peter bowed his head towards my father who laughed.

  “Well, I will let you three have fun. I am going to find the good Professor.” He squeezed my shoulder lightly and kissed me on the cheek as he made his way away through the crowd, the warm light of the candles highlighting the waves in his hair.

  I smiled as Deirdre pointed to my father. “Where is his mask? It is a masked ball.”

  “Oh, Doctor Harding would never where a mask.” Peter took on a serious tone that made us all laugh. “I will go get us some champagne,” he said as he ducked away from us into the crowd.

  I turned to Deirdre, smiling. “Thank you for the hair. I have never been happier. I have always wanted lovely curls.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind at all. Mother thought it was a good idea, after all, you are…you are my only friend with any standing.” Her eyes fell to her white gloved hands, seeming to be slightly saddened.

  I knew young Deirdre was new to society, having been in a convent for most of her life. I had thought her mother would have set her up with the right social circle, unless that was her plan in introducing her to Peter. It seemed it was possible Deirdre may end up with an engagement to Peter, who was wealthy due to his father’s furniture business, as well his mother’s family. As I understood it, his grandfather was a Viscount.

  I smiled at her, nudging her elbow. “Well, I am happy to fill the position.”

  She began to laugh as we turned to two gentlemen in decorative masks asking us to dance. We looked to each other and agreed, going off with them into the crowd and dancing along as the orchestra played Vivaldi’s Spring Third Movement. It felt nice not having a suitor with me, being able to accept dances so freely without having to think about what the others would say?

  Once the dance was done, I smiled and thanked the gentleman, grabbing hold of Deirdre and pointing over to the table. As she nodded, Peter walked up to ask her to dance.

  I made my way over to the long table against the far wall covered in decadent little desserts and other food. I picked up one of the cakes and carefully scooped the icing off of it, licking sugary mixture from my finger. I smiled as I watched Peter and Deirdre dance around happily. That was real love. I was very sure of it.

  I turned to grab a napkin when a familiar disgusting voice rang out.

  “Hello, Annalee. I am surprised you came.”

  I glanced to see Sean’s disgusting face hidden under an ugly mask with a long pointed nose, his mahogany suit matching his hair.

  “Why would I let you have the satisfaction of thinking you got to me? Of course I am here. After all, I have a more substantial connection to the host. My father has known him since they were children. I have more of a right to be here than you.”

  I turned away from him, putting my back to him. I felt the curl that hung down over my shoulder bounce with the movement, looking back down to my cake.

  He laughed. “Ah, Annalee, it is that attitude of yours I find so intriguing. If you had just simply let me seduce you, we would not be locked in this situation.”

  He ran his finger down my shoulder, which I shrugged off angrily.

  “Go away from me. I will not have you ruin my night.”

  I gazed into the crowd, Deirdre catching sight of me beside Sean. I think she understood my discomfort, her attention on me even as she continued to dance with Peter.

  I had told her earlier of my disdain for Sean and she agreed with me. She was the only one who knew of his advances and understood my situation. He had tried to seduce her many a time, but she was loyal to Peter and found Sean quite revolting, as most in their right mind would.

  “I see you are not here with your fiancé. In fact, I heard a rumor you had broken the engagement, kicked him to the curb finally.” His voice dripped with sarcasm as he grabbed hold of my waist and turned me towards him.

  “Stop it! I mean it, Sean!” I tried to keep my voice firm.

  He laughed. “Or what? You will scream?”

  I suddenly felt a hand on the small of my back and turned to see Vincent standing beside me, dressed in black velvet, the tails on his frock coat nearly reaching to the floor. He was wearing a simple, black half mask that shone with lacquer.

  “Excuse me,” he said to Sean as he turned towards me. “Hello, Annalee, I was wondering if you would honor me with a dance?”

  Sean tried to push him away, locking me between them. “Annalee and I were having a conversation. I believe she was going to dance with me. You can be off now.”

  “I certainly was not!” I looked over to Vincent who simply let a half smile pull at the corner of his mouth.

  “I am sorry, Mister…?” Vincent kept his hand firm at the small of my back.

  “Sean Pertrew.” Sean’s voice dripped with disdain.

  Vincent smiled. “Mister Pertrew, I am Vincent Moor and I believe Miss Annalee here has accepted my invitation to dance. Is that right, my lady?” He didn’t look away from Sean, who tried to shoot daggers back at him.

  I smiled as I placed down the cake. “Yes, I would love to dance with you, Vincent.”

  “It seems the lady has spoken,” Vincent said to Sean as we walked off.

  We walked to the dance floor where Vincent put a hand on my waist and took my hand with the other. He smirked. “It seems I have rescued you once again, my lady. You smell lovely by the way, if I do say so myself. I enjoy being correct about the scent of a beautiful woman.”

  I was stunned he recognized the perfume he had given me, but I shrugged it off. “That is what you think you were doing? What happened to your lady of the evening?”

  He spun me around and pulled me back into him. “My lady of the evening?” He seemed confused, though amused.

  I nodded. “Yes, you seem to have a different woman at your side every night. Or women I should say, the last time there being more than one.”

  He laughed. “What can I say? I have a way with the ladies. None of them interest me further than required though.”

  My eyes came to his. “Further than required—sounds like a clerical position they are applying for.”

  He laughed again, his beautiful velvety laugh filling my ears sensuously as his cologne once again filled my nose. “Something like that.”

  “So? What happened to them?” I looked his face over as we continued to dance, though I wasn’t even sure how my feet were moving anymore. He entranced me.

  “As I said, they fulfilled their requirements.” He spun me again, pulling me back into him.

  “Is that supposed to be some sexual innuendo I am not supposed to understand because I am a little English girl?” My hand tightened around his shoulder, as his hand tightened around my waist.

  “No, no, nothing sexual at all. Perhaps I just like having a little company,” he said as he dipped me back slowly, then pulled me back up again.

  I began to pant heavily, my heart racing from every look he gave me. “What do you do with them afterwards?”

  “I dispose of them gently.” His face got close to my own, very close, his emerald eyes glistening through the holes in his black mask.

  “What, you kill them?” My eyes looked deeply into his as we stopped along with the music abruptly.

  His eyes scanned me before letting me go. “Thank you for the dance,” he said as he walked off, his back disappearing in the crowd.

  I ran after him a few steps but stopped. I suppose I overstepped my bounds…

  I had to admit I was upset he left so abruptly. Why was I so upset? I suddenly realized I didn’t have just any simple attraction to Vincent. He was charming in so many ways, had an aura I found irresistible. I was obsessed. I barely knew him, but what I did know was that speaking to him had added to his mystery that I found so appealing.

  My mouth scrunched to the side as I looked around
the room for my father. I quickly spotted him with a group of men, all their faces looking stern and quite serious, not one wearing a mask. I thought one was never too old to participate in a masked ball.

  I ran over smiling, but my father turned to me, pulling me aside from the group. “Annalee, perhaps this isn’t a conversation you should be a part of.”

  “Why? What are you talking about?”

  My father’s eyes came to mine, trying to push me away. “I really think you shouldn’t—”

  “Puncture marks on her throat,” one of the men said solemnly.

  “You found one of them?” I looked up to him shocked.

  He nodded to me as his eyes went to his glass of champagne.

  “She was…she was dead?” I could barely form the words.

  He nodded slowly again. “This is why I plan to keep you safe. I don’t want you going around the playhouse anymore. She was last seen there with a gentleman the same night you were there. She went in with him, but she didn’t leave.”

  I thought about it. “What gentleman? Perhaps I saw him.”

  “A new person in town, an American. He was cleared, many people saw her leave the box while he was still there. She just…didn’t come back.”

  My heart froze. “An American…Vincent.”

  My father nodded. “Yes. An unfortunate welcome for him being bombarded with the authorities.”

  I smiled and laughed lightly. “Yes. Puncture marks sounds like a vam—” I stopped, my eyes coming to Vincent’s across the room, meeting with mine. He seemed unsettled. He looked as if he was waiting for something specific to be said, though there was no one around him talking to him.

  He had heard us.

  One would think it was impossible from where he was, but somehow, reading his face, I knew he had heard us. We stared at each other as I suddenly realized the word I was about to say and what had startled him. He noticed my change in expression and turned, slowly making his way out.

  I turned and ran to follow him, calling out to my father, “I will be back in a half a tick!”

  My father nodded as he went back to the group of men.

  I ran across the room as fast I could in my gown, making my way until I caught up with him in the foyer. “Vincent! Wait!” I ran up to him as he grabbed his Roquelaure cloak and began out the door, putting his mask in his pocket.

  “Miss, wait!” A servant tried to hand me my cloak as I ran out the door, chasing after Vincent in the night. I spotted him walking down the street as I ran after him.

  “Vincent, wait!” I pulled off my mask, holding it in my hand.

  To my surprise he stopped, looking me over, pointing behind me. “Are you mad? Get back in there. Do you want to become ill?”

  I stopped, panting heavily. “You heard what I said didn’t you?”

  I thought about it hard. He somehow knew what my father and I were saying. He somehow heard us. This added to a long list of bizarre qualities he already had.

  “That is impossible. You were across the room.” He turned down an alleyway, which had only one light shining down it.

  I immediately followed him, not even thinking I was going down a dark alley with a man who I was suddenly making insane accusations of.

  “You heard what I said. You seem to know where I am all the time. You also romance a different girl every night. Something tells me you are not just cavalier.” My voice echoed throughout the walls of the alleyway. It was also how he reacted to my joke. The way he used the word ‘dispose’ so carefully in our brief conversation. How he worded everything carefully in our conversation.

  He stopped and turned to me. He stood silent.

  “And your stare. Your aura, everything about you, there is something missing…” My voice trailed off as I kept my eyes on him.

  He walked up to me and looked into my eyes as if about to do or say something. He suddenly pulled away from me walking away only slightly, stopping. He seemed angered, but at the same time confused, his cloak gleaming in the little bit of light.

  “That woman you were with at the play, she is dead. They found her body with…puncture marks on her throat.” I placed my hand on my throat, rubbing it. I wanted him to stop me, to correct me, tell me I was wrong. My mind was running wild.

  I suspected him of being something impossible, after he had plagued my mind for nearly a week.

  Something missing.

  Only a few days before, I was speaking of something missing in my life, or perhaps it was what I needed to seek out?

  Everything was starting to make sense to me, though I didn’t trust such a thing. There was something missing—something I was missing—because if it were true I shouldn’t be alive—I should be added to the tally of missing girls.

  My voice did not shudder; it did not have an ounce of fear, it was flat and mono-toned. I already knew the answer. “All those women. You killed them, didn’t you?”

  He kept in the shadows, most of his body covered, the light from the street streaking across his face as he smiled wickedly. “And if I did?”

  “Then you would be a murderer.” I didn’t miss a beat, my voice remaining calm and flat.

  He stepped forward, his hands clasped in front of him, looking down to them. “Am I?”

  He walked directly up to me, like the question sparked something inside of him. His body came close. He seemed to tower over me, as if my body had shrunk.

  I swallowed and tried to calm my heart, the usual gasps for air growing. I tried to calm myself. “No. You are something else. Something much more.”

  “And what is that, Annalee?” His voice dipped low, his face coming close, and his cheek nearly touching mine as he whispered it in my ear.

  I swallowed again. “I don’t know.”

  He knew as well as I did what he was. I just didn’t want to voice it out loud for fear of being mad.

  He stepped away from me, turning slightly, smiling. He tossed the material of his cloak over his shoulder angrily. “Oh, come now, you must have some idea. Something, anything! You just voiced your thoughts, the puncture marks on the woman from the playhouse. Her name was Yvette, by the way. You also were going to say a word in there, what word was it?”

  I shook my head, my shoulders shrugging a little, and my voice low. “I don’t know.”

  He sauntered over slowly, his eyes piercing through the darkness, his face coming close just as before, looking me in the eyes. “How can you be sure then? After all this is the longest conversation we have had. You barely know me, only know of me.”

  I felt my head throb, his cologne overwhelming me in the most delicious way. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, then I will tell you.” His voice went low, very soft and velvety, almost a whisper. “I am a creature you only see in your dreams. I am a creature that stalks you in the night, watching, waiting, preying upon you.”

  I stayed completely still, letting his voice sink into my skin. He started to almost nestle at my neck, though he wasn’t touching me, he was trying to frighten me. I could feel the cold from him inches away from my skin. My mind began to run wild. I wasn’t sure if I could even listen to him. I found it odd that his skin was warm while we were inside and dancing, but now his skin had an icy chill to it.

  He brought his lips nearly up against my ear, making my eyes almost roll back from the sensation. “I hug to the night, any shred of light scarring and burning at my skin. I hunt and seduce beautiful women for my meals. Drinking their young, sweet blood until nothing is left. No heartbeat, no life.”

  “You were in town…” My eyes darted everywhere, my nerves getting to me.

  “Ah, I never said that all of the definition was true,” he smiled as he tilted his head.

  I didn’t even know what to do—my body was frozen. I couldn’t even form words to respond.

  He gazed into my eyes before he tilted his head, as if listening to something. He looked back to my face and smiled. “Your heart is beating quite fast, but it is not in fear.”<
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  My eyes came to him, dazed, shaking my head. “No.”

  His voice went really soft. The smile had gone from his face. He was more confused than entertained as the light soaked into the sleeves of his velvet frock coat. “You are not scared of me? You know what I am. You knew what I was when you ran out those doors, yet you are not scared of me?”

  The question, in a way, snapped me out of my trance. I stopped concentrating on the things he was doing to me and I started to think about what he was asking. “There is nothing to be frightened of.”

  He smirked, looking my face over. “You think I will not kill you?”

  I shook my head lightly. “You will not.” I was certain of that.

  He raised his hand up as to softly caress my cheek. “How can you be so sure?”

  I felt my eyes trying to close, a way of savoring the sensation of his cold skin against mine, that was no doubt flushed.

  “You would have done it by now. You have had plenty of opportune moments.” I was trying to keep my voice from trembling, as it came out breathlessly and rushed but not out of fear—out of the absolute heaven he made me feel. This was as close as I had ever been to him, our conversation being more than a few light words and now a darker subject matter.

  He started to nestle at my neck again, never actually touching my skin, sending shivers up my back nonetheless. “Again, how can you be so sure, my lady?”

  I closed my eyes tightly. I felt like I was in a dream, one of my stupid fantasies that got me into more trouble than not, like that hallucination. I tried to compose my thoughts together. “Um, you had opportunities. Why wouldn’t you have done it by now? Besides, it does not seem you are using your usual seductions.”

  “And what are my usual seductions?” he asked, as he looked me in the eye, his eyes actually glowing in the darkness of the alley, absorbing the light, like a cat’s.

  “When I have seen you, you keep away from their bodies. You don’t touch them, or get close. You have been quite careful around me, but tonight, you were so close. You had a firm grip on my waist. You also seem uninterested in the women you are with. With me you seem intrigued somehow, but you keep running away.”