The Embrace

by Jessica Callaghan

  His sharp eyes locked onto my own innocent ones and I was filled with a strange sensation. My mind began to whirl and for a second an image flashed into my head. In my mind I saw this mysterious figure standing with a young woman. He was listening to her heart beating. My own heart began to race and I knew I should have turned back to the house. Unfortunately I was stuck to the spot, glued to the stranger’s eyes. I saw his lips curl upwards but just then-

  “Louisa.” My sister shrieked from the front step. “It’s getting dark. Mum says we have to go inside.”

  My bizarre exchange with this figure was broken, and it disappeared from my sight. I was terrified by what I had just experienced. I wasn’t even sure if it had really happened. Maybe it was just my imagination playing tricks on me.

  “Louisa.” Someone called from the steps with anger in their voice. It was my mother. She had realised that Michael had gone to visit his girlfriend, a girl my mother found to be unworthy of his affection, and she was taking her rage out on me.

  I knew that tone of voice and I didn’t want to cross her when she was in the grip of motherly anger. I pulled myself away from the forest and ran quickly up the path, sneaking a few glances over my shoulder as I ran. I spent the rest of the night on my own, quietly reflecting over my exchange with the beautiful figure in the garden. I had mixed emotions about the whole affair right from day one. I didn’t know whether to be excited at my unique experience, or whether to lock my windows at night to stop an unwelcoming intruder. All I knew was I had to see that person again, no matter what.

  Chapter 3I was back in those forests now, running after Gabriel. As I grew older and became independent the forest stopped being my enemy and became my friend. I would run through the forest every morning for exercise and, if Gabriel hadn’t visited me in a while, I would go there in the vain hope that I might see him prowling.

  In my vampiric state I saw these familiar trees in a new way. I felt connected to them and to the tiny animals that lived amongst them. I was connected to the earth and the wind whipping through the branches. I may have died but I felt alive for the first time in years as the natural energy of the woods flowed through me.

  I laughed softly to myself and stopped running. Gabriel was in front of me, leaning against a tree. My love was ignited and I saw the beautiful side of him again. He had a determined look in his eyes, like the one he’d adopted just before killing me.

  “This will be your first hunt” he said, sounding like a lecturer talking to a student.

  “Yes, sir” I murmured and for a moment he smiled, relaxing the situation.

  “You have a choice to make. I don’t mean to scare you on your first night but I’m sure you know the stories of vampires choosing to live on animal blood over humans. It does happen. It’s become more popular over the years, probably just some of our kind living up to human expectations. It’s not common, but you need to be fully aware. If you choose to live on animal blood it will be difficult. You’ll be like a teetotal living next to a brewery.” He lectured.

  I opened my mouth to say something but he shot me a warning look and I decided to keep my questions to myself.

  “Others, however, choose the human diet. Vampires are designed to hunt, kill and devour humans. It’s our nature. Obviously it is risky to pick off humans but once you’ve tasted real blood, you can’t move on. You, and I, and all our kind, have no conscience. We feel no guilt for our crimes. Right now you still have enough humanity left to make the choice. If we leave it any longer you will be led by your blood lust. Choose carefully."

  He left his sermon to hang in the air for a moment. I had no idea what to pick. I had never really discussed this aspect of vampirism with him before. As a human it had always made me feel uncomfortable discussing his feeding habits.

  “I hate to pile this up on you now but if you choose human you will remain on that path forever. If you choose animal you will not be as well nourished but you will be free to choose when you eat.” He stopped and relaxed slightly. I took this as a sign that the teacher was finished and I was now expected to make my decision known.

  I had no idea what to do. I had expected to be turned and to have a burning thirst for human blood but I hadn’t felt it yet. I knew I was weak- strong for a human but feeble for a vampire-but I didn’t want to rush out and murder my next door neighbour without thinking it through.

  After a moment of contemplation, I finally spoke. “We never really talked about this. What do you do?” I stuttered awkwardly.

  Gabriel sighed. He was about to start his answer but I cut him off before he could say a word.

  “I know, I know. I should pick for myself, it doesn’t matter what you say, blah blah blah. Well, it matters to me Gabe. You said you had to teach me and how else will I learn if you don’t tell me things?”

  I’d obviously phrased my speech well because I could see him struggling to come up with an argument. Score one to the new kid. He was grinding his teeth together and avoiding my gaze. I heaved a sigh and stormed away from him.

  “Fine” I called over my shoulder. “I’ll just-oh god.” He had jumped in front of me without me even realising. His speed impressed me and I couldn’t wait till the day I was at his level.

  “I feed on humans.” He said. I had guessed that. Although we never spoke about it I had always assumed. “I feed on humans but I never do it in this town. Usually not anywhere near here if I can help it, just to protect you from being linked to anything I’ve done, but yes I chose humans when I was changed and I can’t change my mind. I’m hooked.”

  He said this with a melancholy smile and for a moment I was unsure of the truth behind the predatory vibe he exuded. I knew my choice though. I had always been so cautious during my first life, never daring to do anything that might lead to danger. I never drew attention to myself in any way. Now was the time to change all that.

  “I choose human.”

  **

  Vampires are designed to kill humans and feast on their blood. Over the centuries they have been the bringers of death, the harbingers of doom. When they were first uncovered by the mortals they would strike terror in their hearts. Innocent people would die and their corpses would be staked just to prevent the chance they might arise as a creature of the night.

  Over the centuries human beings progressed: they invented medicines to lengthen life and technology that could revolutionize the world. As they grew smarter they became cocky. They knew they were powerful and so nothing, not even death itself, scared them. Stories of the bringers of death who swooped in and devoured every man, woman and child in a household faded away.

  Eventually they resurfaced in the twentieth and twenty-first century but they were no longer figures of fear. People dismissed them out of hand and moved them to the land of myths and legends. They couldn’t possibly be real, people thought. Any tales of vampires that were told took on a certain mystical quality. Books were written placing a human in the loving care of a vampire. These vampires had souls and a conscience. They loved humans and fed on animals to stop themselves from committing unspeakable crimes.

  The true nature of the vampire is nothing to be proud of. Vampires will always kill, even the ones who dedicate themselves to a life of feeding only on animals. One day they will slip up and the nearest human will die. They are not admirable figures who are designed to be adored. They are dangerous predators, killers, hunters. They are everything that should be feared and the biggest mistake a human can ever make is to believe that they don’t have power. I knew now that I had joined the ranks of something monumental. No longer did I have a morbid desire to find out what life was like on the other side of the mortal path. I was living it.

  The first kill always solidifies the monster inside the vampire. When humans are transformed into vampires they possess enormous strength and power. They can move faster than they ever thought and even though they may look the same they have a hypnotic power which can transfix any mortal. Despite all that, they aren’t f
ully transformed.

  When a human being gets the first taste of the blood of another, when they take that first life, that is when they truly transform. Until the first kill they are just a powerful creature somewhere in the limbo between mortal and immortal, but after they sink their fangs into the jugular of an innocent victim they truly change. They accept the beast within them. Until this point I was just an enhanced version of myself.

  Gabriel began to run through the forest at break neck speed. I followed him the best I could but keeping up with such experience was difficult. Running in the woods at high speed would once have been a difficult task for me, with tripping up, grazed knees and scratches from loose branches. Now the branches didn’t even touch me. I could hear the scurrying creatures on the forest floor running out of our path, sensing the death that dripped from every inch of our unusual bodies. We left them to carry on with their foraging in peace as we ran through the trees in search of much bigger prey.

  We came to a halt at the other edge of the forest. My side of the forest was bordered by quaint town houses with traditional picket fences and large back gardens. However the forest was placed in an odd spot, as if it was a beautiful green universe thrown into the middle of an urban jungle. On the other side of the woods lay the blossoming industrial and urban area of my city. There was a small cluster of shops built around a village green, dotted sporadically between pubs and romantic restaurants perfect for a first date. I could hear the laughter echoing from the green before I could even see anyone. This was going to be the site of my very first kill.

  Gabriel had stopped first at the edge of the green and so I stopped with him, following his lead.

  “What’s going-” I began but the sentence trailed off in a whisper as I realised why he had remained so quiet.

  A sudden drum beat began to pound in my head. My ears were filled with the rhythmic drumming sound and my head began to ache with the strength of the noise. I held my head in agony at the sound. If I hadn’t been dead I would have guessed it was my own heartbeat rising up after too much exercise.

  “What is that noise?” I asked him, my voice coming out as a twisted snarl. He looked at me and his face softened as he saw the pain I was in.

  “Hearts. You are designed to find the strongest heart and drain its owner. It’ll fade over time. Right now you’re being hit by every heart in the immediate vicinity but as you grow stronger you’ll get used to it. It’s like background noise to me now. When I hear a strong beat, that’s when I know I’ve found something special.” He responded with a subtle grin on his face.

  I was mesmerised by all the new things I had learnt from him already, and the night had only just started. The pounding was still there but the intensity had faded ever so slightly to rest at a level that was just above bearable. I knew I had to make the kill soon, even if it was just to stop the ferocious noise from rattling around my brain. Gabriel grabbed my hand and looked me in the eyes. He winked at me and smiled.

  “Show time” he laughed and pulled me across the green.

  I had no idea what I was looking for. I didn’t know who I wanted to kill, how many people, or even how to hide it. I knew what a stir a murder would create in a town like mine where everyone knew everyone else. I recalled the shock after my family was killed and I couldn’t risk my life with Gabriel being destroyed by my carelessness.

  He leaned in towards me and whispered in my ear.

  “The most important thing right now is getting someone for you. I’ll pick.”

  I was furious at that. It was like a man ordering a meal for me at a restaurant. I wasn’t someone who would be controlled by others. I opened my mouth to protest but he knew my reasoning and he carried on.

  “Just for tonight” he assured me.

  He led me to the doorway of a local pub. The bouncer was transfixed by me. This was the first time a mortal had seen me as a vampire and my effect on him was impressive. I knew that with one flutter of the eyelashes he’d be eating out of the palm of my hand. We waltzed into the pub without even as much as an ID check and as we entered Gabriel surveyed the surroundings.

  He sighed and bent down to whisper again. “I’d rather not have to choose a drunkard but I suppose they’re the only option. Everyone else will be in pairs. Next time, it’ll be better.”

  Gabriel nodded to a lone man in the corner. He was young and rugged. He wasn’t the most handsome man but he obviously worked outdoors and so he had a lived in look about him, as if his body was hardy and strong.

  “I want you to go and tell that man you have a room and you want to spend the night together.” I was stunned at Gabriel’s suggestion. I whipped around to face him in a rage. He pressed a finger over my parting lips. “I am going to wait in the alleyway next to this pub. I want you do to this alone. Look right in his eyes and tell him you need him. Say you want to leave right away and then take him to the alleyway. I’ll be there for you. Go” he said and pushed me gently in the direction of the lonely drunk. I was on my own.

  I stumbled towards the man in the corner as Gabriel left the pub in a flash. I gathered my confidence and moved towards the man with as much seduction as I could muster. I lowered myself into the seat next to him and he jumped as he felt my thigh brush his.

  “Wow” he murmured as he took in my appearance with his bleary vision.

  I felt dirty betraying Gabriel in this way but he told me to do it, so I had to. I leaned towards the man and pressed my lips against his ear lobe.

  “I have a spare room in my hotel tonight. Fancy keeping me company?” I whispered to him. As I pulled away I saw his eyes open wide like a child in a sweet shop. He didn’t need any more encouragement.

  “Yes,” he gasped. “I’m Andy by the way.”

  He didn’t realise that I didn’t care what his name was. I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the bar. He followed willingly, leaving half a pint and his hat behind. He followed me eagerly past the enamoured bouncer and out into the alleyway. I couldn’t see Gabriel but my enhanced senses told me we were not alone in the alley.

  I turned to Andy and gripped his arms hard to stop him from running. He laughed nervously.

  “You’re quite strong for such a little lady” he said with unease.

  I remained silent, not wanting to engage my victim any further. He was a human, a lower creature, practically vermin to me now. I didn’t want to converse with him any more than was necessary. Just then I saw Gabriel appear behind Andy

  “Grip him tight” he whispered in a voice so low only I could hear.

  I tightened my fingers around his arms and the drunk began to sweat as the pain increased. The steady beating noise in my head intensified as Andy panicked. Gabriel stalked forward to stand with me and Andy’s eyes widened, first in pain and then in fear at seeing Gabriel’s arrival. He knew he was about to die. Unconsciously some part of him already knew it was his last moment on earth. Gabriel lingered just next to me, never touching me but remaining close enough for me to feel his presence.

  “Let yourself go, Louisa” he said. “Just let yourself be free. Let your instincts takeover.”

  To the ordinary person this may seem like no instruction at all but everything seemed to fall into place. I felt my mouth distort as two sharp fangs pushed their way out from the front of my gums. The pain of these deadly new teeth seemed to disappear when I saw Andy’s eyes. He was screaming inside but something about my hold on him was keeping his mouth firmly shut.

  His heart beat washed around me stronger than ever, causing a barrier between us and the world around us. The alleyway and the dingy club seemed like a hazy dream, and even Gabriel disappeared amongst the rhythmic waves flowing around me. The heartbeat seemed to stem from every part of Andy’s body. It moved to his arms and surged in to me, through my fingertips and up to where my own heart used to beat. I could feel myself losing any grip I had on the situation. Everything became focused on this man and his blood.

  I followed Gabriel’s movements from whe
n he had transformed me and I leaned in to Andy’s neck. I could feel the blood vessels pulsing under my lips and the flow of the blood seemed to touch my mouth through his skin, making my lips tingle. I sank my extended teeth into his neck and tore at the skin. He let out a stifled scream as I began to lap up the blood pouring from his body.

  The rich red liquid flowed out of Andy for what seemed like eternity yet I licked up every drop of this heavenly nectar. The heartbeat that had seemed so strong began to slow and the life he had possessed surged out of his body and in to mine. I felt exhilarated, more powerful than I had ever imagined I could feel. A few days before I had been an insignificant little girl, but now I had enough power to kill a grown man. I felt like there was nothing I couldn’t do.

  Eventually the blood slowed and the pulse stopped as I realised I was the only thing holding my victim upright. I came back to earth with a jolt as Gabriel placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I let go of my prey sharply and he fell to the littered ground of the alleyway.

  I began to laugh to myself as I saw him sitting there. Just hours before I would have mourned the passing of a human being and I would have feared the reaction of his friends and family when they discovered the death of one of their own. Now I was being fed by such a death like a junkie. I knew I should be thinking of the practical things, hiding the body and everything else, but I couldn’t remove myself from the situation. My head was spinning and my body was still rippling from the after effects of this man’s blood.

  Gabriel picked up the body of the fresh corpse, carrying him away into the fog at the end of the street as I continued reeling from my fresh kill. He was back in a moment and wrapped an arm around me, kissing me lovingly on the head.

  I knew then that I was a real vampire. I was initiated in to this deadly society. Gabriel steered me back over the green and through the woods as I was still in a daze. I had no control over what I was doing as the thought of Andy’s blood was still foremost on my mind.