Before the end of auditions it seemed as if Dori knew Addison’s whole history. She told the story of her grandparents’ trip across the ocean and how they settled here in Virginia. She had mentioned how religious her father was because he had been dragged to every Greek Orthodox service and how he in turn dragged her. Of course she was the favorite grandchild because she was blonde, a rarity in the Hadad family. She had been doted on more than any of her siblings. She explained with a giggle how she asked her “Sitoo”, her grandma, to pay for ballet dance classes and her grandma agreed enthusiastically, thinking she said “belly dance” classes. She went on and on without letting Dori get in a word edgewise. While the other ballerinas shied away from Addison’s banter, Dori was calmed by the warmth that beamed from her colleague.
“So I was thinking that you and Michael should come over sometime for dinner. I would love to meet your other half. It’s so nice to hear of a guy who is so supportive of his wife’s dreams. Normally guys think that ballet is for kids.” Addison was still monopolizing the conversation. Monologue might be a better word thought Dori. It was nice to be around Addison. Conversation with her was effortless, but they were both comfortable with silence too. That didn’t happen much because Addison always found something to gush about.
“Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow. Be sure to soak those feet. If yours hurt half as much as mine do, tomorrow is going to be brutal,” and with that she ducked her head into her car. The sound of her door shutting announced the end of the conversation, although Dori knew that tomorrow she would pick up where she left off. Dori smiled as she realized that she enjoyed Addison’s carefree spirit. Her presence lightened the day and made Dori happy. It had been a while since she had enjoyed human companionship.
Rehearsal the next day was as brutal as Addison had feared and Dori was thankful for the physical advantages that she had. By the end of the week everyone was sore and exhausted. Despite the fact that Dori was fine, she felt the need to act as worn-out as her colleagues. They were rehearsing an avant-garde repertoire that was set to open shortly and the director, Robert Haines, was tyrannical in his desire for perfection. Some of the other corps members had actually pushed themselves to the point of injury trying to meet his expectations.
At the end of the night, dancers limped out of the theater whispering complaints and tending their wounds. Dori was acutely aware of another necessity of hers that required attention. All of the extra physical demands were taking their toll and she had to feed more often. Her limbs ached with the familiar burn, throbbing rhythmically just as her heart once did. Although the searing pain was not new to her, trying to control her instincts and not kill her fellow dancers annoyed her. She was rushing to get out of the theater and away from people so she could give in to her senses and numb the fire consuming her. To call her irritable would have been an understatement. She was going to have to feed early in the morning and at night if she wanted to keep up this schedule and not make front page news for killing half of the Richmond Ballet.
Addison’s perky questioning only slowed her slightly and she darted onto the street. The hurt in her friend’s eyes was clear as Dori snubbed her. Addison’s youthfulness doubled when her eyes were full of shock and sadness. Dori jumped into her car and threw it into gear. Other drivers slammed on their brakes as she sped out into traffic. Dori jammed her foot to the floor and she was able to breathe easier as the buildings slowly gave way to the suburbs and the quaint houses gave way to the trees. She pulled onto a dirt road and followed it into the forest, unsure of where it led. She was out of the car and engaged in the hunt instantaneously, ready to prey on the first thing that crossed her path.
She fed without reservation. It had been a while since her hunting had been this brash. She drank without tasting, killed without care, dropping each carcass as she emptied it, incensed by her ultimate need for self-fulfillment. She slowed only after her stomach was uncomfortably bloated. The pandemonium of her need ebbed, and she was able to relax and think sanely again. She paused to sit on the forest floor, hidden from the moonlight in the shadow of a large black locust tree.
Dori looked around at the peaceful night. A deer scraped its antlers in the distance. There were some raccoons chattering in a den nearby. If she listened very carefully she could even make out the sound of an insect struggling in a spider web a few yards away. Normally, the sounds of night relaxed Dori. She had always loved the peace she found in the darkness, but tonight something was different. It was impossible to relax despite her full belly and the warm euphoria that usually followed a good meal. She looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary but she still couldn’t shake her unsettled feeling.
“Don’t move, Ballerina Girl, they are everywhere.”
She didn’t breathe. She didn’t move. She called upon her senses trying to figure out what Grandma was talking about. They had approached silently. There hadn’t been any motion, but suddenly she was surrounded. One by one, different pairs of eyes appeared in the night, staring at her. These weren’t friendly eyes, and the sheer number terrified her. She wasn’t used to the acrid taste of choking fear. Her survival instincts were screaming for her to flee, but she knew that would not end nicely.
The eyes stared. The faces they belonged to were still obscured in the darkness. These eyes were neither human nor animal and she realized instantly that she was surrounded by dozens of vampires. She looked around nervously, trying to assess the situation while the hostility rolled off of her visitors in waves. Their eyes were flat: there was nothing below the surface, yet they darted around erratically. They were sizing her up, wild with their searching. She could feel their gaze on her body and the hair on her arms stood on end. This was bad.
Without a decisive movement, one of them was in front of her. He crouched to her level. It was more like a fog had rolled in and then materialized into something solid, than if the vampire had taken a step forward. It all happened so quickly that she actually felt a twinge of nausea in her stomach. She remained motionless, not wanting to trigger the attack instinct that was most likely growing in each of her onlookers.
The male that had approached her, whom she took to be the leader of this coven, was extending a long, bony hand toward her face. His expression exuded malice and intrigue at the same time. Bile rose in her throat as she realized he was going to touch her. His clothes, or what used to be clothes, hung in tatters from his skeletal frame. Crooked teeth were rotting in his haggard face and his eyes were sunken in. He looked as if he hadn’t fed in ages. A smile - which could have also passed for a grimace - stretched into the hollows of his cheeks. A strange, broken hiss escaped from his clenched teeth and Dori thought that it might be laughter.
“What have we here?” His voice was no more than a raspy whisper. His breath washed over her face, reeking of putrid carrion and stinging her eyes. She shut her mouth with an audible snap; it was the only way to keep from screaming as his fingertips brushed along her cheekbone. A shiver crawled up her spine, and the tiny movement set the rest of the vampires in motion. They began to converge on her and the leader interceded, his bony fingers still tracing her face.
“Not yet, my pets.” The attackers fell still.
Dori’s brain was racing as she tried to figure a way out of this predicament. She wanted Michael, not that two of them could beat this huge coven, but having a companion would at least comfort her a little.
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s not safe to wander the woods at night?” A fine trail of spittle leaked out of his mouth and dripped down his chin. The rest of them were fidgeting and she heard the sound of lips smacking. It seemed as though they were getting ready to enjoy a long overdue meal. “You never know what you might run into!” The sound of his hoarse laughter echoed off the trees and his minions followed suit, hysterical shrieks piercing the night. Then everything was still.
Dori could feel the tension growing impossibly thicker and she knew that attack was imminent. Without consciously t
hinking about it, her survival instinct took over. She began to focus on the trees, snapping the tops off about halfway up. Without hesitation an invisible force threw the splintered trees to the ground, crushing some of the predators around her. They were taken off guard and she took advantage of their momentary distraction. She was up and running as fast as her feet could carry her. She leapt over boulders and took to the tree-tops when necessary to navigate the labyrinth before her. As she passed a mound of rocks, they were instantly hurtling through the air, taking out a few more of her pursuers, but nothing seemed to touch the leader who moved as quickly as she did. He hovered just behind her, more like a ghost than a vampire. He was tormenting her, letting her escape, just like she had done to Michael so often before. All of her attempts at thwarting him came up empty; a mist couldn’t be harmed. Dori was running blind. She didn’t see what was ahead until it was too late. Her muscles locked in place as the stone escarpment came into view. There was nowhere to go except straight up. She could climb the rock wall, but it would slow her down tremendously. She knew she had lost and the eerie laughter that seemed to surround her confirmed her fears. Gasping for breath, she turned around and saw that the mist was all around her, touching her hair, licking at her ankles, surrounding her torso.
It was too late to do anything. The chase had enraged and excited this vampire, and before she could speak, a set of teeth had clamped down on her neck. His mouth seared her flesh and his bite tore through her repeatedly. She was being taken against her will, her muscles instantly weakened by the loss of blood. It felt as if her life was being ripped away, leaving huge gaping wounds where she clung to her very self with the last of her strength. She was struggling to breathe when he materialized, his legs and arms wrapped around her, subduing her. It reminded her of the spider, feasting on the struggling insect earlier. His mouth released her neck only to find her wrist where he tore into her again. A new pain seared through her body and it became difficult to struggle. He bit her again and again, his attack losing the violent edge as her thrashing slowed. Her vision blurred and faded. There couldn’t be much left in her for this beast to take. Finally, he released her and her body slumped to the ground. She bled from more than a dozen different wounds. He stood over her, his body replenished, and he licked his lips. Impossibly slowly, he bent over her and whispered in her ear, “Until we meet again...”
If Dori had any strength left, she surely would have shuddered as his acrid breath once again stung her face. He pressed his lips against her jaw for a moment and then licked the side of her face from jaw to temple just before he disappeared. The oily residue of his saliva lingered much longer than he did. Her eyes followed the mist as it rose into the sky and vanished into the black night.
As the sky lightened and the sun rose, the forest came to life around her. She could hear the birds rousing in their nests before they began their morning song. The squirrels began scurrying next and some rabbits dared hop into the clearing where she still lay in a heap, too close to death to move. After a while the sun peaked over the edge of the cliff and shined warm on her twisted figure. The sun’s rays were interrupted intermittently by the shadow of first one hawk overhead, but one quickly turned into many. They were screaming at one another, drowning out all other sounds. Swooping lower, they approached their next meal on the forest floor.
It wasn’t long before the feet of one of these scavengers landed a few yards away. It tentatively approached her. Her shallow breathing confused the bird and he cocked his head to the side, trying to size up what he hoped was his next meal. Another set of claws plunked to the earth and hopped toward her. It didn’t take long for the two birds to begin squabbling; she imagined siblings fighting over the last helping of dessert. Eventually a third landed even closer to her head; she couldn’t turn enough to see the bird’s face, to plead with her eyes.
Then the earth heaved and she was somewhat upright. The closest bird was no longer on the ground; it was pressed to her mouth. She hadn’t the strength to bite it, so she didn’t understand how its thick blood was running into her mouth. It didn’t matter: with her first swallow, she registered just how famished she was and she gulped fervently. As the warmth began to fill her belly, she felt her limbs wake up. Her hands grasped for more when the first was finished. Quick as lightning, another hawk was furnished and she wrapped her iron grasp around it holding it to her face violently. When she finished with her second, she was able to sneak a quick glance at Michael, who held her protectively.
“More,” was all she was able to croak out.
They hunted together, Michael carrying her until she had regained enough strength to walk and eventually run on her own again. Her muscles were sore and her skin stung where the other vampire had bitten her. The bites were still raised and red, but with the glut of new blood, they had begun to heal. Michael watched Dori in silence, sizing up her injuries, judging exactly how close to death she had come.
When they reached the edge of the forest, he gently took her in his arms and pulled her into a close embrace. He seemed troubled by the fact that he had almost lost her. She guessed by the look on his face that the hug was meant to be a consolation to both of them, but she couldn’t get the feeling of the other vampire’s touch out of her mind.
“Michael, please...” was all she uttered as she turned away. The surprise and hurt on his face were too much. How could she explain to him that not only was she hurt, she was violated too. The tears she had wanted to cry all night finally spilled down her cheeks. Her skin crawled with the memory of her attacker’s touch. She could still smell his bitter breath on her skin and her stomach heaved with the memory of his tongue on her face.
“Can we go home?” she begged, her voice no louder than a whisper. She knew she had to tell Michael the whole story, and she would, but for right now, she had to get home and wash off the disgusting memories of her attack. Even with Michael following in his own car, it was a painfully long ride. She could feel his eyes on her the whole way even without checking her rear view mirror. She was sure that he couldn’t fully imagine the horror of her assault last night. She wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. Should she tell him all of the details?
After what seemed like hours under scalding hot water, she accepted the fact that it was going to take more than soap and water to make her feel better. Despite the fact that she had gorged herself after Michael found her, she still felt a nagging sting in her veins, but decided she needed to talk to Michael before she did anything else.
He was sitting in the kitchen with his head in his hands. He looked as if he had aged, which she knew was impossible. He met her gaze instantly and his eyes pleaded for her to tell him exactly what had happened. She began with her flight from Richmond. As she recounted her evening, she saw it again in her mind. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them to steel herself away from her memories. She could hear his grating whisper in her mind as she told him about the other vampire. She told him how the trees and rocks had been useless against the mist. She was sobbing as she told him how she was manhandled and left for dead.
Through gritted teeth Michael growled, “I have met others in this life Dori, but only a few would willingly prey on another of our kind. We have to figure out who he is and stay far away from that place.” The look in his eyes was murderous, but his posture as protective as he wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the villain in her memory.
“Do you want to rest for a few days, or do you feel well enough to go back to the ballet?” The way he asked this question made it clear that he thought the first option was the best.
“Michael, we open in a few nights, I have to be at rehearsal. If not, there are hundreds of other girls who would be happy to take my place. I have to be there.”
“I guess you’re right.” His face was long with disappointment.
* * *
A few hours later she and Addison were in the studio, warming up amidst the other corps dancers while the principal
dancers were performing their solo on stage. Dori was stretching on the now-familiar grey vinyl floor while Addison was warming up at the barre. Dori sat in a way so that she could see herself in the full length mirror while also watching the others in the room. She wanted to be able to watch her own expression, anxious that her face would give away the terror she was still feeling. For the first time, she felt small in the large room. When the stage music was silent, the high ceilings in the room caused even the softest sounds to echo slightly.
The dancers stretched out their kinks and warmed up their muscles in the hush of the early morning, each lost in their own thoughts. Dori was jarred back to the present as a fellow dancer stampeded in shaking a newspaper at Addison.
“Addison, did you see the paper this morning? It happened again.” Addison didn’t reply, but as she registered what her colleague was saying, her face blanched.
“It says here that the park rangers have confirmed that the attack was similar to your”-suddenly the blabbering ballerina became aware of the dozens of other dancers listening-“well, they say here it was like other situations.”
Addison still said nothing, but a muscle flexed in her jaw. Absentmindedly, her hands fluttered to her hair, playing with flyaway wisps that weren’t there. She turned toward the bar, swallowed hard and began some quick sautés. When Corinne realized Addison wasn’t going to discuss the matter, she turned her attention to the other dancers.
“What else does it say, Corinne?” That was all the invitation she needed. Corinne scurried over to a group of dancers stretching on the floor and dove into the details.
“It says here that shortly after dawn the park rangers happened upon an area where they think another attack happened. There were trees and rocks strewn everywhere, clearly signs of a struggle, right? So nearby there were all of these dead birds, but if it had been an animal that killed them they would have eaten them for food. A park ranger is quoted as saying it looks like they were just ripped open and tossed aside. It’s clearly the work of someone sick. They are already saying it looks like other attacks that have been reported in those woods.” Corinne paused to look at Addison. “The paper says if anyone knows anything they are to call the police with information.”
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