The Man of my Dreams

by Quintal, Gladys

  In inexplicable agony he begged her to tell him what she'd given him so he could figure out how to stop the pain. She kept telling him she'd turned him into a Vampire. He knew such things did not exist and believed she was some sort of mad woman. Eventually the pain eased, but then the intense hunger took over and he knew he needed to find food. He was so hungry and told the girl he needed to find a meal.

  “You need blood,” she explained, looking awfully guilt ridden.

  “I need to get away from you!” he'd shouted, getting sick of her crazy rantings. “I need to find food!”

  She looked heartbroken and bowed her head.

  “I'm so sorry. I was very hungry and should have stopped before I drained you. But when I realised your heart stopped beating and I'd killed you, I panicked and fed you some of my blood. I never wanted to be like this and certainly never wanted to make anyone else this way.”

  She was serious! He stood open mouthed, staring at her. She looked away, avoiding his eyes. He reached into his pockets to see if his money was still there. Okay, so this wasn’t a mugging and his keys were still there, too.

  “I'm going home now. I suggest you do the same.”

  He turned and started walking in the direction of his apartment. To his amazement she started to follow!

  “What are you doing? You can't come with me!”

  “But I have to," she insisted. "I changed you and am now responsible for showing you how to survive.”

  She looked deadly serious but very nervous at the same time.

  “Well, I'm letting you off the hook, so go home!” He shouted and started walking faster.

  Again she followed but kept her distance. He sighed but was getting hungrier and couldn’t be bothered worrying about her anymore. He got to his front door and put the key in the lock, heading straight for the fridge. He was craving something meaty and juicy and knew he had a big rump steak in the fridge.

  He put the frying pan on and chucked in the steak. It sizzled and spat but seemed to be taking forever to cook. He flipped the steak, decided it was cooked enough, and pulled it out of the frying pan. Onto a plate it went, and he picked it up with his hands and took a bite out of it. Cardboard. It was tasteless! He tried another bite from the middle this time. The blood ran down his chin and tasted amazing. The steak itself was bland, like chewing paper. He licked some blood up off the plate. It was delicious and intoxicating. He started to suck the blood out of the steak, it tasted so good. He was like a madman sucking and licking blood and then suddenly stopped, realising what he was doing.

  He dropped the steak on the floor and looked at his hands. They were covered in blood. He wanted to lick them but was so shocked at this that he jumped up and ran to the sink. He started to wash his hands vigorously, trying to get the blood off. But no matter how much he washed them he couldn’t rid his hands of the smell. Blood. What the hell was going on? He went to the fridge and grabbed out an apple. He took a bite— tasteless! He threw it on the floor and grabbed a piece of salami. That too was tasteless. The smell of blood was overpowering and his stomach was yearning for more.

  The girl, where was the girl? Had she been telling the truth? He ran to the door and opened it to find her sitting on the doorstep. He ran to her and pulled her roughly to her feet. She shied away and cringed before him.

  “What have you done to me?” he screamed. “What in God’s name did you do?”

  He was shaking her and screaming at her. She lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

  “Take your hands off me before I break your arms off!” she snarled.

  She was no longer a demure little girl. Her eyes were ice blue and her canine teeth had grown in length. She looked very scary and very angry. He dropped his hands to his sides in shock.

  “I tried to tell you, I turned you into a Vampire,” she said talking through her teeth and not taking her eyes off him.

  “Now, if you will shut up and stop whimpering, I'll tell you what you need to do to survive. It's my duty, as I'm the one who changed you. But once I've warned you and told you how to hunt . . . the responsibility stops there and you're on your own!”

  He nodded and sat down on the step next to her, docile and attentive. She proceeded to tell him that life as he'd known it was over, as was his career, until he could get a handle on the blood thing and find a mortal woman to love him!

  Chapter 25

  Questions

  There was a knock on the door and Hayley popped her head around.

  “Can we come in?” she asked.

  “Of course you can!” I said, closing my laptop. I didn’t need them to see what I was researching.

  She came in with Moyra close behind.

  “Hi Moyra!” I exclaimed as she came over and gave me a hug.

  “Oh Cassie, I was so scared when they told me what had happened! I'm so glad you and the baby are okay.”

  She handed me a box of chocolates and I smiled. “I'm okay now, you can stop worrying.”

  Hayley pulled a chair over to Moyra and then slumped down into one herself.

  “Okay, Miss,” she said. “Start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out!”

  It was more like an order than a request, but I didn’t mind and started telling them what had happened. The nightmare had started with Hayley leaving my driveway . . .

  “He was waiting for you when I left? Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t notice anything.”

  “Neither did I Hayls, and it’s not your fault.”

  I smiled at her and continued with my story. Moyra interrupted a few times with some choice words and looks of disgust. Hayley just looked on horrified, so relieved I'd made it out alive.

  “Just wish I could have gotten my hands on the bastard!” Moyra said when I finished my tale of horror. “He wouldn’t be hurting anyone else after I'd finished with him!”

  Both Hayley and I burst out laughing.

  “He's dead, Moyra! The Ghost killed him!”

  “Oh, that’s right, Petal,” she said in that lovely English accent. “Did you get a look at him at all?”

  I shook my head and looked at the floor.

  “No, I didn’t see him, but he's certainly a hero and saved me and my baby’s lives. I'll forever be grateful to him.”

  “Of course you will, dear,” she said patting my hand. “Better get back to the asylum now and let you two chat, take care love.”

  “Okay you, spill!” Hayley said when Moyra left.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “You may be able to fool the cops and Moyra, but you can’t fool me. You saw him, didn’t you?”

  I hadn’t mentioned my dark haired man to Hayley yet. I'd spoken of him only to Maria, who didn't yet know I'd seen him transform into a Vampire. I didn’t quite know where to start.

  “I'm not sure what I saw, Hayls. I’m trying to work it out in my head. When I have the puzzle solved, you'll be the first to know. I promise.”

  She seemed unconvinced but accepted my explanation. After kissing my cheek she left me to my thoughts. The truth was, I was still questioning my own eyes. How could I have seen what I did? Was it a dream, or was he really a Vampire who somehow came to me in human form, bringing wild, passionate love to my dreams? I didn’t have the answers but definitely needed to find some quickly.

  I picked up my laptop and typed “Vampire” into the Google search once again. I'd literally spent hours going through all the different so called expert accounts and now was more confused than ever. If he really was a Vampire, that meant he needed blood to survive. Where did he get this blood from, then? Was he skulking around the streets at night, waiting in the dark for a victim to approach? Somehow I just couldn't imagine him to be like that. He was so loving and caring in his human form. But I'd seen him drinking blood from my attacker. Maybe he only drank the blood of bad men after he had stopped them from hurting someone? I'd seen the rage he possessed when he was throwing Michael around. For God's sake, the police had found the nutter lit
erally drained of blood! It kind of started to make sense. My dark haired man was a Vampire, but he was using his strength and power for good, not evil. He only killed horrible criminals and at the same time satisfied his need for blood.

  Surely this didn't make him evil? The men he'd been killing for the last twenty years were definitely evil, and he was doing justice to the human race by getting rid of such monsters.

  I had to admit that the sight of him in his real form had scared me— scared me a lot. But he hadn't hurt me and instead rescued me and brought me to the same hospital he brought me to before. I had so many questions and knew that only one person could answer them. But was I ready to let him in again? Would he come back after obviously terrifying me? I hoped so, as I really didn't want to think about my life without him.

  Chapter 26

  Tomorrow Does Come

  The weeks went by and more and more stories of women being saved by the Ghost appeared on the news and in the papers. I'd never seen him again, which made me sadder than I could ever imagine. He'd been in my life for 20 years and to just disappear . . . well, it left me feeling like I'd lost a part of myself. I was grieving terribly for that loss. I'd been home from the hospital for a couple of months now and was spending most of my time organising the nursery and looking forward to the birth of my baby. He was a boy, just as his father said. I had no name picked out for him yet and thought how nice it would be to name him after his father . . . if I'd known his father's name that was!

  I was still a little uneasy and often wondered if my baby would be born normal, even though all the scans indicated he was fine. I had four weeks to go and my bags were all packed. Maria was my significant other for antenatal classes and the birth, and of course Hayley was my midwife. I was surrounded by people who loved and cared about me, yet still felt so hollow and empty inside. Thank goodness for my baby, who gave me so much to live for and look forward to. Never in my dreams of having a baby, however, did I ever imagine I'd be doing it alone, without the father by my side.

  "You promised you'd never leave me," I announced loudly to the room, not knowing whether he'd hear me. "So I'm pretty sure you're still around, watching and protecting me, although you no longer show yourself to me anymore. I know the last time we met I saw you in your true form, and I have to admit it scared me. But I've had a lot of time to think and now realise that's not the real you . . . not really. The real you is the beautiful man who comes to me in my dreams and makes me feel like the most loved woman in the world. The other you is who you are when you are saving innocent people. I love both sides of you, for you could not be one without the other. In whatever form, you care about people. I know that even in your Vampire form you'd never, ever harm me. I totally accept you for who and what you are. Please know this before you decide to stay away forever."

  I had no idea whether he had heard me or not, but it was something I needed him to know. Since he never came to me in my dreams anymore, I thought I'd give it one last go.

  I went out onto the balcony and thought of the time I'd slipped and fallen. He'd caught me. I was sure it had actually happened now and not been a dream at all. I thought about the first time he had saved me when I was 13, remembering everything now. The first flashback happened when that madman had the scarf around my throat. I'd seen an ugly face appear over the madman's shoulder . . . the vile countenance of my stepfather. Over the weeks it had all started to slowly come back to me.

  I also knew now, without a doubt, that my dark haired man saved me from the car wreck that killed my parents. He'd taken me to the hospital when I was 17. Ever since then, he'd been in my dreams, comforting me and giving me strength and security when I needed it most. Well, I needed him now . . . so where was he? I know he heard me because as he said he was always close by, watching and protecting me. I wished with all my heart that soon he'd come back. My life felt so empty without him. He'd tried to warn me that he was some sort of monster, but all I could see was beauty and kindness. Well, now I'd seen the monster, but still loved him more than words could say. Surely that would make a difference?

  I turned to walk inside and got a sharp pain in my stomach. Suddenly I felt a terrifying, wet gush between my legs. I thought my waters had broken and went to the toilet to check. How shocking to see it was actually blood! I sat on the toilet, panicking and crying.

  Please, let my baby be okay! I pulled my mobile phone out of my bra and rang Hayley.

  I was in such a state she could hardly understand me.

  "Calm down, Sweetie. Tell me what's going on."

  "I'm bleeding, Hayls," was all I managed to get out.

  "Shit," I heard her say under her breath. "Don't panic, Cass, call an ambulance and I'll ring the On Call Surgeon and Maria and meet you at the hospital."

  "S-Surgeon?" I stuttered.

  "Hang up now and call the ambulance," she shouted at me.

  She was gone. I dialled 000 and told the operator what was happening. I went looking for a clean pair of underwear and a pad. Got my handbag and keys and went outside. I sat on the steps, forlorn and anxious, waiting for the ambulance.

  I'm scared! I don't won't to lose our baby! Are you there? Can you hear me? I need you now, I sobbed.

  The ambulance arrived and the paramedics put me onto a stretcher, asking me loads of questions. I was more miserable than I'd ever been in my life. I felt so lost and was petrified. The thought of losing my baby was more than I could possibly bear.

  We arrived at the hospital and Hayley and Maria were waiting in the ambulance bay. The paramedic was saying something about my BP being 160 over 100 and the foetal heart rate being 76. I knew this was not good and was crying and asking Hayley to help me.

  "It's going to be okay, Hun," Maria said. "Hayley has gotten hold of the surgeon and they have an OR ready and waiting to get that baby out ASAP."

  She was trying to smile, but I could see she was worried. Hayley hooked me up to a machine to check the baby's heartbeat and contractions. I wasn't having any contractions, but the baby's heartbeat was dropping.

  Where was he? Good God, couldn't he see our baby might be dying? He said he loved me, so why was he letting me go through this horrible time alone? I felt very angry at him, but at the moment and was so worried about my baby I couldn't think straight.

  "We are here, Cass," Hayley said. "It will all be over soon."

  Hayley and Maria undressed me and put me into a gown. Then they moved me onto the theatre table. Not exactly how I pictured the birth of my baby . . . but as long as they saved him I didn't care how they did it. The anaesthetist started to put a needle into my hand and I could see the surgeon with his back to me talking to Hayley.

  I was praying inside my head.

  Please save him. Please save my baby!

  They were talking very quietly and I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Hayley looked very worried. The anaesthetist put the mask over my mouth and nose and started to say something about being sleepy. The surgeon and Hayley walked over.

  It was him! He was here! He had come to be with me after all. Only he was dressed as a doctor and had a scalpel . . .

  I came round to hear my baby crying. Still groggy, I managed to ask if he was normal. I heard Hayley giggle and say he was perfect. Thank goodness. I don't know what I thought, but at least he was not born looking like a monster.

  "Is he still here?" I asked Hayley.

  “The baby? Of course he is! I'll bring him to you in a minute."

  I hadn't meant the baby. I'd meant Him the baby's father . . . the man of my dreams. But of course, as my head cleared I realized Hayley didn't know about my baby's father. She brought my little one to me. He was perfect with gorgeous olive skin and dark hair just like his father's. I smiled as she put him next to me. I'd never been so relieved to see anyone in my life.

  "Hello there you, you gave your mummy quite a scare," I said kissing him on the cheek.

  "Not to mention your Aunty Hayley!" Hayley added, positively glowing with h
appiness.

  "Is the doctor who delivered him still here?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

  "Alexi?" Hayley asked surprised. "He was on call and only came in to deliver your baby. He said he'll pop in tomorrow, though.”

  "Alexi," I said, looking at the baby in my arms. "What a perfect name."

  I felt so fulfilled and content. My baby was safe and He was back! Everything was well with the world again. I could hardly wait for tomorrow to come . . .