by R.A Cullison
Two
I woke up with my arms chained and handcuffed over my head. The room was dark and the only light came from a sewer grate above me. I searched the room to see what I could see. There was a pale woman sitting motionless in a chair staring at me.
“Hello!” I called out to her. She didn’t move or make a sound. I then turned my attention to my chains. I began pulling on them.
“That wont do anything.” the pale woman spoke. I looked at her.
“Help me!” I softly pleaded. She went back to being motionless and silent.
Victor walked in, smiling. “Nora, does this belong to you?” He moved to the side of the door way to let someone through. Two large men were carrying in Matt.
“Matt!” I cried. He looked pretty beaten up. They threw him at my feet, he was unconscious.
Victor walked over to a nearby table and retrieved a syringe. He walked over to us and shoved the syringe into Matt’s neck. “Wolf bane serum to keep him from changing.” I watched Matt convulse on the floor. “temporary reaction.” Victor said while kicking him. Matt’s eyes opened. “Good your awake.” Victor said smugly.
The two men that brought Matt into the room was now holding him on his knees facing me. Victor stood behind me and was slowly pulling my hair from my neck. Victor sank his teeth into my neck. The pain was excruciating. I screamed in pain.
“NO!” Matt yelled. Victor pulled back with my blood dripping down his lips and chin, he walked over to Matt.
“Love her now!” Victor spat in Matt’s face spraying blood all over him. Matt was staring at me with his blue eyes huge with horror. The two men who was holding Matt dropped him and the room cleared out. I felt myself letting go, drifting off.
Matt got to his feet and walked over to me. I couldn’t make out his features or what he was doing. I began to shake violently, I couldn’t stop it and neither could he. Matt held me but my shaking made it hard to do so. I felt myself slip into the darkness.
I woke up and found myself wondering in dark stairwell. I was lost and confused at how I got there. I climbed several set of stairs before I found a door. I slowly turned the handle. I was standing in a bright white room with familiar faces. Dorsella, Marcus, Troy and Alton were staring at me. I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned around and came face to face with a creature I never seen before.
I opened my eyes and I found myself still hanging. Blood was now trickling down my arms from my wrists. No Matt or anyone was around me. My throat was burning like I swallowed a fist full of hot coals. I knew what was happening to me. I could feel it every cell of in my body and the burning sensation in my throat made it more apparent, I was a vampire now.
How could I let this happen. Mother of 2 small children and a wife. I should have been smarter. I couldn’t be trusted around my children now. I didn’t know if I could control myself.
I twisted my wrist around, coating the inside of the shackles with my blood. I began pulling my wrist free. I got my right hand free and began working on my left. My hand finally slipped out and I fell hard on my side. I stood up and dusted myself off. I checked my wrists to see how bad they were cut, they were already healed. I then remembered Victor biting me and how bad that hurt. I raised my hand up to my neck and with my finger I felt 2 punctures in my neck that were not healing.
The burning began again and it was making me angry. I never felt this kind of rage before, it scared me. I ran out of the room, seeing in the dark was easier now. I found myself in a long corridor with a door at the very end. Sunlight was peeking from around the edges. I began walking towards it. The pale woman appeared in front of it and without warning she was running at a full sprint towards me. Before I could react the sprinkler system was going off.
What came out wasn’t water, it was too thick. I rose my head up to get a better look. With my mouth slightly opened a few drops fell on my tongue. The taste and texture made my mouth instantly react. I was standing there completely still with my mouth open catching every drop of the blood I could. Each drop that ran down my throat eased the burning a little bit more.
I realized what I was doing. I lowered my head and began to gag, but nothing happened. I then turned my attention back to the door. This time no pale woman was standing in the way.
I ran through the door knocking it off its hinges and I was standing outside in the sunlight. Luckily that the whole tale about vampires burning in the sun wasn’t true. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. I noticed my clothes and skin. I was covered in a thick layer of blood. I looked around and saw a garden hose laying next to the building. I turned it on and washed myself off as best as I could.
I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t go home and put my family in danger. I walked around the city for a few hours trying to get my thoughts together. I saw a pay phone, I decided to call home. I picked up the phone and pressed 0 for the operator.
“Operator.” a woman’s voice from the other end spoke.
“Yes, I would like a collect call.” I gave her my number.
“Please state your name after the tone.” I said my name and then waited for someone to answer.
“Hello?” my Mom answered.
“I have a collect call from. ‘Nora’. Do you accept?” the machine asked.
“Yes!” a click. “Nora honey, where are you? Matt said you were dead.” she was on the edge of hysterics.
“No, I am alive. Did Matt make it home?” I asked.
“Yes, he is upstairs. Do you want to talk to him?” she asked.
“Yes!” I answered. I heard her yell for him. I then heard someone running.
“Nora! Your alive?” he basically yelled at me.
“Matt, meet me at the bus station and bring me a change of clothes.” I asked.
“Of course.” we hung up.
I made my way to the bus station trying to keep my distance from everyone. I could smell and hear every humans heartbeat and it made my mouth water that made me furious. After an hour I watched Matt stroll into the building with a duffle bag. He seen me and his mouth dropped. I could see that he knew I had changed and what I changed into.
“Nora?” he called after me. I motioned for him to meet me in the back of the building. We got there at the same time. He held out the bag. I hurried and changed. “What happened to you?” he asked.
I pointed to my neck. “You know what happened.” I said slipping on a clean shirt.
“I… I cant believe it. What are you going to do? You know there is no cure for it.” he said leaning against the building.
“Yeah I know. I cant come home and put the children into danger.” I ran a brush through my ratty hair and I felt a lot better.
“So your just going to leave?” he asked.
“I have no choice. Until I know I can handle myself.” I looked down at my hand and saw my wedding band. I slipped it off my finger and went to hand it to Matt.
He shook his head, “No.” I then slipped it into his jean pocket.
“This is how it has to be, until I know I can be cured.” I went to walk away. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him and embraced me in a hug.
“I love you, Nora. Please come home soon.” I pulled away and gave a weak smile.
“I will do my best.” I turned and ran into the alley. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do. I needed to find a cure or find Victor. I walked aimlessly around the city confused at the rage I was feeling and at the thirst I didn’t want to quench.
I felt someone following me, I could feel their eyes upon me. I quickly ducked into an alley. My head began to spin and fuzzy pictures began to fill my head. Pictures of people I have never seen before but yet they were familiar.
‘I was walking into a castle full of people. They looked like they just got done with a bloody battle. They greeted me like I was their king. The castle look familiar, Castle Von Meer. The castle was
grand and elegant from its colorful tapestries to its reflective marble floor.
“Sire?” a man called to me. I turned to look at him.
“The werewolves all been killed.” I looked down at my hand to a werewolves head. I turned and looked at the gathered warriors.
“You all have fought well.” I held up the werewolves head. “These creatures are disgusting and vile. Now Warriors of Von Meer go, rest and be merry. For this night we have cleared all the werewolf menace from our lands.” I lowered the head and the men cheered. I turned back to the man next to me. “Go Marcus and enjoy this time. Go see a certain woman.” I joked and Marcus smiled.
“Thank you. Sire!” he bowed. I placed my hand on his shoulders. I walked up the stairs. I walked into what appeared to be my bedroom. I quickly undress and saw a huge gash in my side. I could feel that I was dying. I sat down on my bed, I was going to lay down and just let death take me. A beautiful creature appeared in the window.
“You give up too soon, Eason.” the angel spoke.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“That’s not important. What I have to offer is the most important thing.” she stepped into the room.
“What do you have to offer me?” I asked.
“Immortality.” she smiled.
“Immort…..” I couldn’t finish, the pain in my side was beginning to get the best of me.
“Eason, lay back and relax. I promise when you wake you will be a different man.” she helped me lay back. I felt that familiar pain in my neck.’
My vision cleared and I had to take some cleansing breaths to get myself back to reality. What just happened? I then turned my attention back to who was following me. The memory had seemed to have taken up a lot of time but in reality it was only a few seconds. I watched two men walk past where I was hiding.
“Where did she go?” one of the men asked.
“Keep looking!” another ordered. I jumped out of my hiding spot.
“Why are you following me?” I asked. They all turned towards me ready to fight.
“Hold it men!” another one ordered. He stepped out from behind the other two.
“Michael?” I questioned.
“Hello Nora. I guess the rumors where true. You are one of us now.” he smiled.
“Yes, but not by choice. Victor bit me.” I snarled at the memory.
“Nora, I have never seen you like this before. You become so… aggressive. I like it!” he joked.
I smiled, “Yeah, that is what happens when your life is taken away from you.” I watched the men’s face stare at me unsure. “Why are you here, Michael?” I asked
“To offer you help. And from where I am standing you will need it.” he smiled. “Come with us.” he waited for me to say something, but I didn’t I just followed them.