Blood of the Forsaken

by David Horrocks

  Both of them seemed to tense up at the question, with only Alice giving a response that came as barely more than a whisper. “We have our reasons, but it's best not to discuss them right now. Let's just say that events could have gone a little smoother. Besides, we came here to help you, so we should really focus on that.”

  Matthew shook his head at Sam who was still feeling clueless. “It looks like someone doesn't watch the news.”

  Sam was baffled by that particular comment, wondering why anything related to vampires would be on the news anyway. Their existence wasn't exactly public knowledge, as they liked to keep any mention of their kind out of the media as much as possible. It was a simple task, as vampires were rumoured to be in control of all forms of news coverage, which meant that they could alter it as they saw fit. To be discovered by mortals would be to put vampire kind in a most precarious situation. They would end up in as much danger as Sam would be in if other vampires ever discovered his existence.

  Alice raised her eyebrows inquisitively, turning her attention back to Sam. “Do you know who made you this way?”

  Sam thought about it for a moment before he came to the realisation that he didn't have a clue, nor had he thought about it for a long time. “Not really. I remember a voice and the way that she smelled, and then I woke up in the ground.” He had been far too distracted by current events to think about what had happened before it all and how he came to be.

  A sudden realisation hit Alice, causing her jaw to drop in horror. “Oh, Sam! I didn't know. I wouldn’t have left if I had known...”

  Sam didn't blame Alice for what had happened to him, especially the part when he had to dig his way out of his own grave. It was ultimately his fault that his life had ended in the manner that it did. After all, he had set out that fateful night with the intention of committing suicide. He nodded wearily. “I know, and it's fine. No one knew, but that's in the past now anyway.” Sam hadn't told them much about what had happened to him since, especially the part when he had seen Alice at a distance in Calgary. It didn't seem that important to him now, and the thought of explaining it all was exhausting.

  Matthew leaned forwards, his elbows resting on the table as the light hanging above the booth left strange looking shadows across his face. “Alice took a big risk coming here to see you.” He wasn't really one for using big words and was seemingly limited in vocabulary. “You should have told us what you are. Just being here puts her at risk and she has had enough trouble already.”

  Alice frowned, her thick, yet defined eyebrows exaggerating her response. “I can speak for myself, Matty. Sam is my friend and we're here to help him.” Her much larger companion grumbled to himself and sat back in his seat without another word. Sam had never seen Alice this sure of herself before and had to admit that whatever had occurred in Calgary, the changes that she had gone through since he had last seen her were most impressive.

  Still nursing his full beer glass, Sam smiled lightly at Alice, finding it difficult to replicate the same expression for Matthew. “We should get out of here. I have a place where we can stay, but I can't promise luxury accommodation.”

  Alice returned the smile. “That sounds great. Let's go.”

  Sam pushed the glass away from himself, spilling some of the liquid in the process. In the corner of his eye he could see the bartender looking over with interest as three of his patrons prepared to leave without having drunk a single drop. The disheveled looking man picked up a fresh cup, poured some beer from the tap and sniffed it suspiciously. As the trio stood up and made their way to the exit, he shrugged and downed the golden liquid, apparently confounded by the behaviour of the peculiar visitors in his establishment.

  Chapter Twenty Four: A meeting of minds.

  The club was almost exactly as Sam and Christie had left it, other than the graffiti that now covered a couple of walls and the added aroma of urine. Now the hunters weren’t actively tracking him down, Sam presumed that it should be safe enough to stay there again. The place should have been abandoned since their confrontation with Aaron and Tommy, but it had apparently been used as a local hangout for vagrants ever since. He wouldn't have been surprised if he found used needles amongst the scattered pieces of trash, but he didn't care enough to check.

  “This is it?” Matthew said with obvious disapproval in his voice. “When you said you had a place to stay, I didn't expect you to bring us to a crack den.”

  The tone in his voice annoyed Sam to no end, but he didn't have time to think of a suitably sarcastic response before Alice stepped in. “It may need a little work, but I like it. Thanks for letting us stay.”

  The club was at one time Sam’s home, and a place that he shared so many memories with Christie. Sure, it was a bit of a fixer upper, but that didn't make the building any less special for him. At least Alice seemed to understand how he felt, but it would take a lot more to convince Matthew who was still complaining. “The locks are busted... I'll need to barricade the doors and secure the windows. For the record, I still don't think it's a safe place to hide out.” It didn't seem as though anything would impress him as he continued to criticise pretty much everything about the club.

  Sam couldn't think of anything pleasant to say, so he bit his tongue and said nothing at all. He turned his back to Matthew and started to walk towards the stairs that led up to the walkway. As he reached the bottom step, he quietly hoped that he wouldn't find anyone unconscious upstairs, even though it would provide a tempting and easy meal. Stabbing pains shot through his body as he was reminded of the hunger that he had denied for far too long.

  Sam grabbed at the railing by the stairs for support as his legs began to fail him. The fact that he was feeling faint let him know that his self imposed starvation was finally taking its toll. His body was starting to shut down piece by piece and without the blood that he needed to survive, the possibility of a deep and eternal sleep was a threat that he could no longer ignore.

  Before Sam had even realised what was going on, Alice caught him in her arms, stopping his head from hitting the floor. He had somehow lost his balance and fallen over, but her quick reactions saved him at the last moment. “Matty! Find him some blood as fast as you can!” The panic in her voice overwrote any other emotions as she called for help. “Sam, stay with me!”

  Sam would have stayed conscious if he could, but he had been running on empty for far longer than should have been possible and he had nothing left to keep himself going. He tried to speak, but couldn't manage more than an incomprehensible mumble. Alice would get him the sustenance that he required, so he likely wouldn't be out for long, however Sam still hated feeling vulnerable. He hated having to rely on others to survive and this was no exception. There was still so much to be done and so many preparations to be made, but even the dead need to rest.

  **********

  When Sam came to, he found himself in a room that he recognised instantly. Christie’s sanctuary had seen better days, with spray paint covering most of the posters and flyers that decorated the walls, but it still felt good to be home. An awful stench threatened to spoil his homecoming, but Sam refused to let it ruin the moment. Wherever it was coming from, it was an unpleasant mix of scents that he tried not to identify.

  Once again, Sam found himself lying on the old mattress that made up the bed, although the soiled sheets had been stripped and tossed into the far corner, the sweat stains clearly visible. It seemed that the origin of the disgusting smell had been easier to locate than he expected as it drifted over from the very same corner. He found himself increasingly curious about what had gone on in there, but thought that it was best not to question it.

  Carefully sitting himself up straight, Sam saw that Christie's wardrobe doors were wide open, with half of her clothing spread across the floor boards and the rest missing altogether. It angered him that her memory could be disrespected that way and he wanted nothing more than to start tidying up the place. Unfortunately, he still lacked the energy to stand and
wasn't yet ready to test his limits by cleaning.

  Amongst the scattered clothing lay three empty blood bags, the sides of which had been slashed open with a sharp object and drained before being discarded. There was very little left inside them other than a few small red drops here and there. Just beyond them stood Alice, her back turned towards Sam as she closely studied one of the larger band posters. Either she hadn't noticed that he had awoken from his slumber or she didn't want to crowd him, and was keeping her distance for however long that he needed.

  The answer arrived a few seconds later as Alice began to talk softly just before Sam could open his mouth. “The place was in this state when we brought you up here. It seems that someone else has been sleeping in your bed. I was about to clean up a little, but you weren't out for quite as long as I expected.” She turned to face him, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders as she smiled. “I'm glad you're okay. How are you feeling?”

  Sam still felt groggy, but he was no longer in pain and the agony of starvation had finally passed. He remained seated as he rubbed the top of his head weakly. “I think I'll be fine… Where did you get these?” He raised his other hand and pointed towards the empty plastic bags.

  Alice walked over to the bed and carefully sat herself down on the edge of the mattress near Sam’s feet. “Matty came back with a few, but didn't want me to ask how he had obtained them. There are some more in the fridge downstairs if you're still hungry.”

  Sam couldn't remember ingesting the blood, but there was a stale taste on his lips. It clearly hadn't been as satisfying as drinking it fresh from the source, but he was in no position to complain and at least this way no one had gotten hurt, or so he hoped. “Thanks, Alice.” There was a brief silence as he managed a thankful smile and Alice reached out to gently squeeze his leg in response. Her hair had fallen over her face in a similar manner to how she used to wear it as a child, giving him the chance to see that she really was the same girl that he had once known.

  Sam admitted that Alice was still pretty, but he wasn't really sure why he had pined after her for so long. Perhaps he had finally gotten over his feelings for her after all these years and they could just get back to being friends. Perhaps any feelings of jealousy that he had felt could be purged from his system. Sam’s perspective on the world had changed a great deal and he was glad that he didn't revert back to his old ways when faced with the biggest aspect of his childhood. It made him proud to see that Alice had found her own stride too, as she was no longer the little girl who ran to hide in the woods after being bullied at school. No longer would he have to comfort her as she cried herself to sleep or play pretend as she escaped into her own imaginary worlds. Alice Delaney was no longer a child and had become a woman in her own right.

  Although Sam wanted to tell Alice how happy he was for her, he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Instead he managed an entirely different subject altogether. “What’s Matthew up to now?” He would have kicked himself if he had the strength to do so, but he would have to just make do with a mental scolding. Another blood bag or two and Sam would be up to full strength, then he could beat himself up all he wanted. He wondered if it took this long for 'normal' vampires to recover as he didn't remember Christie ever struggling like he did. Of course she had never starved herself either.

  Alice glanced over at the door which was currently shut tight, likely to give Sam some privacy as he slept. “Matty’s downstairs. He said something about securing the building and keeping watch.”

  Sam inclined his head inquisitively. “So you and him are…?”

  It looked as though Alice would have blushed if she could, but her cheeks remained as pasty white as ever. “Still working things out. It's a little complicated, but we've been through so much together.”

  “Okay, I won't pry.” Sam couldn't help but grin, feeling stronger by the second.

  It was obvious that Alice didn't want to discuss it further, especially when she quickly changed topic. “I think I can help you find some of the answers you've been seeking, if you want to that is. We may be able to discover the identity of the woman who gave you new life.”

  New life. It was an interesting way of describing his state of existence, but Sam wasn't sure that he agreed with the terminology. “I guess so. It's been a while since I even thought about it.”

  Alice shuffled herself up the mattress and moved herself into a kneeling position before reaching out towards Sam's face with both hands. “May I?”

  Sam nodded his agreement, allowing her to place her cold, delicate hands on each temple. The feeling that followed was strange to say the least as he found himself being plunged into the depths of his own mind in an instant. The world around him vanished completely and was replaced with near endless corridors of memories, some as clear as day and others shrouded by the mists of time.

  The act of delving into his own mind was a strange experience and one that Sam found to be surprisingly enlightening as he waded through his memories with Alice in tow. She was bound to him like a spirit and could only go where he wanted her to, but it still felt unusual to let someone else in, especially as he was usually so closed off. However, if there was anyone left that he would trust enough to let down his defenses, it was her.

  It wasn't long before the pair stumbled across the core of Sam’s mind and the memories that occupied his thoughts throughout the long nights of his tormented existence. Every one of them shared something in common and had been linked together by the appearance of a single person, Christie Reece.

  Christie had once been a mystery to Sam, introducing herself to him by the name Entropy, but he had grown so close to her since the first time they had met. At one point he couldn't have imagined his life without her and yet that devastating reality had since been thrust upon him. Waiting somewhere within the center of his mind, an incorporeal wraith stood amongst the wreckage of shattered dreams and waking nightmares. Its shapeless form wore Christie’s face like a mask, it's features contorted in a permanent expression of terror.

  “Is that her?” Alice’s voice whispered to Sam as he approached the ghost, his hands reaching out towards her as he tried to ease her pain.

  “It’s her.” He replied with overwhelming sadness at seeing his lost love in pain. “This is the last moment before she died…”

  Sam couldn't bear to see Christie that way and closed his eyes to block it out. A few seconds passed before he dared to open them again, coming face to face with a happier memory of their night exploring the city of Calgary. Christie was standing beneath the base of Calgary tower, her crystal blue eyes sparkling under the streetlights as she laughed with glee. This was how Sam wanted to remember her, but he struggled to get those final moments out of his head. Those awful memories were scars in his mind and he was trapped within them as if they were a cage that he would never be able to escape.

  Alice’s words carried on the air, brushing past Sam’s ear as he took the time to admire the contours of Christie’s face. “I saw her picture on the posters in your room, but they didn't do her justice. She's so pretty.”

  Sam nodded his agreement, but choked on his words as Christie's bright pink hair shifted in the breeze. He realised that he missed everything about her. The way she moved and how she spoke, the wild look that she would get in her eyes when she was up to no good and even the way that she smelled. If only they had been able to spend more time together, but that too wouldn't have been enough to satisfy his needs.

  There was a brief pause before Alice spoke again. “When were you were in Calgary?”

  Sam didn't take his eyes off Christie as he idly replied. “Christie’s band played at a theatre there.”

  He could almost hear something click as Alice pieced the puzzle together. “Entropy of the Heart? I knew that I recognised her! The theatre, the posters here… I had only seen them play the once, but their performance left a lasting impression.” There was another slight pause. “Sam… Did you see me there?”

  T
he question broke Sam’s concentration, causing him to look away for just a second, but that was all it took for the memory to be lost amongst the chaos once more, leaving nothing but blackness in its wake. It hurt him to lose sight of Christie again, but he understood his friend’s curiosity. “Yes I did, but only at a distance. I was backstage during the performance.”

  “Then why wouldn't you come and speak to me?” Alice sounded a little hurt as she replied.

  The answer didn't come easy, but he knew that he owed her an explanation. “It was dangerous for me there… If I was discovered, I could have been killed. As Matthew said, the Forsaken aren't exactly welcomed by most vampires. They see people like me as mistakes that need to be wiped out.” It wasn't much of a reason but it was the truth, if only just part of it.

  “It’s okay. I understand...” Sam could hear the disappointment in her voice, even though she had tried to mask it.

  He continued. “I was scared… Not just because of that, but because I hadn't seen you for so long and didn't know how you’d react.” That was the true reason that he had kept hidden from even himself. Samuel Isaac Mitchell was still a coward at heart, despite everything that he had tried to overcome his basic nature.

  “You're my best friend, Sam. I would have just been happy to see you.” Part of him had always known that Alice would have welcomed him with open arms and her words had just confirmed that. It had always been his feelings of rejection that had gotten in the way of his friendship with her and had driven a wedge between them, not the fact that she hadn't wanted to risk their relationship by pursuing romantic interests.

  “I know and I'm sorry…” Sam wasn't lying. He felt guilty for pushing Alice away and for sending himself down a dark path that resulted in his death. His own foolish actions had been the catalyst for his own demise.