Morphing Lives

Life, chaotic, full of twists and turns,
where the old morphs into the new,
and we step through the doorway,
our lives constantly change;
become beautiful,
and wonderful,
regardless
of the
pain
that
surely
will visit
now and again.
Our lives hold meaning
because we try…we strive
to take these diverse feelings,
strange concepts of good and evil
creating our own moral compass.

© December 25, 2009 CRF

So, at the Sunday Wordplay Workshop at the Harmony Pub today we are examining the Rhythm of Life. We are continuing with the form of the Nonet. We would love for y'all to visit with us this weekend.

So, I've been able to continue the story that Lissa and I have been writing. She threw me for a bit of a loop when she revealed that her character was a vampire hunter in the last chapter. Hopefully I haven't returned the favor here.

          Night had fallen. I was just beginning to think everything would be ok, when Lilith appeared. She was as I remembered. A dark goddess. Her raven tresses falling down to perfectly frame her porcelain face. Her ruby red lips, glistened as if she had just fed. A demonic gleam filled her eyes.

          It was then that I noticed Anna draped over Lilith’s shoulder, like a sack of potatoes. She wasn’t moving. Had Lilith fed? Was Anna dead? How did she catch her?

          I watched as Lilith strode over to the bed and unceremoniously dumped Anna onto it. I caught my breath as I noticed her chest rise slowly. She was still alive.

          “What is the meaning of this, Lilith? Why have you come to me? Why have you dumped that girl onto my couch?”

          I tried to instill a sense of anger and confusion in my questions. I couldn’t let Lilith know how much Anna really meant to me.

          “Oh, give it up Jared. I know how you feel about the little slut. I know everything you feel. I am your sire after all. I am the Mother of all Vampires. I know what all of you think and feel. You should be thankful I have come to you. You are making a grave mistake in trusting this wench. She is not what she seems. She is using you! She will betray you! Haven’t you learned by now? Everyone you trust betrays you! You must harden yourself. You must become that which you were always meant to be!”

          I was going to argue with Lilith some more, but at that moment, we noticed Anna stirring. She hadn’t opened her eyes, yet we knew she was awake. Her breathing had changed ever so slightly.

          What happened next was all a blur. Anna woke. Lilith attacked her. She yanked Anna up by the hair and proceeded to taunt me as she plunged her teeth into Anna’s neck. Suddenly Lilith reared back. A blinding light erupted from within her, consuming her. Soon, all that was left was a pile of ash.

          Then I was there holding Anna. Her life was slipping away. Even so, she proceeded to tell me the truth. She told me about her job as a vampire hunter. She told me about the ultraviolet light she had injected into her blood while fleeing the castle. She told me how she had been sent to kill me. She tried to tell me how she couldn’t do it. How she fell in love with me. She claimed that now with Lilith dead, I would be human. We could be together. I didn’t feel any different though. I told her so. I told her there must be another vampire. One older than Lilith.

          Then I begged her to let me save her. She had lost too much blood. The only way she would survive is if I turned her. She refused. She claimed that the ultraviolet light was still in her blood. It would kill her if I turned her now. So I held her as she lay back. I held her as she slowly lost consciousness. I held her while listening to her breathing slow. Finally, it seemed to stabilize. She would live, or she would die. Nothing I did would change that. I got up then. Slowly I walked out of the room.

          I found myself back in the greenhouse, staring at the flowers in the pale moonlight. Suddenly, I knew I wasn’t alone. Turning around, I came face to face with Pandora. Oh shit!

          “Well Jared. You’ve screwed things up worse than even I imagined. Still, there is hope. That wench of yours killed Mother, yet it didn’t do anything. Do you know why it didn’t do anything? I do. You see, Mother sired four children. Four vampires were created directly by her. Two male and two female. Octavius, Aphrodite, myself and you. She had four children. What no human knows is that she did one other thing when she made each of us. She gave us power over bloodlines of vampires. Killing her would not kill any other vampire. She knew it was too dangerous to keep the power herself. One lucky human could make us extinct. She made it virtually impossible for that to ever happen.”

          She took a breath, stared at me with a maniacal grin, and continued. “Now, killing any of the four of us would normally kill off a quarter of the vampires. However, you killed Octavius yourself. When you drained him of his blood, you took control of his bloodline. That means that if you die, half of the vampires die.”

          “Pandora. I know you love to torment me. I know you think you are my better simply because Lilith made you first. Why do you have to lie to me like this?”

          “You think I’m lying? Are you insane? If I was lying, I would say that I held a stronger link to the vampires than you. I would place myself above you, where, I might add, I belong. I’m not lying though. She really did this. Why do you think you still exist? We both would have died right along with Lilith if your wench was right. None of us can ever be human again. It is too late for us. It was too late as soon as we first drank blood. Live with it. You know what you have to do. Do it and get on with things. I am going home. Aphrodite will remain hidden. Until you fix things, we will remain out of sight. Our race will not end any time soon.”

          She glared at me for a second, then leaped out the window. She was gone. I was alone again. Still, she was correct. I knew what I had to do. So I headed back down into the castle. I went to look in on Anna again. Her condition hadn’t changed. She wasn’t dead, yet she still may be come morning. I couldn’t wait, though, so I quickly wrote her a note.

          My darling Anna:

      I must leave you for a time being. I have things I must do. I pray that when I return, I find you healed in body, if not in spirit. There is plenty of food and supplies in the castle. Everything you need is here. I must warn you, I am locking you in the castle. Most of the castle will be accessible to you, save for the areas I have yet to explore myself. However, I cannot let you leave. I need to know you will be here when I return.

      I’ve learned some things since we last spoke. I know now why I did not revert to my human state. I can never return to being human. My fate has been sealed. I pray you will still love me, knowing that I can never return to the light.

      What I do now must be done. It is for your sake, as well as the sake of all my brethren. I shall see you when my task is finished.

                                           Yours eternally

                                                      Jared

So, I have continued the storyline that Lissa and I have been writing. Once again it has been written for Blogophilia. Feel free to check out the other bloggers and perhaps write a blog of your own.

I promise it is all in there Marvin.

Bonus Picture guesses: Celebrity Poker, Poker in Heaven, Cards in Heaven, the dead shall play cards.

I would like to take this moment to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. For those of you who do not celebrate Christmas, may you have a wonderful holiday for whichever you do celebrate. Thank you all for being friends and spending time reading my blogs. I appreciate each and every one of you.

          She was here! Why was she still here? I am a monster. She’s seen that now. Surely she would be getting ready to make a run for the border as soon as the sun fully rose. Yet, here she was, tugging on me; pleading with me to come in so the sun wouldn’t immolate me. Why?

          “Have it your way Anna.”

          I rose suddenly. Quickly wrapping her in my arms, I glided through the greenhouse. Flowing through the door and down the halls, until we were back in the library. I liked spending time with my books, so I made sure the library had no windows. The sun couldn’t reach me here.

          “Now, why are you still here? You saw what I am. You ran from me when I opened this door. Why have you stayed?”

          “Ran from you? Are you insane? I didn’t run from you. You locked me in here. I had to pee. I barely held it in long enough for you to come back. Why would you lock me in here?”

          I couldn’t help but laugh. It was so silly, yet made perfect sense. I could see her frowning at my laughter. Her eyes were squinting. She was getting upset.

          “I’m not laughing at you Anna. I’m laughing at the situation. Was this bathroom too dirty for you to use?” I asked as I pointed to a small door in the corner.

          I saw her turn to look where I was pointing. Then, her face turned a lovely shade of red as she saw the door.

          “I ah…I guess I didn’t think to look for one here. I was too busy trying to hold it in. I mean, who has a bathroom connected to their library?”

          “Hey!” she exclaimed turning around. “That is changing the subject. Why did you lock me in here? Are you going to send me away?  Why would you do that?”

          I sensed her anger rising with each word. She kept poking me in the chest. It really didn’t hurt, but it was starting to annoy me, so I did what any sane man would do. Yeah, I know, I’m not sane, but go with it. I grabbed her hands in mine, holding them so she couldn’t poke at me any more.

          “Could you please stop that? Anywho, why did I lock you in? That is what you want to know. Well, it’s complicated. This castle is old, very old. It’s much older than I. The vampire I took this from, Octavius, was one of the first. I don’t know what is in half of the rooms. I’ve been too lazy to search the place. Knowing your proclivity for wandering and looking in places you shouldn’t, I didn’t want to chance you wandering around any more.”

          I stared at her pointedly as I said that last bit. It still stung that she had been looking in on Sylvester behind my back.

          “That’s not the only reason though. When you kept checking on Sylvester, I felt stabs of jealousy. I feared that if you knew what I was doing, you would leave me. I feared that you would run away.”

          “You were jealous? He tried to sacrifice me! I was just toying with him. Wait…what do you mean by ‘if I knew what you were doing’? What did you do?”

          “I brought him back to his father. I’m sure they are running far away as we speak.”

          “You what? Are you crazy?  Why would you let him go? I thought you loved me. I thought you needed his blood for your wine.”

          “There are plenty of animals in the forest for me to feed on. I don’t need to drink human blood. You asked why I did this, though. Well, I gave my word. I promised his father that no harm would come to Sylvester as long as he brought all the supplies I asked for. The supplies I needed to feed you. I gave my word, and I kept it. My word is all I have left.”

          Slowly I began to pace around. A strange humming was growing in my ears. It sounded a bit like voices; sort of like a Tornado of Souls was spinning around in my head. What was wrong with me.

          “You do love me! I knew it! When you locked me in, all I could think of was you were going to send me away. I thought I was going to be alone again. These last few days have been a whirlwind for me. I finally felt like I belonged. I felt that I found that special something that would make living worth it. Who doesn’t love a little something extra? Well, when I thought you were going to send me away, I thought I lost that something. That special something that makes me feel loved. You are that something and I’m lovin’ it!”

          I stared at her for a bit. Did she just say she loved me? Does she even know what that means? How could she love a monster like me?

          “So, what’s your name anyway? You never told me. I feel like there is something I should call you.”

          “My name…I’ve been known by many names: Lord Tsepes, The Falcon, The Jackal, etc. I don’t think you mean those names. You mean my original name. The name I was given at birth. The name that no living soul knows. It’s Jared.”

          As I spoke, I sensed my voice getting softer. By the time I reached my real name, I was whispering, as if afraid that saying it would cause the world to crack in half.

          “Jared…That’s a beautiful name. Why would you be embarrassed by it? Why doesn’t anyone else know it?”

          “It is a name from my past. A name that I haven’t used since I was a child. A name that doesn’t fit who I am now. I mean, can you imagine anyone being afraid of the Vampire Jared? All they would think of would be the stupid Subway commercials. The one’s where the goofy guy is saying ‘Eat Fresh’. That would never put the fear of God into anyone. They would be laughing too much.”

          “Well, I’m not laughing Jared. I’m not laughing at all.”

          She leaned forward and kissed me. Softly at first, but the passion rose as our kiss continued. Her soft, supple lips pressed against mine. Her breath mingling with mine. Her tongue invading my mouth. It just felt so right.

          That is why I knew something was wrong. Something drastic was going to happen. The humming in my head had grown a bit. Suddenly I knew what it meant. Several choice expletives flew from my mouth. It couldn’t be, but it was. I knew time was growing short.

          “Anna, you have to go. Grab your things. Get everything you want and take one of the horses to the village. From there, you will have to find travel across the country. You have to go now.”

          “You’re sending me away? Why? Why send me away? We are finally talking. We are finally understanding each other. Why, Jared, why?”

          Tears were filling her eyes. I could see the hurt in them. It tore my heart apart. But it was necessary.

          “Please go, Anna. I promise I will find you. I will bring you back here when it is safe. You must be gone before she gets here. I don’t think she will be happy to see me with you. Please, just go now, before Lilith gets here.”

          “Lilith? Who’s Lilith? What haven’t you told me Jared?”

          “Lilith is my sire. I know that sounds strange. Sire means father, and Lilith is certainly not male. She brought me into my immortality. She is the one who turned me into a vampire. I knew she is on her way. I guess it's a form of magic, but I always know where she is. That’s not all she is though. She is the mother. She is the oldest vampire. She is the first. You must be gone before she gets here.”

          I started to try and hurry her out. I didn’t want anything to happen to Anna.

This is a continuation of the story that Lissa and I have been writing for blogophilia. Though it isn't an actual blogophilia post, I felt the desire to continue the story again this week.   

       It was pretty late at night when I returned to the castle. The snow had finally tapered off. Still, I was wet from travelling through it, so I quickly slipped down to my lair and changed into dry clothing. Within minutes, I felt refreshed and ready to face Anna. Somehow she had a way of disarming me, so that I felt like a child again. I didn’t want her knowing I had been out of the castle.

          As I made my way back up through the castle, towards the library, I began to work on what I would say to her. Somehow I had to convey my feelings to her, yet I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt. Could we ever have a relationship? How could I bare to watch her grow old and die as I continued in my never-ending life? Or, could I ever condemn her to a life of immortality? In a way, that seemed just as cruel to me. She just didn’t understand how torturous it was to live forever. Eventually, everything lost its luster. Would she even be the same if I did make her immortal? Perhaps it was her humanity and simple lust for life that I loved?

          I finally reached the library. I still had no clue what I was going to say. The thoughts just kept tumbling through my head. I took a deep breath, then slowly released it as I slipped the key into the lock. Slowly, quietly I turned it. I feared she would be asleep and didn’t want to wake her. She always looked so peaceful and serene as she lay in slumber. The tumbles clicked into place and I opened the door.

          She sat right there on the floor, huddled in a little ball. She looked right into my eyes with tears staining her cheeks. Her eyes were red and puffy from her crying. I felt emotions well up from deep inside me. Crouching down, I reached for her, intending to wipe the tears away. I opened my mouth to say something, what I’m not sure. Suddenly, she bolted up and ran past me, out the door. I crouched there stunned for a second.

          As I heard her footsteps echoing off into the distance, I felt something shatter within me. I finally did it. I terrified her. She obviously didn’t want to even see me, much less talk to me. A part of me was glad. She would leave now. I wouldn’t have to decide what to do. I could just go back to wandering these dark, lonely corridors.

          So, that is what I did. I rose up, and began to sleepwalk through the castle. I had no idea where I was going, I just seemingly took corridors and stairs at random. At least I thought it was at random. I knew better when I reached my destination.

          I found myself at the top of the centermost tower in the castle. Glass enclosed every side and the top. Flowers and plants from the four corners of the world bloomed throughout the room. It was my private greenhouse. My one refuge in this entire world. One where I could just sit and contemplate all the beauty of nature.

          Tonight it seemed to mock me. The moon, already slipping towards the horizon, glowed brightly through the glass, illuminating the various flowers. Their beauty seemed to reinforce the truth I now confronted. I had seen that truth in Anna’s tear filled eyes. I was a monster. I was evil incarnate. I could never have love, for I did not deserve it. The small part of me that was glad she ran from me gloated now. Embrace your nature, it seemed to say. Admit you’re evil. You have struggled too long with morality. That has no bearing for you. You’re nature is to hunt. It is to devour the living. It is to continue your existence through the death of mortals. There is no place for love in your unlife.

          What that small part inside me didn’t understand was that the rest of me agreed with part of that statement. I would forever be denied love, for it had no place in my existence. Truthfully, it never had a place in my existence. Not even when I had been mortal.

          Slowly I made my way to the center of the greenhouse, where a stone bench lay amidst various types of roses. Breathing in their scent, I sat down and gazed towards the Eastern horizon. The sun would be rising soon. It had been so long since I saw the sun. Too long, the shattered part of me thought. The last couple days had been a lie. There was nothing left for me in this world. I was tired…so very tired of this life. All I wanted now was to see one last sunrise.

          Quietly I led her away from the cupboard. Why did she keep checking in on Sylvester? She was like a little girl, infatuated with a new puppy. She was playing with him, in a way taunting him. I couldn’t stop thinking that he would end up hurting her again. Didn’t she realize he was the hair of the dog that bit her already. Hell! He had tried to kill her. Well, actually, he tried to get me to kill her, but same thing.

          As I led her towards the library, I felt emotions warring within me. Sure, I was angry. Not at her though. She couldn’t help herself. She was just curious. She was playful. She was, in her own weird way, innocent. They were all parts of her that I adored. How could I possibly be angry with her?

          No, I wasn’t angry with her. I was angry with myself. Why had I left him where she would find him? What had I been thinking? I would have to rectify that.

          Strangely, I also felt stabs of jealousy. What was so special about him? Why was she paying more attention to him then she was to me? Damn it! Life was so simple before she came along. All I had to do was brood about my life and occasionally go out to get blood to drink. Now I was a complete mess. Heck, the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that damn little Bud Light penguin in the corner. I’m sure he would be singing his little “doo be doo be do” song.

          We reached the library and she darted over to the books. Damn, she really was a curious little bit.

          “Ooh. You have Ben Franklin’s diary! That must be really exciting to read.”

          She sounded excited, but I could see the sarcasm in her eyes.

          “It makes a good bed time story. I always fall asleep reading it. Now, we really should talk.”

          She looked at me with her doe eyes. Damn! Does she know what that look does to me? Does she understand how I feel? Am I just another plaything for her?

          “I see you aren’t really ready to talk, are you. You just want to go on with how things are. Well, you can just sit here and read! The fire will keep you warm. There are sweaters in the closet if you get cold. There are things I need to take care of. Hopefully when I get back we can actually sit down and talk.”

          I backed out of the room and closed the door. Then, I did something I never thought I would. I locked her in.

          Slowly I made my way back to the cupboard. Opening it, I saw a brief look of hope on Sylvester’s face. It drained away when he saw it was me. I love that look. I love seeing the blood drain from their face when they realize I am near. It is so intoxicating.

          A sadistic grin spread across my face as I yanked him out. I easily tossed him over my shoulder and carried him through the castle. Eventually we reached a door. With a final look back, I stepped out into the blinding snowstorm still carrying the boy.

So, I decided to continue the story that Lissa and I have bee writing. Once again it was written for blogophilia. Feel free to check out the other bloggers and participate.

The Coming Journey

In the end we all see the dark wings
flutter just outside our vision
as the crow comes to collect
our souls, for the journey
that we all must make
as we pass from
this land of
living
to
the
land that
lies beyond
the veil of death
the land that we chose
through all of our actions
were we good, or just evil
or somewhere in between the two
Heaven, hell and Purgatory wait.

© December 10, 2009 CRF

This was written for The Sunday Wordplay Workshop at the Harmony Pub. We would love it if you joined us. The topic this week is Between Worlds.

          She found herself standing on Tremont St. once again. The night fully engulfed her as she watched snow drift down. Already the streets and sidewalks were covered in white. Off in the distance she could see a couple prostitutes huddled in a doorway. Why were they out tonight? There had been no traffic in hours, yet there they were.

          Then it hit her. She had been desperate once. Just as desperate as those scantily clad women. That was over a decade ago, shortly after she ran away from home at the tender age of sixteen. Why did she do it? Why did she celebrate her birthday running away from all she knew? She had been warm. She had friends. She was loved. At least, that is what everyone had told her.

          It certainly was not a premeditated choice of hers. She didn’t think it through. She had had enough though. Enough of her mother’s indifference. Enough of her friends lack of intelligent conversation. Enough of her step-father’s late night visits to her room. She couldn’t take what he did to her any longer. So, she ran away. She ran far. She ran long. In some ways, she hadn’t run far enough.

          When she stopped running the first time, she found herself in the big city. That glorious city of lights. The one that never slept. That was a real eye-opener. Within hours of her arrival, she had been scooped up by a lady. What drew her to the lady was the sweater she had been wearing. Petunia Pig was prominently displayed over her chest. Surely she could trust someone wearing a cartoon character on their clothing. So, she trusted the lady. She thought the lady would help her survive on the streets. Well, she did do that. Unfortunately, she had turned her into a whore. The one thing she ran away from, she found herself doing nightly with complete strangers. Sure, it made her money. Sure, it kept her fed. It kept the lady from turning her away to survive on her own. She never could have done that. She knew that now. She was too young, too naïve, too trusting.

          It took her five year, many broken bones, two abortions and a shattered soul before she finally ran away again. By that time, she had lost her innocence. She had lost her naivety. She had lost her sanity. All she had was her life. What little life it was. She ran again. This time she ran through premeditation. Nothing else would have gotten her to leave that city.

          When she stopped this time, she was in a different city. One that had an older feel to it. One that she hoped would be different. It was different. She knew enough to stay away from the pimps and druggies. She reinvented herself. As the years went on, she found herself lost within these new streets. She slowly found a niche. She learned to keep everything she owned with her. She found an old store carriage, and used that to carry many of her belongings, all thrown into discarded bags.

          That was how she earned her name. The Bag Lady. Everyone called her that. Well, they called her other things too. They called her crazy. They called her stinky girl. Some even called her Sister Helena. That was a little too close for comfort though. Helena was her sister’s name. She wondered what happened to her. Had her step-father started visiting her, when she ran away? She hoped not. Helena had been so innocent, beautiful, and so full of life. It would destroy her to know she had condemned her sister to the fate she was running from.

          She shook her memories away. Then, she glanced down the street. Slowly she walked towards the two prostitutes. Her life was destroyed she knew that. Yet, she had a calling. A calling that earned her that last name. She was one of the lost ones. It was too late for her. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too late for them. She would go to them. She would talk to them. She’d try and get them to go to one of the shelters. Certainly they were running from something. She wouldn’t try and make them return to that life. She would only try and keep them from total destruction. She had to try and save them before they became like her. That was her mission. That was her life.

          So, she walked down Tremont St. awash in the cold. The snow drifted down around her. She tilted her head up and smiled. Her life wasn’t perfect, but she had a calling. She would do it to the best of her abilities until He called her home.

This has been written for blogophilia.  Feel free to check out all the other fine blogs posted over there.

bonus picture guesses: caftan cowboy,  guitar hero, sing me a song, guitars for dummies.

So, my friend Dahlia decided to throw the Prada gauntlet at me. She should know better than that, but it is what it is. Basically, it is a simple five word challenge. Check out all the other takers of the challenge. They all did a wonderful job.

The Five words were

The Call of the Dark

Within the darkness of man’s heart
temptation crouches patiently
waiting for that simple moment
of weakness, it pounces with glee

releasing inhibition’s chains
it sets us on the path of sin
which can only lead to sorrow
yet we succumb, and no one wins

ingenious man sees his weakness
and responds with clear precision
denying such dark desires
looking to love with pure vision

© December 5, 2009 CRF

So, I decided to continue my story which the lovely Lissa has been writing parts to. If you have missed any of hers, click here.  This has also been written for blogophilia. Be sure to check out all the other fine writes.

*engage in a green activity

*include a kitchen disaster 

*include 2 famous rivers 

*use the words you light up my life 

*mention a chocolate chip cookie 

         I watched as she slowly closed her eyes. I really hadn’t planned on feeding from her, but she did drink all of my blood wine. Carefully I picked her limp body up and carried her gently to the guest room. I spent the time buried within my thoughts.

          Who was this crazy chick? I had been so sure she would be gone by the time I rose this night. I was wrong. I’m never wrong. At least, I’ve never been wrong since I became immortal. I didn’t like it.

          I should have known better. I should have recognized the blizzard closing in. I should have known she could not leave on her own. That meant I had two choices. I could let her stay. Granted, I didn’t like the idea. She was already getting on my nerves. Worse yet, she was burrowing beneath my defenses. I didn’t think I could hold out against her much longer. She was awakening a feeling inside me that I thought long since died.

          The second option wasn’t much better. I could carry her to safety myself. I still had plenty of time and energy to do that. I mean, I carried David into the atmosphere before ripping his throat out. I certainly could carry her across miles of land to civilization and still return before sunrise.

          Did I really want to? Damn, she was even in my head when she was sleeping! How dare she infect me so! Maybe I should just kill her and be done with it. I knew I wouldn’t though. She had quickly replaced the missing sunlight in my life. As I lay her down upon the soft coverlets, I whispered to her. “You light up my life. Sleep now. I will see you soon.”

          At the doorway, I gazed back once to watch her peaceful sleep. She lay there, her lips parted as she breathed softly. Her hair fanned out surrounding her head in a halo. Then I turned and headed out.

          I began striding purposefully towards the upper levels of the keep. Each step was punctuated by a growing rage inside of me. Those villagers would pay for this. I would make sure of it. How dare they think a sacrifice would help them? The nerve. The gall. Damn them all!

          By the time I reached the parapet, my anger had reached the boiling point. I couldn’t remember the last time I was this angry. Heck, even David never made me this irate. With the rage flowing through my veins, I leapt off into the night sky, transforming into a raven as soon as I cleared the edge. Sure, I could just fly there in my present shape, but as a bird, I could fly quicker. The blizzard had abated and the moon was out lighting the way. I didn’t want them to see me coming.

          The flight to the village only took a couple of minutes. I covered the miles quickly and silently, finally coming to a rest just outside the local inn. Sounds of revelry drifted out as I quickly resumed my human form. I strode over to the back entrance, and stepped silently inside.

          I was in the kitchen. The cook was standing near the hearth, adding parsley, chives and ground garlic to a large kettle. Two young scullions saw me enter. One was slicing potatoes while the other was taking a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie. Their eyes bulged out of their heads in obvious fright. I just raised a finger to my lips, urging them to silence as I approached the cook.

          Reaching the cook, I took hold of a ladle and scooped up a bit of the stew she was preparing. Tasting it, I smacked my lips and said: “I think it needs more garlic dear.”

          I heard a gasp from behind. A sweet coppery scent wafted over me and my head snapped around. The stupid little girl. She had tried to continue watching me while cutting the potatoes. Unfortunately, she had slipped and cut her hand as well. I saw the blood well up from the gash in her hand. Instantly, I was by her side, holding her hand to my mouth as I greedily sucked in the precious fluid.

          A moment later, I stopped. I slowly lowered her hand back down. The bleeding was now stopped. Some vampires were able to produce an enzyme in their saliva that would stop bleeding. It was useful if you didn’t want to alert your presence to the locals.

          The girl gazed up at me. I could feel her terror. It sent shivers down my spine. How had I forgotten this feeling?

          “Will…will I become a vampire now?” she asked tremulously.

          “No, my sweetling. You will most certainly not. I would not have taken any of your blood, but you so graciously offered it. You should bandage that wound, but you will be fine.”

          I gave her a little wink and turned back to the cook.

          “Now, would you be so kind as to tell me where I may find Nicolai?”

          “Uh, great Lord Tsepes! He is in the private dining area. You will find him and his boys there.”

          I nodded, and strode out of the room. As I did, I chuckled to myself. These locals were so cute. They insisted on calling me by the name of an ancient ruler in these parts. I hadn’t the heart to inform them I was not the Impaler. He had long since departed the land of the living. Still, it was useful to keep my true identity secret. You never knew just who might hear of my actions. I wouldn’t want an old enemy trying to hunt me down.

          Quickly I walked through the dimly lit halls. They only used kerosene lamps. I guess the modern world would say they were engaging in a green activity. I actually enjoyed it. The poor lighting added to the terror I would inflict upon them.

          When I reached the dining room, I never hesitated. I burst through the door. None of the occupants had a chance to react. Within seconds, Nicolai’s youngest son lay in a pool of blood, his throat ripped out. The other son struggled futilely in my grasp. The shock on Nicolai’s face was priceless. That made this perfect.

          “Lord Tsepes! How have I angered you? We have left you be. We have kept all foreigners away from your keep. No one knows you are here. Why would you kill my son?”

          “You are a horrible liar. I know what you and your boys did. You attacked that young woman, knocked her out, and left her in the keep. You thought to make her a sacrifice! Did I ask you for a sacrifice? No! I didn’t.”

          “There are always two sides to a story, my lord! We couldn’t let her go. She demanded to see the keep. She claimed it was a research project. We figured you would want to deal with her. Please, Lord Tsepes. I’m begging you, don’t hurt my son.”

          “You have one chance Nicolai. Here is what you will do. You will gather up all the wine in this town. You will bring the wine and plenty of food up to the keep tomorrow. You will make sure it is delivered and in good order. You will make sure the woman doesn’t see you. Do that and I might return your son to you. Otherwise you will never see your son alive again. Heck, you’ll never see him dead either. I will take this bottle as down payment.”

          Quickly I snatched the unopened bottle from the table. I also grabbed the empty bottle and filled it with the blood of his dead son. I would certainly need some blood wine tomorrow night.

        Once finished, I dragged the unfortunate boy behind me as I strode out of the Inn. Within seconds, I was soaring back towards the keep. Once there, I bound and gagged the boy and left him locked up, and then headed down to the kitchen. I placed the two bottles in the fridge. I left a note on the wine. It said ‘This is wine. You may drink it if you wish. Please leave the other bottle for me.’

     The dawn was still an hour away. I found myself back at the guest room, staring down at her sleeping. Visions began to filter through my head. I was with her. We were standing alongside a river. It could have been the Seine. It may have been the Thames. Heck, for all I knew it was the Mississippi. Regardless, it was the middle of the night. She was nestled in my arms. She seemed so happy, gazing into my eyes. How could this be? She knew what I was. How could she be so happy with me?

       I shook the visions away. They were only dreams. It would never be. She was mortal. She had a life. I had nothing. I could give her nothing. I should stop dreaming of love. I would never have it now. I could live… well, I suppose live is the wrong word, I could exist without love. I would have to.

Quickly I turned away and gently closed her door. It would be dawn soon. She would be waking. Maybe she would come to her senses? She would leave. She would be long gone by the time I rose again. That would be for the best.

As I lay down, I found myself praying she would still be there when next I rose.

Death of Dreams (the Crow VII)

I had such high hopes
as I journeyed through my youth,
I was free of doubts,
as I formed my identity.
I could be anything,
make a difference.
Excitement flowed
through my veins,
yet was it all in vain?

‘cause here I sit
pondering upon my choices.
I sleepwalk through life,
in a trance, a zombie
working…eating…sleeping,
I am just an empty shell
of that playful, fun-loving youth
who danced expressively
to the music of life,
blaring the glorious future
that never came, or did it
arrive when I wasn’t looking?

So I sit, and watch the crow
as it watches me, and then
it spreads its wings, flies away
into the deep blue skies.

Clarity hits me then
kindles aflame, the tiny ember
hidden deep within me.
That tiny ember of hope,
that perhaps I will
dream again.

© November 29, 2009 CRF

We are having an open mic at the Sunday Wordplay Workshop at the Harmony Pub. We would love it if you joined us.