Chapter 6 The Last Day
Watching him close the door behind him, I was again breathless. Collette was standing beside me - " What do you mean that was him" " That was who I was telling you about all this time - you saw him, now YOU know he is real." " I never doubted that you saw him Christine" " But you thought I was crazy" I turned and looked at her " Don't worry I thought I was too" " What did he want" " To talk" by now I was getting a little annoyed by her, I wanted time alone to think " Well what about ? " " Nothing I suppose in particular " " Well what did he do" " We talked mostly about history of the area" then I remembered the history book I had in the library, I could get that soon. " Does he have family here ?" " He did, they are gone now"
" How could you sit in the same room with him so easily" " Who said it was easy" " What is his name? " " Shaun Thompson" she repeated the name several times, I know she was thinking about something. " He came here alone ?" " I never saw him with anyone except making chit chat around the room" I said, " You'd think someone that looked like that would have several at his choosing for his arm" I knew what she was saying was true and I wondered at it myself, then I thought of his cold hands, but wouldn't any other woman ignore that as well I thought. Why was he with no one else, or was he, but then why was he here and what did he want with me ? Then I looked down at my hand that he kissed and bit and noticed the tiniest drops of my blood. I quickly wiped them away. I started to feel my stomach get upset again. "Christine you don't look well, your tired, I can wrap things up here why don't you go to bed, I am sure the bruise from the Eagle is bothering you" She was partly right but I took the chance to take my leave early. She kissed me on the cheek and gave me a hug and told me " I love you my friend, happy birthday" I hugged her back and thought of how warm she was.
I went back through the crowd and thanked everyone for coming, took plenty of birthday kisses and thought about how warm their skin was compared to his.
I went through the solid oak door to the library and closed and locked it behind me, it was not quite as hot in here. I sank down into the fabric covered chair and looked at my hand again, there were now small red marks. Why did he bite me ?, and what else was he going to do when he came back tonight ? Should I let him, how could I keep him out ? I was afraid I was already too much in love with him to really try to stop him from doing anything he wanted. I thought about what he told me and a sadness came over me, such a young man to have gone through that all alone.
I got up and found the history book of the area, I knew all of what he told me was true but I just had to see. The book went back 200 years and I poured through it looking for anything but found nothing. Page after page and I found nothing. Then I remembered I had a book of legends and history that no one knew were factual or not. I opened the book and found a story of a female vampire that was said to have been feeding in this area and other local areas. Could this be Lynn. Then I came across the story of the Thompson family fires. I just stared at the chapter headline. This was legend and not actual history ? I read it, it was a short tale. It said all 4 of the immediate family were killed in seperate fires all on the same night and the spouses of the 2 eldest were also there and that the youngest son had never been found and was presumed dead. The fires were caused by someone for an unknown reason. I stopped reading at that point and began to cry, such a young person to have done this.
I sat for a while and heard the carriages leaving and the main room getting quieter. There was another door I could leave through to get back up to my room and not go past anyone. I took both books and went upstairs and lock both doors to my room. I opened the window to let in the air and looked down at his spot and saw nothing. I heard the Eagles and felt some comfort I knew they were all still there and at least something was still normal in the world. I laid down on the bed with the books. I was exhausted but I wanted to read more. I went through all the pages of the legends book and found nothing else, that was it. I found though that there were suspicions of another vampire roaming the area. Could that have been Shaun.
In the logical world I lived in though vampire's were not real, they are fictions made up for those who have an active enough imagination or for those trying to cover something else up. They were not real by any stretch of science or sane logic. Then how can I explain him. Yes it's possible he knew of these stories thru the same book that I had, he could have easily fabricated the rest. I knew I was no longer just the only one seeing him finally. This story he told me though it was fantastic. Why did he bite me though ?
I fell asleep with the book and began to dream of him. In the dream we were on a lovely green hilltop overlooking the Ocean, the sun was setting behind us. We were just talking, but the feeling I had was such peace and tranquility. I woke up well after dawn, I heard his voice thunder through my head and I grabbed at my eyes and forehead " Soon Christine" , there was the tightness in my chest again and I rolled over to face the window. The sun was already quite high, the first thing I did was go to the window and looked at his spot and there was no one, the feeling in my chest went as quickly as it came, I suppose if what he was saying was true then he would not have been there, it would have been too late. Where did he go during the day I wondered and I also wondered if he really would come back tonight. I looked down at my hand where he bit me and there were two tiny scabs forming.
I went downstairs to see what kind of mess had been left over from the party and did not see much. I went into the kitchen and found a note from Collette saying that she went back to the mainland and I was to come and see her again in a few days. She had cleaned up most of the mess and put my presents all together on a table in the kitchen and had made me some food. I went and got some water and took a long drink and listened to the Eagles squeeing, I had assumed one of the parents had dropped in some food for them and they were scrapping it out for it as they always did. I went over to the window and saw who I presumed to be the male soaring high above and a smaller one sitting on the peak very near the nest, which I thought was the female.
I was not really hungry at all, I could not get the dream out of my mind. What did he want with me, I knew what I wanted with him by now - I wanted him. I did eat though I knew I needed to. I spent the day going through several other books I had about local history but I had already gone through the best one I had. I also spent some time opening my presents hoping that he might have left one but he didn't . I cleaned up the last of the party mess and put everything away. Sunset was coming soon so I needed to bathe. I began to get very nervous, the sick feeling was coming again but not as bad this time.
After I finished bathing I put on a darker dress and it was very near sunset I went outside to the stairs and looked down and there he was in the Ocean just standing there facing the setting sun with no shirt on. He turned slightly, he knew I was there. I remembered what he said about liking the sun and wanting it still. I walked slowly down the steps and I saw the Eagle soaring high above I also knew that when I went to close to him what the Eagle would do. I walked have way down the steps and stopped and noticed a small box with clothes in it. He turned around and began coming out of the water.
I turned and went back up the stairs to go into the dining room, by the time I got there he was already at the far set of doors.
I opened the doors and the candle light reflected on his wet chest and he smiled. The box of clothes was on the table beside him. He had a towel in his hand. " "May I finish in your bathroom" I nodded yes, so he walked past me and knew where the bathroom was, I did not even bother to ask how he knew. He came back and had new dry clothes on. " I am sorry I did not give you your present last night but she came in and I did not get the chance." He reached into the box and pulled out a rather long gold and purple box with a black lace ribbon and placed it in front of me. " Happy birthday" It was a box of incense with a burner. It was not a smell I was not familiar with.
" Would you like me to continue or do you have questions you want me to answer ?" I nodded no. " Then I shall continue, I couldn't take a human life or so I thought then. I spent that first night just walking trying to make it make sense to me. Surely I had heard the stories of the female vampire around but I thought nothing of it, but when I saw all my family I knew she had done it. I decided that I wanted revenge on her for what she had done to them and to me - she had taken everything from me, but I needed to find her and figure out how just to live and what I was going to do after I killed her. I decided that once I was free of this rage I would kill myself to put an end to all this so that no ne else would have to suffer what I had and was still. I also knew that I would need somewhere out of the sun light to sleep during the day. I knew there were alot of caves around so I went in search of one. I found one but it had already been occupied by animals, I do forget what they were. I took them too. "
I was sitting down in the chair very still, he came over to me and took the hand he kissed last night.
" I mixed my blood into yours" I looked at him shocked. " What I did last night will have no lasting affect on you if you decide you don't want more, it made you feel better today didn't it, a little stronger than usual" I had not really thought about it but I suppose it had. " If you choose that I leave then for a few days you will feel stronger then it will fade " I looked out the door and said " What do you want with me" " If I continue on you will know" I took a deep breath "Then please continue"
"As the night's passed I was realizing my strength and what I could do, I could move much faster than a human and if I concentrated hard enough I found I could fly for short distances, all of which became stronger as time went on. I then began to think that I was lonely there all by myself. It had been several months before I brought myself to the decision to try to be with ones who were still alive again. I did not know how I would handle it though. I remembered the feeling when I was around other's that were alive, the hunger."
"I also came to find out that I could swim great distances in a short time, so the night I decided to go to the mainland I swam there and came up just where the end of the Wharf is now - it wasn't there then. It was a warm night and not too many noticed I was wet. I walked through the crowds of people that were always gathering there, the hunger was becoming uncontrollable to me I thought I could not stand it, but I tried. Then some men came up behind me as I was walking down a dark spot with no one else around and they tried to take me. I struck one of them and knocked him into the wall and split his head and I could smell the blood, the other took out a knife and cut my arm very deep I took it away from him and stabbed him in the throat. I fell back against the wall and realized I had killed them both, the hunger became too much and I fed on them. I knew by now though how much to take as I already learned that with the animals. "
" The taste of them was the most pleasurable thing I had ever experienced even when I was alive, though I had never been with a woman I assumed it was better than that even. I was stronger and quicker. I went back to the cave after just leaving them there and not even thinking of what people would say when they found them. I knew then that human blood was what I needed to be able to have the strength to find Lynn and do what I needed to do to her and to myself.
The next night I went again. I never got use to having to kill but I did come to know that I did not have to all the time I could live on animals well enough but human blood was what I needed for strength.
By this time I was almost afraid of him. I found that I had been sitting almost as motionless as he had stood in the Ocean. " I can smell your fear and something else Christine". He did not have to tell me what I already knew. I cleared my throat and said " I never went into town today, I found some books in my library." " I know" again I did not even bother to ask how he knew. " You don't have to be afraid of me I won't hurt you - unless it is what you want and you know it will hurt. I have already started the process of it." "Why" I said more sharply than I had intended. " If I finish then you will know, but you won't like much of it, I knew Henry "
" Henry was lost at Sea" " No Christine" I got up and walked to the doors and looked out. My stomach turned again, I had always know Henry only wanted me for this Castle that my parents left me in their will before they were both taken by the Ocean on a trip. It was a usual fate of so many here. Though I wanted to believe he loved me for me. " Shall I continue " I turned and looked at him and shook my head yes. I heard the Eaglets squealing again and knew they had just been fed.
" I began to search for Lynn but never found her. I had heard rumors of a Witch that lived on the outskirts of town. I went to see her. She knew what I was and explained and helped me quite a bit. As time passed she had a daughter and her daughter had a daughter and so on. They were all very gifted as she was - the one who lives there now is quite exceptional though - that is why I told you to go to her if you needed to."
" Time continued to pass as it does. I went on mostly feeding on animals but giving into my need for human blood. I never enjoyed doing it but I had to. I only took those who tried to take me. The Witch told me that if I was to look wealthy then someone would always try - she was right." I went and sat back down across from him.
" One evening I met a man on the Wharf who though did not try to rob me. I enjoyed talking with him but it was near the time the last boat was coming back here and he needed to leave. He spoke mostly of his beautiful wife and baby daughter named Christine" I must have gone as pale as a ghost. "I got curious about them, so I came here during the night and saw them. Have you not felt watched all your life Christine? " My mind went blank and my mouth went dry, I tried to get up but couldn't.
"I spoke with your father while he was at the wharf until he began to realize I wasn't aging, then I just watched. I watched you develop into the beautiful young woman you are now." I couldn't speak. He answered my question though " Because by then I had fallen in love with you. I knew though what I was but still had the passions from when I was alive. When your parents died, I grieved with you but from a far, I was going to come to you sooner and offer you this, but then Henry decided to meet you before I dared try. Needless to say he made me mad, how dare he. He always was what you suspected him to be. I would have killed him if he had taken you by force but I knew he hadn't. "
I looked away from him and got up and got some water. " He had a like to visit the brothel at the other end of the city - Christine I'm sorry" " I heard the rumors but chose to ignore them" I said. He came and stood behind me, put his arms around me and took my wrist and bit into it. I cried out a bit and he stopped. " Do you want me to finish? " I shook my head yes.
"As I said he made me very angry, I wanted to see how bad of a person he really was, so I walked by him one night and flashed some money and he came after me. I did what I always did but I hated him too much to feed. He was still holding me. He put his hand up in front of me and slit open his finger and touched my lips with it. I took it into my mouth and tasted his blood for the first time. I leaned back into him fully and he started to kiss my neck. He took his finger out of my mouth and took my hand.
" How could you sit in the same room with him so easily" " Who said it was easy" " What is his name? " " Shaun Thompson" she repeated the name several times, I know she was thinking about something. " He came here alone ?" " I never saw him with anyone except making chit chat around the room" I said, " You'd think someone that looked like that would have several at his choosing for his arm" I knew what she was saying was true and I wondered at it myself, then I thought of his cold hands, but wouldn't any other woman ignore that as well I thought. Why was he with no one else, or was he, but then why was he here and what did he want with me ? Then I looked down at my hand that he kissed and bit and noticed the tiniest drops of my blood. I quickly wiped them away. I started to feel my stomach get upset again. "Christine you don't look well, your tired, I can wrap things up here why don't you go to bed, I am sure the bruise from the Eagle is bothering you" She was partly right but I took the chance to take my leave early. She kissed me on the cheek and gave me a hug and told me " I love you my friend, happy birthday" I hugged her back and thought of how warm she was.
I went back through the crowd and thanked everyone for coming, took plenty of birthday kisses and thought about how warm their skin was compared to his.
I went through the solid oak door to the library and closed and locked it behind me, it was not quite as hot in here. I sank down into the fabric covered chair and looked at my hand again, there were now small red marks. Why did he bite me ?, and what else was he going to do when he came back tonight ? Should I let him, how could I keep him out ? I was afraid I was already too much in love with him to really try to stop him from doing anything he wanted. I thought about what he told me and a sadness came over me, such a young man to have gone through that all alone.
I got up and found the history book of the area, I knew all of what he told me was true but I just had to see. The book went back 200 years and I poured through it looking for anything but found nothing. Page after page and I found nothing. Then I remembered I had a book of legends and history that no one knew were factual or not. I opened the book and found a story of a female vampire that was said to have been feeding in this area and other local areas. Could this be Lynn. Then I came across the story of the Thompson family fires. I just stared at the chapter headline. This was legend and not actual history ? I read it, it was a short tale. It said all 4 of the immediate family were killed in seperate fires all on the same night and the spouses of the 2 eldest were also there and that the youngest son had never been found and was presumed dead. The fires were caused by someone for an unknown reason. I stopped reading at that point and began to cry, such a young person to have done this.
I sat for a while and heard the carriages leaving and the main room getting quieter. There was another door I could leave through to get back up to my room and not go past anyone. I took both books and went upstairs and lock both doors to my room. I opened the window to let in the air and looked down at his spot and saw nothing. I heard the Eagles and felt some comfort I knew they were all still there and at least something was still normal in the world. I laid down on the bed with the books. I was exhausted but I wanted to read more. I went through all the pages of the legends book and found nothing else, that was it. I found though that there were suspicions of another vampire roaming the area. Could that have been Shaun.
In the logical world I lived in though vampire's were not real, they are fictions made up for those who have an active enough imagination or for those trying to cover something else up. They were not real by any stretch of science or sane logic. Then how can I explain him. Yes it's possible he knew of these stories thru the same book that I had, he could have easily fabricated the rest. I knew I was no longer just the only one seeing him finally. This story he told me though it was fantastic. Why did he bite me though ?
I fell asleep with the book and began to dream of him. In the dream we were on a lovely green hilltop overlooking the Ocean, the sun was setting behind us. We were just talking, but the feeling I had was such peace and tranquility. I woke up well after dawn, I heard his voice thunder through my head and I grabbed at my eyes and forehead " Soon Christine" , there was the tightness in my chest again and I rolled over to face the window. The sun was already quite high, the first thing I did was go to the window and looked at his spot and there was no one, the feeling in my chest went as quickly as it came, I suppose if what he was saying was true then he would not have been there, it would have been too late. Where did he go during the day I wondered and I also wondered if he really would come back tonight. I looked down at my hand where he bit me and there were two tiny scabs forming.
I went downstairs to see what kind of mess had been left over from the party and did not see much. I went into the kitchen and found a note from Collette saying that she went back to the mainland and I was to come and see her again in a few days. She had cleaned up most of the mess and put my presents all together on a table in the kitchen and had made me some food. I went and got some water and took a long drink and listened to the Eagles squeeing, I had assumed one of the parents had dropped in some food for them and they were scrapping it out for it as they always did. I went over to the window and saw who I presumed to be the male soaring high above and a smaller one sitting on the peak very near the nest, which I thought was the female.
I was not really hungry at all, I could not get the dream out of my mind. What did he want with me, I knew what I wanted with him by now - I wanted him. I did eat though I knew I needed to. I spent the day going through several other books I had about local history but I had already gone through the best one I had. I also spent some time opening my presents hoping that he might have left one but he didn't . I cleaned up the last of the party mess and put everything away. Sunset was coming soon so I needed to bathe. I began to get very nervous, the sick feeling was coming again but not as bad this time.
After I finished bathing I put on a darker dress and it was very near sunset I went outside to the stairs and looked down and there he was in the Ocean just standing there facing the setting sun with no shirt on. He turned slightly, he knew I was there. I remembered what he said about liking the sun and wanting it still. I walked slowly down the steps and I saw the Eagle soaring high above I also knew that when I went to close to him what the Eagle would do. I walked have way down the steps and stopped and noticed a small box with clothes in it. He turned around and began coming out of the water.
I turned and went back up the stairs to go into the dining room, by the time I got there he was already at the far set of doors.
I opened the doors and the candle light reflected on his wet chest and he smiled. The box of clothes was on the table beside him. He had a towel in his hand. " "May I finish in your bathroom" I nodded yes, so he walked past me and knew where the bathroom was, I did not even bother to ask how he knew. He came back and had new dry clothes on. " I am sorry I did not give you your present last night but she came in and I did not get the chance." He reached into the box and pulled out a rather long gold and purple box with a black lace ribbon and placed it in front of me. " Happy birthday" It was a box of incense with a burner. It was not a smell I was not familiar with.
" Would you like me to continue or do you have questions you want me to answer ?" I nodded no. " Then I shall continue, I couldn't take a human life or so I thought then. I spent that first night just walking trying to make it make sense to me. Surely I had heard the stories of the female vampire around but I thought nothing of it, but when I saw all my family I knew she had done it. I decided that I wanted revenge on her for what she had done to them and to me - she had taken everything from me, but I needed to find her and figure out how just to live and what I was going to do after I killed her. I decided that once I was free of this rage I would kill myself to put an end to all this so that no ne else would have to suffer what I had and was still. I also knew that I would need somewhere out of the sun light to sleep during the day. I knew there were alot of caves around so I went in search of one. I found one but it had already been occupied by animals, I do forget what they were. I took them too. "
I was sitting down in the chair very still, he came over to me and took the hand he kissed last night.
" I mixed my blood into yours" I looked at him shocked. " What I did last night will have no lasting affect on you if you decide you don't want more, it made you feel better today didn't it, a little stronger than usual" I had not really thought about it but I suppose it had. " If you choose that I leave then for a few days you will feel stronger then it will fade " I looked out the door and said " What do you want with me" " If I continue on you will know" I took a deep breath "Then please continue"
"As the night's passed I was realizing my strength and what I could do, I could move much faster than a human and if I concentrated hard enough I found I could fly for short distances, all of which became stronger as time went on. I then began to think that I was lonely there all by myself. It had been several months before I brought myself to the decision to try to be with ones who were still alive again. I did not know how I would handle it though. I remembered the feeling when I was around other's that were alive, the hunger."
"I also came to find out that I could swim great distances in a short time, so the night I decided to go to the mainland I swam there and came up just where the end of the Wharf is now - it wasn't there then. It was a warm night and not too many noticed I was wet. I walked through the crowds of people that were always gathering there, the hunger was becoming uncontrollable to me I thought I could not stand it, but I tried. Then some men came up behind me as I was walking down a dark spot with no one else around and they tried to take me. I struck one of them and knocked him into the wall and split his head and I could smell the blood, the other took out a knife and cut my arm very deep I took it away from him and stabbed him in the throat. I fell back against the wall and realized I had killed them both, the hunger became too much and I fed on them. I knew by now though how much to take as I already learned that with the animals. "
" The taste of them was the most pleasurable thing I had ever experienced even when I was alive, though I had never been with a woman I assumed it was better than that even. I was stronger and quicker. I went back to the cave after just leaving them there and not even thinking of what people would say when they found them. I knew then that human blood was what I needed to be able to have the strength to find Lynn and do what I needed to do to her and to myself.
The next night I went again. I never got use to having to kill but I did come to know that I did not have to all the time I could live on animals well enough but human blood was what I needed for strength.
By this time I was almost afraid of him. I found that I had been sitting almost as motionless as he had stood in the Ocean. " I can smell your fear and something else Christine". He did not have to tell me what I already knew. I cleared my throat and said " I never went into town today, I found some books in my library." " I know" again I did not even bother to ask how he knew. " You don't have to be afraid of me I won't hurt you - unless it is what you want and you know it will hurt. I have already started the process of it." "Why" I said more sharply than I had intended. " If I finish then you will know, but you won't like much of it, I knew Henry "
" Henry was lost at Sea" " No Christine" I got up and walked to the doors and looked out. My stomach turned again, I had always know Henry only wanted me for this Castle that my parents left me in their will before they were both taken by the Ocean on a trip. It was a usual fate of so many here. Though I wanted to believe he loved me for me. " Shall I continue " I turned and looked at him and shook my head yes. I heard the Eaglets squealing again and knew they had just been fed.
" I began to search for Lynn but never found her. I had heard rumors of a Witch that lived on the outskirts of town. I went to see her. She knew what I was and explained and helped me quite a bit. As time passed she had a daughter and her daughter had a daughter and so on. They were all very gifted as she was - the one who lives there now is quite exceptional though - that is why I told you to go to her if you needed to."
" Time continued to pass as it does. I went on mostly feeding on animals but giving into my need for human blood. I never enjoyed doing it but I had to. I only took those who tried to take me. The Witch told me that if I was to look wealthy then someone would always try - she was right." I went and sat back down across from him.
" One evening I met a man on the Wharf who though did not try to rob me. I enjoyed talking with him but it was near the time the last boat was coming back here and he needed to leave. He spoke mostly of his beautiful wife and baby daughter named Christine" I must have gone as pale as a ghost. "I got curious about them, so I came here during the night and saw them. Have you not felt watched all your life Christine? " My mind went blank and my mouth went dry, I tried to get up but couldn't.
"I spoke with your father while he was at the wharf until he began to realize I wasn't aging, then I just watched. I watched you develop into the beautiful young woman you are now." I couldn't speak. He answered my question though " Because by then I had fallen in love with you. I knew though what I was but still had the passions from when I was alive. When your parents died, I grieved with you but from a far, I was going to come to you sooner and offer you this, but then Henry decided to meet you before I dared try. Needless to say he made me mad, how dare he. He always was what you suspected him to be. I would have killed him if he had taken you by force but I knew he hadn't. "
I looked away from him and got up and got some water. " He had a like to visit the brothel at the other end of the city - Christine I'm sorry" " I heard the rumors but chose to ignore them" I said. He came and stood behind me, put his arms around me and took my wrist and bit into it. I cried out a bit and he stopped. " Do you want me to finish? " I shook my head yes.
"As I said he made me very angry, I wanted to see how bad of a person he really was, so I walked by him one night and flashed some money and he came after me. I did what I always did but I hated him too much to feed. He was still holding me. He put his hand up in front of me and slit open his finger and touched my lips with it. I took it into my mouth and tasted his blood for the first time. I leaned back into him fully and he started to kiss my neck. He took his finger out of my mouth and took my hand.