Strange Delights (12)

(copyright Tristan Alexander all rights reserved)

(shadows continued)

Panicked and hungry, I found myself circling the huts of my village. Each was protected from my entry by the same herbs and branches as my own home. I searched and searched for anything that I could eat but nothing I found was edible to me.

Then only an hour or so before the dawn, a boy, no more than eleven years old, came out of his hut needing to relive himself. Seeing him I first thought to run, but as my heightened eyes saw him more clearly I notice the small tenting of his nightshirt. This was enough to cause my other senses to take him in. The smell of his sweat and other body odors were very strong to me. Concentrating on him further I could smell a sweet dark sent that I soon realized was his blood. Very carefully I moved to where he stood in the bushes. Being half asleep and trying not to wet his nightshirt while urinating with a morning erection, he did not notice me until his was not the only hand holding his member.

Startled to full wakefulness by this, he jerked from my grasp and would have run had I not grabbed his nightshirt. The cloth began to rip but by then I had captured his wrist, pulling him to me, I sank my teeth into the wrist I held. The rich, sweet liquid filled my being. I began to feel renewed as I drew more and more of the boy's life blood into myself. I was lost in the ecstasy of that moment of being filled with that which my body craved. The hunger began to fade but as it did I could hear angry voices behind me. As my mind cleared I could vaguely recall that the boy had screamed quite loud as I fed from him. Now he lay limply in my arms, his nightshirt crumpled and stained covering only his upper body leaving his lower half naked and exposed. Seeing what I had done I froze in fear. The boy was near death and I had drained his life from him. How could I do such a thing? What kind of monster had I become? My tears ran from my eyes in pink riverlets. The drops fell onto the boys face as I held his head in my hands. I could not have done this, I would not accept it.

Rudely awakened by the boy's screams of terror, several of the villagers left their huts to see what the matter was. Wearing their night clothes and carrying candles and objects to defend them selves with. Several men and two or three women soon found themselves looking on a strange sight. At first they did not realize that I had caused the boy's screams. Many believed me to be the first to arrive after some terrible accident and could not see clearly enough in the candle light to see the truth of it.

One of the women had thought to throw a cloak about her shoulders as she came to see what the matter was, seeing my state of undress, she put her cloak around me in a gesture of concern. This gesture of kindness, however, cause the others to see things more clearly. Noting my nudity and aroused state they soon also noticed the red stains around my mouth and the bite marks on the boy's arm.

The change in the crowd's mood struck me and I realized that I was in great danger. Moving more quickly than I believed a person could, I dropped the limp body of the boy, sprang to my feet and out of the circle of villagers before they knew what was happening. Wrapping the dark cloak around me, I became nearly invisible in the darkness of early dawn. Without a thought but to get away, I soon found myself again in the cave that I had slept the day through before. Though they were many yards away I could still hear the angry shouts of the villagers. They had lost sight of me as soon as I had left the small circle of light made by their candles. Because of my speed and the still dark forest, they soon gave up the hunt.

Again I slept through the day in a state of total oblivion. But as I awoke at sunset, I recalled what I had done. I had killed a child by drinking his blood. I was a monster, I was Wurwolaka, undead. My body shook uncontrollable, not from cold but from fear and self loathing. How could I continue like this? I was lost in all ways, body, soul and mind. What was to become of me?" Valantene stopped here for he could feel the coming dawn. "I must sleep now and you have not rested this night. You must not let your health deteriorate nor can your family have cause to worry about you. If they become too interested in your nightly activities we are both in danger."

"You can't stop there, I mean, what happened next? How did you..." Joshua's protests were cut short by Valantene's raised hand and stern look.

"Tomorrow, young one, Tomorrow eve I will continue! But now I must sleep, till dusk be well." With this the Vampyre turned and entered his coal bin tomb.

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Joshua

As he left his basement, the troubled 16 year old wondered more and more about his relationship with a Vampyre. Hearing the strange history of how Valantene became as he is, had only made his concerns grow. He had hoped that by learning more of his lover's past he could begin to feel at ease with their relationship. It was doing just the opposite. Barely missing being seen by his mother, he eased into his room and climbed in bed. He hoped his mother would let him sleep in, it had been a long night.