Revenge And Death

  As you may remember last time, I have just opened the door of the small storage room I had hid my coffin in. As I did, I smashed the mirror of a dresser that had been pushed in front of the door, making myself and the young girl on the bed against the opposite wall jump with surprise. The next thing I knew there was a blood curdling scream that made my sharp ears hurt and an older girl close to the age I looked came charging down the stairs to see what was wrong.

  The older girl froze when she saw me standing just outside the door that was originally blocked and could not be opened. It was obvious I had scared her stiff well the younger one continued to scream. A home intruder is already a scary thing, but for an intruder to come out of a sealed room with overly long hair and nails? I must have looked like a monster or something of the like!

  I stood for a moment trying to think of what I should do in this situation but my mind as well as my senses were fussy from the long sleep, and the screaming was not helping in the least. Finally I decided to retreat back into the the storage room. I was sure they would try to come in after me later and at that time I hoped to try and talk with them....

  I sat on the lid of my coffin trying to tidy my hair with my long nails that I could not trim. By the time my hair was fixed, the door was pushed open and a strange looking rifle was pointed toward me.

  “Oh...!? A gun?” I said as I looked into the end of the barrel.

  “You can speak?!”

  “Of course. I have intelligence.”

  The girl paused for a moment, then said “H-how did you get in here?! What are you doing...?! And what do you want?!”

  “Good. Quick to the point. I locked myself in this room quite some years ago to sleep undisturbed, I wanted to find something to eat now that I am awake again, and I want something to clip my nail, and for you to lower the gun please?”

  After another pause, the girl said “Stop joking! Locked yourself in some years ago? Impossible! You'd be dead! What are you doing here!”

  “This is my home. I took ownership back in the late eighteen-hundreds then I locked myself in to sleep. I have a deed to the house in my coffin if you want proof.”

  “Your coffin...?! why the hell is there a coffin in here?!” she screamed after realizing what I was sitting on.

  “Because it is what I sleep in, like any other vampire.”

  “Vampire...?!”

  “Yes.”

  “Th... that's bull! V-vampires are a myth!”

  I sighed then stood up. Just as I did, the girl pulled the trigger and I stumbled back a step well my body tipped forward a little.

  Just as simply as it happened, I straighted myself then undid the buttons on my shirt to see the bullet wound.

  “It is going to suck to dig that out later you know?” I said as the wound quickly healed before the girls very eyes.

  To no surprise at all, the gun slipped from her hands and she fainted. I quickly moved and caught her and the gun before either could hit the ground. I then set the gun down on the dresser with the broken mirror as I stepped out, then picked the girl up properly and carried her over to the bed.

  “It is alright little one. I will not hurt either of you. She has only fainted. Will you come out?” 

  No answer.

  “No? Alright then.” I said as I turned and looked over to her hiding spot in her wardrobe. “I'm going to go look for something to cut my nails then.” I finished, then went up stairs and began searching.

 Eventually I found some rose cutters and started cutting my nails to a proper size well leaving both my middle and index finger nails slightly pointed. An idea I came up with as a quick weapon rather then my fists and fangs well I was asleep in case I ever got into a tough spot. Next, I found a brush and a pair of sizers and cut my hair back to a little past shoulder length. Finally, I washed myself, as I did smell. Finally all clean and tidy, I went back down stairs to check on the girls. I stood at the bottom of the staircase as I watched the younger lean over the older as she tried to wake her.

  As I watched, I noted there appearance and guessed there ages. The younger girl looked to be in her early teens. Maybe thirteen or fourteen. She had shoulder length, brown hair and green eyes. The older girl had long blond hair and was fairly tall. She seemed to be about twenty and was very attractive.

  Finished with my observation I slowly stepped closer and made sure to make some noise so the younger girl would hear me coming.

  She quickly turned around. “Go away!” she demanded.

  “Do you have any smelling salts to wake her?”

  “What?!”

  “Something you put under her nose to breath in that would wake her up.”

  “Why do you care?!”

  “Do you not want her to wake up?”

  “Yeah...”

  “Well then? Anything with a strong smell if you do not have smelling salts should work. You could even try pepper if you really wanted to.”

  “Pepper.... you come with me to get it then. I don't want you to be alone with her!”

  “Alright. Shall I walk ahead of you so you can see what I am doing as well?”

  “Um... y-yes!”

  “Alright.” I said with a friendly smile as I humoured her.

  A minute or so later, we had the pepper and the young girl ground it under the nose of the older. A moment later, the pepper was breathed in and suddenly the girl started to sneeze causing her to wake up.

  “It worked!” the younger girl said. 

  I smiled again and said “You are welcome.” as I moved back to the storage room and went looking for the deed to the house as proof before I got shot at again. 

  When I came back out and the older girl caught sight of me, she started to say “Who...?” but once she realized it was me, she screamed “Its you! Y-you're real!”

  “Yes, and I bet I look a lot less scary now that I have cleaned up as well. This is the original deed to the house I mentioned before.” I said as I held out the piece of paper. “I promise I have no bad intentions. You do not need to be scared of me.”

  “He helped me wake you up!” the younger girl offered.

  “That doesn't mean he isn't dangerous!” the older shouted.

  “But if I am a vampire then what could I gain from waking you up again? If I was going to attack you and drink your blood this would have been long since over... I also would not have told you what I am. By the way, I apologize for the mirror... I did not realize something was there. I can pay for it.”

  “If you don't want our blood then what do you want...?! and how do you plan to pay for the mirror?”

  “With money of course. I do have money... although it is from the eighteen-hundreds... I wonder if it is still excepted?”

  “Are... are you for real?!”

  “I think we went threw this part already did we not? Now, I do need to eat so... I will go out for a bit. Ah! But first, the money.”

  As I went back to the storage room to get the money, the older girl quickly said “Eat?! But... if you really are what you say you are then that means...”

  “Yes. Although this is true, I am not a killer. Do not worry. I will not hurt anyone. at worst, they will be dizzy when they wake up.”

  “No! I can't willingly let you go out attacking people!”

  “But I need to eat just as much as you do or I start to loose my senses and go wild. If I go wild people will die.”

  She looked like she was struggling with what to say next for a moment, but then she finally said “Fine. Drink my blood then!”

  “You would rather me drink yours?”

  “It's better then the alternative!”

  “Not really... but if that is how you feel. Lie down then please.”

  “Lie down?”

  “The bite will knock you out before I drink. It makes it easier to feed and it means you will not struggle and hurt yourself.”

  For another moment she just stared at me with a look that said she was not sure if this was a good idea after all. A moment later she looked over to the younger girl and said “Go upstairs.” in a slightly shaky voice. When the girl did not move, she repeated herself only louder and more firm.

  The young one finally obeyed and slowly climbed the stairs.

  “What do you plan to do after this?” she asked.

  “I will still go out for a little while.”

  “But-!”

  “You would try to forbid me from leaving the house? I am not a house cat. I am a person...” I sighed, then said “You have my word that I will harm no one.”

  “You promise?”

  “Yes, I promise.”

  She sighed and made a stressed expression, then laid down. “Will it hurt?”

  “It will pinch a little... like getting poked with a needle.”

  She sighed once more as I knelt down beside the bed and took her arm. Her heart was racing so fast. It was loud against my ears and almost made me drool like a dog. Still, I was careful to make sure she was as comfortable as she could get in a frightening situation like this.

  Gently, I bit into her arm and felt my feeding fangs inject the liquid that knocks out my pry. A split second later, she was out cold and her hot blood came flowing. So delicious I thought to myself.

  I made sure to drink just enough to subdue my thirst well making sure she would be fine with some rest like I always do when I eat. Once I was done I ripped some already torn fabric from my old pants and tided it around the bite so it would hold back any extra bleeding, as her blood was a little thin.

  Standing up, I found myself finally wondering what their names were. I never did ask. How rude I must seem... I thought to myself. The little one is still awake upstairs, maybe I should try introducing myself?

  The younger girl was in the dining room facing the staircase from what I could tell. Going up, I discovered that I was right.

  Stopping at the top, I looked her in the eye and said “She will be fine in the morning. You might have to wake her though.... I apologize for not introducing myself before. My name is Anthony Tale.”

  The little girl hesitated for a moment, then said “I... I'm Jane Manson. My older sister is Kersten Manson.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you both. I am sorry for causing trouble for you.”

  Jane shook her head “Now that I've had time to think, I can't really blame you for anything...”

  “I can not blame you both for freaking out either... it is not everyday you meet a vampire, a creature of the dark that always plays the villain in legends.”

  “So you aren't mad?”

  “Why would I be? I would have to think you a fool if you were not scared. Vampires are a rare thing that people normally see as a monster. We are just people in reality, just different... very different. You do not need to fear me though, I do not mean harm.”

  “How did you become a Vampire?”

  “You want to know? Well, I'll tell you now, I am not the same as a true vampire. I have yet to meet a real one. I was made by a mad scientist in the early eighteen-hundreds. After I died, he stole my body from its grave and made me with advanced science. He succeeded in creating myself and and four others.”

  “So there are more like you?!”

  “Yes... the last I remember there was six of us actually. I, under Mr. Saxon's command -On my first day among the living again- turned a chef into a vampire as well. Since then, I am sure my siblings and son have made more but I would not know. I was separated from them during the escape from his mansion. I stayed behind to fight off his butlers -werewolves also made by Mr. Saxon- then I trapped Mr. Saxon and myself in a hidden room under the house and burnt the building down to destroy the evidence of his work and hide from the wolves. I forced him to stay there with me until he died of old age.”

  “Why didn't you just kill him and meet up with your family?”

  “I am not a killer. I refuse to kill someone.”

  Jane looked surprised by how stern I was in saying that. Her heart sped up for a second then, for the first time in a while, it slowed down to a normal relaxed pace.

  “Hey! Have you seen a TV Before?” she suddenly asked sounding exited.

  “T...V...? What is that?”

  After that Jane had her fun playing around and showing me new technology. She thoroughly enjoyed watching me looking at new things in awe and trying to figure them out. By the time she was finished it was dawn. When I realized it, I felt disappointed. I did not get to have a little adventure around the town like I wanted. Jane took pity and decided to show me her favourite thing. She said it was a 'Social-network-game-thing' and it was called 'Free-Life'. It was quite extraordinary!

  Later on. Kersten woke up and the two of us talked about what to do from here. I let her do most of the deciding but to my surprise she was a lot kinder to me then I thought she would be... I am sure Jane had something to do with that. It was decided that I could continue to stay as long as I did  not go around attacking people, I made sure to knock and wait for an okay to come into any private rooms such as bed rooms or the bathroom, If company was coming over I had to hide in my room, and finally, not to go out without letting them know. 

  I felt like I was being treated like an unwanted child that could not be just left out on the street. On the other hand, things did not stay so stiff. Kersten eased up eventually and we started to get a little closer, well Jane obviously loved having me around. I enjoyed both Janes exited and playful company and Kerstens quiet and peaceful company. After a while I started to wonder if she could relax and have some fun as well, as she always tried to stay composed and never seemed to play around.

  One evening a few months later, I Got out of my coffin -now located in a spare room with nothing but a few boxes of my own things in it- and went over to the living room after listening and making sure there were no extra heartbeats. The girls were eating dinner at the time so I decided to not bother them just yet and watched out the window as the summer light started to dim. Thankfully the sunset was on the other side of the house, so the light would not bother me.

  Eventually the girls finished eating and Kersten drove Jane to her friends house for a 'sleepover'. Tonight was just Kersten and I, a perfect opportunity for me. Tonight I will find out if she really can unwind.

  When Kersten came back, she joined me on the couch and said. “I'm guessing you're still here and not wondering around because your hungry?”

  “That is not it tonight.”

  She made a confused face “Then what is it? It's not like you to just want to sit inside and do nothing...”

  “No, it is not. I was thinking about going for a swim since it is summer.”

  “You can swim? I thought vampires couldn't?”

  “We can. The only time we can not is if the water is holy.”

  “Oh... well go for it then. You don't need to sit around here. The suns been gone for a while so its safe.”

  “I know but I was waiting for you to come back so that I could try convincing you to come with me.”

  “You want me to go swimming... with you... at night...?” she questioned.

  “Yes.”

  “No way.”

  “Oh... come on! It will be fun, I promise... or is it that you are scared?”

  “Scared?! Not likely. I just don't want too!”

  “Why not? Do you not deserve to have a little fun now and then? Ever since I woke up and found you two here, I have seen you do nothing but work, take care of Jane, give me a meal every week, and sleep. You do nothing else! You might read a book, watch the 'TV', or play on the 'computer', but I never see you really relax and have some fun!”

  “But I-”

  “You want to be a stick in the mud? Come on! Just go put a swimsuit on. I even braved the sun to get myself some shorts. Walking around fully clothed from head to toe in the summer is not easy you know?”

  She looked like she wanted to either snap at me or tell me I should not have done that, but instead she gave in and said “Fine, you win! Just give me a minute.”

  “Alright!” I smiled.

  And so the two of us left for the lake in her car. At the lake, we both walked down to the water and put down our towels then stripped down to our bathing suits. Slipping into the cool water, we drifted around happily and when I looked over to Kersten I did infact see an overly blissful face on her.

  I smiled and said “Happy I talked you into this?”

  She made a humming sound that implied a yes. I hummed a laugh then continued to let myself flout about. Everything was so peaceful. 

  After some time, through the bliss, I heard a wolf cry... a very familiar one at that. The hair on the back of my neck started to prickle and my peace was replaced with unrest. 

  “Oh no... the wolves are back...” Kersten said.

  “Back you say?”

  “Yeah. They come by every year this month. I totally forgot about it.”

  “I see...”

  After a pause Kersten moved to look at me then asked “Is something wrong?”

  “Um... I think it might be good to go back home...”

  “What for? Don't tell me you're scared of wolves?”

  “Not scared... just unfriendly with...”

  “What?”

  “Come on” I said as I turned in the water. I swam over to her at a mild speed for my race, grabbed her, and swam to shore.

  “What the hell?! You talk me into coming out here to relax but as soon as you here some howling you want to run for it?! Come on!”

  “I am very sorry... but it is not safe. Even more so since you have been around me so much.... You and Jane might be in danger.”

  “Danger?! What is going on?! Tell me right now!”

  “On the way back! Now get in the car!” I snapped.

  Kersten seemed to note the distress in my voice and finally obeyed my wish. 

  Halfway back home, I finally spoke again “I am sorry for yelling at you... that was rude of me despite the reason for it.”

  “It's fine... you're worried about something and you want to keep me safe... I suppose. it was my fault for being difficult.... Why are you so worried? What is it about the wolves thats got you so wound up?”

  “The wolf cry you heard... it does not belong to a normal wolf, but a werewolf. Worst of all, one I know.”

  “A werewolf? You have to be joking!”

  “No. He was one of the butlers I told your sister about when she asked about how I came to be a vampire. For that mutt to still be around... he probably has not let this area go because it is where his master lays buried.”

  “He was actually loyal to the guy who made you?”

  “Of course. He is part dog. Dogs are always loyal to the ones to who take care of them. Which would also mean that he would want revenge for his master. If he catches my sent he will follow it back to the house, your sister, you, and of course myself.”

  “Let me guess... if he does find us and attacks, then his pack -I'm sure he has one- will also attack us, making you well out numbered.”

  “Correct. If we want to survive we will have to try and find other vampires. As our birth place, even if it is a bad one, I am sure there are some around.”

  “How will you call them?”

  “Simple. They should come if they smell the blood of one of there own. Although our sense of smell was not heightened as much as our other senses, we can easily smell our kinds blood. It also means that the wolves will smell it as well, and will be able to from a farther distance.”

  “What does you blood smell bad or something?”

  “No. It is blood that circulates very slowly. It is cold and thick and kept that way for as long as we live. This gives it a different kind of smell.”

  “I see... well, anyway, you're sure this is a good plan?”

  “Last time I went against a pack of werewolves by myself. I lost. This is the only plan.”

  “But you just said this will make the werewolves come right away! Can't you think of a safer way...?! You could make a sign that only the vampires will recognize or something couldn't you?”

  “A sign...? maybe that could work... let me think on it.” 

  Once we got back to the house I grabbed some paper and a red pen and started to draw as I thought. At the same time Kersten called Jane to check on her and ask her to call home in the morning and if she did not, she would not be aloud to go out anymore. 

  After another hour or so, I came up with something that should work. It read as 

B. ELDER

RETURNS

                a.t.

The “B.” Was shaded a dark red and dripped like blood well “ELDER RETURNS” had light shading and a dark outline that also dripped like blood. “a.t.” was down in the corner, done in thin, light lines.

  “This should do it. Have this posted up around town, and make sure there are more of them to the south.”

  “Okay... I'll have a friend of mine tidy it up first since you obviously aren't that much of an artist... then I'll have it printed and posted up by the day after tomorrow?”

  “That is good. Make sure you give me a stack as well. I will need some.”

  “Okay then.”

  That day, Kersten gave Jane a vague idea of what was happening and why we did not want her roaming around away from the house to much. Once Jane was dealt with, Kersten went to her friends place about the poster. To my surprise, when she came back, she brought him along. Even more surprising, I identified his heartbeat as inhuman. Instead of hiding in my coffin, I stepped out and met them in the hall.

  The boy had short brown hair and blue eyes. He was average hight and looked twenty-three. His face gave the impression of a good natured person but liked to joke around. At the same time his eyes had a very knowing look, making him appear smart.

  Kersten began to sputter because I had reviled myself but before she could form a sentence I said “It is fine, this boy is not all you thought he was.”

  “I see your senses haven't dulled with age...” The boy said as he bowed “your highness.”

  “Of course not, only right after a long sleep are they dull. They come back right after.”

  “I'm so happy to see you are still alive! You've been awake for awhile now?”

  “Yes. I awoke to find Kersten and Jane living here a few months ago. They have been very good to me.”

  “Yes I would-”

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Kersten cut him off “Did you just call him 'your highness'...?! What is going on?!” Kersten demanded.

  The young man said “I've been keeping it a secret up until know because I didn't want to scare you away but seeing as you have been taking care of, literally, the king of vampires....” he open his mouth wide and extended his four feeding fangs.

  Kersten's jaw dropped.

  “Have you honestly never wondered why I avoid the sun so much?”

  Kersten seemed too be close to loosing her mind at the new revelation, but then she collapsed. Again I moved to catch her before she hit the ground.

  “Wow...! you really are that fast... I've heard tales but... wow!”

  “I might have been the fastest but the others were not far behind... are newer generations not as fast?”

  “Well, the vampire gene that's past down gets weaker the newer the generation. As a first generation, you are strongest. Any generation between you and the tenth is considered top class. Eleven to twenty is second, twenty-one to thirty... you get the idea. But we discovered that we can train to strengthen the gene and raise our generation-level or G-level, like a video game... you know what a video game is right?”

  “Jane has me play 'video-games' with her.”

  “Right, okay then you know what I mean. I myself was originally a twenty-second generation vampire but I've raised my G-level enough to match a fourteenth generation. That also means if I make new 'pire they'll match a fifteenth generation.”

  “Interesting. How do you know what you match though?”

  “We have competitions once a month to check our levels if we want. So, you know, races, fights, tolerance  levels. Sometimes -if we meet up any other time- we'll do these kind of things for practise. On the other hand, we do have other reasons for fighting every now and then...

  “Anyway, enough of this. Why are you calling us out with this poster now?”

  “You heard the werewolf call the other night yes?”

  “Yeah? But as long as they don't start screwing around to close to the town, no one cares much... why?”

  “Their leader is one of the werewolves elders.”

  “Really?! That explains why they come around here every year. Because of Mr. Saxon, right?”

  “Right. But now that I'm moving about again... this wolf and I do not get along if you have heard any tales.”

  “That's right... the werewolf elders would have a beef with you...”

  “Beef?”

  “He's got a problem with you, sorry. Anyway this means if he gets your sent then he's going to lose it!”

  “Yes and he will come into town after me... and anyone around me. I can't fight them alone, not a whole pack.”

  “I would imagine... just one would be tough for me... a lower first class could take two or three at a time and anyone above that could take anything from one to six I think...”

  “That sounds right. I fought ten my first time and I was knocking them into a wall covered in silver nearby to finish them... I still lost.”

  “Really? Wow. We never really found out what happened to you after you tossed the last of your siblings over the wall. To know you took on all ten of the elder werewolves by yourself is amazing! How many did you take down?”

  “Seven.”

  “Wow, that's amazing! For your first time in a real fight?! I'm sure you're even better now, right?”

  “You stray from the subject to easily...”

  “Sorry... its just so cool to get to meet you, everyone thought you died... everyone except your brother, Jonathan.”

  I smiled for a second, then said “Well I am alive and we have a problem. Can you gather others in the area?”

  “It would take time to do alone, but the posters will help a lot. I'll do what I can.”

  “Good I want everyone to meet at the southern beach.”

  “Which one?”

  “The one that's going to have posters around it.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “One more thing... would you have any silver?”

  “You know, I actually am nuts enough to have some.  Have it in a lead box. For the girls, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Okay. I'll brining it here for them later....

  “So can I ask what are you going to do with Kersten? Or are you just going to continue to hold her in your arms...”

  “Just get going.”

  “Righty'o, see you in a few then. By the way, the names Jake Thompson.”

  “Good evening Jake. Now hurry, we do not know when the wolves will come.”

  “Gotcha, I'm gone. Later!” he said as he finally started to get going.

  With Jake gone I took Kersten to her bedroom and laid her down on her bed. Later on, I had to deal with explaining to her that her friend really is a vampire. Then I had to explain to her that I had been made king of the vampires back when we were first made as I was strongest.