Parts Two & Three (draft)

Part Two

Folly Later that evening as I searched the ruins for my second meal I heard the strangest sound. It was a distant and haunting. It was beautiful and alluring. Was it music!? Perhaps someone had found a functioning radio? I pitied the fool. Surely such a sound would attract all manner of unwholesome attention, including my own. I made my way in the direction of the sound. It was significantly further off than I had first imagined. It is quite exceptional how far sound travels in a ruined and mostly deserted city. How deceptive distances can be even to one with such highly developed senses as myself. As it grew progressively louder I could hear that it was in fact music. It was an organic kind of music that seemed to be coming from a pipe organ. Surely I was under the influence of some kind of magic. How could a pipe organ have survived the devastation of such a reckless nuclear war? Although this city had not taken a direct hit, it had been mercilessly bombed over a long period but this sound had to be coming from an organ, no electronic device could produce such a sound as this. Soon I discovered its source. I stood in deep shadow opposite an alleyway brightly lit with many fires that lead to a tall beautiful stone building that had miraculously survived mostly untouched. Upon the surface of the building hung two red tapestries, each baring a golden dragon motif in a style that seemed a strange mixture of East and West. Dozens of people were making their way up the alley towards the building, most of who were burdened in someway. A few were dressed in dark, almost black, hooded robes in the likeness of monks. I wanted to get inside but I had to find a disguise, lest I be recognized as an outsider, or even inhuman. To my left and only a few yards away I spotted two robed men heading towards the alley. I knew I could take them but I had to be careful that there weren’t others nearby lest someone hear the scuffle. It seemed that they were alone. I disappeared into the building behind me and with preternatural speed was within reach of my victims within seconds. I sprang out behind them gripping them by the face to muffle their screams and pulled them into a nearby building. They came without struggle but as soon as we were inside they spun around to face me with astonishing speed. I reached for their throats in an effort to tear out their windpipes but they had me with such speed that my vampire brain could not even process the movement. I struggled but their grip was unmoveable. I could see their faces for a split second in the moonlight. This was enough for me to realise that these were nosferatu and not humans at all. I struggled but it was in vain. I kicked at my opponents and in response heard the blood curdling sound of bones shattering as they twisted my arms into an unnatural position in one swift synchronized move. Pain tore through my body and as I felt something tear into my belly I lost all consciousness. When I awoke it was in darkness. I was cold, wet, and naked. A rusted iron shackle attached to a heavy chain had been locked around my neck. The floor, under a few inches of water, was of smooth slippery concrete. I could smell death very close and pungent. A decomposing body no doubt lay very near to me. I felt sick in my stomach. Yes despite the associations of my kind with death much of our humanity remains within us, particularly when we are young, as I was then. The smell of rotting human flesh was powerfully sickening to me. I vomited the contents of my stomach and continued to dry retch even after my stomach was empty.

I passed perhaps an hour in that accursed place wondering how I could have been so careless. In my eagerness to get inside I had sprang my attack without first gauging my potential victims. Had I stopped to observe these two I would no doubt have picked up something in their movements that would have told me that these were not human. Humans are relatively clumsy in their economy of movement. Vampires move with unnatural grace and efficiency. I should have seen this. A door opened, from which a blinding light shone down a staircase towards me illuminating my surroundings. Instinctively I covered my eyes. I heard a strange ethereal voice demand “I want her cleaned her up, give her some fresh clothes and then I wish to speak to her in the dining hall.” “Were the hell am I?” I demanded coarsely. No answer followed only two robed beings came down the stairs. As they laid the hands upon me I jerked away. In response I felt one pull on the chain and forcefully begin to drag me towards the stairs. “Vaughn,” the ethereal voice called “I want you to show our guest the hospitality of civilised men. You might have been lowly breed to a vulgar era but I was raised to treat guests, even prisoners, with cordial dignity.” “As you wish sire,” the vampire who was pulling the chain replied, ceasing his harsh treatment. “Right this way madam,” he said sarcastically as he turned to face me gesturing up the stairs. “I want to know where you have taken me!” I demanded. “All will be revealed in due time,” the first replied “And as you are our prisoner, you are in no position to make demands. Now go have a hot bath, change into the clothes I have provided and I will speak to you thereafter.” At this he walked away leaving me in the hands of his minions whom I now realised were he very same vampires I had attacked earlier. Part Three

A New Skin The first floor beyond the confines of that detestable cellar was derelict in appearance though free of debris. The dust upon the floor was not so thick as one would expect in these old buildings. “I suppose we should remove this chain,” one said to the other. “What if she tries to escape?” Vaughn replied “You wouldn’t try such a thing would you?” the other asked, “I mean I am sure you haven’t forgotten what happen when you crossed with us before now, have you?” “I haven’t forgotten,” I said spitefully. “Very well take it off her but if you try anything you will dine with sire without your legs,” said Vaughn My eyes locked his coldly as he undid the chain. I wanted to take off his head but now was not the time. “Here carry this,” he said shoving the shackle and chain in my arms. I did as he requested resisting the urge to wrap the chain around his throat. “I wouldn’t be doing that if I were you,” the other said having read my thoughts. I knew that there were vampires with this ability but did not have the talent myself. They took me through the building to the fourth level. I was taken back by how immaculate this place was. It was like a palace compared to anything I had encountered. Even the expensive hotel I had stayed in while on holiday in Australia seemed tacky compared to this. The unity of design was impressive, nothing seemed

out of place, though everything was exquisitely ornate. Many candles lit the room so that it was bright and warmly inviting. Deep crimson and gold was commonly used in the décor as well as, to a lesser extent, pearl. The entire spectrum of colours was used though mostly very subtly. There were paintings on the walls that had obviously been painted by masters and had no doubt been recovered from one of the cities once numerous art galleries. The room I was taken to was large. The colour scheme changed slightly in favour of greens. A four-poster bed dominated the room upon which the bedding was brocade unlike anything I had seen. It was stylistic yet seemed to capture nature more perfectly. “Your clothes are on the chair,” Vaughn said pointing to a black silk dress hanging over an ornate chair. The dress had a subtle, barely visible from this distance but for my vampiric vision, red vines patterning in a twisting almost Celtic design. Flecks of gold could be seen in the design as highlights. “Beyond the door a bath has been prepared for you. I will call you when the sire is ready to speak with you.” At this the two robed vampires left the room. The door closed and I heard them lock it from the other side. I could smash it open if I wished to but things had taken an unexpected and most intriguing turn. Even if I were to try, I suspected that my captors were close at had and would throw me back into that abominable place if I tried. At this I decided it best to see where this would take me. Obviously the strange vampire with the ethereal voice meant me no harm: at least not yet. It was in my best interests not to spoil this. I would look for means to escape should it become necessary but was content to await my summons. The bath was deep and hot. I savoured every moment of it. It had been decades since I had taken a bath, as hot water had itself been a rare treat. Vampires don’t need to wash in the same way that mortals do. Blood and dirt rinses off our bodies with little effort. We do not produce sweat in the same way that humans do and thus do not produce unpleasant bodily odours, quite the contrary to this. Rather we produce a very pleasant though indescribable scent that is powerfully seductive to vampires and particularly to humans. To take a bath such as this is a pleasure on its own and made me relaxed after my ordeal. After a long bath I got put on the dress. I did not know where my own travel clothes were and felt awkward wearing such a fine item of clothing as this. It’s fit was very near perfect and looking in the mirror I did not look out of place. The dress seemed display my body in a way I would have been slightly self-conscious of as a mortal but would have been deeply flattered by. I left my red hair down around my shoulders (it had taken a hue very close to that of blood since my rebirth as a Vampire). Before me stood a powerful goddess not the ragged vagrant I was used to seeing. I felt confident and ready to face this strange and alluring vampire they called Sire. R Garrett. Copy Right  All Rights Reserved.