[||Skittles||]: 321.Eternal Damnation.TheVampireandTheMaiden

Book: Eternal Damnation
Chapter: One: The Vampire and The Maiden

  Two years ago she moved to Shannon, Ireland. Exploring an abandoned section of the city, she came across a tomb. The walls were lined with caskets. About ten lined the far wall while five lined the other two walls. In the center of the tomb two caskets were placed. She wanted to leave, but she found herself drawn to the larger of the two centered caskets. Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself unhooking the latches and pushing up the lid.
What she found was not what she was expecting. The body still looked fresh, even though the latches were almost rusted shut. It was a man. His hair was a light brown color and his cheeks were flushed. Her hand hesitated slightly before reaching down and opening his left eye. Green. She opened his mouth slightly and saw his teeth. Two of them were clearly pointed. Her mind flashed to the movie Dracula. But vampires aren’t real, are they? Of course they aren’t. They are fictional creatures of the night. She told herself that. How could she know? Her life was that of a normal American’s. She never actually paid attention to her surroundings. She led a simple life. She still had much to learn about the unseen world of darkness.
She didn’t move for a moment as the realization of vampires actually existing hit her like a brick wall. Looking down at the man she found herself wanting more and more to touch his skin, kiss his lips…crawl inside with him and stay there forever. A small piece of information she had picked up from her research a while ago slipped into her thoughts. Vampires are very seductive creatures. Beware if you come across one, for you might find yourself drawn to its essence. She looked away from the man and examined little name pallets on each of the other caskets.
The names and ages had been worn down, but she knew that the occupants in the caskets weren’t very old because of how small the caskets were. She heard a small whisper and she turned back to the open casket. As hard as she tried she couldn’t keep away from the man. She had noticed a necklace around his neck and reached down, grasping it in her hands.
A symbol of a seven pointed star was carved into the front of the necklace while the back had a small note engraved into it:
To My Darling Robert:
Forever I shall be with you,
Even after death.
Love your sweet Isabella.
The star with seven points is that of a witch. She looked up at the other casket and went over to it. She pulled up on the latches and removed the lid. Inside was not the fresh corpse of Dracula’s wife, but instead a skeleton of an unknown female. Around her neck was a necklace with a moon engraved on the front and a message engraved on the back:
To My Sweet Isabella:
Upon our waking moments,
I shall embrace you with a
Kiss of eternal life.
Love your darling Robert.
She pulled on the necklace too forcefully and the spinal cord snapped in half, leaving the necklace in her hand. The skeleton disappeared¬¬¬¬¬ leaving nothing to suggest that anything had ever been in the casket to begin with. She stood there, staring at the necklace. She needed to go get her camera and take pictures of this place before it was taken over by the public. Without thinking about it she slipped the necklace over her head and around her neck before going back up the stairs.
She pulled the camera out of her backpack and turned it on, taking it back down with her. But wait, what is this? The male body is gone. She walked over to the casket and peered inside. Sure enough, no trace of anything was to be found in that casket either.
“My sweet Isabella, you have returned for me.” She froze. The voice was quiet but chill, yet a romantic tone was hinted inside of it. She turned and saw the once dead man now standing in a corner of the tomb.
He swiftly walked to her and took her in his arms. Bending down he kissed her neck gently before pricking her neck gently with his teeth. She pulled away and her hand went to her neck, wiping away blood.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but I am not, sir, your sweet Isabella.” He looked at her oddly for a moment then anger spread over his face.
“Is that not her necklace that you wear? Did you steal it off her neck for your own beauty?” Realizing that she had put on the necklace she took it off quickly holding it out to him.
“No, you don’t understand. I was looking at it and it came off Isabella’s neck. Then her remains disappeared and… well I don’t know quite why I put it on my neck, but I assure you I was not going to keep it.” He snatched it out of her hand and tucked it away.
“Who are you, young lady?” He asked, looking at her contently.
“Elizabeth Moore, and yourself, sir?” She tried to keep him from loosing his temper again.
“Robert Shwinn. What year is this?”
“This is April of 2006, sir. When did you die?”
“I was put in this blasted casket 2, 000 years ago…but, I died over 7, 000 year’s ago. I lost my soul on my 21st birthday. Since then I’ve wandered the earth. I met Isabella seven years before we were executed. We had 20 children. All were executed as well.” A sigh escaped his throat. “Why are you here?”
She looked at him and replied slowly, “I’m not sure. I just came across the tomb today while I was walking.”
He shrugged lightly and glanced at the entrance. The light was slowly dimming from the sky. When he spoke again his voice was soft and almost daring.
“It’s been 2,000 years since I’ve had the lust for blood, the look on a sweet, young, and innocent face as I slowly take her life away. I’ve missed it dearly. It’s almost too much to bear.” She looked at him, slightly concerned and he stared at her, thirst filled his eyes. “With such an innocent form here within my reach…” His voice faded away and his eyes awoke.
She walked to the entrance steadily. “It’s getting late, I’d better get home.” His hand gently clasped hers quickly.
“Let me walk you home, you don’t know what could be lurking in the darkness…”
“Besides you?” She laughed slightly. “I’ve walked these streets at night for a year now, Robert. I’ll be fine.” He let go of her hand and she went up the stairs, leaving him standing there in the darkness.
She picked up her book bag and slipped her arms through the straps. The wind picked up a bit as she began walking back to her home. Along the way she found a walking stick on the side of the path and picked it up, gently letting it make indents the ground as she walked.
Her grip tightened as footsteps were heard behind her. Wait for it, Liz, She told herself. Wait until they’re closer. The footsteps quickened, getting closer to her small form. She held the stick with both hands like a baseball bat and kept walking. Waiting.
The footsteps were right behind her, now. She brought back the stick and spun around swinging as hard she could at the predator. The dark form flung its arm up, catching the blow.
“I’d almost forgotten what pain felt like, Elizabeth.” The form said, grasping its arm tightly. “Thank you for reminding me.” Her eyes widened as she realized it was Robert she had hit.
“Robert? Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else.” She went to him, taking his arm in her hands. “Why were you following me?” He pulled out the camera.
“You forgot this. I was returning it to you.” She took the camera and put it in her bag, then examined his arm. “You won’t find any damage, I’ve already healed.” He told her, pulling his sleeve down. “May I accompany you the rest of the way to your home?” His voice was innocent, but his eyes said otherwise.
“No, I’ll be fine.” She said smiling. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Robert.” She placed a gentle hand on his arm before turning and heading off down the path leaving him, once more, in the darkness.
“She’s a funny sort of girl.” He whispered quietly. “I’ve never met anyone quite like her. Where is she from? Maybe she’s an angel? Sent from the heavens to rescue my soul? That’s how the story always ends, isn’t it? Well anyways, tomorrow I shall see her once more and together…we will dance.”
~*~