As the sun fell asleep, I arose like the moon. My mind was blurred by the events of the day before. It was as if I was trapped in some sort of nightmare. My eyelids were covered by matted snow. Pain soared through my eyelids when I tried to open them. Once my eyes were freed, they connected with the fallen cabin. The events of the day before were no longer a nightmare, they were a reality. I staggered toward what was once our home. My knees grew weak the closer I got. It was then I felt heat against my icy chest. Elena’s locket was somehow warming my chest. I gently touched over the tulip. The surface was cold in my hands, but against my chest, it continued to radiate heat.
The wind blew, forcing me to move toward the collapsed place. My foot steps were slowed by the several inches of snow, but they kept moving until I reached the first pile of burnt wood. The wind ceased, and I looked around with tear filled eyes. There was a glimmer of color under the wood placed at my feet. It was so faint that a human would not have been able to notice it. I sunk down onto my knees and began to dig through the mess. Things went flying this way and that from the digging I was doing in order to find the item of color that made me hopeful. A layer of ash covered most of the item, but some of the bright green coloring could still be seen. I moved my hand over the ash gently to brush it away without damaging anything. The painting could then be identified. It was of Elena and me about twenty years ago. The portion of the painting containing me had been burned away. There were slight scorch marks all along the sides. Her auburn hair had looked redder that day. The painter had almost made her hair completely red. She adored that. She loved her red color. She was wearing a lovely emerald green dress with a corset and a floor length skirt. She looked like a queen. Her wardrobe was full of similar dresses. My love could no longer wear the beautiful dresses she once loved.
Tears spilled from my eyes when I hugged the painting against my chest. She was gone forever. My eyes shone a bright red as anger came into my heart.
“Those who hurt her will pay for what they have done,” I vowed into the night air.
I got up and folded up the painting the best I could and placed it inside my brown leather vest. The ice and snow that stuck to me began to melt. I could never understand how or why things melted against my cold exterior, but it was a good thing they did. Had they not, my identity as a supernatural being would have been known to anyone who glanced at me.
I began walking toward the village in my damp and bloodied clothes. The snow was even deeper than the night before. Had it not been for my immortality, I would have died from the prolong exposure of the cold. Though, I guess we vampires are not exactly immortal since we can die.
The walk to the village took about half the night. There were patches of thorns here and there. I would climb trees and jump onto the next tree as a way to get by. It was easier than trying to trudge through the snow. When I leaped, snow fell from the branches; luckily, the snow was falling quite heavily from the sky at this time. It helped to hide my location from prying eyes. I stayed up in the trees until I could see guards standing around the border of the village with their torches. I jumped down and crouched around the bushes, searching for just the right person. I remained there for about five minutes when a black smith came close by. He was a well-built man about my size. He had on a white long sleeved shirt covered in soot, long brown pants, and a pair of boots. The bald man had broad shoulders and a brown beard covered his face. His eyes were lit by a nearby light post. The candle was one of the few producing enough light for the man to make out which path lead home. He was distracted by something close to one of the houses when I grabbed his leg and dragged him behind the bush. A scream filled his throat and tried to make it to the surface, but the scream was muffled by my hand.
“Remove your shirt,” I demanded as I stared straight into his eyes.
His hands moved to lift his shirt up over his head. The man’s movements were almost robotic. It was like he had no control over his own limbs. I guess he sort of didn’t considering I was controlling him through hypnotic suggestion.
Once his shirt was removed and placed safely on the ground, I lowered us both down beneath the bushes. My hand was over his cold mouth as I bit into his warm neck. The man, still in a hypnotic state, didn’t put up a fight when his blood rushed into my mouth. I wanted to savor the blood, but I knew I didn’t have the time. I quickly finished the man off and went to get his shoes. The black boots were easy to slip off of the man’s foul-smelling feet. Luckily, the shoes didn’t smell quite as vile. I then tugged the pants off the man. They came off in one swift tug. I quickly removed my own clothes and replaced them with the man’s. I retrieved Elena’s picture from my vest and put it into a pocket on the pants before searching for a way out from behind the bushes.
No guards stood close by, this helped me to step into the little village without questioning eyes. I left the man’s body behind hoping that it would be found in the morning. I strolled along a market area. It was almost completely closed down. The only place left open was the inn. Laughter and hooting could be heard from outside. I made my way in and sat down at an empty table. The smell of people’s body odor plus alcohol could be over welling for most. It was stronger than I had expected. I must have made a face for an older man came over and joined me at the table.
“Ya ‘ill get use to smell,” he said with a smile that was discolored and missing too many teeth, but he smelled decent compared to the others.
“I hope not,” I said never wanting to smell the stench of these people ever again.
The man’s deep laugh caused his twig-sized figure to shake, “Ya new ‘round these parts?”
“Just passing through,” I scanned the room, making note of their conversations. “I just stopped to rest my feet.”
“When ya plan on leavin’?” he made a notion to the server with his long bony fingers as he asked. The server nodded in reply.
“Later tonight,” I replied, ceasing my ease dropping.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were ya, son,” the man rubbed his medium length white beard.
“You would not do what, Neal?” the burly server asked as he placed two drinks down on the table.
“Wouldn’t leave at night,” he stated taking a gulp.
“Did those two ever come back?” the server took a seat beside Neal.
“Not heard a peep.”
“Who did not come back?” I asked intrigued by the two men’s conversation.
“The two that were hired to kill, what some people think are, vampires. They left last night and never came back,” he said rolled his eyes and standing up. “Gentlemen, I must get back to work.”
“Talk to ya later,” Neal waved him off.
“Why do you think there are vampires?” I asked finally taking a sip of the drink placed in front of me. It was rather bland to my abnormal taste buds.
Neal leaned half way across the wooden table before speaking, “People been found dead with two ‘oles in their neck. The doc cuts ‘em up and can’t find any blood.”
“Who would have hired someone to even attempt to kill them? It seems like an impossible quest,” I asked hoping he’d tell me who was responsible.
“Lord Bison,” He spat.
“I take it you do not favor this ‘Lord Bison’ very much,” Neal settled back down into his seat.
“He a rat! He come here and make himself this giant O’ place and think he is king,” he downed the rest of his drink and slammed the cup on the table.
“Sounds like I would despise him,” I said playing along with the man.
The man smiled and waved to the server for another drink.