Who Were You

 

I watched the slender blonde from a distance. She hopped out of her friend Marcia’s red convertible and walked toward her house. I drank in the sight of her. It’s strange how more clothing can sometimes be less.

You see, a bikini reveals almost everything, leaving nothing to the imagination. The dress she was wearing now clung to her curves, with a breeze blowing its flimsy material tight between her legs, revealing not so much flesh as a bikini would, but showing every nuance of her body, making me think about what it would be like to be that cloth, caressing her thighs and legs, stroking between her legs...

I adjusted myself on my tree branch and forced myself to stop staring at the nubile young woman and instead focused on her friends, memorizing their faces, and the license plate, make and model of their car.

The car disappeared and Sarah went into her house. While she checked out the refrigerator, said goodnight to her mother, brushed her teeth and did her nightly beauty regime, I crept out of my tree and across her front lawn. I leapt up into another tree just a few yards outside of her bedroom, settled onto my favourite branch and waited for the show to begin.

I told myself I shouldn’t be doing this even as she entered her bedroom, turned on the lights and closed the door. But I refocused my binoculars nonetheless.

Her back was to me as she dropped her dress and took off her bra. I had been wondering if she was wearing a bra. Even from this distance I could tell her skin was soft and smooth.

She turned to pick up her pajama bottoms and I almost fell at a flash of her breast. She put on her PJs, turned out the lights and climbed into bed.

I could easily climb through her window and crawl into her bed, wrapping my body around her warmth. My fingers tingled at the thought of her pulse beating under my fingertips. I would place a hand on her narrow waist and draw it down over her hips, enjoying how her body curved; I’d caress her breasts and feather my fingers over her flat stomach down toward her center.

She would moan and turn toward me, opening herself to me. Allowing me to kiss her neck and feel the beat of her heart under my lips, letting me taste her mouth and smell the sweet, rich nectar of her exquisite blood...

But no matter what, I could never imagine myself feasting from her veins or drinking the delicate wine from her most intimate areas. I could never allow myself to imagine such liberties with her. It seemed a violation.

I sighed and dropped the twenty feet to the ground. Sunrise always came far too quickly.

I had been watching Sarah Mitchelson for eight days, six hours and forty-three minutes. I knew about her even before I traversed this great land for her, and now that I had been watching her and her friends and associates, I knew almost everything about them and their lives.

I had to do what I had come here for soon. And then, after that...

I would be cursed to forever only imagine the smell and taste of her, to forever have the image of her smile burned into my heart—but I would never see her smile for me, and I would never hold her in my arms. I could never even let her know I existed.

I was getting in too deep. I knew I had to go visit Mrs. Simmons tonight.

• • • • •

“Yeah, and if I had a nickel for every time a vamp said that to me,” Sarah said the next night, kicking the vamp in question in the jaw and sending him flying against a gravestone, “I’d be able to buy Clinique.” She dropped on him and thrust a stake into his heart, “The company, not just the products.”

He burst into a big pile of dust.

She stood, flicked the dust out of her long, blonde hair, smiled and said, “Hey!” as two of her friends arrived. She waved a hand in front of her. “Whew, this one didn’t even know the word deodorant.”

“You’d think with all that time on their hands, they’d at least learn about personal hygiene,” Marcia replied as they started walking.

“Oh, God, I know,” Cindy said. “I met one last week who hadn’t brushed his teeth since the crucifixion. I mean, c’mon, if I was immortal, I’d want to keep my teeth in the best shape possible.”

“Maybe it doesn’t matter so much since they’re on a liquid diet,” Marcia said.

I was dodging along in the shadows a few hundred feet off, watching them. Mrs. Simmons had already been asleep the night before when I went to visit her, and I knew waking her would make her even less likely to hear what I had to say.

Now, it could be that I was trying to not make contact, but I had checked in on her again tonight before coming to watch the girls, but she wasn’t home from work yet.

“Omigod, did you see what Jackie was wearing today?” Marcia exclaimed.

“Oh, I know,” Sarah said, “that dress was so too small for her, I mean, it’d take two of them to fit one of her!”

“It’s not like they don’t make entire lines of clothing for large girls,” Cindy said.

“Oooomf!” Sarah cried as a vamp leapt out of the woods and flew into her, throwing her to the ground.

“I love cheerleader for breakfast,” another vamp said, grabbing Marcia and pinning her against a mausoleum.

“So I wasn’t good enough for you,” the vamp that pinned Cindy to the ground said.

“Huh?” Cindy replied.

“You don’t even recognize me.”

“Maybe it’s the light. Or lack thereof.”

“Eddie Cohen. I asked you to our eighth grade prom.”

“Ooo, ick, get off me,” she cried, hauling her knee into his crotch and flipping him onto his back. She reached into her purse, pulled out a stake, and threw all her power into ramming it into his heart.

He disintegrated into a puff of dust, causing her to fall forward onto her face.

The vamp who had Marcia pinned was leaning forward to sink his teeth into her neck by the time she kicked him in the balls, causing him to draw away and double over in pain. “Bitch!”

Meanwhile, Sarah had fallen back, flipped to her shoulders and pushed herself back up. She had barely regained her footing when her vamp was launching himself at her again. They landed hard on the ground, and she yanked him around so she sat astride him. Her movements were so swift and sure, it was like magick.

He was dust.

Marcia reached into her purse for a stake but came up with a lipstick instead. “Darnit, where is that thing?”

Sarah leapt to her feet and staked that vamp as well.

“Thanks,” Marcia said, finally finding her stake.

“Three at one time?” Sarah asked, looking at her friends. “What was that about?”

“Pre-game,” a tall, dark vampire said, walking out of the woods and looking at the three cheerleaders. He looked directly at Sarah. “You will die tonight.”

“Oh God, can’t you guys come up with anything original to say?” Her smile faded as twelve more vamps came from the shadows.

I had been watching her for more than a week now, so I knew she could take on three-to-six herself, if pushed into it. Her friends could hold their own with one a piece. So they were safe with up to eight, maybe ten, max. I didn’t like that math.

But I knew my dreams of Sarah actually seeing me and knowing me might be clouding my judgment, so I reigned myself in. I reminded myself that meeting me could destroy her and all she was. But still, it only took one too many vamps to give a group of girls a really bad night.

Sarah looked about her, then cried, “Lift!” She ran the few feet to where her fellow cheerleaders had linked their hands. Like a well-oiled machine, she leapt onto their hands and they lifted, sending her flying into the air, coming down to kick two vamps off their feet.

She pulled a stake out of her pocket and swung first to the left, then to the right. Marcia and Cindy staked two more vamps.

But regardless of all their cheerleading drills, they were still overwhelmed.

Two vamps threw themselves at Sarah’s back as soon as she staked the first two, forcing her to the ground. I looked just in time to see Cindy thrown against a mausoleum by two vamps of her own. Her head hit the cold marble and her eyes closed as she lost consciousness.

I had no choice left; I couldn’t not help.

I leapt to Cindy, staking the vamp about to bite her, threw myself down to my hands and did a foot sweep on the vamps who were on Sarah.

Sarah leapt up, feet, arms and stake flashing under the full moon.

I lunged to grab Cindy’s other attacker and bring him to the ground, fully on top of me. I used our momentum to roll him onto his back and pulled my stake up.

His last word was, “You!”

Apparently he knew of me. Glad to know my reputation still meant something. I jumped to my feet and into attack position.

Sarah was already helping Marcia, and I thought perhaps all their cheerleading drills might save the day after all. They worked together well. Sarah was swift and powerful, and even Cindy was able to defend herself.

I grabbed one of the vamps racing up behind Sarah, threw him to the ground, and made him go poof.

Sarah whipped around to block the next vamp, throwing up an arm to block his blow while jabbing her left into his abdomen, throwing him backward several yards.

I dove after him, stake in hand, and dusted him. I jumped to my feet, wondering if I could go scarce, since maybe things were in hand now, but I saw a vampire on top of the mausoleum raising his hand toward Sarah.

“No!” I screamed, throwing myself between him and Sarah. Our eyes met and I became pain. It felt as if my skin was being ripped from my body. I hit the ground and I think I screamed.

I heard Sarah yell. I heard all the girls scream.

I wanted to cry out. I wanted to pass out. I begged for the darkness to take me.

It did.

• • • • •

“...he’s not breathing!” I felt hands on my chest, pumping; lips on my mouth breathing air into me. I wanted to move, to say something, to say that I was all right, but I couldn’t.

The lips on mine, trying to breathe life into my corpse, were soft, yet firm. They meant business.

I used all my strength to bring a hand up to her hip, to show her I wasn’t dead, even though I was.

And for the briefest moment, she kissed me...

...in that moment I found heaven, and I couldn’t let it go...

But then I realized I ought to cough. I would if I were human. So I pushed her away and did so. I coughed and gasped and acted alive, as if she had just saved my life or brought me back from the dead. I also quickly pushed her hands from my chest. I didn’t want her to realize my heart didn’t beat.

I also didn’t want her to realize I was a woman, if she hadn’t already.

“You’re alive!” Sarah whispered, pulling away from me.

“I’m good,” I said, allowing her to help me to my feet.

“Are you sure you should be standing?”

“Yeah...” I wobbled slightly and she was there, warm body and all, to steady me. We fell back against the mausoleum, me pressing against her, my hands on her hips.

Her green eyes were even more beautiful this close up. Especially under the light of a full moon. It was as if I were looking into...

“Oh, God, thank you so much,” Cindy said from behind me. “We couldn’t’ve done it without you!”

I ran my hands up from Sarah’s hips to her waist and pushed myself to my feet. I stumbled about to face Cindy. “Ergh, argh...” my brain was trying to remember the language I was supposed to use. “Yeah, uh, no problem.” American English of the 21st century. Yes, that was it.

Sarah’s hand on my shoulder burned its way down to my bones. “Maybe we should get you to the hospital. Do you know what happened to you?”

“No, I’ll be fine in a few.” I plopped down onto the ground. “And yes, that was magick. You just met the New Order, vamps who do magick.”

“What?” Sarah squatted in front of me.

I cradled my aching head in my hands and stared at the ground. Everything hurt. “Magick. You know about it. Vamps. You know about them. The New Order is a group of vamps who do magick.”

“Vamps don’t do magick,” Cindy said.

“‘New Order...’ why’d they name themselves after a pop group?” Marcia asked.

“It’s the name of a musical group?” I asked.

“Boy, are you out of it or what?” Sarah questioned.

I launched myself to my feet. “I have to go.” I just wished the ground would stop moving. Since that wasn’t happening anytime soon, I wished I were mortal, because then that spell would’ve killed me.

“Easy there,” Sarah steadied me. “We really should get you to a hospital.”

“No, no hospital...” I had to give a reason. “I don’t have insurance and I’ll be fine.” I pulled away from her deceptive softness to stand on my own. “See? I’m fine.” I tilted into a tree. If the world would just stay put for a few moments, I knew I could master this entire corporeal-body thing.

“Who are you kidding?” Sarah came close, as if she were going to touch me. Again.

I closed my eyes and focused. We had just dusted a dozen of the New Order. That had probably been the extent of their plan for tonight. They would’ve thought that many of them would be more than a match for Sarah and her cheerleading buds, so they’d need at least until tomorrow night to organize for another attack. I didn’t have to worry for the rest of tonight.

I stood straight and short, and looked directly into Sarah’s eyes. The world shifted again, but not from the spell. It was as if I was seeing the other half of myself for the first time. I wanted to pull her into my arms, but instead I said, “I’ll be fine.” Then I turned and left.

• • • • •

My feet took me back to my crypt. I didn’t realize where I was till I stood upon the threshold. I paused, knowing there were many hours till sunrise, and that I had a lot to do.

My sensible self told me that I wouldn’t be a lot of good to anyone if I was a big pile of dust. I was in no condition to fight. I should rest tonight so that when tomorrow night arrived and New Order had a chance to regroup, I would be able to lend a hand. And a leg.

I spilled myself onto hard marble and closed my eyes. If the warlock’s spell had hit Marcia, Cindy or even Sarah, it would’ve killed them. Lucky me, I was already dead.

I imagined the beauty of Sarah in action, fighting the demons of the night. The swiftness and surety of her movements, her fists slicing the dark air, like a Henckel knife slices through a tomato...

It’s not like I worked for anyone, as if someone would reprimand me for letting them see me, know about me.

I thought about the depth of her eyes and the electricity and life I felt when we touched. About that moment when she had stopped giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and had kissed me for just a moment. Her lips had lost their forcefulness, and had become velvety softness instead, and instead of pumping a beat into my body, her hands lay on my chest. Just before I began coughing, she had begun pulling from the kiss, and her lips momentarily caressed mine.

From the first time I saw Sarah, I knew I had to meet her. I knew I would do whatever it took to meet her. So I should’ve been better prepared for the occasion. But I hadn’t let myself know I was going to meet her and I was all spelled into unconsciousness and everything so no one could blame me for how massively I really blew that.

Oh, well, what was done was done. I could only think about the future now...

I wanted to experience her. I wanted to be inside of her and touch her, caress her hair, her skin, and... give her pleasure, make her gasp and call out my name. I thought about holding her and loving her...

I had to get out of town. This couldn’t end well.

But for this moment, while I recovered my strength and equilibrium, I could hold thoughts of her as dearly as I would her...

• • • • •

I sometimes hid under the bleachers and watched when she and her squad practised. It was easier if they practiced inside the school, because I just had to stay away from the windows. Outside, I had to work my way through the shadows to watch her. Them.

Regardless of how well I was hidden, at some point, Sarah would look right at me. Even though I knew she didn’t actually see me, but only sensed me, I still ran when she did that.

Except for today... Today when she looked at me, I held my ground. Part of me wanted her to realize it was me. Wanted her to see me. I boldly met her eyes.

Her eyes widened in surprise, and Marcia had to shake her to get her attention back to practise.

• • • • •

At nightfall I made my move. I had to wait until then before doing so because I really didn’t fancy trying to talk my way into an a private residence while slowly igniting.

Mrs. Simmons opened her door. “Yes, can I help you?”

I knew I had to convince her of the urgency and importance of the situation, of the power and foresight of these vamps. After all, it was a potentially apocalyptic situation. “It’s more that I think I can help you. You and yours are facing a terribly powerful bad thing right now. And I’m here to tell you a bit about it.”

“Who are you?”

“A friend. I gave Sarah a very quick briefing the other night, but I know I need ensure you are aware of the severity of that which you face.”

She inched back from the doorway. “Who are you?”

“There’s a new order of vampires around, and they’ve come here to kill Sarah and cause a lot of trouble. They’ve got a lot of power and know how to use it.”

“Can you enter without an invitation?”

I stepped forward and hit the invisible barrier that stopped me from entering any home without the permission of one who resided there. “These vamps, calling themselves the New Order, do magick. Some of them are old and powerful even without the magick, while the young ones were into magick while they were still alive. They have exchanged knowledge and created a most powerful sect.”

“Why should I believe a word you say?”

I wanted to tell her she should believe me because I wanted something in return—I didn’t want her to tell Sarah what—or who—I was. But I knew that would sound like I just wanted to spring a surprise attack upon Sarah. “The only reason for you to believe me is that Sarah has seen them. She’s seen them teleport, and work other types of magick. She watched while one of them hit me with the blast of Arapahanock, which would’ve killed me if I weren’t already dead.”

“But you are dead, so it proves nothing.”

“Why are you arguing with me? I am simply telling you the facts and that you ought to be prepared.”

“Exactly how I take any information is dependent upon the source. Preparing for one evil might distract from preparation against another evil.”

“And ignoring my warning might end up with Sarah six feet under.”

“So why are you telling me this?”

“Do you think you know the name and serial number of any vamps with souls? That you’ve read about them all?” I stared at her and then said, in almost a whisper, “If I wanted Sarah dead, I would’ve let that blow hit her.”

She knew I was a vampire, and thus she couldn’t believe me. So I pulled my last card. I reached into my pocket and dipped my fingers into the mixture I had in a baggie. Then I whispered a brief incantation under my breath and reached through the barrier.

I caressed Mrs. Simmons’ cheek. “Gwen, magick makes almost anything possible. Vamps have occasionally used it. An entire group of them using it is cause for major worry.” She was frozen by the cold of my fingers. “Whenever something threatens one of the line, I try to help. I’m usually too late, but this time, I heard about it all the way in New York and thought I might be able to help.”

I turned and left without waiting for any further words from her. I didn’t want her to discover that although I could reach through the barrier, I still couldn’t enter.

• • • • •

Since I wasn’t sure anyone was taking the threat seriously, the only way to ensure Sarah’s safety was to see to it myself, until I could convince her of the power of the threat.

She was out by herself tonight, and had apparently already seen some action (I could tell by the dust sprinkled throughout her corn silk hair, and the streak of blood along the left sleeve of her denim jacket).

I sidled through the bushes and trees, all the while watching her. She kept looking in my direction, even though I knew I made no sound. She was very good at what she did—if I had been less than I was, she would’ve known I was there.

I should’ve left. I shouldn’t have stayed there, distracting her. Maybe if I had taken my leave in a more timely manner, what happened wouldn’t have.

But it did.

Three of the New Order attacked her at once. One of them hit her with a fireball, which she barely ducked in time.

She did a slick somersaulting maneuver that ended with her vaulting over a cemetery marker and hitting one of them in the chest with both feet, sending him up-off-the-ground flying.

Another threw the blast of Arapahanock toward her as she tried to land. She saw it coming and adjusted her weight to miss it, but ended up on her cute ass. She threw her stake at the third, but he teleported a few feet north just in time to miss it.

I grabbed the grounded vamp by his collar and thrust my stake through his heart.

She did a rolling somersault and kicked... nothing.

I dropped onto my back, sprang up off my shoulders, and kicked out at... nothing.

Just then, two other vamps sprang from the surrounding woods at us. She took one, I took the other, and by the time they were dust, the surviving New Order two had totally disappeared.

“Where are they?” she asked, slowly turning around with her stake out.

“They’re gone,” I replied, turning around...

...right into her.

We were inches from each other, and I felt her heart beat as my own.

She looked up into my eyes, feeling that our souls were part of the same, and finally whispered, “Who are you?”

Her breath was warm on me when I replied. “A shadow.”

She reached out and laid her hand on my arm. “I can’t touch a shadow.”

I covered her hand with my own, feeling her heat, and closed my eyes. “No, you can’t.” I opened my eyes, our fingers interlocking. “Sarah, you have to forget I exist.”

“I can’t. What’s your name?” Her breath was burning my cheek.

“I have too many names to even recall...”

“You’re talking like Mrs. Simmons now. What should I call you?”

“How about ‘Hey you?’”

She looked down and ran her oh-so-warm hand up and down my arm. Even through the leather jacket and shirt I wore, I felt it.

I have learned and mastered self-control. I am an outsider: I know the rules. I know what I can and cannot do.

I brought my hands to her hips and ran them up over her curves. I leaned down and touched my lips to hers...

I know that excitement and danger make adrenaline course through the body. But still...

Her lips were silk, her tongue was electric, her body fit into mine as if we were drawn from the same mold.

Of course we were. We were two halves to one whole. But I already knew that, and that is why I stayed away from her. Why I kept her from me. Why I kept all those of her line from myself. It was part of my eternal punishment for allowing myself to be forced into drinking.

I pushed away from her and said, “I am your worst nightmare.” My hand moved upward, to caress her cheek. “As far as you know, I don’t even exist.”

And then I turned to leave. I could have disappeared, but I have very little magick, and wanted to keep it for when it counts.

“Really, who are you?” she asked, whipping me around by my shoulder. I really hate it when someone breaks my perfect exit.

“I am who I am. I’m just like you, but not.” I wanted to pull her into my arms. I wanted to do all that I should not.

“Speaking in riddles, just like everyone else. I should know better by now.” She stepped toward me. “Anyone mysterious is up to no good.”

“I came here to warn you about what’s coming.”

She turned from me. “Just like everyone else. All anybody does anymore is warn me. Warn me and threaten me.”

I stepped up behind her. I was so close I could feel the heat of her body against mine. “I came here to warn you, prepare you, and protect you.” Her body stiffened. I placed my hands on her elbows. There was still room between our bodies. I ran my mouth along the delicious length of her neck, feeling the beat of her pulse against my lips. I had to take a breath so the fangs wouldn’t emerge. I couldn’t let her know, at least not yet. “I saw you and wanted to meet you. Wanted to know how your skin felt, wanted to know the taste of your lips.” I moved my hands from her elbows to her waist and allowed myself to feel the sweet curve of her...

She leaned back and the weight of her body against me brought me home. I felt safe and secure for the first time in centuries when she relaxed against me. I learned peace in that moment.

She took my hands in hers and drew them around her waist, placing herself in my care and protection. Her hands were warm in mine. Her body was alive within my dead arms, her clean, vanilla scent drifted around me and her hair was soft against my face. Her neck was pressed against my teeth, open and exposed.

Then...

...like one...

...we turned to face the six vamps who suddenly appeared beside us.

“Duck!” I screamed, throwing Sarah to the ground, diving on top of her. The vamps barely missed us with their first blast of magick, but I felt the power of it break the molecules of the air above us.

As one, we jumped to our feet, leaping into battle mode. I lost track of the flurries of blows both Sarah and I dealt and received, but we fought back-to-back, only occasionally yelling out to each other.

“Magick! Keep them busy so they can’t...” I screamed, just before getting kicked across the jaw. It threw me to the ground and the vamp wasted no time. He was quickly on top of me.

I had no choice: I let the demon out and warped into vamp-face.

“What the fuck are you?” he asked, his blade to my throat.

“About to kill you.” I threw him onto his back and drove my stake into his heart.

When all the vamps were dust, when we were victorious for this moment in time, Sarah and I stood, inches apart. Her chest was heaving for lack of breath. Mine wasn’t.

She reached to touch the distortions of my face, feeling the ridges. I forgot I was still in vamp-face.

“You’re a vampire,” she said, wondrously. No one ever saw that part of me, the demon side of me, without getting scared.

“Yes, I am,” I said, sliding my features back into their human state. I could feel the blood pulse through the hand she held against my cheek.

“You said you were just like me.”

“I am. But I’m not. I’m a vampire.”

“I noticed. So why haven’t you attacked me yet?”

Her green eyes were close to mine. Her body was pulsing with life. Her lips were wet and ready. I could drink from her, I could take her, I could change her and make her mine.

The stake in her hand hit my foot when she dropped it.

I could make her mine. Now. In this moment. And she would be mine forever.

“Don’t you want me?” Her breath was hot in my mouth.

Our mouths met, and I knew I could have her right there and then. I pushed her up against a tree, pushing my leg between her willing thighs.

“Yes...” she moaned, grinding against my centuries-old muscles.

I pushed away from her, but she held me. “No.”

“Don’t you understand what I am?”

“If you wanted to bite me, you would’ve.”

“Don’t you understand what I’m telling you?” I wanted to say more, but it was all so cliché. After so many centuries, almost everything becomes cliché.

In response, she brushed her hair from her neck, spreading it out like a feast for me. “You’ve saved me twice already. Take what’s yours.”

I went into vamp-face, and ran my pronounced canines over the tender flesh of her neck. Then I bit her, driving my fangs into her neck, marking her. She moaned and pushed against me even harder.

I didn’t drink. I felt her warm body in my hands, felt her moving against my thigh, and I pulled back. I brought back my regular face and said, “I’ve wanted to. More than I’ve ever wanted to before.” I leaned toward her, and kissed the other side of her neck. Ran my tongue up the soft tissue and touched her sweet ear with my tongue. “I’ve never fed off a human.” I gently nibbled on her lobe. She arched against me.

Then she pushed me back. With her hands on my shoulders she said, “You’re right, I don’t know you. I don’t know how old you are, or where you come from or what your story really is.” She began running her hands over my cheeks, ears, hair and shoulders. I ignited from every place she touched me. “I do know you’re a vampire with a soul. I know you’re on my side, an ally.” She took my hand in her own, and studied it. “I know you’ve been watching me, keeping track of me, for weeks now. I’ve felt you. And I know how that makes me feel, and how kissing you makes me feel. I know your touch makes me weak.” She took my hand and placed it on her breast, over her heart. “What else do I need to know?”

I felt the softness of her breast, and felt the hardness of her rising nipple. With my other hand I dove beneath her tank-top to feel her tight abs and up to the lace of her bra. I pushed her bra and tank up so I could take the naked swell of her breast into my hand. I followed with my other hand to expose her more fully. I kissed one nipple, then the other, cupping each breast in turn. I took each nipple in between each of my thumb and forefingers and squeezed. Then I stood to look into her eyes. “I died when I was eighteen.”

“But you’ve never fed off a human?” Her breathing was ragged.

“A powerful witch found me too late. She couldn’t keep me from dying, but she gave me my soul.” I caressed her breasts, her stomach, the swell of her hips. I’ve been with women before, but the connection this time was so intense, I couldn’t stop touching her, even though I knew I was her worst enemy. I was what she could become. What I wanted to make her become.

“I know you’re a woman,” she said, placing one of my hands on her crotch. “I knew it when I gave you mouth-to-mouth.” She unbuttoned her jeans and slid down the zipper. “Who were you?”

“I was you. 1600 years ago, I was you.” I had been born to fight the vampires and demons who came to this world to feast off its life, but one night, I lost the battle. When I was almost dead, she had held my nose, and cut her throat so when I tried to gasp my dying breath through my mouth, her blood filled me, transforming me.

The one who ran to save me, the one who realized she had sent me before I was ready to meet such a master vampire, was also a very powerful Wicca. She immediately performed a spell to guide my soul back into my body, so it was already there when I rose from my grave.

My eternal penance for not doing my job well was to be forced to continue doing it for all of my now immortal life.

Immortality had become something I was dying to get rid of, but I couldn’t, because I had yet to prove myself worthy.

Sarah, staring into my eyes, must have seen something I could never say, and she also must have seen something worthy, because just as I was about to release her, she took my hand and put it inside of her jeans. “I need you inside of me.”

 

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