1627 Nessa describes a night of terror and how she became a vampire.
Kalman and I sat
by the fire enjoying each other's company. The door burst open, destroying our
peaceful evening. A tall, bald, hideous creature stood in the doorway staring
at us. When he snarled, he revealed two-inch fangs. I knew he was one of the
undead and had come for our blood.
Kalman screamed.
“Nessa, run!”
He grabbed an
iron poker, trying to strike him, but the vampire swatted it out of his hand.
He grabbed Kalman and bit his neck until he was dead. I grabbed the poker from
the floor and rushed at the creature. The vampire dropped Kalman and hit me on
the side of the head, and I lost consciousness.
I
awoke to the sight of the vampire sucking the last of Kalman's blood. When I
screamed, the vampire turned towards me, his fangs dripping blood, and he
snarled once more as he came closer. The creature grabbed my bodice, opened his
mouth, and I knew I was going to die. However, he stopped, stroked my face with
a long talon-like fingernail, and said, “You're too lovely to kill.” He swung
me over his shoulder, kicked away the remains of the front door, and carried me
into the night.
The
vampire walked swifter than any human, covering several miles before we
approached a cave. He set me on the ground. Then he pushed aside a boulder that
would have taken four strong men to move. We entered a dark cave, but he moved
without hesitation until a woman called out to him.
“Narice, I have brought you a companion,” he
said in a deep, raspy voice, and then dumped me on the ground.
Stunned,
but not hurt, when I landed on the floor, I discovered it 234was covered by
several inches of dirt. Terrified because I couldn't see anything, I tried to
move away when the woman's hand touched me. I backed into a wall, remaining
motionless, shivering until I finally fell asleep.
When
I awoke, I heard no noise or movement. I crawled along the floor until I felt
the vampire lying with his arms folded across his chest. He and the woman lying
next to him were still. I sat back against the wall and cried, unable to
believe the nightmare in which I found myself.
I
could not shut out the image of my beloved husband with his throat ripped open.
Later, I felt disoriented and feverish. There was a throbbing sensation on the
right side of my neck. I felt two puncture holes, and I realized he had taken
some of my blood. The fever worsened, and I lay on the ground semiconscious for
several days.
When
the fever passed, I regained my senses. I knew I had changed because I could
see in the dark and experienced a craving I couldn't explain.
The
vampire returned and grabbed my hand and dragging me into the night. He told me
to wait by a tree, and then he walked into the forest. The cold night air
didn't bother me. I heard the vampire stepping on twigs long before I could see
him. He returned carrying an unconscious deer. When he put the deer's neck in
front of my face, I bit into it without thinking. The blood flowing through my
new fangs felt natural. After a while, I was sated. He drained the remaining
blood from the deer, and took me back to the cave.
When
we returned, he stood before me and said, “You are a vampire and will live
forever. I have given you a precious gift.”
I didn't respond, horrified by what I had done and my craving for
blood.
He hadn't given me a gift, but rather made me into a dreadful creature.
