Saving Mitchell
Chapter 1 – "Original"
You say the word vampire and every human knows what that is. You say the words Old Ones and every vampire knows what that is. You say the word Original and only one being in the world knows what that is. That one being would be me, Cara O'Connor.
This is the part where I tell you my story, give you some insight into my world but this story isn't about me really. It's about what I am and how that saved one vampire, John Mitchell.
What I am is a little difficult to explain and not even the Old Ones believed me until I proved it to them. You see, I'm not human or vampire, I'm not dead or undead, I am simply the offspring of the first vampire ever in creation.
Impossible you say, nonsense you say, I wish it wasn't true. I have lived more lives, seen more sunsets than I care to mention. My father was the first vampire, he was born not bitten. Samuel Connor came into this world a man without a soul, his mother giving him up to the darkness upon his conception. He lingered between the world of dark and light for all of his life, the demon inside him spreading his death.
I was born within the first year of my parents' marriage, my mother dying in childbirth. The vampire half of me thirsted for blood while the human half of me was repulsed by it.
After much soul searching I turned from the vampire half of me, the part that was brutal and barbaric. My father tried for centuries to lead me back to his dark world but I denied him, right up till the day he died.
This is where the story has a twist; you see my mother was a witch. She had placed a spell upon me in her womb, protecting me from the vampire curse that lived inside me. I still crave blood, my eyes are sensitive to sunlight and I go all pointy toothed when I smell someone bleeding but I don't have to feed, don't have to shy away from cameras or fear a stake to my heart.
When my father discovered I wasn't going to be the vampire he wanted me to be, he set out to destroy me, sinking his fangs in me and trying to drink me dry. After the first spurt of blood hit his mouth he became violently ill, thrashing about on the floor.
I left him that night only to return the next day. I found him still on the floor, blood oozing from his eyes, nose and mouth and very much human. His soulless body gave up the demon, leaving behind a broken husk of a man.
My blood you see is a cure of sorts. I don't go around telling other vampires about it, most don't want to go back to their human lives and other would lock me up and sell my blood till I was dried out and dead.
I only save those that want to be saved. Many find their long lives too much to bear and wish to return to the human lives, others can't take the thirst, the carnage any longer and beg for the darkness to end. This is where one John Mitchell comes in and where our story begins.
Mitchell was always a complicated vampire, walking a thin line between his humanity and the darkness that lived inside him. He gained my attention one night when I was walking by a diner and heard a commotion coming from the back alley.
Darting my head around the corner I see three vampires having a go at a man on the ground. I took one whiff and immediately knew they were pounding on a werewolf.
This tall dark figure emerges from the shadows, his dark curly hair and brooding good looks take my breath. That had not happened to me in over a century. I watch as this gorgeous creature takes control of the situation, talking the other vampires out of continuing the beating. One of the vampires calls him Mitchell and I knew I had heard that name before.
He talks to the poor beaten man on the ground and I stand there in awe that a vampire had come to the rescue of a werewolf. Mitchell hands the man his glasses back alerting him to the harsh reality that vampires existed. The bloody man looks shocked, the word vampire rattling him.
Mitchell tells him he has to leave, the others will come back to kill him. My heart breaks as he rises to his feet, beaten and bloody with his tears pooling in his eyes and tells Mitchell his story. How he had only had this condition for six months and now he had to run again … run to what. Mitchell turns back towards him and I see it, see the compassion in his eyes and I knew I wanted to help.
Stepping out of my hiding spot I approach them, Mitchell instantly going on the defense. "You need to leave."
Pulling my hands out of pockets I walk towards him with my palms raised. "I saw what happened … I couldn't help myself from watching. I'm Cara and I want to help."
"I'm George; sorry you had to witness that." He wipes the blood from his nose on his shirt sleeve.
"You're the one bloody and you're apologizing." I walk to him examining his wounds.
"This really is none of your concern, like I said you need to leave." Mitchell walks behind me as I pull a tissue from my purse.
Cleaning the blood from George's face I glance briefly over my shoulder, the vampire pacing behind me.
"You really don't have to do this, I'll be fine." George takes the tissue from my hand as he gives me a teary smile.
"I want to so let's go inside so I can do this proper." Taking George by the arm I help him walk back into the diner, Mitchell close behind us.
I begin to clean his wounds, noticing the deep cut over his nose. Mitchell stands in the doorway, his eyes watching me curiously. "Exactly what did you hear back there?"
"Stop your worrying; it wasn't anything I didn't already know." Mitchell and George both give me a baffled look.
"What do you mean it wasn't anything you didn't already know?" I can feel Mitchell's breath on my neck.
"I think we have to have a long talk … the three of us. George, we need to take this upstairs to your place." They both look at me and I feel the heat of their stares.
We walk up the back stairs, Mitchell still glaring at me. "There is something about you I can't quite put my finger on."
George and I walk in, Mitchell standing at the door. "George, you have to invite him in."
"Oh yeah … yeah come in." Mitchell reluctantly walks in, his body completely stiff.
After I get what first-aid George has I patch him up, George giving me a slight smile when I look at him.
Mitchell is leaning against the wall of the living room, his hands still tucked in his jacket. George sits on a tattered sofa, his ribs smarting as he sits down.
I stand between the two supernatural beings knowing they were waiting on me to explain myself.
"I know what both of you are, I smelled George in the alley and you … your name is legend among vampires." I go to George's freeze to get him an ice pack for his face.
The soft patter of Mitchell's boots follows me into the kitchen. He pulls out a chair and sits quietly.
"You smelled George and you've heard of me, my stories at least. How long have you been a vampire?" Mitchell sits there looking very blank, his brown eyes studying me.
"What makes you think I'm a vampire?" I lean down towards him, my throat only inches from his face.
Looking down at him I see his eyes fixed on my neck, his hands balling into fists. He pushes me away, walking to the other side of the room. "What the hell are you? You said you could smell him … knew me by name."
Slowly I approach him, taking his hands and placing it on my chest. "Do you feel that, hear the blood pumping through my veins?" Mitchell nods to me, his wide eyes searching for the truth. "I'm so much more than what you think I am."
Closing my green eyes, I let them go black and show him my fangs. He pulls his hand from my chest, stumbling over his feet to get away from me. "You … what the fuck!"
"Mitchell, it's okay." I follow him to the living room, George resting on the sofa.
"You aren't possible! You have a heart beat and a pulse and you … Christ you have bloody fangs!" Mitchell heads for the front door but I get there before he does.
"Please, let me explain." We sit in the kitchen and I tell him my story. His eyes get wider with each new revelation, his mouth gaping open a few times. George listens intently from the living room as he holds his arm around his ribs.
"You're telling me you were born like this? Do others know about you?" Mitchell relaxes for the first time since I met him. I put on a pot of tea, trying to keep the mood light.
"The ones my father made are all dead now and the one Old One that discovered my secret I killed. There is more I need to tell you but for right now you know all you need to know. Now what do we do about George here?" Mitchell grins at me and I feel my knees get weak.
"I'm so tired of all this blood and death. If I help you then you can help me." Mitchell sits down on the sofa, patting George on the back.
"What do you mean?" George winces from the pain of being jarred.
"You need a new place to live and I need to get away from all of this." I see a pleased grin curl up on his face and an idea sparks in my mind.
"If you two want to get back to a normal life I may be able to help you with that. I live in a flat near the hospital in Bristol, you can stay with me till you can get a place of your own and I might even be able to get you a job at the hospital. I work in the lab so getting you two porters positions shouldn't be that hard." I see the mask of sorrow fall from George's face as he looks at Mitchell.
"What ya think … do we try?" George extends his hand to Mitchell and the vampire takes it.
"Deal. I can help you with your thing and you can keep me straight. One thing though, Cara do you drink blood?" I give him a mischievous grin shaking my head.
"Only when I have to Mitchell. If I get injured or lose too much of my own blood, I do. Other than that, no." He scratches his scruffy cheek, smiling at me.
"Then you're just what I need to help me. I'm off blood and want to stay that way." Squatting down in front of him I let my hand stroke his cheek, my green eyes gazing into the perfect brown of his.
"I'll do my best Mitchell but it's not easy, I think you know that. How many times have you tried to stay dry?" He covers my hand with his, his other hand stroking my face.
"Too many times. Will you help me?" Taking his hands in mine I give him a kiss on the cheek.
"As long as you want my help I will." I take one of George's hands, still holdings to Mitchell's. "We are in this together from here on out."
After I help George pack up we head to my flat, Mitchell whispering something in my ear as we walk down the stairs.
"What was the other thing you need to tell me?" My body shivers slightly as I feel his lips brush my ear.
"When you need to know I'll tell you, I hope you never have to." He takes one of George's suitcases from me, letting the matter go for now.
I was about to go on a supernatural journey with a vampire and a werewolf, not knowing that this journey would lead to so much more.