Lyle Lovett I will rise up
It all ended minutes before sunrise.
Sookie stood on the rooftop as Godric's pale yet gentle young face began to lighten up by dawn approaching.
"Do you believe in God?"
"Yes."
"If you're right, how will he punish me?" "God doesn't punish. God forgives."
"I don't deserve it. But I hope for it."
"We all do."
"You will care for him? Eric"
"I'm not sure. You know how he is."
"I can take the blame for that too."
"Maybe not. Eric's pretty much himself..."
The sky began to lighten up, a glimmer game across his eyes.
"Are you very afraid?" I asked him with the hope that he will back up before it was too late.
"No, no I'm full of joy."
"But the pain?"
"I want to burn."
"I-I'm afraid for you."
Both began to cry as the dim blue sky began to lighten even more. A faint burnt copper glow began to form up from the skyline.
"A human with me at the end and human tears…"
A sad smile came across his face
"Two-thousand years... and I can still be surprised."
Sookie took a deep breath as tears rolled down her face.
"Godric…have you ever loved?"
She asked, wiping tears off her face. Her emotions were spinning out of control and she kept thinking of Bill downstairs and how badly she wanted to hold him.
"Of course."
Godric looked out at the city and sighed deeply, tears still coming from his beautiful eyes.
"Not very long ago, in fact that's the reason I came to this decision…what's life worth living if there isn't anyone to stand beside you."
"So it's suicide?"
Godric faintly smiled and shook his head, his eyes sparking with the tears which had formed there, only the faint hints of blood behind them. She understood he was holding back, trying his hardest not to let what he was ruin the last few moments he had with her.
"Some may think, most of all Eric…but he will understand. Two thousand years is a very long time, and in that time I had spent it alone. Being a true seventeen year old…it took a long time to control my emotions but in time I learned to ignore them…until I met her."
"Who was she?"
Godric looked at the skyline and she saw pain behind his eyes as the memory came back to him. A memory she saw that had caused him all this time.
"Lucy…her name was Lucy."
"What happened to her?"
He looked at Sookie
"I lost her, and I pray…that I will find her again now."
"In this I see God."
Sookie's heart broke seeing his eyes, she couldn't explain exactly what she was feeling, but she knew this was his final goodbye. Both locked eyes one last time and Sookie saw the human in Godric, not the two-thousand year old vampire, but the seventeen year old boy who had so much pain behind his eyes.
She watched as he turned away, facing the sunrise over the skyline. Slowly he took off his shirt, and her eyes scanned his tattoos that covered his pale body. These tattoos were different than the thousands she so often saw on so many young people who passed by in the bar. These were beautiful and told a story, a story of a young boy who had seen so many things and had survived. His skin smoking, he stepped closer to the pouring golden light that washed over the rooftop.
"Good-bye Godric."
Sookie said, choking back tears as the blue flames began to flicker. Taking a deep breath, she watched him disappear within seconds. Smoke swirled up into the air and then everything was still. The warm sunlight hit Sookie's eyes before she lowered her head and cried.
She hadn't witnessed a vampire die…she had witnessed a young man die. The same young man who had saved her life twice and had admitted to her that even vampires could love because after all…they were human.
Just like her.
"Lucy…"
She thought for a moment.
She wondered if Godric was with her now.
1962
Godric walked down a lone desert road one beautiful night and had nothing on his mind other than the stars. Hands shoved in the pockets of his faded blue jeans, his boots kicked a few loose pebbles as he traveled down into the darkness. His faint greenish blue eyes looked up at the velvet black sky and couldn't honestly remember the last time a night looked so beautiful. At this exact moment there were millions of sparking stars in the sky.
Wearing a white T-shirt and a worn leather jacket, he knew he would pass easily by in the bar he was headed to just a few miles South. There were whores, and homeless who wouldn't be missed. He knew one good feeding would have him set until he buried himself and waited until the next nightfall. He had enjoyed his time in New Mexico but planned on returning back to Eric before the month was finished. There was business to be done, and even if he enjoyed his time alone he knew no matter what time was really all he had and wouldn't be missing one thing.
This century had amused him, and had taken the likeness of the young and tragic actor James Dean who had died just years ago in a fatal car accident.
"Live fast, die young…leave a pretty corpse."
He said softly under his lips and gently smiled to himself.
He found the cinema highly interesting ever since his first visit to a theater back in 1937 when he discovered this new mind-blowing art form. Ever since then privately he would go and see as many films as possible. He found them exciting and saw it was really his only true way to ever see the sun. He enjoyed the stories that were unfolded before him and deep down inside his was jealous of these beautiful screen giants. They were untouchable, while he was just a very old and dark hearted monster.
Walking along, he knew if a car pulled over to pick him up he would refuse and politely refuse. He liked to walk outside, most of all when it was such a beautiful night.
Godric then stopped and squinted, in the pitch darkness he saw a mile or so ahead the outline of a small building set back past some blossoming trees. Something very rare for these parts. The building was brick and all one level. The grounds were kept well and there was a playground and swings.
Godric remembered all those children he had fed on in the past, back when he honestly knew he was at his worse. Nothing more than a monster, something he had learned to control and come to terms with. He did feed, but he also kept a promise to himself.
No more children.
It had been nearly fifty years since he last killed one, even though he clearly remembered all of them as if it was yesterday. He believed in his old age, that he was beginning to truly see what vampires were and how none of them had souls.
He began to walk in that direction, a cool breeze floating in the air.
He got close enough to see that on the grounds there was a running fountain that was bubbling water from its cement base. The sound echoed in the night as crickets chirped in the bushed a few feet away.
Godric didn't see the two men waiting behind the trees and before his senses even had time to react, they were behind him and with a steel baseball bat.
"KNOCK HIM DOWN!"
One man yelled and before Godric even blinked a hard thud went against the back of his skull, hard enough to cause his forward motion to make him crash down hard on his knees, digging into the gravel as the other man kicked his side.
Godric knew what these two were doing, they had been following him and believed he was a drifter and planned on taking his money. Unknown to them he wasn't carrying any money, in fact he didn't need it. These two men were drunk and Godric smelled the whiskey on their breaths.
"Shhh! That school for those orphans will hear!"
One man snapped as Godric blinked, he rarely got hurt but this caught him off guard, something he wasn't used to. Kneeling in the dirt he took a second, tasting a copper slime in the back of his throat as his skull throbbed for a moment and then was gone. He knew if he had in fact been human that hit alone would have killed him.
"I don't give a fuck if they hear me. Let the little fuckers run out, them and the nuns, I'll kill them all!"
"Shhh! Come on!"
The bat rose to swing back and hit Godric again but this time he had a chance to respond. Snapping around his eyes widened and he fought everything inside him from keeping his fangs from coming out. Instead his hands lashed out and took the bat as if he had taken it from a child.
The drunk stood back amazed and in shock as Godric threw it far away into the bushes, faintly he heard it land with a loud clink.
Godric hopped to his feet, his eyes wild as he slowly began to approach the dumfounded drunk.
"What the fuck?"
The drunk started before his friend tried punching Godric in the side. Not even flinching, Godric turned around, his eyes even wider as the drunk took a step back.
Godric knew he could take both of them, in fact this would save him a trip down to that bar. Mere seconds before he felt his fangs about to pop out the other drunk swung at him right in the neck and it burned. Godric snapped his eyes shut and cried out as a horrible ugly hissing sound filled the night.
Stumbling to the side Godric saw that the drunk was wearing a silver ring and it had nearly burned a hole through the side of his leather jacket and shirt. In fact he smelled his flesh sizzling. Grabbing his side he felt his eyes begin to water with blood from the pain. The two men seemed confused before they grinned.
"Let's get him Larry!"
Before Godric knew it he was on the ground and the man on top of him was punching him over and over and over again in the chest and face. His ring continued to burn and slash him as his blood sprayed out on the dirt. The other drunk quickly searched his pockets and turned them inside out and found nothing.
"No wallet!"
This seemed to anger the man on top of him even more, a few more punches Godric felt his vision begin to blur.
"Enough come on!"
But the drunk wouldn't stop, his ring was doing more damage than Godric was used to. It was all happening so fast he didn't even have time to heal.
"How come he's burning and bleeding like that Larry? You think something is wrong with him?"
Godric felt blood bubble in his throat as the pain hit him all over, suddenly he couldn't see the stars anymore. He knew if this kept up they might very much burn a hole right through him.
Just then a light came.
The two men froze, the one on top of him had his fist raised, his hand broken and bloody and that fucking silver ring still on his finger. Both men froze like deer in the headlights and saw it was a light from the front porch of the building. The other drunk quickly tugged on his friend's arm.
"Come on Larry! Let's go!"
Quickly the two got up and scrambled away into the darkness. Godric took a second and just laid there as the pain washed over him. It had been twenty or so years since he had gotten this hurt and it felt terrible. His shirt was torn and parts of his flesh still sizzling. Taking a second he laid there unable to move. The bastards had even swung down at his crotch, which thankfully wasn't harmed.
He knew within a few minutes he would start to heal, he just needed time. Slowly turning over, his fingers dug into the dirt as he struggled to get up. Blood dribbled down his mouth as he fought the horrible pain away. Just then he heard footsteps.
"Mister, are you all right?"
Godric's eyes lifted and saw a little girl standing before him.
She was young, six or seven. Her hair was a dirty strawberry blond and she was wearing a dirty sundress. Godric noticed her shoes were worn and on the verge of falling apart. She stood there with wide blue eyes.
"Go back…inside."
Godric struggled to say, the burns weren't hurting as much but his head was pounding.
The little girl slowly knelt, her head slightly cocking to the side.
"Mister…you're bleeding."
"I'll be okay, just go inside!"
He snapped, he felt the cuts on his face beginning to disappear. Keeping his head down, he took slow breaths hoping the little girl would just leave. That's when he felt something.
A hand, a soft gentle hand softly touching the side of his face. A warm small hand in which the fingertips danced across his cold skin. At first Godric wanted to flinch or even do his natural reaction and pop his fangs out to scare her. Instead the strangest feeling overwhelmed him and his eyes lifted.
She looked at with not fear, only pity.
"You're hurt…"
"I'll be fine."
He said, unable to take his eyes off her wide blue eyes. He could sense her heartbeat, slow and without fear.
"I could wake someone, they could take you to the hospital or call the police…"
Godric shook his head.
"No, I'll be fine…"
He began to slowly sit up, holding back from hissing out loud from the pain.
"Did…you turn on that light?"
He pointed at the porch light and the little girl looked over her shoulder before nodding.
"I heard the yelling from my window, nobody else woke up…they were hurting you."
"That was very smart of you, but I'm okay…you better go inside."
"You're chest…"
She pointed at his torn T-shirt.
"I'll be fine really, go inside."
The little girl stared at him.
"There's a first-aid kit and a phone you could use…"
Godric felt his chest beginning to heal and was thankful the girl couldn't tell that the blood on his face was from his two eyes. Slowly sitting up, he saw his shirt and jacket was torn badly, besides that his chest and face barley hurt anymore. Shaking his head he struggled to sit on the ground. He honestly wasn't hurt, he just hated being taken by surprise. The little girl sighed looking at him.
"A lot of people from town get into trouble around here, that's why we're not allowed to play after dark, the sisters said so."
"What is this place?"
The little girl tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and sighed.
"A home for kids like me."
"Like you?"
"Kids who don't have a mom or a dad…kids who are alone."
Godric looked at this girl's beautiful and young face and couldn't believe how adult she sounded. For a brief moment he honestly didn't understand why that simple statement she used had made the strangest feeling inside him. Blinking, he looked at her.
"You saved my life, thank-you."
"All I did was turn on a light."
"Well, sometimes that's all a person needs…I'm Godric."
"Godr…"
"Godric."
"Nice to meet you Godric, I'm Lucy."
"Lucy…that's a pretty name, how old are you Lucy?"
"Seven, I think your name is prettier."
Godric smiled, he couldn't believe she was just seven.
"What's your last name Lucy?"
Lucy shrugged.
"I don't have one…at least I don't think I do."
"That's all right, I don't have a last name either. Have you lived here long?"
Lucy shrugged.
"Ever since I was a baby…my daddy took me here, he was real sick and had been taking care of me ever since my mommy died when I was born. The sisters took me in, they said my daddy was really young and didn't have any business raising a baby alone. He died a few days after bringing me here."
Godric stared at and couldn't explain what was happening. He felt his fangs wanting so badly to pop out, he forced them back as his eyes slowly looked her up and down. She was just a child, but she was perfect. Her skin was slightly tanned, her eyes big and blue, the color of the ocean, and her hair seemed like copper set on fire.
In all his lonely years on this planet, never before had he felt this way. He wanted to lunge himself on her and feed, but instead he just sat there in complete shock.
That's when he felt something.
Before he could react a blur flashed before him and he felt his body get slammed backwards.
Hitting the dirt hard, Godric's eyes snapped open and he flew up to a standing position. His eyes wide they darted back and forth before he saw what had happened.
It was another one, just like him. He was in his late forties with graying hair and bloodshot eyes. Standing there he grinned in his blue jeans and T-shirt. Godric didn't know many vampires in this area, but knew exactly what was happening.
The man grinned.
"Well, well, well…what do we have here, another one of you stupid young blood sucking fags."
Godric's eyes narrowed as the man took a step closer.
"Been following you for some time, ever since the bar the other night. You've been picking off all the fresh meat and I knew there was something about you."
Godric slowly began to circle in the darkness right beside the playground. His hands at his sides and ready for any sudden movements.
"Who are you?"
"That's not important, you just focus on me getting ready to rip your fucking head off."
He hissed before grinning.
Godric and him began to slowly circle like animals about to attack. Their eyes never leaving each other. Together they did this as the moonlight danced across their pale faces.
"Ever see blood in the moonlight friend? It appears black."
The man hissed, his fangs showing.
Godric shook his head, this was the last thing he needed.
"Please, I beg of you to stop. I was moving through and did not intent to stay on your ground. Let me leave and we can forget about this."
The other man laughed, his fangs catching the moonlight.
"Sure thing you little fucker, sure thing."
Godric felt his muscles tighten up, he hated when others pretended he was just a teenager.
Usually Godric hated the fight, it was no longer in his nature. In fact it down right drove him insane. Instead he lived a low-key peaceful life in which he had learned to take in every little thing. He was old, and had seen so many things it physically made him exhausted. He had seen battles, wars, plagues, death, and history unfold before his very own eyes. But as much as his kind hid in the shadows, as much as they all had an understanding since they knew if word ever got out of who exactly they were it would be the end of them. Instead they were just myths, stories from horror films and nothing more.
He could sense this vampire wasn't that old, maybe eighty or so years old. He wasn't old fashion but very protective of where he walked. Godric was just passing through but this vampire sensed and saw him. He saw him as a threat even though Godric was the last thing from that.
Now he wanted to fight like an animal, and Godric knew exactly how this would turn out. He just wished he had more time to heal, in his older age it had gotten slower for himself to completely heal.
"Please…I mean you no harm. I was just passing through."
The man grinned, his eyes glaring at him.
"Shut the fuck up you little cock sucker!"
Godric's fangs lashed out within half a second. Just then both went charging at each other at complete full speed. Godric felt his boots barley even touch the ground as both lifted in the air and crashed into each other hissing.
Tumbling, both rolled over and crashed hard onto the ground.
Godric gripped into the man's shoulders and spun him around before the man brought down his knee in-between Godric's legs. Godric held onto the man's arms and threw him off, causing him to fly at least fifteen or so feet away.
Jumping up without a second thought both ran again and Godric lashed out his arm hitting the man straight in the throat. Grabbing Godric by the hair, both fell down before the man climbed on top of him.
Godric knew within a few seconds he would be able to get the upper hand. He usually did. Snarling, Goric began to get up when suddenly the man on top of him screamed. Godric looked as the side of the man's face began to burn. A long mark slashed across his face, his dead flesh sizzling. That's when Godric's eyes widened.
The little girl was there, holding something in her hand. She stood there, pale in the face as the man clutched onto the side of his face and whirled around, fangs dripping and ready to attack.
She stared at him and right before he jumped at her Godric grabbed him, pulling his hair backwards as the man screamed. Throwing him down to the ground, Gordic straddled him before seeing a stick laying a few feet away. The man thrashed from side to side, struggling to get up from under him. Bracing himself, Godric reached for the stick before Lucy grabbed it and tossed it to him. Catching it, he raised it high as the man continued to scream.
With all his might, Godric slammed the stick through the man's chest. Blood sprayed into his face as the man began to shake all over, blood and ooze bubbling from his mouth. A moment later he was still. Godric took a second, looking at the remains before turning his head and looking at Lucy.
Instead of looking scared or frightened, she simply stood there in her sundress, her eyes slightly confused yet still perfectly calm. For a brief second Godric thought he would need to glamour her, simply made her forget and move on as quickly as possible. This warm peaceful night hadn't exactly turned out the way he wanted. They stared at each other before she spoke.
"You…got blood on your face."
Godric took a second before reaching up and quickly wiping his cheek. His pale fingertips showed the traces of the vampires' blood and it made him sick. Slowly climbing off the dead body he looked at Lucy.
"Are you all right?"
Lucy slowly nodded.
"Are you?"
Godric stood up quickly before looking down at her hands.
"What was that?"
"My charm bracelet, it's silver…my daddy left it with me when I came here."
Godric's brow wrinkled, he didn't understand.
"How…did you know?"
"I read someplace that's how werewolf's and vampires get hurt…silver."
Godric felt something inside of him, he knew if his heart still could beat…it wouldn't have been able to take it at this exact moment. For thousands of years they had simply been myths…nothing more. Now this little girl somehow knew…
"What are you talking about?"
Godric was able to somehow struggle to say. Lucy looked up at him.
"That bad man was trying to hurt you…because you were a vampire like him."
Godric stared down at her, his hands shaking. Never before had a human go face to face with him and confront him for what he was. Looking down, he couldn't believe what was happening. The moonlight shinned down on her small yet beautiful face and Godric fought to keep his fangs in. She had saved his life twice, in just the matter of minutes. She was just a child, but knew he somehow knew deep down inside there was something different about her. She smelt sweet, and her eyes…he couldn't stop looking at them. He felt as if he was in a trance.
Slowly, he knelt down in front of her, studying her face and taking it in. For thousands of years, he hadn't ever seen one so beautiful before.
"How…did you know?"
He asked. Lucy smiled and put her bracelet into her front pocket where it jingled. Looking at him she shrugged.
"I don't know, I guess I just knew."
Godric softly laughed, he couldn't help himself. Gently he touched her face and felt her warmth.
"You sound funny."
She giggled and Godric smiled.
"I do?"
"Yeah…I like it."
"How old are you Lucy?"
"Seven, my birthday is in December…how old are you?"
Godric smiled slightly.
"About sixteen…"
"When is your birthday?"
Godric looked at her and found a sad little ounce of humor in what he was about to say, even though it was the truth.
"I don't remember."
Lucy looked surprised.
"Really?"
Godric nodded.
"Where is your family?"
Godric sighed.
"I don't have a family…"
"So you're like me?"
Godric stared at her, wanting so badly just to touch her again before he nodded, a small smile still on his face as crickets chirped in the distance.
"Yes, I guess we are."
Godric didn't know what was happening to him, but he wanted to kiss her. That's when a voice made him jump.
"LUCY! WHERE ARE YOU!"
It was coming from the house. Godric looked and saw that two of the sisters were in their nightgowns on the porch, worried and calling out. At that exact moment the mind began to pick up and Godric felt thankful that they were slightly hidden as the yard slopped down before the playground.
Looking at Lucy he sighed.
"I have to go…"
"No! Please don't!"
Lucy cried, wrapping her arms around Godric and squeezing tight. Godric was caught off guard by this as she buried her head against his chest.
"I don't like it here! I don't have any friends! Please don't go!"
Godric held her before gently lifting her head, tears fell from her big blue eyes as she sniffled. Smiling, Godric ran his fingers over the side of her face.
"Shhh, it's all right."
"Please let me come with you Godric, please!"
Godric frowned.
"I wish I could…but I can't."
"Please, I promise you won't have to take care of me. I'll take care of myself! Please be my friend, please!"
Godric glanced over and saw the sisters were in the yard now, cupping their hands and calling out Lucy's name. Knowing they didn't have long he loudly sighed before looking back down at her and smiling.
"Listen, if you promise never and I mean never to tell anyone about me or what happened tonight then I'll come back."
Lucy looked confused.
"What?"
Godric sighed and knew time was running out. Focusing his eyes, he thought it might as well just glamour her and get it over with. Looking straight at her, their eyes locked.
"Lucy, you're going to go back inside, you're going to tell the sisters you had a bad dream and thought you heard something, you never saw me or what happened…understand?"
Lucy looked puzzled, her eyes didn't seem to cloud over like the others.
"What are you talking about?"
Godric couldn't believe it, he tried again even faster, putting ten times more energy into it.
"You never saw me…"
"What are you talking about?"
Godric wanted to pull his hair out, for some strange reason she couldn't be glamour. Looking at her closely he could hear the sisters coming even closer.
"Lucy, can you make a promise?"
"Yeah…"
"Then I promise someday, if you're still here I'll come back…and I'll only do this if you never tell anyone about tonight, can I trust you?"
Lucy quickly nodded.
"Sure I can!"
Godric smiled.
"Good…"
His words trailed off when he looked around, at least a dozen or so cats were walking around, their eyes glowing in the night.
"What the…"
"Just strays, they come around a lot, the sisters chase them off. Do you really have to go Godric?"
Godric paid more attention and nodded.
"I'll come back if you keep your promise, you're different…I can sense it."
Lucy smiled.
"I'll keep my promise if you will…when will you come back?"
Godric gently touched the side of her tiny face and felt a power he couldn't explain, something he hadn't felt since he was alive. Here was some strange unknown energy in her, and it was driving him crazy.
"One day, I promise…"
Lucy nodded.
"Okay."
Standing, Godric saw the sisters had flashlights and were still calling Lucy's name. The wind began to pick up and Godric squinted. Lucy stood as well and hugged his leg, making him stiffen up before looking down at her.
"Goodnight Godric."
"Goodnight Lucy…"
Stepping back, out of her grip, Godric stared at her once more and could have sworn her eyes flickered for a second. The wind blowing in his face he stepped a little further back before scooping up the body of the vampire, which really was beginning to bleed out and turn to goo. Knowing the wind would toss up enough dirt and grit to cover the rest, he threw the remains over his shoulder and looked at Lucy.
Taking a deep breath he flew up and into the dark sky, Lucy watched in wonder before the sisters finally found her.
"Lucy! What were you doing out here! You had us worried to death!"
The other sister gripped her flashlight and stared at the stay cats surrounding them.
Lucy's eyes remained on the sky.
"Sorry sisters, I had a bad dream and heard something…"
The sisters exchanged a worried look before helping her back inside.
Meanwhile Godric had landed safely twelve or so miles away. Landing perfectly he saw a small stream and tossed the remains of the vampire inside. Looking around, he looked himself over and shook his head at the holes in his clothing.
He knew he had to get a move on before dawn. Looking over his shoulder and into the desert he thought of the little girl in her white sundress and smiled.
"Lucy…"
He thought.
Her name is Lucy.
Beginning to speed up before taking flight again he then froze, completely terrified.
He now knew what that feeling was…
He was in love.