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Lazerus looked around fearfully. Why had he chosen to come here? It was not that important to take the dare Davin had given him. Nod shook his head. I took it because of Elviva. I want so much to impress her. Lazerus sat down on a lone stair way. He sighed. To sit in the dark with only his work knife for company. And little good it will do against spooks or monsters. He shivered. What is this going to get me? A head cold and maybe a little respect. He looked around the ruins. This stair case and a few bits and pieces of stone. Most had been taken away to build the town or the sea wall. He frowned. Darkness wasn't so scary. There is nothing out here but me. He smiled slightly. This is so easy. And they will respect me for staying out all night like this. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the stars. They were soothing to look at. A twig snapped nearby. He jerked up and pulled his work knife from his belt. He stood slowly and climbed to the top of the stairs and looked around. The moon slid behind the clouds. He shrugged and slid the knife back into place. Jumping at little forest mice or something. He sat down and dangled his legs off the top of the stairs. The moon came back out. His mouth fell open. There was someone out there. It looked like Elviva. At least the shape of the body did. Not many people looked like Elviva. He dropped down and hid behind a large ground stone. He smiled. I can scare her now. He heard her light foot steps come closer. She came into view. Her long black hair trailed almost to her waist. He jumped up and grabbed her shoulder. She turned slowly looking unsurprised. He frowned. Something was wrong with her teeth. He stepped back.
"Elviva," he said slowly. She smiled but it was not a happy one. It was cold and made him want to step back. She stepped forward and took his hand in both of hers. He shook his head. Something is wrong. He stepped back tearing away her hands. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. He opened them and a taller woman stood before him. He gasped and moved further back drawing his work knife. "You are not Elviva. What are you?" He aimed the knife at the woman's throat. He had heard tales of a ghost woman but this one was real. But she was different from a real woman somehow. She blinked and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her. He couldn't stop her. It was like a child fighting a lion. He let himself go.
Lazerus sat up and clutched at his head. Dizziness made him want to heave up his dinner and every other meal his stomach had taken in for some reason. He looked around. Mud, dirt, and other things covered the walls of... He honestly didn't know where he was. He stood and stretched. He felt like he could run forever then fight off an entire army after. He smiled as he felt his back pop. He looked around and again and saw the sun filter through the wall slightly. He walked to it and looked out. His breath caught in his throat. He recognized the area outside. He pulled away from the opening and slid back against the wall. Why am I in the town crypt? He looked around again. This time things came into focus. Bones littered the floor in all directions. Dark stains contrasted with the stone gray of the far wall. He shivered. Why was he here? He jumped up when a bundle in the corner moved. The woman stood and stretched as he had. She opened her eyes and they fell on him crouched by the crypt door. A small smile crossed her pale face. She walked over to him. She was bare footed. He slid down the wall away from her. She made a cooing noise. Like you would make to a scared animal. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She is not there. This is a bad dream. I am still in my own home waiting to go milk the cows. Cold hands touched his chin and lifted his face up. He opened his eyes and stared at the woman.
"What did you do to me," he asked slowly. He felt like he was suffocating this close to her. She smelled badly. Like rotten meat. He pushed away her hands. She made a clucking noise and turned around.
"I made you mine," she whispered as she made her way to the slab of stone he had been laying on. He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall. She crawled up onto the slab and looked at him.
"You have much to do tonight. Come here." She patted the stone next to her. He shivered but his feet moved on their own. He walked to the slab and pulled himself up onto it. She rolled him onto his side and kissed his ear.
"You have much to do my little fox," she repeated.
He looked around and fell to his knees. He was in the town square. Bodies lay in stacks around him and somewhere in it was the body of Elviva. He wanted to cry but all he could do was feel the heartbreak. He remembered her face when he bit into her. He heard a tinkle of laughter. The woman had had her fun as well. Gorging on whatever he left behind. He had killed everyone in the town. This town was not big but the death toll still numbered above a hundred. It wasn't his animalistic feelings that he hated. It was the fact that some part of him had liked it. This reckless destruction and death had made him stronger than he had ever been. He groaned and felt the weight of blood in his stomach. He wanted to bring it up and out but his body was already absorbing the blood. He felt his body change after that first kill. He closed his eyes. How can I die? That is what is to be done. I must die. He frowned as he mulled over the ways to kill what he was. Sunlight. He looked at the sky. Dawn was less than an hour away. It had taken almost the entire night. He smiled gratefully and stood up. He started running. I will meet the sun at the sea shore. He heard the woman call out to him but he didn't stop. Her footsteps followed him. He ran faster. He had to die. No monster should live. No matter who it had once been.
Lazerus fell to his knees. What is wrong? The sun was staring straight into his face. Why am I not dead? He heard laughter behind him. He turned and saw the woman standing in the sun light. Blood drenched the front of her dress. He felt something inside him click into place. I can't die. Not by my own hands. He fell forward and closed his eyes. How can I die? A hunter would kill me gladly. But where would one be? Near a vampire nest or whatever they made when they came together. A cold hand touched his shoulder. He felt under his hands. A thick piece of drift wood. He tensed his muscles. I will kill this... thing first, he thought angrily.
"It will get easier," she said softly. "With time, you will be able to control the blood hunger and use it to your advantage. Till then you must let yourself be guided by me." He shook her hand off and she laughed again. He heard her turn around. He swung up aiming high. The driftwood shattered as it impacted the base of her skull. She flew forward and landed in the dry sand. She turned over and came up onto her elbows. She looked at him wide eyed as he stood up. He blinked his eyes and started for her.
"You made me. Now deal with the consequences," he said through clenched teeth. Her mouth fell open and she scrambled back trying to keep away from him. He felt his face change. He felt strength he had never felt before envelop him. He ran his tongue over his teeth. Sharper than they should be. He let the pieces of wood drop from his hand.
"You can't do this," she stuttered. He arched an eyebrow.
"Oh, why can't I? You changed me with out so much as a by your leave. This is much the same." She shook her head and tried to go faster. She fell down and closed her eyes and mumbled something. He stepped up over her and raised the driftwood and brought it down. Something caught his arm. He looked at it but nothing held it. He growled at her and raised his other arm. Or tried to. It would not move at all. None of his body would. She stood up slowly and tried to recover some of her composure. Her hair was covered in sand and her neck had blood trickling down it slowly. He had hit her hard. Her eyes blazed with fury but she was not attacking him. Why? She turned around and stumbled for the tree line.
"Hope I never see you again. If I do," she said stopping looking him over as if to memorize his very finger tips. "I will kill you. You got lucky today." And she was gone. He felt a release and he stumbled forward dropping the driftwood. He growled at where she had disappeared and looked back at the sun. She will die, he promised himself, before I do.
Lazerus looked around fearfully. Why had he chosen to come here? It was not that important to take the dare Davin had given him. Nod shook his head. I took it because of Elviva. I want so much to impress her. Lazerus sat down on a lone stair way. He sighed. To sit in the dark with only his work knife for company. And little good it will do against spooks or monsters. He shivered. What is this going to get me? A head cold and maybe a little respect. He looked around the ruins. This stair case and a few bits and pieces of stone. Most had been taken away to build the town or the sea wall. He frowned. Darkness wasn't so scary. There is nothing out here but me. He smiled slightly. This is so easy. And they will respect me for staying out all night like this. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the stars. They were soothing to look at. A twig snapped nearby. He jerked up and pulled his work knife from his belt. He stood slowly and climbed to the top of the stairs and looked around. The moon slid behind the clouds. He shrugged and slid the knife back into place. Jumping at little forest mice or something. He sat down and dangled his legs off the top of the stairs. The moon came back out. His mouth fell open. There was someone out there. It looked like Elviva. At least the shape of the body did. Not many people looked like Elviva. He dropped down and hid behind a large ground stone. He smiled. I can scare her now. He heard her light foot steps come closer. She came into view. Her long black hair trailed almost to her waist. He jumped up and grabbed her shoulder. She turned slowly looking unsurprised. He frowned. Something was wrong with her teeth. He stepped back.
"Elviva," he said slowly. She smiled but it was not a happy one. It was cold and made him want to step back. She stepped forward and took his hand in both of hers. He shook his head. Something is wrong. He stepped back tearing away her hands. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. He opened them and a taller woman stood before him. He gasped and moved further back drawing his work knife. "You are not Elviva. What are you?" He aimed the knife at the woman's throat. He had heard tales of a ghost woman but this one was real. But she was different from a real woman somehow. She blinked and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her. He couldn't stop her. It was like a child fighting a lion. He let himself go.
Lazerus sat up and clutched at his head. Dizziness made him want to heave up his dinner and every other meal his stomach had taken in for some reason. He looked around. Mud, dirt, and other things covered the walls of... He honestly didn't know where he was. He stood and stretched. He felt like he could run forever then fight off an entire army after. He smiled as he felt his back pop. He looked around and again and saw the sun filter through the wall slightly. He walked to it and looked out. His breath caught in his throat. He recognized the area outside. He pulled away from the opening and slid back against the wall. Why am I in the town crypt? He looked around again. This time things came into focus. Bones littered the floor in all directions. Dark stains contrasted with the stone gray of the far wall. He shivered. Why was he here? He jumped up when a bundle in the corner moved. The woman stood and stretched as he had. She opened her eyes and they fell on him crouched by the crypt door. A small smile crossed her pale face. She walked over to him. She was bare footed. He slid down the wall away from her. She made a cooing noise. Like you would make to a scared animal. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She is not there. This is a bad dream. I am still in my own home waiting to go milk the cows. Cold hands touched his chin and lifted his face up. He opened his eyes and stared at the woman.
"What did you do to me," he asked slowly. He felt like he was suffocating this close to her. She smelled badly. Like rotten meat. He pushed away her hands. She made a clucking noise and turned around.
"I made you mine," she whispered as she made her way to the slab of stone he had been laying on. He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall. She crawled up onto the slab and looked at him.
"You have much to do tonight. Come here." She patted the stone next to her. He shivered but his feet moved on their own. He walked to the slab and pulled himself up onto it. She rolled him onto his side and kissed his ear.
"You have much to do my little fox," she repeated.
He looked around and fell to his knees. He was in the town square. Bodies lay in stacks around him and somewhere in it was the body of Elviva. He wanted to cry but all he could do was feel the heartbreak. He remembered her face when he bit into her. He heard a tinkle of laughter. The woman had had her fun as well. Gorging on whatever he left behind. He had killed everyone in the town. This town was not big but the death toll still numbered above a hundred. It wasn't his animalistic feelings that he hated. It was the fact that some part of him had liked it. This reckless destruction and death had made him stronger than he had ever been. He groaned and felt the weight of blood in his stomach. He wanted to bring it up and out but his body was already absorbing the blood. He felt his body change after that first kill. He closed his eyes. How can I die? That is what is to be done. I must die. He frowned as he mulled over the ways to kill what he was. Sunlight. He looked at the sky. Dawn was less than an hour away. It had taken almost the entire night. He smiled gratefully and stood up. He started running. I will meet the sun at the sea shore. He heard the woman call out to him but he didn't stop. Her footsteps followed him. He ran faster. He had to die. No monster should live. No matter who it had once been.
Lazerus fell to his knees. What is wrong? The sun was staring straight into his face. Why am I not dead? He heard laughter behind him. He turned and saw the woman standing in the sun light. Blood drenched the front of her dress. He felt something inside him click into place. I can't die. Not by my own hands. He fell forward and closed his eyes. How can I die? A hunter would kill me gladly. But where would one be? Near a vampire nest or whatever they made when they came together. A cold hand touched his shoulder. He felt under his hands. A thick piece of drift wood. He tensed his muscles. I will kill this... thing first, he thought angrily.
"It will get easier," she said softly. "With time, you will be able to control the blood hunger and use it to your advantage. Till then you must let yourself be guided by me." He shook her hand off and she laughed again. He heard her turn around. He swung up aiming high. The driftwood shattered as it impacted the base of her skull. She flew forward and landed in the dry sand. She turned over and came up onto her elbows. She looked at him wide eyed as he stood up. He blinked his eyes and started for her.
"You made me. Now deal with the consequences," he said through clenched teeth. Her mouth fell open and she scrambled back trying to keep away from him. He felt his face change. He felt strength he had never felt before envelop him. He ran his tongue over his teeth. Sharper than they should be. He let the pieces of wood drop from his hand.
"You can't do this," she stuttered. He arched an eyebrow.
"Oh, why can't I? You changed me with out so much as a by your leave. This is much the same." She shook her head and tried to go faster. She fell down and closed her eyes and mumbled something. He stepped up over her and raised the driftwood and brought it down. Something caught his arm. He looked at it but nothing held it. He growled at her and raised his other arm. Or tried to. It would not move at all. None of his body would. She stood up slowly and tried to recover some of her composure. Her hair was covered in sand and her neck had blood trickling down it slowly. He had hit her hard. Her eyes blazed with fury but she was not attacking him. Why? She turned around and stumbled for the tree line.
"Hope I never see you again. If I do," she said stopping looking him over as if to memorize his very finger tips. "I will kill you. You got lucky today." And she was gone. He felt a release and he stumbled forward dropping the driftwood. He growled at where she had disappeared and looked back at the sun. She will die, he promised himself, before I do.
