I wrote this story for English class a while ago and decided to post it up. It's really different from my other stories which happend to be flops. Vincent here, is meant to be a vampire. Please read and review. If you didn't like the story, kindly tell me so instead of trashing it. It's not appreciated.
These people, this town...I hated them all! I hated them for not giving me a chance. I remember walking through the crowded streets unnoticed. I was wearing a dark red cloak to cover my face. I'm sure if they had seen me, half would scream and run like cowards, and the other half would have picked up their crosses and onions.
"Hey Mr?" asked a tiny voice. I recall looking down to see a girl who only reached a little above my knees. "You have such beautiful amber eyes!" she had said. I was astonished.
Those words changed everything. Fifteen years later and I still remember that small girl who spoke such kind words to me. She had brown hair carefully split into two ponytails and green piercing eyes. Maybe that town was not so bad after all.
During these past few years, I have shut myself away from the world. I spent my time reading books that were centuries older than I was. I understood the odd language well enough. My castle itself was immense. After fifteen years of being locked away made it seem so much smaller. I hadn't gone out in these fifteen years because I was scared about being found out. I used to go into town every week. Of course I went under cover. I had little company and seeing the people in town delighted me. Of course there was only one person who dared to come near me.
"Master, master!" cried Edgar. He was a persistant creature. Like myself, he was shunned by this cruel world. However, unlike me, his face was slightly distorted. I simply had odd eyes and fangs. He came to my castle doorstep begging for shelter. Now he refuses to leave. He is a nuisance to deal with at times but I will not treat him like everyone else. I would not kick him out. At least he shows me a level of respect, even if it is out of fear.
"What is it?" I replied with an emotionless face. I had my back facing him. Looking out the stained glass windows, into the night. I was starting into the vast skies pondering all the decisions I had ever made. I always had the same cold hard expression. No one ever gave me a reason to smile. I was eternally damned. I could not eat, for I did not eat humans nor human food. I could not go into town, for the people would run in fear. I had amber eyes, black hair up to my shoulders and fangs. A vampire is what I am. I sold my soul to the devil. I have spent one-hundred and fifty years in my loneliness. Even if my face seems like I've lived for three decades.
The town was a different matter. It was a small town that makes a modest living. I wish I could be accepted into their simple society. I have never attacked them, or done them any harm. They fear me because I have fangs, and fearsome odd eyes. The last time I went into town, years ago, was the same day I saw that girl. Moments after I was surrounded by a mob. They said that they have never seen me around, and that I was suspicious. I heard a scream. Someone was looking for a girl named Trisha.
"Trisha! Come to mommy darling." Someone grabbed that girl away from me and returned her to whom I presumed to be the girl's mother. Then they started to crowd me in. Two men came and grabbed my cloak and pulled the hood off revealing my face. I remember being afraid. A vampire afraid of humans. But I had done nothing wrong. I never hurt anyone! They called me a heretic, a demon, the devil's son. I leaped onto a rooftop and transformed into that horrible cursed beast. I flew right back towards my castle and never returned to that town. I gave up trying to be a human again. It wasn't possible to fit in.
" ...today!" Edgar's irritating voice snapped me back to reality.
"What did you say?" I asked.
"You must go into town and see! Look Master look look look!" said Edgar while handing me a paper that read 'Vampire Wanted'.
"What is the meaning of this! I have kept my distance like they wanted!" I had anger and hurt written all over my face.
"You must go into town and see! The people there are looking for this castle!" screamed Edgar. He was obviously frantic. I had to keep my cool. They would not find this castle. I did send Edgar into town once a month to observe the events. I should go myself and at least see what the people of that town were up to. It certainly took them long enough before they finally decide to slaughter me. They must have some huge plan.
"Edgar, you stay here understood. Close the doors as soon as I leave." I gave him a simple command. Even someone of his intellect should comprehend that much.
"Yes master, yes!" He replied. I grabbed my cloak and quickened my pace down the spiral stairs. As I walked I could still hear Edgar scream in panic. To any sane human being the sound of his screaming would be a painful sound, one that was surely not pleasant. To me, however it was assuring and comforting. I continued and walked out the mahogany doors of the castle and into the crisp night air. I felt the eyes of the gargoyles on the top tower eyeing my every move. I stopped to fix the buckle in my red cape. I fidgeted with my boots a little too. I tilted my head up to see the sky. It was a perfect night. Not even a cloud in sight, and a full moon to boot. Then I noticed the stars. Now when I look at the stars, I realize that they have such a simple existence. Once they are born as stars, they stay stars. They never have to please anyone, or be frightened. When I used to have a soul, I thought that the stars were the worst thing to be. I had thought that once they were born, they could never be anything else and that was dull. Now I got my wish, I'm a star, a never-ending existence. I sold my soul because I wanted to be someone else. That was a foolish mistake. It was an unforgivable sin.
I decided not to dawdle any longer and continue my walk to town. Of course I could always sprout my wings and fly but I refuse to do that unless it's absolutely necessary. If I want to fit in as a human, then I will walk like one. There was a small dirt path leading into town. I had created it myself as an easy path. But I had noticed something different. Of course I hadn't walked this path in years so maybe I was just imagining...but...It seemed so much wider than it used to be. Also, there were wagon wheel imprints in the mud. There was funiture lying a little further from where I was standing. I was curious as to why it was there. I walked up to it and read the initials 'J.N' on a mirror. I looked closer into the mirror but found no reflection. Why was all this furniture here! Could someone have found my castle? I started to panic a little. I felt like quickly running back to my castle and hiding from the world. But if I never went into town then I'll just be destroying myself. I can no longer stand my lonliness. I felt my confidence return to me and so with it, I continued to walk on. What seemed like hours, but in reality was only a few minutes or so of walking, I finally reached the first building in town. I leaped to the rooftops to avoid being seen. I couldn't help but notice the 'wanted' signs of me on the side of the house.
"How humiliating" I mumbled to myself. I kept going, jumping from building to building, stalking darkness. I overheard a few people, carrying textbooks on vampires, talking about ambushing my castle. I ignored their small talk. It would take a lot more than a mob of misunderstood villagers to knock down my mohogany doors. I looked further to see houses burning, and people screaming. I jumped off the rooftops and made a dash towards the flames.
"Please! Someone help my baby!" A women was standing outside the burning houses crying and screaming. She was wearing a simple green dress. People simply ran by her. They were all just worried about their own lives. They were ignoring her crys for help. She was in so much pain. I could not stand by and watch this.
"Miss, what has happened here?" I asked as politely as I could.
"The...they were lighting torches here and my house...my baby!" the women was clearly in shock. I took her by the shoulders and tried to calm her down. Four buildings were burning right behind us and the smoke was not helping at all. Her hands were in her face so she did not look at me. I was thankful. If she saw my face she'd just scream more.
"Miss, is your baby inside your house?" I asked her hoping it wasn't true and that she was simply screaming baby for some physcological reason. She nodded. "Are you kidding? Your baby is in there!" I asked again in disbelief. She nodded again. I removed my cloak and wrapped it around her. "Cover your mouth and try to stay as far away from the smoke as possible." She was just about to remove her hands to see who it was but I turned away and began walking to the house. She grabbed my shirt.
"Who are you?" She asked. I turned to face her. By the look on my face and hers it was obvious. She knew me and I knew her. That small child who was the only one who had called me beautiful since I became a monster. It was her! I even remembered her name, Trisha. She grew up since I last saw her. She no longer reached my knees, but my shoulders. I guessed that she might be around twenty now. My heart started to beat fast for some reason. She had the same brown hair and piercing green eyes, which were matching her dress. I turned back around to face the burning house and I walked through what I supposed used to be the door. The flames didn't harm me. I could feel my skin peeling off and my eyes watered a little. I didn't feel pain though. I couldn't feel it physically, but mentally I was hurting. The flames were like those of hell. Tormenting my soul, and shredding every bit of sanity I had left into pieces. I heard a faint noise that I thought was a cry. I followed the cry through the small house. There it was. The child was wrapped in a blanket on the floor. I picked the crying baby up and found no burns. Suddenly, the supports on the cieling fell right behind us. With the baby carefully wrapped in my arms I jumped over the support and through the window, which unlike my castle, had no glass. It was a low class home after all. I spotted the women and slowly walked towards her.
"My baby! Thank you! Thank you!" she praised me. I gave the child up to her and the baby instantly stopped crying.
"Where's the father?" I asked.
"He was murdered. Some say you did it but I won't believe it. I keep telling everyone that my husband was a fool and that he probably ended his own life. You best run! Say, what's your name?" she asked
"It's Vincent, and I will not run. I have nothing to hide and I am not guilty." I replied calmly.
"Yes, but the mayor of this village has been wanting to get rid of you ever since he first heard that you lived near here. He has been waiting for an excuse and my husband's death is just it. Please, run!" She explained while the baby in her arms fell asleep in all this chaos.
"Why do you care what happens to a beast like me?" I wondered. Why did she care so much? Everyone else wanted me dead. Even my parents when I was small. To them, I was just another burden that they were forced to bear.
"Because you are not a beast! You are kind, you saved my baby. I do not care what the people of this village think. They are all full of themselves and they are cowards!" She's still pleading me to run?
"There he is! There is that heretic who killed Trisha's husband!" Oh great, here come the mobs. They were carrying torches, crosses, and...rifles? What good would rifles do against me? There was only a few more minutes until daybreak too.
"I have not commited any crimes. You have no right to attack me." I said calmly. This time around I will not flee.
"You are a monster! That is crime enough!" yelled a man from the crowd.
"So just because this man looks this way you think he is a monster! Just because his eyes and teeth are different? Is that what you all think? You should be ashamed of yourselves!" yelled Trisha from behind me. She is standing up for me? What would posses her to do that? She is still wearing my cloak too and holding her baby close. The crowd was stunned. They all started to whisper to each other. About what you say? I will never know. They all probably assume her of having an affair with a vile creature like me. I do not remember thinking such foolish things when I was human. Then again, that very same foolish thinking had gotten me to believe living forever was like surpassing god itself. But like everything, eternal life came with a price. I would gladly do anything to get back the life I lost.
"Trisha, he killed your husband. Should he not pay for his sins?" a man from the crowd walked out. He had a moustache and grey hair. His eyes were narrow and his eyebrows furrowed. He wore a wealthy middle-class suit. I could smell his greed from where I was standing.
"I told you that my husband was a mad man and that he killed himself." said Trisha
"I do not care how he died! This creature will be executed and you and that child too if you don't move!" he threatened.
"I assume that he is the mayor." I said. "Why do you wish for me to be dead? I have not caused you any harm."
"Your presence makes us all uneasy! Ever since we found out that you lived near here we could not sleep, work or do anything in peace! Not even our children can play outside anymore!" yelled the mayor who was pointing an accusing finger at me.
"So you want to get rid of me for your own personal satisfaction? I wonder, who's the monster now?" The mob began mumbling again. I heard comments like "Maybe he's right" and "Yes, who are we to judge him?" I felt like I was winning until the mayor spoke up again.
"Who are we to judge him? Have you all gone mad! He souled his soul! He's damned! That's judgment enough!" he screamed desperatly. Why was he so tense. Then It struck me. Just maybe...
"Trisha?" I called her behind me.
"Yes? You want to admit that I was right and that you should have run like I told you to!" She whispered.
"No, I want to know what the mayor's name is." I ignored her smart remark. It did make me smirk that she had a sense of humour.
"It's James Theadore Normany. Why do you ask?" she whispered even quiter before. The baby in her arms woke up and started to giggle and held out one chubby hand to me.
"I think he wants to say hello." She said smiling. For a moment, I forgot everything around us. That moment didn't last very long.
"So? Will you die in peace demon?" said the mayor with a sense of pure evil.
"James Theadore Normany. Why is your furniture parked outside my castle? Do you plan on moving in anytime soon? Perhaps after I am out of your way and dead then maybe you could take custody of the house? Is that what was running through your mind, you bloody old goat!" I felt my blood boil. It made me furious! Trisha let out a gasp from behind me. The mob followed in suit.
"I have had enough of this! I am telling you now tha..." I had just cut off his annoying voice.
"I don't think moving into my castle is such a good idea. Edgar does not take a liking to strangers." I retorted.
"Whoever this 'Edgar' is will meet the same faith as you!" He put up his hand as a signal. All the men pulled out their rifles and aimed them at me and Trisha. I smirked. Bullets? They were going to shoot me. Did they know anything about vampires at all? I guess not because they all fired. Trisha screamed and the baby awoke. It started crying too. I made sure to cover her and her child. There were holes all over me but I did not feel pain. The holes were slowly patching up.
"Alright men! While he's healing bring out the crosses!" yelled the mayor. The holes were not healing fast enough and the men began to advance with the crosses. They were going to kill me, I knew it. Oddly, fear didn't strike me this time. This was the end but I wasn't so sad. I had met someone who actually wasn't afraid of me. Then I thought, what if I never knew you? I'd be safe but I've never felt so real. Not even as real as when I had a soul. I could hear Trisha weep and beg me to run. But I couldn't move. In a quick moment it was over. I was breathing my last breath. I felt the dawn of the sun hit my back as I fell. Ah, the sun. I havn't felt it in so long. I heard the townspeople cheer and Trisha stepping over my rotting body. She was crying for me. I held my hand out and she took it.
"Vincent...Vincent!" Thank you. I'm so sorry..." was the last thing I heard. Why was she apologizing? Someone had finally accepted me for me. I was happy.
The End