My name is Selena. I am 235 years old but I look like I am in my early twenties. I was born in the year 1775 in Paris, France and when I just turned 20, in 1795, my entire life changed in one obscene turn of events. This is my story.
I was late in returning from a social soiree my friends threw for my 20th birthday. It was dark, around midnight. My horse was jittery from the minute we stepped out from her driveway. He danced & pranced the entire time, eventually making me nervous as well, as though predatory eyes were glued to my back. Little did I know that predatory eyes were indeed glued to my back.
After my horse, Jupiter, reared up & struck out at a shadow, I was finally nervous enough to urge him into a fast, extended canter. I wanted him to save his strength if we needed to run. It was then I knew that we were being pursued. I heard my name whispered so chillingly on the wind and that made me start to panic. My fear transferred down to Jupiter and he picked up the pace, snorting in fear.
A flicker off to my right drew my attention to a shadow that was keeping pace with us. A sudden chill went through me, a sense of dread that I could not ignore. I knew something bad was about to happen when the shadow passed through a shaft of moon light and I saw dark hair, pale skin, gleaming, hungry crimson eyes locking gazes with me.
I gave Jupiter his head, even though deep within me I knew it was futile. I knew would never make it home that night, not with ten miles ahead of me. It was thirteen miles between my friend's house and mine. Irregardless, we surged ahead.
Jupiter was a purebred dark bay thoroughbred in his prime. He was used for racing until he turned five, where he was retired due to injury & bought by my parents when he was six for my eighteenth birthday. Jupiter was my pride and joy. And though he wasn't in peak racing form, he was still trim, fit, and fast. Fear lent him wings as we strove to escape from this living nightmare as we entered the five mile stretch of forest.
As fast as Jupiter was, it still wasn't enough to shake the shadowy figure that dropped back, only to reappear a few feet to my left this time. This time I could view his features clearly. The pale, alabaster skin, the hungry eyes alight with bloodlust, the dark hair that streamed out behind him. I was terrified as he grinned widely, revealing perfectly straight white teeth that gleamed in the night.
He lunged at us, causing Jupiter to shy away from him. I lost my balance and went flying off of him, landing hard on my back and Jupiter raced on ahead, mindless with fear. All this I watched through blurry eyes, trying desperately to regain my breath as the shadowy figure slowly approached. Even though I was winded, I still tried to scramble backwards away from him as he stalked forward. It was a losing battle, one I had already lost the second I had left my friends.
A single tear slid down my cheek as I relived the night. Dancing with Demetri, my soon to be fiancé, my friend Rebecca begging me to stay the night due to the lateness of the hour, the groom acting off as he brought a jittery Jupiter up.. It was all too much. I should've known better. I should've stayed. A strangled sob escaped past my lips as I drew myself shakily to my feet, and backed away from him.
A soft, dry, evil laugh floated about the air, originating from him. "There is nowhere to run, ma cherie. Why fight the inevitable?" He asked as he approached, one arm outstretched to me.
I just shook my head, my body growing numb with fear, my legs trembling underneath my gown. I couldn't speak... I could barely think. All I knew was I had to at least try to get away from him. For every step he took forward, I took one back.
"Come, ma cherie. The more you fight against it, the more it will hurt you in the end. We can make this simple, easy, and pain free or we can make this hard, and painful. It's your choice. I've been watching you for a while now, Selena." He chuckled darkly.
My heart clenched, remembering the times when I had been alone, and felt the eyes of someone watching me. Waking up suddenly in the middle of the night because I had felt someone leaning over me. I trembled before spinning on my heel and running. Stupid and futile, yes, but I had to at least try. "Help me!" I screamed into the night, knowing that it was useless. Who would hear me? My breath caught in my throat as my heart hammered. I could feel the pounding in my skull as I fought for breath, desperately trying to escape.
His laughter floated on the air surrounding me before he appeared a few feet in front of me. I slid to a halt with a mere foot and a half of space between us. As my eyes met his, I knew it was over. My lower lip trembled as my shoulders sagged in defeat.
"Are you done fighting it now, ma cherie?" He asked as he closed the gap and stood a scant six inches away. He was tall. I had to tilt my head back to keep my eyes locked onto his. I whimpered as he brought his cold hand up to gently cup my cheek. I couldn't help myself; I cringed away from his touch and took a small step backwards. He then pushed me backwards, steering me till my back hit the trunk of a tree and then pinning my smaller form with his much larger one.
I whimpered again, tears sliding down my cheeks as my whimper turned into a soft sob. "Please..." I begged as I closed my eyes, turning my head to the side to avoid his gaze. "Don't.."
He just laughed softly, darkly. I risked opening my eyes to glance into his. They were no longer crimson, instead they were black with hunger. I trembled in fear as he laced a hand throughout my tangled hair, forcefully tilting my head to the side. "What... who..." I stammered my voice barely audible as I saw the full moon through the trees.
"My name, ma cherie," He stopped to inhale deeply, his nose barely touching my exposed neck. "is James." He, James, drug his tongue along the side of my neck and I shivered as another tear slid down my cheek. My eyes remained glued to the moon, my entire body trembling in fear as tears coursed down my cheeks, dripping off my jaw. "Selena, ma cherie, there is no reason to be so frightened. This won't hurt... much."
James laughed darkly before placing a gentle kiss to the base of my neck. I felt him open his mouth, felt his sharp teeth scrape against my skin before sinking into my shoulder. My lips parted in a soundless scream as he growled, the sound vibrating throughout my body. Eventually the place where he bit began to burn. He retracted his teeth from my shoulder and smiled almost lovingly down at me, my blood smeared on his chin.
"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" He asked as I sagged against him, feeling incredibly weak and drained. I could barely lift my arm to the bitten area. "Now to move you before someone hears you. The screaming was becoming audible as the burning began to slowly spread. He picked me up bridal style and took off into the night, heading for the mountains as my anguished screams trailed out behind us.
My body felt as though it was on fire... I wanted to die so badly. Time blurred together; I lost track of the days. Was it months? Weeks? Days? I didn't know. All I could register was the pain. My screaming continued until finally, after god only knows how long, the burning began to subside from my body. My heart began racing frantically as all the burning centered itself in my chest. The intensity of it all caused me to arch my back clear off of whatever I was laying on. I screamed one final time as my heart thudded once, twice, then with one last resounding thud, was still. The burning was gone.
I lay quietly, listening. I noticed as I inhaled, the air felt dry and annoying. I didn't need to breath. The thought registered in my mind as I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was crystal clear. I could see each individual dust particle in the finest detail. I could smell everything, I could hear the scrabble of a mouse from somewhere behind me. I slowly sat up. I was alone in the middle of a forest. I was scared, but more importantly... I was thirsty.
Crimson eyes glinted in the morning sunlight as the newly born vampire took off in search of prey. All this James watched with bemused eyes. "So you survived, eh? I will be watching you, Selena." He said to himself before fading into the shadows.