Chapter 7

Can I die?

One night, when I travelled through a silent and deserted alley, I saw the same old man appearing before me. When I walked towards him, his figure remained unchanged. This time, he did not look scared at all, calm instead. I pointed out a finger before me, and reached a solid, flat surface. It was a mirror. The glass cracked and fell. And then I realised I was trapped in a cage. Next second, he impaled me with a steel stick that had a spear head. Then more came from different angles. I was sure one of them penetrated through my heart. Those sticks fastened me in the cage. I cannot move. They then locked the cage, put it into a cargo, and carried it away.

Nothing else but darkness. Pain crawled all over my body. Blood dripped, but soon stopped, or I would pass out. So there I was, completely conscious, and every bump on the road caused throes in every wound. I did not know where they were going to take me, and all I knew was that I had no way to escape. I cannot believe I was beaten by a mirror. No reflection, my biggest weakness.

They seemed travelled a long way, and finally they put the cage down. Then they all left. There was no sound at all. I alone was deserted. I thought this might be my chance to escape. I tried, but sticks came from every angle, and they all linked to the cage. There was no gap. I was so frustrated. I did not know how was I supposed to escape. Was he going to chain me like this forever? If so, then that was going to be forever.

Time passed, then I heard people coming. Suddenly, the cargo was opened, sunlight shone upon me from everywhere. Subconsciously, I shut my eyes to block this sunlight, but my body had nowhere to hide. At first, my skin itched. Then it started burning and peeling off, which made my flesh exposed to the sun. Without the protection from the skin, my flesh started burning too. My blood sizzled. I saw the colour of my flesh turned from light to dark. Water evaporated from my body, then my body became withered. No matter what my body became, my mind was still conscious. It tortured me, every nerve, for every second.

"What are you?!" The old man walked in front of me, stared at me and asked.

"What do you want?!" I stared back, fiercely, using up every strength that left within me not to scream out. My face, probably only a skull left, must look very scary.

"You will be eradicated. You creatures don't belong to this world."

"I can't die!" I almost screamed the words out, drove by the constant, violent pain. The sunlight had gnawed my flesh, bit by bit. But with every bit I lost, I self-generated again. I knew this could last forever.

He stunned at my word, as well as the sight, and retreated. He certainly noticed the unchanged. "No, no. There must be a way." He shook his head, and walked away.

"Where are you going?! Come back!" I was furious. But they were all gone. I again, was left alone under this constant torment.

I thought about Érik. What was his reaction when I did not go back home? Is he searching for me? If so, would that bring him danger? No, I don't want him to be in danger. Please, Érik, don't look for me. I must get out of here.

A group of people came back, each holding a torch. Then the old man directed them to put torches at my feet. In no time, fire climbed up my body, up to my hair. This added extra pain to the existing intolerable level. I cannot help but struggling, but it only tore the wounds caused by sticks. Then I learnt to stop and keep still. I can see nothing but flames. The fire went on and on, even after the sunset. I knew this did not work, but they did not want to believe it. They kept adding new woods, just to keep the fire on.

Later that night, I heard them whispering about finding a new way. The old man ordered to leave me like this, and then they all leave. The fire went on all night. It tortured me on the edge of passing out. Then it finally started fading out. Just when I was re-generating new tissues, there came the sunrise, followed by a new turn of scorching. Is this the endless hell I am living?

The old man showed up at noon, followed by a group of people with all kinds of weapons. One of them, who was holding a broadsword, opened the cage behind me. He put the broadsword on my neck, and then tried to chop my head. What happened next scared the hell out of everyone. When the blade moved from the back of my neck to the front, the parts just had been cut through went back together and healed completely.

"You are doing everything in vain!" I shouted, staring firmly and furiously at the old man's eyes. "You don't understand! I can't die! It's LORD's will! You can't go against it!"

They all fled out. No one listened to me.

The sun went down and came out again, and again. I lost count. No one came. Not even a sound. I was weak. I felt dizzy. I started wondering, if this goes on long enough, could I really die. Is this the suffering I must live before the freedom?

One day, the old man came back again. I shouted at him and told him that this was all in vain. He told me to shut up for he had already thought of a way. I wondered what could that be. Then I saw a group of people moved in a machine. They started to put tube into my artery, through my neck, my limbs and my body. I then knew what was the way he talked about. He wanted to draw out my blood.

The machine started working. Blood was draining out from me, together with my strength. My head was dizzy. My eyes became blurred. And I heard echoing inside my ears. The world was spinning before me. My eyelids were extreme heavy, and I finally closed my eyes. Then at the dark inner side of my eyelids, there was Érik, bending over his desk, sketching. Oh, Érik, I will never see you again. What would your life be without me? I hope, from bottom of my heart, it would be a happy one. May you find happiness in your life. I'm afraid I will have to break my oath. I have failed to stay with you for the rest of your life. Then, it was blackout.

Senses were coming to me. I was still too tired to open my eyes. But I felt blood running in my body, and more were coming. My body absorbed the blood like crazy. Every nerve, every muscle became excited. They starved for too long. Under their effort, blood ran through my entire body very quickly. I had enough strength and opened my eyes. I craved for more blood. I would take the first person I see. I was in the state of a frantic bloodthirsty animal. I have prepared my teeth. I sat up suddenly, and then I saw Érik. Blood was coming down from his hand and dropping onto me. I startled him. Although the lust for blood was extremely strong, I clenched my fists and teeth, trying my best to fight it back.

"It's okay. Take it. You need blood." Érik put his wrist in my mouth, and I drank it ravenously, but just a few small sips, then I pushed him away, holding my desire back. I worried I may kill him. "How did you find me?"

"Not now. We need to get you out of here."

"There was this odd old man." I recalled, all those tortures and how he wanted me dead.

"Van Helsing. Abraham Van Helsing. He is a vampire hunter."

"I'll have to kill him." I was furious. I wanted him to pay.

"No. It's too dangerous." Érik grabbed my shoulder and tried to calm me down.

"He will haunt me till he's dead! It's either him or me!" I shouted agitatedly. I couldn't calm down. Not after all that Van Helsing put me through.

Érik kept silent for a while before he nodded. "Okay. It's night. He is sleeping. I'll lead you to him. But be quiet."

"Where am I?" I looked around, but there was only a coffin in the room, filled with leeches. I knew then how Van Helsing kept drawing out of my blood.

'You are in his cellar. He double-locked it." Érik walked towards the iron gate and gestured me to follow up. The lock was picked by him. There was another door outside, and was also opened by Érik.

We went up silently. There was no one in the drawing room. "This way." Érik guided me, "He lived alone. I spied on him the whole day. I got in till he went to sleep."

We went into Van Helsing's room. He was sound asleep. Crosses hang over walls, and he even was holding a cross when he slept. I rushed over and bit his neck. My desire for almost drove crazy. The cross touched my skin, and burnt a hole on it, but I did not care for it was nothing compared with what he made me suffer.

He was awakened when I touched his neck, but it was too late. I drained every single blood out of him. I was filled with rage. I wanted to take my revenge, even after his death. I tore him into pieces with my hands. I felt so alive, but I wanted more blood. I rushed out of the window to search for more.

After, I did not know how many, victims lied dead, I finally calmed down and stopped. Then I saw Érik was waiting aside. I walked to him, rather restlessly. I did not know what to say to him. I had been lying bloodlessly for too long. I needed enough blood to come back.

He said nothing, but walked towards me and hugged me. "I miss you so much." He whispered besides my ears.

I held him in my arms. "I thought I would never see you again." It felt so good to hold him again. "Where are we?"

"Essex."

"How did you find me?" I asked on the way home.

"The smell of your blood. It was too special to forget."

"Tell me what happened."

"You didn't come home. So I went looking for you. I knew you were in trouble, but I had no clue where you might have been. So I used what you taught me, searching for the smell. But you know, my sense of smell is not as good as yours. So I searched every area of London, and finally found a weak smell in Whitechapel. But it was your blood stain. So I traced it, but it disappeared in the middle of nowhere. So I then searched every possible area, and only when I came close to Essex, I smelt you again. But I only found a barrel. And I saw Van Helsing using it to do experiments. I knew you were nearby. I spied on him the whole day, and sneaked in when he went to bed. I can't believe what he did to you." His fingers rubbed my palm, and started trembling.

"How long had you been searching for me?"

"About a month. I should have known. How could I not have known where you had been doing? I could have saved you sooner. I should have paid more attention to you. It's my fault. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He held me closely. His head buried on my shoulder, and I felt him shaking in my arms.

"Hey… It's okay now. You saved me." I put my arm around his back, and kissed his hair. "I'm back. You have found me."

"What did he do to you?" He shook even harder, and choked.

"It doesn't matter now. We are back together again."

"I'll never leave you again." He started calming down, but still held me closely.

"You won't." I gently pulled him away and kissed him. "I'll always be with you."

He kissed back, "I'm so glad you are here."

"Can I be on top tonight?"

"Sure." And he smiled.

"Let's go home."