Chapter 7: Story of a Slaying

I had no idea what Dante was talking about. How had he known me all along? And if he had, why did he make me tell him everything about my dreadful past? Why would he put me through that misery? There must be a reasonable excuse.

He sat up now, pulling me up next to him, cradling me in his strong arms. He held me tightly against his body now, almost as to shield me from something I had not known about.

"I've known you were the purpose of my existence for a very long time. I found you when you were the tender age of twelve. I knew I had to keep my distance, I couldn't very well be interested in a young girl, I would look like a pedophile by today's terms.

So I waited and watched, ready to make my move whenever I needed to and whenever I felt it was appropriate.

The rulers of our world do not take kindly to our kind having familiar relations with those of the human race. I knew if I would have any type of involvement with you, I would need to do it in confidence.

I waited, year by year, until the year you turned fifteen years old. I was at the party that night, Victoria, and I will never forgive myself for what that bastard did to you, how he hurt you. I stayed outside, watching nearby, ready to protect you when you needed it.

I saw you walk with that boy, saw how you acted around that boy. I became angry, I became sadistic, almost wanting to break his neck then and there.

I left, Victoria, I left you there to fend for yourself. I couldn't stand and watch any longer, so I ran away," he looked down now, ashamed of himself. I was sure if Dante could cry, now would be a time to see his crystal tears.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry that I left you there with that monster," his voice broke as he said this, looking up at me with guilt in his eyes.

"You didn't know what he was going to do though, you had no idea, I could never blame you for what happened that night."



"Well, I blamed myself, Victoria, if only I would have stayed, he would have been dead and that would have never happened to you. I stayed away for months, wondering what I could do to try to make anything better. I had no clue, I was so hurt, so confused. I wanted you to be happy but I knew if I interfered now, it would only hurt you worse.

I watched you for months, found out about the raping, and was furious. I hurt so bad…I felt as though the pain inside of me was literally tearing me apart. I knew I had to do something, anything.

I found his house. I watched his every move. For about two months I watched him, waiting to pounce upon my prey.

Victoria," he took my hands now, bringing them to his face and kissing both of them, one after the other. He stared fiercely into my eyes as he started again, "I saw him walking one night by himself, completely unaware of the evil that awaited him next to his house. I grabbed him as he walked up his porch steps, dragging him into the tall bushes. I tortured him, making him scream but muffling his screams of terror with my hand. First, I broke both of his legs, one after the other. Then, I broke his arms, leaving him paralyzed. I then left his neck for last, after waiting quite awhile to make sure he had known what he had done. I then sucked him dry I guess you could say. He was the type of person you could taste the evil in his blood. He was a terrible human, Victoria, and you weren't his only victim, either, he raped many girls. I'm so sorry for what happened but I did whatever in my power I could to let him know what he was dying for."

"Thank you," I said now, my voice breaking. "I can sleep at ease now knowing that the center of my horror for so long is no longer in existence."

"Do not thank me, I am a protector, Victoria, I will always protect you and love you." He kissed me now, lightly, letting all the feelings of love and affection he had for me now pierce through my lips and into my bloodstream.

I understood, finally, what he was so afraid of. He wanted to protect me in every way, making sure he would not upset me by the things he would confess. We had both confessed our pasts now, letting every insecurity we had for each other blow away with the soft wind.



The next day when I woke up, I had realized that we were out of food. I found Dante outside on the back porch, thinking to himself.

"Dante?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't get too angry with me. He never wanted me to leave and after our last conversation, I now knew why.

"Yes, love?" he answered back, kindness in his beautiful voice.

"May I run to the store? We're out of food."

Dante rose up now, anger in his eyes. "No!" he yelled at me, making me wince at the fury in his voice.

"I…I'm sorry," I said, weak now. I huddled against the side of the large brick mansion.

Dante calmed now, looking defeated about what he had just said to me.

"Victoria, I cannot let you leave. There are people out there who want both of us dead…especially you," when he said this, he looked into the trees, almost as if he was looking for something…or someone.

I got angry now. I could feel my stomach twisting in knots with the hunger and I knew I couldn't stand it much longer before I passed out on the ground from starvation. Ok, so maybe starvation was an exaggeration, but still, I was hungry and I needed something to eat soon!

"Well then, Mr. Smart Guy, what am I suppose to eat then?" I asked now, almost furious with him. He had known I needed to eat but he wasn't really acting like he cared much.

"I will go myself, you must stay here though, please, Victoria."

"Ok," I sighed. I wanted to go with him. I didn't want to be left in the monstrous house by myself. It was so empty without his presence.

Dante left in a hurry, kissing me before he ran around the side of the house. I didn't even hear a car start but I knew he was gone. I was ready for some time alone, although I wasn't ready at all.

I hated being alone more than anything in the world. I always felt so helpless, so isolated from everyone. I felt as though, the reason I was alone was because no one wanted to be next to me, no one wanted to see me or be with 

me. I may be wrong, but this is what my mind told me. And most of the time, I believed it.

Most of the rest of the evening, I would just lie on the couch, thinking to myself about the events that had led up to this very moment. I thought about my mother mostly, and if she really was still alive. I mean, I hadn't seen her die. There could still be hope…right?

I wanted to believe so badly that there was still hope. That I would see my mother's sweet caring face once again.

As I thought about past memories and what had happened, I curled myself into a tight little ball on the couch, letting my emotions run wild. I cried until I literally didn't have any tears anymore.

Yes, I was more than glad I had Dante. He had shown me something I thought was fake, a fairytale. But that didn't erase the thoughts from my mind that my mother was still out there, cold, alone, and possibly almost dead.

I told myself I'd have to stop thinking about it. My mother wouldn't want me living her life in fear wondering if I had done something differently, she would still be with me. I had to stop. I had to stop the thoughts and the worries.

Dante walked through the front door now, carrying bags of groceries. I ran over to help him but he wouldn't let me. He knew I was weak from hunger and he was the definition of a gentleman. He'd never let me do any type of hard labor while he was around.

"Thank you," I said to him as I ate my meal.

"You needed food, I don't know what I was thinking," he said, staring at me as I ate. Something that would always bother me about him. Since he didn't eat "human" food, he would spend the time I was eating staring at me.

"I just don't understand why you got so angry with me. I just wanted to go myself to save you the trip."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I was just worried, there are people out there who want to kill you and I and I cannot lose you. Not now, not ever."

"Well, thank you for worrying but I think I can handle myself."



I could tell when I said this that Dante knew I was just playing with his mind. He knew I was not near strong enough to deal with the horror that awaited me outside the mansion.

"I don't think you understand," he said now, staring into my eyes.

"Then tell me what I don't understand," I was becoming annoyed, why wasn't he telling me things? Why couldn't I know what was going on?

"Fine, I'll just come out with it, I'd rather not have you angry with me."

"Ok then, talk."

"The vampires at your town were there to scare you, Victoria. You were the reason they killed everyone in your hometown."

My eyes widened. I was filled with shock, chills ran up and down my body, leaving me motionless as if I had been stuck by a lightning bolt. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. My fault was all that ran through my mind now. It was all my fault. All of it.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I spoke now, I wasn't sure how I spoke, but the words came out, leaving me once again paralyzed by fear and guilt.

"I didn't want to hurt you. Because I knew that you would blame yourself, as you are right now. I know what's going through your head, you're thinking that you killed your hometown. But that is not the case. It is my fault, if I hadn't told them about you, you wouldn't be in danger and neither would your home."

"Who did you tell about me? Why did you tell them?"

"Remember when I told you about the rulers of my world? I confided in one of them, William. He was my best friend. The only one I thought was like me, who thought like me. I was dreadfully wrong, Victoria. He told Vincent, the most powerful vampire of us all. I knew I needed to get you out of your town at that very moment."

"Why did you wait a whole month to find me and save me?" I asked now, confused by his reasoning.

"I needed to wait for the killings to die down. I couldn't very well walk into a town of vampires who wanted to kill me for forsaking their king, could I? I 

needed a plan, a plan of attack, if you will. So I waited, I watched you to make sure you were as okay as you could be. And then I came for you."

I loved Dante yet I hated him at the same time for making me suffer. For making my whole town suffer…and most of all…for not saving my mother when he very well could have.

"Victoria, I couldn't have saved your mother."

He knew what I was thinking, somehow, he knew my thoughts. Sadness overwhelmed my weak body once again as I slammed my head on the dining room table. Dante ran over now, cradling my head in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for everything I have caused and everything I have done. If I could take it all back, believe me I would. I would never have come into your life if I had known this was going to happen, believe me," he raised my chin with his hand, making me look into his pleading eyes.

"I love you," I said now, knowing that he was what I wanted. My mind told me not to care about my town and everyone who had been slain. Dante was my world now, and my world he shall remain.

"I love you also, Victoria, but maybe I should leave, maybe you should just forget about me. I know your life would be much easier if I hadn't interfered."

"I would be dead if you wouldn't have interfered."

"That may be so, but I cannot live knowing that I have caused you this much pain. I can't stand your tears, Victoria, every time a tear falls from your beautiful eyes, it breaks my dead heart a little more."

"I'm a very emotional person, Dante, I cry a lot, especially when it comes to people's lives coming to an end when I know that it was my fault. If I hadn't been in existence, none of it would have happened."

"That may be true, but you cannot turn back time, one can only go forward."

I knew he was right, but I didn't understand why he wanted to leave me. Why would he want to leave me alone with all the danger around?

"Don't leave me," I said now, gripping onto him as hard as I could.



"If it is what you want, I promise, I will never leave you."